Influenza: International Co-operation
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department he expects to attend the forthcoming conference on the H5N1 flu virus in Geneva. [94881]
Mr Willetts: No Ministers or officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will be attending the forthcoming conference on the H5N1 flu virus in Geneva.
Innovation
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect of value-based pricing on innovation. [95237]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 559W
Mr Willetts: The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has been working closely with the Department of Health on the latter's consideration of a move to a value-based pricing system for pharmaceuticals.
This work is ongoing with a consultation stage impact assessment having been published by the Department for Health alongside a consultation document. The Government's response to this consultation was published on 18 July 2011.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is now working with the Department of Health in analysing the impact that changes in regulatory pricing regimes may have on the innovation decisions within the pharmaceutical industry. This analysis will contribute to the Department of Health's final stage impact assessment of value-based pricing which will be published in 2013.
Nuclear Power
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to his Department was of participation in the January 2012 Civil Nuclear Export Showcase, organised by UK Trade and Investment; how many officials of his Department attended the event; what the outcome of the meeting was; and if he will make a statement. [94671]
Mr Prisk: The UK Civil Nuclear Energy Showcase held in London between 25 and 26 January this year, resulted in costs of £35,758 to UK Trade & Investment's (UKTI) programme budget. This figure does not include the travel and subsistence costs of participating officials, which were drawn from a number of locally held budgets.
14 UKTI officials took part—six from the UK and eight from overseas accompanying the overseas delegates.
The event resulted in 34 overseas delegates gaining important insights into the capabilities of the UK civil nuclear supply chain and 131 UK delegates receiving briefings on civil nuclear plans in Russia, Jordan, Latvia, China, Thailand, India, South Africa, the Czech Republic, South Korea and Vietnam.
Feedback so far has been highly favourable: UK and overseas delegates were satisfied with the quality of the contacts made and information exchanged and expressed optimism about the prospects for future business.
Regional Assistance: Northern Ireland
Vernon Coaker: (1) To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the value to the Northern Ireland economy of automatic assisted area status. [94744]
(2) To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the Northern Ireland economy of the loss of automatic assisted area status. [94745]
Mr Prisk:
The UK Government have carried out a consultation on removing Northern Ireland's 100% automatic assisted area status from the Industrial Development Act 1982 and will be issuing a response shortly. The response will be informed by the available
20 Feb 2012 : Column 560W
evidence which includes evidence on the potential effect on the Northern Ireland economy. However it should be noted that although removing the automatic 100% assisted area coverage could restrict the geographical location of where regional aid is given, it would not in itself mean that Northern Ireland would be able to give less regional aid.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on retaining automatic assisted area status for Northern Ireland. [94746]
Mr Prisk: The decision on whether Northern Ireland should retain its 100% automatic assisted area status as set out in the Industrial Development Act 1982 is a decision for the UK Government and as such I have not discussed this with my EU counterparts.
Student Loan Company
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures his Department has put in place to ensure the capacity of the Student Loans Company to administer student finance in England following the changes to undergraduate tuition fee levels and student support arrangements. [94865]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has provided additional resources to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for the implementation and administration of changes to higher education student funding, as set out in the Annual Performance and Resource Agreement (APRA) letter.
The Department is working closely with SLC to ensure robust arrangements are in place so that the first student finance application cycle following the changes is administered successfully.
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the capacity of the Student Loans Company to administer student finance in England following the changes to undergraduate tuition fee levels and student support arrangements. [94864]
Mr Willetts: The delivery of changes to higher education student funding in England has been subject to rigorous risk assessment and monitoring, which covers all delivery partners’ capacity to deliver the reforms and administer student finance.
Appropriate steps will be taken to address any concerns that arise about the capacity or capability of the Student Loans Company or any others partners essential to the successful delivery and administration of the changes to higher education student funding.
Student Loan Company: Finance
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget for administration was for the Student Loans Company in each financial year since 2008-09. [94955]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 561W
Mr Willetts: The Student Loan Company's (SLC's) running cost budget is confirmed each year in an Annual Performance and Resource Agreement (APRA) letter issued by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) on behalf of the four UK Government Administrations. SLC's total resource budgets for running costs since 2008-09, as confirmed in APRA letters, are as follows:
| Financial year | Total resource budget (£) |
Student Loan Company: Manpower
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff were employed by the Student Loans Company in January (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011 and (e) 2012. [94966]
Mr Willetts: The number of staff employed by the Student Loans Company in January of each year since 2008 is as follows:
| Staff employed by SLC in January of each year | |||||
| As at January: | |||||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
Student Loan Company: Pay
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he was made aware of the arrangements for remunerating the chief executive of the Student Loans Company. [95042]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) approved the appointment and remuneration package for the Student Loans Company (SLC) chief executive put forward by the SLC Board in December 2010. BIS and SLC followed the correct processes, gaining approval from across Government, and were satisfied that the package met the relevant guidelines, including value for money.
The SLC chief executive has helped to improve the organisation. The SLC's overall performance has improved and continues to improve so that the SLC operates more effectively in the interests of students.
Students: Fees and Charges
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that any higher education institution charging fees of £6,000 per annum is collaborating with other institutions at a regional level on access issues. [91273]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 562W
Mr Willetts: Institutions intending to charge more than the £6,000 basic amount for tuition must first demonstrate to the independent Director of Fair Access what more they will do to attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These plans are finalised in approved Access Agreements.
Ministers at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills wrote to the Director of Fair Access on 10 February 2011 setting out the Government's expectations about how he should approach the approval and monitoring of new Access Agreements. The guidance set out increased expectations for the priority that institutions should give to fair access and widening participation. The guidance pointed out the effectiveness of collaborative working on widening participation, recognising that many institutions were already doing this and that Access Agreements should build on that work. We also highlighted that such collaboration also encourages the sharing of good practice.
Additionally, we suggested that the director would want to take into account the scale and nature of outreach work with schools, colleges and other organisations. The director's guidance to the sector on how to develop Access Agreements, issued March 2011, in turn emphasised the importance of collaboration between institutions in delivering long-term outreach activity with schools and colleges, both in terms of increasing coverage and avoiding duplication.
Taxation: Senior Civil Servants
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what fees his Department paid to Penna as a result of the remuneration arrangements for the Chief Executive of the Student Loans Company in the last year for which figures are available. [94850]
Mr Willetts: The Department has not made any payment to Penna in respect of remuneration arrangements for the chief executive of the Student Loans Company (SLC). Information on SLC's payments to Penna in respect of the chief executive's remuneration is contained in SLC's Annual Report and Accounts and in information provided by SLC as part of the Government's transparency agenda, both of which are available via SLC's website.
Technology and Innovation Centres
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length of time was between the Technology Strategy Board agreeing payments to business and businesses receiving (a) the first payment and (b) the entire payment in the last year for which figures are available. [95234]
Mr Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board provides a wide range of support to encourage innovation in UK businesses from small grants to individual small and medium-sized enterprises to large grants to complex multi-partner collaborative projects. On average, projects start 86 working days after the application has been approved and this includes time to undertake financial and other checks and also takes into consideration the wishes of the companies as to when they want to start the project, which is not always as soon as the funding has been approved.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 563W
The Technology Strategy Board agrees a start date with each project approved for funding. Project companies then submit claims usually on a quarterly basis.
The Technology Strategy Board supports projects with a duration from six months to five years. The final grant payment is received by companies on the completion of the project subject to satisfying the conditions of the grant offer letter or contract.
UK Trade & Investment: Visits Abroad
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to UK Trade & Investment was of (a) travel and (b) accommodation for those attending the recent World Economic Trade and Investment Forum in Davos. [93366]
Mr Prisk: The total cost to UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) of this visit will be available on the UKTI website following the publication of UKTI's audited accounts for the year ending March 2012.
The cost will include accommodation and in-country costs including some travel by car. These costs do not include air fares.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to UK Trade & Investment was of (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) entertainment at the recent World Economic Trade and Investment Forum in Davos for the UK Trade & Investment's former Special Representative for International Trade. [93367]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) does not pay for HRH the Duke of York's air fares. UKTI will contribute towards HRH the Duke of York's accommodation costs and in-country travel for the days that he attended the World Economic Forum 2012 at Davos. UKTI will also contribute to relevant associated expenses for HRH's supporting staff including in-country transfer to airports. These costs do not include in-country travel by air. There are no entertainment costs.
The total cost to UKTI of this visit will be available on the UKTI website following the publication of UKTI's audited accounts for the year ending March 2012.
Unemployment
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) who the providers are of the prevention and transition referral process for people not in education, employment or training; [91061]
(2) what funding his Department has allocated to the prevention and transition referral process for people not in education, employment or training. [91062]
Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Education.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide young people aged 16 to 19 with support to encourage, enable and assist them to participate in education or
20 Feb 2012 : Column 564W
training. This includes helping those young people who are not currently in education, employment or training to make a successful return to learning.
We want to ensure that local authorities have the freedom to deliver this responsibility in a way that best meets the needs of local people. Each local authority will work with a range of organisations to ensure that young people in their area receive the support they need.
Local authorities are able to fund this activity from within the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). £2,232 million has been allocated to local authorities in England in 2011-12 and £2,365 million will be allocated in 2012-13 through the Grant. The EIG brings together a number of previously centrally directed grants, providing local authorities with more flexibility to invest in preventative services.
Venture Capital
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of Government-backed venture capital schemes since 1997. [94593]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has put in place an evaluation strategy for all its equity funds. A full impact evaluation will be conducted as funds close (typically 10-12 years), with early (1-2 year) and interim (6-7 year) reviews of progress after funds are established. BIS has undertaken early stage and interim assessments of Regional Venture Capital Funds, Early Growth Funds, UK High Tech Fund, Bridges, Aspire, the Capital for Enterprise Fund and the Enterprise Capital Fund. These reports are published on the BIS website. Final evaluations for these schemes will be undertaken once sufficient time has elapsed for benefits to be realised.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to answer question 91406; and if he will explain the reasons for the time taken in answering. [95190]
Norman Lamb: I replied to the hon. Member on 8 February 2012, Official Report, column 326W.
Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills aim to respond to all questions for written answer as promptly as possible. Responses can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including the need to ensure that appropriate advice or information is sought.
Transport
A3: Hampshire
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to her answer of 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 166W, on A3: Hampshire, when she next plans that her Department will take measurements of actual traffic flows on the A3 between the Hindhead tunnel and Petersfield. [94188]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 565W
Mike Penning: Following the opening of any road scheme, the Highways Agency undertakes post-opening project evaluation (POPE) to examine whether it has brought the anticipated benefits and impacts as predicted. These are undertaken one year and five years after opening.
In line with HA procedures, a POPE will take place after the end of July 2012, when the A3 Hindhead tunnel will have been open for 12 months, and again after July 2016 when the road will have been open for five years. This evaluation will consider the changes in traffic flows among other criteria.
Air Passenger Duty
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the potential effects of setting variable air passenger duties in each constituent part of the UK. [94974]
Miss Chloe Smith: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 31W.
Cycleways
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations her Department has had on (a) improving the standard of current bridleways so that they are fit for cycling and (b) increasing the number of dedicated cycle paths on the Fylde coast. [95531]
Norman Baker: The information is as follows:
(a) The Department has had no representations regarding improving the standard of bridleways on the Fylde coast.
(b) The provision of local cycling infrastructure is a matter for the local highway authority. As well as the £1.8 billion capital funding provided through the integrated transport block during this spending review period, we are allocating £560 million to local authorities through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to support packages of measures that deliver economic growth and cut carbon. Blackpool city council's bid to Tranche 1 of the fund was rejected. Lancashire county council is expected to submit a bid for Tranche 2, the closing date for which is 24 February.
Cycling
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research her Department has commissioned on the benefits of cycling to the (a) cyclist and (b) wider community in the last three years. [94684]
Norman Baker: The Department has commissioned the following research on the benefits of cycling to the cyclist and wider community in the last three years:
Analysis and synthesis of evidence on the effects of investment in six Cycling Demonstration Towns (Slowman et al, November 2009):
20 Feb 2012 : Column 566W
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/analysis-and-synthesis-of-evidence-on-the-effects-of-investment-in-six-cycling-demonstration-towns/cyclingdemotowns.pdf
Valuing increased cycling in the Cycling Demonstration Towns (Sustrans & Cavill Associates, December 2009):
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094607/http://www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland/site/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/valuing-increased-cycling-in-the-cycling-demonstration-towns.pdf
Cycling Demonstration Towns Development of Benefit-Cost Ratios (DfT, February 2010):
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094607/http://www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cdts-development-of-benefit-cost-ratios.pdf
Road Safety Web Publication No. 17: Cycling, Safety and Sharing the Road: Qualitative Research with Cyclists and Other Road Users (Christmas et al, September 2010):
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/safety-cycling-and-sharing-the-road-qualitative-research-with-cyclists-and-other-road-users/rswp17.pdf
Climate Change and Transport Choices: Segmentation Study Interim Report (TNS-BMRB, December 2010):
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/climate-change-and-transport-choices/
Research to explore perceptions and experiences of Bikeability training among parents and children (Ipsos MORI, December 2010):
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/research-to-explore-perceptions-and-experiences-of-bikeability-training-amongst-parents-and-children/bikeabilitytraining.pdf
New Ways to Increase Cycling: Lessons from the Finding New Solutions Programme (Arup, April 2011)
We have commissioned research to examine Bikeability delivery data and mode of travel to school data in order to identify any emerging trends. This will be published in spring 2012.
Evaluation of the Cycling City and Towns programme (A consortium led by AECOM working with the University of the West of England and The Tavistock Institute, ongoing). The evaluation will explore the benefits of cycling via a range of research activities which are summarised on the Department's website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/cycling-city-and-towns-programme
An interim evaluation report published January 2010
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/cycling-city-and-towns-programme-interim-report
Analysis investigating the potential health benefits of increasing cycling in the Cycling City and Towns, (Cavill Associates, is currently being completed and will be published in line with the Government Social Research publication protocol
http://www.dft.gov.Uk/topics/science-research/social/
20 Feb 2012 : Column 567W
Further research on the Cycling Demonstration Towns can be found at:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094607/http://www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland/cycling-cities-towns/results/
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to (a) discourage cyclists from riding on pavements and (b) promote cyclist confidence in respect of cycling on roads. [95482]
Norman Baker: The information is as follows:
(a) The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for the police. A fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £30 was introduced in 1999, which provides the police with a direct means of dealing with illegal cycling on the pavement. The police can issue this fine as appropriate, or prosecute alleged offenders, where the maximum fine is £500.
(b) Bikeability is “cycling proficiency” for the 21st century, and gives people the skills and confidence to cycle safely and well in modern road conditions. The Department has committed to support Bikeability for the remainder of this Parliament and is currently providing grant funding of up to £11 million per year for Bikeability training in schools.
Bikeability is for all ages. There is a range of training available to suit all requirements from the complete beginner wanting to boost their confidence to those
20 Feb 2012 : Column 568W
wanting to develop more advanced skills. The Bikeability website contains further information for those wishing to find a suitable cycle training provider:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/the-three-levels/cycling-skills-for-adults/
Driving Offences
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of drivers who had their driving licences revoked within (i) a year and (ii) two years of passing their driving test in each of the last five years. [94008]
Mike Penning: The information requested is not readily available and would incur disproportionate costs to gather.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of drivers who were issued three penalty points within (i) a year and (ii) two years of passing their driving test in each of the last five years. [94009]
Mike Penning: The information requested is shown in the following table for the last four years. Offences that obtain three penalty points are removed after four years, earlier information is not available. Only partial information is available for the figures highlighted in bold, as offences are still updating the driver's record.
| Number of driving tests passed | Number of drivers who incurred three penalty points within one year of passing | Percentage | Number of drivers who incurred three penalty points within two years of passing | Percentage | |
Driving Tests: Bury
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2011, Official Report, column 488W, on driving tests: Bury, on what date the works at Bury Driving Test Centre will commence. [95215]
Mike Penning: The driving test centre at Bury is expected to reopen by the end of March 2012.
The reopening has been delayed as there was a need for structural and asbestos surveys prior to issuing contract tenders. Works are forecast to begin in late February 2012 and will be completed in late March 2012.
Driving under Influence: Rehabilitation
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 638W, on driving under the influence: rehabilitation, what meetings (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have had with all potential providers of drink drive rehabilitation courses who (i) do and (ii) do not currently operate in the sector. [95155]
Mike Penning: Driving Standards Agency (DSA) officials have conducted routine inspection visits to 20 of the 21 existing Drink Drive Rehabilitation (DDR) course providers since July 2009. The remaining provider will be visited later this year.
Agency officials have also attended regular Association of Drink Drive Providers of Training (ADDAPT) management meetings, and quarterly ADDAPT ‘full members' meetings to update them on DDR developments, and to resolve business as usual DDR matters.
A total of 40 expressions of interest in providing DDR courses under the new arrangement have been received since the launch of the “New Approval Arrangements for Drink-Drive Rehabilitation Courses” consultation was launched on 9 November 2011. These include expressions of interest submitted by existing course providers.
DSA officials attended a meeting with AA Drivetech in January 2011 where DDR was a scheduled agenda item.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 569W
Fylde
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to upgrade (a) rolling stock and (b) station facilities on the South Fylde line. [94828]
Mrs Villiers: The Northern franchise is due to be replaced between September 2013 and April 2014. As part of the Government's revised rail franchising policy, the winning bidder will be given new powers and incentives to invest in and improve stations across the franchise, including the South Fylde line.
The Government's North West electrification programme will facilitate the release of diesel rolling stock, which could be redeployed to enhance service provision and capacity.
There are also currently a number of active station adoption groups on the line which support the train operating company in maintaining the appearances of a number of the stations.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what comparison her Department has made of journey times between (a) the East Midlands and cities in the North East and (b) London and Birmingham in formulating its proposals for High Speed 2. [88916]
Justine Greening: Journey times from the East Midlands to the cities of the North East are an important consideration. For this reason, impacts upon journey times will form part of HS2 Ltd's advice on the route and station options for Phase 2 of the network, which will be delivered to me in March this year.
It should be noted that HS2 will bring a number of benefits including journey time savings and wider connectivity, but also increased rail capacity. The HS2 route from London to the West Midlands will create a much needed step change in capacity on this key inter-city route, to combat increased overcrowding on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line. Meeting this capacity challenge was key to my decision to proceed with the HS2 route from London to the West Midlands.
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Environment Protection
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 29 November 2011, Official Report, column 889W, on High Speed 2 railway line, for what reason she will not commission an environmental impact assessment prior to making the decision to proceed with the high speed rail scheme. [87654]
Justine Greening: We have published an Appraisal of Sustainability of a new London to West Midlands high speed rail line. Following my announcement on 10 January I have asked HS2 Ltd to commence work on an environmental impact assessment (EIA). The EIA will be developed for scrutiny by Parliament which ultimately will need to give powers to build any new high speed rail line.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 570W
Large Goods Vehicles: Sleep Apnoea
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea among lorry drivers. [93925]
Mike Penning: The Department is committed to identifying opportunities to raise awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea. A number of initiatives are ongoing with commercial drivers including questioning them directly about it as part of the compulsory medicals they undergo for driver licensing purposes and sending our ‘Tiredness Can Kill’ leaflet to them and their employers.
Metal Theft
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has made an estimate of (a) the value of metal stolen from railways in the Tees Valley in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011 and (b) costs incurred by (A) Network Rail and (B) train operating companies owing to the theft of metal from railways in the Tees Valley in (1) 2010 and (2) 2011. [93475]
Norman Baker: The cost of metal theft to Network Rail on the London North Eastern route, in which the Tees Valley falls, was £3,534,219 in 2010-11 and £3,677,700 in 2011-12 (up until 7 January 2012). This cost includes schedule 8 compensation payments to train operating companies. The Department does not have information on the value of the stolen metal itself.
Network Rail
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by the previous Secretary of State for Transport to Network Rail, to which he referred in evidence to the Transport Select Committee on 26 July 2010. [94465]
Mrs Villiers: A copy of the letter has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Network Rail: Pay
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has appointed a special director to sit on Network Rail's Remuneration Committee; and how many meetings of that committee any such special director has attended. [94455]
Mrs Villiers: Since Network Rail was created no Secretary of State has appointed a special director to its Remuneration Committee. However, as the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) has set out, proposals to strengthen the corporate governance of Network Rail will form part of the forthcoming Rail Command Paper.
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the (a) chairman and (b) chief executive of Network Rail on (i) the company’s annual executive bonus scheme and (ii) its Gainshare plan. [94466]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 571W
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), communicates regularly with Network Rail’s chairman and chief executive across a wide range of issues.
These constructive discussions will underpin the further work around the reform of Network Rail’s governance, geared to improving the company’s accountability to customers and taxpayers. Further details will be set out in the Command Paper on rail reform which we will publish shortly.
Procurement
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to publish her Department's review of the application of EU procurement law. [94220]
Mike Penning [holding answer 7 February 2012]: The Growth Review's outcome of public procurement practices was included in the 29 November 2011 Autumn Statement, Official Report, columns 799-810. The review compared UK procurement practices with those in Europe, particularly in France and Germany.
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude)’s speech on 21 November highlighted that European procurement practices complied with European law but there were significant areas in which public procurement practices could be improved to enable UK based businesses to best prepare to effectively compete for public procurement contracts.
The Department is, in conjunction with other Government Departments, finalising its action plans which will be announced in the spring.
Railways: Accidents
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of trains colliding with hanging wire as a result of overhead cable theft on railway lines were recorded in 2011. [95477]
Norman Baker: This information is collected by Network Rail, the infrastructure manager, and not the Department for Transport.
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of train drivers injured as a result of trains colliding with hanging wire on railway lines were recorded in 2011. [95478]
Mrs Villiers: The Office of Rail Regulation and the Rail Safety and Standards Board collate figures of incidents and accidents on the railway that are reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
Both these bodies publish annual reports in which such rail safety statistics are set out. Pages 101 to 103 of the RSSB Annual Safety Report for 2010-11 provides data on the number of incidents occurring to train drivers that resulted in injury or fatality during that period. This can be found at the following link:
www.rssb.co.uk/SPR/REPORTS/Pages/default.aspx
20 Feb 2012 : Column 572W
However, these statistics do not specifically reference wire related injuries. The hon. Member might wish to contact the organisations directly to discuss figures applicable to this specific injury type.
Railways: Construction
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to publish the high level output specifications and statements of funds available for Network Rail's construction phase 5. [95050]
Mrs Villiers: The High Level Output Specification and the Statement of Funds available will be published by July 2012.
Railways: Franchises
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable she has set for the renewal of rail franchises in the next three years; and what timetable she has set for (a) publication of prior information notice, (b) publication of invitation to tender and (c) award of contract for each franchise. [94414]
Mike Penning: The forward timetable for the re-letting of rail franchises was described in a written statement on 5 August 2011, and in a Prior Information Notice published on the same day. This set out the timetable for the renewal of rail franchises over the next three years, including arrangements for the Northern and Transpennine Express franchises. The statement and Prior Information Notice are available on the Department for Transport website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/statements/hammond-20110805
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/rail-franchising-pin
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in her Department work on franchise specification, renewal and management; and how many such staff work on each franchise. [94416]
Mike Penning: The requested information is shown in the following table.
| Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff | |
These figures show the staff available in the relevant divisions. However, the number of individual staff members working on specific franchises varies throughout the life of a contract, depending on a variety of factors, including franchise performance, both operational or financial, or such things as whether any large contractual variation is being progressed. Certain specialist resource, such as finance, will work across a number of franchises at all times.
Railways: Passengers
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) train operating companies and (b) routes provide her Department with peak passenger count data; and which of these routes were over capacity in the peak periods in the latest period for which figures are available. [94417]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 573W
Mrs Villiers: Franchised train operators are required by the Department to undertake passenger counts as part of their franchise agreement.
The operators that are currently franchised by the Department are: c2c, Chiltern Railways, Crosscountry, East Coast, East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, First Great Western, Greater Anglia, London Midland, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South West Trains, TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains.
Passenger counts are requested from all these operators twice yearly, in the spring and autumn. In addition, the Department routinely collects count data from Arriva Trains Wales and London Overground, which are franchised by the Welsh Government and Transport for London respectively. Merseyrail, which is franchised by Merseytravel, has also provided the Department with count data.
Passenger count data submitted to the Department show the average number of passengers arriving at or departing from major stations on each service on a typical weekday. Data at a service or route level are commercially confidential and so cannot be released without the permission of the relevant train operator.
However, aggregate statistics on peak crowding and passenger demand are published in chapter 2 of the Office of Rail Regulation’s National Rail Trends 2010-11 Yearbook, which is available at the following link:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2026
These statistics are based on passenger count data provided by the Department and show peak demand into London and other cities in autumn 2010, the latest period for which data are currently available. For each main London terminal and major regional city information given includes the percentage of peak services where, on a typical day, the number of passengers exceeded the seating capacity provided.
Roads: Accidents
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers of (a) all ages and (b) over the age of 70 years have died while driving a road vehicle in each year between 2007 and 2010. [93827]
Mike Penning: Table 1 shows the number of driver/rider fatalities of motor vehicles in reported road accidents, by driver/rider age, in Great Britain over 2007-10. The fatality figures include all casualties who sustained injuries which caused death within 30 days of the accident.
| Table 1: Reported road accident driver/rider fatalities of motor vehicles, by driver/rider age GB: 2007-10 | ||
| Age of driver/rider | ||
| (a) All ages (1) | (b) Aged over 70 years | |
| (1) Includes cases where age was not reported. | ||
Roadworks
Jeremy Lefroy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of utility roadworks outside commercial premises on levels
20 Feb 2012 : Column 574W
of business; and if she will take steps to
(a)
minimise these effects and
(b)
compensate small businesses for the financial consequences of prolonged works. [95001]
Norman Baker: The Department has made no specific assessment, although we recognise that on occasions roadworks can affect levels of business in commercial premises. We have no current plans to provide arrangements for compensation beyond those already provided for, namely the Gas (Street Works) (Compensation of Small Businesses) Regulations 1996 and the Water Industry Act 1991, which provide for compensation to be paid in certain circumstances in respect of loss or damage caused by gas- and water-related street works. However, we are taking steps to reduce the disruption caused by street works, including the wider application of permit schemes, the piloting of lane rental, and the introduction of the performance scorecard. Further information about these initiatives may be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/road-management/street-works/
Shipping: Security
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to issue more detailed guidance on the use of armed guards on UK-flagged shipping. [94484]
Mike Penning: As I stated when the “Interim guidance to UK flagged shipping on the use of armed guards to defend against the threat of piracy in exceptional circumstances” was published it will be reviewed in its entirety by December 2012.
However, in response to the recent Foreign Affairs Committee report the Department for Transport has convened a meeting with relevant Government Departments to explore if there is scope for moderate further clarification in the guidance as to what the UK law says on the use of force in self defence, defence of others, defence of property, the prevention of crime and lawful arrest. This specific further guidance will be issued in line with the timings agreed in the FAC response.
Shipping: Training
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much and what proportion of the cost of training seafarers was borne by the public purse in each year since 2001. [94461]
Mike Penning: Since 2001 the Department for Transport has spent the following under the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme:
| £ | |
| (1 )Forecast. | |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 575W
There are 12 colleges and universities around the UK that provide seafarer education and training programmes. College fees vary, and companies do not report their own contribution to the costs of training, making it difficult to provide an accurate assessment of the proportion of the cost of training seafarers that is funded through SMarT.
In the written ministerial statement I made on 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 5WS, I announced the outcome of the independent review which I commissioned into the economic requirement for trained seafarers in the UK. The consultants for the review found that SMarT at the current level of £12 million per year was covering up to 40% of all of the costs of training seafarers.
South Wales Railway Line: Electrification
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the planned phasing is for electrifying the Great Western main line railway to Cardiff; and what the estimated cost is of each phase. [92240]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 30 January 2012]:Network Rail plans to deliver the electrification of the Great Western in two phases which include connections to the national grid. In 2010 at an earlier stage of project development, Network Rail estimated that the first phase between Maidenhead and Newbury, Oxford and Bristol which is scheduled to be complete by 2016 would cost in the region of £574 million. The second phase between Bristol and Cardiff would cost £130 million and be ready by 2017.
Transport: Finance
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of expenditure by her Department allocated to local authority major transport schemes has been allocated to each (a) local transport authority and (b) integrated transport authority in England in each year from 2007-08 to 2014-15. [94622]
Norman Baker: I have placed in the House Library a table setting out the annual grant expenditure paid to individual local authorities and integrated transport authorities for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12 inclusive. The 2011-12 figures are based on current forecast outturn of expenditure.
Individual allocations for 2012-13 through to 2014-15 will be finalised at the start of each financial year. For schemes currently under construction, these allocations will be informed by previous expenditure and the promoting authorities' forecasts of annual expenditure for future years. For schemes given programme entry approval in February 2011, details of funding contributions are available on the Department's website at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/investment-in-local-major-transport-schemes-update/transportschemesupdate.pdf
In October 2011 conditional approval was given to funding the Mersey Gateway Bridge scheme (Halton borough council). Further details are set out at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20111003a/
20 Feb 2012 : Column 576W
For schemes given programme entry approval in November/December 2011, details of the Department's funding contributions are available at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-authority-major-transport-schemes/investment-local-major-update-dec2011.pdf
West Coast Railway Line
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent her Department's review of the application of EU procurement law will inform the tender process for the West Coast Mainline franchise. [94221]
Mike Penning [holding answer 7 February 2012]: The outcome of the Growth Review's consideration of the application of EU public procurement law in the UK and Europe was included in the 29 November 2011 autumn statement. It proposed a number of initiatives to enable business to better prepare to effectively compete for public procurement contracts. These initiatives are largely focussed on preparing the market in advance of the tender process.
The Intercity West Coast bidders were consulted on the development of the Invitation to Tender prior to its issue in January.
Communities and Local Government
Aerials: Planning Permission
Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider commissioning a review of planning legislation as it applies to mobile telephone masts. [95029]
Robert Neill: We have no current plans to review this specific legislation.
Affordable Housing
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to increase the supply of affordable housing in (a) the South East and (b) nationally. [94497]
Andrew Stunell: Through the new Affordable Homes Programme the Homes and Communities Agency currently expects to deliver 15,246 new affordable homes in their East and South East operating area between April 2011 and April 2015. Commitments from the previous programme will produce a further 13,760 affordable homes. In England, 146 providers will deliver 80,000 new affordable homes with Government funding of just under £1.8 billion by April 2015. These figures may change subject to signing remaining contracts with providers.
Overall, with our total investment of £4.5 billion, we expect to provide up to 170,000 new affordable homes in England between 2011 and 2015, compared with the 150,000 originally estimated.
The New Homes Bonus also rewards councils for helping provide more affordable housing. Our empty homes programme will support vacant properties being brought back into use as affordable housing, and the Community Right to Build will help provide low-cost homes for local families and residents.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 577W
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2012, Official Report, columns 242-43, on council tax rates and rating, if he will publish a table showing how many of the net additions to the housing stock in each council tax band qualified for the affordable homes premium in each local authority in England in 2010-11. [R] [95015]
Grant Shapps: Between April 2010 and April 2011 there were 60,640 additional affordable homes qualifying for the premium, which totals £21 million and will be provided in 2012-13.
The enhancement to the New Homes Bonus for affordable homes is calculated from the official statistics published by the Department on gross additional affordable supply. These statistics are based on administrative data from the Homes and Communities Agency and returns by local authorities and these sources do not capture information on the council tax band of each property.
The main New Homes Bonus grant is calculated separately, using the data provided on the council tax base form to calculate the increase in housing stock. The council tax base does not identify how many homes in each band are affordable properties.
Two-thirds of the additional homes that the bonus rewarded in Year 2 (October 2010 to October 2011) were in bands A to C, and therefore are clearly lower-cost homes.
Affordable Housing: Worcester
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of new affordable homes built in Worcester constituency in each of the last 10 years. [85037]
Grant Shapps: The local level information collected on provision of affordable housing in England relates to local authority areas.
Aggregate data on additions to the affordable housing stock, including both new build and acquisitions, which can be a more cost effective and quicker way of providing affordable housing, are published at local level on an annual basis. The information is available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/2001308.xls
Departmental Manpower
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff were on his Department's payroll in (a) June 2010, (b) June 2011 and (c) January 2012. [94547]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and local Government had:
(a) 2,110 staff (2,051 full-time equivalent staff) on payroll as of 30 June 2010
(b) 2024 staff (1,962 full-time equivalent staff) on payroll as of 30 June 2011
(c) 1,907 staff (1,848 full-time equivalent staff) on payroll as of 31 January 2012
20 Feb 2012 : Column 578W
However, these figures include staff transferred into the department, in April and July 2011, to undertake the residual functions of the abolished Government offices for the regions and the regional development agencies.
As part of the spending review settlement the DCLG Group is making a collective 33% real terms saving against its running costs by 2014-15. This equates to savings of over £200 million by 2014-15. In addition, the Department will save a further £190 million from the closure of the Government offices for the regions, taking overall savings on administrative running costs to 42% across the DCLG Group by 2014-15.
These savings reflect the coalition Government's agenda of decentralisation, ending the micromanagement of local government, the abolition of regional government, and the broader need to tackle the deficit left by the last Administration.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in Richmond Park constituency were subject to an empty dwellings management order in the latest period for which figures are available. [95048]
Andrew Stunell: The Residential Property Tribunal has not issued any interim empty dwelling management orders for the London boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames, and therefore no empty dwelling management orders have been made in those boroughs.
Ex-servicemen
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to enable local authorities to identify veterans living in their area. [94059]
Grant Shapps: Last year, I wrote to all local authorities in England inviting them to strengthen their contacts with members of the armed forces community and encouraging them to sign up to a community covenant. My letter recognised that some local authorities were already working closely with local armed forces communities, and were reaching out to the veteran community.
To encourage closer working between local authorities and armed forces communities, a community covenant website was launched to identify good practice, with £30 million of Government funding to support projects that built links and promoted understanding.
Additionally, last year I held a military covenant housing summit with representatives from the military, charity and local authority sectors to explore the housing issues faced by current and former service personnel. Among the various measures being taken following the summit, a number of actions will help veterans. We are:
giving service personnel top priority for Government-funded home ownership schemes, including the FirstBuy scheme, and prioritising military personnel and their families for up to a year after active service ends;
20 Feb 2012 : Column 579W
providing tailored support through housing experts visiting military bases across the country to explain to service personnel how they can apply for one of the many new homes that will be built in the next few years;
currently consulting on plans to change the law so that former personnel with urgent housing needs are always given high priority on waiting lists and so that personnel who move from base to base do not lose their qualification rights;
proposing to give local authorities greater freedom to dispose of vacant council homes at right to buy discounts to local people which could include existing or former military personnel;
providing support for wounded service personnel through increased funding for home adaptations, so that personnel returning from active service with serious injuries can live independently with dignity and respect;
working with homelessness and veteran experts to help ex-service personnel who find the transition back to civilian life difficult;
providing £1.5 million (two-year funding) to help Rushmoor borough council and other councils support the integration of retired Gurkhas, who, having served in the British Army, now wish to settle in the UK.
Fire Services: Wirral
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the resilience of fire and rescue services in the Wirral of the reduction in the grant for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services in 2011-12. [94457]
Robert Neill: As the delivery of fire and rescue services are a local matter, determined by individual fire and rescue authorities, no formal assessment of the effect on resilience of fire and rescue services in the Wirral has been undertaken by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
I also refer the hon. Member to my letter of 6 December 2010 to the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, which outlines how fire and rescue authorities can make sensible savings without impacting on the quality and breadth of services offered to their communities.
Housing: Water
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he offers the building industry on the need to promote water efficiency in new housing. [94690]
Andrew Stunell: The Building Regulations set a calculated whole building performance standard for water use in new homes, currently at 125 litres/person/day. The Department publishes statutory guidance on how to comply with this requirement in “Approved Document G” to the Building Regulations.
The Department publishes a “Technical Guide to The Code for Sustainable Homes” for use in evaluating the water efficiency of new homes.
In order to help developers demonstrate that the water performance of the building is less than the limits given in the Building Regulations and the Code for Sustainable Homes, the Department publishes a calculation methodology in the “Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings”.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 580W
Housing: Worcester
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been registered in Worcester constituency for each of the last 20 years. [85039]
Grant Shapps: The local level information collected on house building in England relates to local authority areas.
Data on new build housing completions (and starts) are published at local level on an annual basis. Information for years from 2004-05 onwards is available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1474276.xls
The available data for the Worcester local authority area for earlier years are as follows:
| Number | |
| n/a = Not available Source: Quarterly building control returns submitted to DCLG by local authorities and the National House Building Council. Where the local authority has not submitted a quarterly return to DCLG, no figure has been presented for any 12-month period that includes the missing quarter. | |
Incinerators: North Yorkshire
Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for his Department's consideration of the request for the call-in of the Allerton Park incinerator application in North Yorkshire. [94423]
Robert Neill: The general approach of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so and his policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications. The planning application for the Allerton Park incinerator is currently being considered by North Yorkshire county council who anticipate being in a position to make a decision in July following completion of an ecological survey on the site.
If the county council is minded to approve the application, the council will make their committee report available to my officials who will then consider whether the Secretary of State's intervention in this application would be appropriate or not. A decision in respect of this will be made as expediently as possible once all relevant information has been received.
Local Government: Pensions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data are submitted to his Department by (1) local authorities that are part of the Local Government Pension Scheme; [94551]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 581W
(2) the administering bodies of the Local Government Pension Scheme. [94552]
Robert Neill: Local authorities and administering bodies submit local government pension scheme data to DCLG by means of the annual SF3 “Local Government Pension Scheme Funds” forms. A copy of the form, along with the associated guidance notes, can be found on the DCLG website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/usefulinformation/formstimetable/otherforms/
Once collected, checked and validated, the data are published in a statistical release that is published on the DCLG website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/pensionscheme/
In addition, DCLG collect on behalf of HM Treasury, pension liability data as part of the Whole of Government Accounts data collection. The data are collected on Tab 11 of the Whole of Government Accounts form which is available on the DCLG website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/xls/l91922611112.xls
Mayors: Referendum
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of holding referenda on directly elected mayors in each region. [93579]
Greg Clark [holding answer 6 February 2012]: My Department's impact assessment, ‘Localism Bill: creating executive mayors in the 12 largest English cities’, published in January 2011, showed that the total cost of holding mayoral referendums in England's largest cities is:
| £ | |
These costs will be met by central Government, not the council.
Mobile Homes
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the guidance issued by his Department on the management of mobile home parks. [95047]
Grant Shapps:
In 2008 the Department published guidance in the form of model standards for residential mobile homes parks which local authorities are required to have regard to in setting conditions in site licences
20 Feb 2012 : Column 582W
that they issue. I am planning to consult in the spring on a range of measures to improve the effectiveness of the licensing regime by giving local authorities the powers to resource their functions and take enforcement action where licence conditions are breached. I shall also be consulting on improving residents' rights to ensure they are able to sell their homes in the open market and to reflect their status as home owners.
Mortgages: First-Time Buyers
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the number of potential first-time buyers unable to buy a newly-built home due to the level of deposit required by most mortgage lenders; [95205]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that newly-built homes are affordable; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of deposits required by mortgage lenders on affordability. [95233]
Grant Shapps: We estimate that there are around a million people, including 380,000 aspiring first-time buyers, who can afford mortgage repayments but are excluded from the housing market because they do not have a large enough deposit.
That is why I have announced the NewBuy Guarantee Scheme which means that mortgages of up to 95% loan to value will be available for new build homes in England following a scheme launch next month. The scheme is designed to help up to 100,000 households.
In addition, through FirstBuy, the Government and around 100 house builders will together provide £400 million to assist first-time buyers to purchase a new build property in England. The FirstBuy 20% equity loan can reduce the deposit needed by purchasers to just 5% and will help almost 10,500 aspiring home owners by spring 2013.
We are also reinvigorating the right to buy—which has helped millions of people enjoy the benefits of home ownership—giving a new generation of tenants the opportunity to own their own home. The consultation, which closed on 2 February, gave details of our proposals to raise the upper limit on the right-to-buy discount entitlement to £50,000 across England. This is more than three times the current maximum cap in London and provides substantial increases in other areas. And significantly, for the first time, the additional receipts will be used to fund the delivery of new affordable rented homes on a one for one basis.
Furthermore, I have hosted two first-time buyer summits bringing together leading figures representing house builders, lenders, insurers, local authorities and consumer groups to stimulate action and fresh thinking. Several innovative schemes to help first-time buyers have been announced by lenders and developers and there are more in the pipeline.
Our approach to reducing the inherited and unprecedented UK deficit has also resulted in interest payments for mortgages that are currently the lowest as a proportion of total income since records began.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 583W
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in Lancashire he expects to participate in the New Build indemnity scheme. [94825]
Grant Shapps: We have made provision to help up to 100,000 home buyers secure higher loan to value mortgages in England for new build properties. It will be for potential homebuyers in each local area to decide which mortgages and properties are right for them.
Non-domestic Rates: Uprating
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received on increasing the uniform business rate by RPI in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [94752]
Robert Neill: We have received a number of representations from business organisations and individual businesses about the retail prices index increase for 2012-13.
We are giving businesses the option of spreading the retail prices index increase for 2012-13 over the next three years. Businesses will be able to defer payment of 60% of the retail prices index increase in their 2012-13 rates bills until 2013-14 and 2014-15. This will give businesses flexibility to manage their rates bills in the current economic climate, help their cash flow, and give them time to adjust to the impact of inflation.
We have also doubled small business rate relief for two and a half years (which will include the whole of 2012-13) benefiting about half a million ratepayers (with about a third of a million paying no rates at all for that period). In addition, we have also taken powers, through the Localism Act, to give local authorities powers to provide discounts on business rates bills as they see fit.
Planning Permission
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish the revised National Planning Policy Framework; and if he will make a statement. [94573]
Greg Clark [holding answer 9 February 2012]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 14 November 2011, Official Report, columns 661-2W.
Race Relations
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department were working on race equality (a) in May 2010 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available. [94366]
Andrew Stunell: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to PQ 94499 today on the Government's current position on tackling race inequalities.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 584W
All staff working on my Department's policies and programmes contribute to addressing race inequalities though their day to day jobs.
A total of 30 staff within DCLG's Decentralisation and Big Society Directorate currently work specifically on policies and exemplar projects on integration, of which tackling race inequalities forms an integral part. None of these projects was in place in May 2010.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many invitations Ministers in his Department have received to external events focused on race equality since May 2010; and how many such events Ministers in his Department have attended. [94368]
Robert Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and his Ministerial team are from time to time invited to external events focussed on race equality. Details of all meetings held by Ministers with external organisations are published by the Department on a quarterly basis, and are available at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparency ingovernment/ministerialdata/
Details of all invitations received since May 2010 are not readily available, and could be retrieved only at disproportionate cost.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department work on race equality. [94499]
Andrew Stunell: The Government are tackling race inequality through their single equality strategy, social mobility strategy, their integration policy and the major policies and programmes which are the responsibility of each Department.
Each Department is responsible for addressing race inequalities in all aspects of its work, and for meeting its obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Local authorities, other public bodies, private sector and voluntary sector organisations also play an important role.
In addition, a total of 30 staff within DCLG's Decentralisation and Big Society Directorate currently work specifically on policies and exemplar projects on integration, of which tackling race inequality forms an integral part.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many speeches Ministers in his Department have made on race equality since May 2010. [95069]
Andrew Stunell: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), and his ministerial team have undertaken a number of speaking engagements on issues around integration and race equality. Details of all speeches, statements and articles are published by the Department and are available at:
http://communities.gov.uk/corporate/newsroom/speeches statements/
20 Feb 2012 : Column 585W
Right to Buy Scheme
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of housing association tenants in England have (a) the right to buy and (b) preserved right to buy. [94962]
Grant Shapps: The Department does not hold this information.
However, the Tenant Services Authority's Regulatory Statistical Return (which covers larger housing associations) estimates that about 8,000 tenants are eligible for the right to buy. This represents less than 1% of all housing association tenants.
Additionally, the consultation on reinvigorating the right to buy and one for one replacement, published on 22 December, estimates that 620,000 tenants, having transferred in their homes from a local authority to a housing association, are currently eligible for the preserved right to buy. This represents around 25% of all housing association tenants.
Sustainable Communities Act 2007
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what powers he intends to devolve to parish and town councils through changes to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and if he will make a statement; [94578]
(2) whether he plans to remove the duty to try and reach agreement in the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and if he will make a statement; [94579]
(3) when his Department plans to lay further regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and if he will make a statement. [94580]
Greg Clark [holding answer 9 February 2012]: The Government are considering the scope of the regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 following the consultation exercise conducted last year. We are aiming to make the regulations shortly. A summary of responses will be published in due course.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he expects regulations to be made under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 to retain the duty on councils to try to reach agreement with local people when they produce proposals under that Act. [94834]
Greg Clark: The Government are considering the scope of the regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 following the consultation exercise conducted last year. We are aiming to make the regulations shortly. A summary of responses will be published in due course.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the application made by Dorset county council for a grant towards the cost of establishing a Traveller transit site at Uddens in Dorset and his Department's decision letter on the application. [95165]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 586W
Robert Neill: The application in question was made under the Traveller Pitch Funding programme which is part of the 2011-15 Affordable Homes programme administered by the Homes and Communities Agency. I have arranged for copies of the relevant correspondence between Dorset county council and the Homes and Communities Agency to be placed in the Library of the House.
Urban Areas: Regeneration
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he plans to use to assess town centres bidding to become Portas pilots. [94542]
Grant Shapps: The selection of Portas pilots will be based on the following criteria. These were set out in the prospectus published on 4 February, available on the DCLG website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/documents/regeneration/pdf/2082386.pdf
Mix—we are seeking pilot areas from a variety of high streets and town centres or smaller parades of shops, including market towns, villages, large towns, new towns, coastal towns and suburban areas.
Strong leadership—we are looking for pilot areas with a transformational vision for their high street and the backing to make it a reality.
Commitment—we are looking for pilot bids to demonstrate maximum commitment to the Town Team approach.
Potential for improvement—resources will be allocated on a value for money basis. Therefore, areas must be able to demonstrate the potential for improvement.
Innovation—we are looking for the most innovative ideas that will have maximum impact and could be replicated elsewhere.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which arts organisations funded by the Arts Council that are in receipt of funding in 2010-11 will have lost that funding by the end of 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [94614]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 9 February 2012]: There were 263 organisations that were regularly funded by Arts Council England (ACE) in 2010-11, who will not receive funding as National Portfolio organisations in 2012-13. The names of these organisations, their geographical region and art form have been supplied in a table by ACE which shall be deposited in both House libraries. There were 111 new organisations funded as National Portfolio organisations (2011-12) that were not regularly funded organisations (2010-11). Individual arts funding decisions are made independently of Government by ACE. This Government negotiated a substantial settlement for the arts in these times of economic constraint. In real terms, ACE's overall budget (including lottery) should still be less than 5% lower in 2014-15 than it was in 2010-11. While grant in aid, just one part of ACE's overall income, is being reduced, lottery income is very strong. Under latest projections, there should be over £200 million more for the arts over the next five years compared with September 2010 projections.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 587W
Broadband
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the conclusion of Ofcom’s sixth report of UK broadband speeds on differences in broadband between (a) the constituent parts and regions of the UK and (b) rural and urban areas. [94617]
Mr Vaizey: I welcome Ofcom’s report. Access to good levels of broadband speed for everyone is a priority for the Government, that is why we have allocated £530 million of funding to ensure that 90% of premises have access to superfast broadband, with at least standard broadband available to the remainder.
Broadband: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the plan for the funding of broadband projects for Scotland is on target for completion by April 2012. [95200]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have allocated £530 million over the life of this Parliament to help stimulate private investment in mostly rural areas of the UK to extend the coverage of superfast broadband. The funding allocations to the Devolved Administrations were announced last summer and the Government have challenged them to match the Government's contributions from their own and other sources of funding. They will also have responsibility for managing projects for broadband delivery in their areas. The Scottish Government published ‘Scotland's Digital Future—Infrastructure Action Plan' on 31 January 2012, which sets out the Scottish Government's commitment to produce a full procurement strategy by the end of March 2012.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last held discussions with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the application for funding for broadband projects in Scotland. [95201]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), last met with Ministers in the Scottish Government in September 2011 and dialogue has continued since then at both ministerial and official levels.
Broadcasting
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the effect of the retransmission fees charged to public service broadcasters by Sky on investment in UK content by public service broadcasters; and if he will make a statement. [95088]
Mr Vaizey: The issue of ‘retransmission fees’ paid by public service broadcasters to platforms such as BSkyB will be considered in the communications review Green Paper to be published early this year.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 588W
Clothing: Design
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the fashion industry; and what issues were discussed. [95199]
Mr Vaizey: A representative of the British Fashion Council was present at the Creative Industries Council meeting on 24 January, chaired jointly by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). The agenda covered priority areas common to all creative industries, ie skills, access to finance and digital business models. The Secretary of State has not otherwise met representatives of the fashion industry.
Diamond Jubilee 2012
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many letters he has received on Her Majesty the Queen's diamond jubilee in the last six months. [94636]
Hugh Robertson: The Department received 665 letters in the last six months about matters relating to Her Majesty the Queen's diamond jubilee.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on Her Majesty the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations. [94653]
Hugh Robertson: In the last six months the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has discussed Government support for the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations with the royal household, ministerial colleagues and his officials.
Official Visits: Football Matches
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many football matches he has attended in an official capacity since May 2010; and at how many such matches he was an official guest of a third party. [94534]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: In the last 12 months I have attended seven football matches in an official capacity, as a guest of the home football club, or as a guest of the Football Association for national games.
Football Clubs
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had on the proposals on football governance of football supporters' clubs; and whether these proposals would (a) require clubs to hold discussions with supporters' groups and trusts and (b) enable supporters groups to attend annual general meetings. [95089]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 589W
Hugh Robertson: the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and I have held several discussions with the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League since we published our response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee football governance inquiry last October. In that response we called for the introduction of a new club licensing system that would include conditions to help supporters have a greater say in how their clubs are run.
The football authorities are due to respond with their proposals to this and the other reforms we have called for by 29 February.
Libraries
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many libraries were (a) closed and (b) opened in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [93213]
Mr Vaizey: Data about the library sector are published annually by the Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and are available for the last five years. The Department supplements them by monitoring proposals about changes to library services across England through information gathered via correspondence, media coverage and from relevant bodies such as Arts Council England. It is difficult to get an accurate picture, as many local authorities are still developing and consulting on proposals and consequently the overall picture is always changing. While a definitive number is open to interpretation, we understand, from information we have gathered to date, that fewer than 50 static libraries ceased to be funded by their local authority between April and September 2011. Of these, responsibility for around a dozen libraries has been transferred away from the local authority and they remain open. Initial assessments also suggest around 40 libraries are being refurbished or are being opened—for example, large scale library building and improvement is happening in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Blackpool, and significant new builds have opened, for example in Southwark and Hertford.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether he considers that any library authority in the UK has reached the criteria for intervention by the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Libraries Act 1964; and according to what criteria he assesses the need for intervention; [95101]
(2) whether he considers the failure of a library authority to (a) consider equalities issues, (b) set out a coherent libraries strategy and (c) carry out an adequate assessment of local needs would form grounds for intervention by him under the provisions of the Libraries Act 1964. [95102]
Mr Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 January 2012, Official Report, columns 318-9W.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 590W
Local Broadcasting: Radio
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with the BBC Trust on the effect of changes in BBC local radio budgets on (a) staffing and (b) programming at BBC Radio Merseyside. [94060]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not had any discussions with the BBC Trust on the effect of changes in BBC local radio budgets on BBC Radio Merseyside.
The Secretary of State is aware of the BBC Trust’s interim findings—in which the trust has asked the BBC Executive to find ways to scale back the proposed changes to BBC local radio—and he is looking forward to learning of the trust’s final recommendations in due course.
Olympic Games 2012: Cycling
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of developing the Olympics bike track at Hadleigh Farm; and what assessment he has made of the potential legacy from the track. [95030]
Hugh Robertson: There has been no central Government funding spent on developing the Olympic bike track at Hadleigh Farm. An initial assessment of the Olympic Legacy benefits for all games venues, including Hadleigh Farm will be published in autumn 2012.
Olympic Games 2012: Interpreters
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) how many organisations tendered for the London 2012 Olympics interpretation contract awarded to Applied Language Solutions; which organisations were shortlisted; what the monetary value of their respective tenders was; what criteria were used to award contracts; and whether any other organisations were invited to submit a final tender; [95523]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document relating to the assessment of Applied Language Solutions' application for London 2012 Olympics interpretation contracts. [95524]
Hugh Robertson: Contracting for services and supply of goods to the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is a matter for LOCOG, a private company operating independently of Government. The Department does not hold details of LOCOG's private procurement.
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many London 2012 Olympics tickets have been allocated to (a) individuals and (b) organisations outside the online ticketing system. [94421]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 591W
Hugh Robertson: A total of 8.8 million Olympic tickets are available. 75% of these are available through the UK application process, primarily online but also via paper application in a Ticketing Guide. Of the remaining, 12% are purchased by the National Olympic Committees competing in the Games and include international sports fans from each country; 8% are for purchase by sponsors and stakeholders (global and domestic); and 5% are available for purchase by the International Olympic Committee, international federations and other global sports bodies represented at the games, international broadcast rights holders and prestige ticketing partners.
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many London 2012 Olympics tickets have been allocated to (a) amateur sports clubs, (b) corporate sponsors and (c) international federations. [94422]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has committed to make 75% of games tickets available through the UK application process. Members of amateur sports clubs are able to apply for tickets as part of this application process, alongside everyone else. After finalising its venue seating plans in April, LOCOG will ensure another 1 million tickets will be made available through that route. Tickets will be on sale until the start of each session, subject to availability. 8% of tickets are allocated for sponsors and stakeholders, and 5% for the International Olympic Committee, international federations and other global sports bodies.
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many tickets for the London 2012 Olympics allocated to schools through the Get Set network have been taken up. [94498]
Hugh Robertson: Through its Ticketshare programme, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is allocating 175,000 tickets for eligible schools and colleges that have signed up to the Get Set Network—part of the official London 2012 education programme. Ticketshare is funded by a levy on prestige ticketing packages. Last week, LOCOG contacted each eligible school and college that applied, confirming the number of tickets that they will receive for their students. Next month they will confirm accompanying adult tickets that schools will also receive. LOCOG believes it will allocate all 175,000 tickets to schools and colleges, as planned.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons tickets for the London 2012 Olympics are being printed by a company based in Arkansas. [95380]
Hugh Robertson:
The main contract to print and fulfil the majority of tickets for London 2012 was awarded by the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) following a thorough, competitive and open procurement process in 2010. The company which won the bid met all of LOCOG’s criteria around security, scale and budget and—having worked on several previous games—has specialist systems in place to manage the complex process of personalising, printing, packaging tickets and integrating security aspects to the scale they
20 Feb 2012 : Column 592W
require. Tickets sold after May will be printed in the UK—the printing and fulfilment of these tickets is on a smaller scale, and will be managed in a different way.
Olympic Games 2012: Yorkshire and the Humber
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to raise participation in events connected with the London 2012 Olympics in Yorkshire and the Humber. [94376]
Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group (NRG) to promote UK-wide participation and to maximise the legacy from London 2012 beyond the Games themselves. This Group works directly with representatives from each of the devolved Administrations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games including the Olympic Torch relay. In addition, the Department part-funds a Creative Programmer in Yorkshire and the Humber specifically to support organisations wishing to participate in the Cultural Olympiad and Festival 2012. Examples of other steps taken to raise participation are as follows.
As part of his regional tour, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), visited York in January to promote the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the region.
The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises outstanding non-commercial projects and events inspired by the Games, sport, culture, education, sustainability, volunteering and business opportunities all feature. Over 2,100 projects have been awarded Inspire Marks including 165 in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. Also the London 2012 programme Get Set, helps schools and colleges make the most of the opportunities provided by the Games. Over 75% of the schools and colleges in the region are registered for the Get Set programme.
The Olympic Torch will be in the region for six days taking in iconic landmarks and attractions such as the Humber Bridge, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Victoria Arcade in Leeds. It will also travel on the Flying Scotsman, and will be carried down the Dock Tower in Grimsby by an abseiler. In all, the Torch Relay will visit 78 towns, villages and cities in the region, including major evening celebrations in Hull (18 June), York (19 June), Leeds (24 June), Sheffield (25 June) and Cleethorpes (26 June).
There have already been more than 19 locally funded and managed cultural projects in the region officially inspired by London 2012, including Electric Fields, a theatre and visual arts experience that includes audience movement, and combines sports and arts to explore our perception of how we move through the world and work with environmental themes. Other major cultural events are also planned for Yorkshire and the Humber in 2012, including a festival of music, dance and visual arts featuring more than 500 Sheffield performers, an art installation at Castle Howard and a performance of aerial circus skills and live song at Ripon Cathedral. LOCOG have created a search function to allow people to easily find out what events will be taking place in their area:
http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/whats-on/
20 Feb 2012 : Column 593W
and a specific website for the London 2012 Festival:
http://festival.london2012.com/