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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 6 February 2012
Communities and Local Government
Aerials: Planning Permission
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to commission a review of planning legislation relating to mobile telephone masts. [91187]
Robert Neill: We have no current plans to review this specific legislation.
Community Development: Planning Permission
George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the funding of the inspection of neighbourhood development plans. [93220]
Greg Clark: The Government have committed to providing up to £50 million until March 2015 to support local councils in making neighbourhood planning a success. This includes funding independent examinations of neighbourhood development plans.
Departmental Manpower
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible were transferred to the private sector in 2010-11. [91897]
Robert Neill: No jobs in the Department or its agencies and non-departmental bodies were transferred into the private sector in 2010-11.
Homelessness
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many local authorities have assumed homelessness duties to households exclusively on the grounds that the children were sharing a bedroom in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [93961]
(2) whether he has issued guidance to local authorities on whether a duty is owed to households exclusively on the grounds that children are sharing a bedroom; and if he will make a statement. [93962]
Grant Shapps:
Very broadly, somebody is statutorily homeless if they do not have accommodation that they have a legal right to occupy, which is accessible and physically available to them (and their household) and which it would be reasonable for them to continue to live in. Decisions on whether someone is statutorily homeless are made by local housing authorities. In making a decision, the sharing of bedrooms may be taken into account when considering whether the accommodation would be reasonable to continue to occupy (the local authority can take into account the
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general housing circumstances in the area). Statutory guidance to local authorities is set out in the “Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities”.
Information about English local housing authorities' statutory functions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data are published in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available in the Library of the House or via the DCLG website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
The data include information on households owed a main homelessness duty broken down by main priority need category and main reason for loss of last settled home. This does not allow identification of whether children are sharing bedrooms.
Local Government Finance: Markets
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds in the amount of income local authorities in Lancashire derived from renting out market stalls in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [93526]
Robert Neill: The information requested is not held centrally.
Multiple Occupation
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to retain protection for tenants of houses in multiple occupation. [93299]
Grant Shapps: I believe that the current houses in multiple occupation legislation strikes a fair balance between the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants and have urged local authorities to make full use of their powers to tackle rogue landlords.
Non-domestic Rates
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many businesses his Department estimates will use the Business Rates Deferral Scheme announced in the autumn statement; [92611]
(2) how many businesses have used the Business Rates Deferral Scheme 2009-10. [92612]
Robert Neill [holding answer 30 January 2012]: No estimate has been made of the number of businesses that will use the business rates deferral scheme for 2012-13 which was announced in the autumn statement, 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810. In order to estimate the 2012-13 cost of the deferral scheme, the share of the total value of bills entering into the deferral, rather than the number of businesses, was estimated. The policy costing can be found at the following link:
http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/as2011policy_costings.pdf
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According to returns from local authorities, over 80,000 hereditaments were granted deferrals under the 2009-10 scheme.
Unlike for the last deferral scheme, the early announcement of the 2012-13 scheme will allow businesses to take a considered view as to how to manage their finances. This Government are also making no unrealistic claims as to take-up. We are providing a tool for businesses to use if they wish. This is just one of a number of measures we have put in place to support businesses, such as the doubling of small business rate relief which could benefit approximately half a million ratepayers and mean that about a third of a million small businesses will pay no rates at ail in 2012-13.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reduction in yield from business rates due to successful appeals was in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the total business rates yield this represented in each of the last 10 years. [93670]
Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the change was in the (a) amount and (b) proportion of business rates yield as a result of successful appeals in each billing authority in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [93742]
Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally.
Right to Buy Scheme
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to introduce discounts for tenants who are eligible under the Right to Buy scheme; and if he will make a statement. [93342]
Grant Shapps: Our consultation paper ‘Reinvigorating Right to Buy and one for one replacement’, published on 22 December 2011, gave details of our proposals to raise the upper limit on the Right to Buy discount entitlement to £50,000 throughout England. The consultation closed on 2 February.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we intend to make any increased discount available to tenants very shortly.
Sustainable Communities Act 2007
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hove of 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 632W, on the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, on what date he expects to make regulations under that Act; [93613]
(2) if he will make regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010 to ensure that local authorities have a duty to try to reach agreement with communities when submitting proposals made under the Act; [93614]
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(3) if he will make regulations under the Sustainable Communities (Amendment) Act 2010 to ensure that a time limit applies for dealing with proposals submitted by communities and councils made under the Act; [93615]
(4) if he will make regulations under the Sustainable Communities (Amendment) Act 2010 to empower parish councils to submit proposals directly to the Government. [93616]
Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) on 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 632W.
Travellers: Planning Permission
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish new guidelines in relation to Gypsy and Traveller planning policy. [93223]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) on 20 January 2012, Official Report, column 986W.
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to issue a revised version of Circular 04/2007 on Planning for Travelling Showpeople. [93298]
Robert Neill: The Government intend to withdraw and replace the current planning circulars for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. We published our draft new planning policy for Traveller sites last year. We are currently considering the responses to our consultation and intend to publish our new policy as soon as possible.
In the meantime, decision makers are entitled to have regard to the fact that it is proposed to withdraw the circulars and replace them with the Government's draft new policy.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people were employed in the arts sector in (a) the North West and (b) Liverpool in the latest period for which figures are available. [93896]
Mr Vaizey: The latest Creative Industries Economic Estimates bulletin (December 2011) shows the following employment data for the North West of England:
| Employees | Self-employed | Total employment | |
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The Department does not hold data below regional level. However, data in the following table from Arts Council England show the number of people employed in its regularly funded organisations in Liverpool in 2010-11:
| Number | |
Arts Council
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an assessment of the equality impact assessment prepared by the Arts Council for its Renaissance programme for museums; and if he will make a statement. [93035]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England (ACE) makes funding decisions independently of Ministers, and in doing so, takes account of diversity and equality. ACE prepared an equality impact assessment for the Renaissance in the Regions Programme, which was reviewed by ACE's National Council and formally noted before any funding decisions were made. A copy of this assessment will be deposited in the Library of both Houses.
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effect on Sheffield of the Arts Council's objective under its Renaissance programme that every child and young person should have the opportunity to experience museums and libraries. [93036]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England's goal that every child should have the opportunity to experience museums and libraries is an important element of the Renaissance in the Regions programme for museums. I hope that many regional museums across England will benefit from the £178.2 million allocated to it for this spending period. ACE makes funding decisions independently of Government, and it is not for Ministers to determine how they invest in individual areas.
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last met representatives of the Arts Council to discuss its objective that every child and young person should have the opportunity to experience museums and libraries. [93037]
Mr Vaizey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has not recently met representatives of Arts Council England (ACE) to discuss young people's opportunities to experience museums and libraries. However, in my capacity as Minister for culture, I meet the chief executive of ACE on a fortnightly basis to discuss museum and library issues, in the context of its strategic objective to widen access and participation in the arts, museums and libraries, and its goal to ensure that every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts. My last meeting with ACE took place on 23 January.
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Arts: Greater London
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the creative industries in the Greater London area. [R] [93179]
Mr Vaizey: The Department does not have figures for employment in the creative industries broken down on a regional basis, although it is widely recognised that London is an important focus for many of the sectors. Overall, in 2010 the creative industries employed 1.5 million people in the UK (5.1% of UK employment).
Broadband
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Broadband Delivery UK has obtained state aid approval for the local authorities superfast broadband contracting and roll-out process. [93618]
Mr Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) has submitted a notification to the European Commission for an umbrella state aid scheme covering the UK's programme of procurement activities, such that BDUK would act as a competency centre for the UK to assure the European Commission that individual projects adhere to the principles of the umbrella notification. BDUK anticipates a decision from the Commission in March 2012.
Broadcasting
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on which BBC channels are broadcast outside the UK, by country; and at what cost per country to the (a) UK licence-fee payer and (b) public purse. [93310]
Mr Vaizey: The BBC does not routinely provide the Department with information on BBC channels broadcast outside the UK, with the exception of information provided in the public domain. When necessary for a specific purpose, the Department may seek to obtain further information.
Connecting Cities
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the Connecting Cities proposals announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer have been submitted to the European Commission for state aid approval. [93620]
Mr Vaizey: By 13 February 2012, the 14 eligible cities are due to submit their proposals for funding from the Urban Broadband Fund under the Super-Connected Cities Initiative. After the selection process, the winning cities' projects will be submitted for any necessary state aid approval. This Department will give the winning cities help and support in this process.
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Departmental Manpower
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) the agencies and non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible were transferred to the private sector in 2010-11. [92276]
John Penrose: No jobs were transferred to the private sector from this Department in 2010-11.
We do not collate this information for our arm’s length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the right hon. Member.
Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many consultants, contractors and other temporary staff from Pincent and Mason his Department employs. [93788]
John Penrose: If the hon. Lady means Pinsent Masons LLP, a firm of solicitors, they are currently engaged to provide legal advice on two projects: the national broadband project and the mobile infrastructure project. This follows two call-off competitions under the Government's Buying Solutions Legal Services framework contract for the provision of external legal advice. These appointments are of the law firm, not of temporary staff. Up to five full-time equivalents from the firm have worked on these two assignments. If the hon. Lady has another firm in mind then I am happy to respond in more detail if she writes to me directly.
Ministerial Travel Costs
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 31WS, on cost of ministerial cars, whether his Department has any other arrangements for ministerial travel; and how much his
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Department has spent on
(a)
private hire vehicles and
(b)
taxis for each Minister since May 2010. [92837]
John Penrose: From May 2010 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced that Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) would no longer have use of individual ministerial cars.
The use of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) would be on a journey by journey basis where this was deemed the best value for money. From June 2010 the Secretary of State, DCMS Ministers and their offices have held Oyster cards enabling them to make use of public transport. The Department also has booking contracts with Hogg Robinson for rail travel and Capita Air Travel for travel by plane.
The cost incurred by DCMS on travel by Ministers and officials from their private offices using GCDA and on private hire vehicles and taxis for the period from May 2010 to the end of December 2011 is set out in the following table:
The annual savings achieved from terminating the GCS contract can be deduced from the following table:
| £ | ||||
| General ledger codes | Code description | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 (1) |
|
Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries GCS |
||||
| (1) Including termination payments. | ||||
Diamond Jubilee 2012
Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) the economy and (b) businesses of Her Majesty’s diamond jubilee. [93363]
Hugh Robertson:
VisitBritain’s overseas tourism marketing campaign for Britain will take advantage of the unique opportunities in 2012 afforded by Her Majesty’s diamond jubilee celebrations, the Olympic and Paralympic games and other major events. It aims to deliver an additional 4 million visitors to the UK and £2 billion extra spend over the next four years. In addition, an
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impact assessment on the one-off extra bank holiday to mark the diamond jubilee was published last year, available at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8519.aspx
Football: Governance
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to engage with the football authorities in working together to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Report of the Culture, Media and Sports Committee, HC 792-I, on football governance. [93834]
Hugh Robertson: My right hon. Friend 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. We have set the football authorities a deadline to work together to agree proposals, including plans for implementation, by 29 February.
Football: Discrimination
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Football Association and (b) representatives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on homophobia and discrimination in football; what steps he is taking to (a) tackle this issue and (b) provide support for those who have experienced discrimination; and if he will make a statement. [93221]
Hugh Robertson: The Football Association (FA), Premier League and Football League are aware, from recent discussions, of the Government’s call for action in this area and are already signed up to the Government’s Charter for Action to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport.
The FA are currently consulting with the other football bodies on an action plan to progress this issue, which will form part of football’s formal response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report into the governance of football inquiry, due by the end of February 2012.
My officials also continue to work closely with the Government Equalities Office on the cross Government plan “Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: Moving Forward” to eradicate homophobia and transphobia more widely in sport.
Libraries
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department has allocated to local authorities to maintain library services during the comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement. [93214]
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Mr Vaizey: Funding for libraries is provided by local authorities, not by this Department. Our support has been through the Future Libraries Programme, launched in the summer of 2010, and led by the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council and the Local Government Association. This programme has supported over 30 participating authorities to explore options that will help them to deliver the front-line services communities want and need, more efficiently. Learning from the 10 pilot projects is being shared widely to support non-participating authorities to deliver their services more efficiently too. Further information about the programme is available at:
http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/the_future_libraries_programme
Responsibility for libraries development has now transferred to Arts Council England and they launched the next phase of this work—The Libraries Development Initiative—again in partnership with the Local Government Group last November. Further details are here
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-for-funding/libraries-development-initiative/
The initiative will run between March 2012 until March 2013 and support approximately eight to 10 projects. Each project will be awarded a maximum of £20,000, though amounts of funding allocated to each project will differ according to the scope and scale of work.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) how many books were loaned by libraries in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of loans were e-books in each such year; [93215]
(2) how much funding his Department provided for public libraries in each of the last five years; and if he will estimate the proportion of total library budgets that was spent on books in each such year. [93217]
Mr Vaizey: Data about the library sector are published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies of the publications are available in the House Libraries.
Funding for public libraries is the responsibility of each local authority and is not provided by this Department. There are some 3,500 libraries in England (including mobiles), and they receive more than £900 million a year in funding from local Government. This Department funds Arts Council England who have launched The Libraries Development Initiative which will support up to 10 projects (with a maximum award of £20,000 per project) to explore how embedding arts and culture in libraries can bring benefits to library users and library services and increase cultural provision in local areas.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people visited public libraries in each of the last 10 years. [93216]
Mr Vaizey: The Department's “Taking Part” Survey indicates the level of library visits by region from 2005 to 2011 at this link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/research/TP_Y7 _Q2_Figures _Libraries.xls
We do not hold data for before this period.
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Robust data about the library sector, including visitor figures, are published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies of the publications are available in the House Libraries.
Mobile Phones
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) when he expects the launch of the first 4G service in the UK will take place; and if he will make a statement; [93431]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the further delay in the auction of 4G spectrum on the competitiveness of the UK economy. [93432]
Mr Vaizey: We expect the deployment of 4G mobile services in 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz to begin in 2013 in the UK, when the spectrum has been cleared and is available for 4G services to be deployed. The recent decision by Ofcom to re-consult on the terms of the auction of the spectrum does not affect the timing of the availability of the spectrum. However, Everything Everywhere has written to Ofcom to seek a variation to their licence that could see 4G services deployed in their existing 1800 MHz spectrum sooner.
Olympic Games 2012
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish a list of all contacts between himself and the Minister for culture in the Northern Ireland Assembly on the use of facilities within Northern Ireland for teams participating in the Olympics. [93545]
Hugh Robertson: Agreements for use of pre-games training camps (PGTCs) are made directly between a National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee and the facility. In my capacity as Minister for sport and the Olympics, my only discussion directly with my Northern Ireland counterpart on PGTCs took place during my visit on 9 March 2011. Since then, I note that three PGTC agreements have been signed with facilities in Northern Ireland, including an agreement with the Chinese National Artistic Gymnastics team, reflecting the quality of the facilities that are available.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department have accepted; and if he will make a statement. [93644]
Hugh Robertson: The Government are committed to publishing information about hospitality received by Ministers and permanent secretaries, from third parties in an official capacity. This information is published on a quarterly basis on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport transparency website at:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/
Hospitality and gifts offered to senior officials are treated in line with the civil service code and recorded in the DCMS hospitality register.
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Olympic Games 2012: Poetry
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that poetry forms part of the events taking place during the Cultural Olympiad. [92741]
Mr Vaizey: Poetry will form an important part of the Cultural Olympiad, most notably in the form of Poetry Parnassus at the South Bank Centre from 26 June to 1 July. Further details can be found at the following link:
http://festival.london2012.com/events/9000961412
Also, through Winning Words, a nationwide programme to link poetry and sport on the occasion of the 2012 Olympic Games, permanent and temporary poetry installations will be created throughout the Olympic Park. Further details can be found at:
http://www.london2012.com/games/olympic-park/art-in-the-olympic-park/poetry-in-the-park/
Media: Competition
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on levels of competition within the newspaper publishing and distribution industry. [93835]
Mr Vaizey: Levels of competition are considered by the two independent competition authorities, the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.
Public Libraries: Closures
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with which local authorities his Department has had discussions on the scale of library closures carried out or planned since May 2010. [93901]
Mr Vaizey: In 2011-12, departmental officials met with council officers from the metropolitan borough of Bolton, the London borough of Brent, the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, Gloucestershire county council, the London borough of Lewisham and Isle of Wight, and Somerset county councils. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the respective councils’ library proposals in light of the Secretary of State's duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
Radio Frequencies
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what assessment he has made of whether Ofcom's white space device trials in Bute and Cambridge will adequately measure potential interference from such devices to pre-existing users of ultra-high frequency spectrum in major urban areas; and if he will make a statement; [93324]
(2) what the criteria are for measuring interference from white space devices in Ofcom's trials in Bute and Cambridge; and what assessment he has made of whether such criteria is representative of interference to pre-existing users of ultra-high frequency spectrum (a) nationwide and (b) in urban areas; and if he will make a statement. [93325]
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Mr Vaizey: The Bute and Cambridge white space device trials are conducted by an industry consortium and are not Ofcom trials. The trials are focused on testing the operation of white space devices rather than interference.
However, my officials have spoken to the independent regulator, Ofcom about this matter. Ofcom is planning a series of tests to determine the interference potential of white space devices and the protection requirements for pre-existing services in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band. The results of these tests will be taken into account during Ofcom's consultation process on the potential use of white space devices in the UHF bands.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to tackle the problem of unlicensed users of radio spectrum; and what resources he plans to allocate for that purpose. [93605]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. One of its functions is to ensure that use of the radio spectrum is correctly authorised in order to prevent harmful interference. Unauthorised use of the radio spectrum is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. When Ofcom is made aware of such an offence, it will investigate and adopt a proportionate response to interference caused.
Ofcom has 42 field officers deployed throughout the UK, who are engaged on the investigation of interference and enforcement action against unauthorised users.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many prosecutions of unlicensed users of radio spectrum have taken place in each year since 2006. [93606]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who provided the following information:
| Number of prosecutions of unlicensed users: | |
Research Contracts
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on commissioning Round Peg Field Research company in the last year. [93525]
John Penrose: The Department has made no payments to the Round Peg Field research company in the last year.
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EU Telecoms Council
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he commissioned research into the optimal levels for wholesale and retail prices for data roaming services prior to the Telecoms Council in Brussels on 13 December 2011; and if he will make a statement. [93088]
Mr Vaizey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport did not commission any specific research into the optimal levels of wholesale and retail prices for data roaming ahead of the Telecoms Council in Brussels on 13 December 2011.
On that occasion, council limited itself to discussion of three pre-notified topics: (i) how to ensure current negotiations were successfully concluded before the expiry of the existing roaming regulation on 30 June 2012; (ii) the principles of service and technology neutrality; and (iii) international developments in mobile roaming regulation.
Pricing levels were not discussed.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has discussed with the Government of Pakistan his planned date for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. [92191]
Mr Philip Hammond: I have not yet had discussions with the Government of Pakistan. However, the Ministry of Defence has a programme of regular engagement with the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan military, during which a variety of topics of shared interest have been discussed, including Afghanistan.
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Government of Turkey on continued use of that country’s airspace by RAF planes flying from the UK to Afghanistan. [92192]
Mr Philip Hammond: I have not been involved in any discussions on the issue of continued use of Turkey’s airspace with the Government of Turkey. However, I can confirm that representatives of my Department and the RAF are in regular dialogue with their Turkish counterparts on this issue.
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has considered increasing the use of drones to monitor Taliban activity in Afghanistan. [92302]
Mr Philip Hammond:
The provision of military capability and equipment to support operations in Afghanistan is under constant review. We have a mix of airborne surveillance capabilities, of which, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are but one part, providing real time intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance. Current UAS capability is being upgraded via the Watchkeeper programme which will begin to
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replace the Hermes 450 from the latter half of 2012. In December 2010, the Prime Minister also announced an increase in the number of the UK’s reaper remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) which continue to provide high-quality, persistent armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support to UK and international security assistance force forces. New nano-UAS are also being acquired and planned for introduction in 2012.
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is taking steps to improve wi-fi access for UK personnel serving in Afghanistan. [92331]
Mr Robathan: There is extensive wi-fi provision for UK personnel serving in Afghanistan. Wi-fi is provided in all locations where there are more than 100 personnel. Additionally, around 150 stand-alone computers providing an internet connection for personal use are distributed across smaller bases. By the end of 2012, we expect that a number of these computers will be replaced by new machines with an additional voice over internet protocol (VOIP) capability, which allows the user to make telephone calls over the internet.
Armed Forces: Animals
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 178W, on animals: euthanasia, what local contracts his Department uses for the disposal of bodies of working military animals. [92634]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 30 January 2012]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 178W. The Ministry of Defence only ever puts down military working animals as a last resort because it has been judged unsafe to re-home the animal or where veterinary reasons indicate that re-homing would conflict with the animal's welfare. Where this proves necessary the animal is put down humanely.
The bodies of deceased military working dogs and horses at the Defence Animal Centre are disposed of via a contract with Nottingham University Veterinary School. This contract covers the majority of military working animals that are put down.
In addition, there are around 90 veterinary practices in the UK that are contracted to dispose of military working animals should the need arise.
In Germany and Cyprus military working animals are normally put down by military veterinarians and then disposed of through local contract arrangements. In the Falkland Islands deceased military working animals are buried by service personnel at a site set aside for that purpose.
Armed Forces: Entertainers
Mr Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether celebrities have accepted payments from his Department for visiting service personnel in hospital in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [92394]
Mr Robathan:
The Ministry of Defence can confirm that no celebrity has accepted any form of payment
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from this Department for their visit to injured service personnel at Selly Oak hospital or the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, or at hospitals in operational theatres in the last five years. Visits are private in nature and are deliberately not publicised. The numbers of visits are carefully controlled so as not to interfere with the operation of the hospital or compromise in any way patient care, but are very much welcomed by the patients and staff.
Departmental Assets
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, columns 597-98W, whether it remains his policy that no other UK location (a) offers the benefits available at Marchwood Sea Monitoring Centre and (b) could deliver the military port functions as cost-effectively as Marchwood; whether any sale of the site to private owners would depend upon their continuing provision of the military port facilities; and if he will make a statement. [92431]
Peter Luff: I recognise my hon. Friend’s interest in the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood and welcome the discussions that we have had on the subject since his question in November 2010. As I indicated at the time, the cost-effectiveness of providing the sea mounting capability from Marchwood is being tested against alternative options throughout the sale process.
It remains the Ministry of Defence’s view, as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, that we no longer need to retain ownership of a Sea Mounting Centre to deliver Defence outputs. The MOD is in the process of assessing the sale options, including alternative UK locations, to ensure value for the taxpayer while still maintaining the required capability for Defence. As I explained when we met in December 2011, no decision has yet been made on the future of the site, as the assessment process is ongoing. It is too early to rule out any options.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [91089]
Mr Robathan: The armed forces do not divide their personnel in this way. For civilians, we are in the process of agreeing the definition of administrative posts with the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) the agencies and non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible were transferred to the private sector in 2010-11. [91535]
Mr Robathan: Numbers on transfers to the private sector in financial year 2010-11 were as follows:
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| Headcount | |
| Notes: 1. All totals have been individually rounded to the nearest 10, and may not sum precisely to totals, “*” indicates between 1 and 4. 2. Data listed excludes Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and locally engaged civilian (LEC) personnel for whom exit data are not available. 3. Separate data are not held for non-departmental public bodies. 4. The departmental figure represents the number of civilian staff transferred. 5. It is also possible for a temporarily vacant post to be transferred, but such information is not held centrally. | |
Diamond Jubilee 2012: Medals
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Jubilee Medal will be awarded to members of the armed forces who have been made compulsorily redundant prior to the qualifying date. [93228]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 2 February 2012]: The first members of the armed forces to be made redundant under the current scheme are due to leave by 29 February 2012. Personnel that depart prior to that date, are volunteers who have specifically requested earlier exit points. Any member of this cohort leaving service before the qualifying date for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (6 February 2012) who would otherwise have qualified, will become ineligible as a consequence.
EU Law
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which EU (a) directives, (b) regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department require transposition into UK law; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures. [89675]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) was responsible for the transposition of the defence and security directive (2009/81/EC). That directive was transposed by the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1848). The regulations were laid before Parliament on 29 July and came into force on 21 August 2011.
The direct cost to the MOD of transposing the directive was estimated to have been in the region of £325,000. With regard to the private sector, it was concluded in the impact assessment produced with the regulations that while some initial familiarisation costs would certainly be incurred, such as training, it was not possible to estimate the overall costs and benefits with any precision as no suitable data was available. Consequently, the overall net impact could not be forecast or monetised.
There are currently no further EU measures, for which the MOD is responsible, requiring transposition into UK law.
Ex-servicemen: Homelessness
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve support services available to current and former armed forces personnel who (a) are homeless and (b) have financial problems. [92028]
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Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government, devolved Administrations, other Government Departments, ex-service organisations and other service providers to ensure a co-ordinated and structured approach to the issue of homelessness amongst former members of the armed forces. Our aim is to prevent new service leavers becoming homeless and to provide an effective safety net for those ex-service personnel who find themselves in that position. Specialist housing advice is provided by the Joint Services Housing Advice Office. This has been established to provide service personnel and their families with information and advice on the wide range of civilian housing options. These include: Homebuy Direct, New Home Build Buy and First Buy. Members of the armed forces are given the highest priority for these schemes.
Measures have been introduced making it easier for former service personnel to access social housing, become home owners, or remain in their previous property at market rate as an interim measure, should a surplus be available.
We work with local authorities to ensure that the use of surplus MOD property in this way does not inadvertently disadvantage the service leaver's position on social housing waiting lists. The MOD has also gifted land and provided financial support for supported housing projects at Aldershot and Catterick.
Service personnel are encouraged to contact their chain of command when they face financial difficulties. General advice on debt is available to personnel at all levels, and ranges from written guides, financial expertise of pay staff and service family organisations, to ensuring there are good links to national organisations such as the Citizens' Advice Bureau and Money Advisory Service. Work continues on the development and delivery of improved financial education, and the increased availability of financial information and advice throughout the career of service personnel. This is being produced in phases. The first phase, which is well under way, targets education for new entrants; the following two phases will concentrate on remaining serving personnel and service leavers.
All service leavers are entitled to some form of resettlement advice which includes financial related briefings, to which spouses/partners are also invited, covering budget and debt management. If individuals wish further advice in-depth one-to-one meetings are also offered and organisations that can provide advice on debt management are signposted by resettlement staff.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [91391]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence continues to engage with local communities in a number of ways, including through initiatives such as the Armed Forces Community Covenant and our Sponsored Cadet Forces.
The Armed Forces Community Covenant complements the Armed Forces Covenant, a voluntary statement of
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mutual support between the armed forces community and wider society. There is now a statutory requirement for the Defence Secretary to report on progress with the covenant each year. An interim report was published on 20 December 2011 which reviews the progress on the Armed Forces Community Covenant. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
The Ministry of Defence Sponsored Cadet Forces encourage teamwork, respect, initiative, selflessness and experience through the use of military themes based upon the culture and ethos of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. This in turn allows young people to appreciate the importance of making a contribution to the communities to which they belong. This is currently being considered as part of our Youth Engagement Review.
Justice
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number was of previous convictions for breach of an antisocial behaviour order for an individual convicted of an offence of breach of antisocial behaviour order without being sent to prison in each of the last three years; and how many offences they had committed in total at the point of sentence for this offence. [93111]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the highest number of previous convictions for breach of an antisocial behaviour order, for individuals convicted of this offence in the years 2008 to 2010 who received a sentence other than immediate custody. It also shows their total number of previous cautions and convictions, and previous immediate custodial sentences. Although these individuals did not go to prison for their index offence, they had all previously been to prison for the same offence. The figure for 2008 and 2010 are for the same individual, with a criminal history of over 30 years. The figure for 2009 is for an individual with a criminal history of over 20 years.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
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Female Offenders
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 402W, on approved premises: females, what plans he has to establish new approved premises for female offenders. [93046]
Mr Blunt: There are no current plans to establish new approved premises for female offenders. The National Offender Management Service will develop a commissioning strategy for approved premises following the conclusion of the Probation Review.
Cannabis: Sentencing
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of sentencing guidelines for possession of cannabis; and if he will make a statement. [93666]
Mr Blunt: Sentencing guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales. On 24 January 2012, the Council issued a definitive guideline on drug offences, including possession. The guideline sets out factors for courts to consider when determining the seriousness of an offence and the appropriate sentence. For possession of cannabis and other class B drugs, the guideline gives a range between a discharge and 26 weeks' custody depending on the seriousness of the offence. Courts can depart from guidelines, up to the maximum penalty of five years' custody for class B possession offences, if it is in the interests of justice to do so.
Crime: Ethnic Groups
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of (a) people, (b) women and (c) black and minority ethnic people aged 18 to 24 years old who received a criminal conviction had previously been convicted of one or more criminal offences in the 12 months preceding their offence in each year since 2008. [93042]
Mr Blunt: The following table gives the number and proportion of sentencing occasions where an offender, aged between 18 and 24, had received a criminal conviction for an indictable offence and had been convicted of one or more criminal offences in the 12 months preceding their sentence, in each year since 2008, by gender and ethnic group.
These figures are a further breakdown of Table A7.9 of "Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly update to December 2010" published by Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2011. The full report can be found at the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-stats-quarterly-dec10.pdf
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
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| Number and proportion of sentencing occasions, for indictable offences, where the offender was aged 18 and 24 and had received at least one conviction in the previous 12 months, by gender and ethnicity, 2008 to 2010 | |||
| All sentencing occasions for indictable offences | Sentencing occasions where the offender had been convicted in the previous 12 months | Percentage (%) | |
| (1 )Includes offenders of unknown gender and unknown ethnicity | |||
Departmental Manpower
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) the agencies and non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible were transferred to the private sector in 2010-11. [91497]
Mr Djanogly: For the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, there were no jobs transferred to the private sector.
Employment Tribunals
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio was of multiple claims per multiple case (a) accepted and (b) disposed of by the employment tribunal system in each year since 2005-06. [93751]
Mr Djanogly: Claims to employment tribunals may be classified into two broad categories: singles and multiples. Multiples are where two or more people bring claims, involving one or more jurisdiction and usually against a single employer (but not necessarily so, for instance in transfer of undertaking cases). To be joined in a multiple, individual claims must arise out of the same or very similar circumstances. As a multiple, the component claims are processed, and judicially managed, together.
Statistics published annually and quarterly by HM Courts and Tribunals Service provide a breakdown of
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claims received (or ‘accepted’) and concluded (or ‘disposed of’). Since the financial year 2006-07, this breakdown has included that between single and multiple claims.
The following tables set out the average ratio of multiple claims to multiple cases accepted and disposed of by employment tribunals in each financial year since 2005-06. For the purposes of this answer, we have defined 'multiple claims' as the individual component claims brought or handled within a multiple; and 'multiple cases' as the combined groupings formed by the component claims. Many of the larger multiples in the system are currently stayed or otherwise unable to progress to final disposal, for example pending the outcome of appellate proceedings. This includes the quarterly resubmissions of certain multiples containing several thousand component claims. These resubmissions largely account for the difference between the average ratios at the acceptance and disposal stages.
| Table A: Average ratio of multiple claims to multiple cases accepted (1) | |||
| Claims accepted | |||
| Number of multiples | Total number of claims | Ratio of claims to cases | |
| Table B: Average ratio of multiple claims to multiple cases disposed (1) | |||
| Claims disposed | |||
| Number of multiples | Total number of claims | Ratio of claims to cases | |
| (1) Source—ET Central database February 2012. Data is taken from the live database and includes all subsequent updates and therefore may not match published stats. This is Management Information only. All figures are rounded independently thus totals may not add. The following conversions have been used throughout: values from 100 to 999 are rounded to nearest 10; values of 1,000 and over are rounded to nearest 100. The average (arithmetic mean) ratios provided will be significantly higher than the median due to a limited number of cases involving a large number of claims. | |||
HM Prison Service: Ethnic Groups
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to encourage applications from black and minority ethnic groups for jobs in HM Prison Service. [93180]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service places the highest priority to increasing the number of applications from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. In particular, HM Prison Service, which is one of the largest recruiters of civil servants, has focussed much of its attention on recruitment activity at prison officer level and striven to attract a more diverse range of applicants. This has seen increased levels of applicants from BME backgrounds.
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Between 2009 and 2011, HM Prison Service saw an increase of BME candidates recruited to all grades, from 6.1% to 11.6%. This was achieved against a back drop of reducing recruitment activity as HM Prison Service began the process of restructuring.
Where recruitment is taking place, attraction strategies are geared to the local population. Localised activity reflects the recruitment need and includes the use of local newsprint, radio and poster advertising, as well as diverse online media such as Google, Jobcentre Plus and other recognised jobsites.
Illegal Immigrants: Prosecutions
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employers were prosecuted for employing illegal immigrants in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [92592]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences related to employing illegal immigrants, England and Wales, 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May, 2012.
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders served part or all of their sentence working on community projects in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [93050]
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Mr Blunt: During the period January 2011 to December 2011 a total of 504 offenders were allocated to Community Payback work projects in the borough of Bexley. In total they completed 30,140 hours of work for the benefit of the local community.
Police Custody: Demography
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged 18 to 24 years old were held in custody in each year since 2008; and what proportion and how many such people were (a) women and (b) black and ethnic minorities. [93040]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of 18 to 24-year-olds in prison in England and Wales, and the proportions that are (a) female and (b)from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, as at 30 June in each year since 2008.
| Total aged 18-24 | of which : female | of which : BME | |||
| June | N umber | % | N umber | % | |
| (1) Due to the introduction of a new prison IT system, prison population data from 2010 onwards is taken from a different source. | |||||
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Rape: Cambridgeshire
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many allegations of rape in the northern division of Cambridgeshire constabulary resulted in (a) arrest, (b) charge and (c) custodial sentence of offenders in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [93830]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for rape offences, in Cambridgeshire police force area from 2000 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Court proceedings data are not available at separate divisions within a police force area.
Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. The number of defendants proceeded against has been given in lieu.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
It is not possible to provide the requested arrests data. The information collected by the Home Office for its arrests data collection is on an aggregate basis by police force area, and provided at offence grouping level, for example, sexual offences.
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| Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for rape offences, in Cambridgeshire police force area, 2000 to 2010 (1, 2, 3, 4) | |||||||||||||
| Defendants | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | ||
| (1) Includes attempted rape. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Convictions for an offence may exceed prosecutions in the same year, as defendants may have a committal hearing at magistrates courts in one reporting period and be convicted at the Crown court in the next. The principal offence selected may also change during a set of proceedings. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. | |||||||||||||
Sentencing: Young People
Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many sentences were handed down to young adults aged 18 to 24 years old of each sex in (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts in each year since 2008; and what proportion of all sentences such sentences represented. [93210]
Mr Blunt: The number of young adults, aged 18 to 24, sentenced by gender and court type in England and Wales from 2008 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
| Persons sentenced aged 18-24, by court type, England and Wales, 2008-2010 | |||||
| 2008 (1) | 2009 | 2010 | |||
| (1) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (2) Includes those cases where the defendant's sex was ‘not stated’. Notes: 1. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences It is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||||
Young Offender Institutions: Death
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will establish a public inquiry into the causes of deaths in custody in young offenders' institutions and measures to reduce and prevent them. [93412]
Mr Blunt:
Every death in prison is a tragedy and affects families, staff and other prisoners deeply. Ministers and the Ministry of Justice including the National
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Offender Management Service are committed to learning from such events to reduce the number of self inflicted deaths in prison custody.
Deaths in custody are among the most scrutinised of all events in custody. All deaths in prison are subject to police investigation, a coroner's inquest before a jury and an independent investigation by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman. In addition, there will be a Serious Case Review, commissioned by the relevant Local Safeguarding Children's Board, into each of the recent deaths of the two young people.
It is established practice for investigators to share emerging findings so that any immediate actions necessary can be taken to reduce the likelihood of further deaths.
Scotland
Debt Recovery
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of his Department's invoices from its private sector suppliers were paid (a) within 14 days, (b) between 15 and 30 days, (c) between 31 and 60 days, (d) between 61 and 90 days and (e) more than 90 days after receipt in the last 12 months. [93436]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office endeavours to pay all its suppliers within five days of receipt of a valid invoice. The Department's performance over the last 12 months between January 2011 and December 2011 is shown in the following table.
| Invoices received | Late payments | Performance against five-day target (%) | |
All valid invoices were processed within 14 days.
Government Buildings
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he plans to hold discussions with the Scottish Government on making empty and under-utilised Government-owned buildings available to small businesses in Scotland. [93957]
David Mundell:
As set out in the answer given by the Minister for Business and Enterprise, my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk), on 30 January 2012, Official Report, column 456W, the
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Government will be speaking to all of the devolved Administrations to explore the possibility of extending this initiative across the UK. The Scotland Office will assist these discussions.
Transport
Domestic Aviation
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when she plans to announce an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland; [93542]
(2) what representations she has received from Northern Ireland airports on the publication of an aviation strategy. [93543]
Mike Penning: The Government are developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation which will support economic growth and address aviation's environmental impacts. Last year we issued an aviation policy scoping document calling for evidence on a range of strategic issues. We received approximately 600 responses, including from a number of Northern Ireland stakeholders. We will publish our framework for consultation in March 2012.
Crossrail
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on whether Crossrail has carried out an assessment of the scope for using alternatives to road haulage for the disposal of earth following tunnel excavation. [93960]
Mike Penning: During the parliamentary examination of the Crossrail Act 2008 a construction strategy was developed that included the objective to remove excavated material by rail and water transport where reasonably practicable. The Crossrail Environmental Statement that accompanies the 2008 Act describes how waste, materials and excavated materials will be transported. Crossrail is aiming to keep lorry movements to the lowest number possible and remains committed to its target to transport 85% of the spoil from the tunnels by rail or river transport.
When the Crossrail Environmental Statement was produced it was assumed that all excavated material would be transported to landfill sites, with around 30% of excavated material being transported by rail, 15% by water and the remainder by road. Subsequently Crossrail has entered into a number of agreements for the transportation of excavated materials to support other developments—most notably the agreement with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for the development of a wetland nature reserve at Wallasea Island in Essex. With these agreements in place Crossrail will now transport 85% of its excavated material by water and rail.
Apprentices
Mr Umunna:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many apprentices were employed by her Department between (a) April 2010 and March 2011 and (b) April and December 2011; and how many
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apprenticeships her Department will sponsor between (i) January and March 2012 and (ii) April and March 2013. [89209]
Norman Baker: The number of apprentices employed by the Department between (a) April 2010 and March 2011 and (b) April and December 2011 is:
(a) 164
(b) 208
The number of apprentices the Department plans to sponsor between (i) January and March 2012 and (ii) April 2012 and March 2013 is currently planned as:
(i) 148
(ii) 163.
Departmental Hospitality
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) her Department and (b) its public bodies have spent on (i) wine, (ii) other alcoholic refreshments and (iii) bottled water since May 2010. [92651]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport (DFT) holds no stocks of wine. Generally, the Department operates a no alcohol policy. Information on spend incurred since May 2010 is provided in the following table.
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