Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total expenditure on the feed-in tariff was in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. [89596]
Gregory Barker: The total expenditure on the feed-in tariff scheme in each of the last four quarters are shown in the following table. These figures include both generation and export payments (deemed and metered).
| Quarter | Total expenditure on feed-in tariffs (£) |
| Source: Ofgem, Levelisation report: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/fits/Levelisation/Pages/Levelisation.aspx | |
The eligibility date marks the start of the period during which installations are eligible to receive FITs payments. Tariffs will be paid for a set period of time depending on the technology installed (e.g. 25 years for solar PV), and the total expenditure for each quarter includes payments made to all installations, including those installed in previous quarters. Data are published by Ofgem approximately three months after the start of the previous levelisation process.
River Severn: Tidal Power
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what meetings he has had to discuss the potential development of the Severn Barrage; and what matters were discussed; [90388]
(2) what plans he has for future development of the Severn Barrage; and if he will make a statement. [90433]
Charles Hendry: All meetings between external organisations and DECC Ministers are published quarterly on the DECC website at the following link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
A private sector consortium seeking to develop a tidal barrage on the Severn estuary has recently submitted a draft business plan to Government and, following discussions with officials, is providing further information on a number of issues.
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Solar Power
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of households likely to have solar PV in (a) 2015 and (b) 2020. [88892]
Gregory Barker: Estimates of future solar PV growth are extremely uncertain. DECC is currently reviewing its estimates in the light of responses to the current consultation on PV tariffs as well as other recent changes in the market and will provide updated assessments for the final impact assessment published alongside the post-consultation policy response.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households have installed (a) solar PV and (b) solar water heating. [88893]
Gregory Barker: The latest monthly published statistics show that at the end of December 2011 the number of solar PV schemes (of sub 50kW capacity) installed on the Microgeneration Certificate Scheme database (MCS) was 230,467. Of these, 61% (141,033) have been confirmed on Ofgem's Central FiT Register (CFR).
In addition, there were 3,534 solar PVs scheme installations confirmed on the CFR but not registered on the MCS database at the end of December 2011. These installations are not registered on the MCS database since the installation capacity is greater than 50kW.
DECC does not currently hold any statistics on solar water heating.
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy production will come from solar energy in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [89627]
Gregory Barker: The estimated proportion of total electricity and energy demand in 2012-13 and 2013-14 that will be met by solar photovoltaic (PV) is set out in the following table. Solar PV output projections are based on the lead option (central scenario) from the impact assessment supporting the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV, updated to reflect installations data until the end of October 2011. Demand forecasts are based on DECC Updated Energy Projections:
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
| Sources: 1. DECC, Updated Energy Projections October 2011, Annex E. 2. DECC, Updated Energy Projections October 2011, Annex H. See: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/en_emis_projs/en_emis_projs.aspx | ||
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Warm Home Discount Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) pensioner and (b) non-pensioner households have received assistance from (i) EDF Energy, (ii) Atlantic, (iii) British Gas, (iv) SWALEC, (v) E.ON, (vi) npower, (vii) Scottish Hydro, (viii) Scottish Power, (ix) Southern Electric and (x) SSE under the Warm Home Discount scheme; and what the average level of assistance was per household. [89414]
Gregory Barker: 2011-12 is the first year of the Warm Home Discount scheme. A report will be published following the end of this scheme year detailing supplier expenditure in 2011-12 for the core and non-core elements of the scheme. In total, suppliers will provide support worth up to £250 million in 2011-12 and assist around two million low-income and vulnerable households. This will include the provision of Core Group discounts of £120 to over 600,000 pensioners in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit only. The level of contribution suppliers should provide is proportionate to their market share.
Warm Home Discount Scheme: Mobile Homes
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure park home owners receive a warm home discount payment. [89535]
Gregory Barker: The Warm Home Discount scheme requires participating energy suppliers to provide assistance to their low-income, vulnerable consumers directly through discounts on their energy bill from their energy supplier. In order to benefit from the scheme, customers, or their partner, must be named on the electricity account with a participating energy supplier. Therefore, discounts under the Warm Home Discount scheme would be available to those living in park homes who do have electricity accounts in their own name. Assistance would not be available to those who do not have their own electricity account with an energy supplier, for example those who pay for their energy through their rent.
This issue was considered during the consultation process for the Warm Home Discount scheme, which was published on 28 February 2010 and is available at:
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/warm-home-discount/1307-gov-response-warm-homes-disc-cons.pdf
Wind Power
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how much was paid to wind farm companies in (a) Wales and (b) Great Britain through constraint payments in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011; [89182]
(2) which energy companies supplying energy from wind farms in the UK received constraint payments in 2011; [89190]
(3) which (a) British and (b) non-British based energy companies received constraint payments in 2011. [89191]
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Charles Hendry: A routine part of National Grid's role is to balance electricity supply and demand. It undertakes a number of activities to achieve this, including making constraint payments to generators through the balancing mechanism. The number and relative value of constraint payments made to wind farms is small compared to overall constraint payments made to generators of all types:
(a) No constraint payments were made to wind farms operating in Wales in 2010 or 2011.
(b) (i) In 2010, constraint payments totalling £176,702 were made to wind farms through the balancing mechanism.
(b) (ii) In 2011, constraint payments totalling £12.1 million were made to wind farms through the balancing mechanism. In addition, National Grid undertook a number of forward energy trades through the market in order to balance the system. These are also classed as constraint payments and resulted in £12.7 million being paid to wind farms.
By comparison, overall payments to all types of generators to balance the system totalled £708 million for the financial year 2010-11.
National Grid has advised that forward energy trades are commercially confidential, and is therefore not able to provide details of which energy companies received such payments. Energy companies supplying energy from wind farms received constraint payments through the balancing mechanism in 2011 are detailed in the following table:
| £ | |
All of the above companies receiving constraint payments through the balancing mechanism are incorporated in the UK.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average length of time was for an onshore wind farm to generate sufficient low carbon energy to offset the emissions arising from its manufacture, installation and operation. [89490]
Charles Hendry: Emissions paybacks for wind turbines in the UK will vary according to factors such as the location of the turbine and the fossil fuel energy sources displaced, but DECC estimates suggest that a representative emissions payback time for an on-shore wind turbine would be about seven months.
Wind Power: Safety
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to review safety standards in respect of blade dislocation in the wind turbine industry. [89509]
Charles Hendry:
Wind generators, in the same way as all other industries, are covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) which requires them
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as duty holders to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees and any members of the public who may be affected by their activities.
Duty-holders are responsible for assessing and controlling the risks from their undertaking—and it is for the sector to prepare industry standards. For example, RenewablesUK has published wind turbine safety rules and guidance, details of which can be seen at:
http://www.bwea.com/safety/index.html
There are also well-established British and European standards covering product safety.
The HSE performs appropriate regulatory checks on the operation and maintenance of wind turbines and also commissions research as needed. An HSE-commissioned report on risk assessment in the vicinity of wind turbines will be published shortly, and we will consider the contents carefully once published.
Leader of the House
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Leader of the House how much was paid to officials in his office in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years. [89708]
Sir George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the contribution of the entertainment industry to the economy; and if he will make a statement. [88879]
Mr Vaizey: The latest “Creative Industries Economic Estimates” bulletin was released in December 2011, in which the contribution to the economy of the Creative Industries is estimated—covering gross value added (GVA), employment, exports in services and number of businesses. These estimates are compiled for the Creative Industries as a whole and for the 13 sub-sectors as defined by the 2001 Creative Industries mapping document. Several of these sectors could be defined as entertainment industries, for example the “Music and Visual and Performing Arts” sector, which includes performing arts, support activities to performing arts, artistic creation and the operation of arts facilities.
The Creative Industries as a whole were estimated to contribute £36.3 billion, or 2.9%, to the UK's GVA in
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2009. The “Music and Visual and Performing Arts” sector accounted for GVA of £4.1 billion, or 0.3% of the UK total.
The full Creative Industries economic estimates statistical release is available on the DCMS website:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8682.aspx
Broadband
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken by his Department to identify areas (a) without broadband and (b) where broadband speeds are below 1Mbps; and what steps are being taken to ensure that such areas either gain access to broadband or benefit from increased speed. [89340]
Mr Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) undertook a comprehensive modelling exercise to estimate the performance of all exchange lines in 2010 and has continued to update the data as new information becomes available. The Government have committed £530 million to help stimulate private investment in those locations where the commercial investment case is weak; the ambition is to provide superfast broadband to at least 90% of premises in the UK and to provide universal access to standard broadband with a speed of at least 2 Mbps.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the telecommunications industry has been consulted on the transfer of responsibilities for broadband to his Department. [89343]
Mr Vaizey: Since his appointment, broadband has always been part of the Secretary of State’s portfolio, with officials reporting directly to him or myself, as Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, even when based in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Government's Digital Inclusion Champion on the timetable for the provision of universal broadband. [89344]
Mr Vaizey: I have met Martha Lane Fox—the Government's Digital Inclusion Champion—a number of times to discuss a wide variety of digital issues, including the rollout of superfast broadband.
Broadband: Business
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to ensure that small businesses in remote areas gain access to high-speed broadband. [89341]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have committed £530 million to help stimulate private investment in those locations where the commercial investment case is weak, with the ambition to provide superfast broadband to at least 90% of premises in the UK and to provide universal access to standard broadband with a speed of at least 2 Mbps.
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Broadband: EU Countries
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with (a) representatives from the telecommunications industry and (b) Governments from other European countries on broadband provision; and what comparative assessment he has made of such provision with that available in the UK. [89342]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has regular discussions with representatives from the telecommunications industry, and I regularly speak with my counterparts in other European member states and the Commission on ICT issues, including broadband. This Government are committed to ensuring the UK has the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 and we believe we are on target to achieve that. Ofcom published proposals for the Best in Europe Scorecard which will assess this in its International Communications Market Report in December 2011. In addition, the European Commission is due to publish a broadband international comparisons paper shortly.
Charles Dickens
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. [90221]
Mr Vaizey: Events to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens are publicised at:
http://www.dickens2012.org/section/exhibitions?page=4
This Department’s arm’s length bodies, the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery, will be holding exhibitions as part of those celebrations.
English Heritage: Finance
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the amount English Heritage has spent on market researchers in each of the last five years. [90013]
John Penrose: This Department does not hold information on English Heritage's spending on market researchers in the last five years.
Get Set Network
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many schools in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales have signed up to the London 2012 Get Set Network. [89962]
Hugh Robertson: The following number of schools have signed up to the London 2012 Get Set Network.
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| Nation | Number of schools |
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 November 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr J Allnutt, transferred from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. [90267]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I responded to the letter of 15 November 2011 from the right hon. Member on 5 January 2012, which was e-mailed directly to his parliamentary office.
I will arrange for another copy of this letter to be e-mailed to the right hon. Member.
Mobile Phones: Aerials
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has conducted a value for money assessment on the proposed use of public funding to improve mobile phone coverage compared to funding mobile masts in areas which will not be covered by the release of 800 MHz spectrum. [87436]
Mr Vaizey: The primary purpose of the £150 million is to fill in mobile voice not spots, but where possible we will look to support the deployment of additional mobile services including 4G when this is being deployed in the UK. Work is under way to determine where the investment should be made and will take into account any decisions made by Ofcom on coverage conditions attached to the 800 MHz licences.
Olympic Games 2012
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Home Office, (b) the Metropolitan Police, (c) Transport for London and (d) local authorities on integrating the technological and human resources available for security at the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [90410]
Hugh Robertson: The Department meets regularly with the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service, Transport for London, the Greater London Authority, local authorities in London and elsewhere, and other relevant organisations, to discuss security planning for London 2012. The Home Office is the lead Government Department for Olympic and Paralympic security, although integration of planning and resources on security, as it is for other core activities, is a collective effort across a large number of delivery organisations.
We are working closely with the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service and others to ensure that resource planning, for example the demand for private security guards, is fully integrated with that of other key
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Olympic and Paralympic delivery partners, especially the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games (LOCOG).
The integration of technological requirements and resources is fundamental to the planned system of command, co-ordination and communication (C3) that is needed to ensure that all significant parties interact sufficiently and are able to manage and co-ordinate information exchanges and the handling of any significant incidents in the run-up to, and during, the Olympic and Paralympic games. This is an ongoing and complex piece of work.
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of tickets for the London 2012 Olympics made available in the UK that were purchased by people resident in the UK. [89963]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is a private company operating independently of Government and is responsible for the ticketing arrangements for the London 2012 games.
The Olympic games and Paralympic games are global events. There will be 8.8 million tickets for the Olympic games, with 75% being made available by LOCOG through the UK application process. Already, over 3.5 million tickets have been purchased through this route by more than 850,000 people. More than 95% of successful applications through the UK process were from UK residents.
Current UK ticket sales are taking place now for the men’s and women’s Olympic football tournament, with further sales planned in April in all 26 Olympic sports, after venue seating plans are finalised.
Olympic Games 2012: Tourism
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage tourists in London for the London 2012 Olympics to extend their stay and visit other parts of the UK. [89961]
John Penrose: With both the Olympic and Paralympic games and the diamond jubilee taking place in Britain this year, we are committed to seizing the unique opportunity to raise the profile of the UK as a place to visit.
VisitBritain’s new international marketing campaign, with an investment of around £120 million, is targeting our biggest international markets and promoting all areas of the UK. It is already using the GREAT campaign on its website, and running advertisements featuring GREAT with its strategic and industry partners in key markets around the world. These adverts showcase what overseas visitors can discover in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
VisitBritain is also working closely with destination management organisations to help them develop ‘attract brands’ which are designed to encourage tourists from both home and abroad to make the most of the wealth of destinations all over the UK.
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In addition, we are encouraging local tourism firms to sign up to a new 20.12% in 2012 offer scheme, which will mean holidaymakers booking a UK short break before the closing ceremony of the Paralympic games to be eligible for a special 20.12% deal with participating UK hospitality and tourism firms.
The Olympic flame will travel through every county in England, as well as each local authority in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The relay presents an opportunity for the UK to showcase the best of each community as well as the tourism jewels within each of our regions. Pre-games training camps will also provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits all around the country, including inward investment, through the international attention that will follow. Agreements have been signed between National Olympic and Paralympic Committees and venues across the UK, available at:
http://www.london2012.com/documents/venue-documents/pre-games-training-camps-agreements.pdf
Olympic Games 2012: Wi-Fi
Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to ensure that all free wi-fi access provided at public expense in London during the London 2012 Olympic Games is consistent with the family-friendly standards endorsed by the Independent Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood. [88950]
Mr Vaizey: The Independent Review (Bailey) recommended device level settings work is underway on achieving this. This is the best way for parents to ensure that their children are not able to access inappropriate content wherever they are. There are no plans to provide free wi-fi access in London at public expense during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Sports: Equal Opportunities
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to promote gender equality in sports. [89320]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England will be investing £1 billion in the new youth and community sport strategy to secure a lasting legacy from London 2012. This will have a strong focus on providing the necessary opportunities and infrastructure for young people to develop a sporting habit for life. Around £450 million will go to sport's national governing bodies (NGBs) between 2013 and 2017 for their Whole Sport Plans, and Sport England is working closely with the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, which provides specialist advice and support to governing bodies, as it develops inclusive criteria for NGB investment.
Sports: Expenditure
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the total expenditure was in each parliamentary constituency by his Department on sport in 2011. [88826]
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Hugh Robertson: Total expenditure by this Department on sport is not held at parliamentary constituency level. In 2011 UK Sport directly invested £70,460,543 in national governing bodies through its World Class Performance Programmes. The awards made directly by Sport England in the financial year 2011-12 were £97,715,605.
Sports: Training
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of voluntary sports coaches in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales. [90155]
Hugh Robertson: We are unable to provide this information by area; however, the programmes in place will benefit constituencies throughout the country.
We recognise the crucial role of the volunteer in increasing and maintaining participation in sport. Three in every four of the 600,000 qualified sports coaches in the UK are volunteers, usually giving up three to four hours of their time on a weekly basis.
The recruitment of volunteer sports coaches in England is a fundamental aspect of the work of the lead agency, Sports Coach UK, funded by DCMS through Sport England. Sports Coach UK has also been working with each of the 49 County Sports Partnerships (CSPs), including the Merseyside Sports Partnership, to ensure that the national recruitment strategies of the governing bodies are understood and implemented at a local level.
In addition, Sport Makers, as part of Sport England's Places, People, Play legacy programme, is encouraging 40,000 people to give up their time and take possibly their first step on the volunteer coach pathway by organising people to take part.
The new Youth Sport Strategy aims to increase consistently the number of young people developing sport as a habit for life. Sport England will work with schools, colleges and universities, as well as local CSPs, the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) for sport, local authorities and the voluntary sector—the people who know sport and young people best—to improve the sporting offer that we make available to them.
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8761.aspx
For the first time, as part of the new Whole Sport Plans, NGBs will be tasked with delivery of increased participation for young people under 16. Each Whole Sport Plan will include ambitious objectives to ensure that sports deliver increased participation for both youth and adults alike.
War Memorials: Repairs and Maintenance
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will create a British war memorial fund to provide finance for the maintenance of war memorials in the UK. [90291]
John Penrose:
Traditionally, British war memorials are built and managed through private subscription rather than taxpayer funding. This has been true for the vast majority of our existing memorials, from Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square to the local village memorials
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and the new Bomber Command monument currently being built in Green Park. As such, we have no plans to create a British war memorial fund, but there are already programmes in place to support the preservation and repair of war memorials across the country.
English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with the War Memorials Trust, provide grants for the repair and conservation of free-standing war memorials in England. To date, over £757,000 has been offered under the scheme.
This Department's Memorial Grant scheme makes grants equivalent to the value added tax incurred by charities and faith groups in erecting, maintaining or repairing public memorials, including war memorials. Since the start of the scheme in 2005-06, over £1.8 million has been given out to support memorials across the UK.
In addition to Government support, the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded more than £28.18 million over the last 17 years to over 66 projects across the UK that have specifically included the conservation of war memorials.
Justice
Children
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what methods are used by his Department to measure the effects of its decisions on the subjective well-being of children. [90158]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will impact upon different people. It provides information about this consideration in various ways, including by undertaking equality impact assessments (EIAs). The protected equalities characteristics include age and therefore impacts on children will be considered.
There are a variety of evidence methods used to assess impacts, including consultations, surveys and other research approaches. Evidence may not necessarily be available to assess impacts of specific policies on subjective well being, though where it is this will be taken into consideration.
Community Legal Service
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what proportion of the amounts falling due to the Community Legal Service under the Statutory Charge within (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 relate to costs recoverable for private family law matters; [89586]
(2) what proportion of the value of civil representation for financial provision on divorce cases completed in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 was subject to the Statutory Charge. [89637]
Mr Djanogly:
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is able to determine the total amount of Statutory Charge levied each year and to provide a breakdown of this by category of law. The amounts levied for private family law matters as a proportion of the total amounts levied were 92% in 2008-09; 91% in 2009-10 and 90% in 2010-11. Within the category of law called financial provision, funding is available for the sub-category financial
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provision resulting from divorce. However, the proportion of the value of these cases subject to the statutory charge is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Coroners: Witnesses
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department can take to ensure that foreign witnesses can be called upon to give evidence at inquests in the UK concerning deaths which occur abroad. [90149]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy but not operational responsibility, which rests with individual local authorities. Therefore, it cannot intervene in operational matters such as commissioning statements from witnesses overseas. I am, however, aware of the difficulties faced by coroners investigating deaths abroad who cannot take advantage of Mutual Legal Assistance arrangements as they are not part of the UK criminal justice system. Nevertheless, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does liaise between coroners in England and Wales and overseas countries to facilitate co-operation, but neither the FCO nor coroners can compel overseas witnesses to give evidence at an inquest.
Courts: Unpaid Fines
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much of the sum imposed in court fines was unpaid at the end of each month since May 2010. [89729]
Mr Djanogly: Information on how much was outstanding for financial penalties at the end of each month is set out in the following table. Financial penalties include fines, costs, victim surcharge, compensation, unpaid fixed penalties and penalty notices for disorder which have been transferred to HMCTS for enforcement.
| Date | Outstanding balance (£) |
Over the last few years HMCTS has worked on implementing and embedding the principles set out in
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the Criminal Compliance and Enforcement Services Blueprint to achieve a higher degree of first time compliance. All regions have been focusing on directing resources to ‘up front’ compliance actions such as: increased use of telephone and text message chasing; increased use of intelligence tracing tools; and increased use of sanctions such as deductions from benefits and attachment of earnings. As a result HMCTS has stopped the increase in the outstanding balance.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many awards the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority made of (a) up to £5,000, (b) £5,001 to £10,000, (c) £10,001 to £15,000, (d) £15,001 to £20,000, (e) £20,001 to 25,000, (f) 25,001 to £30,000, (g) £30,001 to £35,000, (h) £35,001 to £40,000, (i) £40,001 to 45,000, (j) 45,001 to £50,000, (k) £50,001 to £55,000, (l) £55,001 to £60,000, (m) £60,001 to 65,000, (n) 65,001 to £70,000, (o) £70,001 to £75,000, (p) £75,001 to £80,000, (q) £80,001 to 85,000, (r) 85,001 to £90,000, (s) £90,001 to £95,000, (t) £95,001 to £100,000, (u) £100,001 to £125,000, (v) £125,001 to £150,000, (w) £150,001 to £175,000, (x) £175,001 to £200,000, (y) £200,001 to £250,000, (z) £250,001 to £300,000, (aa) £300,001 to £350,000, (ab) £350,001 to £400,000, (ac) £400,001 to £450,000 and (ad) £450,001 to £500,000 in 2010. [90448]
Mr Djanogly: Figures covering cases resolved in the 2010 financial year are shown in the following table:
| Band | Number of awards |
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Apprentices
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in each of the public bodies for which his Department is responsible between (a) April 2010 and March 2011, (b) April 2011 and March 2012 and (c) April 2012 and March 2013. [88736]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice, including its public bodies, has a well established programme of apprenticeships for its staff. The Ministry will continue to use apprenticeships to raise the skills and capability of existing staff by offering opportunities to develop transferable skills and support future recruitment.
The Ministry has devolved responsibilities for learning and training budgets to each of its public bodies. The allocation of funding for internal apprenticeships is the responsibility of each individual public body and it is not held centrally. As the Ministry is responsible for 52 public bodies, to obtain this information would incur a disproportionate cost.
The learning and development budgets for (c) April 2012 to March 2013 have not yet been finalised. The Ministry will continue to work with Skills for Justice, which is our skills sector council, our other provider networks and Civil Service Learning to develop our ongoing apprenticeship programmes.
The Ministry also works with providers that draw on Skills Agency funding to allocate free apprenticeship training places. This provision is also available to all public bodies.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding his Department allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in his Department in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in 2012-13. [89141]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has a well established programme of sponsoring apprenticeships for its staff. The Ministry will continue to use apprenticeships to raise the capability of its existing staff by offering opportunities to develop transferable skills and support future recruitment.
The Ministry does not set aside a specific funding allocation for internal apprenticeships. Instead, as apprenticeships are part of the Ministry's overall approach to learning and development, the funding used to sponsor internal apprenticeships is drawn from the overall training and development budgets. Over the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, the Ministry has spent a total of £61,312 on apprenticeship training. For the period 1 April 2011 to 31 December 2011 the amount of monies spent was £41,495 with an anticipated spend of £55,495 by 31 March 2012. The potential allocations of monies for 2012-13 is not yet known.
The recent decline in funding is the inevitable result of the reductions being made in the total number of employees and the lower levels of recruitment of new employees, as a result of the public spending settlement. This does not involve any reduction in the priority that we give to apprenticeship in the medium and longer term when recruitment will return to a more steady and sustained level.
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The Ministry will continue to work with Skills for Justice, our skills sector council, our provider networks and Civil Service Learning to develop our ongoing apprenticeship programmes. The Ministry also works with providers that draw on Skills Agency funding to provide the Department with free places where possible.
Aviation: Official Travel
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on flights for its officials since May 2010. [89645]
Mr Djanogly: The Department does not separately record expenditure on flights for its officials. To provide a figure for the amount spent on flights for officials alone would incur disproportionate cost.
Consultants
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each month since May 2010. [89643]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has spent the following on external consultants since May 2010:
| Spend ( net) (£) | |
| Note: Data are only available up until November 2011. | |
Freedom of Information
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many freedom of information requests his Department has received in each month of the last five years. [89730]
Mr Kenneth Clarke:
The table provides a monthly breakdown of the number of requests received by the Ministry of Justice and associated bodies not listed as separate public authorities under schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act (‘the Act’). Under the Official Statistics code of practice, we cannot release statistics for a time period prior to their appearance in a regular statistical report. Statistics for October to December
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2011 are therefore not included, but they will be collated and published on the Ministry of Justice website in due course.
These figures have been obtained from a central database. These figures include only first requests—appeals against responses provided to requests are not counted.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department claimed an exemption to not provide requested information in each month since May 2010. [89731]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: A breakdown of the information requested is provided in the table. Under the Official Statistics Code of Practice, we cannot release statistics for a time period prior to their appearance in a regular statistical report. Statistics for October to December 2011 are therefore not included, but they will be collated and published on the Ministry of Justice website in due course.
The figures provided include all requests in which a permitted exemption under the Freedom of Information Act was applied, with the exception of Section 21. Section 21 is applied when the information requested is accessible by other means, for example on the Ministry of Justice website.
| 2010 | 2011 | |
Legal Aid Scheme: Families
Mr Slaughter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what net savings in relation to family legal aid his Department estimates will be achieved from (a) the
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legal aid budget,
(b)
his Department's budget and
(c)
total Government expenditure in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and what figures his Department is using as the baseline comparison. [89640]
Mr Djanogly: The impact assessments published alongside the Government's response to consultation represent the best estimates of the potential benefits arising from the reform and include an estimate as to the savings relating to family legal aid. The impact assessments estimate the total legal aid reform savings for each year. However, this is not split into civil and family savings.
The impact assessments use a 2009-10 baseline to estimate the legal aid reform savings.
The legal aid reform impact assessments can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/legal-aid-reform.htm
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate the Legal Services Commission has made of the sum to be recovered for private family cases completed in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 through (i) contributions from clients, (ii) costs recoverable and (iii) recoveries from the Statutory Charge; [89638]
(2) what proportion of money estimated to be due to the Community Legal Service under the Statutory Charge was collected in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [89639]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not forecast costs recoverable, including contributions and amounts owed under the Statutory Charge by category of law.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of reductions in his Department's expenditure on family legal aid is projected to relate to costs paid to solicitors delivering family services in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15. [89641]
Mr Djanogly: Savings calculations were made on a ‘steady state’ basis and as such it is not possible to provide an annualised profile. However, based on steady state calculations, we estimate that 81% of savings attributable to family legal aid relate to costs paid to solicitors.
Legal Aid Scheme: Personal Injury
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in the secure estate have made personal injury claims with funding from legal aid in each of the last 10 years. [89634]
Mr Djanogly: The vast majority of personal injury cases are excluded from the legal aid scheme, although funding may be provided if the matter has significant wider public interest. However, it is not recorded whether an applicant for legal aid is a prisoner.
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Legal Aid Scheme: Prisoners
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on future reduction or elimination of legal aid for prisoners challenging their conviction or sentence; and if he will make a statement. [89635]
Mr Djanogly: We have no plans to change legal aid eligibility for prisoners making an appeal against their conviction or sentence. An appeal must be made within 21 days of conviction or sentence by a magistrates court. Appeals can only be made out of time with the permission of the Crown court. An appeal against conviction or sentence by the Crown court must ordinarily be made within 28 days. All appeals against conviction or sentence by the Crown court may only be made with the permission of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). Subject to financial eligibility criteria, advice and assistance may be available for an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Legal Aid Scheme: Social Security Benefits
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the extent of any additional costs to (a) the NHS and (b) other Government Departments as a result of welfare benefits being removed from the scope of legal aid. [89322]
Mr Djanogly:
The impact assessments published alongside the Government's response to consultation represent the best estimates of the potential costs and
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benefits attached to the reforms. Ultimately, costs and benefits arising, including those to other Government Departments, will be determined by behavioural responses to the changes, which cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. It should be noted that the Department of Health has confirmed that in the context of the reforms as a whole, which include both the Lord Justice Jackson reforms and legal aid, costs to the NHS are expected to reduce and not increase. We will be conducting a post-implementation review of the reforms three to five years after Royal Assent, and this will consider the question of systemic impacts of the reforms.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on legal aid (a) advice and (b) representation for appeals to adjust welfare benefit determinations made to the upper tribunals and higher courts in each of the last five years. [89629]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not record spending to the level of detail requested and is unable to identify spending on all appeals to adjust welfare benefit determinations at the upper tribunal and higher courts.
Legal Services Commission
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of the total expenditure on legal aid was taken up by expenditure on the Legal Services Commission's administrative functions in each of the last five years. [89727]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows spending on legal aid and the LSC's administration costs for each of the past five years.
Offenders: Deportation
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners serving a determinate sentence were deported under the Early Removal Scheme in 2010-11. [89959]
Damian Green: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
In 2010-11, 1,789 foreign national offenders were deported under the Early Removal scheme.
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is providing any form of underwriting for the social impact bond pilot at HMP Peterborough. [90438]
Mr Blunt: The Department has not underwritten the social impact bond pilot at Peterborough prison. Investors managed by Social Finance bear the implementation and operational costs of the scheme and will receive a return on their investment from the Department if the bond achieves the required reduction in reoffending. Otherwise, no payment will be made.
Post-Mortems
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what targets his Department has set for the time taken to complete histological and toxicological tests carried out as part of the preparation of a post-mortem report. [89782]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. It does not have operational responsibility for coroners and therefore does not have any role in setting targets for the completion of histological or toxicological reports requested in conjunction with coroners’ investigations. Operational responsibility for coroners rests with individual local authorities.
Paul Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many unexpected deaths (a) were reported to coroners, (b) were subject to post-mortem
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reports and
(c)
required (i) histological and (ii) toxicological tests to be carried out as part of the preparation of the post mortem report in (A) England, (B) Wales, (C) Scotland and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; [89780]
(2) what the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time taken was to carry out (i) histological and (ii) toxicological tests prior to the completion of post- mortem reports into unexpected deaths in (A) England, (B) Wales, (C) Scotland and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [89781]
Mr Djanogly: The number of deaths reported to coroners in England and Wales in the last five years for which figures are available, and the number of such cases where a post-mortem examination was undertaken, is set out in the following table.
| Deaths reported to coroners, and post-mortem examinations, 2006-10 | ||||
| England | Wales | |||
| Deaths reported during year | Post-mortem examinations undertaken | Deaths reported during year | Post-mortem examinations undertaken | |
The Ministry started collecting information on the numbers of post-mortem examinations that included either histology or toxicology in 2010. In that year, 14,137 post-mortems ordered by coroners in England included histological tests, and in Wales there were 1,540; toxicological tests were performed in 9,499 post-mortems in England, and 845 in Wales. These figures exclude three coroner districts in England that were not able to provide these data. Statistics are not available for earlier years.
The Ministry does not collect information on the timeliness of post-mortem examinations, or in relation to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Prison Accommodation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the occupancy rate was for each prison and young offenders establishment on 1 January 2012; [90435]
(2) what the (a) certified normal accommodation and (b) operational capacity was of each prison and young offenders establishment on 1 January 2012; [90436]
(3) how many prisoners were accommodated in multiple-occupancy cells in each prison and young offenders' establishment on 1 January 2012. [90437]
Mr Blunt: The occupancy rate of each prison and young offenders institution, as defined by the percentage of population, to in-use certified normal accommodation is published for the last working Friday in December 2011 and is set out in the table. This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the attached link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures/index.htm
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The operational capacity and certified normal accommodation of each prison and young offenders institution for the last working Friday in December 2011 is also set out in this table.
Information is held centrally on cell occupancy, but no data are available for around 2,000 prisoners, and it is therefore not possible to provide the number of prisoners accommodated in multiple-occupancy cells at an establishment level. It is however possible from the data available to determine the approximate number of prisoners who are sharing accommodation at a national level. As at 30 December 2011, around 35,000 prisoners (40% of the prison population) were sharing accommodation with other prisoners, be it crowded (eg two prisoners held in a cell designed for one) or not (eg two prisoners held in a cell designed for two).
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
Prison Officers Association: Trade Unions
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of the restoration of full trade union rights to the Prison Officers' Association; [89930]
(2) what recent representations he has received on the restoration of full trade union rights to the Prison Officers' Association. [89931]
Mr Blunt: Prison officers are currently restricted from taking industrial action under section 127 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 for reasons of safety. These restrictions were suspended in 2005, when the Prison Officers' Association signed a no-strike agreement with the Prison Service, which they later breached by taking national strike action on 29 August 2007. The previous Government subsequently reinstated the legal restrictions on prison officers taking industrial action.
The potentially serious consequences of industrial action by prison officers necessitate safeguards against this course of action. Alternatives have been assessed but the Government are not considering lifting these restrictions. In lieu of their ability to strike, compensatory mechanisms for prison officers are in place, including local and national disputes procedures, with recourse to independent arbitration if required, and the Prison Service Pay Review Body, which recommends the levels of pay and allowances of prison officers.
The Prison Officers' Association has consistently made representations on the restoration of full trade union rights. This is not being considered, for the reasons given above.
Prisoners’ Release
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the merits of not releasing prisoners on a Friday in order to ensure availability of support. [90187]
Mr Blunt: Prisoners are released on a Friday, where the release date falls on a weekend/bank holiday, as set down in legislation. There are no plans to amend that legislation.
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When a court imposes a custodial sentence, prison staff calculate the prisoner's release date according to the number of days to be served under the legislation relevant to the sentence. Prisoners whose statutory release dates fall on weekends or bank holidays are released on the preceding working day under Section 23(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 1961. To detain anyone beyond the weekend would mean a prisoner was being detained longer than is statutorily required and therefore unlawfully. To bring forward the release would mean the prisoner would not have served the custodial period required by law. Therefore, it is not possible to release a prisoner on any other day as it would be unlawful to do so.
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners were removed from England and Wales in 2011; and to which countries they were removed. [89855]
Damian Green: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
In 2010-11, 5,339 foreign national offenders were removed or deported from the UK. It is our policy not to disclose the countries to which we remove or deport foreign national offenders as this could damage diplomatic relations and hence the opportunity to remove offenders.
Prisoners: Jamaica
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2011, Official Report, columns 464-5, on prisoners: foreign nationals, what progress has been made in negotiating prisoner transfer agreements with (a) Jamaica and (b) Nigeria. [89859]
Mr Blunt: The UK signed a voluntary prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Jamaica in 2007. However, the Jamaican Government need to introduce enabling legislation to ratify this agreement. Discussions about the progress of this legislation and the implementation of the agreement are ongoing and will be raised by Ministers attending the UK-Caribbean ministerial forum later this month.
Voluntary transfer of prisoners between the UK and Nigeria has been possible since 2009, when Nigeria became a participant of the Commonwealth scheme for the transfer of convicted offenders. During the Prime Minister's visit to Nigeria in July 2011, he and President Goodluck Jonathan pledged that they would work to provide a compulsory mechanism for nationals from both countries to be transferred home to serve out their sentences. The Bill to amend the relevant domestic Nigerian legislation to enable the negotiation of a compulsory PTA is now awaiting its final reading in the Nigerian Senate.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding his Department allocated to (a) Centrepoint, (b) Crisis, (c) Skill Force and (d) Shelter in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [90399]
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Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice provided funding of £620,698 to Shelter during 2010-11. According to our records, in the current financial year Shelter has received £657,824 in funding from this Department.
The Ministry of Justice did not provide funding to Centrepoint, Crisis and Skill Force in neither 2010-11 nor 2011-12.
Young Offenders: Suicide
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the length of time following transfer until the date of death was of those people transferred from the youth secure estate to the adult secure estate who committed suicide in the last three years; [90206]
(2) how many people aged between 18 and 21 years who committed suicide in the secure adult estate had been transferred from the youth secure estate in each of the last three years; [90383]
(3) how many prisoners of each age between 18 and 21 committed suicide in the adult secure estate in each of the last three years. [90384]
Mr Blunt: There has been one apparent self-inflicted death in the adult secure estate of a prisoner aged 20 years following transfer from the youth secure estate in the last three years (2008 to 2010). This death occurred in 2009, 98 days after the transfer to the adult secure estate.
In the last three years there have been three apparent self-inflicted deaths in the adult secure estate of prisoners aged between 18 and 21; one at age 21 and two at age 20.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Mr Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in other Commonwealth member states on the effects of air passenger duty. [89850]
Miss Chloe Smith: As part of the consultation process, Ministers and officials met with representatives of several Commonwealth member countries to hear their views directly. Annex D of the Government's response to the consultation on reform of air passenger duty, published on 6 December 2011, lists the countries that contributed to the consultation.
Banks: Pay
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are in place to record (a) chief executive pay and (b) bonuses paid by banks to staff. [89462]
Mr Hoban:
Quoted companies must disclose the pay of all directors, including chief executive officers, in directors' remuneration reports required under section 420 of the Companies Act 2006. Aggregate information on variable remuneration, including bonuses, paid to senior management and members of staff whose actions
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have a material impact on the risk profile of the bank, must be disclosed by banks under disclosure rules made by the Financial Services Authority in the prudential sourcebook for banks, building societies and investment firms.
Capital Transfer Tax
John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in capital transfer tax in each year between 1982 and 1986. [89840]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 390W.
Children
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what methods are used by his Department to measure the effects of its decisions on the subjective well-being of children; [90160]
(2) what research his Department has commissioned to measure the subjective well-being of children. [90153]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is in the process of developing measures of subjective well-being as part of the national well-being programme. The Treasury has not commissioned any separate research on the subjective well-being of children.
The ONS is working with a range of stakeholders, including Government Departments and the third sector, to develop well-being measures for children and young people. This work aims to come up with questions and identify survey vehicles to collect information that is comparable across UK countries and other developed countries to get an accurate picture of children's well-being.
This will help provide Government Departments, including HM Treasury, with better information on children's subjective well-being for use when developing policy.
The ONS is currently running a consultation on the proposed measures of national well-being. This includes all subgroups in the population, including children and young people For more information please visit:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/consultations/open-consultations/measuring-national-well-being/index.html
Further information on the ONS work on children and young people's well-being can also be found on:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/wellbeing-knowledge-bank/understanding-wellbeing/understanding-well-being.html
Debts
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average level of personal (a) debt and (b) savings was in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years. [89516]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government do not collect data on the average level of personal debt and savings by UK region.
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Departmental Manpower
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many speechwriters his Department employs at each pay grade. [89380]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury employs two speechwriters, one at pay range D and one at pay range E.
Internships
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines his Department issues to its non-departmental public bodies on the employment of unpaid interns. [89379]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's non-departmental public bodies receive the same guidance on the employment of interns as HM Treasury itself. HM Treasury does not have its own scheme for internships but participates in schemes run centrally by the Cabinet Office. Any individuals enquiring about internships are directed to the schemes in operation at the time which include Summer Diversity Internships, Government Economics Services Internships and websites of Departments offering other internship programmes.
EU Law
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which EU (a) directives, (b) regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department require transposition into UK law; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures. [89697]
Mr Hoban: The obligation to transpose EU law arises as a result of the adoption of measures under the Union treaties. Under the EU treaty, it is above all the adoption of directives which gives rise to the obligation to transpose. Directives are legally binding instruments but they are addressed to the member states. They need to be given effect in national law both as to their substantive provisions and also as to any additional measures, such as the creation of sanctions, which may be necessary in order to ensure the proper application and enforcement of the provisions of the directive.
Regulations have general application: they are binding in their entirety and directly applicable in all member states. Therefore, it is generally unnecessary to transpose the provisions of EU regulations into domestic law. National provisions that are inconsistent with a regulation and existing domestic legislation that wrongly duplicates the provisions of an EU regulation should, however, be repealed.
In relation to part (c), no other legislation requiring transposition affects HM Treasury.
It is Government policy to conduct impact assessments of EU directives and regulatory proposals, which assess the cost and benefit of such measures. The Government do not aggregate these data.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will have regard to the effect of high fuel duties on low-income working families in his preparatory work for the next Budget. [90361]
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Miss Chloe Smith: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review along Budget timelines and considers a range of factors including the effects on low-income families of the Government's fiscal plans. The Autumn Statement, 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, announced that the 3.02ppl fuel duty increase that was due to take effect on 1 January 2012 will be deferred to 1 August 2012, and the inflation increase that was planned for 1 August 2012, currently expected to be worth 1.92ppl, will be cancelled. This will provide support for motorists and businesses.
Financial Services: Standards
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking to progress the development of the ISO20022 payment submission format; and if he will make a statement. [89650]
Mr Gauke: The development of payment submission formats is a matter for the banking industry. HMRC is working with the industry to identify the most suitable format for joint submission of payment instructions and PAYE data.
PAYE
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect of implementation of the proposed interim solution for the PAYE Real-Time Information project on the timetable for completion of the strategic solution; and if he will make a statement. [89647]
Mr Gauke: The interim solution for Real-Time Information was developed in response to concerns from employers and the payroll industry about the timescales for implementing a Bacs filing channel and a new payment standard. This solution ensures that Real-Time Information can be implemented in time for the start of universal credit, which will use the information to adjust payments to claimants.
HMRC is working with the payroll and banking industries to develop the detailed requirements of the strategic solution, involving the Bacs channel, and determine the appropriate timetable for implementation.
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a target date for implementation of the strategic PAYE Real-Time Information solution has been agreed; and if he will make a statement. [89648]
Mr Gauke: A target date for the implementation of the strategic solution has not yet been set. HMRC currently envisages that the interim Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) channel will be retained until at least 2016-17. The internet channel will be retained for employers who do not pay their employees using Bacs.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs are working on minimising the avoidance of stamp duty land tax. [90380]
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Mr Gauke: In HM Treasury much of the work on the avoidance of SDLT is carried out alongside other areas of taxation. It is therefore not possible to come up with a meaningful quantification of the people involved.
Neither is it possible to estimate the number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff involved in stamp duty land tax compliance activities as this work is largely carried out in HMRC's Large Business Service and Local Compliance offices in conjunction with compliance work on other taxes.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 71W, on stamp duties, whether he is referring to Spotlight 6: Employer-Financed Retirement Benefits Scheme or Spotlight 10: Stamp Duty Land Tax avoidance; and, if he is referring to Spotlight 10, on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs has found property sale arrangements that have been artificially structured to avoid paying the correct amount of stamp duty land tax; how many were actively challenged; and what action was taken. [90381]
Mr Gauke: The earlier answer was intended to refer to Spotlight 10, published in June 2010. I apologise for the error.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is aware of a number of marketed stamp duty land tax (SDLT) avoidance schemes. HMRC considers that none of the schemes which it has analysed is effective in reducing the purchaser's liability to SDLT.
Wherever HMRC identifies that an avoidance scheme has (or may have been) used we issue a challenge. Where an SDLT return has been submitted and full disclosure of use of a scheme has been made, an inquiry is opened into the return. Where no return or disclosure has been made to HMRC a discovery assessment is issued.
HMRC does not publish detailed information which might prejudice the effective conduct of its compliance activities.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 70-1W, on stamp duties, how many meetings have been held in his Department with the main subject of stamp duty land tax since May 2011. [90382]
Mr Gauke: The Treasury does not keep an official record of meetings of this type. However, the Treasury holds regular meetings on all areas of taxation, including stamp duty land tax.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 70-1W, on stamp duties, what steps he takes to ensure that stamp duty land tax is paid by the purchaser when acquiring a property; and what further steps he plans to take. [90385]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Adam Afriyie), on 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 388W.
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Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 70-1W, on stamp duties, whether it is appropriate to use the term avoidance in the context of (a) stamp duty and (b) stamp duty land tax. [90386]
Mr Gauke: The term avoidance is not strictly relevant to stamp duty for the reasons set out in the answer given by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Miss Smith), on 8 December 2011, Official Report, column 408W.
Purchasers in a land transaction must comply with the requirements of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) legislation in order to register their title to the property at the land registry. Avoidance in this context refers to attempts to use elements of tax legislation in combination to produce a result which reduces the amount of SDLT due, contrary to the intentions of Parliament.
David Mowat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce avoidance of stamp duty land tax on properties worth more than £1 million through offshore registration; and if he will make a statement. [89508]
Mr Gauke: It is not possible to avoid SDLT by registering title to UK land offshore. Such title must be registered at UK land registries. In most cases this requires a certificate confirming that stamp duty land tax (SDLT) requirements have been complied with.
Liability to SDLT is not limited to UK-resident purchasers. Where UK land is purchased by a company registered outside the UK, SDLT is payable in the usual way. If shares in the company subsequently change hands, there is no land transaction and SDLT does not apply.
Tax Avoidance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the extent of avoidance of tax through placing land in offshore trusts; and if he will make a statement. [89567]
Mr Gauke: No such estimate has been made.
The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2011 in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011' on HMRC's website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2011.pdf
Taxation: Business
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases HM Revenue and Customs has initiated proceedings against a business in respect of disputes relating to the tax status of sub-contractors hired by that business in each of the last three years. [89651]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not maintain a central record of the numbers of proceedings before tax tribunals specific to employment status in the construction sector.
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Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of each (a) set of regulations and (b) item of guidance issued by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor relating to the tax status of sub-contractors in the last 15 years. [89653]
Mr Gauke: HMRC's guidance on status for contractors in the construction industry is included in factsheet CIS349. The factsheet, which is available from HMRC's website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/new-cis/cis349.pdf
replaced leaflet “IR148 Are your workers employed or self-employed?” which was originally introduced in October 1995.
I have asked HMRC to locate a copy of the leaflet and arrange for it to be placed with the factsheet in the Library, together with a copy of Regulation 4(5) SI 2005/2045, which is the only regulation specific to employment status in the construction industry. This regulation relates to status declarations that need to be made by contractors.
Taxation: Tribunals
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has contested at the first-tier tribunal (tax) in each of the last three years; and in how many such cases (a) the Tribunal has ruled (i) in favour of and (ii) ruled against HMRC and (b) there was a different outcome. [89652]
Mr Gauke: The first-tier tax tribunal opened on 1 April 2009 and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published figures for the first two years which show the numbers of tax cases disposed of were:
| Number | |
HMCTS does not collate or publish the outcomes of tax cases.
About 40% of the disposals were decided by the tribunal (the rest being resolved between the parties). HMRC has analysed around 80% of the hearings in 2010-11 (excluding cases inherited from previous tribunals) and published the results on its website. These show:
| Number | Percentage | |
Unemployment: Young People
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will use public sector capital expenditure to reduce youth unemployment in Hartlepool; and if he will make a statement. [82462]
17 Jan 2012 : Column 711W
Danny Alexander [ holding answer 24 November 2011 ]:On 25 November, the Government announced an ambitious programme for tackling youth unemployment. Starting in 2012, the Youth Contract will deliver:
an additional 250,000 work experience or sector-based work academy places for every unemployed 18-24 year old;
more Jobcentre Plus support for 18-24 year olds, including extra advisor time and a careers interview from the National Careers Service and weekly, rather than fortnightly, signing;
a total of 160,000 wage incentive places (at £2,275 each) to make it easier for employers to take on young people;
additional funding to support the growth of 16-24 apprenticeships, ensuring the funding for at least 40,000 incentive payments (at £1,500 each) for employers next year to raise demand for 16-24 apprenticeships; and
a new £50 million a year programme for those 16 and 17-year- olds not in employment, education or training to get them learning, on an apprenticeship or in a job with training.
The Government are also stimulating private sector investment through the Regional Growth Fund. In the north-east alone, the successful second round bids announced in October 2011 will generate an estimated 8,796 direct jobs and 18,800 indirect jobs.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Iran
15. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the Iranian nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement. [89819]
Mr Hague: I am gravely concerned about the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran continues to flout six UN Security Council resolutions requiring it to suspend uranium enrichment. It recently began operations at its uranium enrichment plant near Qom and has conducted significant military-related nuclear activities. Pressure will only increase until Iran is ready to respect its international obligations and negotiate.
Persecution of Christians
17. Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of persecution of Christians in North Africa and the Middle East. [89821]
Alistair Burt: Circumstances vary throughout the Middle East and North Africa, although religious minorities, including Christians, have clearly suffered oppression in countries such as Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The UK is deeply committed to freedom of religion and expression and urges authorities to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all individuals, regardless of religion or belief.