Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Hares
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to provide the same level of protection to hares in England during the breeding season that they receive in Scotland. [97378]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has asked the Law Commission to review wildlife legislation. The review will cover issues such as whether or not Ministers should be given powers to make close seasons for animals such as hares. Meanwhile, I am writing to organisations whose members are likely to control hares, to encourage them to draw up best practice guidance for minimising welfare impacts during necessary control, including consideration of a voluntary close season.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to test the carcasses of culled badgers for bovine tuberculosis. [96612]
Mr Paice: We do not propose to check whether the badgers are infected with TB. We already have evidence on the typical prevalence of TB in badgers in areas of high TB incidence from the randomised badger culling trial.
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Dangerous Dogs
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review her policy on dangerous dogs and consider the merits of a dog registration system that includes a cost differential for neutered and un-neutered dogs. [96921]
Mr Paice: I am pleased to say that we are close to finalising a package of measures to tackle irresponsible dog owners. We are considering the benefits of compulsory microchipping of dogs along with requiring the details of non-prohibited dogs to be held on a central database. We will be announcing these measures very shortly. Under existing laws, all prohibited dogs that the courts allow their owners to keep must be neutered and registered on a national database.
Jane Ellison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent representations her Department has received on (a) stray dogs, (b) dangerous dogs and (c) responsible dog ownership; [96802]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with representatives of local authorities on dog control issues; [96803]
(3) what recent discussions she has had with the Greater London authority on dog control issues. [96804]
Mr Paice: DEFRA takes the issue of irresponsible ownership of dogs very seriously and we have made it a priority to deal with the issue. DEFRA has received numerous representations from MPs, peers, stakeholders and individual members of the public on this issue. DEFRA Ministers and officials have met with a range of key stakeholders with an interest in irresponsible dog ownership, including representatives from local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment
Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how soon after the publication of the research into electric dog collars an announcement on her Department's policy on the use of such collars will be made. [96538]
Mr Paice: The findings of the research into the effects of electronic training devices on dogs are not due to be published until the spring. It is not possible to say at this stage when an announcement will be made, as we do not yet know what the research's analysis will conclude.
Livestock: Waste Disposal
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance to regulate the disposal of carcasses infected with BSE (a) was in place in 1996 and (b) is in place. [96034]
Mr Paice:
In 1996, the statutory options for disposal of carcases infected with BSE were rendering, incineration or burial. At the time, the Government's policy for disposing of BSE suspects was by incineration wherever
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possible. When burial was permitted it should have complied with the then applicable Codes of Good Agricultural Practice in order to protect the water, soil and air.
The current legal requirements are set down in EU Regulation 1069/2009 and require BSE infected carcases, as category 1 material, to be disposed in an approved incinerator, either directly or following processing by pressure rendering.
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that prions from previous disposals of carcasses infected with or believed to be infected with BSE are not released into (a) the environment and (b) upwind of or near residential areas. [96098]
Mr Paice: It was Government policy to dispose of BSE suspects by incineration wherever possible. When burial was permitted it should have complied with the then applicable Codes of Good Agricultural Practice in order to protect the water, soil and air.
The former Scientific Steering Committee (later succeeded by the European Food Safety Authority) which was set up by the European Commission to cover consumer health and food safety issues provided the following scientific opinion which was adopted at its meeting on 24-25 June 1999:
“For animals and materials that carry an actual or suspected TSE risk, incineration or burning after previous rendering at least “133°C/20Y3 bars” (or validated equivalent) are considered to be the safest ways of disposal”.
Nature Conservation
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent species loss in (a) the UK, (b) Europe and (c) the rest of the world; and if she will make a statement. [97387]
Richard Benyon: Our wildlife strategy for England, Biodiversity 2020, which we published last August, highlighted species recovery as a priority area. I am responding for England as this is a devolved matter.
We support the European Biodiversity Strategy, and internationally the UK's Darwin Initiative is widely admired and has contributed over £80 million on 729 biodiversity projects in 155 countries since 1992. We intend to announce a further round of successful projects shortly.
Defence
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [Official Report, 24 April 2012, Vol. 543, c. 5MC.] [97018]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence does not have any contracts with A4e.
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Afghanistan: Armed Forces
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current operations allowance is for members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan; and whether an enhanced operational allowance will continue to be paid to all those serving on future operations in that country. [97644]
Mr Robathan: The aim of the operational allowance is to recognise the significantly increased and enduring nature of the danger in specified operational locations. Our armed forces are currently deployed to the most demanding areas of conflict. It is right that they receive allowances, such as the tax free operational allowance, for the day-to-day demands of a deployment in Afghanistan.
The current single rate of the operational allowance, doubled by the coalition Government in May 2010, is £29.02 per day tax free. This equates to £5,280 for a typical six month tour of duty. While we keep the locations for which the operational allowance is payable under constant review we have no current plans to change it for personnel in Afghanistan.
Air Training Corps: Expenditure
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on non-core activities by the Air Training Corps in each region in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [95980]
Mr Robathan: The information requested is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Air Cadet Organisation activities are funded through a combination of public and non-public, self-generated funding.
Armed Forces: Mental Health Services
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2012, Official Report, column 774W, on armed forces: mental health services, how often the four working groups examining joint working with the US on rehabilitation practices have met since they were established. [96924]
Mr Robathan: Since being set up in October 2011, the four working groups have conducted most of their business by a combination of teleconferences and email. Formal meetings have taken place as follows:
Working Group 1 (Transition from Military to Civilian Life) has held four teleconferences.
Working Group 2 (Mental Health) has held four teleconferences.
Working Group 3 ("Wounded Warrior" Rehabilitation) has held two teleconferences.
Working Group 4 (Military Family Support) has held one teleconference.
Between meetings, working group members have also corresponded regularly by telephone and e-mail.
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Armed Forces: Pay
Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to the letter to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe of 11 January 2012, when the review into irregularities in pay of service personnel will be concluded; and if he will make a statement. [97277]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 28 February 2012]: The review into the inadequate application of Qualification Point (QP) Bars for Navy Personnel, which resulted in overpayments being made, is ongoing. This is a complex matter and Ministry of Defence officials are working to resolve it as soon as practically possible.
Armed Forces: Psychology
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has developed online resources to improve psychological (a) testing and (b) training in the armed forces. [96782]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence uses a variety of methods for providing briefing and instruction on mental health issues, including paper-based questionnaires and face-to-face assessment and instruction, as well as online resources where these are appropriate and available. As improved online systems are developed, we will consider making increased use of them when assessed to be the most suitable means of provision.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which universities his Department is working with to improve psychological testing and training in the armed forces. [96783]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a close working relationship with King's College London, primarily through the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), which is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research. The MOD's own Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health (ACDMH) is also based at King's College, and works closely with KCMHR on a range of research aimed at understanding and improving the mental health of the UK armed forces. This currently includes a major study, funded by the US Department of Defence, of a possible mental health screening tool using UK armed forces personnel returning from operations.
Armed Forces: Retirement
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long on average a service leaver spends with a resettlement adviser on the conclusion of his or her service. [97498]
Mr Robathan: Resettlement advice is provided through a number of sources including resettlement information staff, service resettlement advisors and career consultants within the auspices of the Career Transition Partnership. While the majority of contact will be generated by the service leaver, the resettlement process starts with a mandatory resettlement brief no earlier than two years before leaving. This will be followed up by a one-to-one interview, approximately six months prior to discharge.
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As each service leaver is provided with tailored resettlement support to meet individual needs it is not possible to estimate the average amount of time they will spend with a resettlement adviser but this is likely to be several days over an extended period.
Army: Training
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the development of the role of the British Army training unit in Kenya. [97241]
Mr Robathan: The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) delivers high quality, light role, Infantry training, together with a limited amount of protected mobility training, in an appropriately challenging environment which is relevant to current and future operations. There are no plans to change this role.
Chinook Helicopters
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of progress made by Project Julius; and whether the project is on time; [96363]
(2) when the Project Julius avionic upgrade for the Chinook helicopters will receive its release to service; [96364]
(3) when project Julius-upgraded Chinooks will be deployed to Afghanistan. [96365]
Peter Luff: Julius introduces a digital “glass” cockpit and new crewman’s workstation across our current fleet of Chinook helicopters that provide the core heavy-life element of the UK rotary wing fleet. These modifications will allow pilots to determine what flight and tactical information is displayed to them at any given time, improving the ergonomics of the cockpit. Modified aircraft completed numerous developmental test flights during 2011. These were largely successful but some technical issues were identified, which is not unusual during such activities. The Ministry of Defence and industry have an established plan to resolve these issues and deliver the aircraft to service shortly. Once introduced into service, their use and deployment will be determined by prevailing military needs and priorities.
Senior Civil Servants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [96253]
Mr Robathan: I am able to advise that 50 senior civil servants left the Ministry of Defence during the period May 2010 to December 2011. This figure includes those that have retired, resigned, died in service or left on voluntary early release terms. The figure does not include individuals who have been permanently transferred to other Government Departments or who have transferred on temporary loan. Details are as follows:
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| Number | |
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.
The turnover of senior civil servants during the period May 2010 to December 2011 is assessed as 19.42%.
Large Goods Vehicles
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) 7.5 tonne, (b) 17 tonne and (c) 44 tonne trucks there were at MOD Bicester in each year since 2005; [97264]
(2) on what date the TMS computer system was adopted as a normal business practice by his Department. [97295]
Peter Luff [holding answer 29 February 2012]: Information on the number of 7.5 tonne 17 tonne and 44 tonne vehicles operating from Logistic Service Bicester in each year since 2005 is not held.
The Transport Management System (TMS) is a vehicle management system currently being introduced into a number of DE&S sites that operate vehicle fleets. Sites that are already using TMS include Logistic Services Bicester and Logistic Services Donnington. It is planned that TMS will achieve full operational capability by 31 December 2012.
Military Decorations
Mr Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable he has set for the reconstituted Medal Review; and if he will make a statement. [96155]
Mr Robathan: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 599, to my hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Caroline Dinenage).
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Ministry of Defence Police: Gosport
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions to the budget of the Ministry of Defence Police on Gosport and its surrounding area. [96731]
Mr Robathan: Possible options to adjust our future requirement for Ministry of Defence Police services and capabilities are still under consideration.
Veterans
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) funded on helping returning veterans to successfully reassimilate into society. [96788]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to ensuring that service leavers transition to civilian life is made as smooth as possible, and is open to the evidence presented by the many different strands of research that is available. For example, we have consulted the CHAIN (Combined Homelessness and Information Network) survey, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which has collected data from the London homeless population over the last three financial years and the Howard League's Independent Inquiry into Former Armed Service Personnel in Prison. In addition, independent research has been undertaken by the King's Centre for Military Health Research looking at the incidence rate of post traumatic stress disorder for the UK armed forces.
Service leavers who are entitled to use the Career Transition Partnership's (CTP) suite of resettlement services are surveyed at six months and 12 months after leaving the armed forces in order that we can understand their post-discharge circumstances. In addition, in 2011, the Ministry of Defence in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs undertook research of early service leavers (ESL), those who left the armed forces having served less than four years and therefore were not entitled to CTP resettlement provision. This subsequently led the MOD to consult with industry to establish industry trials of resettlement provision for ESL. The trials began in early 2012 and will run for 12 months.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the proportion of returning veterans who were (a) divorced, (b) alcohol dependent, (c) drug dependent, (d) homeless and (e) self harming in the latest period for which figures are available. [96836]
Mr Robathan:
The great majority of service personnel make a smooth transition to civilian life, and there is no requirement for the Ministry of Defence to hold detailed information on them. However, we recognise that the move from service to civilian life can be difficult for some personnel. As a result we hold some information on those who have left the armed forces and have approached us in need of our help. The Veterans Welfare Service is able to provide a range of support to vulnerable
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service leavers and to all war pensioners and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme recipients and their families for as long as they need it.
We also work closely with other Government Departments such as the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide support and treatment when it is required. The Government support research into the circumstances of veterans in order to ensure that policies are effectively targeted.
Veterans: Finance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department gives to returning veterans to improve their financial management skills. [96787]
Mr Robathan: We are well aware of the importance of ensuring that the service community are aware of all the financial support and advice that is available to them and a wide range of services are provided. All service leavers are entitled to some form of resettlement advice, regardless of rank and length of service. This advice includes financial aspects of resettlement briefings, to which spouses and partners are also invited, covering budget and debt management. Some 70 briefings are delivered across the UK and overseas each year. Included in the brief is advice on managing pension schemes and the charity-led ‘Benefits and Money Advice’ service. Early service leavers, before they leave, are also briefed on the many types of state, charitable and ex-services support which exists for them. Service personnel are also signposted to the Financial Services Authority's ‘Money Made Clear’ website.
In addition, veterans who receive significant sums of money through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are provided with generic advice at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court to provide them with a better understanding of basic personal financial issues. We are also working with the White Ensign Association and service charities to establish methods of improving access to independent financial advice for all service personnel. Standard Life Charitable Trust and the Royal British Legion are in the process of setting up a web-based training and education programme for personnel on money issues which is expected to be in full operation this summer.
Veterans: Health Services
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on monitoring the health and well-being of returning veterans in each of the last 10 years. [96790]
Mr Robathan: In 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) commissioned research into the health of military personnel deployed to Iraq. In 2006, the study was extended for a further three years and broadened to include all subsequent Iraq deployments as well as deployments to Afghanistan. This research programme now follows a cohort of over 20,000 serving and former members of the armed forces. Earlier this year the study was extended for a further three years to maintain the database and further explore the data obtained in phases 1 and 2.
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MOD funding to the King's Centre for Military Health Research to conduct the Health and Wellbeing Survey since 2003 and going forward is as follows (exclusive of VAT):
| Contract period | Funding (£) |
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Government Assistance
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish data on the regional take-up of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. [96763]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) publishes a regional breakdown of Enterprise Finance Guarantee lending figures on a quarterly basis on the BIS website. This is available from the following link:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/enterprise-and-business-support/access-to-finance/enterprise-finance-guarantee/efg-statistics
Consumers: Protection
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the proposed remit of the Financial Conduct Authority, whether the Office of Fair Trading will retain responsibility for the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme. [96846]
Norman Lamb: The Government plan to publish their response to the consultation on the reform of consumer institutions, including the future of the Consumer Code Approvals Scheme, in March this year.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff work on consumer protection issues for 75 per cent. or more of their working time in (a) his Department and (b) the Office of Fair Trading; and if he will make a statement. [97629]
Norman Lamb: The consumer and competition policy part of the Department has responsibility for consumer protection issues. There are 49 members of staff that are working it that area. No records are kept as to how much time individual staff members spend working on particular activities.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is organised on a matrix basis, with delivery groups undertaking a broad range of different types of work, and its cost centres do not directly correspond to its functions. It does not record how much it spends each year on particular functions such as consumer protection, nor how much time individual staff spent working on particular functions.
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Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what public services his Department delivers online only. [96888]
Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides the Queens Awards application and Export Control licensing services online only.
Departmental Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress his Department has made on the Red Tape Challenge; and which regulations have been (a) abolished and (b) revised as part of the challenge. [96998]
Mr Prisk: To date, of over 1,200 regulations considered so far under Red Tape Challenge, we have agreed to scrap or substantially overhaul well over 50%. BIS has announced deregulatory plans for the retail, manufacturing and employment-related law themes.
The 123 Red Tape Challenge reforms made, or about to be made, so far across all departments are set out in the Government's latest Statement of New Regulation published on 28 February 2012. Many further changes will be, announced and implemented in the coming months.
Food: Research
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much he plans to spend on research on global food security in the next five years. [97278]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 28 February 2012]: As stated in the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Delivery Plan 2011-2015, the total anticipated Research Councils' investment on Global Food Security over the spending review period is £450 million. The breakdown of this figure is given in the following table. No data are available for funding beyond the current comprehensive spending review (CSR) period which ends in March 2015.
| Research Councils' contribution to the Global Food Security programme | |
| £ million | |
Green Investment Bank
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to attract private sector capital from (a) pension funds and (b) other investors to invest in the Green Investment Bank. [97300]
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Mr Prisk: Designed to address the long-standing problem of under-investment in the green economy, a key element of the remit of the Green Investment Bank will be to mobilise additional private sector capital, including from pension funds and other investors, in the financing of green projects. We are not seeking private sector investment in the Green Investment Bank itself, which will be capitalised by the Government with £3 billion over the spending review period.
Imports: Safety
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of (a) the quantity of faulty or unsafe goods entering the UK (i) in total and (ii) through (A) Felixstowe, (B) Heathrow, (C) Gatwick and (D) Dover and (b) of the extent to which such goods have contributed to (1) injuries, (2) deaths, (3) fires and (4) consumer or business detriment in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [97631]
Norman Lamb: This Department does not maintain data on the quantities of faulty or unsafe goods entering the UK. Nor does it collect data on the effects of those goods. However, research carried out for the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) in 2009 estimated that the impact on the UK's consumers, public services and businesses of unsafe and incorrect goods was £155 million each year.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Enforcement at Ports Pilot Project that stemmed from the 2009 Consumer White Paper has made a significant contribution to understanding the issue, and has been considered as part of the Government's consultation on reforming the consumer landscape. The Government plan to publish their response, in March this year.
Intellectual Property: Animation
Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of the intellectual property owned by the UK animation industry. [95658]
Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), on 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 42W.
Sponsorship responsibility for the animation industry rests with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no estimate of the value of animation, but animation activity is included in estimates of output of creative industries made by DCMS, and in the software investment estimates published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) as part of National Accounts. These show that the creative industries contribute 2.89% of gross value added (GVA) in the UK in 2009 and during that period the contribution made by software and computer services was approximately £960 million.
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Lifelong Education
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce new funding arrangements for the (a) Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector and (b) Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector. [97642]
Mr Hayes: The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for funding post-19 further education and skills training. This includes funding the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector and the Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.
The funding rates for these qualifications for the 2012/13 academic year will be confirmed by the end of March 2012.
Redundancy
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length of negotiation for collective redundancies was in each year from 2000 to 2011. [97568]
Norman Lamb: The Government do not collate data on the duration of collective redundancy consultations. The recently conducted call for evidence on the collective redundancy rules sought to gather data on this issue. However, too few respondents provided information on this point to allow the Government to provide a reliable estimate.
Teachers: Training
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce further details of the bursary for initial teacher training in the further education sector. [97553]
Mr Hayes: Following the Department's announcement on 23 February 2012 of bursaries for initial teacher training in the further education sector, further details regarding the bursaries and the overall level of support available for the 2012/13 academic year will be confirmed by the end of March 2012.
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the annual consumer detriment caused by breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [97661]
Norman Lamb: The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 was repealed in large part and replaced in 2008 by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (S.I.2008/1277).
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not carry out annual assessments of consumer detriment caused by breaches of the regulations which fall within its policy responsibilities. The Office of Fair Trading enforces the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and assesses the consumer benefit arising from some of this enforcement work
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where possible. It has also in the past conducted assessments of the overall detriment from consumer problems (these are not necessarily limited to those problems that would have been covered by the Trade Descriptions Act or are covered by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations). This was last carried out in 2008 and is available at:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/consumer_ protection/oft992.pdf
Unfair Dismissal
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the evidential basis was for his decision to increase the qualification period for unfair dismissal from one to two years. [97593]
Norman Lamb: A full assessment of the impact of extending the qualifying period has been made and approved by the Regulatory Policy Committee. Copies of the “Government Response to the Consultation on Resolving Workplace Disputes” are available in the Libraries of the House.
The aim of extending the qualifying period is to improve business confidence in recruiting staff and to give more time to get the working relationship right. Responses to consultation and business organisation surveys indicate that the current qualifying period for unfair dismissal can adversely affect business confidence to hire and retain staff.
We also estimate that the change will bring about a reduction of around 2,000 employment tribunal claims per year, which will save business £4.7 million per year.
Transport
A64
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on the eligibility of the A64 for (a) the Regional Growth Fund, (b) the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and (c) any other transport infrastructure fund; and if she will make a statement. [97605]
Norman Baker: None, beyond those which the hon. Member herself has made.
Blue Badge Scheme: Fraud
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many convictions there were for the misuse of disabled persons' Blue Badges in each of the last five years; [97780]
(2) what steps she is taking to curb the misuse of disabled persons' Blue Badges; [97781]
(3) how many incidents of forged Blue Badge disability passes were notified to her Department in the latest period for which figures are available. [97782]
Norman Baker:
The Blue Badge scheme is administered and enforced by local authorities. Through the use of an annual survey, the Department for Transport asks local authorities for information on misuse of badges
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and the number of prosecutions. However, we do not receive sufficient data to produce a robust national estimate. We publish, instead, the figures received at local authority level. These can be found at
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/dis0301.xls
The Department does not collect information on forged Blue Badges. The National Fraud Authority has estimated that Blue Badge fraud currently costs £46 million per year. The Department has recently implemented major reforms to the Blue Badge scheme to tackle rising levels of fraud and abuse. This has included introducing from 1 January 2012, a new badge design that is harder to forge and to alter, and a new Blue Badge Improvement Service. The service is establishing a central data store of badges to enable quicker and easier on-street enforcement checks, as well as other improvements. We have also amended regulations to ensure those most in need are issued with badges and to increase local authorities' powers in terms of refusing to issue badges and to withdraw them in cases where badges are being misused. Further information on the reforms can be found on the Department's website at
http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/access/blue-badge/reform-of-the-blue-badge-scheme/
Public Expenditure: Private Finance
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much private sector capital her Department's programmes for infrastructure investment have attracted since May 2010. [93154]
Norman Baker: Since May 2010 local authority transport contracts supported by the Department utilising private finance have been awarded with a total capital value of £854.3 million.
Further contracts which will involve private sector investment are currently in procurement. These have a total capital value of over £7 billion.
In addition, in December 2010, the Department sold a 30-year concession for the operation and maintenance of High Speed 1 for £2 billion.
Departmental Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress her Department has made on the Red Tape Challenge; and which regulations have been (a) abolished and (b) revised as part of the Challenge. [97303]
Mike Penning: Within the ‘Road Transport’ Red Tape Challenge theme:
DFT has considered 533 regulations, of which 376 were judged to be still live.
Of these 376, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), announced plans on 15 December 2011, Official Report, columns 132-33WS, to scrap or improve 142 regulations—breakdown as follows:
| Keep as is | Improve | Scrap | Move (1) | |
| (1) Moved regulations predominantly relate to another theme, and will be resolved in a different part of the Red Tape Challenge. | ||||
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An implementation plan has been developed and the Department has to date implemented improvements under the challenge to the following regulations:
Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000
Goods Vehicles (Community Authorisations) Regulations 1992
Goods Vehicles (Community Authorisations) (Modification of the Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles) Act 1972) Regulations 2002
Public Service Vehicle Operators (Qualifications) Regulations 1990
Public Service Vehicle Operators (Qualifications) Regulations 1999
Road Transport (Passenger Vehicles Cabotage) Regulations 1999
Public Service Vehicles (Community Licences) Regulations 1999
Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Regulations 1995
Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) (Temporary Use in Great Britain) Regulations 1996
Goods Vehicle Operators (Qualifications) Regulations 1999
Workplace Parking Levy (England) Regulations 2009
Passenger Car (Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emissions Information) Regulations 2001.
The last two in this list involved improved implementation without changes to the regulations themselves.
Some 400 regulations are being considered under the ‘Rail and Maritime theme’ which was put in the public spotlight in November/December 2011. Analysis of proposals is being undertaken and an announcement will be made in due course.
The ‘Aviation theme’ is due to go live on the Red Tape Challenge website in June.
Driving: Licensing
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) take following identification of an MOT testing station as a poor performer; and what proportion of MOT testing stations inspected by VOSA have lost their licence in each of the last three years. [97198]
Mike Penning: VOSA identifies poor performing MOT testing stations through a transparent and proportionate disciplinary points system published in the MOT Testing Guide. VOSA cessate individual testers called Authorised Examiners (AEs) from carrying out MOT tests, not the test stations. AEs cessated in the last three years are 111 in 2008-09, 90 in 2009-10, and 89 in 2010-11 all after appeal.
Electric Vehicles: Safety
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what her policy is on measures to be fitted to electric, hybrid and other quiet vehicles to safeguard blind, partially sighted and vulnerable pedestrians and road users; [97160]
(2) what research her Department plans to carry out on the risks posed by electric, hybrid and other quiet vehicles to the safety of vulnerable pedestrians and other road users. [97161]
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Norman Baker [holding answer 28 February 2012]: The Department for Transport undertook research into the risks posed by electric and hybrid electric vehicles to the safety of vulnerable pedestrians and other road users. The research found no evidence of a higher accident rate for these vehicles. Metered noise test results and a panel of visually impaired subjects did, however, find that these vehicles tended to be quieter than conventional vehicles at speeds below 12 mph and, as a consequence, their approach was harder to detect audibly at these speeds. The research report can be found on the Department's website at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/assessingtheperceived safetyriskfromquietelectricandhybridvehicles/PPR525 assessingtheperceivedsafetyriskfromquietelectricand hybridvehicles.pdf
A number of vehicle manufacturers are fitting or developing added sound for electric and hybrid vehicles to increase their audibility. The Department for Transport welcomes this precautionary action by vehicle manufacturers. The Department is engaged with international bodies developing standards for added sound. Such standards should, in particular:
address the audibility of these vehicles at low speeds;
ensure that systems enable effective identification of vehicle approach; and
ensure that systems are acceptable in all vehicle markets while avoiding unnecessarily increasing public exposure to excess traffic noise.
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment she has made of the merits of requiring any noise-emitting devices fitted to electric, hybrid or quiet vehicles to be clearly recognisable and as distinctive as the sound of a vehicle; [97063]
(2) what her policy is on requiring that electric, hybrid and quiet vehicles deemed to be near silent to be regulated to generate a warning noise to indicate their presence to vulnerable pedestrians and road users; [97064]
(3) if she will introduce regulation to require that electric, hybrid and quiet vehicles are fitted with a warning noise to indicate their presence to vulnerable pedestrians and other road users. [97065]
Norman Baker: Although the Department's research found no evidence of a higher accident rate for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, the vehicles were found to be quieter than conventional vehicles, and harder to detect audibly, at speeds below 12 mph. A number of vehicle manufacturers are fitting or developing added sound systems to address this and the Government welcome this as a positive measure to assisting the road safety of vulnerable pedestrians, and other road users.
The European Commission published in December 2011 a draft proposed regulation to tighten vehicle noise limits in order to reduce the adverse health impacts of road traffic noise. The proposal includes requirements for added sound systems on electric and hybrid electric vehicles where manufacturers fit them. These requirements are based on draft UNECE recommendations that address the audibility of these vehicles at low speeds and ensure they are effective at enabling identification of vehicle approach.
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During the completion of the Department's research, and in discussions, visually impaired stakeholders indicated a preference for added sound to be similar to that of conventional vehicles. The Department is currently engaged in discussions on the UNECE recommendations and will be seeking to ensure that such vehicles can be clearly heard and identified by the target audience in sufficient time and that use of bells, chimes, sirens, music or other sounds that
“confuse the identification of a vehicle and/or its operation”
Government Car and Dispatch Agency
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many cars are (a) owned and (b) leased by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency; [96340]
(2) what proportion of cars (a) owned and (b) leased by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency are UK-manufactured. [96341]
Mike Penning [holding answer 27 February 2012]:There are 111 cars owned by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency and 19 cars are leased, giving a total car fleet of 130. The figures are for the total agency fleet, not just the ministerial fleet.
At the end of March 2010 the total car fleet was 239.
The proportion of cars owned by the Government Car and Despatch Agency which are UK manufactured = 38 (34.23%)
The proportion of cars leased by the Government Car and Despatch Agency which are UK manufactured = 8 (42.1%)
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the (a) economic viability and (b) value for money of High Speed 2 of running trains on non-high speed track between Lichfield and North Cheshire. [97656]
Justine Greening: The initial phase of HS2 will include a direct connection close to Lichfield between the high speed line and the West Coast Main Line to enable through-running high speed trains to continue at conventional speeds to serve stations north of Birmingham. The benefits of reduced journey times and increased connectivity will support economic growth in the North West, and form an important part of the phase 1 business case.
No decisions have been taken on the phase 2 route to Manchester and Leeds.
Large Goods Vehicles: Safety
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the review by Transport for London on dangerous road junctions and the effect that the trial of longer lorries will have in London. [97082]
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Mike Penning: I understand Transport for London (TfL) are currently undertaking a review of cycle safety at all junctions on Barclays Cycle Superhighways and major junctions on the TfL road network. Any decision regarding cycle safety in London would be for the Mayor and TfL to take forward.
The research into the possible introduction of longer semi-trailers included the potential effects in urban environments.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider introducing a mandatory requirement that any consultation her Department issues on the use of road space will have a specific question included on the effects the policy will have on the safety of cyclists. [97168]
Mike Penning: No. There are already mandatory Government-wide processes in place related to consultations about regulatory changes. Where such changes might affect the use of roads, it is routine to consider the safety effects for all categories of users.
Liverpool Port: Finance
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 January 2012, Official Report, column 26WS, on the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal, what funding for the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal will be subject to the rules on state aid; whether European Regional Development Fund funding will be taken into account when assessing funding against the rules on state aid; what steps she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to obtain state aid clearance in order for her Department to lift its objection to turnaround operations at the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal; and when she plans to obtain such clearance. [97591]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport's objection to turnaround operations at the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal will be lifted if an appropriate repayment of UK Government grants is made.
Lifting the restriction itself will be a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government, and will require State Aid clearance. The Government will seek this clearance in the coming weeks. I understand that the European Commission will take into account European Regional Development Fund grants as well as other sources of funding in arriving at its decision.
Liverpool Port: Safety
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effects on maritime safety of a turnaround cruise facility at Liverpool. [97655]
Mike Penning: The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (Peel Ports) is the harbour authority responsible for safety in this area. The provisions of the Port Marine Safety Code, merchant shipping regulations and the international conventions on ship safety are sufficient to assure the safety in port areas of ships and other port users.
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Motor Vehicles: Testing
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 February 2012, Official Report, columns 72-4WS, on garage customer experience, what discussions she has had with the industry on using the Motor Codes scheme to improve customer experience. [97205]
Mike Penning: I have frequent meetings with the motor industry on a wide range of issues.
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average frequency of Vehicle and Operator Services Agency inspections of MOT testing stations was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment she has made of trends in the frequency of such inspections over the last five years. [97254]
Mike Penning: In 2007 VOSA moved to a targeted risk-based enforcement process. In 2007-08 all MOT test stations were visited to assess their potential risk of non-compliance. MOT test stations rated as high and medium risk were programmed for a site assessment visit every 18 months and the low risk MOT test stations every three years. In 2010-11 VOSA completed 9,440 site assessments (approximately 50% of MOT test stations). Assessment of the previous three years' data suggests that the balance of frequency versus the risk to the public was justified for each of the segments.
Older People
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of her Department's expenditure was spent on services for the elderly in the latest period for which figures are available. [95645]
Norman Baker: The Department does not record or report expenditure based on age groups, it is therefore not possible to determine what proportion of expenditure is spent on services for the elderly.
Railways: North West
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect Transpennine electrification has had on the business case for the Northern Hub. [95929]
Mrs Villiers: Network Rail is carrying out further development work on each element of the Northern Hub package. As part of this work it will carry out an assessment of the impact of electrification. This work has yet to be completed but Network Rail will report in time for a decision on Northern Hub to be made by July 2012 as part of the High Level Output Specification.
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ensure that the outputs of the Northern Hub scheme are fully delivered in Control Period 5. [95930]
Mrs Villiers: The extent to which the Northern Hub outputs will be delivered in Control Period 5 will be dependent on value for money assessment and affordability.
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Metal Theft: Railways
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of (a) replacing stolen cables from railways, (b) compensating train operating companies for delays due to cable theft and (c) repairing damage due to cable theft to railways in each of the last 10 years. [97470]
Norman Baker: Complete records of costs due to cable theft are available for the last three years and are as follows: £10,931,350, £12,132,860, and £11,618,472 respectively for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12(1). The breakdown of these costs into the components requested is not available.
(1) These data are up to and including 4 February 2012 (Period 11).
Rescue Services
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse of planned changes to the Marine and Coastguard Agency. [97257]
Mike Penning: A full assessment was made of potential savings as part of the comprehensive spending review. A summary of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's planned budget is set out in the following table:
| Resource budget (net of income) | ||||
| £ million | ||||
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
|
Programme (this includes search and rescue helicopter current contract costs but excludes provision for the future contract) |
||||
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any existing Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centres will be closed prior to the proposed new configuration being tested. [97550]
Mike Penning: The sequence and provisional closure dates for the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) which will close are outlined in the document "Blueprint for Future Coastguard Organisation in the UK"; this document supported my statement to the House on 22 November 2011. A copy of this document is available in the Libraries of the House.
The closure of the MRCCs at Clyde and Yarmouth are driven by external factors outside the control of the Coastguard Modernisation Programme. These factors are included in the sequence and provisional closure dates outlined above.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is a minor occupier at both these sites where tenancy agreements are coming to an end and are not being extended by their respective landlords.
Therefore these MRCCs will close in advance of the new 'National Network' being fully operational.
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In order to ensure that we maintain at least the same quality of Search and Rescue service as at present interim arrangements will use our current systems and pairing arrangements. These measures will be appropriately resourced and robustly tested prior to the closure of the MRCCs.
Where it is within the control of the MCA the dates and sequence of closure will be driven by operational requirements during the implementation of the programme and, as such, are subject to ongoing review.
Road Signs and Markings
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of installing a brown tourist sign on the Highways Agency maintained road network. [97459]
Mike Penning: All new traffic signs on the Highways Agency maintained road network, including brown signs, must be erected in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD).
No calculation of the average costs to provide brown tourist signs has been made, as the costs can vary depending on site specific circumstances. The agency are, however, developing a cost schedule for installation of brown signs to ensure all quotes are consistently provided and there is transparency in how they are built up.
Cabinet Office
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [97042]
Mr Maude [holding answer 27 February 2012]: As part of my Department's transparency programme, details of contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder:
http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk
Hospitals: Death
Andy Burnham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many NHS patients died of starvation in NHS hospitals in each of the last 10 years. [97473]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many NHS patients died of starvation in NHS hospitals in each of the last 10 years. [97473]
Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires any condition that contributed directly to a death to be recorded on the death certificate. Starvation, or ‘effects of hunger', would not appear as the primary underlying cause of death, as the primary cause field in such cases is used to indicate the mode of death (e.g. lack of food, neglect, suicide). Deaths with a cause of starvation are therefore identified by the appearance of ICD-10 code T73 (effects of hunger) in the secondary cause field.
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Table 1 provides the number of deaths where the effect of hunger was a secondary cause of death, where the death occurred in an NHS hospital in England and Wales between 2001 and 2010 (the latest year available).
Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but do not tell us anything about the length of a person's stay in a particular establishment. Where a person died in an NHS hospital due to starvation, it is likely that they were admitted to hospital already suffering from starvation rather than due to a lack of food following admission.
| Table 1. Number of deaths where the secondary cause of death was ‘effects of hunger’, NHS hospitals, England and Wales, 2001-10 | |
| Deaths | |
| Notes: 1. Cause of death from starvation was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T73 (effects of hunger), where this code appeared as the secondary cause. 2. Figures include deaths of non-residents. 3. Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |
Mesothelioma: Death
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people died of mesothelioma, in each primary care trust in each of the last five years. [97520]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people died of mesothelioma, broken down by PCT in each of the past five years. [97520]
Table 1 provides the number of deaths registered where the underlying cause of death was mesothelioma, for each Primary Care Organisation in England between 2006 and 2010 (the latest year available).
A copy of Table 1 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes regular reports on mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease incidence and mortality, which include information on estimates of the future burden of deaths caused by mesothelioma in Great Britain. Further information is available at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/asbestos.htm
Home Department
Action for Employment
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts with her Department and its agencies A4e (a) is bidding for and (b) has been awarded but have not yet commenced either independently or in partnership with other companies. [97482]
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Damian Green: Within the Home Office including its Executive agencies, A4e is bidding for one contract. The outcome of that procurement process will be made known in due course once completed. A4e has not been awarded any contracts either independently or in partnership with other companies which have not yet commenced.
Animal Experiments
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts have been awarded under the Development Collaborative Business Project portal for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit; on what dates these contracts were awarded; and what the duration is of each contract. [96434]
Damian Green: The Collaborative Business Portal was originally procured in January 2003 and a contractual agreement was put in place at this time.
Under the normal contract renewal cycle, the contract for the Collaborative Business Portal is currently undergoing a retender exercise. The Home Office has taken this opportunity to carry out a strategic review of its needs with regard to information exchange and security and will put in place appropriate tools to deliver a range of information exchange services using approved procurement processes. The requirements for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit application process are included in this. The Collaborative Business Portal is a business critical tool. Therefore, in order to allow time for the review to be completed and to ensure continuity of service, an interim extension to Fincore's service contract was agreed in December 2011. This will expire on 31 December 2012.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget was allocated to the Development Collaborative Business Project portal for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit. [96435]
Damian Green: The budget for the development work on the Collaborative Business Portal to facilitate the Animals in Science Regulation Unit application process is £130,000. A further £42,000 has been allocated to this project for data transfer.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many contracts have been awarded under the Development Collaborative Business Project portal for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit for sums below the procurement threshold of (a) £101,323 and (b) £156,442; [96436]
(2) how many contracts have been awarded to Fincore Ltd under the Development Collaborative Business Project portal for the Animals in Science Regulation Unit; and how many other bidders met the minimum bidding criteria for these contracts. [96437]
Damian Green: No specific contracts have been awarded for the development work on the Collaborative Business Portal for Animals in Science Regulation Unit as an existing contract has been re-used.
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Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Birmingham
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many antisocial behaviour orders issued by (a) Billesley, (b) Bournville, (c) Brandwood and (d) Selly Oak local government wards in Birmingham were breached in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011; [95986]
(2) how many antisocial behaviour orders were imposed on people with addresses in (a) Billesley, (b) Bournville, (c) Brandwood and (d) Selly Oak local government wards in Birmingham in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. [95987]
James Brokenshire: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are issued by courts. Data on the number of ASBOs issued and the number proven in court to have been breached are compiled by the Ministry of Justice. These centrally collected data do not, however, identify the areas in which ASBO recipients reside and are not collated below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
Asylum
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy asylum cases were (a) under consideration and (b) resolved by the UK Border Agency in 2011. [89858]
Damian Green: As stated in the House of Commons oral evidence taken before the Home Affairs Committee, work of the UK Border Agency Tuesday 20 December 2011, during 2011 (a) 23,000 cases were under consideration and (b) 7,700 were resolved. Of this figure 4,500 have been granted leave to remain in the UK, 700 have been removed and 2,500 have been resolved through data cleansing, consisting of incorrect and duplicate computer records.
British Nationality
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2012, Official Report, column 91W, on British nationality, on how many occasions section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 has been used to revoke British citizenship since 2009; and if she will make a statement. [94694]
Damian Green [holding answer 21 February 2012]: Since the start of 2009 deprivation of British citizenship orders have been issued against a total of 13 individuals.
In 2011 orders were issued against six individuals.
In 2010 orders were issued against five individuals.
In 2009 orders were issued against two individuals.
This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
British Nationality: Terrorism
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens have had their citizenship revoked as a result of being convicted of (a) treason and (b) acts of terrorism in the last 10 years. [91654]
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Damian Green [holding answer 26 January 2012]: In the last 10 years, 15 people have been deprived of their British citizenship on the grounds that it was ‘conducive to the public good’ to do so (the relevant legal test for deprivation action).
The British Nationality Act 1981 was amended in 2006 to the legal test set out above, and statements were made to Parliament at the time explaining that the power would be available for use in cases including those involving national security and extremism.
For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and so it is not appropriate to indicate how many individuals have been deprived for the specific reasons set out in the question.
This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
Ministerial Meetings
Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Ministers in her Department have had recent meetings with members of the (a) board and (b) senior management of (i) Broker Direct and (ii) Zurich UK. [91332]
Damian Green [holding answer 23 January 2012]: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Demonstrations: Parliament Square
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many complaints about the encampment in Parliament square her Department has received in each month since September 2011; from whom; and if she will make a statement; [92152]
(2) if she will ask the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis to prepare a report for her Department on the encampment in Parliament square; how many persons have been (a) arrested and (b) prosecuted for any offences connected with the encampment in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement; [92153]
(3) what discussions she has had since September 2011 with the Mayor of London on removal of (a) tents and (b) other objects located on the pavements of Parliament square; and if she will make a statement. [92376]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office has received two complaints about the encampment in Parliament square from members of the public since September 2011.
Ministers have not had discussions with the Mayor of London about the encampments and other objects on the pavements of Parliament square. However, the Minister for Crime and Security, my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), has met
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with the Deputy Mayor for Policing to discuss this issue. Home Office officials have also met with the Greater London Authority and other relevant agencies to discuss the implementation of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility (PRSR) Act.
The Metropolitan Police Service reports that two people were arrested on 16 January 2012 for the offence of failing to comply with the requirements of the PRSR Act 2011. One person was summonsed for the same offence. One person was arrested for a public order offence.
The tents and other structures on Parliament square have denied access to a historically important public space which everyone has the right to enjoy. Parliament took action through the PRSR Act 2011 to allow the tents to be cleared away and to open the square for all to use—including those who wish to demonstrate peacefully. My Department has engaged extensively with the Greater London Authority, Westminster city council and the Metropolitan police with regards to the encampment in Parliament square. Operational decisions to clear the square were a matter for the relevant agencies.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will instruct the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis to report on the police operation of 16 January 2012 in Parliament square; how much that operation cost; how many police officers were involved; how many arrests were made; how many (a) males and (b) females have been charged, and for what offences following that operation; and if she will make a statement; [93368]
(2) what information the Metropolitan police had when planning the police operation in Parliament square on 16 January 2012 on potential court injunctions protecting individuals involved in demonstrations in Parliament square; and if she will make a statement; [93369]
(3) what the cost of the policing operation in Parliament square has been since 16 January 2012; what estimate she has made of the costs of the operation in the next six months; if she will request a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the (a) length of time that the operation will continue and (b) number of police officers currently involved in the operation by rank; and if she will make a statement. [93370]
Nick Herbert: The permanent camp on Parliament square denied access to a historically important public space which everyone has the right to enjoy. Parliament took action, through the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, to allow the tents to be cleared away and to open the square for all to use—including those who wish to demonstrate peacefully. The Metropolitan Police Service led an operation to enforce the Act provisions on 16 January 2012. Three people were arrested. The tents and storage equipment belonging to one protestor were not removed due to a High Court injunction that is in place, pending a Judicial Review hearing. The detail of this operation, the decision to enforce the Act provisions and the resources involved are operational matters for the Metropolitan Police Service, which will continue to uphold the law as part of its normal duties.
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Departmental Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on the Red Tape Challenge; and which regulations have been (a) abolished and (b) revised as part of the Challenge. [97235]
Damian Green: Following the Red Tape Challenge the Home Office will consult on proposals to decentralise or simplify the regulatory requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 for late-night refreshment, temporary event notices and certain businesses with minimal alcohol sales such as bed and breakfast establishments. Changes will be subject to the outcomes of the consultation and parliamentary approval.
The Home Office is reconstituting the Poisons Board, an advisory body established in statute, which will make recommendations for specific legislation for products affected by the Poisons Act 1972. The Home Office is on track to deliver universal portability of Criminal Records Bureau checks with an immediate checking service for employers via an online facility available from early 2013.
Deportation: Tamils
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review her policy of enforcing removals to Sri Lanka following reports that Tamils have been detained and tortured after removal from the UK. [97563]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has considered recent reports and at present has no substantiated evidence of mistreatment by the Sri Lankan authorities of enforced returnees from the UK.
The UK Border Agency's returns policy to Sri Lanka is kept constantly under review and decisions are taken in the light of prevailing circumstances. Returns are only enforced when it is safe to do so and when the agency and the courts are satisfied that the individual has no international protection needs.
Domestic Violence
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department provided for domestic violence reduction programmes in each of the last three years. [95904]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office has provided funding for specialist services to support victims of domestic violence over the past three years. Stable funding for domestic violence has been committed until 2015.
The amount for each year is as follows:
2009-10: over £6 million
2010-11: over £6.9 million
2011-12: over £6 million
For the financial years 2009-10, a proportion of the funding identified may have also covered sexual violence.
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EU Justice and Home Affairs Council
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Government (a) requested and (b) was requested to provide information about groups posing a threat to law and order and security pursuant to EU Joint Action 97/339/JHA in each of the last five years. [97606]
Nick Herbert: The Government do not collect this information centrally.
Illegal Immigrants: Employment
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal working civil penalties were (a) levied and (b) paid in 2011; and what the levels were of the penalties levied. [89853]
Damian Green: From January to September 2011, the latest date of publication of the UK Border Agency statistics, a total of 1,111 illegal working civil penalties were levied. In the same period a total of £5.1 million was collected. The £5.1 million collected does not relate directly to the penalties issued in 2011, as some of the payments will relate to penalties issued in previous years.
The following table provides a breakdown of the levels of penalties issued between January and September 2011. The original value of penalties issued will be subject to change as penalties may be reduced, increased, cancelled or reissued after consideration of any statutory objection and/or an appeal.
| Level of penalty issued | Number of penalties at each level |
The data provided in the reply are sourced from a UK Border Agency management information system which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
Immigrants: Detainees
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 168W, on immigrants detainees, if the UK Border Agency is still seeking to deport the 36 former detainees who were released. [89939]
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Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is seeking to deport 35 out of the 36 former detainees who were released during the period June to December 2011. We are unable to pursue deportation for one former detainee because they do not meet the deportation criteria.
This information is taken from Internal Management Information and is subject to change.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 168W, on immigrants: detainees, (1) what were the criminal convictions held by those 36 former detainees who were released; and for what length of time those detainees released had been held in an immigration removal centre; [89971]
(2) who authorised the release of the 36 former detainees. [89972]
Damian Green [holding answer 16 January 2012]: The criminal convictions of the 36 detainees released between June and December 2011 and the length of time held in an immigration removal centre is outlined in the following tables:
| Offence | Number |
| Length in IS detention in years | Number |
Of the 36 detainees released from an immigration removal centre, only four were released by the UK Border Agency. An immigration judge authorised the release of the other detainees.
This information is taken from Internal Management Information and is subject to change.
Immigration
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from each country entered the UK under the Tier 1 (a) entrepreneur and (b) investor sub-category in 2011. [97576]
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Damian Green: The requested information is not yet available.
Data relating to persons entering the UK under the Tier 1-Entrepreneur and Tier 1-Investor schemes, by nationality, are published annually in table ‘ad.03.w’ of the Home Office statistical release ‘Immigration Statistics’. The latest published data relate to the calendar year 2010 and are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/scienceresearchstatistics/researchstatistics/immigrationasylumresearch/immigrationq4-2011/
Data for the calendar year 2011 are due for publication in August 2012.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the UK Border Agency took a month to inform the hon. Member for Walsall North that written authorisation was required in case reference S1153849 and CTS ref M494/12. [97456]
Damian Green: Correspondence submitted by Members of Parliament to the UK Border Agency is dealt with in target date order. The Cabinet Office target is to respond to 95% of letters from MPs within 20 working days. The response issued under M494/12 was completed on the specified target date of 10 February.
Police and Crime Commissioner
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people attended the police and crime commissioner roadshow in (a) Lancaster, (b) Crewe, (c) Birmingham, (d) Leicester, (e) Derby, (f) Portsmouth, (g) Reading, (h) London, (i) Ipswich, (j) Cambridge and (k) Leeds. [97066]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office is holding 17 events for the range of partners that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will need to engage with including senior representatives of local authorities, police, police authorities and Criminal Justice partners. The events aim to help partners prepare for the introduction of PCCs in November 2012. Some 1,000 senior representatives have attended the 11 events held to date.
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals serving prison sentences in England and Wales are subject to deportation orders at the end of their sentences; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of their imprisonment in the last 12 months. [90295]
Damian Green [holding answer 19 January 2012]: As of 9 January 2012, there are 5,178 foreign national offenders currently serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales, who are being considered for deportation at the end of their custodial sentence.
The cost of detaining an individual in prison is £102 per night.
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Figures are based on internal management information and are subject to change.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the foreign nationals serving prison sentences in England and Wales and subject to deportation orders were convicted of (a) terrorist offences, (b) murder, (c) manslaughter, (d) rape and (e) grievous bodily harm. [90296]
Damian Green [holding answer 19 January 2012]: The following table sets out the number of foreign national offenders currently serving a prison sentence in England and Wales who are being considered for deportation by the UK Border Agency, broken down by the offences requested.
| Primary offence | Number of individuals currently serving a sentence and being considered for deportation |
Figures are based on internal management information and are subject to change.
Stalking
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses she has had to the consultation issued by her Department on stalking; and if she will make a statement. [96199]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 27 February 2012]:We received a total of 156 responses to the consultation, including from victims and their families, stalking charities, the police, criminal justice professionals and members of the public.
Youth Custody
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of the disparity between the definition of a child in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the rules governing whether 17 year olds can be strip searched without an adult being present. [97122]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 28 February 2012]: None.
Communities and Local Government
Cala Homes: Legal Aid Scheme
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much expenditure his Department has incurred, including external legal advice and costs, on legal proceedings relating to Cala Homes since May 2010. [R] [95984]
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Robert Neill [holding answer 23 February 2012]: All litigation cases against the Department are managed by the Treasury Solicitors Department under a service level agreement.
Our records show that there are five cases in which Cala Homes (South) Ltd are party to proceedings against the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The total cost of the cases from 7 May 2010 to 31 January 2012 is around £309,000. The matter of costs in some of these proceedings is yet to be settled.
As I have outlined in previous answers to the right hon. Member, this Administration is spending less on legal expenses than the last Administration. The departmental spend on external services from 7 May 2010 to 31 March 2011 was £2,260,000 and from 1 April 2011 to 31 January 2012 was £1,679,000, compared to £4,800,000 in 2009-10.
Community Relations
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when details of the additional funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages provision for adults not in or actively seeking employment, as referred to in his publication ‘Creating the conditions for integration’, will be notified to those institutions that are to receive the additional funding. [97272]
Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government has offered up to £10 million to support English language provision for those adults with little or no English, and who are not seeking employment, as set out in ‘Creating the conditions for integration’.
I would refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 31WS , by the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes), entitled English for Speakers of Other Languages.
Council Tax Benefits
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made in formulating policy on council tax benefit localisation; and if he will make a statement. [97301]
Robert Neill: The Government have consulted on the approach to localising support for council tax and published their response to the issues raised in December. The Local Government Finance Bill currently before the House will deliver the framework for local authorities to put in place local council tax support schemes from April 2013. In addition, a design tool to assist local authorities in modelling their schemes has been developed, and is being published today on the Department's website on the Localising Council Tax Support webpage at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/local governmentfinance/counciltax/
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Councillors: Pensions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on local authority pension schemes for local councillors. [94550]
Robert Neill: My Department does not hold information on which local authorities have chosen to grant their councillors access to the Local Government Pension Scheme under powers provided to them in 2002.
However, I would draw the attention of the hon. Member to a recent report by the Taxpayers' Alliance which has undertaken some research into this issue:
http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/2012/01/research-1-5-council-tax-council-pensions.html
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reduction in carbon dioxide emissions his Department has made under the 10:10 initiative. [97925]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government achieved a 17.7% reduction in carbon emissions as part of the Prime Minister's 10% Carbon Reduction Commitment.
This equates to a reduction of 3,851 tonnes of CO2.