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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 20 January 2012
Attorney-General
Accommodation
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General who owns the buildings in which the staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department are based; and if he will make a statement. [91147]
The Solicitor-General: One Kemble Street is owned by TS Kingsway Investments S.A.R.L. of Tishmann Speyer Properties UK Ltd 61 Aldwych 6th Floor London WC2B 4AE.
Southern House Croydon—of which part of a floor is leased by TSol—is owned by Whittles Properties Croydon Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BRB (Residuary) Limited (“BRBR”) of Whittles House, 14 Pentonville Road, London N1 9HF.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General what recent value-for-money assessment he has made of the location of the Treasury Solicitor's Department; and if he will make a statement. [91148]
The Solicitor-General: TSol has occupied its headquarters at One Kemble Street since 2005, HM Treasury having approved a business case for a move to this location in 2003. It is within a convenient distance of most of TSol's clients, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court.
As a cost reduction measure, in 2009-10 TSol introduced arrangements for more efficient use of working space. This enabled TSol to sub-let three floors of One Kemble Street to public sector tenants, realising an annual saving of £1.5 million on estate costs.
A rent review has just been concluded resulting in no increase in rent.
Crown Prosecution Service
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how much funding he allocated to the (a) Crown Prosecution Service, (b) Serious Fraud Office and (c) Treasury Solicitor's Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [91149]
The Attorney-General: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
| £ million | |||
| Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSOL) (1) | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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| (1) The funding allocated via the spending review process for the Treasury Solicitor's Department also covers the Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. | |||
| £ million | |||
| Crown Prosecution Service | 2010- 11 | 2011- 12 | 2012- 13 |
| £ million | |||
| Serious Fraud Office | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the (a) Crown Prosecution Service, (b) Serious Fraud Office and (c) Treasury Solicitor's Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how many he expects to be employed in each such organisation in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [91151]
The Attorney-General: The information requested is contained in the following table.
| Full-time staff equivalent (FTE) employed | |||
| Department | 2010-11 average number FTE during the year | 2011-12 approximate average number FTE as of 31 December 2011 | 2012-13 estimated number of FTE staff for the year |
| (1) FTE staff actually in post as of 31 December 2011. | |||
The figures for 2012-13 are projections based on existing departmental budgets and forecast business requirements but may be subject to future change.
The DEFRA legal team became part of TSol in June 2011 resulting in an increase in staff numbers from that date.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices: Devon
Anne Marie Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employers in (a) Newton Abbot constituency and
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(b)
Devon have received payments to take on their first young apprentice under the Government's incentive scheme. [90950]
Mr Hayes: The Apprenticeship programme is demand led and take-up of apprenticeships by area depends on employer demand. We are therefore unable to provide estimates of the geographical distribution of those companies which will benefit from the incentive payments which the Government announced in November.
Nationally we plan to make 40,000 incentive payments available for small companies who are not currently engaged in the Apprenticeships programme who take on their first apprentices aged 16-24. The National Apprenticeship Service is currently working up a detailed delivery plan and companies will be able to benefit by April this year.
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Apprentices: Yorkshire and Humber
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women enrolled in apprenticeships in (i) information and communication technology and (ii) engineering and manufacturing technology in (A) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (B) East Yorkshire and (C) the Humberside region in the latest period for which figures are available. [91059]
Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts by gender in Information and Communication Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies and all Sector Subject Areas in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, East Riding of Yorkshire local authority and Haltemprice and Howden parliamentary constituency, in the 2010/11 academic year, based on provisional data. Data are based on the home postcode of the learner.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship starts by gender and sector subject area in Haltemprice and Howden parliamentary constituency, East Riding of Yorkshire local authority and the Yorkshire and the Humber region, 2010/11 (provisional data) | ||||
| Information and Communication Technology | Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | All apprenticeships | ||
| Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Total figures may not add up due to rounding. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record | ||||
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Information on apprenticeship starts by geographic breakdown, gender and sector subject areas are available in the SFR Supplementary Tables:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/
Business: Billing
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of late payments by (a) the public sector and (b) other creditors on small businesses; and how many such businesses he estimates have become insolvent as a result of late payment by creditors in the latest period for which figures are available. [90952]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) collects information from small businesses via the SME Business Barometer, a regular survey of around 500 SME employers, which includes information relating to the effect of late payments. In the latest survey (August 2011), late payment from other businesses and individual customers was the second most common cause of cashflow difficulties (cited by 58% of businesses). This is particularly problematic in the construction industry, where 80% of SMEs viewed late payment from individuals as a cause of cashflow difficulty.
Of the SMEs that offered credit to customers, 21% said that late payment was a big problem, while 35% said it was not a problem. Again, SMEs in the construction sector were more likely to regard late payment as problematic.
In relation to payments from central Government, 39% of SMEs said they were paid slowly, an increase of 17 percentage points since the last barometer in February, with 43% of SMEs saying that they are usually paid later than 30 days after the receipt of the invoice.
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Within the public sector, we are establishing the central Government sector as a payment exemplar with a commitment that central Departments pay 80% of invoices within five days and that main suppliers must pay contractors within 30 days. We require tier 1 contractors (holding public sector contracts) to pay tier 2 suppliers within 30 days by means of a contract condition, and Crown representatives will strongly encourage them to pay more quickly than 30 days, to ensure the benefits of prompt payment are felt through the supply chain. Suppliers and subcontractors working on Government contracts can report instances of late payment to the Mystery Shopper service:
supplierfeedbackservice@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk
BIS achieved 95.5% 30 day payment rate in November 2011.
Statistics covering corporate insolvencies for England and Wales do not differentiate by firm size nor by reason(s) for failure. Therefore it is not possible to estimate from official statistics, how many small businesses have become insolvent as a result of late payments. BIS has not commissioned any specific research into this issue.
Ceramics: Industry
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department provides to the ceramics industry; and if he will make a statement. [90645]
Mr Prisk: The ceramics industry has access to the full range of Government support available which includes Business Link, the Manufacturing Advisory Service, the Regional Growth Fund and the Technology Strategy Board.
As part of the Autumn Statement, we announced a package that will reduce the impact of energy and climate change policies on the cost of electricity for those energy intensive industries, such as ceramics, whose international competitiveness is most affected by these policies. This package of measures will be worth around £250 million to Energy Intensive Industries to reduce their energy bills, subject to state aid approval.
In addition, there will be investment available for commercial and industrial energy efficiency projects through the Green Investment Bank, and on 6 December we launched a £125 million challenge fund to boost UK advanced manufacturing supply chains. Both of these schemes will be open to bids from the ceramics industry.
Further Education: Part-time Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that all access and foundation courses are available on a part-time basis. [90601]
Mr Willetts: It is for individual institutions, as autonomous bodies, to determine the mix of courses and modes of study they offer based on learner demand and their own context, circumstances and individual missions.
Many access and foundation courses are now provided on a part-time basis in both further and higher education institutions, and provision is increasingly being made available in flexible and innovative ways.
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Higher Education: Admissions
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people applied to study at UK universities in each parliamentary constituency in 2011. [88822]
Mr Willetts: The information has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and is shown in a table which will be placed in the Library of the House.
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria will be applied by the Office for Fair Access when allocating the additional 20,000 places to institutions. [90602]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are responsible for allocating government funded places in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England. Bids from HEIs for places from a competitive margin of 20,000 for the academic year 2012-13, are currently being assessed by HEFCE against three criteria: demand, quality and average fee. Guidance about the bidding process is published on the HEFCE website at:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2011/11_30/
Office for Fair Access
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to allowing student representatives to sit on the board of the Office for Fair Access. [90344]
Mr Willetts: The Office for Fair Access does not have a board.
The Director of Fair Access does, however, have a small advisory group. The members of this group are Aaron Porter, a past President of the National Union of Students; Dr John Selby, previously Director of Widening Participation at the Higher Education Funding Council for England; and Dr Lee Elliot Major, Research Director at the Sutton Trust. The membership and remit of this group is a matter for the Director himself.
In his guidance to institutions on access agreements published in March 2011, the Director said that he expected that institutions would want to consult prospective and current students when developing and revising their access agreements. He recognised that many institutions already consulted their student unions.
Regional Growth Fund: Longbridge
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on discussions on the Longbridge Regional Growth Fund bid. [91054]
Mr Prisk: The Longbridge Regional Growth Fund bid has been considered by the Ministerial Panel who asked officials to discuss aspects of the application with the applicants. These discussions are progressing well and we hope to be in a position to agree support in outline by the end of January. In parallel officials have commenced discussion with the applicant on the Grant Offer Letter which will specify the conditions which apply to the Regional Growth Fund support.
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Shareholders
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the balance between the voting power of institutional investors and individual shareholders of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. [91000]
Mr Davey: The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that institutional investors hold a large proportion of shares in UK listed companies, relative to individual shareholders. Whereas institutions hold 40% of UK shares, individuals own only 10%.
Note:
The definition used for institutional shareholders includes insurance companies, pension funds, unit trusts, investment trusts and ‘other financial institutions’.
Shell
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement on 16 January 2012 of the proposed closure of the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, what discussions he has had with Shell management on retaining its research and development capability in the UK. [90762]
Mr Willetts: Following the announcement of the closure of the site at Thornton, Shell have reaffirmed to officials at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, their commitment to maintaining their research and development profile in the UK and are relocating the remaining 280 product development jobs at Thornton to London and Manchester. Their continued research and development activity in the UK includes research partnerships with a number of UK universities and a partnership with the Energy Technologies Institute on projects to address future energy challenges.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement on 16 January 2012 of the proposed closure of the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, what assessment he has made of the UK's attractiveness as a location to undertake research and development. [90763]
Mr Willetts: The Government are committed to ensuring that we maintain and strengthen the UK's position as one of the most innovative economies in the world. We are absolutely determined to create the right conditions for business investment and growth in research and development and innovation, and we believe that international companies will be keen to take advantage of these conditions.
The latest available Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data show that in 2009 22% of UK Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) expenditure was financed from abroad. This is more than double the prevailing EU average, and higher than every other country in the OECD database.
In absolute terms, data are not available for more recent years. In 2007 $5.6 million of BERD expenditure in the UK was financed from abroad. This compared to $2.6 million in France in 2007 and $1.6 million in Germany in 2006.
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Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement on 16 January 2012 of the proposed closure of the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, if he will take steps to improve the UK's attractiveness as a location to undertake research and development. [90764]
Mr Willetts: The Government are committed to ensuring that we maintain and strengthen the UK's position as one of the most innovative economies in the world. We are absolutely determined to create the right conditions for business investment and growth in research and development and innovation, and we believe that international companies will be keen to take advantage of these conditions.
To deliver on this we have focused on: creating the most competitive tax system in the G20 by cutting the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 26% in April and by 2014 it will reach 23%—the lowest rate in the G7 and 5(th) lowest in the G20; making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business.
The Government also have a range of policies supporting R and D including significant financial support for business investment, a supportive tax regime; a regulatory regime that is business friendly and modern infrastructure that enables the UK to be internationally competitive.
The recently-published (December 2011) Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth builds on the UK's recognised strengths and sets out how the Government will work with business and the knowledge base to underpin private sector-led growth.
For example, through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) we will invest over £1 billion in business-led R and D over the current spending review period. By matching these public sector investments with UK and UK-based business, the TSB will have generated a £2 billion programme of investment in innovation in the period 2011-15.
We will continue to support investment in high-technology sectors. Over £200 million will be invested through the TSB to establish a network of elite technology and innovation centres, now branded as Catapults. These will commercialise new and emerging technologies in areas where there are large global market opportunities and a critical mass of UK capability to take advantage.
We have also made significant improvements to the R and D tax credit. The rate for the SME scheme will increase to 225% from April, making it one of the most attractive such schemes in the world. We will also encourage large company research and development by making the R and D tax credit ‘above the line' from April 2013.
Cabinet Office
Charities
David Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that the financial needs of charities are considered when establishing a transforming local infrastructure initiative. [90587]
Mr Hurd: Through the Transforming Local Infrastructure fund, the Office for Civil Society is making up to £30 million available so that infrastructure organisations are able to provide better support for frontline civil society organisations.
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Many of the successful applicants will have a strong emphasis on helping charities to address their financial needs. This will include through supporting fundraising, collaborative working with local business, and providing better training to allow frontline civil society organisations to become more financially astute, such as through better governance and management.
Charities: Closures
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many charities have closed or deregistered with the Charity Commission since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [91150]
Mr Hurd: This is a matter for the Charity Commission. I have, therefore, asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 19 January 2012:
In the Chief Executive's absence, I have been asked to respond to your Written Parliamentary Question on how many charities have closed or deregistered with the Charity Commission since May 2010 [91150].
13,517 charities have been removed from the Register of Charities since 1 May 2010. Charities are removed from the Register for a variety of reasons. For example, a charity may have ceased to exist or operate, or may have merged, incorporated or transferred its funds to another charity.
Charities: Regulation
David Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that any regulatory burdens associated with the operation of the Charity Commission are not passed on to the voluntary sector. [90589]
Mr Hurd: In December 2011 the Charity Commission published a strategic plan, setting out how it will respond to the challenge of a reducing budget over the coming years and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the House Library. The Commission will have a reduced role, while prioritising its core regulatory functions. In all its work, the Commission will encourage charity trustees to take their own decisions as far as possible.
In November 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), appointed my noble Friend the Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to review the legal and regulatory framework for charities. The review will consider the role and status of the Charity Commission as the sector's regulator. It will also look at reducing the burden of regulation while preserving safeguards that protect the public interest. The review is expected to conclude this summer and a report of its findings will be published and laid in Parliament.
Childbirth
Mr David Davis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the birth rate was in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) the Humberside region and (d) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. [91058]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the birth rate was in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) the Humberside region and (d) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. 91058
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been supplied as this is the most useful measure of an area's fertility level. The TFR is the average number of live children that a group of women would each bear if they experienced the age-specific fertility rates of the calendar year in question throughout their childbearing lifespan.
| Total fertility rate (TFR), selected areas, 2010 | |
| Area | TFR |
Health
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of variations in the levels of subjective well-being in (a) adult males, (b) adult females, (c) male children and (d) female children. [90876]
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 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the what assessment has been made of variations in the levels of subjective well-being in a) adult males, b) adult females, c) male children and d) female children (90876).
On 1 December 2011, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a research report entitled ‘Initial investigation into Subjective Well-being from the Opinions Survey’ which is available from the following weblink:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-subjective-wellbeing-in-the-uk/investigation-of-subjective-well-being-data-from-the-ons-opinions-survey/initial-investigation-into-subjective-well-being-from-the-opinions-survey.html
This report provides initial experimental estimates from the ONS Opinions Survey.
Table 1 provides comparisons of the average levels of subjective well-being for adult men and women aged 16 and over between April and August 2011 in Great Britain. As with any sample survey, estimates from the Opinions Survey are subject to sampling variability. Our assessment is that the differences between men and women's average ratings are small and the only difference that is statistically significant (at the 5 per cent level) is for the question that asks about the extent to which people feel that the things they do in their lives are worthwhile.
The ONS is working with a range of stakeholders, including other government departments and from the third sector to develop well-being measures for children and young people as part of the overall measuring National Well-being Programme.
| Table 1: Average (mean) subjective well-being ratings: by sex (1) , Great Britain—April to August 2011 | ||||
| 0 to 10 scale (2) | ||||
| Life satisfaction (3) | Worthwhile (4) | Happy yesterday (5) | Anxious yesterday (6) | |
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| (1) Adults aged 16 and over. (2) Respondents are asked to provide an answer from 0 (‘not at all’) to 10 (‘completely’) for each question. (3) Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? (4) Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile? (5) Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday? (6) Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday? Source: April, June, July and August 2011 Opinions Surveys, ONS |
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which UK (a) mindfulness and wellbeing research centres and (b) universities he (i) visited and (ii) corresponded with in developing the Wellbeing Index. [90883]
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 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking which UK (a) mindfulness and wellbeing research centres and (b) universities have been (i) visited and (ii) corresponded with in developing the Wellbeing Index. (90883)
The ONS Measuring National Well-being Programme, led by the National Statistician, aims to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics to help people understand and monitor national well-being. National well-being is more than the sum of individual happiness or individual well-being. To measure national well-being we are capturing the quality of our lives, of which happiness is a part, but also the country's economic performance and environmental and sustainability issues.
The programme is underpinned by a communication and engagement workstream, providing links with Cabinet Office and policy departments, international organisations, the public and other stakeholders. The programme started with a national debate, receiving 34,000 responses, including a number of experts such as academics and research organisations. ONS also held 175 events around the UK, where members of the public joined in at live debates and round table discussions. Further details of the events held, organisations who responded and technical submissions received are available in the supplementary paper “Findings from the National Well-being Debate”:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/wellbeing-knowledge-bank/understanding-wellbeing/well-being-reports-and-articles.html
The programme is supported by a Technical Advisory Group and a Well-being Advisory Forum, both of which have members from the academic and research communities, full membership lists are available here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
ONS are currently in the middle of a targeted three month formal consultation, on a draft set of domains and measures. It began on 31 October 2011 and will close on 23 January 2012. The consultation is available on-line:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/consultations/open-consultations/measuring-national-well-being/index.html
ONS will continue to engage with organisations, policy makers, academic/expert leads, think tanks, third-sector, business and interested others to get their views. This will ensure that UK well-being measures are relevant and impartial and improve our understanding of the UK's society.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to reply to the letters of 31 October and 5 December 2011 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding a constituent, Miss Helmi Okpara. [90935]
Mr Harper: I replied to the hon. Member's letters on 19 January 2012.
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Perinatal Mortality
Mr David Davis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the perinatal mortality rate was for children in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) the Humberside region and (d) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. [91057]
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 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the perinatal mortality rate was for children in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) the Humberside region and (d) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available. [91057].
The latest available figures for perinatal mortality are for the year 2010. The following table provides the perinatal mortality rates for East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority, Yorkshire and the Humber region and England and Wales in 2010.
Annual sub-national data on the number of deaths registered in England and Wales is available on the Office for National Statistics website at:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27478
Figures for perinatal mortality for East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority and Yorkshire and the Humber region in 2010 can be found in table 1a of the linked publication.
Perinatal mortality rates for the Haltemprice and Howden parliamentary constituency have not been given in line with the current ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within birth and death statistics, available at:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/best-practice/disclosure-control-policy-for-birth-and-death-statistics/index.html
| Table 1. Perinatal mortality rates (1) with 95% confidence limits (2 ) for East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority, Yorkshire and the Humber region and England and Wales (3) ,2010 | |||
| 95% confidence limits | |||
| Perinatal mortality rate | Lower limit | Upper limit | |
| (1) Perinatal deaths per 1,000 live births and stillbirths. (2) Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3) Figures are based on boundaries as of 2011. Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents, figures for East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority, Yorkshire and the Humber region are for deaths of babies usually resident in those areas. | |||
Personal Savings
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the average level of (a) household and (b) personal savings. [90421]
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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 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimates have been made of the average level of (a) household and (b) personal savings (90421).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not specifically publish the estimates you request. However, estimates from the Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) can provide some related estimates. WAS provides estimates of total financial wealth of private households in Great Britain. Gross financial wealth includes formal and informal financial assets of adults, children's assets, and endowments for the purpose of mortgage repayments. Details of financial liabilities is also collected and subtracted from gross financial wealth to produce estimates of net financial wealth.
At present only data relating to 2006/08 are available, equivalent data for 2008/10 are due to be published in May 2012.
| Household financial wealth (1) :S ummary statistics Great Britain 2006-08 | ||
| £ | ||
| Mean | Median | |
| (1) Excludes households without this type of asset or liability (zeros). Source: Wealth and Assets Survey Office for National Statistics | ||
These data are taken from Chapter 4 of the Wealth in Great Britain, 2006/08 report, where more detailed figures are also available.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/was/wealth-in-great-britain/main-results-from-the-wealth-and-assets-survey-2006-2008/report--wealth-in-great-britain-.pdf
No data have currently been published on individual wealth from this source. More recent data on total financial assets held by households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) are available from the United Kingdom Economic Accounts. In 2011 quarter 3, the latest period for which data are available, the total level of financial assets (excluding insurance technical reserves) held by households and NPISH was £1,994.7 billion.
The coverage of this data differs in a number of respects from that shown above from the Wealth and Assets Survey. In particular, this figure includes asset holdings by bodies such as charities, universities, trades union and political and faith based institutions which are classified to the NPISH sector, and these are not separately identified from the asset holdings of households. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of total financial assets on a per household basis.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/united-kingdom-economic-accounts/q3-2011/index.html
Church Commissioners
Apprentices
Robert Halfon: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many apprentices are employed by the Church Commissioners. [90490]
Tony Baldry: There are no apprentices currently employed by the Church Commissioners or the Church of England.
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However, the Church does provide a space for long-term employment and opportunities for skilled professionals and their students to undertake apprenticeships, training, or conservation work on and within its buildings, stone/carpentry yards and stained glass workshops and in choir and organ schools.
Church Commissioners: Anniversaries
Mark Pritchard: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners whether the Church Commissioners plan to discuss with the House of Bishops the preparation of events to mark the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer in 2012. [9203]
Tony Baldry: The Prayer Book Society will be coordinating many of the events during 2012 to celebrate the 350(th) anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and Lambeth Palace Library will be holding another of their summer exhibitions this year, the subject of which will be the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Other events will be announced throughout the year and local churches and Cathedrals are being encouraged to take part in the celebrations.
Church of England Rural Affairs Committee
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, when he last attended a meeting of the Church of England Rural Affairs Committee; what assessment he has made of its work; and if he will make a statement. [90902]
Tony Baldry: I have not yet attended a meeting of the Rural Affairs Group, but I am regularly briefed on its work.
The Rural Affairs Group of the General Synod is a sub-group of the Mission and Public Affairs Council of the Archbishops’ Council. It is chaired by the Bishop of Knaresborough and meets three times each year.
The group aims to assist other departments of the Archbishops’ Council to understand and address the needs of rural parishes; primarily the Ministry Division, the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division and the Education Division. The Rural Affairs Group also organises information and briefing meetings on rural issues at General Synod.
In the last six months the group's work has focused on: Bovine TB, the National Planning Policy Framework, the consultation on the Rural Communities Policy Unit within DEFRA, resourcing and training for the rural church, the future of rural primary schools, global food and farming issues, CAP reform and pastoral ministry in rural areas.
Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions there were at the last General Synod of the Church of England on progress on repairs to Church of England churches. [11095]
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Tony Baldry: The Church of England estimates its 16,000 parish church buildings, 12,500 of which are listed, face annual repair bills totalling £178.5 million. The Church further estimates that over £50 million of these repairs are not undertaken.
The Government’s financial support amounts to the Church of England’s share of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, 71% of £12 million or £8.5 million, and a similar share of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s £25 million annual fund for high level repairs to church buildings. Even though the Church of England’s 12,500 listed church buildings remain the most significant and remarkable group of listed buildings in the country, the balance of the costs has to be found by the parishes themselves.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had with Ministers on the continuation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; and what progress has been made in those discussions. [14075]
Tony Baldry: There were no discussions at the last meeting of the General Synod in July 2011 about the progress on repairs to churches. The Church of England's Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division estimates its 16,000 parish church buildings, 12,500 of which are listed, face annual repair bills totalling £178.5 million. It further estimates that over £50 million of these repairs are not undertaken. Financial support from the Government amounts to the Church of England’s share of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: 71% of £12 million, or £8.5 million, and a similar share of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s £25 million annual fund for high level repairs to church buildings. The balance of the costs has to be found by the parishes themselves.
Churches: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church Commissioners plan to take to assist rural parishes; and if he will make a statement. [82610]
Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners' parish mission and ministry support (£46.8 million in 2010) is targeted on areas of greatest need and opportunity rather than specifically at urban or rural areas. The majority of this is in the form of grants to lower income dioceses who in turn make the decisions about the deployment of funds locally.
There are two more ‘deliberate' funding streams, i.e. those which support mission development and church development in new housing and other development areas. Both of these to a greater or lesser extent will benefit rural and urban settings but, again, that is not a specific funding criterion. The Church Commissioners other, untargeted funds, play a part in helping the Church maintain a presence in every part of the nation regardless of relative local resources and parishes in less populous, rural areas will sometimes rely more heavily on this than others. It should be remembered that, overall, the CofE is largely self-funding.
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The Church of England also has a network of Diocesan Rural officers, and a National Rural Officer who assist with development of the mission and worship of rural churches through the provision of advice, training and resources.
Communities and Local Government
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to produce new guidance for local authorities on Gypsy and Traveller sites. [91065]
Robert Neill: We are considering the responses to the consultation on our draft planning policy for Traveller sites and intend to publish the new policy as soon as possible. In the mean-time, decision makers are entitled to have regard to the fact that it is proposed to withdraw the circulars and replace them with the Government's draft new policy.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the value of the creative industries to the economy in terms of (a) gross domestic product contribution, (b) growth and (c) jobs. [90774]
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.
The creative industries as a whole were estimated to contribute £36.3 billion, or 2.9%, to the UK's GVA in 2009.
Relative to the UK's total GVA, the creative industries GVA has increased by 0.07% in 2009 (from 2.82% in 2008), but in absolute terms the GVA reduced by 1% from 2008 (£36.6 billion to £36.3 billion). Due to changes in the data source's methodology, growth cannot be estimated prior to 2008.
1.5 million people are employed in either the Creative Industries or in a creative role in another industry (5.14% of UK employment). This is a small increase on 2008 (1.44 million employed and 4.99% of UK employment).
The full creative industries economic estimates statistical release is available on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8682.aspx
Diamond Jubilee 2012: Voluntary Organisations
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to make an announcement on the award for outstanding voluntary organisations during the diamond jubilee year. [90434]
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Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
I expect to make an announcement by the end of February 2012.
Digital Broadcasting
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage licensed use of programme making and special events equipment after digital switchover; and if he will make a statement. [88908]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
“The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 prohibits the installation or use of wireless telegraphy equipment unless an appropriate licence has been obtained from Ofcom. For programme making and special events (PMSE) JFMG, who issue Wireless Telegraphy Act licences on Ofcom's behalf, are actively issuing licences in Channel 38. The funding scheme for channel 69 has provided a substantial contribution to the cost of migration to channel 38 to licensed users only. JFMG continue to make information available on our behalf on the licence options for PMSE users.”
EU Law
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which EU regulations his Department has not implemented; on what date the regulations became EU law; and if he will make a statement. [90707]
John Penrose: The Commission Decision of 10 October 2011 (Decision 2011/667/EU) on modalities for co-ordinated application of the rules on enforcement, with regard to mobile satellite services (MSS), is currently being considered by the Department. It may require the amendment of the Authorisation of Frequency Use for the Provision of Mobile Satellite Services (European Union) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/672), which implement the previous Decisions in relation to MSS. No decisions as to whether UK legislation must be amended have yet been taken, and therefore I am unable to provide an estimate of the cost to the public purse and the private sector. The Decision came into force on 10 October 2011.
I am not aware of any other EU legislation currently requiring transposition for which my Department is responsible.
Ofcom
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the use of white space devices; and if he will make a statement. [88910]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
“Ofcom is in the process of developing regulations to enable white space devices to operate in the Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) TV band without causing harmful interference to existing services. Existing services include digital terrestrial television and wireless microphones used in the programme making and special events. Ofcom is working with stakeholders to finalise the necessary regulations which we aim to be in place by the end of 2012.”
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Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had with Ofcom on the future use of 700MHz band; and if he will make a statement. [88911]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
Ofcom has had early discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the potential implications of the future European harmonisation of the 700 MHz band for mobile broadband use. Ofcom intends to issue a consultation on this matter during the first half of 2012.
Radio Frequencies: Audio Equipment
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effect on (a) the availability of, (b) the market for and (c) the price of radio microphones and similar technologies following the sale of channels 31 to 37 and 61 to 69; and if he will make a statement. [88909]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
“While Ofcom makes spectrum available, the supply of physical equipment (as in other sectors) is a matter for the commercial sector. No assessment has been made of the availability, market for, or price of wireless microphones. There are a number of competing suppliers of programme making and special event's (PMSE) equipment active in the UK, who have been kept informed in a timely manner throughout the digital switchover process so that decisions on market demand and equipment can be made.”
Telephones
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of vulnerable people unnecessarily making lengthy calls to premium rate telephone numbers. [91032]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom has responsibility and accountability for the regulation of premium rate services (PRS), under the terms of the Communications Act 2003, and has designated PhonepayPlus to deliver the day-to-day regulation of PRS. Consumers, including those who are vulnerable, are protected through their code of practice, which includes rules on the presentation of the cost of calling, minimum font size and position of pricing information. The maximum penalty for a single breach of their code is £250,000. All PRS providers are required to comply and PhonepayPlus has regularly used its powers to disconnect service providers, including barring them. Where services might be causing substantial harm to consumers, including groups such as children, PhonepayPlus has an emergency procedure, which enables them to urgently investigate and shut down services. It also has a website:
http://www.phonebrain.org.uk
aimed specifically at young people to educate them about the costs involved and where to go if they have a problem.
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Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department provided to (a) The Art Room, (b) the National Portrait Gallery, (c) Mountain Rescue England, (d) the English Schools Swimming Association, (e) the Scout Association and (f) Missing Links UK in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [90746]
Mr Vaizey: This Department has provided grant in aid funding of £7.577 million in 2010-11 and £7.398 million in 2011-12 to the National Portrait Gallery. It has not directly funded any other organisations on this list.
Tourism: Northumberland
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (a) support he is providing to encourage and (b) assessment he has made of opportunities for rural tourism in Northumberland. [90581]
John Penrose: The recently announced Regional Growth Fund Project, ‘Growing Tourism Locally,’ which is managed and coordinated by the National Tourist Board, VisitEngland, will aim to stimulate increased visitor spend across England, particularly in areas that are facing challenging economic times, but which have tourism growth potential. Northumberland is one of the areas which will benefit from this project.
Last November, the Government also announced that they would invest £25 million in promoting and developing rural tourism. VisitEngland is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England on rural economic growth, in particular, opportunities made available through the Rural Development Programme England for areas such as Northumberland.
In addition, the Government recently announced a major initiative to support both international and domestic tourism promotion. Including money from the GREAT campaign and private sector support, VisitBritain will invest around £127 million in a new international marketing programme. Over the next four years, this is expected to deliver 4.6 million extra visitors from overseas, £2.27 billion in extra visitor spend and over 50,000 job opportunities. VisitEngland’s domestic campaign is supported by a £4 million investment from the Olympic budget and is expected to deliver around 12,500 new job opportunities and £500 million in extra visitor spend over three years. This promotion will include an invitation to the industry to join up in a 20.12% special offer incentive for consumers, which will be launched later this year.
Defence
Defence Equipment: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent corrosion in its (a) weapons, (b) fleets of ships and vehicles and (c) infrastructure. [89851]
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Peter Luff: There is no single policy to counter corrosion of Defence equipment infrastructure assets. Corrosion prevention is included, where applicable, as a manufacturing requirement in Defence contracts. Extensive trials and testing for corrosion protection will also be undertaken where appropriate, prior to an equipment entering service.
For in-service equipment and infrastructure, the requirements for corrosion protection and ongoing maintenance are detailed in a wide range of publications including Technical Bulletins, Joint Service Publications, Defence Standards and NATO Standardisation Agreements. These may take into account the environment in which a particular equipment type may be deployed and cover all aspects of corrosion prevention including the use of protective coatings, inspection and maintenance regimes, methods of packaging and storage to be used. Corrosion prevention measures which may be deployed range from cathodic (electrolytic) prevention and the application of specialised anti-corrosive paints, to simply covering equipment when not in use, to protect against the corrosive forces of nature.
Education
Academies
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons officials from his Department are visiting schools in connection with academy status; and under which criteria such visits are being made. [89445]
Mr Gibb: Department for Education officials visit schools in connection with Academy status for a wide range of reasons; this includes to support those schools considering, or in the process of becoming Academies and to support and broker Academy solutions for those schools that have a history of results below the National Floor Standards, or are in an Ofsted category.
Contact Orders: Grandparents
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to change the process by which grandparents can gain access to any of their grandchildren to whom they have no access. [89366]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 16 January 2012 ]: The Government will shortly publish their response to the Family Justice Review which considered a range of important issues including how families make contact arrangements after separation. The Government response will set out how we plan to take forward policy proposals for reforming the family justice system so that it better serves children and families involved with proceedings.
EU Law
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [89685]
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Tim Loughton: The Department for Education is not responsible for implementing any EU legislation which currently requires transposition into UK law. The Department has not, therefore, made an estimate of the cost of this legislation for the public purse or private sector.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department holds information on the EU regulations in its policy areas of responsibility which have not been implemented in (a) France and (b) Germany; on which dates those regulations became EU law; and if he will make a statement. [90691]
Mr Gibb: The Department holds no such information in respect of implementation of EU regulations in France or Germany.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which EU regulations his Department has not implemented; on what date the regulations became EU law; and if he will make a statement. [90705]
Mr Gibb: There are no EU regulations in force for which the Department for Education has lead responsibility and which have not been implemented.
Free School Meals
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what happens to the funding allocated for free school meals within a local authority area that is unclaimed by pupils. [91155]
Mr Gibb:
Local authorities do not receive specified funding for the costs of free school meals from the Government. The cost of free school meals is met by local authorities from their overall schools budget. Local
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authorities and schools determine how much is allocated for free school meals based on the circumstances in their area, and how to use any funding that is unclaimed by pupils.
Free Schools
Mr Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on enabling proposed special free schools to be set up where clear parental demand exists but there is reluctance from the local authority. [90342]
Mr Gibb: The first special free schools are being set up by passionate and talented groups who want to improve state education provision and choice for families with children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. We hope that many more such groups will come forward with applications for special free schools proposing to open in September 2013. Applications can be submitted between 13 and 24 February 2012.
GCE A-Level: Mathematics
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students sat exams in A-level (a) mathematics and (b) further mathematics in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [85457]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is shown in the following table.
The information requested for 2011 is available in the Statistical First Release “GCE/Applied GCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2010/11 (Provisional)” Table 12a. This publication is available online at the following address:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001035/index.shtml
| Number of students aged 16-18 (1) entered for exams in A-level mathematics and further mathematics, by local authority and region ; Year: 2007-11 (2) ; Coverage: England | ||||||||||
| Mathematics | Further Mathematics | |||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
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| * = Indicates figures have been suppressed if less than 3, secondary suppression has also been applied where a single suppression would cause an aggregated total to be disclosive. ‘—‘ = Indicates no data. (1) Age at the start of the academic year, eg for 2010/11 age at 31 August 2010. (2) 2011 figures are provisional, all other years are final. (3) Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East replaced Cheshire local authority in April 2009. (4) Includes results from Welbeck, the Defense Sixth Form College funded via another Government Department. (5) No maintained schools prior to 2011 existed for this local authority. (6) Bedford and Central Bedfordshire replaced Bedfordshire local authority in April 2009. (7) Maintained Sector includes LA maintained schools, academies, CTCs and FE sector colleges. | ||||||||||