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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 26 January 2012
Defence
Argentina: Military Alliances
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) nature and (b) extent of military links with the Government of Argentina are. [91821]
Nick Harvey: The Defence section in the British embassy in Buenos Aires liaises with Argentine defence officials at appropriate levels in support of UK interests. There is no current bi-lateral defence activity.
Armed Forces: Manpower
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force personnel there were in (i) May 2010 and (ii) December 2011; and how many he expects there will be in the armed forces of (A) the UK and (B) other NATO member states in May 2015. [91351]
Mr Robathan: The requested information, where available, is presented in the following table:
| Full-time UK armed forces strength by service | ||
| 1 May 2010 | 1 December 2011 | |
| Notes: 1. Full-time UK armed forces comprises all UK regular forces, Gurkhas and all full-time reserve service personnel. 2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. | ||
As was made clear in the announcement on the strategic defence and security review, the Royal Navy will decrease to a total of some 30,000, the Army to some 95,000 and the RAF to some 33,000 by 2015.
We do not hold comprehensive information on the armed forces of NATO member states on a comparable basis.
Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Safety Improvement Notice issued on 26 May 2010 by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator was formally closed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the Safety Improvement Notice and the letter notifying closure of the Notice. [86746]
Peter Luff:
The Safety Improvement Notice was closed by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) on 24 June 2011 and replaced by two targeted Safety Directions. Copies of both the Safety Improvement Notice, and the closure letter (incorporating the Safety Directions) have been placed in the Library of the House. I am withholding small sections of the information
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as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Departmental Manpower
Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many university graduates the armed forces have recruited since the end of the 2010-11 academic year. [90905]
Mr Robathan: Records indicate that between August 2011 and 18 January 2012, 623 graduates have entered the armed forces.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which posts have been filled or created within his Department to oversee work on the military covenant in the last 12 months. [91640]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 25 January 2012]:The armed forces covenant is a high priority for the Government, and this is reflected in the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s business plan. Resources to take forward work on the covenant have been made available through the reallocation of existing duties across MOD head office and the services. Overseeing this work is the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Training).
Ex-servicemen: Education
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what funding was provided by his Department to service leavers studying for (a) a first full level 3 or (b) a first higher education qualification free from tuition fees in each of the last four financial years; [89432]
(2) how many service leavers studied for (a) a first full level 3 or (b) a first higher education qualification free from tuition fees in each of the last four financial years. [89434]
Mr Robathan: The MOD promotes lifelong learning among members of the armed forces, and this is encouraged through the Learning Credits schemes. The Enhanced Learning Credit scheme is designed to complement the Standard Learning Credits scheme by providing larger scale help to personnel who qualify, with a single payment of £1,000 or £2,000 (dependent upon length of service) in each of a maximum of three separate financial years, to help pay towards the cost of higher-level learning. It remains available for up to 10 years after discharge.
The opportunity to undertake full time higher education free from tuition fees was introduced in July 2008, and is widely advertised and briefed to all eligible service leavers. Fewer than five (rounded) service leavers entered full time education in 2010 at a cost to the MOD of some £420. About 10 (rounded) service leavers entered full time education in September 2011 at a cost to the MOD of some £21,000.
Public Sector: Pay
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on steps to mitigate the effects of changes made to public sector pay in the autumn statement. [85018]
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Mr Robathan [holding answer 5 December 2011]: The Secretary of State for Defence holds regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), on a wide range of issues, including in relation to the autumn statement.
Energy and Climate Change
Electricity Generation
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received from (a) industry and (b) the National Grid on the use of STOR aggregators. [91956]
Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change received a letter from the Canterbury Club in November 2011, setting out their assessment of the role of aggregators in Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR), which is procured by National Grid in its role as electricity system operator. DECC officials also received the Canterbury Club's full report ‘Money for Nothing, A Review of National Grid's contracting criteria’.
In responding to the Canterbury Club, the Secretary of State received advice from National Grid on the contracts and monitoring processes in place to ensure STOR contracts can be delivered upon and the penalties if they are not.
DECC officials have also met with aggregators during discussions on electricity market reform. The participation of aggregators in STOR was discussed at some of those meetings.
Energy: Meters
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the (a) average and (b) maximum premium being paid by customers using pre-payment meters for (i) gas and (ii) electricity compared to customers paying by direct debit. [91675]
Charles Hendry: The following table shows provisional estimates for 2011 energy bills based on data published in DECC's Quarterly Energy Prices:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/prices/prices.aspx
| £ | ||||
| Pre-payment meters (PPM) | Direct debit (DD) | Difference (PPM—average DD) | ||
| Note: Bills are based on annual electricity consumption of 3,300 kWh and annual gas consumption of 18,000 kWh. | ||||
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Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures are in place to monitor the costs passed on to consumers of the smart meter roll-out. [91680]
Charles Hendry: The Government have published projections of costs and benefits to consumers of smart meter roll-out in an impact assessment, which was most recently updated in August 2011. The impact assessment identified a net benefit of £7.3 billion to the UK, with overall costs of £11.3 billion and benefits of £18.6 billion. This document will continue to be updated as understanding in these areas is developed.
Costs and benefits will continue to be monitored throughout roll-out. Further detail on the process for doing this will be set out in the benefits and evaluation plan, due to be published in spring 2012.
Nuclear Power Stations
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects new nuclear power stations to be operational. [92047]
Charles Hendry: It is up to energy companies to construct, operate and decommission new nuclear power stations. Government will facilitate investment to new nuclear by removing unnecessary obstacles. Energy companies have set out plans to build up to 16 GW of new nuclear power by 2025 and EDF have submitted a planning application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission for Hinkley Point with an indicative timetable for the first reactor to be operational from 2019.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on his decision to reduce the feed-in tariff for solar PV. [91739]
Chris Huhne: Ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders from the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. Details of meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the DECC website.
The recent consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV closed on 23 December 2011. Over 2,300 responses were received and are being analysed prior to the publication of a full Government response to the consultation in the coming weeks.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage energy companies to ensure cancer patients have access to the warm home discount scheme. [91731]
Gregory Barker: We have worked closely on the warm home discount scheme with energy companies and organisations including those representing cancer patients. I am pleased that a number of suppliers are now working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support under the scheme to provide support to cancer patients in fuel poverty. I fully support these initiatives.
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Wind Power
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to publish individual constraint payments made to wind farm companies via the balancing mechanism. [91736]
Charles Hendry: Details of individual constraint payments made to wind farms via the balancing mechanism are already published by Elexon, an independent subsidiary of National Grid which handles the payments. These show that less than 10% of total constraint payments made in 2011 were to wind farms.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on how many occasions he visited (a) operas, (b) museums and (c) London theatres on (i) official business and (ii) as an official guest in 2011. [88816]
Mr Vaizey: In 2011 the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), visited seven operas, 10 museums and five London theatres on official business or as an official guest.
Broadband
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with Telford and Wrekin council on improving broadband services in their area; and what response was provided to any such discussions. [91780]
Mr Vaizey: Following discussions with Broadband Delivery UK, the local broadband plan covering Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has been approved and the councils are working together on the implementation of the plan.
Copyright: Internet
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the proposed US legislation, the (a) Stop Online Piracy Act and (b) Protect IP Act on free expression and circulation of ideas within British culture and media; [91612]
(2) what (a) discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and (b) representations he has made to the US Government on the proposed US legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. [91613]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has made no assessment or received representations on the effect on the UK of measures contained in the US Stop Piracy Online Act.
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Departmental Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of full-time equivalent staff in his Department engaged in delivering (a) front line and (b) corporate or back office services; and if he will make a statement. [91091]
John Penrose: This Department employs 487 full-time equivalent staff who through flexible resourcing deliver both back-office and front line services according to business need.
Football
Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent progress he has made on reforming football governance. [86795]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and I are continuing to meet with the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League collectively to hear their progress on the reforms Government have called for in their response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee football governance inquiry. The football authorities have until the end of February before they need to go public with their proposals.
Libraries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport who in his Department is responsible for identifying and advising him on potential problems with the provision of library services by local authorities, including whether a library authority may be in breach of its statutory duties under the Libraries Act 1964. [91892]
Mr Vaizey: Public library services provided across England are monitored by this Department's officials who engage directly with library authorities. They also monitor correspondence sent to the Department, monitor websites and press articles, and engage in meaningful discussion with organisations that have current information about public library service provision. These include Arts Council England, the Society of Chief Librarians and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether his Department has set any criteria for intervention in a local library authority; [91893]
(2) whether it is his policy to intervene in local authorities where a substantial programme of library closures is undertaken without (a) an adequate assessment of local needs and (b) a strategic libraries plan. [91894]
Mr Vaizey:
I endorse the analysis and approach adopted by the inquiry held in 2009 into the proposed closure of libraries by Wirral metropolitan borough council. When authorities consider reorganising library services it is important that they have assessed the local needs of
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their communities and have prepared a strategic plan for their library services. Library authorities must provide a service which best meets local needs within available resources. Where there is evidence that this may not be happening, dialogue will commence with the local authority concerned. Use of statutory powers, including those regarding intervention, will be exercised on a case by case basis only when all other avenues have been exhausted.
Radio: Wales
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects Radio Cymru and Radio Wales to be available on digital radio to listeners in North Wales. [91770]
Mr Vaizey: The local multiplex licence for North Wales was awarded by Ofcom to Muxco Wales Ltd in June 2008. However, the launch of the multiplex, which would provide the necessary DAB platform for Radio Cymru and Radio Wales, has been delayed. The Government and Ofcom are working with Muxco to ensure that the North Wales multiplex launches as soon as is practicable.
Wedgwood Museum
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (a) discussions and (b) meetings he has had with ministerial colleagues on the Wedgwood Museum. [91518]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has not had any discussions or meetings with ministerial colleagues on the Wedgwood Museum. In my capacity as Minister for Culture, I met with a number of interested parliamentarians about the Wedgwood Museum, including: a meeting with Lord Howarth of Newport and the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South on 24 October 2011; and a meeting with Baroness Rawlings, Lord Howarth of Newport, Lord Clancarty and the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South on 20 December 2011.
I addressed Parliament in an Ordinary Debate about the future of the Wedgwood Museum in Westminster Central Hall on 19 October 2010 and Baroness Rawlings, the Department's Lords spokesperson, answered an oral parliamentary question on the issue on 29 November 2010 in the House of Lords. Departmental officials have had discussions with officials at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Pension Protection Fund, the Attorney General's Office and the Charity Commission about the Wedgwood Museum.
I will continue to hold meetings with interested parties until this issue is resolved.
Transport
Buses: Testing
Bridget Phillipson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the MOT failure rate was for bus and coach operators in Vehicle and Operator Services Agency area 3, including (a) Go North East, (b)
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Stagecoach Cumbria,
(c)
Stagecoach North East,
(d)
Snaiths Coaches,
(e)
Scarlet Band Motor Services,
(f)
Redby Travel,
(g)
Kingsley Coaches,
(h)
Henry Cooper,
(i)
First Choice Travel,
(j)
Classic Coaches,
(k)
Arriva North East and
(l)
A-Line Coaches in each of the last five years. [91662]
Mike Penning: MOT failure results are not available by operator as the data is commercially in-confidence.
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's North East Area MOT results for bus and coach operators (PSVs) are displayed in the following table:
| Test result | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Note: PRS results are Pass after Rectification at Station and represent minor defects such as loose screws/bolts, bulbs out etc. that could be repaired or replaced safely at the test site with little difficulty. They are then tested again for that defect alone after the repair on the same day and a pass certificate is issued. | |||||
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency last audited each bus and coach operator in area 3, including (a) Go North East, (b) Stagecoach Cumbria, (c) Stagecoach North East, (d) Snaiths Coaches, (e) Scarlet Band Motor Services, (f) Redby Travel, (g) Kingsley Coaches, (h) Henry Cooper, (i) First Choice Travel, (j) Classic Coaches, (k) Arriva North East and (l) A-line Coaches. [91686]
Mike Penning: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency carries out visits to operator premises to check their systems for maintaining vehicle conditions and compliance with other measures (e.g. drivers’ hours) which will include checking vehicles and records.
Information on the visits by an individual operator is commercially in-confidence.
The total number of vehicles inspected at operator visits in VOSA's North East area are set out in the following table:
| Number | |
Driving: Licensing
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if she will estimate the length of time required to update (a) driving licences and (b) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency records when recording a change in medical circumstances; [92232]
(2) whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sets targets in respect of the return of driving licences submitted as a consequence of changed medical circumstances; [92233]
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(3) what representations she has received on the amount of time the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency holds driving licences submitted as a consequence of changed medical circumstances. [92234]
Mike Penning: Changes in medical circumstances notified to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) require investigations to establish if the individual is fit to drive. Once these are completed a licence is either issued straight away, or the individual is informed that it has been refused or revoked. Records are updated as soon as licensing decisions are made. Where there is a change in medical circumstances the DVLA currently responds to 87% of its cases within 71 days. Just under half are dealt with within 14 days. Medical cases are often complex and require external specialists to provide information which can have an impact on response times.
The Secretary of State for Transport has set targets for consideration of notifications of changed medical circumstances. These are:
1. to complete 88% of medical applications, where sufficient medical information is provided with the initial application, within 15 days; and
2. to complete 85% of medical applications, where further information is required, within 90 days.
In 2011, DVLA exceeded both targets. Where sufficient medical information was provided with the original application, 97% of driving licences were returned within 15 days. Where further medical inquiries were needed 90% of applications were returned within 90 working days.
In 2011, the DVLA received 322 representations about the time taken to update the driving licence when medical inquiries were required.
Ports
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to support the regeneration or expansion of small existing or unused ports; and if she will make a statement. [91777]
Mike Penning: The Government encourages sustainable port development that can contribute to long-term economic growth and prosperity locally, regionally and nationally.
Railways: Cotswold Line
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether she plans to propose revised specifications for the Cotswold line franchise to increase the frequency of trains from Great Malvern to London; [86939]
(2) what additional services she plans to specify in the new North Cotswold line franchise invitation to tender; [86941]
(3) when she plans to publish an invitation to tender for the North Cotswold line franchise from 2013. [86942]
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Mrs Villiers: The Department is currently running public consultation on the specification for the new Great Western franchise which includes the North Cotswold line. This can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-36/
The new franchise is expected to start in spring 2013.
Travel: Trains
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the frequency with which the format of passenger announcements on trains and in stations is reviewed. [91249]
Mrs Villiers: The Department does not hold this information as the format of passenger announcements is a matter for train and station operators.
Communities and Local Government
Charities: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department provided to (a) Action on Addiction, (b) Adoption UK, (c) the Adoption and Fostering Information Line, (d) the Child Bereavement Charity, (e) Well Child and (f) each of East Anglia's children’s hospices in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [89769]
Robert Neill [holding answer 19 January 2012]: No monies have been paid to these organisations during the current or previous financial year.
Homelessness: Support
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department provided to Crisis in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [90456]
Grant Shapps: The following table shows the total allocations of funding provided to Crisis in each of the last five years of which the majority was allocated as homelessness grant (revenue).
| Crisis (£) | |
Departmental Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of full-time equivalent staff in his Department engaged in delivering (a) frontline and (b) corporate or back office services; and if he will make a statement. [91093]
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Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not have staff engaging in frontline service delivery; rather its role is strategic and focused on policy development and implementation.
As of 31 December 2011, the Department for Communities and Local Government had 1,917 staff with a full-time equivalent of 1,859 under Office for National Statistics definitions of employment. However, this includes 40 full-time equivalent staff on paid leave of absence, primarily on maternity leave.
Excluding the staff on paid leave of absence, 1,424 full- time equivalent staff were engaged in policy development and implementation, and the remaining 396 full-time equivalent staff were engaged in support services.
Domestic Waste
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many councils have bid for specific funding to enable them to collect household waste weekly; and how many such councils currently have collection periods longer than a week; [91656]
(2) when he expects to make an announcement about the allocation of funding to individual councils in respect of weekly bin collections. [91657]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 811W, to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh).
Homelessness
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of people sleeping rough in England in each month since June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [91933]
Grant Shapps: Information on the number of people sleeping rough in England is collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government on a yearly basis.
The number of people sleeping rough in England can be found on the Department's website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/roughsleepingcounts/
The coalition Government have acted decisively to introduce a more accurate assessment of rough sleeping levels so that there is clear information in all areas, to inform service provision and action to address the problem. The previous Government's approach to assessing rough sleeping did not capture the full extent of the problem across the country.
Housing Benefit
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the potential number of people affected by the proposed limits to housing benefit for people who under-occupy their property. [90990]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
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This information, along with a regional breakdown, is contained in the equality impact assessment available on the DWP website at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf
Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the revenue generated from empty property rates came from public sector organisations in the last year for which figures are available. [91830]
Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to him on 26 January 2011, Official Report, column 2MC, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 178W.
Social Rented Housing
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of social rated housing which is illegally sub-let; and how that cost is calculated. [91725]
Grant Shapps: The National Fraud Authority estimates that housing tenancy fraud in England costs around £900 million a year.
This figure is based on the Audit Commission's estimates that it costs an average of £18,000 per year to house a family or individual in temporary housing and that 50,000 properties are unlawfully occupied in England (which would otherwise be available for occupation).
Recent research by housing fraud specialists HJK Investigations has suggested that the level of such fraud could be far greater.
Replacing the social homes that are being unlawfully occupied—to house those who have effectively been displaced by tenancy fraudsters—would cost several billion pounds.
In December 2010, the Government announced funding of £19 million over four years for social landlords to tackle fraud in their stock. We are currently consulting on proposals that would increase the deterrent to tenants considering cheating the system, allow those who do cheat to be detected more easily and punished more severely and encourage social landlords to take a more proactive approach to tackling tenancy fraud.
These include proposals that would mean social tenants who abuse their tenancies could be subject to criminal sanctions, with a maximum penalty of a £50,000 fine and two years imprisonment; and would allow for any profits made from tenancy fraud to be confiscated and a restitutionary payment to be made to the landlord.
Homelessness: Support
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [90400]
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Robert Neill [holding answer 1 9 January 2012]:The following table shows the total allocations of funding allocated to Centrepoint, Crisis, Skill Force and Shelter in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
| £ | ||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
This funding was provided to Crisis to help single homeless people access stable accommodation in the private rented sector and for Shelter to operate the National Homelessness Advice Service (a partnership between Shelter and Citizens Advice) and debt advice for the Home Owners Mortgage Support Scheme.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [90747]
Robert Neill [holding answer 19 January 2012]:No payments have been made to these organisations during 2010-11 or thus far in 2011-12.
Cabinet Office
Challenge Network
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding his Department provided to The Challenge Network in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [91910]
Mr Hurd: The Challenge Network is one of the Cabinet Office's partners for delivery of the National Citizen Service. In 2010-11 the Cabinet Office provided grant funds of £1,236,000 to The Challenge Network and has current grant awards for 2011-12 with The Challenge Network up to the total of £7,017,702.
Cybercrime
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent (a) multilateral and (b) bilateral discussions he has had with his (i) international and (ii) European counterparts on establishing international law in the area of cyber security; and if he will make a statement. [91881]
Mr Maude:
In May 2011 the UK ratified the Council of Europe's Budapest Cybercrime Convention which is the main international treaty relating to cyber crime and provides a clear legislative and procedural framework for international co-operation. The UK, as the current chair of the Council of Europe, is strongly supportive of work by the Council to promote the Convention. The Government have also opted in to the draft EU
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Directive on attacks on information systems, that seeks to establish commonality of offences, minimum levels of punishment, and mechanisms for enhanced co-operation between member states to tackle these crimes. More generally we have made it clear that Governments should act in cyber space in accordance with existing international law, and the UK Government are taking a leading role in promoting international consensus around what constitutes acceptable behaviour in cyber space. The London Conference on Cyberspace in November 2011 began a process for enhanced dialogue among nations on this important issue. The UK will be represented on a UN Group of Government Experts meeting later this year which will address this question in more detail.
New Businesses: Worcestershire
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new companies were started in (a) Worcester constituency and (b) Worcestershire in each of the last three years. [92162]
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 how many new companies were started in (a) Worcester constituency and (b) Worcestershire in each of the last three years, [92162]
ONS does not separately produce statistics on the number of company births, however annual statistics on the total number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
www.statistics.gov.uk
The most current statistics available are 2010.
The table contains the latest statistics available, which show the number of enterprise births in Worcester constituency, Worcestershire County and its districts for 2008-2010.
| Count of births of new enterprises for 2008-10, Worcester constituency, Worcestershire county and districts | |||
| Births | |||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Note: The figures have been rounded to the nearest five, to avoid disclosure. | |||
Deputy Prime Minister
European Liberal Summit
Ian Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided any resources for the organisation and hosting of the European Liberal Summit he hosted on 9 January 2012; and what the monetary value was of any such resources. [91812]
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The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds) on 25 January 2012, Official Report, column 271W.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether any officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were present at the European Liberal Summit he hosted on 9 January 2012; and what advice or support he received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in advance of this event. [91813]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I hosted the meeting of European Liberal Democrats in Government in my capacity as Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
No officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were present at the meeting. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided briefing for the bilateral meetings held in my capacity as Deputy Prime Minister.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times he has visited Brussels in an official capacity in the last year; and on which such occasions he was accompanied by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [91878]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Details of Ministers' overseas travel are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period April 2011 to June 2011 can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations-april-june
Information for the period of July 2011 to December 2011 will be published in due course.
I have been supported by the UK's Permanent Representative to the European Union and his staff on all visits to Brussels in 2011.
Attorney-General
Fraud
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on which organisations the Government proposes will in future be responsible for investigating and prosecuting offences relating to serious fraud. [91658]
The Attorney-General: There have been no recent ministerial discussions. The position remains as set out in "The National Crime Agency: A plan for the creation of a national crime-fighting capability" which was published in June 2011.
Northern Ireland
Bill of Rights
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. [91566]
Mr Swire: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given on 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 150W.
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Departmental Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff in his Department are engaged in delivering (a) front line and (b) corporate or back office services; and if he will make a statement. [91077]
Mr Paterson: Front-line staff are classified as those staff that have a role dealing primarily with the public. On this basis, the NIO does not have any staff engaged in front line services. There are currently 92 members of staff (54%) working within the Business Delivery Group and providing a wide range of corporate services across the Department.
Treasury
Assets: Egypt
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assets held in the UK have been frozen at the request of the Egyptian Government in the last 12 months; in each such case who the individual was who held the assets; and what the (a) type and (b) value of the assets was. [91697]
Mr Hoban: The sanctions in respect of Egypt impose an asset freeze against 19 individuals identified as responsible for the misappropriation of Egyptian state funds. A list of these individuals is available from the Treasury website
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/fin_sanctions_egypt.htm
and is reproduced here for convenience.
(1) Ahmed, Abla Mohamed Fawzi Ali
(2) Al Naggar, Shahinaz Abdel Aziz Abdel Wahab
(3) El Gammal, Khadiga Mahmoud
(4) El Gazaerly, Naglaa Abdallah
(5) Eladli, Habib Ibrahim Habib
(6) Eldin, Jaylane Shawkat Hosni Galal
(7) Elmaghraby, Ahmed Alaeldin Amin Abdelmaksoud
(8) Ezz, Ahmed Abdelaziz
(9) Fahmy, Hania Mahmoud Abdel Rahman
(10) Garrana, Amir Mohamed Zohir Mohamed Wahed
(11) Garrana, Mohamed Zohir Mohamed Wahed
(12) Hussein, Rachid Mohamed Rachid
(13) Mubarak, Alaa Mohamed Hosni Elsayed
(14) Mubarak, Gamal Mohamed Hosni Elsayed
(15) Mubarak, Mohamed Hosni Elsayed
(16) Rasekh, Heidy Mahmoud Magdy Hussein
(17) Sharshar, Elham Sayed Salem
(18) Thabet, Suzanne Saleh
(19) Yassin, Khadiga Ahmed Ahmed Kamel
For reasons of confidentiality, the Treasury is unable to disclose the information requested about individuals and their assets frozen in the UK under the Egypt sanctions regime.
Banking
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will introduce an obligation for banks to serve low and middle income communities; and if he will make a statement; [91907]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of communities with only one bank branch; and if he will make a statement; [91908]
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(3) what assessment he has made of the economic effect of bank branch closures on their local communities; and if he will make a statement; [91909]
(4) what information his Department holds on how many bank branches closed in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) 2011; and if he will make a statement. [91977]
Mr Hoban: The Government do not intervene in commercial decisions as to whether, and where, banks maintain branches.
However, Government believe that it is important for individuals to be able to access an appropriate range of financial products and services, and will continue to monitor the situation.
The Government do not collect information relating to branch closures.
Bankruptcy
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were made bankrupt as a result of court action initiated by HM Revenue and Customs in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [91968]
Mr Gauke: HMRC only initiates bankruptcy or winding up action where it believes this is the best course of action to protect the interests of the Exchequer in respect of a particular debt. HMRC does not take such action lightly.
Neither HMRC nor any other creditor makes individuals bankrupt. Bankruptcy orders are made by the courts.
Information on how many people were made bankrupt as a result of court action initiated by HM Revenue and Customs in each month since May 2010 is shown in the following table:
| Sequestrations and bankruptcies following HMRC petitions | ||||
| Scotland | England and Wales | NI | Total | |
26 Jan 2012 : Column 330W
The equivalent of bankruptcy in Scotland is sequestration.
Copyright: Internet
Steve Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an assessment of the likely cost to the British economy of proposed US legislation, the (a) Stop Online Piracy Act and (b) Protect IP Act. [91610]
Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has made no assessment or received representations on the effect on the UK of measures contained in the US Stop Piracy Online act.
EU Law
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the regulations his Department brought into force through (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) other means originated from proposals by the European Commission in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. [88970]
Miss Chloe Smith: EU provisions that need to be given effect by the Treasury are transposed into UK law via primary and secondary legislation. This information is not aggregated. The following table provides the total number of Treasury primary and secondary provisions brought onto the statute books during 2010 and 2011 and the numbers of such instruments which, in full or in part, give effect to EU requirements.
| 2010 | 2011 | |
It is not possible to ascertain whether specific measures originated from Commission proposals, or whether EU requirements were given effect via domestic measures other than primary or secondary legislation, without incurring disproportionate costs.
Executives: Pay
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) salaries and (b) bonuses in the financial sector are in proportion with those of other industries. [91576]
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Mr Hoban: The Government have been clear that the banks must act responsibly in setting their bonuses. As a result of Government action, remuneration of UK based staff for the four major UK banks was lower in 2010 than in 2009 and lower than it would otherwise have been. The Financial Services Authority's (FSA) revised Remuneration Code ensures bonuses are deferred over at least three years and are linked to the performance of the employee and their firm
Greater transparency helps shareholders hold boards to account on pay. In addition to FSA rules requiring disclosure of the aggregate pay of risk-taking staff, the Government are consulting on extending executive pay disclosure arrangements made under Project Merlin to eight executives below board level at all large banks from this year onwards.
Measures which improve the alignment of risk and reward in the financial sector are a key element of the wider strategy on executive pay. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), announced proposals on 23 January 2012, Official Report, columns 23-25, covering pay governance and transparency.
Internet: Sales
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been raised by the Exchequer as result of the sale of (a) CDs, (b) DVDs, (c) e-books and (d) songs purchased by electronic means from the internet in each of the last five years. [91799]
Mr Gauke: No estimate has been made.
National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses
Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on making the national insurance contribution holiday an opt-out rather than opt-in scheme. [91606]
Mr Gauke: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 432W. The barriers to having an opt-out rather than an opt-in scheme remain.
Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage participation in the National Insurance contribution holiday scheme. [91607]
Mr Gauke: The Government have taken a number of steps to increase the take-up of the national insurance contribution holiday scheme, including:
HMRC issuing personalised letters to all new businesses registered for a PAYE scheme in the eligible regions since the start of the scheme;
promoting the scheme through regional press, with agents and other business intermediaries, and on HMRC and businesslink websites; and
relaxing the rules to allow agents to apply on behalf of a business.
PAYE: Pensions
Stephen Timms:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential difficulty
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for employers of implementing simultaneously PAYE real-time information and automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. [91308]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 23 January 2012]: The majority of employers (including small employers) will not implement Real Time Information (RTI) and auto-enrolment into workplace pensions at the same time. Employers will begin submitting PAYE RTI from April 2013 whereas small employers will start to carry out auto-enrolment into workplace pensions in June 2015. Given this staggered approach HMRC does not believe these timings create any particular difficulty for employers.
The real-time reporting of PAYE information aims to reduce administrative burdens for all employers, including small employers (upon whom the current burden of PAYE falls disproportionately). The aim is to achieve this by integrating employee payment and reporting to HMRC into a single payroll process.
The Government are committed to simplifying the tax system and reducing the compliance costs for businesses and HMRC is working closely with the Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) to identify simplifications to the tax system, particularly, in relation to small business taxation.
Revenue and Customs: Standards
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) practices for the purpose of ensuring that small businesses do not incur a fine due to the time taken by HMRC to notify them that their returns are late. [90734]
Mr Gauke: HMRC works with employers and their representatives to help them meet statutory obligations. HMRC inform employers of their obligation to file a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Employer Annual Return by the statutory deadline and the consequences of not doing so.
HMRC is committed to continually improving its processes and is actively considering a range of initiatives to encourage employers to file their 2011-12 PAYE Employer Annual Return on time. Changes being implemented so far include the retiming of the employers 'Notification to File' to coincide with the end of the tax year and the introduction of a new 'Just File' reminder which will be issued shortly before the 19 May deadline.
Taxation: International Co-operation
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what negotiations with other countries his Department is involved in on (a) double taxation agreements and (b) tax evasion. [91412]
Mr Gauke: Excluding those countries where agreements have since been signed, my officials have held negotiations on double taxation agreements in the last two years with Albania, Austria, Barbados, Brunei, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, India, Liechtenstein, Malawi, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Singapore, Spain, Turkmenistan and the United States; and on tax information exchange agreements with Andorra, Brazil, Costa Rica, the Marshall Islands and the Seychelles.
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There have been no negotiations with other countries on tax evasion since the conclusion of the Tax Co-operation Agreement with Switzerland.
Working Tax Credit
Ann Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on couples with children who work less than 24 hours a week of his proposals for reform of the working tax credit; whether he proposes that such couples will still be entitled to claim working tax credit; and at what rate such a claim would be. [91537]
Mr Gauke: This change makes the system fairer by reducing the disparity in the number of hours which lone parents and couples are obliged to work.
Couples with children will continue to qualify for working tax credit where at least one member of a couple works at least 16 hours per week and that person is eligible for the working tax credit disability element or is aged 60 or over.
Couples with children may also qualify for working tax credit if one member of a couple works at least 16 hours a week and a qualifying sickness or disability benefit, for example, incapacity benefit is payable for the other.
HMRC is not planning to make any transitional arrangements or provide additional services for couples with children who may lose entitlement to working tax credit as a result of the change to the working hours conditions in April 2012.
At the end of November 2011 HMRC wrote to those who may be affected to advise them of the change and what they need to do if they wish to continue to qualify for working tax credit. Anybody contacting HMRC since then to report a change of circumstances, that will mean they will be affected, has been given the same advice.
Health
Autism: Health Services
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the level of qualification and experience of providers of services to people with autism spectrum conditions; [91807]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the role of person-centred services for people with autistic spectrum conditions; [91875]
(3) what recent assessment he has made of the (a) role and (b) value-for-money of autism-specific services; [91876]
(4) what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS services for people with (a) autism spectrum conditions and (b) learning disabilities. [91877]
Paul Burstow: Those providing care—whether national health service, charity or private sector—have a duty to make sure that care is high quality and safe. That is why the Care Quality Commission is currently carrying out a programme of unannounced inspections into all hospitals for people with learning disabilities. This work will inform the Department's wider review.
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This Government are committed to the adult autism strategy and will carry out a formal evaluation of progress against the strategy's key objectives by 2013.
Statutory guidance for health and social care bodies published on 17 December 2010 to support delivery of the strategy focuses on four important areas where health and social care can improve the way they support adults with autism:
increasing understanding of autism among front-line staff;
strengthening diagnosis and assessment of needs;
improving transition from child to adult services; and
ensuring the needs of adults with autism are included within local health and care service planning.
‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives: Evaluating Progress’, a self-assessment framework published on 1 April last year provides support to localities in delivering the strategy and statutory guidance. This self-assessment framework should help health and social care bodies identify how they are doing in terms of planning services. The Department has commissioned the Learning Disabilities Public Health Observatory to collate these self-assessments, and make them available on their website.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has developed clinical guidelines for children and young people with autism, with further guidelines for adults with autism scheduled to be published in July 2012.
There has been no recent assessment of the adequacy of NHS services for people with learning disabilities. However, this Government are committed to improving the health of people with learning disabilities:
we have extended the contract for a Government-funded confidential inquiry into the premature and avoidable death of people with learning disabilities;
we are funding a specific public health observatory focussing on improving health care for people with learning disabilities; and
we are continuing to support annual health checks for people with learning disabilities.
General Practitioners
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for cross-border GP consortia have been received by the Shadow NHS Commissioning Board to date. [91547]
Anne Milton: The NHS Commissioning Board Authority is a preparatory body aimed at preparing for the establishment of the NHS Commissioning Board, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill. Therefore, it has no power to authorise clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and is not taking applications for this purpose.
The Government have accepted the NHS Future Forum's recommendation that the boundaries of CCGs should not normally cross those of local authorities.
If a commissioning group wishes to be established on the basis of boundaries that would cross local authority boundaries, it will be expected to demonstrate to the NHS Commissioning Board a clear rationale in terms of benefits for patients: for example, if it would reflect local patient flows or enable the group to take on practices where, overall, this would secure a better service for patients. Further, they would need to provide a clear account of how they would expect to achieve better
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integration between health and social care services. Further detail on how authorisation can work is set out in “Developing Clinical Commissioning Groups: Towards Authorisation” (September 2011). A copy has been placed in the Library.
General Practitioners: Pharmacy
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to encourage pharmacists to become involved in the GP commissioning process in order for their opinions to be considered. [91579]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government wants clinical commissioning groups to have the flexibility to engage with the full range of health and care professionals to support the design of pathways of care and to shape services. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be required to obtain appropriate advice from a broad range of professionals, which can include pharmacists. CCGs may also include pharmacists in their committees.
Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for issuing guidance to commissioning groups (to which they must have regard) on their duty to obtain appropriate professional advice, for example in relation to working with multi-disciplinary clinical networks and senates.
Hospitals
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve co-operation between hospital trusts to ensure efficient continuity of patient care. [91546]
Mr Simon Burns: All national health service bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by the Health Act 2009 to take account of the NHS Constitution in their decisions and actions. This includes the principle that the NHS works across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of patients, local communities and the wider population.
The Health and Social Care Bill takes this further by making it clear that in exercising any of their functions, commissioners must act with a view to securing that services are provided in a way that promotes the NHS Constitution; and with a view to securing continuous improvement in outcomes, including effectiveness, safety and quality of patient experience. Commissioners must also exercise their functions with a view to securing that health services are provided in an integrated way, where this would improve the quality of those services including outcomes and/or reduce inequalities in relation to access to services and outcomes.
Monitor's overriding duty, as sector regulator for NHS health care, would be to promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of services, for the benefits of patients. Monitor would be required to support commissioners by enabling integration of services.
Hospitals: Electricity
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a list of all hospitals that are contracted to provide electricity on demand to STOR aggregators. [91954]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not maintain a central record of Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) contracted trusts.
The STOR commitment of making available electrical generation capacity is a local operational issue contracted by an individual national health service trust or collection of trusts.
Duchenne Care Standards
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the accreditation process for the Duchenne standards of care. [91937]
Paul Burstow: We have had no recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on their accreditation process for the Duchenne standards of care.
NHS: Reorganisation
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the (a) redundancy and (b) non-redundancy costs which have been incurred as a result of NHS reorganisation since (i) May 2010 and (ii) January 2011. [91810]
Anne Milton: National health service bodies are constantly in the process of reorganisation to modernise services and improve value for money.
The annual accounts information we collect from the NHS only gives the total cost of all redundancies for a financial year, it is not broken down by category (so we cannot identify redundancies relating specifically to restructuring) and we cannot attribute any costs to a particular period of a year.
Organs: Donors
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in South Swindon constituency are registered as organ donors; and if he will make a statement. [91617]
Anne Milton: As at 4 October 2011 there were 32,705 people registered on the organ donor register in South Swindon.
The Organ Donation Taskforce report, published in 2008, stated that by strengthening the donation programme in the United Kingdom, organ donor rates could increase by 50% by 2013. This would enable a further 1,200 people each year to benefit from a transplant.
Significant investment in the implementation of the taskforce recommendations, such as more donor transplant co-ordinators and clinical leads and donation committees in every acute trust, has seen donor rates rise by around 31% since 2008. Over 18 million people, some 29% of the United Kingdom population, have now registered on the organ donor register.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Expenditure: Drinks
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies have spent on (i) wine, (ii) other alcoholic refreshments and (iii) bottled water since May 2010. [91962]
Mr Lidington: This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a wide range of activities to establish and maintain contacts throughout its network of over 250 overseas posts as well as diplomatic activity in the UK to promote and defend British interests. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons, and expenditure on business hospitality is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings have taken place at EU level to negotiate the terms of the fiscal compact in advance of the EU summit on 30 January 2012; and whether the Government was represented at each such meeting. [91869]
Mr Hague: Three meetings of the ad hoc working group on the Fiscal Stability Union have taken place: on 20 December 2011, 6 January 2012 and 12 January 2012. The proposed Treaty was also discussed at a Eurogroup-plus meeting on 23 January. The British Government have been represented at each meeting.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on investigating the legal issues surrounding the use of EU institutions by non-EU bodies since the EU summit in December 2011. [91870]
Mr Hague: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Legal Advisers department provides and obtains advice on a wide variety of legal matters. Work for the FCO on the legal issues to date has been absorbed within the Legal Advisers' existing budget.
Economic and Monetary Union: Civil Service
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any civil servants have been involved in official negotiations with other EU countries on the fiscal compact ahead of the EU summit on 30 January 2012; what the grade was of each such civil servant; and which department they represented. [91868]
Mr Hague:
UK civil servants have attended ad hoc working group meetings to raise issues and offer observations. We will not be signing up to the Intergovernmental Treaty, so we are not negotiating on the text. Senior civil servants from the Foreign and
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Commonwealth Office, the Treasury and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU, including the Permanent Representative, represented the UK.
EU Countries: Visits Abroad
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on ministerial travel to each EU member state capital in each month since October 2010. [91871]
Mr Hague: Details of ministerial travel are published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality
Pakistan: Politics and Government
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives of policy on Pakistan are. [91817]
Alistair Burt: The UK's policy in Pakistan is based on five objectives. We want to work with Pakistan on national security issues and counter-terrorism; helping Pakistan consolidate democracy; supporting Pakistan to deliver macro-economic stability, growth and services for its citizens and supporting Pakistan to play a constructive role in the region.
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department has intervened in order to help facilitate the return of monies held in overseas countries or banks since the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and in which countries. [91938]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's global diplomatic network works on organised crime issues under the lead of the Home Office, in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review's commitment to “ensure that our diplomatic posts co-ordinate the overseas responses at a strategic level”. However, we do not comment on interventions with foreign governments in connection with police investigations, some of which may be ongoing. We do not hold figures for the number of such interventions since the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to measure progress on the implementation of policies supporting the Big Society initiative; and if he will make a statement. [91395]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Most of our policies are implemented overseas, so do not fall within the domestic Big Society initiative and this aspect of our policy implementation is not measured. We work hard to strengthen and support civil society in all the countries that we work in.
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However, all HMG Departments are committed to the initiative to open up Government supplier contracts to smaller enterprises. We have implemented changes to our procurement monitoring so that we can measure the number of contracts awarded to UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes it as easy as possible for staff to contribute to their community by giving all employees up to five days paid special leave a year for this, whether in the UK or abroad. Many staff also choose to give up their own time to volunteer, though this is not measured.
Work and Pensions
Disability Living Allowance: British Nationality
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department is providing to British citizens previously living abroad who have returned to the UK and meet the 26 week residency criteria and are awaiting a decision on a claim for disability living allowance. [91808]
Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions endeavours to deal with all claims as quickly as possible. Where a decision cannot be made until after the first day of entitlement to disability living allowance then an arrears payment will be made to cover this period.
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many British citizens previously living abroad who have returned to the UK and meet the 26 week residency criteria are awaiting a decision on a claim for disability living allowance. [91809]
Maria Miller: While the Department for Work and Pensions holds information on outstanding claims to DLA, we are not able to provide a breakdown based on the requested criteria.
The Department for Work and Pensions does not routinely collect or record information on where people have previously lived, or how long they have been in the country, for periods that do not affect their claim for disability living allowance.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what alternatives his Department considered to the one-year time-limit on contributory employment and support allowance; and what the reasons were for not pursuing any such alternatives. [91788]
Chris Grayling: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 92W.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the employment and support allowance support group have a statutorily-defined terminal illness under the terms of his Department's DS1500 Form. [92018]
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Chris Grayling: Claimants to employment and support allowance (ESA) who are deemed to be terminally ill, with less than six months to live, will be placed directly into the support group, without having to undergo a face-to-face work capability assessment (WCA).
Data on the number of claimants who are currently in the support group on this basis are not available.
However, data are available on the number of terminally ill claimants moving into the ESA support group. The Department regularly publishes official statistics on ESA and WCA. Table 5 in the most recent publication (released in January 2012) shows that, for the period March 2011 to May 2011 (the most recent data available), around 1,000 claimants were assigned to the support group on the grounds that they were terminally ill.
The publication can be found on the Departmental website here:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?paae=esa_wca
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employment and support allowance applicants have undertaken a work capability assessment whilst having a statutorily-defined terminal illness under the terms of his Department's DS1500 Form. [92019]
Chris Grayling: The Department considers a person to be terminally ill if they are diagnosed with a progressive disease, and where death is a likely consequence of that disease and is reasonably expected within six months. Such people will be treated as having limited capability for work and will not need to undergo the face to face work capability assessment in order to determine eligibility for employment and support allowance (ESA).
Additionally, they will also be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity, and so will be placed in the support group of ESA where they will not be expected to undertake work-related activity.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with a statutorily-defined terminal illness under the terms of his Department's DS1500 Form are in the work related activity group for employment and support allowance. [92020]
Chris Grayling: The Department considers a person to be terminally ill if they are diagnosed with a progressive disease, and where death is a likely consequence of that disease and is reasonably expected within six months.
Such people will be treated as having limited capability for work, and limited capability for work-related activity, and as such cannot be placed in the work related activity group of employment and support allowance (ESA). They will be placed in the support group where they will not be expected to undertake work-related activity. They will not need to undergo the face to face work capability assessment in order to determine eligibility for ESA.
Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against refusal of the employment and support allowance there were in each month from June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [91973]
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Chris Grayling: The following table shows the number of employment and support allowance (ESA) appeals received by the Department for the period June 2010 to December 2011, the last date for which figures are available. These figures represent all ESA appeals received, including those customers appealing against the result of their work capability assessment as well as those where ESA has been refused before a claimant enters the ESA assessment phase.
Note that appeals against incapacity benefit reassessment claims are not included in these figures.
| ESA appeals received | |
| Notes: 1. Management Information System Programme (MISP) is the departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice. 2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Management Information System Programme 25 January 2012. | |
Employment Tribunals Service: Unfair Dismissal
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for unfair dismissal tribunal hearings there were in each month from June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [91961]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions employs over 100,000 staff. Robust measures are in place to ensure that all procedures are correctly followed before employees are dismissed including access to a Complex Case Advisory Service for managers.
Since June 2010 there has been a total of 389 applications for unfair dismissal tribunal hearings lodged with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The details for each month from June 2010 are as follows:
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| Number | |
Housing Benefit
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households in each local authority area that will be affected by the planned reduction in housing benefit because the tenants have two or more spare bedrooms. [91873]
Steve Webb: The information is not available for each local authority area.
The estimated impact of changes to housing benefit for working-age tenants living in the social rented sector is based upon information collected in the Department's Family Resources Survey. Because the survey collects information from a sample of households, we cannot produce reliable estimates for the number of claimants affected by local authority area.
In February 2011 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) produced an impact assessment entitled “Under-occupation of social housing”, coinciding with the publication of the Welfare Reform Bill. The impact assessment can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf
The impact assessment included a national estimate of the extent to which claimants were under-occupying their accommodation for working age housing benefit recipients living in social housing, under-occupying their home and who were likely to be affected by the introduction of the size criteria in social-rented housing in 2013-14.
In Great Britain we estimate that approximately 150,000 working age claimants would be under occupying accommodation by two or more bedrooms when the change to housing benefit is introduced in 2013-14.