28 Feb 2012 : Column 257W

Bahrain

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions regarding the staging of the Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [97213]

Alistair Burt: The staging of the Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain is entirely the decision of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). We have not had any discussions regarding this event, nor have we made any representations to the FIA.

China

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of China on its population planning policies; and if he will make a statement. [96849]

Mr Jeremy Browne: I have not had any recent discussions with the Chinese Government on the issue of their population planning policies. However, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), held discussions on the issue during her visit to Beijing in November 2011. Anne Milton met the Vice-Chair of the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) and discussed family planning policy and China's ageing population.

Departmental Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97038]

Mr Bellingham: Details of salaries paid to senior staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are published at regular intervals, in line with Government policy on transparency.

The latest data are available at

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/fco-staff-salary/

http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/about-us/how-we-are-run/folder_how-we-are-run/who-manages-us/salaries-and-expenses/

http://www.fcoservices.gov.uk/eng/ourorganisation/652.asp

There are no staff employed by the Wilton Park Executive Agency, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy or the Great Britain China Centre who are paid a salary greater than £100,000.

Diplomatic Service: Private Education

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department paid to send the children of civil servants to (a) private boarding schools, (b) private day schools and (c) Eton College in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much he expects to allocate for such purposes in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [96629]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 258W

Mr Bellingham: It is a condition of their employment that members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world at any time during their career, sometimes at very short notice. Those with children have a legal obligation as parents to ensure that their children receive a full-time education from the age of five years. Most parents prefer to take their children with them abroad, but in some countries we do not permit staff to take their children either for health or security reasons. In others, local schools of an acceptable standard are not available. It is longstanding practice that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) helps staff meet their potentially conflicting obligations by providing financial support for their children's education in the UK where staff choose this, or are obliged to do so given local conditions in the country to which they are posted. Continuity of education is also an important factor, particularly at secondary level.

The FCO refunds standard term fees up to a ceiling, which is reviewed annually. The maximum amount the FCO will pay, currently £25,731 per year for a senior boarding child, is determined by an independent survey conducted by Employment Conditions Abroad (ECA), a private company who provide advice and information to public and private sector employers whose staff work across the world. Various factors, including availability of places (sometimes at short notice) and proximity of other family members, influence which schools staff choose for their children. Where staff opt to send their children to more expensive schools staff meet the difference in cost. Eton fees would be above the ceiling.

The FCO spent a total of £13,067,398 on UK schooling in financial year 2010-11. The final costs for the current financial year are not yet known as the last payments are being processed, but the indications are that the final spend will be similar to last year's. Based on the numbers and ages of children who are forecast to be attending school we expect to allocate a budget of around £13.5 million for 2012-13.

We do not routinely pay for children to attend independent day schools in the UK. But children who have previously boarded while parents were overseas may become day pupils at the same school to continue their education whilst their parents are in the UK between postings. Additionally, a few children who accompany parents overseas and are educated in the international system may need to attend a private school in the UK to continue their education in that system during time spent here. Spending in this category accounts for around 15% of the total budget spend.

We are not able to provide details of payments made in connection with individual schools attended by children of staff in the UK and overseas, in order to avoid disclosures that, taken with other information, could identify individual members of staff and their families.

Senior Civil Servants

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many senior civil servants left his Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in his Department was during this period; and if he will make a statement. [96250]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 259W

Mr Bellingham: Ninety senior management structure (SMS) officers have left the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) since May 2010. This includes those leaving the FCO Services Trading Fund. Data for the arms length bodies are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

The number leaving each month was:

  Number

2010:

 

May

1

June

2

July

1

August

5

September

4

October

8

November

5

December

5

2011:

 

January

4

February

2

March

16

April

0

May

0

June

4

July

4

August

4

September

9

October

3

November

8

December

2

2012:

 

January

3

Of the 90 leavers: 70 left on retirement, early retirement or severance, resignation, permanent transfer to another government department or career break; 14 left at the

28 Feb 2012 : Column 260W

end of short-term loans to return to their parent departments; and six left at the end of fixed-term appointments.

For reasons of personal privacy, it would not be appropriate to provide the names of senior civil servants who are no longer in Government employment.

In overall terms these figures represent a turnover rate for the 21 month period of roughly 22%.

European Union: Business

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department has spent on (a) consular services, (b) country-specific research, (c) hospitality and (d) promoting British business interests in each EU member state; and what proportion of the cost of running each embassy this amounts to. [94163]

Mr Hague: The following table provides details of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) spend within each EU member state on consular services, hospitality and promoting British business interests during 2010-11 and the approximate proportion of the net operating costs these amount to. Details of the spend on country-specific research could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The FCO's network of posts plays a critical role in maintaining important bilateral relationships, helping to push the UK's prosperity agenda and providing consular support to British nationals overseas. Net expenditure varies significantly from post to post, including between those of similar size. This is due to a range of factors including income received, for example for consular services, the value of the FCO's locally owned estate and other country-specific factors such as local staff salary levels and employers' social security contributions, rental costs, and utility prices.

Country Consular (£) Consular as % country total Business hospitality (£) Business hospitality as % country total UKTI—promoting British business interests (£) UKTI—promoting British business interests as % country total

Austria

339,133

8

50,081

1

958,957

22

Belgium

202,120

3

21,874

0

2,944,302

37

Bulgaria

322,559

18

14,539

1

427,934

24

Cyprus

593,124

32

29,076

1

572,786

31

Czech Republic

298,611

13

16,402

0

876,101

37

Denmark

63,247

2

27,877

1

1,412,289

44

Estonia

57,039

6

2,282

0

302,736

31

Finland

138,924

5

25,257

1

1,563,348

55

France

- 869,079

-11

272,904

2

3,602,975

46

Germany

- 893,854

-6

153,218

1

5,046,766

36

Greece

1,092,200

24

34,003

1

1,122,480

25

Hungary

317,375

10

42,562

1

940,132

30

Ireland

- 543,642

-64

59,979

3

953,862

112

Italy

1,489,948

32

86,588

2

2,231,857

48

Latvia

27,647

4

14,489

1

133,925

20

Lithuania

45,874

5

14,448

1

218,706

25

Luxembourg

295,745

27

13,317

1

199,885

18

Malta

388,062

24

21,111

1

29,949

2

The Netherlands

380,537

10

13,581

0

940,966

24

Poland

93,943

3

35,383

1

882,602

30

Portugal

803,846

26

20,105

0

1,164,628

37

28 Feb 2012 : Column 261W

28 Feb 2012 : Column 262W

Romania

186,750

10

23,136

1

723,719

38

Slovakia

57,882

5

19,157

1

314,230

26

Slovenia

72,520

7

11,628

1

246,130

22

Spain

3,401,965

27

102,016

1

3,815,902

31

Sweden

318,302

10

33,762

1

1,164,629

38

Note: The percentages in the table are derived from net operating cost figures. Net costs exclude overheads, corporate and programme costs and some elements of management support. In France, Germany and Ireland, income exceeded the net operating costs as these posts received income through their role as regional passport processing hubs. This has produced negative figures/percentages or a percentage exceeding 100.

Libya

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last met the Libyan government; and whether allegations of human rights abuses committed by government forces and associated militias were discussed. [97088]

Alistair Burt: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), and I both raised our serious concerns regarding the recent allegations of mistreatment and torture in Libya with the Libyan Interior Minister when he visited the UK in late January. The Prime Minister also reiterated these concerns to the Minister during his visit. Our ambassador in Tripoli has also raised this issue with members of the Libyan Transitional Government.

The Libyan Deputy Prime Minister announced on 31 January that all allegations of mistreatment will be investigated. He also announced that officials from the Ministries of Justice and Interior would visit detention centres and begin the process of bringing all detention facilities under central control. The UK has already provided training to Libyan judges and legal professionals and will be providing further support, including on prison reform. The UK will continue to urge the Transitional Government to live up to their human rights commitments.

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the UK has provided to the Libyan Government to integrate militia forces in the Libyan armed forces. [97089]

Alistair Burt: The complex process for integrating militia forces in Libya into the state security services is led by the Libyan authorities with international support led by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Through our embassy in Tripoli, the Government have been working closely with UNSMIL to help shape and implement the Libyan Government's plan, including through a security workshop in Tripoli on 20 and 21 February. A UK senior policing adviser is assisting the Minister of Interior with police reform, including reintegration of militia members. Our defence adviser in Tripoli continues to monitor the reintegration programme, and the British Government are looking at options to provide rapid strategic advice to the Libyan Ministry of Defence.

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the Libyan government to protect citizens of sub-Sahara nations and regions from attacks by militia forces. [97090]

Alistair Burt: I have raised the importance of respect for minority groups in Libya in discussions with the Libyan Government, most recently with the Libyan Deputy Minister for Civil Society, Dr Atia Lawgali. We have also worked through the UN to press the Libyan Government to take proper account of this issue.

The Prime Minister, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), and I raised the UK's serious concerns about the treatment of all detainees, including those of sub-Saharan origin, being held by militia forces in separate meetings with the Libyan Interior Minister, Mr Abdilal, during his recent visit to the UK. We pressed for concrete action. Mr Abdilai confirmed that bringing all detainees under full government control was a high priority for the Libyan authorities and reassured us that action was in hand. The Libyan Deputy Prime Minister announced last month the formation of a committee to begin the process of bringing all detention facilities under the central control of the Justice Ministry. He also stated that all allegations of mistreatment would be investigated.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with the EU and UN on this issue.

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Libyan government to allow the Mshashiya and Tawergha peoples who have been displaced to remain in their homes. [97091]

Alistair Burt: When I met the Deputy Minister for Culture and Civil Society, Dr Atia Lawgali, during his recent visit to the UK, I stressed the importance of forming an inclusive society in the new Libya. Our ambassador in Tripoli has spoken to the Deputy Foreign Minister about how reconciliation between different communities, particularly the Tawergha could be achieved. We are also working closely with the UN who have called on the Libyan Government to investigate recent attacks on the Tawergha community. UN Security Council Resolution 2009 highlights the need to protect members of minority communities.

UK officials in Libya are in contact with a wide variety of minority groups and will continue to raise their concerns with the Transitional Government.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 263W

Mali

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to support the Presidential elections in Mali in April 2012. [96771]

Mr Bellingham: The British Government, along with its EU partners, supports the democratic process in Mali and is committed to peace, security and stability across the region. Our ambassador in Bamako has regularly made our support clear to the Malian Government and will be taking part in an informal election observer team along with other EU embassies.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many electoral observers from the UK he proposes will be present during the presidential elections in Mali in April 2012. [96772]

Mr Bellingham: There are no plans to send official UK observers to the presidential elections in Mali in April 2012. Our embassy in Bamako will be part of an informal election observer team along with other EU embassies. The EU will send a technical mission to support the electoral authorities in Mali. We will continue to work with regional organisations to identify opportunities for additional observer missions.

Nigeria

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect Christians in Nigeria from persecution; and if he will make a statement. [96915]

Mr Bellingham: The British Government are concerned by the loss of life suffered by both Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria due to recent violent attacks, many of which have been claimed by Boko Haram and existing inter-communal conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has condemned the 20 January attacks in Kano and the Christmas day attacks in Yobe, Plateau and Niger states. The British Government are working with the Nigerian Government to ensure that all Nigerians can live in peace. The Prime Minister reaffirmed our joint commitment to tackling security and terrorism when he met President Jonathan on 22 February 2012. Britain has shared experience on counter-terrorism policy, doctrine and legal frameworks, providing assistance in areas. The Department for International Development also operates programmes in Nigeria that focus on addressing grievances underlying conflict. Furthermore, through our high commission in Abuja, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has promoted a number of bridge building initiatives and supported a conference in Kano that brought together local leaders to discuss Islam, peace building and political engagement.

Palestinians

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Egyptian, (b) Palestinian and (c) Israeli governments on the political and economic situation in the Gaza strip. [96820]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 264W

Alistair Burt: We regularly discuss the political and economic situation in Gaza with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and on occasion with the Egyptian Government. In those discussions, we have argued for a relaxation of Israeli access and movement restrictions on Gaza; expressed our concern at the frequent exchange of rocket attacks and air strikes; and set out our position on reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. I most recently raised the situation in Gaza with the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister on 18 January while Gaza was a subject of discussion during President Abbas's visit to London on 15-17 January.

Saudi Arabia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on measures to increase exports to Saudi Arabia. [96697]

Alistair Burt: Increasing UK exports to Saudi Arabia was last discussed at ministerial level at the Gulf Initiative ministerial meeting on 9 February 2012, which I chaired. There are significant opportunities in the education, health care and financial services sector. We believe these to be key areas for both countries.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider commissioning the setting up of a British Trade Pavilion in Riyadh to showcase British goods and services. [96875]

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has no plans to commission a British Trade Pavilion in Riyadh. However, the British Government are committed to enhancing our trade relationship with Saudi Arabia and to showcasing British goods and services across the globe, including in Riyadh.

Senegal

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the decision by Senegal's constitutional court to allow current Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade to stand for a third term. [96018]

Mr Bellingham: The British Government are aware of the controversy surrounding the Senegal Constitutional Court's decision on the eligibility of President Wade to contest a third term. Ultimately however it is the Senegalese people who will choose their next President. The Senegalese people voted on 26 February in a calm atmosphere. We now await the official results. We welcome the deployment of the EU Election Observation Mission to observe these elections and look forward to their report in due course.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals have requested consular support in Sri Lanka in the past month. [96963]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 265W

Alistair Burt: The British high commission in Colombo provided consular assistance in relation to 28 British nationals in January 2012, the last full month for which statistics are available. This included assistance with regards to lost passports, hospitalisations and approaches to the consular section for advice, including in regards to the transfer of money overseas and liaising with local authorities.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of political prisoners in Sri Lanka. [96965]

Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the number of individuals who continue to be detained without charge following the conflict. We regularly receive reports from civil society organisations regarding these detainees.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of the judicial process in Sri Lanka; [96966]

(2) what recent assessment he has made of the conformity of Sri Lanka with international standards of judicial independence and integrity. [96967]

Alistair Burt: Sri Lanka has a developed judicial system, but there are significant challenges to effective criminal justice and rule of law. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's report, issued by the Sri Lankan Government, found that

“a large number of persons having political patronage had committed offences, but the long arm of the law had not reached them because of the political pressure exerted on law enforcement authorities.”

We also have concerns about the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to detain some suspects for prolonged periods without charge.

The Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has requested a visit to Sri Lanka, but this has not been taken up by the Sri Lankan Government. We urge them to do so.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from (a) the International Crisis Group, (b) Amnesty International and (c) Human Rights Watch on the treatment by the Sri Lankan Government of Sarath Fonseka. [96968]

Alistair Burt: We have received representations about Sri Lanka from all of these organisations, but not specifically on the case of Sarath Fonseka.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he (a) has made and (b) plans to make representations to the Government of Sri Lanka on the prison sentence given to Sarath Fonseka; and if he will make a statement; [96969]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 266W

(2) what reports he has received on the (a) trial and (b) imprisonment of Sarath Fonseka in Sri Lanka. [96970]

Alistair Burt: On 18 November 2011, former Chief of the Sri Lankan Army and presidential candidate, Sarath Fonseka, was found guilty of spreading rumours likely to cause public alarm and disorder and sentenced to three years in prison.

We have not made specific representations on the case of Sarath Fonseka, but the UK consistently urges the Sri Lankan Government to ensure that the law is fairly and objectively applied in all cases.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the treatment by the Government of Sri Lanka of Sarath Fonseka. [96971]

Alistair Burt: I have regular discussions with international counterparts about Sri Lanka, but have not recently discussed Sarath Fonseka. Our high commission in Colombo has had discussions about the Sarath Fonseka case with other diplomatic missions.

Syria

Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Syria. [96698]

Mr Hague: I have made clear repeatedly that President Assad has lost legitimacy and must step down. An inclusive Syrian-led political process is needed, which addresses the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. We recognise the Syrian National Council as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people seeking peaceful democratic change. It is for the Syrian people to take forward their aspirations for a more open, inclusive political future.

Taxis

Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on taxis in each of the last two years. [93466]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently uses two contracts in the UK with private hire companies: Addison Lee, covering the London area and Raffles Taxis covering the Milton Keynes area.

The following spend for both of these two suppliers for the FCO and FCO Services is as follows;

  £

2010-11

318,688.92

2011-12(1)

231,469.31

(1) To December.

Procurement activity overseas is devolved to our network of over 260 posts across 170 countries. Information on taxi use by FCO staff overseas is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 267W

Treasury

Action for Employment

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [97025]

Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury does not have any contracts with A4e.

Gift Aid: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many charities registered in Leeds North West constituency have applied for Gift Aid in each of the last five years; and how much such charities have received through Gift Aid in each of the last five years. [96984]

Miss Chloe Smith: HM Revenue and Customs does not separately identify Gift Aid claims by regions of the UK.

Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.1 on the HMRC website at:

www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm

In 2010-11 a total of £1,081 billion (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Monetary Policy

Mr Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the likely level of costs of borrowing if quantitative easing had not been implemented. [97145]

Mr Hoban: The independent Monetary Policy Committee sets monetary policy, including quantitative easing through the Asset Purchase Facility (APF), in order to meet the 2% inflation target over the medium term.

The Bank of England has estimated that quantitative easing (QE) carried out between March 2009 and January 2010 had a downward impact on gilt yields.

In addition, the clear and credible consolidation plan set out by the Government has resulted in the UK continuing to be seen as a relative safe haven. This has helped keep interest rates lower for families, businesses and taxpayers.

Non-domestic Rates

Derek Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the 5.6 per cent. increase in business rates planned for April 2012 on (a) the retail sector and (b) small stores; [96633]

(2) what recent representations he has received on the potential effect of the 5.6 per cent. increase in business rates planned for April 2012 on business growth. [96647]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 268W

Mr Gauke: Business rates are annually uprated by RPI inflation. The Government keep all taxes under review and all representations are taken into consideration.

The autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, announced the 2012-13 deferral scheme which will give businesses the opportunity to defer 60% of the RPI increase in 2012-13 business rates bills, and also a further six month extension of the Small Business Rates Relief holiday from 1 October 2012.

Planning Permission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2011, Official Report, columns 368-9W, on planning: expenditure, what recent estimate his Department has made of the financial benefits of the planning system to the UK economy; and if he will make a statement. [96736]

Miss Chloe Smith: Good planning can bring substantial economic and financial benefits, in particular through providing predictability for applicants and co-ordinating development. The Government's aim is to improve the role planning plays in supporting the economy, by providing clearer and simpler policy guidance and focusing the planning system on delivering sustainable development and growth.

Tax Avoidance

Mr Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of people non-domiciled for UK tax purposes in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [96484]

Mr Gauke: Based on initial analysis of self assessment (SA) returns received to date, 118,000 individuals indicated non-domicile status for the 2009-10 tax year which is the most recent tax year for which data are available. However, this figure may need to be revised once data for all tax returns in that year have been analysed.

Taxation: Business

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to improve transparency relating to tax in businesses under public sector control. [96552]

Mr Gauke: “Managing Public Money” provides the guidance for public spending against which Departments are audited, and applies to all central Government organisations and civil servants.

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/mpm_ch4.pdf

Following questions about the pay arrangements around the appointment of the chief executive of the Student Loans Company, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), has asked officials to review public sector appointments and tax arrangements including where payments are made through a personal service company.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 269W

The Treasury officer of accounts has also written to departmental accounting officers to remind them that public sector organisations should not use artificial tax avoidance devices.

Taxation: Debts Written Off

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of each tax write-off in excess of £500,000 made by HM Revenue and Customs since May 2010. [96551]

Mr Gauke: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Table 9.2 on page 157 of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) 2010-11 annual accounts sets out the amounts of revenue that HMRC remitted and wrote off in 2009-10 and 2010-11. The HMRC annual accounts are available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual-report-accounts-1011.pdf

Tax debts are remitted where they are capable of being recovered but HMRC decides not to pursue a liability. It does this when the value of a debt is small compared with the likely cost of recovering it, when enforcing payment would cause an individual, or his or her dependents, to suffer financial hardship, or where an earlier error by HMRC would make it inappropriate or unfair for it to enforce payment.

HMRC writes off debts when they have become irrecoverable because there are no practical means for pursuing the debt. This applies where taxpayers have gone missing and HMRC has not been able to trace their current whereabouts or where they have moved overseas to a territory outside the European Union with which the UK has no reciprocal recovery rights.

Debts are also written off where individuals or companies have become insolvent. When this happens, HMRC aims to recover a proportion of what it is owed consistent with its legal rights as a creditor, and it writes off the tax that cannot be recovered in this way.

Taxation: Oil

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much taxation revenue came from onshore oil production in England in (a) 2005 and (b) 2011. [96879]

Miss Chloe Smith: Total revenues from all UK oil and gas production activities are published by HMRC, but it is not possible to identify accurately the split between total onshore and offshore revenues, or by region.

Defence

Iraq

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons his Department has learned from the experience of the supply of post-withdrawal (a) equipment and (ii) training packages in Iraq. [95596]

Nick Harvey [holding answer 23 February 2012]: The Ministry of Defence has not supplied any equipment to Iraq since before the end of Combat Operations on

28 Feb 2012 : Column 270W

31 July 2009. Our programme of officer training in the UK continues and has not suffered any significant problems. Training in Iraq through the NATO training mission came to an end in December 2011.

Air Training Corps: Disciplinary Proceedings

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average length of time was taken to resolve suspension of an officer of the Air Training Corps in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011; how long has been taken on average in 2012; and if he will make a statement. [96563]

Mr Robathan: Three cases of officers of the Air Training Corps suspended during 2010 and 2011 have been resolved. No cases from 2012 have been resolved as of 20 February. One case from 2010 was resolved after an 18-month period. Two cases from 2011 have been resolved, one after six months, the other one month.

Apache Helicopters

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters are based in Afghanistan. [97154]

Mr Gerald Howarth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters there are in the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Marines. [97155]

Mr Gerald Howarth: None. All Apache helicopters are Army assets. However, some Apache helicopters are flown by aircrew from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, as part of a longstanding tri-service exchange programme.

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons systems are used by the Apache helicopter. [97162]

Mr Gerald Howarth: The Apache AH Mk1 weapons systems are 30mm Automatic Cannon, wing mounted 70mm Ariel Rocket and Hellfire Modular Missile Systems. The Apache is capable of carrying any combination of these pylon-mounted rockets and/or missiles.

The Apache AH Mk1 factsheet, is available on the Ministry of Defence website at:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Factsheets/EquipmentFactsheets/ApacheAhMk1.htm

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the performance of Apache during Operation Ellamy. [97227]

Mr Gerald Howarth: Apache helicopters performed well on Operation Ellamy, deploying from HMS Ocean for the first time, and made a substantial contribution to the NATO mission to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and protect the civilian population of Libya.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 271W

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department plans to develop a permanent helicopter carrier capability which would include Apache helicopters. [97228]

Mr Gerald Howarth: The means for delivering our future landing platform helicopter (LPH) capability have not yet been decided, nor has the eventual out-of-service date of HMS Ocean, which provides the current capability. These decisions will be taken to ensure coherence with the introduction into service of the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

While the Apache was not originally designed as a maritime helicopter, the Ministry of Defence has modified and cleared it to support maritime operations, such as those demonstrated from HMS Ocean on Op Ellamy (Libya). The Government believes that a modern carrier capability should be able to undertake a variety of roles, and the flexibility of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will allow them to be optimised around an air group consisting of the joint strike fighter and Merlin helicopter, with a number of other platforms, including Apache, designated as ‘secondary aircraft'.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department were in receipt of the continuity of education allowance in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what the cost to his Department was in respect of staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each year. [96593]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 27 February 2012]: The purpose of continuity of education allowance (CEA) is to allow the children of service personnel to achieve a stable education against a background of parental postings both at home and overseas.

The amount paid to service personnel based in the UK and overseas for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 can be found in the following table.

Financial year Number of personnel receiving CEA Amount paid to personnel in UK (£ million) Amount paid to personnel overseas (£ million)

2009-10

6,020

90.9

20.4

2010-11

6,090

94.6

20.2

Elements of CEA are subject to a pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) settlement agreement with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for tax purposes. Therefore, in addition to the money paid to individuals, the MOD also makes payments to HMRC for tax and national insurance (NI) following the grossing up of CEA. The amounts paid for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 can be found in the following table.

Financial year Tax and NI costs (1) (£ million)

2009-10

65.6

2010-11

(2)83.4

(1) Costs for tax and NI quoted are for all personnel, irrespective of location. (2) The significant increase in Tax and NI costs are due to a variety of factors including an increase in the value of the PAYE settlement with HMRC and changes in tax bands.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 272W

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will update the Defence Training Review 2000 to take account of the 2010-15 Strategic Defence and Security Review for the purposes of calculation and assessment of future military training needs. [95634]

Mr Robathan: There are no current plans to update Defence Training Review 2000 because the Strategic Defence and Security Review process offered, and will continue to offer, the opportunity to review training and education across Defence.

Departmental Lost Property

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers, (c) mobile telephones, (d) BlackBerrys, (e) CD and DVD discs, (f) removable hard disk drives, (g) printers, (h) backup tapes, (i) USB memory sticks and (j) other IT assets that were reported lost in 2011 were lost in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas. [96580]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 27 February 2012]: The MOD takes any loss of CIS and associated media storage devices very seriously and has robust procedures in place to stop this happening, and investigate when it does. New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to reduce to a minimum human error and raise the awareness of every individual in the MOD.

The following table sets out how many (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers, (c) mobile telephones, (d) BlackBerrys, (e) CD and DVD discs, (f)removable hard disk drives, (g) printers, (h) backup tapes, (i) USB memory sticks and (j) other IT assets that were reported lost in 2011 were lost in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas.

CIS Asset Lost within UK Lost overseas Total

Desktop computers

1

2

3

Laptop computers

36

20

56

Mobile telephones

8

1

9

BlackBerrys

10

0

10

CD and DVDs

78

162

240

Removable hard disk drives

30

9

39

Printers

2

0

2

Backup tapes

4

1

5

USB Memory sticks

28

6

34

Notes: 1. These are only the incidents that were reported to the Joint Security Co-ordination Centre (JSyCC) and may not include any losses which are in the reporting process. 2. These totals do not include incidents which are currently under investigation and may also include some losses relating to accounting anomalies during force rotation and/or disposal activities: 3. The data does not necessarily take account of assets that have subsequently been found or returned. To determine where this is the case, each incident would have to be individually reviewed in detail and it has not been possible to do so in the time available.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 273W

Members: Correspondence

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer the letter from the hon. Member for Harrow West on the answering of a parliamentary question on civil servant salary arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [96590]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 27 February 2012]: The hon. Member's letter of 16 February 2012 was received by the Ministry of Defence on 20 February; I will respond shortly. In the interim, I can confirm that the answer I gave on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 17W, was correct.

International Development

Action for Employment

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) value is of each such contract. [97022]

Mr Duncan: There have been no contracts centrally let by the Department for International Development with A4e.

Afghanistan

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect which the withdrawal of ISAF combat troops from Afghanistan before the end of 2014 will have on the gross national income of that country. [96732]

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The World Bank recently published a report on effect of transition including the withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops on the economy of Afghanistan. It used figures for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rather than the Gross National Income (GNI), and our discussions with international partners have therefore been based around GDP. The report forecasts a budget shortfall of around 40% of GDP by 2014-15 and 25% of GDP by 2021-22 ($7.2 billion at 2011 prices). This includes both security and development costs.

At the Bonn Conference in December the international community, including the UK, agreed in principle to provide long-term financial support in line with the Government of Afghanistan's priorities. Further discussions on these issues will take place at the Chicago and Tokyo international conferences later this year. The UK continues to support the Afghan Government to increase its tax revenue and encourage economic growth to help reduce dependency on aid overtime.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the gross national income of Afghanistan in 2011. [96733]

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Estimates for Afghanistan's gross national income (GNI) in 2011 are not yet available. The Afghan financial (and calendar) year ends in March 2012. Afghanistan's GNI in 2010 was US$14.3 billion, an increase of 16% on the previous year.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 274W

Burma

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid he allocated to Burma in 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the allocation for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [96857]

Mr Andrew Mitchell: British aid to Burma will combat the spread of drug-resistant malaria, improve healthcare, avert 153,000 unintended pregnancies, improve livelihoods, strengthen civil society, help 200,000 children complete primary school, and support conflict affected people.

In 2011-12, £36 million has been allocated towards these efforts. For 2013-13 the allocation is £36 million, and for 2013-14 the allocation is £55 million. In January this year £2 million worth of funding was announced for humanitarian work in Kachin state, this funding is in addition to the figures quoted above.

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of people living in relocation sites as a result of the Myitsone Dam project in Burma; what assistance his Department has provided for such people in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [97109]

Mr Duncan: Sources suggest about 400 households, including around 2,000 people, have been displaced to a new village. The Department for International Development has made no specific allocation to those re-located but is supporting NGOs which are providing assistance to 27,500 internally displaced people in other areas of Kachin State over the next four months.

It is important that the Burmese Government listen to the needs and interests of their people in deciding the future of this project. We note that Aung San Suu Kyi supported the President's decision to suspend the construction during her meeting with the Burmese Minister of Labour on 30 September 2011. We welcome this further stage of dialogue and urge the Burmese Government to ensure that it continues.

Departmental Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97041]

Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has: (i) seven officials who are paid between £100,000 and £142,499; and (ii) one official who is paid £142,500 or more.

Departmental Staff: Private Education

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to send the children of civil servants to (a) private boarding schools in total, (b) private day schools in total and (c) Eton College in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much he expects to allocate for such purposes in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [96627]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 275W

Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) reimburses employees on overseas postings for private schooling overseas or boarding school fees in the UK for their children, within financial ceilings.

The terms and conditions of employment in DFID are set in order to recruit, motivate and retain staff who are skilled and equipped to meet DFID's objectives. Those with children have a legal obligation as parents to ensure that their children receive a full-time education from the age of five, and they pay UK tax wherever they work. Most parents prefer to take their children with them, but in some countries they are not permitted to do so, either for health or security reasons. Continuity of education is also an important factor, particularly at secondary level.

Our central records relate to education allowance paid to Home Civil Service staff serving overseas to assist with school fees in the UK or in an overseas location and are not held in a format that allows for the disaggregation between boarding school and private day school payments. We do not hold a central record of school fees which are paid locally by overseas offices in respect of children in education in these countries.

The amount spent on education allowance by DFID was:

Financial year Total (£)

2010-11

1,061,307

2011-12 (April to January)

931,591

Our records show no children of DFID staff attended Eton College during the periods 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The amount that DFID will pay on education allowance in 2012-13 will be dependant on the number, of school age children, of staff working overseas. We would estimate the amount will be similar to the previous two years provided in the table.

Attorney-General

Departmental Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Attorney-General how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97031]

The Solicitor-General: The information requested is contained in the following table.

Number of civil servants paid £100,000 or higher
Organisation £100,000 to £142,499 £142,500 or more

Attorney-General's Office

1

0

Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate

0

(1)1

Treasury Solicitor's Department

5

1

Serious Fraud Office

2

1

Crown Prosecution Service

24

3

(1) Public appointment on a fixed salary of £150,000 (no pension provision)—not a civil servant.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 276W

Senior Civil Servants

Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many senior civil servants left the Law Officers' Departments and their public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in the Law Officers' Departments was during this period; and if he will make a statement. [96355]

The Solicitor-General: Information on the number of senior civil servants who have left the Law Officers' Departments is contained in the following table.

  TSol AGO HMCPSI SFO CPS

May 2010

1

3

June 2010

1

0

July 2010

1

August 2010

2

4

September 2010

1

1

2

October 2010

1

1

November 2010

1

December 2010

0

January 2011

0

February 2011

1

March 2011

3

1

April 2011

1

1

May 2011

2

2

1

June 2011

0

July 2011

1

0

August 2011

1

0

September 2011

1

0

October 2011

1

1

November 2011

0

December 2011

0

January 2012

1

1

1

0

February 2012

4

0

Total

17

3

1

5

17

           

Turnover rate (May 2010 to February 2012) (percentage)

(1)26

50

85.9

(1) Includes AGO and HMCPSI data as TSol fulfil the personnel functions for both organisations. (2) The CPS turnover is not representative of the reduction in staffing numbers—in real terms the reduction of SCS staff over this period is 47%.

Names have been withheld as it would be inappropriate to reveal the identities of individuals who may no longer work for the Government.

Education

Child Protection

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps the Government is taking with parents to reduce the incidence of child neglect. [96465]

Tim Loughton: The Government continue to support the development and implementation of a number of evidence-based interventions for families where children are on the edge of care, including a particular programme focusing on child abuse and neglect. These are therapeutic interventions with a recognised evidence base which have demonstrated effectiveness in significantly improving parenting skills.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 277W

Maltreating children is wholly unacceptable and the Government strongly believe that the responsibility lies within us to prevent children from suffering harm and to help those who have been abused or neglected. In line with this, the Government have agreed with the recommendations put forward by Professor Munro to provide support to children and families as soon as a need is identified.

The Department also funds a range of family support services delivered by the voluntary sector, such as Family Lives, Gingerbread and the Family Rights Group. Parents can turn to these organisations to seek advice and support in their parenting or if particular issues are a concern, such as involvement with children's services.

Education Funding Agency: Manpower

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be employed by the Education Funding Agency in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15. [96287]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 27 February 2012]:The precise number of staff for the Education Funding Agency is under discussion, but in broad terms the agency will have around 750 to 800 staff in 2012-13. The vast majority of the staff will have worked previously in the Young People's Learning Agency or Partnerships for Schools or will have moved to the agency from elsewhere in the Department for Education. Staffing numbers for subsequent years will be reviewed in due course. The agency's staff will all be employees of the Department.

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of staff who will transfer from the Young Person's Learning Agency to the Education Funding Agency. [96288]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 27 February 2012]:580 posts will move from the Young Person's Learning Agency (YPLA) to the Education Funding Agency on 1 April 2012. The large majority of these posts will be filled by staff employed by the YPLA on 31 March. Around 27 posts will be filled by Department staff previously on secondment to the YPLA.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with charities on the effects of the withdrawal of education maintenance allowance. [95084]

Tim Loughton: None of the Department for Education Ministers have formally discussed the education maintenance allowance with charities since the beginning of this year.

Family and Relationship Support

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he is making on provision of family and relationship support at times of additional pressure. [95860]

28 Feb 2012 : Column 278W

Sarah Teather: The Government have made considerable progress on the provision of family and relationship support.

The Government attach a high priority to supporting couple relationships and have committed a dedicated fund of £30 million over the spending review period. A range of expert providers are being funded to deliver activities including work to normalise the take up of support, innovative preventative services, counselling for couples experiencing difficulties and support for when relationships breakdown. Research has also been commissioned to test the efficacy of a number of interventions and a procurement exercise has been launched to test ways of promoting relationship support for first- time parents.

In July 2011, the Department contracted with 11 organisations to provide family support services online and through telephone helplines. The most recent figures (from January 2012) show that the services have been contacted by 3.2 million parents over the previous seven months, of which, 340,000 were seeking advice and guidance and 69,000 intensive support, with the remainder seeking a wide range of parenting information.

The Department has also provided grant funding to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations for a number of projects, including:

School-home Support, to train professionals who work with parents in and around schools. This will allow schools to be better placed to reach out and help more families support their children’s education.

Home-Start UK, to support and advise local Home Start schemes which provide help in the home by trained volunteers for vulnerable families with children under five.

Booktrust, for a new book gifting programme; including new targeted elements providing extra support to families for whom books and reading for pleasure are not yet such a part of everyday life.

The Department announced on 18 October 2011 that a trial of universal parenting classes for mothers and fathers of children 0-5 years will run from spring 2012 in three areas (Middlesbrough, High Peak (Derbyshire), and the London borough of Camden) aimed at over 50,000 parents. The trial will test how best a commercial market in parenting classes for all parents can be established. The aim is to provide early support for parents and families before problems escalate. Better information early on reduces the likelihood of families requiring more expensive support from public services later on.

On 15 December 2011, the Prime Minister announced further details of his commitment to turn around the lives of 120,000 troubled families by the end of this Parliament. £448 million has been brought together for this programme of work, which is led by Louise Casey in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Departments contributing funding are Education, Health, Work and Pensions, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. The troubled families team in DCLG is also working with the LGA, councils, front-line workers and families themselves to develop the delivery of this work. The programme will have specific objectives including those of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, getting adults on the path to work and children back into school. If successful, this will mean significant savings to both central and local government, as by reducing the number of troubled families, we will be freeing up money in the longer term.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 279W

GCSE

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of year 11 students in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humber sat a modern foreign language GCSE exam in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; [95173]

(2) what proportion of Year 11 students in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East

28 Feb 2012 : Column 280W

Yorkshire and

(c)

Yorkshire and Humber sat history GCSE exams in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [95195]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 February 2012]: The information requested can be found in the following table for 2007/08 to 2009/11 for modern foreign language GCSEs and 2004/05 to 2009/11 for history GCSEs. Data for earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Constituency level data for 2010/11 are not yet available.

Percentages of pupils (1, 2) at the end of key stage 4 who sat modern foreign language (3) and history GCSEs (4,5) in Haltemprice and Howden constituency (6) , East riding and Yorkshire local authority (7) , Yorkshire and the Humber region (8) and England (9) —Years: 2004/05-2009/10—Coverage: England
Percentages of KS4 pupils who sat GCSEs in : 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Modern Foreign Language (3)

             

Haltemprice and Howden

n/a

n/a

n/a

43.1

43.0

41.6

n/a

East Riding and Yorkshire

n/a

n/a

n/a

43.9

44.6

43.9

38.4

Yorkshire and the Humber

n/a

n/a

n/a

36.6

37.0

35.3

32.6

England

n/a

n/a

n/a

41.5

41.3

40.4

38.5

               

History

             

Haltemprice and Howden

36.7

37.0

31,8

29.6

34.4

31.9

n/a

East Riding and Yorkshire

36.1

38.1

37.3

36.2

36.2

38.3

37.3

Yorkshire and the Humber

29.6

29.8

28.4

27.8

28.1

27.9

28.3

England

30.9

31.0

30.0

30.2

30.2

30.2

30.9

n/a = not available. (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (3) Includes all languages which are counted as being a modern foreign language. Figures for Modern Foreign Languages are not available for the years 2004/05 to 2006/07. (4) Full GCSEs only have been included (Full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs). Figures from 2005-09 exclude iGCSEs, 2010 and 2011 figures include accredited iGCSEs. (5) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (6) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (7) Local authority figures are based on the local authority maintaining the school. (8) Regional figures are based on the region of the Local Authority maintaining the school. (9) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database

Grammar Schools: Academies

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grammar schools have (a) applied for and (b) converted to academy status since 2005. [96491]

Mr Gibb: Since 2005, 131 grammar schools have registered an interest and applied to convert to academy status. As of February 2012, 119 grammar schools have become academies.

Human Trafficking: Curriculum

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools teach pupils about human trafficking. [96502]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 27 February 2012 ]:Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education provides opportunities for schools to teach about human trafficking. In secondary schools pupils are taught ways of recognising and reducing risk, minimising harm and getting help in emergency and risky situations. PSHE education is not compulsory and the Department does not collect information about the topics taught in each school.

Primary Education: Admissions

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much he plans to spend on creating additional primary school places in this Parliament. [96384]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 27 February 2012]: For the current spending period the Government intend to make available over £4 billion to local authorities to support the provision of pupil places. It is for local authorities to decide how best to allocate that funding to meet local needs.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to raise the educational aspirations of school children from lower- income families. [96419]

Mr Gibb: Narrowing attainment gaps between pupils from low-income families and their peers is a priority for the coalition Government. We have introduced the pupil premium, which guarantees additional funding for schools with disadvantaged children, and ensures that the poorest children, wherever they live, are able to receive the right support to enable them to achieve the

28 Feb 2012 : Column 281W

standards of which they are capable. Total funding is £625 million in 2011-12, £1.25 billion in 2012-13, and will rise to £2.5 billion by 2014-15.

Additional funding is only one aspect of our approach to raising standards and aspirations for pupils from low-income families. For the first time this year the School Performance Tables include information about how effective schools are at narrowing the attainment gap and achieving high standards for their disadvantaged pupils. Other reforms, including improving the quality of teaching in our schools, introducing a more rigorous emphasis on phonics in the early years of primary education and reviewing the national curriculum and assessment arrangements, will all have an impact on the attainment and aspirations of children from lower income families.

School Capital Programme

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether meeting the BRE Environmental Assessment Method standard is one of the criteria for expenditure on school infrastructure under the School Capital Programme. [95845]

Mr Gibb: We are considering the outstanding recommendations in the Sebastian James review of education capital, including the recommendation on the future of BREEAM in school building programmes. We will be responding very soon with next steps.

School Facilities

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to update and consolidate its guidance on out-of-hours use of school facilities. [95888]

Mr Gibb: In the Schools White Paper “The Importance of Teaching” the Government made a commitment to reducing the volume of DFE guidance to schools. Since then we have carried out a thorough review of all DFE publications and over 20,000 pages of unnecessary guidance has been removed. The review identified over 1,000 pages of guidance on the Department for Education and Training and Development Agency for Schools websites that related to the provision of extended services in schools. This has been reduced to five pages. Most of the guidance that has been removed may still be accessed in the archive section of the DFE publications website. Additional guidance focused on the responsibilities of governing bodies is available in chapter 22 of The Governors' Guide to the Law which can be accessed on the Department for Education website:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/governance/guidetothelaw/b0065507/gttl

Schools: Admissions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which secondary schools admit pupils on the basis of partial selection by ability criteria in each local authority; and what proportion of pupils at each school were admitted in this way in the latest period for which figures are available. [96495]

Mr Gibb: The information requested is not collected centrally.

28 Feb 2012 : Column 282W

Schools: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made in amending the funding formula for schools to ensure that the difference between regions is narrowed; and what progress he has made in ensuring that Shropshire receives an increased level of funding. [96270]

Mr Gibb: We published the consultation document, “A consultation on school funding: Proposals for a fairer system” in July 2011. The consultation closed in October and we published details of the responses in December. We are engaged in careful consideration of how to proceed towards a fairer system of school funding. We expect to make further announcements in the spring.

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was received per pupil by local authorities through the Dedicated Schools Grant in each of the last three years. [96460]

Mr Gibb: The following table shows the Guaranteed Unit of Funding (GUF) allocated to each authority through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) from 2009-10 to 2011-12. The GUFs for 2011-12 include the amount per pupil allocated to local authorities for the specific grants that were mainstreamed into the DSG in 2011-12. These specific grants were allocated in addition to the DSG in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Excluding the specific grant funding, the GUFs for 2011-12 would be the same as for 2010-11.

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Guaranteed Units of Funding (GUF) 2009-10 to 2011-12
£
Local authority 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (1)

Barking and Dagenham

4,725

4,917

5,766

Barnet

4,723

4,917

5,642

Barnsley

3,987

4,154

4,878

Bath and North East Somerset

4,033

4,204

4,788

Bedford Borough

3,998

4,198

4,909

Bexley

4,301

4,482

5,120

Birmingham

4,605

4,790

5,689

Blackburn with Darwen

4,405

4,583

5,416

Blackpool

4,125

4,296

4,984

Bolton

4,125

4,301

4,999

Bournemouth

3,964

4,130

4,659

Bracknell Forest

4,177

4,367

4,861

Bradford

4,275

4,470

5,293

Brent

5,102

5,342

6,236

Brighton and Hove

4,249

4,424

5,017

Bristol, City of

4,520

4,702

5,469

Bromley

4,123

4,311

4,944

Buckinghamshire

4,042

4,216

4,814

Bury

4,068

4,238

4,822

Calderdale

4,053

4,222

4,917

Cambridgeshire

3,926

4,093

4,644

Camden

6,373

6,618

7,649

Central Bedfordshire

3,938

4,094

4,658

Cheshire East

3,943

4,110

4,695

Cheshire West and Chester

4,104

4,275

4,896

City of London

7,603

7,871

9,373

Cornwall

3,879

4,043

4,664

Coventry

4,258

4,433

5,232

Croydon

4,432

4,627

5,345

28 Feb 2012 : Column 283W

Cumbria

3,970

4,137

4,828

Darlington

4,086

4,255

4,897

Derby

4,120

4,291

5,049

Derbyshire

3,964

4,130

4,766

Devon

3,843

4,005

4,603

Doncaster

4,083

4,252

4,982

Dorset

3,938

4,104

4,683

Dudley

4,092

4,263

4,895

Durham

4,125

4,296

5,068

Ealing

5,007

5,213

6,100

East Riding of Yorkshire

3,851

4,015

4,613

East Sussex

4,141

4,313

4,913

Enfield

4,596

4,785

5,569

Essex

4,067

4,238

4,816

Gateshead

4,129

4,300

5,123

Gloucestershire

3,881

4,046

4,661

Greenwich

5,576

5,827

6,801

Hackney

6,409

6,682

7,811

Halton

4,376

4,555

5,355

Hammersmith and Fulham

5,831

6,059

7,040

Hampshire

3,964

4,132

4,648

Haringey

5,161

5,364

6,307

Harrow

4,669

4,862

5,536

Hartlepool

4,173

4,345

5,192

Havering

4,287

4,468

5,086

Herefordshire

3,830

4,002

4,724

Hertfordshire

4,039

4,212

4,787

Hillingdon

4,519

4,709

5,420

Hounslow

4,822

5,024

5,844

Isle of Wight

4,198

4,373

5,001

Islington

6,043

6,310

7,319

Kensington and Chelsea

5,956

6,186

7,036

Kent

4,081

4,251

4,885

Kingston Upon Hull, City of

4,317

4,493

5,294

Kingston upon Thames

4,410

4,596

5,184

Kirklees

4,093

4,266

4,990

Knowsley

4,414

4,621

5,447

Lambeth

6,075

6,337

7,398

Lancashire

4,069

4,238

4,902

Leeds

4,068

4,237

4,946

Leicester

4,310

4,497

5,290

Leicestershire

3,728

3,888

4,429

Lewisham

5,751

5,981

6,952

Lincolnshire

3,933

4,099

4,798

Liverpool

4,484

4,675

5,553

Luton

4,402

4,583

5,315

Manchester

4,731

4,919

5,876

Medway

4,179

4,351

4,953

Merton

4,612

4,801

5,425

Middlesbrough

4,330

4,506

5,352

Milton Keynes

4,231

4,413

5,074

Newcastle upon Tyne

4,256

4,443

5,288

Newham

5,259

5,478

6,449

Norfolk

3,945

4,111

4,786

North East Lincolnshire

4,281

4,455

5,102

North Lincolnshire

3,961

4,127

4,818

North Somerset

3,895

4,061

4,677

North Tyneside

3,974

4,140

4,906

North Yorkshire

3,993

4,160

4,787

Northamptonshire

3,923

4,088

4,699

28 Feb 2012 : Column 284W

Northumberland

3,850

4,016

4,744

Nottingham

4,658

4,843

5,713

Nottinghamshire

3,981

4,148

4,747

Oldham

4,271

4,453

5,229

Oxfordshire

4,011

4,182

4,758

Peterborough

4,246

4,422

5,169

Plymouth

4,030

4,198

4,891

Poole

3,860

4,024

4,579

Portsmouth

4,207

4,381

5,042

Reading

4,428

4,627

5,287

Redbridge

4,380

4,575

5,248

Redcar and Cleveland

4,133

4,305

5,148

Richmond upon Thames

4,467

4,654

5,162

Rochdale

4,321

4,500

5,255

Rotherham

4,190

4,363

5,141

Rutland

4,039

4,208

4,749

Salford

4,462

4,642

5,444

Sandwell

4,372

4,557

5,315

Sefton

4,058

4,227

4,932

Sheffield

4,096

4,272

5,001

Shropshire

3,850

4,013

4,612

Slough

4,582

4,792

5,540

Solihull

3,887

4,052

4,652

Somerset

3,889

4,052

4,668

South Gloucestershire

3,781

3,944

4,487

South Tyneside

4,241

4,417

5,303

Southampton

4,265

4,441

5,123

Southend-on-Sea

4,171

4,344

5,034

Southwark

5,961

6,200

7,244

St Helens

4,120

4,290

5,014

Staffordshire

3,913

4,078

4,653

Stockport

4,043

4,211

4,791

Stockton-on-Tees

4,102

4,272

4,988

Stoke-on-Trent

4,215

4,388

5,200

Suffolk

3,900

4,065

4,676

Sunderland

4,137

4,311

5,025

Surrey

4,129

4,313

4,804

Sutton

4,409

4,596

5,200

Swindon

3,913

4,079

4,696

Tameside

4,126

4,298

4,942

Telford and Wrekin

4,052

4,219

4,855

Thurrock

4,291

4,470

5,112

Torbay

4,064

4,233

4,842

Tower Hamlets

6,523

6,792

8,052

Trafford

3,992

4,160

4,761

Wakefield

4,022

4,190

4,912

Walsall

4,183

4,371

5,131

Waltham Forest

4,747

4,940

5,842

Wandsworth

5,376

5,639

6,565

Warrington

3,958

4,125

4,668

Warwickshire

3,927

4,093

4,663

West Berkshire

4,137

4,321

4,891

West Sussex

4,018

4,186

4,705

Westminster

5,650

5,893

6,897

Wigan

4,091

4,262

4,882

Wiltshire

3,849

4,013

4,593

Windsor and Maidenhead

4,193

4,378

4,967

Wirral

4,089

4,269

5,028

Wokingham

4,005

4,198

4,711

Wolverhampton

4,309

4,502

5,348

28 Feb 2012 : Column 285W

Worcestershire

3,865

4,028

4,601

York

3,939

4,103

4,657

England

4,218

4,398

5,083

(1) Figures include the per pupil amount for specific grants that were mainstreamed into the DSG in 2011-12. The GUFs for 2011-12 would be the same as for 2010-11, if these funding relating to these grants is excluded.