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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 30 January 2012
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC: Birmingham
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the long-term effects on the (a) regional economy and (b) creative industries in the West Midlands of the BBC’s plans to transfer work away from Birmingham. [92560]
Mr Vaizey: I have had no discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on this matter.
The Government support regional television production as it benefits regional economies and is good for the UK’s cultural diversity.
Within the framework of the BBC charter, however, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for Government to intervene. The BBC is required to meet quotas for television production outside of London, but it is for the BBC to determine how the quotas are achieved.
The BBC’s Delivering Quality First (DQF) review includes a proposal to move factual programming for BBC television and Radio 4 out of Birmingham, but to increase television production investment with independent producers in the Midlands. The Government await the conclusions of the DQF review with interest.
The creative arts benefit from licence fee funding in a number of ways, for example, support for The Space, an exciting digital arts media project being run by the BBC in partnership with the Arts Council.
Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. [92109]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport publishes a quarterly disclosure log of all responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, which can found on its website at the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/freedom_of_information/8489.aspx
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This is in line with the guidance provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). DCMS does not routinely publish the response to each request. However, where a case is of wider public interest, the response is published on DCMS’s transparency website at the following link:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes a breakdown of the types of work for which claims are made under the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme. [92249]
John Penrose: The Department does not publish a breakdown of the types of work for which claims are made under the Listed Places of Worship scheme. At the end of each quarter, we publish the value of the applications received and the applicable payable rate on the scheme’s website. We also send reports to the Church of England, English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Scotland and the Department of Environment Northern Ireland each quarter which provides the following detail for each places of worship relevant to each organisation that has claimed a grant:
Name of listed place of worship
Local authority or council
Brief description of works
Total grant paid.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of claims made to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme concerned works made necessary by metal theft in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [92250]
John Penrose: This Department does not currently analyse claims on the scheme for repairs carried out as a result of metal theft. An analysis of claims from listed places of worship for roof repairs and leading, shows that there were 2,395 claims made between January 2011 and January 2012 (to date). From the beginning of the next financial year, we will begin to keep records of claims for repairs as a result of theft where the listed place of worship has declared this on the application form.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what change there was in the (a) number, (b) size and (c) nature of claims made to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after the most recent changes to the scheme's eligibility criteria. [92251]
John Penrose:
In October 2010, this Department announced that in line with the need to reduce public expenditure, the Listed Places of Worship scheme would return to the original scope of the scheme in the final quarter of 2010-11 and claims for professional fees and repairs to organs, pews, bells and clocks would be ineligible. These changes came into effect on 4 January 2011. The difference in the number and size of claims
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made on the scheme between January 2010 and December 2010 and between January 2011 and December 2011 are set out in the following table:
| January to December 2010 analysis | ||
| Value | Number of claims | Value of payments (£) |
| January to December 2011 analysis | ||
| Value | Number of claims | Value of payments (£) |
Following the announcement in October 2010, the scheme received a very high volume of claims as claimants submitted their applications before the changes to the scheme were introduced. There have been no notable changes to the nature of claims made after January 2011 apart from the ineligible works no longer being claimed.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent consideration he has given to undertaking a review of the ways in which the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme has operated following the recent changes to its eligibility criteria. [92253]
John Penrose: The changes to the eligibility of claims in the Listed Places of Worship scheme were introduced in January 2011 as a result of the need to reduce public expenditure and make efficiency savings on the scheme. A range of options were considered and stakeholders and faith groups were consulted ahead of this decision. There are no current plans to review this decision or its implications.
Monuments: Parliament Square
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what date each statue in Parliament square was erected; what legislation governs the location of statues in Parliament square; what statues have been proposed for Parliament square since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [92221]
John Penrose:
The care, control, management and regulation of the central garden of Parliament square
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are the responsibility of the Greater London Authority (GLA). This Department does not collate information on these statues but information about the square, including its statues, is available on the GLA website:
http://www.london.gov.uk/parliamentsquare/about/statues.jsp
Section 5 of the Public Statues and (Metropolis) Act 1854 requires the consent of the Secretary of State to be obtained before a statue can be erected in a public place in the Metropolitan Police District of London (now, the area of Greater London, excluding the City of London, the inner Temple and the middle Temple).
Music: USA
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the US embassy and (b) US Citizenship and Immigration Services on the ability of UK musicians to obtain visas to tour or perform in the US. [92606]
Mr Vaizey: This Department, together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is liaising closely with the US Administration as a whole on a range of issues around visas for UK musicians. The most recent meeting was in December and further meetings are planned. I am grateful to representatives from across the UK music industry for their support in informing these discussions.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with music industry representatives on the ability of musicians who wish to perform in the US to obtain a visa. [92609]
Mr Vaizey: My officials hosted a meeting with representatives of the UK music industry to discuss US visa issues on 15 December. The issue was also discussed at a meeting of the music industry's International Strategy Group on 18 January. We will continue to pursue the interests of UK musicians through dialogue with all interested parties.
National Lottery
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the ratio of income from lottery ticket sales to funds dispensed from the National Lottery in each region was in each of the last five years. [92381]
John Penrose: The National Lottery operator, Camelot, collects regional sales data based on their sales regions, which do not map to formal geographic regions and does not include a regional online sales breakdown. These regions are not comparable with those used for the location of Lottery grants awarded on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) Lottery Grants Database, so this information is not available.
Lottery funding is based on good causes and the impact it can have, not the location of ticket sales. Funding is awarded by the Lottery distributing bodies in response to competitive applications and taking account of their policy directions. DCMS's Lottery Grants Database, which uses information provided by the Lottery
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distributing bodies, provides details of Lottery grants that have been made, and is searchable online at:
www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
Olympic Games 2012: Mass Media
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 10W, on Olympic Games 2012: mass media, what steps he is taking to ensure regional media outlets receive accreditation to cover the London 2012 Olympics. [92227]
Hugh Robertson: Further to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 10W, the International Olympic Committee has agreed to award a small number of additional accreditations to the British Olympic Association specifically for a local media representative for the venue in their area.
Sport: Young People
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what studies his Department has conducted on the effect of participation in sport on levels of youth crime. [92425]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England and UK Sport's Value of Sport monitor includes a review of research into the relationship between sport and crime reduction. Further information can be found at the following link:
http://www.sportengland.org/research/idoc.ashx?docid=462f0317-d81b-4ff2-936d-4fee8d17ad5d&version=-1
DCMS have not conducted or commissioned studies focusing on this specifically although the Culture and Sport Evidence Programme (CASE) has considered this indirectly by looking at learning impacts of culture and sport on young people. The Olympics meta-evaluation will assess the impact of the Olympics and associated legacy programmes on a range of social indicators in East London, including crime rates. In addition, individual legacy projects and programmes, where they have objectives to reduce youth crime, will use that as a criteria in their evaluations.
Sports: Racial Discrimination
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to tackle racism in sport; and whether he has set any targets. [92335]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England ensures that all national governing bodies that receive public funding must sign up to the Equality Standard for Sport and they have produced guidelines on how governing bodies of sport should deal with incidents of racial abuse in competitive sport settings. Sport England also continues to invest in the work that Sporting Equals does to promote ethnic diversity across all sport.
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We have also welcomed the Select Committee's decision to hold an inquiry on racism in football and we will support it in any way we can. The findings from this inquiry should offer lessons that can be applied across all sport.
Trade Promotion: China
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department is giving to the UK Now promotion of UK culture in China. [92605]
Mr Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is working closely with the British Council and other public and private partners to ensure the success of the UK Now Festival in China. Many of the cultural organisations participating in UK Now receive public funding either directly from DCMS or through Arts Council England. I welcome the significant contribution business sponsors will make to UK Now, in cash and in kind. I am confident that UK Now will help to demonstrate the best of British culture to audiences across China, and further strengthen the export prospects for our creative industries.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement. [92288]
Mr Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport signed up to the renewed Compact, published in December 2010. To ensure that the Compact is being implemented, we have nominated a senior responsible officer, and a civil society liaison officer responsible for day to day oversight of this area of work. We also monitor consultation lengths, to ensure they are 12 weeks where possible, and Compact compliance via the number of complaints we have received on this issue. We recently participated in the National Audit Office’s review of the National Compact implementation and will ensure that the findings of this review inform our departmental business plan for 2012-13.
Energy and Climate Change
Combined Heat and Power
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the findings of the economic modelling analysis by the Combined Heat and Power Association of the effects of policy changes on the industry. [92263]
Gregory Barker: The Government are currently assessing the Combined Heat and Power Association's analysis and are working closely with the Association and other stakeholders on this. I have recently established a Distributed Energy Contact Group to look into these issues among others.
Energy
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative assessment he has made of the cost (a) effectiveness and (b) efficiency of different sources of power generation. [91847]
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Charles Hendry: In recent years Government have commissioned several studies of the costs of different generation technologies to inform policy decisions.
The most recent information about generation costs can be found in the following two reports which are available on the DECC website:
A report by PB Power (2011) which focuses on non-renewables technologies can be found at:
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/about-us/economics-social-research/2127-electricity-generation-cost-model-2011.pdf
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A report by Arup/EY (2011) which focuses on renewable technologies can to be found at:
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf
Annex A of the PB Power report and Annex D of the Arup report include tables (replicated here for selected technologies) showing the levelised costs estimates of electricity generation for projects starting in 2011 and 2017 for different generating technologies:
| Table 1:10% discount rate, 2011 project start at today's EPC (2) prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK (3) | ||||||||
| PB Power (2011) | Arup/EY(2011) | |||||||
| CCGT NOAK | CCGT with CCS FOAK | ASC NOAK | ASC with CCS FOAK | Nuclear FOAK | Dedicated Biomass >50MW | Offshore >100MW | Onshore 5MW> | |
| (1) The discounted lifetime generation cost per megawatt-hour of electricity produced. (2 )Engineering, Procurement and Construction. (3) First of a Kind and Nth of a Kind. | ||||||||
| Table 2: 10% discount rate, 2017 start at projected EPC prices, all NOAK | ||||||||
| PB Power (2011) | Arup/EY (2011) | |||||||
| CCGT | CCGT with CCS | ASC | ASC with CCS | Nuclear | Dedicated Biomass >50MW | Offshore >100MW | Onshore >5MW | |
It should be noted that the estimates of levelised costs for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy was imported in each of the last five years; from what sources such imports were obtained; and what estimate he has made of the likely levels of such imports in each of the next five years. [92049]
Charles Hendry: The following tables sourced from DUKES 2011, show net imports to the UK as a share of supply by fuel type for each of the last five years. Data for 2011 are not yet available.
| Percentage | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
The following four tables, show the import shares by country for the main fuels.
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| Coal | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Crude oil | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Petroleum products | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Gas | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
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| (1) Physical flows through the Bacton-Zeebrugge Interconnector. (2) Via the Bacton-Balgzand (BBL) pipeline. | |||||
The following table shows implied net import dependence for fossil fuels based on the latest central UEP demand and production projections; for oil and gas these are as published at
http://og.decc.gov.uk/en/olgs/cms/data_maps/field_data/field_data.aspx
| Net import | |||||
| Percentage | |||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Energy: Prices
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 679W, on energy: prices, which energy companies he has met to discuss the cost of energy; when he met them; and what assurances he received from each company. [91836]
Charles Hendry: Ministers and officials meet regularly with the stakeholders mentioned above to discuss a range of issues. Quarterly lists of DECC Ministers' meetings that involve outside interested parties are published on the DECC website, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
Feed-in Tariffs
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department’s Electricity Market Reform paper, what assessment he has made of the merits of (a) demand side reduction and (b) energy efficiency schemes receiving support through the proposed feed-in tariff with contract for difference. [91804]
Charles Hendry: In “Planning our electric future: a white paper for secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity”, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/white_papers/emr_wp_2011/emr_wp_2011.aspx
DECC committed to assessing whether further steps are needed to improve the support and incentives for efficient use of electricity. This assessment, to be completed by summer 2012, will include consideration of the use of proposed EMR instruments such as a feed-in tariff with contract for difference to incentivise permanent reductions in demand.
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Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. [92120]
Gregory Barker: DECC does not currently publish any responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
From March 2012 DECC will publish on its website responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 likely to stimulate public interest, including details of expenditure not routinely published as part of the Transparency agenda. Where possible, publication will be simultaneous with providing the response. DECC will also publish a list of all requests received with a brief description of the subject matter.
Fuels: Prices
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations his Department has received about variations in fuel prices within (a) Worcestershire and (b) the West Midlands. [92161]
Charles Hendry: The Department has received no representations about variations in fuel prices within Worcestershire or the west midlands.
Green Deal Scheme
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential reduction in carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the Green Deal. [92663]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) consultation was published on 23 November 2011. The Government's assessment of the impact of these policies was published in the accompanying draft impact assessment:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/3603-green-deal-eco-ia.pdf
Under the central policy scenario in this assessment, the total CO2 savings over the lifetime of the installed measures was estimated at 114MtCO2 and 53 MtCO2 for non-traded and traded savings respectively.
Traded carbon emissions are those covered by the EU emissions trading scheme, which covers electricity generation and some industrial processes. Energy savings in properties with electric heating therefore lead to a saving in traded CO2 emissions, while energy savings in properties with non-electric heating systems lead to savings in non-traded CO2 emissions.
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with insulation (a) providers and (b) installers in the last six months on the implementation of the Green Deal. [92664]
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Gregory Barker: Over the last six months, the Department has engaged extensively with a large number of companies and organisations across the supply chain, including insulation suppliers and installers represented on the Green Deal stakeholder forums.
In addition, organisations with an interest in the Green Deal have had the opportunity to respond the formal consultation, launched in November 2011.
We will continue the process of engagement in the run up to the launch of the Green Deal.
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the case for the introduction of a transition period to allow more cavities and lofts to be insulated following the introduction of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. [92665]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal consultation document considered the delivery of loft and cavity insulation under our proposals for Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation, and was accompanied by a detailed impact assessment. We have received over 600 responses to the consultation, including a number which discuss transition arrangements. The Department is now analysing the responses.
We will set out our final position and supporting analysis in the Government response to the consultation and the final impact assessment.
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. [92667]
Gregory Barker: I meet ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) regularly to discuss areas of mutual interest and my officials are in regular contact with policy and analytical colleagues.
In addition, BIS is represented on the Green Deal Capacity and Innovation Forum, chaired by the Chief Construction Adviser.
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people were questioned on potential take-up of the Green Deal in order to produce scenarios set out in the impact assessment for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. [92668]
Gregory Barker: A survey of a representative sample of 2,023 owner occupiers and private tenants across Great Britain was conducted to understand the potential response to the Green Deal.
Findings from a sub-sample of 1,395 people were the basis for the scenarios set out in the impact assessment for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. The sample was smaller because it excluded people who did not have any potential to install loft, solid or cavity wall insulation, underfloor heating or a condensing boiler in their properties.
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Infrastructure
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reason demand-side management support from the proposed capacity mechanism was not included in the National Infrastructure Plan. [91850]
Charles Hendry: The “National Infrastructure Plan 2011”, available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/national_infrastructure_plan2011.htm
was published by HM Treasury in November 2011 and sets out a plan for the UK’s infrastructure. Electricity Market Reform, which includes proposals for the establishment of a capacity mechanism, was cited as one of the major dependencies for the UK’s energy systems.
Since publication of the National Infrastructure Plan, DECC has published a Technical Update, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/white_papers/emr_wp_2011/tech_update/tech_update.aspx
to the Electricity Market Reform White Paper. The Technical Update stated that the capacity mechanism will be market-wide, and based on ensuring a required volume of capacity—a Capacity Market. It also reiterated that Government are keen that verifiable demand-side response can play a fair and equivalent role to generation in the Capacity Market, and will determine how to achieve this in the detailed design phase.
Members: Correspondence
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse of 28 November 2011 on the Renewables Obligation Review. [92613]
Charles Hendry: I replied to the hon. Member on 30 January 2012.
Smart Meters
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures are in place to monitor whether costs associated with the national smart meter roll-out are passed on to consumers. [92395]
Charles Hendry: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 26 January 2012, Official Report, column 316W, to the hon. Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham).
Petroplus: Insolvency
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of Petroplus going into administration on (a) refining capacity and (b) petrol supply in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [92518]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of Petroplus going into administration on (a) competitiveness and (b) research and development capability in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [92517]
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Charles Hendry: On appointment, the Administrator PWC made it clear that its immediate priority is to continue to operate the Coryton refinery and Teesside storage business while the financial position is clarified and restructuring options explored.
Ministers and officials are fully engaged with the Administrator and other interested parties. We are keen to secure a sustainable future for refinery operations at Coryton and other Petroplus sites in the UK. We continue to have close contact with the refinery, its major customers, trade unions and local MPs. We are talking to the Administrator to understand how best Government can support the identification of buyers for the sites.
Supply companies have alternative arrangements to ensure adequate supplies of oil products are available. The Administrator announced on 26 January that it had entered into agreements which will result in the commencement of shipments of refined oil products from the Coryton site with immediate effect.
Renewable Energy
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to meet its targets for renewable energy generation. [92658]
Gregory Barker: The Renewable Energy Roadmap (published in July 2011) sets out a targeted plan of actions for eight key technologies, in order to meet our 15% renewable energy target. The Roadmap includes illustrative "central ranges" for these key technologies and while they do not represent technology specific targets or the level of our ambition, they do show what could be deployed by 2020.
We are making progress on the actions in the Roadmap to remove non-financial barriers—including reform of the planning system, taking steps to reduce grid barriers, and working with aviation and wind stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation of wind farm interference with aviation radar.
Solar Power: Council Housing
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure individual council tenants are able to benefit from the use of solar panels on their property. [92182]
Gregory Barker: How the benefits of FITs is shared by landlords and tenants in any circumstances is a matter for agreement between them. We would expect that social landlords would allow tenants at least the benefit of the electricity generated and used on site.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement. [92286]
Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) signed up to the renewed Compact published in December 2010.
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DECC has strong working relationships with many civil society organisations. These relationships respect the Compact principle of a strong, diverse and independent civil society. For example, the Department recently launched a new £10 million Local Energy Assessment Fund launched specifically to help local communities develop energy projects.
DECC has made it mandatory to advertise all procurement requirements above £10,000 on Contracts Finder ensuring that opportunities are available in the public domain for SME's and civil society groups.
DECC has a nominated Civil Society champion, and a civil society liaison officer and participated in the NAO's review of the National Compact implementation.
Wind Power
Dr Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative assessment his Department has made of the permitted distance between dwellings and onshore wind turbines in the UK and other EU member states. [92407]
Charles Hendry: The approach taken to wind turbine development in the UK is to assess the potential impacts of proposals on a case by case basis. Such assessments will include, for example, possible impacts of noise and shadow flicker on dwellings in the vicinity of the proposed development, and will be informed by Government guidance.
An independent study commissioned by DECC and published in March 2011 showed that the Government’s current guidance on the ‘distance’ parameter used for the assessment of ‘shadow flicker’ is broadly consistent with that of different European countries.
In addition, DECC published an independent report in July 2011 which found that current Government guidance are appropriate for assessing the noise impacts from wind farms, and recommended that good practice advice should be produced to confirm, and where necessary, clarify the way the guidance should be implemented in practice. The Institute of Acoustics is taking forward work to develop such advice.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department gives on payments to wind turbine owners when they are ordered to shut down by the National Grid during periods of high winds. [92618]
Charles Hendry: Reducing or increasing output is a normal part of National Grid's role in balancing electricity supply and demand, and wind is treated like any other generator in this respect. Less than 10% of all payments made to generators to alter their output to resolve network constraints ('constraint payments') in 2011 were made to wind farms. The Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) defines the rules for electricity balancing and settlement in GB. It is governed by the BSC Panel, which comprises a Chairman appointed by Ofgem as well as industry, independent and consumer members. Ofgem will take the final decision on any BSC modification proposals, having received a recommendation from the BSC Panel.
The Government recognise that no generator of any type should receive an excessive benefit from network constraints, so we are currently consulting on the
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introduction of a Transmission Constraint Licence Condition later this year which will help to tackle this. In parallel, Ofgem is consulting on guidance as to how it will interpret and enforce the licence condition. Planned upgrades to the transmission network will take effect from 2013 onwards, and will also ease constraints.
Wind Power: Birds
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with countryside bodies on wind turbines and their potential effect on the migration of birds. [92305]
Charles Hendry: All DECC Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the DECC website:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
My officials meet regularly with countryside bodies and other organisations, such as the statutory nature conservation agencies, to discuss the impacts of wind turbines on the environment, including potential effects on migratory birds.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Reed Beds
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much reed is imported for thatching and panel fencing. [91275]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the collection of data on imports of goods into the United Kingdom. It is not possible to identify the quantity of reed imported into the UK from the data held.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Algeria: Christianity
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to address discrimination against Christians in Algeria. [92352]
Alistair Burt: I met Algerian Church leaders on 26 October in London to discuss their concerns and assessment of the current situation. The British embassy in Algiers monitors the situation closely and maintains contact with Christian leaders. The EU raises the subject of freedom of religion in their political dialogue with Algeria.
The law in Algeria allows Christians living in Algeria to practise their religion, including the freedom to worship in churches and to form associations, provided that places of worship and preachers are registered with the authorities. The laws on religious property apply to all religious groups. Since the laws came into effect they
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have led to the closure of some unauthorised places of worship, including those of Christian groups and a large number of mosques which had not achieved the correct approvals. We continue to monitor the enforcement of the religious laws, including variations between regions.
Arrest Warrants
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has made inquiries with another sovereign nation’s government on whether that government would comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant in the last 10 years. [92426]
Mr Lidington: The British Government, together with European Union partners, regularly raises the importance of states providing full co-operation with investigations being carried out by the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the issue of the enforcement of the Court’s arrest warrants. Our view is that all countries should co-operate with the ICC in its investigations in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the particular legal obligations of States Party to the Rome Statute. Most recently, we raised with the Government of Libya, our concerns about a visit on 7 January to Libya by Sudanese President al-Bashir who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant. Another recent example is the statement made in October by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), expressing similar concerns following a visit by President Bashir to Malawi.
Belarus: Political Prisoners
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the health of Andrei Sannikov; and what representations he has made to the government of Belarus on this issue. [91569]
Mr Lidington: I receive regular reports from our embassy in Minsk and from the sister of Mr Sannikov, whom I have met on several occasions—most recently on 19 December. I am deeply concerned by the news of Mr Sannikov's ill health and reports that he has been isolated from external contact for long periods and only recently granted access to his lawyer again.
On 28 September, I made a statement about our concerns and called on Belarus to reassure us that Mr Sannikov and fellow political prisoner, Zmitser Dashkevich, were receiving adequate medical treatment, and being treated in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1988. We have made a number of direct representations to the Belarusian authorities both in Minsk and London about the circumstances in which political prisoners are being held in Belarus.
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Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Government of the DemocraticRepublic of Congo on the conduct of the recent presidential election in that country; and if he will make a statement. [92092]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not had any direct discussions with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), has called publicly for the DRC Government to address concerns over irregularities reported during the elections and the conduct of the security forces during the elections.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the repression of opposition parties; and what monitoring of the political situation in that country since the elections in November 2011 has been undertaken by his Department. [91653]
Mr Lidington: Throughout the elections, the United Kingdom, through our embassy in Kinshasa, lobbied the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities to ensure that all candidates could campaign freely, and would receive fair access to the media. Following the elections, our ambassador in Kinshasa has met senior figures in the DRC security forces and pressed them to conduct themselves professionally and proportionately when dealing with Opposition demonstrators. He also met Government and Opposition figures to encourage dialogue and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
We are monitoring closely political developments in the DRC through our embassy in Kinshasa.
Diplomatic Relations
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on improving co-ordination between defence diplomacy and the Government’s wider diplomatic efforts to ensure national objectives are delivered. [92256]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence meet regularly in the National Security Council and other fora to discuss how to use all the levers of government to achieve our objectives. Last March, both Secretaries of State agreed to produce jointly a Defence Engagement Strategy to ensure we exploit fully the opportunities that our defence assets and activities provide for the adjustment of our wider international objectives. This strategy is being reviewed by Ministers and an announcement will be made in the House in the coming weeks.
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EU Presidency
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Government of Denmark to discuss the energy and climate change priorities of the Danish presidency of the EU. [91670]
Mr Lidington: The UK Government have close and extensive contact with the Danish Government at all levels on energy and climate change issues, including in the context of Denmark's EU presidency. FCO officials visited Copenhagen in July and September 2011. Early thinking on energy and climate change issues for their EU presidency was part of those discussions. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed energy and climate change issues with the Danish Foreign Minister in London in November, as did I when I met the Danish Minister for Europe, Nicolai Wammen, in October 2011. Our embassy in Copenhagen maintains a close and regular dialogue both with the Danish Government and with Danish businesses on these issues. There is also extensive contact between the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Danish Ministry for Climate and Energy.
European Court of Human Rights
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 62W, on the European Court of Human Rights, if he will establish a protocol in respect of observations of cases affecting UK citizens to ensure that Ministers are consulted on the substance of observations before they are presented to the Court; and if he will make a statement. [92424]
Mr Lidington: Decisions on consulting Ministers are for the lead Government Department to take in each case. The need to do so will be assessed by the relevant Department in the light of all the circumstances of the case.
Gibraltar: Sovereignty
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on Gibraltar. [92014]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no discussions with his newly elected Spanish counterpart on Gibraltar.
The UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes. Furthermore, the UK will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
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Nigeria: British Nationals Abroad
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his Department's recent travel advice on the city of Kano in Nigeria, what guidance he can give to UK citizens currently in the region. [92626]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises all UK citizens in Nigeria regularly to check our travel advice website at:
www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria
Our travel advice is frequently updated in the light of our assessment of potential threats and dangers to British citizens. Following the series of attacks in Kano city on 20 January, our Nigeria travel advice currently states that:
“we advise against all but essential travel to Kano city. Those in Kano city should remain vigilant and exercise caution.”
We also advise British nationals to register with our LOCATE service when travelling abroad at:
https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/
Nigeria: Fossil Fuels
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Nigeria on fossil fuel subsidy reform. [91763]
Mr Lidington: The removal of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria is an internal matter and the effects of removing or reducing it are for the Nigerian Government to manage. However, the British Government have encouraged the Nigerian Government to pursue sound and effective economic reform plans accompanied by fiscal transparency. Removing the fuel subsidy is a valid economic objective which would allow the Nigerian Government to spend more on infrastructure and development projects to the benefit of the Nigerian public. Overall, Britain has strongly supported the G20 initiative to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
Somalia: Press Freedom
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the death of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan in Somalia. [91783]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is deeply concerned about the death of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan, a journalist in Somalia. We unreservedly condemn the murder, intimidation or mistreatment of any journalist. The circumstances surrounding the murder of Abdisalan Sheik Hassan in Somalia were particularly disturbing and we have received a number of uncorroborated reports on his death.
The British Government continue to press for adherence to basic principles of human rights in Somalia, including respect for freedom of the press.
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Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential risks to journalists working in Somalia. [91825]
Mr Lidington: We are deeply concerned about the risks faced by journalists working in Somalia. We continue to consider Somalia one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to operate in. The British Government have expressed grave concern about the human rights situation in Somalia and are working with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and regional administrations to improve freedom of reporting in Somalia. We also continue to engage with Somali journalists to better understand the difficulties they face and how we might support them in their important work.
Turkey: Foreign Relations
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the aims and objectives are of the Government’s policy on Turkey. [92247]
Mr Lidington: The Government’s Strategic Partnership with Turkey directly contributes to the UK’s and Turkey’s security and prosperity. We are making good progress towards the Prime Minister’s goal of doubling trade within five years of his visit to Turkey in 2010—trade figures for 2011 show an increase of 40% since 2009. We will continue to develop our already close collaboration on security issues in those regions where the UK and Turkey share significant interests, including the middle east, north Africa and Afghanistan-Pakistan. The UK and Turkey will also implement new defence agreements on training and defence acquisition, signed during the State visit, and develop our active programme of co-operation to counter irregular migration and organised crime.
Turkey: Minority Groups
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the Government of Turkey on the treatment of Kurdish minorities in that country since 28 December 2011. [91301]
Mr Lidington: Her Majesty's Government have not made any specific representations to the Government of Turkey on the treatment of Kurds since 28 December 2011. We regret the tragic deaths of 35 civilians in an airstrike in Uludere on 28 December. We welcome the Turkish Government's decision to launch an immediate official inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
While we support Turkey's efforts to tackle terrorism, we have called on them to take all possible measures to avoid the potential for harm to civilians. Together with our EU partners, we encourage Turkey to make progress on respect for, and tolerance of, minority groups, including the Kurds. Current plans for a new constitution are an important opportunity to address these issues.
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Home Department
Civil Disorder
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to meet the costs of claims to police authorities of claims by businesses and individuals under the provisions of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 arising from the public disorder of 2011. [88712]
Nick Herbert: The Prime Minister's comments following the August disorder indicated that the Government were ready to support the police with the costs of the riots. We have now confirmed that police authorities will receive 100% of the payments made under the Riot (Damages) Act and 85% of operational policing costs. We will consider later in year, once final costs are known, if additional payments can be made in respect of operational costs incurred. We are working with affected police authorities to ensure they receive prompt payment.
Crime: Arrests
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were arrested for possession of a knife in each police force area of England and Wales in each quarter since January 2010; [91165]
(2) how many people were arrested on suspicion of robbery in each police force area of England Wales in each quarter since January 2010; [91053]
(3) how many people were arrested for burglary in each police force area of England and Wales in each quarter since January 2010. [91051]
Mrs May [holding answer 20 January 2012]: Available data relate to the number of persons arrested for burglary and robbery in each police force area of England and Wales between 1 January and 31 March 2010, and are provided in the following table.
Arrests data are provided to the Home Office at offence group level, for example, violence against the person and drug offences. As such, it is not possible to identify separately arrests for the possession of knives.
Arrests data are published annually on a financial year basis, and the latest arrests chapter can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales, 2009/10’. This is available online:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb0711/
and in the Library of the House. Data for 2010-11 are scheduled to be published in April 2012.
| Persons arrested for burglary and robbery between 1 January and 31 March 2010 by police force area, England and Wales | ||
| Number | ||
| Police force area | Robbery | Burglary |
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Entry Clearances
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the application for leave to remain Ref. K418847 of a constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall to be resolved. [91842]
Damian Green: The case of K418847 was resolved on 24 January 2012. The decision was dispatched to the hon. Member's constituent on the same day.
Extradition
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration her Department has given to the use of (a) Interpol red notices and (b) other Interpol notices as a means of detaining people with a view to extraditing them from the UK. [91695]
Damian Green: An Interpol Red Notice is not formally recognised within the UK and carries no power of arrest. Where a Red Notice was from a state that was designated for the purposes of extradition under Part 1 or 2 of the Extradition Act 2003, it would be open to the police to treat it, where appropriate, as a request for detention with a view to extradition from the UK. Any state that was not so designated would have to pursue a request for detention with a view to extradition through diplomatic channels. There are no other Interpol notices that enable detention with a view to extradition.
Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. [92117]
Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office publishes, in a specific part of its website, information released in response to freedom of information requests where the information is likely to be of wider interest to members of the public. We do not publish responses in the many cases where the released information is of relevance only to the requester, or where the information requested is either not held or is withheld under one or more of the exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act.
Responses to requests handled by the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau are published separately on the two agencies' own sites.
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The average time between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many spouses of the (a) sons and (b) daughters of applicants were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available; [92264]
(2) how many people entered the UK because they were the unmarried partner of an applicant in the most recent year for which information is available; [92265]
(3) how many (a) fathers, (b) mothers, (c) brothers and (d) sisters of an applicant's spouse were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available; [92266]
(4) how many (a) spouses, (b) fathers, (c) mothers, (d) sons, (e) daughters, (f) grandfathers, (g) grandmothers, (h) grandsons, (i) granddaughters, (j) brothers, (k) sisters, (l) uncles, (m) aunts, (n) nephews, (o) nieces and (p) first cousins of applicants for entry into the UK were allowed entry in the most recent year for which information is available; [92267]
(5) how many (a) stepfathers (b) stepmothers, (c) stepsons, (d) stepdaughters, (e) stepbrothers and (f) stepsisters of applicants were allowed entry into the UK in the most recent year for which information is available. [92268]
Damian Green: The data shown are available on the Home Office website. A breakdown of the specific family categories asked for is not available beyond that in the following. The data provided are for entry clearance visas issued in the Family Route category (to settlement) in each of the four quarters from October 2010 to September 2011.
The data does not include figures for those dependants issued with visas through other available entry clearance routes to the UK.
The figures represent those granted entry clearance, not the number entering the UK.
Figures for the last four quarters are as follows:
| Q4 2010 | Q1 2011 | Q2 2011 | Q3 2011 | |
| (1) ILE: Indefinite Leave to Enter. Note: Other is defined as not children or the partners of the main applicant, but dependants of the main applicant. Source: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q3-2011/?view=Standard&publD=962325 | ||||
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Immigration Controls: Croatia
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to introduce transitional immigration controls for Croatian nationals in the event of Croatia joining the EU. [92099]
Damian Green: It is the Government's policy that they will apply transitional controls as a matter of course for all new member states.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers have been reprimanded as a result of Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations prompted by complaints in respect of sudden deaths in the last five years; [90259]
(2) what information her Department holds on the average cost of Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations into deaths; [90260]
(3) how much the Independent Police Complaints Commission has spent on investigating complaints into the actions of police forces with regard to sudden deaths in the last five years. [90261]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These matters are for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission research into the level of public confidence in the Independent Police Complaints Commission. [91655]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 26 January 2012]: The Government have no plans to commission research into the level of public confidence in the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The results of surveys which measure levels of confidence in the police complaints system are available on the IPCC’s website:
www.ipcc.gov.uk
Police Arbitration Tribunal
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to refer the Police Arbitration Tribunal decision to Parliament for debate. [86638]
Nick Herbert: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 30 January 2012.
Police: Accountability
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 86W, on police: accountability, what the main categories of costs are within the £25 million of additional costs for police commissioners' elections. [75274]
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Nick Herbert: The original cost estimate of £50 million for the police and crime commissioners (PCC) elections was the extra cost of these polls in addition to the local elections being held in May 2012.
Now that the PCC elections are being held in November there will no longer be savings from combining the polls. We estimate this change will mean that the elections will cost an additional £25 million. This includes the costs of staffing (approximately £16 million), accommodating polling stations (approximately £8 million), and the use of equipment for processing poll cards and postal ballots (around £30,000).
Police: Production Orders
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many production orders have been issued by each police force in each of the last five years; what the details were of each such order; and whether each such order was granted by the courts. [91802]
Nick Herbert: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Police: Dismissal
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the dismissal of police officers who are convicted of criminal offences. [90984]
Nick Herbert: The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008 set out disciplinary procedures for police officers. The decision as to whether to dismiss when an officer has been convicted of a criminal offence is a matter for the relevant chief officer or police authority/Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were convicted of criminal offences in each of the last five years; and what proportion were dismissed for those convictions in each such year. [90985]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not collect this information centrally.