Payday Lending
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of change in the number of payday loans taken out in England and Wales between (a) 2008 and 2010 and (b) 2010 and 2012. [98356]
Norman Lamb:
In 2009 the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) estimated in its review of the market that the UK payday lending was worth around £900 million and was used by around 1 million per year. In 2010 Consumer Focus estimated that the market was worth around £1.2 billion and used by around 1.2 million people. Payday lending is a key area of regulatory focus for the OFT and since their review they have seen an increase in both the size of the market and reported consumer harm. In light of the concerns about this market the OFT has launched a review of its Irresponsible Lending Guidance that will specifically target the payday lending market. The review will focus on identifying those practices that are the cause of most harm to consumers and the findings will be used to take further enforcement action and drive up standards. BIS has recently commissioned Bristol university's Personal Finance Research Centre to carry out research to assess the impact of introducing a cap on the total cost of credit that can be charged in the short to medium term high cost credit market. As part of the research, Bristol
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university will also look at the characteristics of users of payday loans. This research is due to report in summer 2012.
Debts: Democratic Republic of Congo
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills why the Democratic Republic of Congo is still in debt to UK Export Finance despite having completed the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in 2010. [98421]
Norman Lamb: There is an outstanding debt of £19.98 million owed to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) by Gecamines, a state-owned copper and cobalt producer. Gecamines defaulted on the related loan repayments in 1993 and has not paid any sums since 1997. The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo decided that this debt should not be included in its Paris Club rescheduling agreements. ECGD has been pursuing recovery of the debt directly with Gecamines. Consideration is being given to abandoning recovery, which would lead to the debt being written off in full.
Electronic Commerce: Trading Standards
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will introduce a national strategy for enforcement by trading standards officers of consumer law for goods and services traded on the internet; and if he will make a statement. [98277]
Norman Lamb: Since 2009, the Government have supported a specialist internet enforcement centre located within the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The project investigates and takes action on online scams, fraud and other e-crime that transcends local authority boundaries. The project also provides training for Trading Standards officers so they are equipped to investigate online rogue traders and co-ordinate their enforcement action.
The project has been considered as part of the consultation on the reform of the consumer landscape. The Government will respond later this month.
Higher Education: Student Numbers
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the percentage change in number of students taking (a) computer science degrees and (b) any kind of technical study at degree level was between 2002 and 2012. [98471]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information on UK domicile enrolments to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) first degree and postgraduate courses is shown in the following table for the 2002/03 and 2010/11 academic years. Figures for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from January 2013.
| UK domicile (1) enrolments (2) ,to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) first degree and postgraduate courses, UK higher education institutions: Academic years 2002/03 and 2010/11 | ||||
| Level of study | Subject area | 2002/03 | 2010/11 | Percentage change 2002/03 to 2010/11 |
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| (1) Domicile refers to the country of a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. (2) Covers enrolments registered on full-time and part-time courses. Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures and are given to one decimal place. 3. Subject information is shown as Full Person Equivalents (FPEs) in the table. FPEs are derived by splitting student instances between the different subjects that make up their course aim. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | ||||
Non-governmental Organisations: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding of £100,000 or more his Department's (a) Market Frameworks, (b) Business and Skills and (c) UK Trade and Investment Directorate provided to non-governmental organisations in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [96236]
Norman Lamb [holding answer 23 February 2012]:As there is no standard definition of what is classified as a “non-governmental organisation” the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For information, the departmental publishes details of its monthly expenditure and this includes details of the expense area which shows the part of the Department incurring the expenditure and the supplier type.
The information for the core Department's expenditure can be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/financial
The information for UK Trade and Investment administration expenditure can be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/partners
The information for UK Trade and Investment programme expenditure can be found at:
http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/item/120920.html
Overseas Trade: Libya
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assistance UK Trade and Investment is giving to British companies with fewer than 50 employees to export to Libya; [97963]
(2) what plans he has to open a British pavilion in Tripoli, Libya to promote British goods and services; [97964]
(3) what targets for bilateral trade have been given to UK Trade and Investment staff in Libya for (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [97966]
(4) what plans he has to increase the number of UK Trade and Investment staff in Libya; [97975]
(5) what plans he has to appoint a full-time trade ambassador to Libya; [97976]
(6) whether the head of UK Trade and Investment in Libya has any plans to meet hon. Members. [97979]
Mr Prisk: British businesses interested in exporting to Libya, regardless of size, have access to the full range of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) services. This includes: market advice, analysis of market entry strategies, identification of possible business partners, arranging meetings with key contacts in the country, and support during overseas visits or bespoke events such as product launches. Through UK Export Finance (formerly ECGD) companies also have access to £375 million worth of cover to support contracts in Libya.
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There are no plans to open a British pavilion in Tripoli to promote British goods and services. Our resource in Libya is focused on delivering tailored support to individual companies as well as showcasing the UK's capabilities on sector specific high-value opportunity (HVO) projects.
Currently there are no stated bilateral trade targets for UKTI staff in Libya. Their performance is assessed both by volume of businesses helped as well as quality of support provided.
This time last year there were no UKTI members of staff in Libya. The team is now eight-strong with recruitment underway for two additional locally-engaged members of staff.
There are no plans to appoint a full-time trade ambassador. Through the Council of Business Ambassadors which was established by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in 2011, we deploy a number of trade ambassadors to help promote British business interests in Libya. Most recently, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, chair of the Council, led an oil and gas trade mission to Libya.
There have also been a number of high-level visits to Libya to help promote British business interests, including
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by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint. Further visits are planned in the months ahead.
The British ambassador remains fully engaged on the commercial agenda.
The Head of UKTI in Libya has already met a number of hon. Members who have undertaken visits to Libya. He remains ready to meet others at their request.
Overseas Trade: Sudan
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of Anglo-Sudan trade in (a) 2005, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [97879]
Mr Prisk: The value of trade between the United Kingdom and Sudan was around £208 million in 2005, around £227 million in 2009 and around £246 million in 2010 (all at current prices).
More detail on these figures is shown in the following table. The figures are published by the Office for National Statistics and HM Revenue and Customs.
| £ million | |||
| 2005 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Notes: 1. Trade in goods are measured on an Overseas Trade Statistics (OTS) basis. 2. Trade in services are measured on a Balance of Payment (BoP) basis Source: BIS analysis of data from: H M Revenue and Customs (goods) and the Office for National Statistics (services) | |||
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance UK Trade and Investment is providing to UK firms to export to Sudan. [97880]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides its full range of services to UK companies wishing to export to Sudan. These services include providing bespoke country reports, conducting market research, identifying in-country partners, agents and distributors, organising trade missions and events such as product launches, and working with and through others to support such companies.
Public Houses
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to implement the provisions of the Resolution of the House of 12 January 2012, on pub companies. [95758]
Norman Lamb: On 24 November 2011 the Government announced a new tough and legally binding form of self-regulation for the pub industry, including a strengthened Industry Framework Code and the establishment of a Pubs Independent Conciliation and Arbitration Service (PICAS). As the code will now be legally binding, it will ultimately be enforceable through the courts. It would not be appropriate, at this stage, to commission a review.
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Royal Mail
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what specific dates in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 Ministers have met with either the Chief Executive or the Chairman of Royal Mail to discuss the financial and management performance of the business. [98496]
Norman Lamb: Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have held regular meetings with the chief executive and chair of Royal Mail to discuss a broad range of issues including the financial and management performance of the business. All official meetings are published on the BIS website
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency
Trading Standards
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to grant civil sanction powers under Part 3 of the Regulatory, Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 to (a) the Office of Fair Trading and (b) selected trading standards departments; and if he will make a statement. [97632]
Norman Lamb: No decision has been taken on allocation of civil sanction powers to consumer enforcement authorities. In June 2011, we consulted on changes to the consumer enforcement landscape, altering the balance of responsibilities between the Office of Fair Trading and the Trading Standards network. These changes will also influence the development of supporting powers and sanctions.
UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what trade missions the UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation plans to undertake up to 31 December 2012; and whether it will be exhibiting at each planned mission; [97407]
(2) which military and security exhibitions staff of the UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation will be attending up to 31 December 2012. [97408]
Mr Prisk: Overseas exhibitions to 31 December 2012 which the UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation plans to attend are shown in the following table. Where there are plans to have a stand and exhibit, this is indicated in the right hand column of the table.
| 2012 | Country | Event |
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|
International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology |
||
UKTI DSO will also attend UK events as follows:
| 2012 | Event |
Overseas trade missions in support of UK defence and security exports which are at present planned to 31 December 2012 by UKTI DSO are listed as follows This information can change at short notice and will be updated on the UKTI website at:
www.ukti.gov.uk/export/eventssearch.html
| 2012 | Country |
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Justice
Applied Language Solutions
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of assignments have been (a) fulfilled, (b) delivered on time, (c) not fulfilled by Applied Language Solutions but made under the old arrangements and (d) not delivered on time. [98498]
Mr Blunt: As part of their contractual obligations under the framework the contractor is required to provide a range of information about the performance of the contract. The Ministry will consider what information it can usefully publish in due course.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is aware of any instances where (a) interpreters are being included on lists of translators used by Applied Language Solutions (ALS) without the consent of the interpreters concerned and (b) ALS is using interpreters without first checking their qualifications and conducting an assessment; and what steps his Department is taking to (i) investigate and (ii) end these breaches of (A) the Framework Agreement and (B) the contract with ALS. [98499]
Mr Blunt: Interpreters must express an interest in providing services under the framework, and have gone through the assessment process, before being included on the list of those available for work.
The contractor is obliged to ensure that the interpreters they use have appropriate qualifications, skills, experience and are appropriately vetted. Should any concerns or complaints arise about the quality, qualifications or background of individual interpreters there is a robust complaints mechanism.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that translation services provided by Applied Language Solutions to courts are being delivered to a satisfactory standard; [98244]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2012, Official Report, columns 953-4W, on translation service, what measures are contained in the action plan agreed between his Department and Applied Language Solutions (ALS); if he will assess the effectiveness of such measures in dealing with the problems set out in his answer; and whether he has received complaints concerning (a) the quality of translation services and (b) the service provided by ALS since his answer; [98202]
(3) pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2012, Official Report, columns 189-91W, on translation services, how many of the key performance indicators listed in his Department's equality impact assessment are being met by Applied Language Solutions. [98497]
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Mr Blunt: There have been an unacceptable number of difficulties in the first few weeks of this contract. In view of this, I have required immediate action to address the issues encountered. My officials receive regular management information, and attend regular meetings with Applied Language Solutions (ALS) to ensure an appropriate level of service to the justice sector. I and my ministerial colleagues are receiving regular reports and continue to monitor the situation.
ALS has taken the following steps to address the issues experienced in the initial period of operation of the framework:
An increase to the level of pay and travel allowances to interpreters. The introduction of block booking arrangements focused on problematic languages plans to directly recruit interpreters where there is clear ongoing demand.
Arranging additional interpreter assessment centres.
Recruitment of additional call handlers, booking administrators and linguist relationship managers.
Introduction of a new administrative team, purely with the function of issuing customer updates.
Secondment of a process management specialist, a management information specialist and an outbound calling team with the brief of further developing the supply of interpreters.
Improvements to the automated booking system.
We are starting to see improvements in performance but the contractor is still falling short of meeting a proportion of the key performance indicators.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department received reports on the standard of work and suitability of Applied Language Solutions before the awarding of the contract for translation services; [98204]
(2) what penalties or sanctions the (a) Framework Agreement and (b) contract with Applied Language Solutions (ALS) contains for non-compliance with (i) the key performance indicators, (ii) the Framework Agreement and (iii) the contract; for what reasons these penalties or sanctions can be imposed; and whether any such penalties or sanctions have been imposed on ALS. [98500]
Mr Blunt: Ministers do not routinely receive reports on the suitability and standard of work of any bidders engaged in an active procurement exercise. This remained the case with ALS.
There are a number of remedies available to the Ministry of Justice under the contract including:
The application of service credits based upon delivery of services against agreed Key performance Indicators.
Provision to charge any cost differential where we are required to source from an alternative party as a result of default.
These remedies will be used where there is a breach of contract and it is believed that it will bring benefit to the MOJ while not causing a substantial detrimental impact upon the future performance and delivery of the contract.
Employment Tribunals Service
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential use of early neutral evaluation in employment tribunal claims. [98434]
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Mr Djanogly: The Government are committed to encouraging the public to resolve their issues out of court without recourse to public funds, using simpler, more informal remedies where they are appropriate. In this context, my Department is working to develop proposals to promote wider use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) across the courts and tribunals system.
Insofar as employment tribunals are concerned, and given the unique position of ACAS in the employment dispute resolution system, ADR is already embedded as a central feature of the process. The pre-claim conciliation scheme run by ACAS allows parties to engage in ADR before claims are even lodged with a tribunal. The Government's consultation paper “Resolving Workplace Disputes” sets out how we intend to build on our experience in this area.
It is generally accepted that there will be cases which reach the tribunal but have little or no prospect of success. Identifying these cases at an early stage helps tribunals to allocate resources more effectively. There are already wide-ranging powers for Employment Judges to case manage proceedings from an early stage. However, it is important that the system in place is as efficient and effective as possible and to that end we have asked Mr Justice Underhill, outgoing president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, to lead a Fundamental Review of the Rules of Procedure for employment tribunals.
We hope that the revised rules will help create a more streamlined, efficient system by ensuring robust case management powers can be applied flexibly, proportionately, effectively and (insofar as is practicable) consistently in individual cases coming before employment tribunals.
In the tribunals system more widely, we have considered early neutral evaluation (ENE) techniques, alongside others. Given the findings from pilot exercises, there was no clear case for onward consideration of ENE specifically. However, we have been able to apply lessons learned to good effect and we are considering how increased use of ADR could be further encouraged across the civil, family and administrative justice system.
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what work has been carried out by his Department on the non-payment of employment tribunal awards since 2009. [98435]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 897W.
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effect on access to justice for disadvantaged groups of fees for employment tribunals. [98492]
Mr Djanogly: The Government have published an initial Impact Assessment (IA) and Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to accompany the “Charging Fees in Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal” consultation to ensure that impacts on tribunal users are assessed.
The consultation proposes two options for fees together with the adoption of the civil courts remission system of England and Wales. An initial assessment of the impact of the fee and remissions system on claimants has been provided in both the IA and EIA. In light of
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the initial assessments, the Government believe that the remissions system will protect access to justice for those with limited means.
The Government have invited comments on the proposals for fees, the remissions system and the initial assessments made. With the benefit of the views of respondents, which the Government will consider carefully, a further improved IA and EIA will be published with the Government's response.
Extradition: Children
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children who had been (a) abducted and (b) wrongfully retained by a parent living abroad were successfully extradited from a country (i) party and (ii) not party to the Hague Convention in each year since 2002. [97536]
Mr Djanogly: None. The extradition process is used to seek the return of individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence, not abducted or wrongfully retained children.
The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction provides a civil procedure to seek the return of a child wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained away from the child's habitual residence in another contracting state.
Fines: Driving Offences
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from motoring fines collected in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years. [98246]
Mr Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) do not break down fines collected by offence. Financial penalties are enforced by HMCTS through local accounting centres who collect fines imposed by courts in their areas, as well as costs, prosecution costs, legal aid, victim surcharge, compensation and unpaid fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder which have been passed to HMCTS for enforcement. Fines collected include those imposed in previous years which are being collected by instalments.
HMCTS are unable to break down fines paid which were imposed for a particular offence type. The following table sets out the total financial penalties collected by Lancashire accounting centre, which includes Pendle, in each of the last five financial years. To obtain the totals for Pendle would require an individual check of each account held at Lancashire accounting centre, which would incur disproportionate costs.
| Financial penalties collected by Lancashire accounting office 2006-07 to 2010-11 | |
| Financial year | Collected (£) |
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Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish a public consultation on the introduction of deferred prosecution arrangements. [97858]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: My Department and I are working with the Solicitor-General on the introduction of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), a new approach to dealing with corporate economic crime. I expect to publish a consultation document shortly.
Prime Minister
UK Border Agency
Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit the UK Border Agency. [98120]
The Prime Minister: I have visited UKBA twice and met staff. My hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration makes regular visits to UKBA offices.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Contracts
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies have been awarded contracts by his Department to provide welfare services; what the value is of such contracts; and what steps his Department takes to assess the effectiveness of such providers. [97571]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [97304]
Chris Grayling: Comments received through the Red Tape Challenge website were considered through the Löfstedt review of health and safety regulation published on 28 November 2011
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lofstedt-report.pdf
The Government have accepted the review's recommendations. These and wider reforms proposed by the Health and Safety Executive based on analysis for the review and the Red Tape Challenge will see a reduction of over half in number of health and safety regulations. Consultation is under way on a first deregulatory package.
The Department is preparing for the Red Tape Challenge spotlight on pensions from 19 April and will make proposals once the process has been completed.
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Senior Civil Servants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [96244]
Chris Grayling: The answer is in the following table:
| Senior civil service leavers in DWP and its crown public bodies 1 June 2010 to 31 January 2012 | ||
| Department/body and turnover in period (%) | Leaving month | Number of leavers |
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Those working for the Department's other public bodies are public servants rather than civil servants because they do not work directly for the Crown.
Employment: HIV Infection
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Harrington review of the work capability assessment in respect of (a) Atos guidance and handbooks using the most up-to-date information on HIV and (b) HIV awareness training. [96833]
Chris Grayling: DWP is implementing a systematic process for updating the WCA handbook, guidance and training for Atos health care professionals in conjunction with medical advisers of appropriate external organisations. Guidance and training on HIV will be reviewed this year as part of this process.
Professor Harrington will monitor and report on this recommendation as part of his Year 3 review.
Hearing Impairment: Compensation
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been awarded compensation for work-related hearing loss in each of the last five years. [97273]
Chris Grayling:
Claims for compensation are registered by compensators (insurance companies) with the DWP Compensation Recovery Unit. Any claims to compensation
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in respect of sensorineural hearing loss where the loss is less than 50 decibels are exempt from the CRU scheme. Therefore these cases are not registered with the CRU.
In line with this, the CRU is able to provide the volume of employer liability claims which have been notified to the CRU by the compensator and subsequently notified as settled during the period between 1 April 2008 and 23 February 2012. These settlements relate to claims for work-related hearing loss; the data below have been broken down by financial years.
| Employer liability | |||
| Financial year | Final settlement | Interim settlement | Total |
The criteria used to identify the work-related hearing loss settlements are claims which been notified to CRU for either the noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) or an injury description of hearing, deaf(ness) or tinnitus.
Please note more than one settlement can be received on a claim; for example a number of interim settlements may be received before full and final settlement is received.
Jobcentre Plus
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of private welfare providers and that of Jobcentre Plus. [97572]
Chris Grayling: The Department has made no comparative assessment of the effectiveness of private welfare providers and that of Jobcentre Plus.
There is clear evidence on the cost-effectiveness of Jobcentre Plus. A report by NIESR concluded that the introduction of Jobcentre Plus increased the rate at which claimants left benefit and moved into work and increased employment, with the impact of Jobcentre Plus estimated to increase GDP by 0.1% by 2015.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep781.pdf
The Department has commissioned an evaluation of the Work programme and the first results will be available later this year. We expect the Work programme to deliver higher performance and deliver better value for money than previous provision.
The Department has published a range of evaluation reports regarding the effectiveness of support delivered by Jobcentre Plus and external providers, including the new deals, pathways to work and the Jobcentre Plus interventions regime which can be found via:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp
Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 18 to 24 in receipt of jobseeker's allowance whose claims started in (a) October 2010, (b) November 2010 and (c) December 2010 and continued to the 13 week point were still in receipt of benefit at the 26 week point. [98493]
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Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Of people aged 18 to 24 whose jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claim started in October 2010, 51,000 continued to the 13 week point. Of those 51,000, 32,000 (64%) were still in receipt of an out of work benefit at the 26 week point.
(b) Of people aged 18 to 24 whose JSA claim started in November 2010, 53,000 continued to the 13 week point. Of those 53,000, 33,000 (63%) were still in receipt of an out of work benefit at the 26 week point.
(c) Of people aged 18 to 24 whose JSA claim started in December 2010, 40,000 continued to the 13 week point. Of those 40,000, 26,000 (65%) of these were still in receipt of an out of work benefit at the 26 week point.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 1,000.
2. Between weeks 13 and 26, some people will have left jobseeker's allowance and returned to benefit.
3. Comparisons with the benefit outcomes of participants in employment programmes cannot be made because individuals participating on the programmes will have a specific set of characteristics and claim durations.
Source:
National Benefits Database
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a breakdown of the number of people aged 18 to 24 in receipt of jobseeker's allowance whose claims reached the 13 week point between January 2011 and March 2011 who remained on benefit in each week following the 13 week point in their individual claim. [98494]
Chris Grayling: During the period of January to March 2011, there were 140,000 people aged 18 to 24 in receipt of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) passing through the 13 week point. Table 1 shows the proportion of those 140,000 who remain on a working age benefit (JSA, ESA, IS or IB) in each week following the 13 week point.
| Table 1: Proportion claiming working age benefits x weeks after reaching the 13 week point in their JSA claim in January to December 2011 | |
| Proportion of 18 to 24-year-old JSA claimants claiming benefit (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 1,000. 2. Between weeks 13 and 26, some people will have left jobseeker's allowance and returned to benefit. 3. Comparisons with the benefit outcomes of participants in employment programmes cannot be made because individuals participating on the programmes will have a specific set of characteristics and claim durations. Source: National Benefits Database | |
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Mortgages
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley were in receipt of support for mortgage interest at the most recent date for which figures are available. [97431]
Steve Webb: The available information is presented in the following table, covering recipients of income support, jobseeker's allowance and pension credit. The information is not available for recipients of employment and support allowance.
| Benefit recipients receiving help with mortgage interest in Bexleyheath and Crayford parliamentary constituency and the London borough of Bexley: May 2011 | |
| Area | Recipients |
| (1 )These are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures are based on 5% sample data. All figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. Figures have been uprated by using 5% proportions against 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) data. 4. These data relate to recipients of income support, pension credit and jobseeker's allowance receiving help with mortgage interest. 5. Information on recipients of employment and support allowance receiving help with mortgage interest is not available. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Governance and Security Directorate | |
New Deal Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of Flexible New Deal participants were diverted off the programme before completing the full 12 months; and for what reasons they were diverted. [98495]
Chris Grayling: Everyone on the Flexible New Deal on 1 September 2011 was referred back to Jobcentre Plus, as this was the final day of the FND provision. The number of FND participants who left the programme on this date and the proportion who had not completed 12 months are not data that are readily available.
Pensioners
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley received (i) pension credit and (ii) winter fuel allowance in each of the last three years. [97425]
Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following tables:
| Number of people in receipt of pension credit in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and the London borough of Bexley | ||
| Pension credit | ||
| Bexleyheath and Crayford | London borough of Bexley | |
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| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 4. These tables recognise the May 2010 structural changes to the parliamentary constituencies of England and Wales. 5. These data are available on the Department's tabulation tool at http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html and https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | ||
| Number of people in receipt of winter fuel payment in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and the London borough of Bexley | ||
| Individuals | ||
| Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency | London borough of Bexley | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. These tables recognise the May 2010 structural changes to the parliamentary constituencies of England and Wales. 4. The latest figures for winter fuel payments are published at http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp Source: DWP Information Directorate: | ||
Social Security Benefits: Greater London
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of households which received benefits above the level of the benefit cap in the London Borough of Lambeth rounded to the nearest five; and how many such households he estimates have benefit entitlements of (a) less than £50 above the benefit cap, (b) less than £100 above the benefit cap and (c) more than £100 above the benefit cap rounded to the nearest five. [98441]
Chris Grayling: It is estimated that in Lambeth around 800 households will be affected by the household benefit cap, around 400 households will lose less than £50 per week, 200 households will lose between £50 to a £100 per week, and around 300 households will lose more than a £100 per week.
The figures presented above are consistent with the recent Impact Assessment published on 23 January 2012. It is important to note that these estimates were produced before the additional easements announced on 1 February which included the exemption of households who were in receipt of the support component of employment and support allowance and a nine-month grace period for claimants who were in work for 52 weeks or more before the start of their claim.
This means that these figures are subject to change, ahead of the Welfare Reform Bill gaining Royal Assent. We will consider the scope for further analysis of the households when we prepare the revised Impact Assessment following Royal Assent.
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It is assumed that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In all cases the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme to move as many into work as possible.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends that universal credit will interact electronically with the Department's Provider Referrals and Payments system upon its implementation in October 2013. [98502]
Chris Grayling: The current intention is that the information required to enable the Provider Referral and Payment (PraP) system to operate efficiently will be made available from the universal credit; manual mechanisms will be in place from October 2013, with full electronic interaction being introduced at a later date.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether in the case of out-of-work claimants who subsequently move into work universal credit will operate using real-time PAYE information from October 2013. [98503]
Chris Grayling: New universal credit claims opened after October 2013 will be adjusted by earnings reported under real time information by the claimant's employer. This will also apply to an unemployed claimant who subsequently moves into work.
Work Capability Assessment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to draw the attention of claimants, their representatives and claimants' advice agencies to the audio recording facility in work capacity assessments. [97647]
Chris Grayling: As stated on 1 February 2012, Official Report, columns 291-92WH, we have asked Atos Healthcare to try and accommodate requests for audio recording where a claimant makes a request in advance of their assessment. This approach began in late 2011 and we will monitor take up during 2012.
Work Experience
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to publish data from his Department's work experience schemes for the unemployed by region. [97531]
Chris Grayling: Official statistics on the work experience strand of the Get Britain Working measures, were published on 15 February 2012 by region and can be viewed at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_feb12.pdf
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Health
Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS beds are available for those receiving treatment for drug and alcohol problems. [97980]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave her on 28 February 2012, Official Report, column 251W.
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the alcohol industry on including the calorie content of each product on its label. [97857]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department discussed the possible inclusion of calorie content on labels with representatives of the alcohol industry on a number of occasions.
The EU Food Information Regulation permitted a voluntary energy declaration including calorie content, without the inclusion of full nutrition information for the first time from December 2011. We expect to raise the fact that such declarations are now easier to make with industry in future discussions.
Alcoholic Drinks: Southampton
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of alcohol abuse in the city of Southampton in the latest period for which figures are available. [97873]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not held in the format requested. The cost to the national health service in England of alcohol misuse in 2006-07 (the latest year for which an estimate is available) is estimated to be £2.7 billion. This figure relates to all costs incurred by the NHS, including hospital admissions, outpatient visits, accident and emergency attendances, general practitioners consultations and other costs. The number of admissions involving an alcohol-related diagnosis for residents of Southampton in 2006-07 was estimated to be 2,210, compared with an England total of 802,066.
Autism: Prisoners
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people in the prison population with autism; [98153]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of people entering the judicial system with autism. [98154]
Paul Burstow: This information is not collected centrally.
Cancer: Health Services
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of the availability of DPD testing; [98231]
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(2) what steps he is taking to test cancer patients for the potential risks to their health involved in fluorouracil treatment; and what the costs are of such tests. [98240]
Paul Burstow: Fluorouracil may be unsuitable for certain groups of patients, including those with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency (DPD). The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has undertaken a review of the product information for medicines containing fluorouracil and confirm that the summary of product characteristics for all but one of these already includes cautionary advice for health care professionals on treating patients with DPD. The MHRA has written to all marketing authorisation holders to ensure a consistent message is conveyed in all product information.
When deciding which treatment is the most appropriate for a patient under their care, clinicians should take into account the individual circumstances of each patient, carrying out any associated diagnostic tests that they deem necessary to establish a patient's suitability for a particular drug.
DPD testing is available from laboratories in the United Kingdom at locally negotiated prices.
Dementia
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the quality of annual reviews for patients with dementia; [98045]
(2) what measures he is taking to ensure that people diagnosed with dementia who are receiving anti-psychotic medication receive regular reviews of their progress. [98046]
Paul Burstow: We want to see a two-thirds reduction in the level of prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs for people with dementia and we have commissioned an audit to measure this.
The Dementia Action Alliance supported by the NHS Institute and the Department launched a ‘National Call to Action’ on 9 June 2011, with the aim of ensuring that by 31 March 2012 all 180,000 people with dementia, who are receiving anti-psychotic drugs will have undergone a clinical review, to ensure that their care is compliant with current best practice and guidelines and that alternatives to their prescription have been considered.
Reducing the use of anti-psychotic medication is a key element of the Dementia Commissioning pack which is supported by a multi-disciplinary care pathway for the management of agitation in people with dementia and for the review of medication on people already receiving anti-psychotics.
People with dementia should have their care needs assessed regularly to ensure that they are receiving care that is appropriate as their condition progresses.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reduction in carbon dioxide emissions his Department has made under the 10:10 initiative. [97931]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Department has not signed up to the 10:10 initiative, though it is committed to reducing
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its carbon dioxide emissions. It took part in the Prime Minister's commitment that Government would reduce their energy consumption by 10% over the period 14 May 2010 to 13 May 2011.
The Department's energy carbon dioxide emissions over the period were reduced from 12,432 tCO2 to 10,471 tCO2, a reduction of 15.9%.
The Department, in this instance, includes NHS Connecting for Health and its executive agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
The Department continues to work towards reducing its carbon dioxide emissions as part of the Greening Government commitments, which commits Departments to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by 2014-15 from a baseline of 2009-10.
Diabetes: Drugs
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department funds any UK diabetes drug development; what the value is of any such funding; and what (a) companies and (b) other organisations receive it. [98129]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not direct funding specifically to diabetes drug development. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) provides the support and facilities the national health service needs for first class research that results in high-quality care for patients and the public. All NIHR infrastructure supports collaborations with industry.
NIHR biomedical research centres are based within the most outstanding NHS and university partnerships in England and receive substantial levels of funding to translate fundamental biomedical research into clinical research that benefits patients. From April 2012, diabetes research will be a particular focus of research themes at the following centres:
| NHS organisation | University partner | Research theme |
|
The Ageing Body (chronic liver disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes) |
||
The NIHR Diabetes Research Network hosts clinical trials and other well-designed studies in diabetes. Industry-sponsored contract research is conducted within the network on a cost recovery basis.
On 1 March 2012, the Government announced over £100 million NIHR funding for clinical research facilities for experimental medicine over the period September 2012 to March 2017. This will be spent on research nurses and technicians at 19 of the facilities around the country, and cover disease areas such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, dementia and obesity.
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Diabetes: Prescription Drugs
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department holds on which diabetes prescription drugs have been subject to shortage in (a) pharmacies and (b) hospitals since January (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012; [97795]
(2) what proportion of diabetes prescription drugs manufactured in the UK were sold abroad since (a) January 2011 and (b) January 2012. [98131]
Paul Burstow: The Department is aware that there have been manufacturing problems with several formulations of medicines used to treat diabetes which may have led to supply problems in hospitals and pharmacies. In 2011, these medicines were Apidra insulin, Lantus insulin and tolbutamide 500mg tablets. In 2012, only Aprida insulin was affected.
Information on the proportion of drugs sold abroad is not held centrally.
Disease Control: Livestock
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice the Health Protection Agency has issued to farmers on minimising risks to human health from Schmallenberg virus. [98490]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has produced a factsheet for farmers, farm workers, veterinary staff or those handling or transporting fallen stock who have been exposed to either a confirmed or suspected animal case of Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The factsheet is given to them by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency when suspected or confirmed SBV cases are reported on their farm. The factsheet explains that though this new virus causes disease in animals it has not been known to cause disease in humans and it is considered unlikely that this virus is zoonotic. Nevertheless, as this is a new virus, anyone who might have been exposed to animals infected with SBV and who develops a fever (≥38°C) within two weeks after contact with malformed animals or their birth products is advised to contact their local Health Protection Unit (HPU) as a precautionary measure. The HPU would then liaise with their general practitioner to take a blood sample.
The factsheet also gives advice on reducing the risk of this and other infections by regular hand washing and handling afterbirths and aborted animals with caution, and reminds them that pregnant women should continue to follow published routine advice to avoid close contact with animals (including sheep, cows and goats) that are giving birth.
The HPA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have published more detailed information about SBV on their respective websites:
www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/EmergingInfections/SchmallenbergVirus/
www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla/2012/03/02/2-march-schmallenberg-virus-further-updates-on-gb-testing-results/
Emergency Calls: Kent
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) genuine and (b) malicious emergency calls were received by the Ambulance Service in Kent in each of the last three years. [98261]
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Mr Simon Burns: The information is not held in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table:
| Number of emergency calls: South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, 2008-09 to 2010-11 | |||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Notes: 1. Emergency call data are not held by county. The figures in the table refer to the number of emergency calls received by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which provides services in Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey. 2. Data on malicious emergency calls are not held centrally. Source: Information Centre for Health and Social Care: KA34 returns | |||
Health Professions: Regulation
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what mechanisms exist to review the effectiveness of assured voluntary regulation in protecting patient safety; [98423]
(2) at what stage during the assured voluntary regulation process healthcare professionals will be considered for statutory regulation; [98424]
(3) how he plans to measure the effectiveness of assured voluntary regulation in protecting patient safety in healthcare professions not subject to statutory regulation. [98426]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill (subject to parliamentary procedures) will confer on the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE), which will be renamed the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, the function of accrediting voluntary registers of health and (in England) social care workers that meet its standards.
In its Council paper “Voluntary registers—proposed model for accreditation scheme” the CHRE has stated that all voluntary registers seeking accreditation will be required to complete a risk assessment tool which will assess the risks inherent in a profession's practice, and the means by which those risks are and could be managed.
We also expect the Professional Standards Authority to use the risk assessment tool as part of its ongoing monitoring of accredited registers, which will include consideration of the effectiveness of a register in assuring standards.
We have made it clear that if, in light of the experience of assured voluntary registration, there is evidence that the arrangements are inadequate to ensure public protection for a group of healthcare workers, then we would consider the case for introducing compulsory statutory regulation for that group.
Hospitals: Food
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2012, Official Report, column 805W, on hospital food, what the average cost was of providing food per patient per day in each of the Strategic Health Authority areas in England since 2004. [98451]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Department collects data from national health service trusts for the average total daily cost for the provision of all meals and beverages fed to
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one patient per day. This cost relates to all meals and beverages provided to a patient in a day, not the cost of a single meal. The cost is inclusive of all pay and non-pay costs, including provisions, ward issues, disposables, equipment and its maintenance.
The data collected are shown in the tables. Table 1 provides data for the years 2004-05 and 2005-06 for each of the 28 strategic health authorities that were in existence during that time. Table 2 provides data from 2006-07 onwards for each of the 10 strategic health authorities that were established in 2006-07 following a re-organisation.
The information has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
| Table 1: Average cost of feeding one patient per day for 2004-05 and 2005-06 at 28 strategic health authorities | ||
| £ | ||
| Strategic health authority | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Table 2: Average cost of feeding one patient per day for 2006-07 and 2010-11 at 10 strategic health authorities | |||||
| £ | |||||
| Strategic health authority | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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Hospitals: Infectious Diseases
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment has been made of the efficacy of hand sanitiser gel in reducing hospital-acquired infections. [97822]
Mr Simon Burns: In 2004, the Purchasing and Supply Agency undertook a review that established the efficacy of alcohol based hand rubs. Manufacturers can submit new hand cleaning products to the Rapid Review Panel (RRP). The RRP is managed by the Health Protection Agency and provides advice on the relative merits and substance of claims made by companies about the acceptability of products to combat health care associated infections.
The Department is not aware of any other recent general assessment of the efficacy of hand sanitiser gel in reducing health care associated infections.