Burma: Political Prisoners
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with the Burmese authorities about the release of political prisoners in Burmese jails in the last year. [94151]
Mr Hague: During my visit to Burma in January 2012, I welcomed recent progress, in particular the release of some political prisoners in 2011, and urged the Burmese President to commit to the further release of all political prisoners, in time for the by-elections on 1 April. Most recently, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), raised the issue of the remaining political prisoners directly with the Burmese ambassador when they met on 6 February.
I welcomed the release of a significant number of political prisoners on 13 January, including 88 Generation and ethnic leaders. However, a number of prisoners remain. We will continue to call for the release of all political prisoners with the Burmese authorities.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential consequences of the decision by the Burmese authorities to release political prisoners on 13 January 2012. [94152]
Mr Hague: The release of political prisoners on 13 January 2012 was a further demonstration of the Burmese Government's commitment to reform. It included almost all prominent political prisoners, including members of the 88 Generation and some ethnic leaders. The timing of the release was additionally significant because those released can now contest and campaign in the by-elections on 1 April increasing the likelihood that those elections will be genuinely inclusive.
Chevening
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of maintaining Chevening was under each budget heading in each of the last two years. [93514]
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Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the response my noble Friend, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, gave in the other place on 26 October 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA155.
Government Wine Cellar
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bottles from the Government wine cellar have been sold in the last year; and how much revenue has been generated by such sales in the last year. [93123]
Mr Bellingham: I refer my hon. Friend to my written statement of 13 May 2011, Official Report, column 49WS, in which I said that there will be an annual statement to Parliament on the use of the wine cellar, covering consumption, stock purchases, costs, and value for money, and that a report on the cellar's operations will be placed in the Library of the House during the month of May following the end of the appropriate financial year.
Sales from the cellar are in-hand for the financial year 2011-12, and further sales are planned in FY 2012-13.
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what date he expects the Government wine cellar to be self-financing. [93124]
Mr Bellingham: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 13 May 2011, Official Report, column 49WS, in which I said that there will be an annual statement to Parliament on the use of the wine cellar, covering consumption, stock purchases, costs, and value for money, and that a report on the cellar's operations will be placed in the Library of the House during the month of May following the end of the appropriate financial year.
Sales from the cellar are in-hand for the financial year 2011-12, and further sales are planned in FY 2012-13.
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the value of his Department's wine cellar; and what the 20 most valuable bottles are. [93156]
Mr Bellingham: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 13 May 2011, Official Report, column 49WS, in which I said that there will be an annual statement to Parliament on the use of the wine cellar, covering consumption, stock purchases, costs, and value for money, and that a report on the cellar's operations will be placed in the Library of the House during the month of May following the end of the appropriate financial year.
Food Procurement
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of food purchased by his Department was produced in the UK in each of the last five years. [93716]
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Mr Lidington: The proportion of food purchased by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and produced in the UK in each of the last five years is as follows:
April 2011 to date: 57%
2010-11: 25%.
Data for 2007-2010 were not compiled in this format and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For 2010-11 ‘Produced in the UK’ is defined as of guaranteed UK provenance which can be fully traced back to the source, i.e. food that has been grown and harvested or born, bred and slaughtered in the UK. Therefore we have not included any products that, even though may have been produced or manufactured in the UK, are of mixed origin.
For 2011-12 the figure more accurately reflects the DEFRA definition of food produced, sourced or manufactured in the UK. In addition we can confirm the following:
100% of our fresh beef is UK sourced
100% of our fresh pork joints is UK sourced
100% of fresh milk is both UK sourced and Red Tractor
100% of shell eggs are UK sourced and Lion marked
All of our potatoes and root vegetables are sourced from UK when in season.
The data for 2010-11 relating to this request and other food related targets are published on the FCO website.
This answer relates to the UK catering contract only. It would incur disproportionate cost to source this information from our network of Posts as this information is held locally.
Departmental Manpower
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) male and (b) female staff his Department employs (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas. [93513]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office records the gender of its UK based civil servants and locally engaged staff. At 1 January 2012 the information requested was:
| UK based staff | Locally engaged staff | |||
| (a) Male | (b) Female | (a) Male | (b) Female | |
Departmental Training
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many away days his Department has held since May 2010; what the location was of each such away day; how many staff attended; and what the cost was of each such event. [93839]
Mr Bellingham:
Responsibility for such events is devolved to directorates and our network of nearly 270 Posts overseas. This information is not held centrally and details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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All officials have been reminded that they must keep expenditure on away days to a minimum, partly by making use of official premises which are cost free.
Overseas Countries: Christianity
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has recently taken to protect Christians abroad from persecution; and if he will make a statement. [94162]
Mr Hague: Protecting religious freedoms and preventing discrimination on religious grounds is a key human rights issue for the Government. Ministers and Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff in our missions overseas regularly raise our concerns with host governments. Where possible, they take action on individual cases and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws. This includes recent efforts in relation to the situations in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.
We have also been developing a strategy and programme of work to strengthen our approach in this area. As part of this effort, we have nominated a number of pilot countries to test out new approaches to promoting freedom of religion and belief, providing funding for projects in support of our policy objectives. We have also agreed a number of recommendations for activity in the EU, OSCE and UN.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed to Christians around the world. [94165]
Mr Hague: The members of my Advisory Group on Human Rights identified freedom of religion as a key human rights issue at our first meeting in December 2010. Officials subsequently mapped out a programme of work to strengthen our freedom of religion or belief policy in 2011. As part of this, I asked for a review of the treatment of religious minorities worldwide. The review highlighted the widespread nature of religious discrimination and that overall restrictions, including on Christians, remain high.
Egypt: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with the authorities in Egypt about recent developments in that country. [94149]
Mr Hague:
I am following events in Egypt closely and we have discussed recent events with the Egyptian authorities at the highest level. On 30-31 January the Chief of Defence Staff visited Cairo where he held discussions with Egyptian military leaders and other political leaders about the political situation in Egypt. He also met the Grand Imam of AI Azhar, the highest Sunni authority in Egypt, whose voice carries great public weight. On 2 February, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) visited Cairo. He held discussions with a range of political figures, including the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Speaker
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of the Egyptian Parliament and the President of the Freedom and Justice Party, which won the largest share of the vote in recent parliamentary elections.
European Union
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to publish a White Paper on repatriation of powers from the EU. [94161]
Mr Hague: The Government's stated intention is to examine the balance of the EU's existing competences. That review does not have a pre-determined outcome.
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands: Environment Protection
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is sponsoring any schemes in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands to promote marine biodiversity and conservation of marine species. [94418]
Mr Bellingham: The principles of environmental protection and sustainable ecosystem management are enshrined in the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands' published strategy. For example, the South Georgia tooth fish fishery achieved the third highest Marine Stewardship Council certification in the world. Any decision further to strengthen these policies will be for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which has been discussing with interested parties the possible designation of a sustainable use marine protected area. However, we would support moves which preserve the rich biodiversity of the islands.
Falkland Islands: Sovereignty
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with representatives of Mercosur on its decision to forbid ships flying the flag of the Falkland Islands from docking at certain ports. [94173]
Mr Hague: I have discussed these issues directly with the Chilean, Uruguayan and Brazilian Ministers, and senior officials have spoken to Mercosur diplomats in London and in the region. I also spoke to Foreign Ministers at the Caribbean Forum. Our message has been that political differences over the Falkland Islands cannot justify support for illegal and counterproductive actions which aim to damage the livelihoods of the Falkland Islands' people. We are assured that there is no intention among Argentina's neighbours to participate in such measures.
We will continue to be vigilant about any further measures designed to damage the Falkland Islands' economy.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect on British trade of the decision by Mercosur to forbid ships flying the flag of the Falkland Islands from docking at certain ports. [94174]
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Mr Hague: As I stated in my written ministerial statement of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 5-6WS, our priority has been to ensure that trade and commercial links between the Falkland Islands and South America are not compromised by this political declaration. The Governments of Brazil, Chile and Uruguay have confirmed that Falklands-registered vessels flying the Red Ensign, as they are entitled to do, will continue to be assured of access to their ports. There has been no practical impact on the ability of vessels to trade between the Falkland Islands and South America.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Argentina holding the presidency of Mercosur on British interests in the region. [94175]
Mr Hague: Argentina will be holding the presidency of Mercosur for the first six months of 2012. The UK engages positively with the Mercosur group, including on the mutual benefits of a potential association agreement with the EU and hopes to continue to do so when Argentina holds the Mercosur presidency. However, the Government of Argentina have used such regional groupings to seek political and practical support for their claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. The principle of self-determination is enshrined under the United Nations Charter, and we expect all Mercosur countries to respect this and other international laws when considering the rights of the Falkland Islanders. We do not therefore anticipate that the UK's or Falkland Islands' interests will materially be affected by Argentina's presidency of Mercosur.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek a reversal of the decision taken by Mercosur to forbid ships flying the flag of the Falkland Islands from docking at certain ports. [94176]
Mr Hague: We do not accept that the decision to close ports to ships flying the Falklands flag has any basis in international law. However, as I said in my written ministerial statement of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 5-6WS, our priority has been to ensure that trade and commercial links between the Falklands and South America are not compromised by this political declaration. The Governments of Brazil, Chile and Uruguay have confirmed that Falklands-registered vessels flying the Red Ensign, as they are entitled to do, will continue to be assured of access to their ports.
Israel: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what recent occasions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have raised the issue of continued settlement expansion with Israeli government officials. [94180]
Mr Hague: Continued systematic settlement construction by Israel in disputed territory in the Occupied Palestinian Territory makes it ever harder to achieve the common goal of international efforts: a contiguous state of Palestine side-by-side with a secure Israel, with Jerusalem as a shared capital.
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We regularly raise the issue of settlement expansion with the Israeli authorities. The Prime Minister raised this issue with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 5 January 2012. The Deputy Prime Minister commented in strong terms on settlement expansion at his joint press conference with Palestinian President Abbas on 16 January 2012.
I most recently emphasised the importance of Israel doing enough on this and other issues to sustain the prospect for peace talks leading to a two-state solution during my discussion with the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor, on 16 January 2012. During his recent visit to the region on 7-11 January 2012 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), raised strong concerns over the significant numbers of settlement announcements with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and the impact these are having on the prospects for a two state solution.
Lesotho
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Lesotho. [94645]
Mr Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) currently has no plans to visit Lesotho.
Lesotho: Diplomatic Service
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals have requested consular support in Lesotho in each of the last five years. [94646]
Mr Bellingham: Four British nationals requested consular assistance in Lesotho in the financial year 2010-11. One British national requested consular assistance in 2009-10 and one in 2008-09. No British nationals have so far requested consular assistance in 2011-12, and there were none in 2007-08. These figures do not include provision of general consular advice or documentary services, which are not recorded.
Lesotho: Bilateral Relations
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of bilateral relations with Lesotho; and if he will make a statement. [94644]
Mr Bellingham: Britain greatly values our diplomatic relationship with Lesotho which is underpinned by frequent visits from our staff in the British high commission Pretoria who are accredited to Lesotho. I have also met with the Lesotho high commissioner. I look forward to the prospect of successful and peaceful elections in Lesotho later this year.
We continue to provide around £10 million each year in aid to Lesotho through multilateral shares, debt relief and international non-governmental organisations.
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Iran: Oil Embargo
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic effects of a full-scale oil embargo on Iran. [94156]
Mr Hague: The aim of the EU oil embargo on Iran, agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 23 January, is to put pressure on Iran to negotiate seriously with the international community over its nuclear programme. The embargo will come into effect on 1 July. It is already causing consumers of Iranian oil to turn to other producers for supplies. The economic effects of a full-scale embargo are difficult to predict. Much would depend on the availability of alternative sources of oil supply. But the direct effect would be a loss to Iran of its oil revenues.
The aim of the measure, as with all sanctions, is to increase peaceful pressure on Iran to encourage them to return to the table on the nuclear issue.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress made in the Middle East peace process since the Israeli and Palestinian leaders' decision to restart direct bilateral talks. [94181]
Mr Hague: I have welcomed the efforts of King Abdullah of Jordan and Jordanian Foreign Minister, Nasser Judeh, to bring the parties together under the framework of the Quartet statement of 23 September. We call on both sides to take this opportunity and show the political leadership and courage needed to make progress towards a negotiated two-state solution.
Morocco: Overseas Trade
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary value of exports to Morocco was for each category of exports in the last year for which figures are available. [91888]
Mr Prisk: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
HMRC's overseas trade statistics show that £527 million of goods were exported to Morocco in 2010. The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) Pink Book shows that the export of services to Morocco in 2010 totalled £137 million. A further breakdown of the exports of goods is shown in the following table. A breakdown of services by type is not published by the ONS.
| UK exports of goods to Morocco, 2010 | |
| £ million | |
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| Source: BIS analysis of data from HM Revenue and Customs | |
Somalia: Diplomatic Service
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals have requested consular support in Somalia in each of the last five years. [94647]
Mr Bellingham: We advise against all travel to Somalia. There is no British representation in any part of Somalia and we are unable to provide direct consular assistance there. However, through our embassy in Addis Ababa and high commission in Nairobi, we have provided some consular assistance to British nationals who have travelled there. There have been seven consular cases relating to Somalia in the financial year 2011-12. There were 10 cases in 2010-11, two in 2009-10, nine in 2008-09 and one in 2007-08. These figures do not include provision of general consular advice or documentary services, which are not recorded.
Syria: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with his counterpart in Turkey on matters related to Syria in recent weeks. [94164]
Mr Hague: The UK has been at the forefront of efforts in the international community to increase pressure on the Syrian regime to stop the violence. As I said during my statement to the House of Commons on 6 February 2012, Official Report, column 27.
“I have very regular consultations with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, about this matter. Last Tuesday I spoke to him from New York while I was there; that was my most recent consultation with him. Turkey was a co-sponsor of the resolution, and I expect it to be a very active participant in the new informal international grouping that we expect to be formed.”
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential consequences of a decision by the Arab League to withdraw its observer mission from Syria. [94166]
Mr Hague: The Arab League continues to have the UK's full support in its effort to resolve the crisis in Syria and to bring an end to the violence. Despite the introduction of the Arab League Observer Mission on 26 November the Syrian regime has shown no intention of implementing the Arab League Plan it signed on 2 November 2011. Instead it has continued its brutal repression.
Despite some limited co-operation by the Syrian Government in response to the Observer Mission I am deeply concerned that the increasing violence in Syria led the Arab League to halt its operations. The current military offensive in Homs highlights the continuing violence by the Assad regime. This is why I travelled to
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New York on 31 January to support a tough Security Council resolution calling on the Syrian Government to implement the Arab League plan to stop the violence in Syria and for a peaceful political transition to a democratic, plural political system. As I said in my statement on 6 February, The UN Security Council's failure to agree a resolution does not signal the end of our efforts to stop the violence in Syria. We will continue our strong support for the Arab League and seek to widen the international coalition of nations seeking a peaceful and lasting resolution to the crisis in Syria.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential effectiveness of Arab League observers in Syria. [94167]
Mr Hague: The Arab League continues to have the UK's full support in its effort to resolve the crisis in Syria and to bring an end to the violence. Despite the introduction of the Arab League Observer Mission on 26 November, the Syrian regime has shown no intention of implementing the Arab League Plan it signed on 2 November 2011. Instead it has continued its brutal repression.
Despite some limited co-operation by the Syrian Government in response to the Observer Mission, I am deeply concerned that the increasing violence in Syria led the Arab League to halt its operations. The current military offensive in Homs highlights the continuing violence by the Assad regime. This is why I travelled to New York on 31 January to support a tough Security Council resolution calling on the Syrian Government to implement the Arab League plan to stop the violence in Syria and for a peaceful political transition to a democratic, plural political system. As I said in my statement on 6 February 2012, Official Report, columns 23-25, the UN Security Council's failure to agree a resolution does not signal the end of our efforts to stop the violence in Syria. We will continue our strong support for the Arab League and seek to widen the international coalition of nations seeking a peaceful and lasting resolution to the crisis in Syria.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with the head of the Arab League Secretariat on matters related to Syria in recent weeks. [94168]
Mr Hague: Immediately prior to my statement to the House of Commons, 6 February 2012, Official Report, columns 23-25, I spoke to the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil El Araby. I welcomed and encouraged the proposal to appoint a Special Envoy of the Arab League, and I commended the Arab League's leadership and action so far. Arab Foreign Ministers will meet this weekend to consider options. The Secretary-General was clear about the urgency of the situation, the Arab world's continued determination to act, and the need to step up their efforts. I told him that the Arab League would have our complete support.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts he has had with counterparts in Russia and China on matters related to Syria in recent weeks. [94169]
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Mr Hague: We have daily conversations with Russia and China at the Security Council. I spoke to my Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on 8 February about the situation in Syria. I told him that the UK was appalled by the continued violence, in particular, in Homs and that we wanted an end to violence from all sides in Syria.
Culture, Media and Sport
Public Service Broadcasters
17. Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to increase investment in content by public service broadcasters. [94347]
Mr Vaizey: Investment in UK originated content is one of the key pillars of the public service broadcasting system. We shall examine the purpose, obligations and requirements of PSB and consider ways of increasing investment in UK originated content in the communications Green Paper, to be published shortly.
Superfast Broadband
18. Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent progress he has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband to rural communities. [94348]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: We have just approved the Local Broadband Plan for Lancashire and Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, so now a third of rural areas have their plans approved. I have set a target for all broadband procurements to be completed by the end of 2012 so that delivery can be complete by 2015. This will extend 2 mbps broadband coverage to the whole country and superfast broadband to 90% of the country.
Arts: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of whether there has been an increase in funding through philanthropy for arts organisations in England since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [94611]
Mr Vaizey: This Department publishes regular updates on charitable giving received by funded cultural institutions, which can be found on our website at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8564.aspx
In terms of the wider arts sector, patterns of giving can be skewed by major donations and vary enormously from one organisation to another, so we should be cautious about assuming trends over a period of less than two years. However, evolving analysis suggests that individual giving, and support for the arts from trusts and foundations have increased since May 2010. We shall be able to assess this more robustly as more data emerges from Arts and Business’ annual survey of private investment in culture later in the year. I welcome and commend the generosity of all those who give to the arts in this country. Their support deserves our thanks and appreciation.
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Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding the Arts Council has allocated to support international cultural exchange through (a) its funded organisations and (b) other activities with (i) China, (ii) India, (iii) Brazil, (iv) the Gulf States, (v) Russia and (vi) Japan; and if he will make a statement. [94613]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England supports many organisations which work internationally, promoting cultural exchanges and developing markets for their work abroad, including China, India, Brazil, the Gulf States, Russia and Japan among other countries. This year will see particularly strong engagement with China and Brazil through major festivals of UK culture in those countries, as well as during the London 2012 Festival. The Arts Council also works closely with the British Council to ensure UK and international audiences are able to experience the best of British and world culture. It does not ring-fence specific allocations to its funded organisations for individual countries, as activities often involve both domestic and foreign activity in a number of countries. Together with our national museums, Arts Council England funded organisations continue to reinforce the UK's reputation for cultural excellence around the world.
Departmental Contracts
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what contracts of over £1 million in value his Department has let in the last year; and what the shortest period has been between the published opening of the tender for any such contracts and the closing date. [94103]
John Penrose [holding answer 7 February 2012]: Broadband UK tendered for supply of legal services in April 2011 to support delivery of the Broadband and related programmes. The cumulative value of this contract will exceed £1 million by the end of the programmes in 2015. The period between the published opening of the tender and closure was four weeks.
Olympic Games 2012
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many letters he has received (1) on the London 2012 Olympics in the last six months; [94637]
(2) on the London 2012 Paralympics in the last six months. [94638]
Hugh Robertson: The Department received 844 letters in the last six months about matters relating to staging both the Olympic games and Paralympic games in London. This includes nine letters which were specifically about the Paralympic games.
Olympic Games 2012: Human Trafficking
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on progress on measures to prevent human trafficking at the London 2012 Olympics. [94523]
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Hugh Robertson: Regular Olympic intelligence briefings take place between the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), myself, Home Office Ministers and the Olympic Intelligence Centre, to discuss and review threats to the games, including human trafficking.
Although there is currently no evidence of an increase in human trafficking linked to the games, the Government are aware of the threat, which is real, and will continue to remain vigilant. If intelligence suggests an increased threat, the Government will ensure that the appropriate measures are in place.
Television: Local Broadcasting
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which his proposals for local television will create in (a) local television stations and (b) Muxco. [94389]
Mr Vaizey: The consultations on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport local TV proposals provided broad indications of the numbers of people that might be employed; ranging from 10 to 60 people per local TV station. Regarding the multiplex it is Ofcom's assumption that about three posts will be required to operate it. Ofcom advise commercial radio employs between five and 30 people and community radio stations have on average 78 people involved per station on a paid and voluntary basis full and part-time.
Tourism
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what plans his Department has to review its plans for the National Quality Assessment Scheme in England following the adjudication of the Advertising Standards Authority in respect of complaint reference A11-16687 by Kwikchex Ltd; [93859]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that visitors to the UK are provided with accurate and impartially-assessed information on the standards and quality of tourist accommodation; and if he will make a statement; [93860]
(3) if he will make it his policy to ensure that overseas visitors to all parts of the UK are given the option of accessing information on the quality and standard of tourist accommodation to a standard equivalent to VisitScotland's Quality Assurance scheme. [93861]
John Penrose:
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 2 February 2011, Official Report, column 819W and 17 March 2011, Official Report, columns 525-26W. Our basic approach has not changed, we want to encourage any scheme that improves the quality of tourist accommodation information available for visitors, particularly when specialist information is required such as accessibility or how ‘green' a provider is. However, a quality-assessed star rating is no longer the only proviso for booking accommodation, and many potential customers now rely on personal feedback on customer review sites. Consumers choose which websites to use based on whether they trust the information they contain. Alternative websites are, of course, always only
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a click away so we shall see whether the Advertising Standards Board ruling alters consumer views about Tripadvisor or not.
Until the end of March 2012, the Enjoyengland.com and Visitbritain.com websites will list all star-rated accommodation in England and the UK respectively. From April 2012, VisitEngland ratings will be searchable on:
http://www.qualityintourism.com
the official website of the licensee responsible for VisitEngland's quality assessment scheme. The AA has its own website:
http://www.theAA.com
where ratings can be checked, as do VisitScotland, Visit Wales and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Many third party commercial websites also choose to display official star ratings and Quality in Tourism and the AA will continue to supply ratings data on a regular basis.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting (a) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency and (b) Cumbria in each of the last five years. [94447]
John Penrose: The Department does not record this information but, through the International Passenger Survey, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) record the number of visits made by overseas residents to the UK by county, and the total spend per year. From this information we can estimate the average spend per visit in Cumbria in each of the last five years.
| Cumbria | |
| Spend per visit (£) | |
These figures are per visit, not per head. As visits rather than visitors are counted, there is a possibility for double counting if, for example, a person made more than one visit to the same place. The ONS do not provide this information by constituency.
Further information can be found at the following website:
http://www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/inboundvisitorstatistics/regions/towns.aspx
First World War: Anniversary
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. [94432]
Mr Vaizey:
The Prime Minister has asked my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) to act as his special representative and co-ordinator for world war one commemorations and this Department has been appointed to be the lead Department in supporting him. Dr Murrison will work with international and national partners to ensure that the UK plays a full and
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active role; and will co-ordinate the cross-Whitehall effort in respect of the commemorations. Announcements about the centenary will be made in due course.
International Development
Thailand-Burma Border
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for funding food and shelter for refugees in camps on the Thailand Burma border in each of the next three years. [94434]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is in the process of reviewing its last three years' programme of assistance to refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) along the Thailand-Burma border, including support for the provision of food and shelter for refugees in camps on the border. This review will inform the nature of future support to refugees on the Thailand-Burma border, to which I remain strongly committed. Following the Bilateral Aid Review I agreed to a doubling of the overall British aid budget to Burma.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Crows
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions Natural England has had with the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and Countryside Alliance on the control of crows. [92029]
Mr Paice: Natural England has been involved in discussions with the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) since November 2011 regarding the legal status of controlling hooded and carrion crows under the general licences that Natural England issues. These discussions are ongoing.
Natural England has had no recent discussions with the Countryside Alliance on crows.
Natural England invited key stakeholders including BASC and the Countryside Alliance for views on its general licences in February 2011 and later this year it will launch a full public consultation on a series of new proposals. One proposal will consider whether or not the hooded crow should be added to the general licences which allow certain protected bird species, such as the carrion crow, magpie and rook, to be controlled where they are causing problems to prevent, for example, predation and crop damage problems.
Departmental Billing
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of her 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. [93439]
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Richard Benyon: 15,923, or 99.97% of invoices were paid within 14 days of receipt of a valid invoice. Five, or 0.03% of invoices were paid between 14 and 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. No invoices were paid more than 30 days after receipt.
This information includes invoices which fall under the prompt payment directive (private sector suppliers only) and relates to 2011.
Departmental Correspondence
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average time taken was by her Department to reply to correspondence from hon. Members and Peers in the last 12 months; and for what proportion of letters it took longer than (a) one month, (b) six weeks, (c) two months, (d) three months and (e) six months for a response to be sent in that period. [93502]
Richard Benyon: In 2011 DEFRA replied to 80% of correspondence from Members and Peers within our target of 15 working days. The average time for reply was 12 days.
The percentages requested are given in the following table.
| Time to respond | Percentage (1) |
| (1 )Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number except for percentages below 1%, which are given to one decimal place. | |
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to officials in her Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years. [89692]
Richard Benyon: I will place this information in the Library of the House.
Fisheries: EU Countries
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member states have offered additional Western Water scallop effort to the UK in exchange for other species; and when the Marine Management Organisation first discussed this matter with each such member state. [93825]
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Richard Benyon: The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) was first requested by DEFRA, on behalf of UK fisheries administrations, to start investigating such exchanges for the calendar year 2011 at the beginning of August 2011. This was after advice had been received that there was insufficient scientific evidence available to support making a request to the European Commission for an increase in level of such effort available to the UK fleet under the regime, and that such exchanges were needed.
As the quotas that could be used in such exchanges had already been allocated to industry groups, the MMO organised a meeting between officials from all UK fisheries administrations with representatives from the scallops sector to identify potential sources of quota. After this meeting, analyses were made of the levels of uptake by other member states to identify possible sources of extra effort available to transfer to the UK along with possible needs for quota. The dates of initial contacts with member states were as follows:
Spain: 31 August 2011
France: 13 September 2011
The Netherlands: 21 September 2011
Ireland: 3 October 2011
Belgium: 20 January 2012.
These were only the first contacts made with regards to exchanges, and not all of these contacts resulted in exchanges being made. Those exchanges agreed have been submitted to the European Commission for review, approval and incorporation into the EU monitoring systems. Once this process has been completed, the MMO will be releasing further details of the exchanges that have taken place related to the calendar year 2011.
Fishing Vessels
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many Scottish owned fishing boats are registered in England; and what proportion of the UK fishing quota such registrations represent; [94392]
(2) what proportion of licensed fishing boats are registered in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; [94393]
(3) how many Scottish owned fishing boats have quotas set by (a) English and (b) Northern Irish producer organisations; [94394]
(4) what estimate she has made of the number of licensed fishing boats in the UK. [94440]
Richard Benyon: As of 1 January 2012, there were 6,446 UK registered and licensed fishing vessels, including vessels registered to a port within the Island Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man and Channel Islands). Of these, 45% were registered to a port in England, 34% to a port in Scotland, 8% to a port in Wales and 6% to a port in Northern Ireland.
It is not possible to attribute the ownership of vessels to individual nationalities in the way requested. However, looking at the port of administration provides a close approximation. On this basis, as of 1 January 2012 there were 2,094 vessels of all lengths based at a port in Scotland. Of these, 62 were members of English producer organisations and 11 members of Northern Irish producer organisations.
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144 of these 2,094 vessels were registered to a port in England—111 vessels of 10 metres and under in length, and 33 vessels over 10 metres. As an estimate of the share of UK fishing quotas involved, the number of fixed quota allocation units linked to the 33 over 10 metre vessels involved represents 0.6% of the total number of units allocated to individual UK vessels. This does not include units that might be held collectively by producer organisations on behalf of their members. It is not possible to estimate the share of UK quota held by the under 10 metre vessels as these vessels do not usually have quota allocations units associated with them.
Flood Control: Finance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to the public purse was of flood prevention work in each region in each of the last 13 years; and how much will be spent in each of the next five years. [94227]
Richard Benyon: The following table sets out public spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management in England from 1996-97 to 2014-15 by central and local government.
| £ million | |||
| Central Government spending | Local government spending | Total | |
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Central Government expenditure includes DEFRA's own direct expenditure, DEFRA grants to the Environment Agency, plus capital grants to individual local authorities and internal drainage boards.
From 2004-05 block grant from DEFRA to the Environment Agency largely replaced the previous system of central Government grants to individual local authorities. This accounts for the large shifts in figures between 2003-04 and 2004-05 between central and local government.
Local government expenditure in recent years has been supported by grants from the Department for Communities and Local Government. The funding provided is unringfenced and unhypothecated; it is therefore not possible to state how much funding has been provided for any particular activity or outcome. For this reason the local authority spending figures above rely on outturn data, which are not yet available for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15.
Spending beyond 2014-15 will be the subject of future Government spending reviews.
Within the grants provided by DEFRA to the Environment Agency, supplemented by other income the Environment Agency may receive, the allocation of funding by the Environment Agency to each of the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee areas since 2006-07 is given in the following table. Records prior to this are not held centrally, as allocations were administered at a regional level.
The regional funding allocation for 2012-13 is subject to agreement by the Environment Agency Board in early February 2012. The board is also expected to agree indicative allocations for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 at the same time. Details will be available on the Environment Agency website in due course.
| £ million | |||||||
| Allocation | |||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |||||
| Environment agency | Total | Capital | Resource | Total | Capital | Resource | Total |
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| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |||||||
| Environment agency | Capital | Resource | Total | Capital | Resource | Total | Capital | Resource | Total |
Flood Risk Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people lived in a high flood risk area in each of the last 13 years; and how many are predicted to live in a high flood risk area in each of the next five years. [94228]
Richard Benyon: The following table lists the number of properties in areas of significant flood risk (one in 75 (1.3%) or greater chance of being flooded in any given year) in each year since 2004 for which figures are available from the Environment Agency's National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA).The NaFRA results for 2010-11 will be published in February 2012.
| Year of assessment | Date of publication | Total number of properties in areas of significant risk (England and Wales) | Of which, residential properties in areas of significant risk (England and Wales) |
| Note: The Environment Agency first started to provide a separate analysis for residential and non-residential properties at flood risk in 2006. | |||
The Environment Agency's method for assessing flood risk dates from 2002 with the first results published in 2004. Newly completed defences are taken into consideration in the assessment on a quarterly basis.
Since the original assessment, the risk in different areas of England and Wales will have changed because of a change in climate or newly constructed or improved flood defences. However, both the data and methods used to produce the assessment have also substantially improved over this period of time so it is not possible for the figures to be used as part of a consistent year-on-year analysis of how flood risk has changed.
Continual improvements to the data and methods in the assessment also make it difficult to produce a meaningful year-on-year projection. The Environment Agency can, however, identify specific areas (such as in the Vale of Clwyd) where the risk is likely to reduce because of, for example, a newly completed defence.
Floods: Insurance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she plans to announce the replacement of the Statement of Principles cover for homes in high flood risk areas; [94105]
(2) what discussions she has had with (a) ABI and (b) hon. Members on co-operation between the public and private sectors on flood risk insurance; [94106]
(3) how much her Department has spent on subsidising insurance premiums for residents in high flood risk areas in each of the last 13 years; and how much will be spent in each of the next five years. [94231]
Richard Benyon: The current Statement of Principles has not guaranteed that all those at risk of flooding will be able to insure their properties; nor does the Statement of Principles make any guarantees about the price of flood cover, which remains a commercial decision for insurers.
The last agreement, signed in 2008 by the previous Government, was always intended to be the last and insurers do not want to renew it beyond its expiry on 30 June 2013. A new shared understanding is being developed that will set out more clearly what individual customers can expect from their insurer, and from the Government.
The Government have had regular discussions with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) regarding the future of flood insurance. We will continue to meet regularly with ABI as we consider options over the winter months, with the aim of making further announcements in the spring, including details on how any future flood insurance solution might be funded. I have also corresponded with numerous Members of Parliament on the matter.
The Government remain committed to making sure flood insurance remains widely available. We are working closely with insurers, the devolved Administrations and
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communities affected by flood risk, and are especially mindful of those on lower incomes living with the risk of flooding. The Government have not subsidised flood insurance premiums in any of the past 13 years, but we continue to invest to reduce the risk of flooding and are committed to spend at least £2.17 billion on flood and coastal erosion risk management over the next four years.
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will prepare and publish on her Department's website a league table of Government Departments in respect of the proportion of food sourced (a) from UK producers, (b) from UK fisheries and (c) to Government buying standards. [94807]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not intend to prepare reports on the performance of Government Departments in respect of Government Buying Standards or of food or fish sourced from UK producers. Such a report was attempted previously under the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) and proved to be of little value as they did not compare like with like and gave a false picture of catering provision within Government Departments.
Departments have agreed to apply the Government Buying Standards as a minimum and mandatory level of sustainability for the food procured under their catering contracts. They are encouraged to follow the Government's principles of transparency in reporting, in a proportionate way and at reasonable intervals, their performance against these standards.
Milk: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on exclusive milk contracts. [94624]
Mr Paice: DEFRA officials have worked closely with their colleagues in the Welsh Assembly in formulating the UK's policy position during the negotiation of the Commission Dairy Package, which sets out rules on contractual relations in the milk and milk products sector. This collaboration will continue as we consider how the Dairy Package should be implemented across the UK.
Ofwat: Pay
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the salary structures of (a) the chief executive and (b) other senior management of Ofwat in respect of the criteria by which they receive bonuses; [93652]
(2) under what criteria the chief executive of Ofwat receives a bonus additional to her annual salary; and if she will make a statement. [93653]
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Richard Benyon: The remuneration and bonus scheme for the chief executive and members of the Ofwat executive team are set in an appropriate and transparent manner in line with arrangements for other members of the senior civil service (SCS). This means that they are all paid at SCS pay bands 1 (from £58,200 to £117,800) or 2 (£82,900 or £162,500).
The arrangements for pay and bonuses are set out in the senior teams' contracts and subject to annual review by the Ofwat Remuneration Committee in line with awards recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body. Each permanent member of the executive team participates in a bonus scheme, which is also in line with the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations. The non-consolidated and non-pensionable bonus is paid on the individual's performance and is only awarded to the top 25% of SCS performers. Bonuses are also capped at £10,000 for pay band 1 and £12,500 for pay band 2.
The remuneration and bonuses of the Ofwat executive team are published in Ofwat's annual report and accounts, which are audited and laid before Parliament each year. These details are also published on the Ofwat website.
Stray Dogs
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the operation of Section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. [94275]
Richard Benyon: The effectiveness of Section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 is currently being reviewed.
UN Conference on Sustainable Development
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for further roundtable events with businesses in preparation for the Rio+20 Summit in June; and on what dates those events will be. [93582]
Richard Benyon: Engagement with businesses is an essential aspect of the Government's preparations for Rio+20. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has held a number of meetings with business and civil society groups about this, and plans to hold a further meeting on 9 February 2012. She intends to meet again with key representatives from both the business and civil society communities before the Conference in June.
Water
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the measures set out in the Water for Life White Paper. [94045]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA intends to publish a draft Water Bill in the coming months, to bring forward those legislative proposals set out in “Water for Life” which are not included in the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill currently before Parliament.
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Water Charges
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of (a) Ofwat and (b) water companies on the cost of water and sewerage services in the next financial year. [94007]
Richard Benyon: As Ministers with responsibility for policy on water, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and I meet representatives of Ofwat and water companies regularly.
Water companies are obliged to submit their planned price adjustments to Ofwat for approval each year. This is ahead of the water companies confirming the rises to their customers. As the regulator for the water industry, Ofwat, having set price limits on a five-yearly basis, challenges companies' proposed bill rises and approves each company's charges scheme.
The most recent price review was in 2009 and this set price limits at 0.5% above inflation to allow companies to make the necessary investment to secure water supplies and infrastructure. The next price review will be in 2014 and will cover price limits from 2015 to 2020.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Aluminium
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the economic viability of the UK aluminium industry; and if he will make a statement. [94014]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 7 February 2012]:We have made no such assessment. Aluminium is a globally traded commodity with prices set on the London Metal Exchange. Current depressed market conditions have impacted on the global price of metals, including aluminium, which in turn has created a difficult commercial environment for the UK aluminium industry.
The Government recognise that the aluminium industry plays an important role in the manufacturing supply chain with high technology industries like aerospace, automotive and construction requiring high value—continually improving—aluminium products. The Government are taking action to support manufacturing, including the aluminium industry, through their encouragement of higher levels of innovation, exports, business investment and technical skills as well as cutting excessive red tape.
In addition, UK Trade & Investment has a programme of support for the UK manufacturing sector, including materials, in partnership with numerous stakeholders. This includes organising UK groups at overseas trade shows, leading targeted trade missions and bringing potential buyers, investors and decision-makers to the UK to see our manufacturing capability first-hand.
Apprentices
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employers in Bromsgrove constituency have received payments to take on their first young apprentice under the Government's incentive scheme since its inception. [94135]
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Mr Hayes: No employers have yet received any payments under this initiative. The Prime Minister announced that from 7 February the incentive scheme would be live, with small employers new to the programme advertising vacancies, and able to take on apprentices. Employers taking on an apprentice under the scheme receive the payment in two instalments, with the first due two months after the apprentice starts. We therefore expect the first payments to be made in April.
Apprentices: Special Educational Needs
Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent discussions he has had with the National Apprenticeship Service on increasing the number of people with (a) special educational needs and (b) autism who undertake an apprenticeship; [93772]
(2) what plans he has to increase the number of people with (a) special educational needs and (b) autism who undertake an apprenticeship. [93773]
Mr Hayes: The National Apprenticeship Service is committed to increasing the number of people with learning difficulties or disabilities undertaking apprenticeships. It is currently running a number of pilots to explore ways to increase diversity within apprenticeships and this includes apprentices reporting a range of disabilities. The National Apprenticeship Service regularly reports to me on the progress of the pilots and we will discuss how to implement recommendations once I have seen the final report in March.
I recently commissioned an independent report on “Creating an Inclusive Apprenticeship Offer”. Evidence from the report shows a steady rise in the number of apprentices declaring a disability over the last five years. However the rise is not as great as the rise in overall apprenticeship numbers. I will consider each of the report's recommendations, and will work with the National Apprenticeship Service and other partners to ensure employers are given good information and advice about recruiting and managing apprentices with disabilities and that people with disabilities get the help and support they need to secure an apprenticeship place and to be successful in that apprenticeship.
I have met with a number of groups concerned with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and autism and will continue to seek their views on how to improve accessibility and inclusion within the apprenticeship programme.
Basic Skills
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what change there has been in adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy rates in each region in the last 25 years. [90925]
Mr Hayes:
Data on changes in adult literacy and numeracy by region over the last 25 years are not available. The last published analysis of regional-level literacy and numeracy levels was the 2003 Skills for Life survey(1). This survey showed the following literacy and numeracy distributions among the adult population of England, aged between 16 and 65, broken down by
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Government office region (see tables 1 and 2 as follows). The results were based on fieldwork conducted between July 2002 and April 2003.
The Government have recently undertaken a follow-up survey to the 2003 Skills for Life study, which examines changes in adult literacy and numeracy between 2003 and 2011. The headline findings of this survey, covering national level changes in literacy and numeracy were published in December 2011(2). The full 2011 Skills for Life survey report will include analysis of regional changes in literacy and numeracy over the past eight years. This report is due to be published in spring 2012.
(1 )Williams, J., S. Clemens, S. Oleinikova, and K. Tarvin (2003) “The Skills for Life Survey: a National Needs and Impact Survey
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of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT skills”. Department for Education and Skills Research Report 490, available online at:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrdering Download/RR490.pdf
accessed on 18 November 2011.
(2) TNS-BMRB and AlphaPlus Consultancy Ltd. (November 2011) “2011 Skills for Life survey: headline findings”, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, BIS research paper 57. Available online at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/0-9/11-1367-2011-skills-for-life-survey-findings.pdf
accessed on 18 January 2011.
| Table 1: Literacy level by region in 20 03 (3) | ||||||||||
| Skill level | Regions | |||||||||
| Total | North East | London | Yorks & Humber | West Midlands | North West | East Mid land s | South West | East of England | South East | |
| Note: Base: all respondents with literacy scores | ||||||||||
| Table 2: Numeracy level by region in 2003 (3) | ||||||||||
| Skill level | Regions | |||||||||
| Total | North East | Yorks & Humber | North West | East Midlands | South West | London | West Midlands | East of England | South East | |
| Note: Base: all respondents with numeracy scores | ||||||||||
(3) Both tables are included in the 2003 Skills for Life survey as tables 3.A1 and 3.A2 on page 178.
Business: Lancashire
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to make funding available for businesses in Heysham to upgrade their premises following the planned expansion of the port of Heysham. [93307]
Mr Prisk: The expansion of the Port of Heysham is being proposed by the port owners, Peel Ports. The Government's go-ahead for the Heysham-M6 link road will improve access to and from the port increasing the viability of this proposed development. The Lancashire local enterprise partnership has also been awarded £13,092,450 Growing Places funding to support infrastructure investments.
In terms of business support details of all Government support available to businesses can be found on:
www.businesslink.gov.uk
Business: North West
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) financial and (b) other support the North West Regional Development Agency provided to businesses in Rossendale and Darwen constituency in the last three years; and what changes he expects to the provision of such assistance after the transition to local enterprise partnerships and other successor bodies. [93730]
Mr Prisk: The Department allocated budgets to regional development agencies (RDAs). RDAs determined which projects to support, subject to the terms of the accountability and financial framework. RDAs investments have been guided by the regional economic strategy and their corporate plans. The Department does not hold details of individual projects supported by the RDAs within their delegated financial authorities.
There is no transition to local enterprise partnerships. They are not replacements for RDAs, but are business-led partnerships that bring business and civic leaders together to drive sustainable economic growth and create the
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conditions for private sector job growth in their communities. Rossendale and Darwen are part of the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership and information on their priorities can be found at
http://www.lancashirelep.co.uk
Business: Regulation
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) which (a) Ministers and (b) officials were present at the Red Tape Challenge meeting held on 12 January 2012; and what matters were discussed; [94390]
(2) on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met to discuss environmental regulations as part of the Red Tape Challenge. [94391]
Mr Prisk: As part of the Red Tape Challenge process, Ministers and officials meet regularly to discuss the proposals for each theme. The process is explained on the Red Tape Challenge website at:
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/how-it-works
The Environment theme has been open for comment on the website since April 2011, with a ‘spotlight' period in September 2011. The Government expect to announce their plans by the end of March 2012. Meetings have taken place throughout this time period.
There are no plans to remove important environmental protections or climate change commitments. Our aim is to make sure that our environmental policies are being implemented in the most effective ways possible and that, in order to comply with our regulations, businesses and individuals are not over-burdened by rules that make it more difficult to comply than is really necessary.
Business: Standards
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to page nine of the Plan for Growth, published in March 2011, what progress he has made in benchmarking of the UK against best practice around the world; if he will publish benchmarks carried out; and if he will make a statement. [93942]
Mr Prisk
[holding answer 6 February 2012]: Government Departments' Quarterly Data Summaries report on UK performance against relevant international indicators. For example, the Summary for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills includes indicators from
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the World Bank Doing Business Report and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The Government are committed to creating the right conditions for businesses to succeed, removing barriers that are preventing them from performing to their full potential. The Plan for Growth and the 2011 autumn statement set out a wide-ranging package of more than 280 measures to build a stronger and more balanced economy. These measures are currently being implemented.
Business: Taxation
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the possibility of using communications between HM Revenue and Customs and business taxpayers as a vehicle for conveying advice and support from his Department to businesses. [94217]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 7 February 2012]:We are already working closely with HM Revenue and Customs to improve Government communications with business and we will continue to do so.
Companies: Manpower
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies in each region employed more than (a) 50, (b) 100 and (c) 250 employees in 2010-11. [94620]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many companies in each region employed more than (a) 50, (b) 100 and (c) 250 employees in 2010-11. [94620]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release; UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at
www.statistics.gov.uk
These estimates relate to the count of live businesses in March of each year.
The table below provides estimates for the number of companies in each region that employed more than (a) 50, (b) 100 and (c) 250 employees in 2010-11.
| Count of enterprises by region and employee size band for 2010 and 2011 | ||||||||
| Employee s ize band | ||||||||
| 50-99 | 100-249 | 250+ | Total | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | |
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