Fossil Fuels: Exploration
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has undertaken an environmental impact assessment in relation to hydraulic fracturing. [94472]
Charles Hendry: It is for the relevant planning authority, in the first instance, to consider whether any planning application is for "EIA development" as defined in the Town and Country Planning (environmental impact assessment) Regulations 2011. If a screening opinion issued by the planning authority, or a screening direction made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, concludes that an application is for EIA development, the developer is required to provide an environmental statement as set out in these regulations. The Secretary of State has not issued any screening directions for hydraulic fracturing projects in relation to the requirement for an environmental impact assessment.
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Green Deal
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many homes in London he expects to participate in the Green Deal in each year of the scheme. [94816]
Gregory Barker: Initial economic impact assessment figures suggest that from 2013-22 average annual uptake of Green Deal could be around 360,000 nationally. However, these are early estimates that take no account of additional incentives, regulations and guidance that we are bringing forward ahead of the launch in quarter 4 of 2012. We are working with the Local Government Association and local authorities to address potential barriers to drive far more ambitious local delivery of the Green Deal. Although no detailed estimate has been made of Green Deal uptake in different UK regions, we anticipate London in particular offers significant potential. My officials have discussed relevant support for the scheme with the Greater London Authority who are already planning for delivery of the Green Deal across all the London boroughs. We expect to publish a higher, updated estimate later in the year.
Natural Gas: Prices
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the wholesale price of gas was in the UK in each of the last four months. [96167]
Charles Hendry: Monthly averages for UK wholesale prices (National Balancing Point) for the period October 2011 to January 2012 are shown in the following table.
| Average NBP price in pence/therm | |
| Source: Monthly average prices derived from ICIS Heren data | |
Solar Power
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average proportion of the cost of a solar PV installation which is accounted for by (a) labour, (b) transport, (c) company overheads, (d) solar panels and accessories, (e) profit and (f) other costs. [95624]
Gregory Barker: Parsons Brinckerhoff carried out an update of solar PV costs for DECC in January 2012 which was published alongside the comprehensive review phase 2a consultation. This gives a breakdown of the components of solar PV capital costs for different sizes of installation. The report is available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/4290-solar-pv-cost-update-report--3-feb-2012-.pdf
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of electricity exported to
22 Feb 2012 : Column 833W
the Grid from solar PV installed on domestic dwellings since April 2010. [95667]
Gregory Barker: Data on the proportion of electricity exported to the grid are not available by technology and installation type. Based on the CEPA/Parsons Brinckerhoff update of solar PV cost assumptions published alongside the consultation on solar PV tariffs in October 2011:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3365-updates-to-fits-model-doc.pdf
we currently assume that 50% of electricity generated by sub-4kW PV installations will be exported to the grid, on the basis that daytime PV generation may exceed onsite demand on a regular basis. Assumptions around exported electricity will be reviewed as part of the current consultation on solar PV cost control:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/fits-review/4309-feedin-tariffs-scheme-phase-2a-consultation-paper.pdf
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many businesses were consulted as part of the preparation of his Department's document entitled Solar PV Cost Update, January 2012. [95812]
Gregory Barker: DECC commissioned Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) to carry out an update to the CEPA/PB report on PV costs published alongside the October 2011 consultation on tariffs for solar PV:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3365-updates-to-fits-model-doc.pdf
The data for this update came from 13 different industry contacts and seven other sources, and included 80 quotes from 11 UK installers covering the range of system sizes, informal data from industry contacts, data from developers and PB's own project experience. The report is available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/4290-solar-pv-cost-update-report--3-feb-2012-.pdf
Warm Home Discount Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications for assistance under the Warm Homes discount scheme were (a) accepted and (b) rejected in 2011-12. [96229]
Gregory Barker: The Warm Home Discount scheme requires participating energy suppliers to assist all of those pensioners identified to them by the Secretary of State as eligible for support as part of the Core Group as they receive pension credit guarantee credit only. This year we estimate that around 660,000 of the poorest pensioners will be helped in this way. Suppliers are also required to spend a set amount, £153 million this year, on providing assistance to a wider group of low income and vulnerable households beyond the Core Group.
This year we estimate that around 2 million households will be assisted in total through the scheme. Ofgem will monitor suppliers' spending and ensure they comply with the requirements of the scheme.
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Communities and Local Government
Council Tax: Students
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition he plans to use for the term full-time course of education for the purposes of schedule 1, section 3 of the Council Tax (Discount Disregards) Order 1992. [95748]
Robert Neill: The term "full-time course of education" for the purposes of the Council Tax (Discount Disregards) Order 1992 (SI 1992/548) is defined in schedule 1, paragraph 4 of the Order. There are currently no plans to amend this definition.
Departmental Hospitality
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on (a) wine, (b) other alcoholic refreshments and (c) bottled water since May 2010. [91633]
Robert Neill [holding answer 25 January 2012]: No bottled mineral water has been purchased since May 2010.
Examining every receipt to ascertain spending by type of beverage would incur disproportionate cost.
However, in relation to spending through our facilities management supplier, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 January 2011, Official Report, column 302W, which includes comparative figures for spending under the last Administration. There has been no further public spending on alcohol from then to January 2012.
Details of departmental spending via Government Procurement Cards since 2006 can be found in the Library of the House, further to my answer of 12 January 2012, Official Report, columns 386-87W. The data illustrate that this Administration has significantly reduced spending on catering and hospitality.
Departmental Pay
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any officials in his Department or its non-departmental public bodies are paid other than through PAYE. [95108]
Robert Neill [holding answer 20 February 2012]: The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has announced an urgent review of the tax arrangements of senior public sector appointments, to report by the end of March 2012. Ministers are paid through the departmental payroll.
I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 483W.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many letters he has received from residents of (a) Barnsley, (b) Doncaster, (c) Rotherham and (d) Sheffield asking him to ensure that the local authority provides a weekly refuse collection service. [95714]
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Robert Neill: My Department has received many letters from council tax payers across England asking Ministers to encourage more local authorities to offer weekly collections, including two letters from residents of Sheffield. Our Weekly Collection Support Scheme will help councils invest in better weekly collections deliver more cost-effective collection services, and improve environmental benefits. While we could not begin to quantify how many letters the residents of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield have sent directly to council leaders, I note that Councillor Julie Dore the leader of Sheffield city council received around 600 from her residents.
Energy Performance Certificates
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. [95704]
Andrew Stunell: Enforcement of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations is the responsibility of Local Weights and Measures Authorities. To make the regulations easier to enforce the Department has extended the current requirements to commission an Energy Performance Certificate before marketing, that apply to residential buildings, to all residential and non residential buildings when sold or rented out. The amendments will also require the Energy Performance Certificate to be attached to the written particulars of the building when sold or rented out.
The duty to commission an Energy Performance Certificate before marketing has been extended to the sale and rent of residential and non residential buildings to make the regulations more consistent and coherent and to make it easier for Trading Standards Officers to detect non-compliance. An authorised officer of an enforcement authority, e.g. Trading Standards Officers, can issue penalty notices for non-compliance. Trading Standards Officers currently have the power to require the ‘relevant person’ (i.e. the seller or landlord) to produce copies of the Energy Performance Certificate for inspection and to take copies if necessary. The amended regulations have extended the power to require the production of documents to include persons acting on behalf of the seller or landlord—e.g. estate agents and letting agents. This means, for example, that Trading Standards Officers will be authorised to require estate agents to produce evidence showing that an Energy Performance Certificate has been commissioned where they are marketing a building without one.
Fire Services: Equipment
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has received any representations from fire brigades on the availability of cutting gear through (a) ultra high strength low alloy steels and (b) boron advanced high strength steel; and if he will make a statement. [95545]
Robert Neill: As the hon. Member will be aware the fire and rescue service is a devolved matter and as such I can only respond to the hon. Member’s question in respect of English fire and rescue services.
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The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not received any representations from English fire and rescue services on the availability of specialist cutting equipment.
Fire Services: Manpower
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) wholetime, (b) retained, (c) control and (d) non-uniform staff were employed in each fire authority in England on 31 March 2011; and if he will update his Department's Operational Statistics Bulletin of 24 August 2011 to include (i) posts and (ii) the strength of each fire authority. [R] [95427]
Robert Neill: Number of staff employed by each fire and rescue authority on 31 March 2011 for the stated categories are published on the Department's website in table 6 of the appendix tables which accompany the Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics Bulletin:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/frsoperationalstats2010-11
Following the consultation carried out in winter 2010-11
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/frsandfosisummaryofresponses
fire and rescue services are no longer asked to provide numbers of posts. There is no plan to reintroduce these.
The Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics Bulletin does however continue to include staffing strength. Number by fire and rescue authority can be found in appendix table 2 of the spreadsheets accompanying the bulletin.
A copy of this staff number and strength information has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Incinerators: Planning Permission
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to empower local authorities to scrutinise the decisions of regional planning authorities on incinerator projects. [95426]
Robert Neill: Waste planning authorities are responsible for taking decisions on individual projects on incinerators which will generate less than 50 megawatts electricity. Planning legislation requires such decisions to be taken in line with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Regional strategies are part of the development plan. However, it is the Government's clear intention to lay Orders in Parliament, using powers that we have taken in the Localism Act, revoking the existing regional strategies as soon as possible but this is subject to the outcome of environmental assessments that we are undertaking. Regional strategies remain part of the development plan until they are abolished by Order.
The intended revocation of regional strategies is a 'material consideration' which can be considered by local planning authorities and planning inspectors when deciding planning applications and appeals. The weight to be attached to it will be for the decision maker.
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Local Authorities: Audits
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of any potential risks arising from local councils appointing their own auditors. [94439]
Robert Neill [holding answer 9 February 2012]: We set out our detailed proposals for a new local public audit framework in January. There will be robust arrangements to safeguard the independence of the appointment process, and once appointed auditors will operate within an equally robust regulatory framework. Local authorities will make appointments in full council following the advice of an Independent Auditor Appointment Panel, so the process will be transparent to local people.
Our intention is that the National Audit Office and the Financial Reporting Council will take on regulatory responsibilities currently undertaken by the Audit Commission, helping to create a more transparent regulatory system broadly mirroring that in the private sector and to uphold high auditing standards. The Government plan to publish a draft Bill later this spring for pre-legislative scrutiny, before introducing legislative proposals for consideration of the House.
Local Government Finance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will restore Council Tax Resource Equalisation to local authorities in areas of relatively higher deprivation. [95404]
Robert Neill: No. The relative ability of local authorities to raise resources (council tax) locally is taken into account in the distribution of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Local Government Finance Settlement was approved by the House on 8 February.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the contribution by the Minister for Housing and Local Government of 8 February 2012, Official Report, column 372, on local government finance, when he expects to announce arrangements for future grant funding for local authorities; if he will ensure local authorities are informed of his plans for the council tax base in 2013-14 before they take a decision on freezing council tax; for what reasons this information has not yet been provided; and if he will make a statement. [95740]
Grant Shapps: Next steps on our proposals on local government finance for 2013-14 onwards were set out in the policy document on the local government resource review issued on 19 December 2011. As part of this work, we will look at a number of technical issues concerning how we set the baseline for the new system, with full consultation following, in the event of any propositions being put forward. One of the issues to be considered is the case for making any change to the shares of relative need and resource.
Councils therefore cannot assume that they are necessarily increasing their spending power for future years by rejecting the freeze this year and instead increasing their
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council tax. Decisions on the final shape of the scheme will follow that consultation and will be announced in line with the usual settlement timetable.
Local Government Finance: Hartlepool
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the change in funding to Hartlepool borough council has been as a consequence of his decision to reduce Council Tax Resource Equalisation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [95403]
Robert Neill: We do not break down the reasons for change in a local authority's formula grant allocation year-on-year.
In reducing the overall funding for formula grant in 2011-12 and 2012-13 we wanted to protect those local authorities that were most dependent on it. This was done by increasing the percentage of formula grant distributed through the relative needs amount, making a compensating reduction in the percentage distributed by the central allocation and keeping the same percentage distributed via the relative resource amount. This led to a reduction in the absolute amount being distributed via the relative resource amount.
Local Government: Employment Schemes
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the community budget pilot projects are working with the Work programme. [95381]
Robert Neill: All four whole-place community budget pilots are aiming to increase economic growth and reduce dependency on the state. Effective engagement with work programme providers will be important to the success of the pilots. In Greater Manchester, a senior member of a work programme provider will work full-time with the area to deliver the pilot.
Parish Councils
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely contribution of town and parish councils to efforts to encourage economic growth. [95104]
Robert Neill: My Department has made no such assessment. The activities of town and parish councils are one of the many local factors that can affect an area's economic growth, and we expect all such councils to support local enterprise, local firms and local jobs.
Supporting People Programme: Hartlepool
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made in the change in the level of funding for the Supporting People programme in Hartlepool constituency per capita of (a) the population and (b) recipients in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13. [95694]
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Andrew Stunell: Despite the need to tackle the deficit inherited from the last Administration, the coalition Government have protected Supporting People funding and is providing £6.5 billion of funding over the spending review period. This equates to an average annual reduction of less than 1% in cash terms.
Since Supporting People funding is included within formula grant, which is an un-hypothecated block grant, it is not possible to calculate the precise information requested by the hon. Member. I would add that the Supporting People ringfence was removed in April 2009.
Third Sector
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to implement the principles of the Best Value Statutory Guidance in respect of (a) giving at least three months' notice to voluntary and community organisations and their service users when reducing or ending funding, (b) engaging with voluntary and community organisations and service users as early as possible before making a decision on the future of the service, any knock-on effects on assets used to provide this service and the wider impact on the local community and (c) making provision for voluntary and community organisations and service users to put forward options on how to reshape the service or project. [95777]
Andrew Stunell: The Best Value guidance does not legally apply to central Government Departments or their Executive agencies.
However, as the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made clear in his foreword to the revised Best Value guidance, central Government Departments support the fair standards set out in the guidance and have reaffirmed their commitment to the national Compact. The issues raised are covered by the Compact. In January the National Audit Office published ‘Central Government's implementation of the national Compact’, a report which provides commentary on the implementation of the national Compact across Government. DCLG participated fully in the National Audit Office's review of the national Compact implementation and will be following up as appropriate the recommendations within the National Audit Office report in order to ensure that the Department continues to be a strong model of collaborative working between Government and the voluntary sector.
Water: Planning Permission
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of making a water assessment a statutory part of the planning process for the purposes of ensuring that all relevant bodies such as internal drainage boards are consulted. [92931]
Robert Neill
[holding answer 31 January 2012]: The Department has no plans at present to amend the statutory consultation arrangements for planning applications, as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order
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2010, to require consultation with drainage boards and water utility companies on planning applications. This does not prevent drainage boards or utility companies from making a representation on a planning application.
The Department has recently consulted on the consolidation of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations (2012). As part of this process, respondents had the opportunity to comment on the statutory consultation requirements for the local plan making process, and the issue of whether to include internal drainage boards was not raised as part of this process.
Treasury
Corporation Tax
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether approval from the EU would be required for the rate of corporation tax in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK to be lowered to (i) 12.5 per cent, (ii) 16 per cent. and (iii) 20 per cent. [95062]
Mr Gauke: Approval from the EU would not be required to amend the rate of corporation tax in the UK as a whole.
Approval from the EU would also not be required to alter the rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland. However, a reduction in the corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland would need to comply with the criteria set out in the ECJ judgment in the Azores case (Portugal v. Commission).
Moody's Investors Service
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions staff in his Department had with representatives of Moody's on 12 and 13 February 2012; who took part in any discussions; and what their purpose was. [95709]
Mr Hoban: As set out in existing European legislation (No 1060/2009 of 16 September 2009):
‘The credit rating agency shall inform the rated entity at least 12 hours before publication of the credit rating and of the principal grounds on which the rating is based in order to give the entity an opportunity to draw attention of the credit rating agency to any factual errors.’
All major rating agencies continue to assign the UK a triple-A rating.
Revenue and Customs: Complaints
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs has received on its operations in respect of (a) delay, (b) staff conduct, (c) process or system, (d) policy or legislation, (e) communication, (f) incorrect advice, (g) loss or damage, (h) error, (i) compensation or costs claim and (j) discrimination in the last three years for which figures are available. [95131]
Mr Gauke: HMRC categorises complaints when they are resolved, rather than when they are received.
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The numbers of complaints resolved under each of the headings are:
| Heading | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Working Tax Credit: Eligibility
Mr Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in (a) Sheffield, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber and (d) England will lose their entitlement to working families tax credit from 6 April 2012 due to the change in the minimum working hours criterion. [95922]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is provided in the following table:
| Number of in-work couples with children benefiting from working tax credit and working between 16 and 23 hours as of December 2011 | |
| Thousand | |
Justice
Appeals: Employment Support Allowance
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of employment support allowance appeals heard at the tribunal venue in Hull were successful in each month since June 2010. [95470]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the proportion of employment and support allowance appeals cleared at hearing in the Hull venue which were found in favour of the appellant from June 2010 to October 2011 (the latest period for which statistics have been published).
| Outcomes of ESA appeals at Hull venue June 2010 to October 2011 | |||||
| Month | Total cases cleared at hearing | Number of decisions in favour of appellant | Percentage in favour | Number of DWP decisions upheld | Percentage decision upheld |
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| Note: These data are taken from management information. The numbers and percentages of decisions in favour of the appellant and in favour of DWP do not necessarily add up to 100% or to the total number of cases cleared at hearing. This is due to cases withdrawn at hearing. | |||||
Compensation: Regulation
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Minister in his Department is responsible for (a) regulation of claims management companies, (b) policy relating to regulation of claims management companies and (c) answering parliamentary questions in respect of claims management companies. [95746]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: As the Secretary of State for Justice, I am responsible for the regulation of claims management companies. The Minister for Civil Justice Policy, my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly), is responsible for policy relating to claims management companies. Responsibility for answering parliamentary questions will follow accordingly.
Crimes of Violence: Sentencing
Mr Slaughter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people found guilty of (a) common assault, (b) battery, (c) assault occasioning actual bodily harm, (d) wounding causing grievous bodily harm and (
e
) grievous bodily harm with intent where the offence
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(i) was and (ii) was not racially aggravated received sentences of between 30 and 48 months in the last (A) year and (B) 10 years; [95743]
(2) how many people found guilty of (a) sexual activity with a child, (b) causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, (c) engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, (d) causing a child to watch a sexual act, (e) child sex offences committed by persons aged under 18 contrary to section 13 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, (f) arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, (g) meeting a child following sexual grooming, (h) abuse of position of trust contrary to sections 16 to 25 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 or (i) sexual activity with a child family member contrary to sections 25 to 29 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, received sentences of between 30 and 48 months in the last (i) year for which figures are available and (ii) 10 years; [95744]
(3) how many people convicted of (a) unlawful sex with a minor, (b) rape and (c) grievous bodily harm received sentences of between 30 and 48 months in the last year for which figures are available. [95745]
Mr Blunt: The available information required to answer this question is currently being collated. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. A copy will be placed in the House Library.
Custodial Treatment
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders have spent two or more periods in custody in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many convicted offenders entered custody in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [95508]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 shows the number of offenders of all ages sentenced to two or more immediate custodial sentences in a year, for the years 2006 to 2010. The figures are for England and Wales, as recorded on the Police National Computer. The figures relate to separate sentencing occasions; where an offender was sentenced on the same occasion for several offences it is the primary offence that has been counted. Some offenders may be counted in table more than once in different years. Equivalent figures for 2011 are not yet available.
The figures in Table 1 have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Table 2 shows the number of offenders received into prison to serve an immediate custodial sentence in each year from 2005 to 2009, the most recent annual figures available. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Table 1: Offenders of all ages sentenced to two or more immediate custodial sentences in the year, 2006-10, England and Wales | |
| Number of offenders with two or more immediate custodial sentences on separate occasions | |
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| Table 2: Immediate custodial sentenced receptions into prison establishments 2005-09, England and Wales | |
| Number of sentenced prison receptions | |
Departmental Contracts
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the minimum company turnover required by his Department is for businesses seeking to secure contracts with his Department; and if he will make a statement. [95916]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice adhere to the Government Procurement Service (previously OGC) Supplier Financial Appraisal Guidance that is reproduced as follows:
“Financial standing should only be considered as part of the risk assessment. It may not, on its own, reflect candidates’ ability to deliver. Although a contract limit based on turnover can be a useful indicator of financial capacity and dependency, candidates should only be eliminated on the strength of contract limit alone if they clearly have insufficient capacity to deliver the requirement The key objective of financial appraisal in the procurement process is to analyse a supplier's financial position and determine the level of risk that it would represent to the Authority—having regard to the contract requirement and value, criticality, and the nature of the market. The assessment of risk should be based on sound business judgement rather than just the mechanistic application of financial formulae”.
Legal Aid Scheme
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent from the public purse on criminal legal aid in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of each of the 20 highest legal aid payments made in each of the last five years. [95513]
Mr Djanogly: Spend on criminal legal aid in each of the last five years for which information is available is provided in the following table.
| Legal aid spending on crime | |
| £ million | |
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The highest criminal legal aid payments to providers of legal aid are now published monthly as part of the Government's drive to increase transparency in public spending and include legal aid payments going back to May 2010. The 20 highest payments to criminal legal aid providers in 2010-11 are provided in the table.
The 20 highest legal aid payments each year from 2006-07 to 2009-10 precedes the transparency publications and therefore it is not readily available. I will write once this information has been collated.
| Legal Aid Supplier | Payment (£) |
Personal Injury: Fees and Charges
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the likely change in the number of jobs in the personal injury claims handling sector including management companies, solicitors, car repair, credit hire, insurance brokers and insurers which would result from ending referral fees in personal injury cases; and if he will estimate the (a) cost to the public purse of any reduction in the number of jobs, (b) change in the level of revenue from income tax and VAT and (c) change in the level of court fees which would arise. [95682]
Mr Djanogly: Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill contains provisions to ban the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases. An impact assessment was conducted in accordance with Her Majesty's Treasury Green Book guidance and published in October 2011. It is available on the Ministry of Justice website:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/bills-acts/legal-aid-sentencing/referral-fees-ia.pdf
It outlines that we do not expect there to be any cost to the public purse or net financial impact on Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service as a result of the ban on referral fees.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of the costs to Police and Crime Commissioners of the commissioning
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responsibilities for victims services proposed in his Department's, Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses consultation; [95515]
(2) what funding he plans to provide to each Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver services for victims under the proposals in his Department's Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses consultation; and what funding he plans to provide to each of the proposed regional commissioning bodies; [95516]
(3) what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of the regional level commissioning bodies for the delivery of victims services proposed in his Department's, Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses consultation. [95517]
Mr Blunt: As the consultation is still ongoing we are yet to finalise arrangements to move to local commissioning of victims' services. We anticipate raising further monies on top of the current £66 million spent on victim and witnesses. This will be raised through increasing and extending the Victim Surcharge, and increasing the amounts of penalty notices for disorder and fixed penalty notices which can then be used to fund victims' services. The consultation states that we will ensure that no more than 10% of the total funding provided to commissioners goes on the administrative costs of commissioning services.
Prison Sentences
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs) who had completed their minimum tariff were not released because they had not completed sufficient courses in each year since the inception of IPPs. [95690]
Mr Blunt: The stated reasons for the Parole Board not directing the release of prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) are not recorded centrally but are held on prisoners’ individual case file.
There are currently over 3,500 prisoners serving an IPP sentence who have completed their minimum tariff. In order to answer the question fully, we would have to search each of their case files to establish the Parole Board's reasons for not directing release. This would breach cost limits.
When determining whether to release an IPP or other indeterminate sentence prisoner, the Parole Board will consider all the evidence available—not just evidence obtained from the completion of any accredited programmes.
Prisoners: Education
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) prisoner education and (b) future employment of prisoners of reductions in (i) funding for prisons and (ii) the number of prison officers; [94756]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effect on re-offending rates of reductions in the level of prisoner education and training. [94761]
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Mr Blunt: The Government undertook a review of offender learning and published ‘Making Prison Work: Skills for Rehabilitation’ jointly with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) in May 2011. The report set out a radical new approach to the both the funding and organisation of offender learning in England and Wales. This Government's prioritisation of rehabilitation has meant a high relative priority for offender learning and there is no reduction in the overall level of funding for learning and skills in custody.
The retendering of the provision for learning and skills for offenders under OLASS phase 4 involves a changed funding methodology. Unlike OLASS phase 3, where payment was made against teaching hours delivered, under OLASS 4 there has been an assessment of the needs of individual prisons based on their populations. Funding is being aligned with that of mainstream colleges whereby, rather than offering payment based on the number of learning hours delivered, payment will be awarded based on the outcomes achieved by learners.
The OLASS provision between prisons may well change as a result of the revised method of funding. Providers are being encouraged to involve a wider range of partners to include the private sector, the voluntary sector and social enterprises in order that their capacity and expertise can assist in achieving better outcomes.
In relation to employment, NOMS is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to implement enhanced employment support for prisoners via the day one mandation to the Work programme. From 1 March 2012 all prisoners who intend to claim job seekers allowance (JSA) on release will be mandated to engage with a DWP Work programme provider from day one of release to support them gain and sustain employment.
NOMS does not have targets for future prison officer reductions. It is the responsibility of each prison to agree with their deputy director of custody how future efficiencies are delivered from each grade or role.
Prisons: Foreign Nationals
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 287W, on prisons: foreign nationals, when he proposes that a decision will be made on when prisons will be converted; and what discussions he has had with the Prison Officers Association on this matter. [95103]
Mr Blunt:
My answer given on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 287W, confirmed our intention
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to open more foreign national only prisons. Since that date HMP Huntercombe has been identified as the most suitable establishment for this purpose.
On 9 February the change of function of HMP Huntercombe to a foreign national only prison was announced and work is now under way to progress the transition. The Prison Officers Association was notified of the change at a national level and the Governor of HMP Huntercombe has discussed the transition locally with branch officials.
Repossession Orders
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many homes were repossessed in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [95921]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the numbers of claims leading to orders being made for the repossession of property by mortgage lenders and landlords in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the total numbers of repossessions of property (including where keys are handed back voluntarily).
These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made. This is more accurate than the number of orders, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. It is also a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions.
These figures do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Also, not all possession orders result in repossession. Many orders are suspended and if the borrower or tenant complies with the repayment arrangements set out in the suspended order the property will not be repossessed.
Claims leading to orders figures for all regions and local authority areas in England and Wales in 2011 were recently published on 9 February 2012. This statistical bulletin is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/civil-justice/mortgage-possession.htm
| Number of mortgage (1) and landlord (2, 3) possession claims leading to orders made (4, 5, 6) for properties in Haltemprice and Howden constituency (7,8) , East Riding of Yorkshire (7) and Yorkshire and the Humber (7) , 2007-11 | ||||||||||
| Mortgage possession | Landlord possession | |||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
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| (1) Includes all types of mortgage lenders. (2) Includes all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enables the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) The number of claims that lead to an order includes all claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is made during the period. (5) The court, following a judicial decision, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (6) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (7) All figures are rounded to the nearest 5. (8) Data up until the first quarter of 2010 (January to March) will reflect Haltemprice and Howden constituency boundaries as fixed at the 2005 general election and for the rest of 2010 and 2011 the re-fixed boundaries as of May 2010. (9) Based on provisional data. Source: Ministry of Justice |
Television: Licensing
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were prosecuted for offences relating to not having a television licence in Leeds North West constituency in each of the last six years. [95835]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for the offence of television licence evasion under the Communications Act 2003, in the West Yorkshire police force area in each year from 2005 to 2010 (latest currently available) is given in the following table.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
| Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for television licence Evasion (1,2) , West Yorkshire police force area, 2005 to 2010 (3,4) | |
| Number | |
| (1 )For 2005 to 2007 as well as television licence evasion, these data include proceedings for summary offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 to 1967. (2) For 2008 to 2010 these figures relate to the offence television licence evasion—Communications Act 2003. (3) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |
Victims' Commissioner: Manpower
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent staff worked in the office of the Victims' Commissioner in each month since May 2010. [95691]
Mr Blunt: Excluding the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses herself, there were 8.8 FTE staff working in the Victims Commissioner's office from May 2010 to when the Commissioner left office in October 2011, except for January 2011 to April 2011 when there were 7.8 FTE staff.
Violent and Sex Offender Register
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number was of previous convictions for failing to comply with a sex offenders register for an individual convicted of an offence of failing to comply with a sex offenders register without being sent to prison in each of the last three years; and how many offences they had committed in total at the point of sentence for this offence. [95543]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the highest number of previous convictions for failing to comply with notification requirements (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003) for individuals convicted of this offence in the years 2008 to 2010 who received a sentence other than immediate custody. It also shows their total number of previous cautions and convictions, and previous immediate custodial sentences. Although these individuals did not go to prison for their index offence, they had all previously been to prison for the same offence. The offender in 2008 has been offending for over 10 years; the offenders in 2009 and 2010 both have criminal histories spanning 30 years.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
All sexual offenders subject to the notification requirements fall to be managed in accordance with the statutory Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Under MAPPA, the Police, Probation and Prison Services are required to work together to assess and manage the risks presented by sexual (and violent) offenders, in order to protect the public.
The Government recognise the damage caused by sexual violence. This is why we have improved the provision of support for victims by putting voluntary sector rape support centres on a secure financial footing for the first time, with 65 centres around the country
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receiving grant funding of nearly £3 million a year for this and the next two years. We are also working in partnership with the sector to develop new rape support centres where there are gaps in provision, with four new centres opened to date.
Highest number of previous convictions for failing to comply with notification requirements (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), for someone convicted of this offence without being sent to prison, in England and Wales in the years 2008 to 2010
Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2011, Official Report, column 1082W, on Atos Healthcare, what the specific capacity pressures which meant the initiative could not continue were; and what assessment he has made of whether such capacity pressures affect the ability of Atos to fulfil its contractual obligations. [94581]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The specific capacity pressures which meant the initiative could not continue relate to the need to deploy health care professional resource towards providing face to face assessments. It is worthy of note that the telephone advice service is working well. The overall aim of the telephone service is to assist DWP decision makers to clarify areas within reports and to help interpret further medical evidence submitted by claimants; and
(b) The capacity pressures are affecting some claimants' journeys in the work capability assessments (WCA) process, but Atos and DWP have an action plan in place to address current performance related issues with the aim that Atos may fulfil its contractual obligations.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2012, Official Report, column 164, on work capability assessment, whether he has considered imposing financial penalties on Atos to reflect the number of work capability assessments which are overturned on appeal. [94582]
Chris Grayling:
The Appeal Tribunals consider all the available evidence afresh, as well as any additional evidence that has since been submitted by the customer which may not have been available to either the Examining Healthcare Professional or originally to the Department for Work and Pensions Decision Maker. Consequently,
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when a Tribunal overturns a decision it is not necessarily due to a lack in the validity or accuracy of the examination report used in the decision making process. Therefore it would not be appropriate to impose financial penalties on Atos to reflect the number of work capability assessments which are overturned on appeal.
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what practice Atos personnel use to assess benefit claimants who are under the supervision of more than one medical consultant. [94994]
Chris Grayling: A decision on benefit entitlement is made by a departmental decision-maker after consideration of all the available information, including any evidence provided by a claimant's GP or consultant. There are procedures in place to request medical evidence from a range of clinicians if necessary which may include contacting them by telephone if it is not returned.
Additionally, the ESA50 self assessment questionnaire gives the claimant the opportunity to explain the effects of their condition or conditions. This includes the opportunity to provide details of those they feel can best explain their condition, including the clinician or clinicians who are treating them.
As recommended by Professor Malcolm Harrington in his independent reviews of the work capability assessment (WCA), Jobcentre Plus is focusing on improving the quality of decision making and the reconsideration process. As part of the reconsideration process, where a disallowance of benefit is being considered, claimants are given a further opportunity to provide any additional evidence that may assist their claim.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent changes have been made to the opening hours of each Atos assessment centre undertaking work capability assessments. [95553]
Chris Grayling: There are over 120 permanent assessment centres and while there are minor variations in opening times between centres, they are generally open during core office hours—9 am until 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Where there is a business need the centres are open on Saturdays or Sundays and sometimes in the weekday evenings. Atos Healthcare and the Department have been reviewing the opening times for all centres to determine the optimum usage of the accommodation to allow additional assessments to be carried out. Longer opening times are already in operation at a significant number of locations, particularly the larger assessment centres.
Over the next six months the number of centres that will be open outside of the core office hours will increase further to ensure more claimants awaiting assessment are seen as quickly as possible.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many assessments Atos have undertaken in the homes of employment and support allowance applicants in each month from April 2010 to January 2012. [95554]
Chris Grayling:
The number of assessments by domiciliary visit undertaken by Atos Healthcare for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants
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for the period April 2010 to August 2011 is 10,182; the following table lists the detail by month:
| Date | ESA |
The data supplied are derived from unpublished management information which was collated for internal departmental use only. The data supplied have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard and are subject to change. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the key performance indicators Atos Healthcare is required to meet under the contract with his Department (a) as set out in the original contract and (b) with any revisions, additions or deletions subsequently made. [95557]
Chris Grayling: KPIs are negotiated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP is constantly reviewing the KPIs and since the award of the Atos Healthcare contract there have been a significant number of reviews, so it is with regret that information requested is not available in the format requested.
The answer including the reviews could not be provided as it exceeds the disproportionate cost limit of £800 for parliamentary questions.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the LIMA software used by Atos was modified as a result of the update to Medical Services guidance for work capacity assessments Standard 43/2011 in respect of Activity 7. [95810]
Chris Grayling: LIMA software used by Atos Healthcare has been modified, all medical content as a result of the update to Medical Services guidance for work capacity assessments (WCA) has been updated to Standard 43/201T in respect of Activity 7.
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Business: Government Assistance
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of take-up by businesses of the job subsidies announced in the autumn statement. [95685]
Chris Grayling: The Youth Contract is a national package of measures and the take up by businesses of the wage incentives will depend on the level of need and demand in different locations. Nationally, up to 160,000 wage incentives will be available across the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission dealt with a complaint from an (a) parent with care or (b) non-resident parent made through their hon. Member in 2010-11. [95907]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission dealt with a complaint from an (a) parent with care or(b) non-resident parent made through their hon. Member in 2010-11. [95907]
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission received 23,200 complaints in 2010/2011 with 8,500 of them received via a Member of Parliament.
The following table shows, of the total complaints received during 2010/2011, how many were made on behalf of the parent with care or the non-resident parent.
| Complainant | Total complaints received 2010-11 |
Unfortunately complaint information is not recorded in a way that allows us to distinguish the number of complaints from a parent with care or non-resident parent that is made via a Member of Parliament.
Child Support Agency
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the enforcement powers available to the Child Support Agency. [91986]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.
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In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the enforcement powers available to the Child Support Agency. [91986]
The Child Support Agency already has a wide range of enforcement powers for the purposes of securing child maintenance from non-resident parents, who would otherwise fail to pay. Money can be taken directly from a non-resident parent's earnings if the non-resident parent is employed, money can be taken directly from a non-resident parent's bank or building society account, or action can be taken through the courts.
The most serious forms of enforcement are commitment to prison or disqualification from driving. The decision whether to implement, and the length of the order, is at the discretion of a Magistrates’ Court (or Sheriff in Scotland) where they are satisfied that a non-resident parent has "wilfully refused or culpably neglected" to pay child maintenance - but this is not a criminal sanction.
We will continue to review the success in the exercise of these enforcement powers, and the Government may opt to introduce further measures contained in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (subject to a public consultation where appropriate) if it is deemed in the public interest to do so.
Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the number of liability orders applied for by the Child Support Agency has dropped from 28,360 in 2008-09 to 19,365 in 2010-11 and 13,520 in the year to date. [95223]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the number of liability orders applied for by the Child Support Agency has dropped from 28,360 in 2008-09 to 19,365 in 2010-11 and 13,52.0 in the year to date. [95223]
The Child Support Agency continues to, work towards delivering a better and more efficient service for our clients. This includes taking a case based intelligence approach at the start of the enforcement process to ensure that cases move to the most appropriate part of the process sooner and more efficiently. This approach ensures that we can determine the most appropriate enforcement action for each case from the full range of enforcement powers available to the Child Support Agency.
This approach has reduced the volume of Liability Order applications, however, during the eight month period from April 2011 to November 2011 the Child Support Agency has applied for 2,310 Charging Orders compared to 2,480 for the 12 months ending March 2009 and cases considered for Order for Sale have gone up from 105 in 2008-09 to 405 in 2010-11 and 370 in the year to date.
Over the period to which you have referred, the number of non-resident parents paying the amounts of child maintenance for which they are liable increased from 593,500 to 683,600, which equates to a percentage increase of 15 per cent. You will also be interested to know that over this same period an extra 133,000 children benefited from child maintenance.
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Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the number of deduction from earnings order (DEO) requests by the Child Support Agency has declined from 74,500 in 2007 to 63,060 for the same period in 2010-11 and to 45,500 for the period between April and November 2011; and for what reasons money received from DEOs has reduced from £312 million in 2008-09 to £192 million in the year to date. [95224]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the number of deduction from earnings order (DEO) requests by the Child Support Agency has declined from 74,500 in 2007 to 63,060 for the same period in 2010-11 and to 45,500 for the period between April and November 2011; and for what reasons money received from DEOs has reduced from £312 million in 2008-09 to £192 million in the year to date. [95224]
First, it may be helpful if I clarify the actual figures for the periods to which you have referred in your letter. The figure 74,500 is for fiscal year 2007-08 and there were actually 40,760 DEOs between April and November 2011.
The number of DEOs the Child Support Agency made is decreasing, due to an increase in the number of non-resident parents paying the amounts of child maintenance they are liable for. This added to the willingness of non-resident parents to make payments of child maintenance by the Commission's preferred methods of collection, for example by direct debit further reduces the need to issue DEOs.
During the period to which you refer the use of direct debit by non-resident parents has increased from 69,900 in 2007-08 to 100,800 in 2010-11 and to 106,900 in the year to date. Overall the amount of child maintenance collected or arranged has increased from £1,010.0 million in 2007-08 to £1,150.2 million in 2010-11 and in the year to November 2011 £787.1 million. You will also be interested to know that over this same period an extra 133,000 children benefited from child maintenance.
Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what savings his Department has achieved by the reduction in intake of Child Support Agency (CSA) cases since abolition in October 2008 of a compulsion to use the CSA by parents with care on benefit. [95225]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
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You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what savings his Department has achieved by the reduction in intake of Child Support Agency (CSA) cases since abolition in October 2008 of a compulsion to use the CSA by parents with care on benefit. [95225]
Applications received from Jobcentre Plus ceased from October 2008 following the repeal of Section 6, the legal requirement which previously compelled parents with care on income related benefits to use the services of the Child Support Agency.
Following the repeal of Section 6, applications made to the Child Support Agency reduced. In the quarter ending September 2008 54,500 new applications were made compared to 27,300 new applications in the quarter ending December 2011. Information on application intake and clearance is published on p14 of the December 2011 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics available at the following link:
http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/qss/QSS_dec_2011.pdf
It is not possible to directly ascribe reductions in cost and headcount to the reduction in applications after September 2008. However, the average number of full time equivalent people employed by the Commission has decreased from 9,571 in 2008/09 to 8,251 in 2010/11, against a backdrop of a range of policy changes and efficiency measures.
Child Maintenance
Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual administration costs of the statutory maintenance service. [95226]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual administration costs of the statutory maintenance service. [95226]
Until the new scheme of child maintenance is established, the Child Support Agency division of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission) will continue to operate the two existing statutory maintenance schemes. As stated in the Commission's latest Annual Report and Accounts the cost of delivering the two statutory schemes was £450m for 2010/11.
Whilst the Child Support Agency has maintained performance over the past year, the problems with the two existing Child Support Agency schemes, particularly those relating to the current IT system introduced in 2003, are well documented. Consequently, we propose to move to a new scheme, replacing the two current schemes and using income data from HM Revenue and Customs tax records, supported by a new IT system. The new scheme will support more efficient and effective administration of child maintenance for those parents who cannot reach their own family-based arrangements.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2011, Official Report, column 436W, on departmental manpower, if he will provide a breakdown of his Department's staff reductions by area of activity. [94482]
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Chris Grayling: As stated in the answer of 10 November 2011, Official Report, column 436W, on departmental manpower, departmental headcount had reduced by around 7,000 full-time equivalents since the beginning of the spending review in April 2011 to the end of October 2011.
Over the period, there has been a reduction of c6,000 in operational areas which represents around 7% of the operational total, and c1,000 in the corporate and shared service functions which represents just under 8% of the corporate total.
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what change in departmental headcount he plans for (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; [94486]
(2) what change in Jobcentre Plus headcount he plans for 2011-12. [94487]
Chris Grayling: The departmental work force plan shows an overall headcount reduction of around 7,500 full-time equivalents in 2011-12. Plans for 2012-13 are currently under review to take account of the staffing requirement to deliver the new Youth Contract and additional workloads.
Following a major restructure and streamlining of the Department, Jobcentre Plus is now part of a single operations organisation responsible for all services to the public. Separate plans for Jobcentre Plus are no longer available and headcount relating to activity previously undertaken within Jobcentre Plus are part of the plans set out above.
Actual staffing at the end of the year is forecast to be below plan due to staff turnover and staff leaving at the end of fixed term appointments. A programme of recruitment activity in operational areas is currently being undertaken to address this shortfall. Recruitment of additional staff is scrutinised to ensure it is essential for the delivery of the Department's business.
Recruitment
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93554]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has successfully reduced expenditure on recruitment and executive search agencies since May 2010. This is in line with our stated aims to reduce discretionary spend and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.
Spend for the 12 month period from May 2010 to April 2011 was 62% lower than in the same period the previous year. This trend continues with spend between May to December 2011 79% less than in the equivalent period in 2009.
DWP spend on recruitment services and executive search agencies each month since May 2009 is as follows:
| £ | |||
| Recruitment services | Executive s earch a gencies | Total monthly spend | |
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| £ | |||
| Recruitment services | Executive s earch a gencies | Total monthly s pend | |
| £ | |||
| Recruitment s ervices | Executive s earch a gencies | Total monthly spend | |
Recruitment services includes recruitment of interim managers and specialist contractors who are paid through the recruitment company. Spend figures for recruitment services therefore include fees paid to the contractors.
Departmental Training
Luciana Berger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many away days his Department
22 Feb 2012 : Column 860W
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. [93844]
Chris Grayling: We are unable to provide the information requested regarding the number of away days, location and numbers of staff attending and the cost for each event as we do not routinely collate data at this level of detail. In addition we do not record any information against a category of ‘away days’ as staff can be away from their office for a whole variety of reasons including staff development and training.
All areas of discretionary spend are scrutinised to drive down costs. This has resulted in a significant reduction in all areas of discretionary spend over the last few years, which in turn, has delivered better value to the tax payer.
All expenditure is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Ministerial Travel Costs
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 31WS, on cost of ministerial cars, whether his Department has any other arrangements for ministerial travel; and how much his Department has spent on (a) private hire vehicles and (b) taxis for each Minister since May 2010. [92827]
Chris Grayling: As set out in the Ministerial Code, Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
To ensure value for money for the taxpayer, the number of ministerial cars has been reduced to one from the six that were in use when the new ministerial team arrived in May 2010.
In line with the Government's austerity agenda, the Department for Work and Pensions business travel policy actively discourages travel, unless the alternatives have been examined and exhausted. Where travel is deemed appropriate, users are encouraged to use of the most cost-effective modes of transport.
The total ministerial spend on taxi and private hire vehicles (including ministerial cars) for the period May 2010 to April 2011 was £219,000, compared to expenditure of £608,000 for the comparable period from May 2009. This equates to a 64% reduction on the previous year's spend. The expenditure for May 2011 to December 2011 was £114,000.