Senior Civil Servants: Ethnic Minorities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department were from an ethnic minority in March (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and if he will make a statement. [98878]
Tim Loughton: Figures for the number of SCS members of the Department who declared they were from an ethnic minority are as follows:
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| Date | Percentage of SCS | Number |
| (1) Information for March 2012 is not yet available. | ||
Ministers' Private Offices
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in his private ministerial office; and what the cost is of their annual salaries. [97211]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 28 February 2012]: As at 31 January 2012 (the latest published information), the number of staff in the Private Office of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), was 10 FTE, at a total annual salary cost of £366,061.
Early Education
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of extra early years workers required to deliver 15 free hours of early education to 40% of two-year-olds. [99183]
Sarah Teather: We are pleased that the extension of free early education will make a significant contribution to economic growth through the creation of new jobs in the sector. As part of our planning for the introduction of the new entitlement, we are continuing to scope the workforce implications and how many extra jobs will be created, and no firm estimate is yet available.
We will continue to work closely with our co-production partners and a number of sector organisations, both to check our analysis and to gather their views on the workforce and other delivery issues.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding he plans to provide for recruitment of early years workers. [99184]
Sarah Teather: The recruitment and employment of early years workers is a matter for local employers, including a wide range of public, private, voluntary or independent sector organisations. The Government continue to support employers in this, not least in recognition of the challenging economic climate. We created the early intervention grant (EIG), worth £2,365 million in 2012-13, to give local authorities flexibility in the way they use their funding, including whether or not they choose to provide financial support to employers in relation to the recruitment and/or employment of staff. Local authorities obviously need to make decisions at local level, based on their priorities and the needs of the communities in their area.
In addition, we continue to fund specific programmes at the national level which help recruitment to the sector, for example the Early Years Professional Status and the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership programmes. This will be worth
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around £25 million in 2012-13. We are also working closely with the sector through our co-production process to consider how we might support them further.
Education: Non-departmental Public Bodies
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on abolishing education quangos. [98917]
Tim Loughton: So far the Department for Education has abolished four non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), including the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, Teachers TV Board of Governors, School Support Staff Negotiating Body and the Independent Advisory Group for Teenage Pregnancy.
A further seven bodies will cease to be NDPBs on 31 March 2012, including the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, Young Peoples Learning Agency, Training and Development Agency for Schools, General Teaching Council for England, National College for School Leadership, Children's Workforce Development Council and Partnerships for Schools. Four new Executive Agencies are being established which will take on some of the responsibilities of those NDPBs. The Standards and Testing Agency began operating in October 2011. The Education Funding Agency and the Teaching Agency are due to open in April 2012, and the National College for School Leadership will become an Executive Agency in April 2012.
The School Food Trust, a former DFE NDPB, has become a Community Interest Company and an independent charity.
Families
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will commission research on the effects of parents moving to less stressful jobs on (a) the quality of family life and (b) children's subjective well-being. [98988]
Tim Loughton: The Department is not planning to commission research on this topic.
Free Schools
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he plans to measure the satisfaction of parents with the service provided by (a) free schools, (b) academies and (c) local authority-run schools; and if he will make a statement; [98806]
(2) if he will offer (a) free schools, (b) academies and (c) local authority-run schools financial incentives or rewards to improve parent satisfaction with the service provided; and if he will make a statement. [98808]
Tim Loughton
[holding answer 8 March 2012]: The views of parents remain an important part of the evidence for Ofsted school inspections. The launch of Ofsted's Parent View website means that views of parents can also be used to inform the timing of inspections. There are no plans for direct financial incentives or rewards to improve parent satisfaction beyond the funding mechanisms that already exist. Achievement of parent
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satisfaction is already an expectation of the outcomes of schools alongside achieving the best range of outcomes for their pupils.
GCSE: Denton and Reddish
Andrew Gwynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received A* to C grades
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in GCSE
(a)
mathematics,
(b)
English,
(c)
geography and
(d)
sciences in Denton and Reddish constituency in each of the last five years. [98642]
Mr Gibb: The information requested can be found in the following table:
| Numbers and percentages (1) of pupils (2,3) at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in mathematics, English, geography and science (4) GCSEs (5,6) in Denton and Reddish constituency (7) , north-west region (8) and England (9) —Years: 2006/07 to 2010/11. Coverage: England | |||||
| Numbers and percentages of KS4 pupils achieving A*-C in: | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 |
| (1) Percentages are based on all pupils at end of key stage 4 in each area. (2) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (3) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (4) Pupils who achieved A*-C at GCSE in at least one of the following subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biological sciences, Single science, Double science, Additional science. Core science and Applied science for the years 2008/09 to 2010/11 and in Physics, Chemistry, Biological sciences, Single science, Double science for the years 2006/07 and 2007/08. (5) Full GCSEs only have been included (Full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs). Figures from 2006/07 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs. 2009/10 and 2010/11 figures include accredited iGCSEs. (6) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (7) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (8) Regional figures are based on the region of the local authority maintaining the school. (9) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database (2006/07 to 2009/10 final data, 2010/11 revised data) | |||||
Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to reply to the letter of 1 February 2012 from the hon. Member for Walsall North concerning a constituent, reference 2012/0008558. [97556]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 1 March 2012]: The Department has received a large number of letters about the Action for Children campaign on child neglect and we will reply as soon as possible.
Ministers' Private Offices
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his private office spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession publications in the last 12 months; [96936]
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(2) how much his private ministerial office has spent on stationery in the last 12 months. [97212]
Tim Loughton [holding answer s 27 and 28 February 2012]:The overall spend in DFE private office on stationery in the 12 months to the end of January 2012 was £59,460, of which £10,865 was spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade or professional publications.
National Curriculum Review
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contracts have been let in respect of the work of the working group for the National Curriculum Review; which such contracts have been extended; and if he will make a statement. [98700]
Mr Gibb: Professors Mary James, Andrew Pollard and Dylan Wiliam were contracted to be members of the National Curriculum Review expert panel. These contracts started on 29 November 2010 and were initially due to end on 30 September 2011, but they were subsequently extended to end on 5 December 2011. Tim Oates was seconded to the Department to chair the expert panel. His secondment commenced on 1 September 2010. The work of the expert panel concluded on 5 December and its report was published on 19 December. Tim Oates's secondment has been extended until 31 August 2012 to enable him to continue to advise the Department as the review progresses.
Ofsted: Inspections
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in (a) the Leeds North West constituency and (b) Leeds received an outstanding result from Ofsted in the last three years. [97738]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 6 March 2012:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for response.
Since 2005, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 and, more recently, the Education Act 2011. Ofsted records all judgements made by inspectors in section 5 inspections, including the judgement for overall effectiveness of the school.
Maintained schools inspected under section 5 include nursery, primary, secondary (including academies and city technology colleges), special schools and pupil referral units.
Table A below shows the number of maintained schools judged outstanding for overall effectiveness at their section 5 inspection during the academic years 2008/09 to 2010/11 inclusive in Leeds North West constituency, Leeds local authority and England (for comparison).
In September 2009, Ofsted implemented a policy of more proportionate inspection using risk assessment as an aid to scheduling the inspection of good and outstanding schools. We deliberately set out to inspect a greater proportion of previously satisfactory or inadequate schools each year and a smaller proportion of
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previously good or outstanding schools. The sample of schools inspected is therefore skewed and means that comparisons between years should be treated with caution as some changes are due to the very different sample of schools inspected during the different periods.
In September 2010, Ofsted deferred the inspections of previously outstanding schools and as a result of the Education Act 2011 is no longer routinely inspecting previously outstanding schools. These schools will not be inspected unless a complaint has been raised or the risk assessment process identifies these schools would benefit from an inspection.
Statistics covering the outcomes of all inspections carried out in each academic year since 2008/09 can be found at:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/advanced-resources-search/results/Maintained%20schools/2/all/any/200/any
The most recent official statistics release covering the outcomes of maintained school inspections carried out between 1 July 2011 and 30 September 2011 was released on 13 December 2011 and can be accessed at the same link.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
| Table A: Schools in England, Leeds local authority and Leeds North West constituency judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness in each academic year , 2008/09 to 2010/11 | |||
| Number of schools | |||
| Academic year | |||
| 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | |
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding (a) his Department and (b) its agencies provided for continuous professional development in Personal, Social, Health and Economic education in each of the last five financial years; and what funding (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies will provide for continuous professional development in Personal, Social, Health and Economic education in each of the next five financial years. [99186]
Mr Gibb: The Department has provided £4,640,821 over the last five years for PSHE education in schools. This includes continuous professional development, and can be broken down as follows:
| £ | |
The Department is continuing to fund the PSHE Association in the 2012-13 financial year, which will include continuous professional development. Grants have not been agreed for any future years.
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Primary Education: Admissions
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much the Government plan to spend on creating extra primary school places in the current Parliament. [98919]
Mr Gibb: For the current spending period we intend to make available over £4 billion to local authorities to support the provision of pupil places. It is for local authorities to decide how best to allocate that funding to meet local needs.
Schools: Admissions
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that more parents secure a place for their child at their first choice school. [98920]
Mr Gibb: Figures from 2011 show that almost 85% of parents were offered a place in their first preference school, with 95% offered a place at one of their top three. That is why we are working to increase the supply of good school places by the rapid expansion of the academies programme, establishing more free schools, and giving all schools more freedom to expand. Our school reforms will raise standards and create more good schools. We are turning around underperforming schools that are failing their pupils and we are encouraging the best and brightest into teaching. It is vital that all parents have the opportunity to send their child to an excellent local school of their choice.
Schools: Assessments
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision is made in (a) state and (b) other schools for teaching to prepare students for sixth term examination papers. [96524]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not hold information on sixth term examination papers (STEP) provision as they do not form part of an accredited qualification. According to the Cambridge assessment website, in 2011 the most popular paper was taken by fewer than 1,200 students. We have increased funding for a further mathematics support programme which will provide training for mathematics teachers to enable them to prepare their students for STEP examinations.
STEP examinations are routinely required of students offered conditional places on mathematics courses at the University of Cambridge. Warwick university requires students to sit either a STEP paper or an advanced extension award and some other institutions, including Bristol, Oxford and Bath, encourage applicants to take STEP papers where they are available.
The Faculty of Mathematics at Cambridge organises a four-day course at Easter for students from non-selective, state, UK schools that are unable to provide STEP support. This course is funded jointly by the Cambridge colleges and the Sutton Trust.
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Schools: Inspections
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many inspections have been undertaken by Ofsted of services sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last five years. [98807]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 March 2012]:This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Lady and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 6 March 2012:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
Providers sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were inspected under the Common Inspection Framework under Chapter 3 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
Table A shows the number of inspections of DWP-sponsored providers carried out by Ofsted in each of the last five academic years.
Ofsted ceased to inspect DWP contracted employment provision as of 16 August 2010. This was further to a request from Ministers that Ofsted discontinue these inspections from that date.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
| Table A: Number of Ofsted inspections of services sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions in England, in each academic year 2006/07 to 2010/11 | |
| Academic year | Total inspections |
Schools: Transport
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on increasing provision of free transport to schools. [97872]
Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect data on the numbers of representations received on individual areas of home-to-school transport. Decisions on how much provision is required, any charging policy and its implementation are the responsibility of local authorities. Local authorities already spend more than £1 billion in supporting children, including those with special education needs, in getting to and from school safely. The Department is aware that some local authorities are now charging for transport to school for non-statutory provision where previously it had been free as they look to make savings. We are looking for ways to help local authorities to make those savings more efficiently and effectively, including better use of planning and procurement, while ensuring that those families who need support to get their children to school can get it. The Secretary of State provided £85 million for 2011-12 and 2012-13 to help local authorities meet their legal duties in respect of families on low incomes.
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Science: GCSE
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for GCSEs in each of the three separate sciences in (a) comprehensive, (b) selective and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; [97849]
(2) how many pupils entered by (a) comprehensive schools, (b) selective schools and (c) independent schools for GCSEs in (i) biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics obtained a Grade C or above in each year from 1997 to 2011. [98158]
Mr Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Teachers: Recruitment
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to attract the brightest graduates to teaching. [98918]
Mr Gibb: We are committed to recruiting the very best graduates into teaching, securing better value in initial teacher training (ITT) and reforming training so that more ITT is led by schools and teacher training focuses on the most important elements of being a teacher.
We set out the action we will be taking to help attract more of the highest achieving graduates into teaching in “Training our next generation of outstanding teachers: Implementation plan”, published in November 2011. These include:
using bursaries of up to £20,000 to attract the best graduates in the subjects where they are most needed;
setting a higher bar for entry to ITT courses, making sure new teachers all have sound English, mathematics and subject knowledge;
expanding the successful Teach First programme, which places highly able graduates to work in challenging schools;
encouraging Service Leaders to become teachers through a new Troops to Teachers programme;
placing more emphasis on selection processes and trainee quality in making judgments about a teacher training provider's quality; and
introducing new routes into teaching which will make it easier for schools to employ the qualified teachers with the range of skills that they need.
Teaching Methods
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will commission an assessment of the effectiveness of the Good Behaviour Game programme. [99554]
Tim Loughton: We have no plans to commission an assessment of the Good Behaviour Game programme. This Government believe that strong discipline and good behaviour in schools are essential if pupils are to achieve at school and grow up to be responsible members of society. Our view is that it is for schools to decide for themselves the support and materials that will meet the needs of their pupils.
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TED TV
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make an assessment of the potential of TED TV to inform and educate British pupils. [99513]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential of TED TV in education. However, the Government recognise the value of new online delivery channels, which can offer pupils access to some of the best resources and lessons in the world, both within and beyond the classroom.
The Government encourage schools to use technology in imaginative and effective ways to build the knowledge, understanding and skills that young people need for further study and the workplace. We are committed to giving schools greater autonomy to drive their own improvement. This includes using their professional judgment in implementing new technologies and digital resources, based on local needs and context.
Northern Ireland
Senior Civil Servants: Ethnic Minorities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department were from an ethnic minority in March (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and if he will make a statement. [98867]
Mr Paterson: Since April 2010, when policing and justice functions were devolved to the Department of Justice NI, no senior civil servants in my Department were from an ethnic minority.
EU Grants and Loans
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the (a) Minister for Europe, (b) Irish Government and (c) Northern Ireland Executive on the future of EU funding programmes (i) Northern Ireland Competitiveness and Employment Programme, (ii) European Social Fund Programme, (iii) Peace III Programme, (iv) Interreg IVA Cross-Border Programme, (v) Interreg IVB and IVC Programmes, (vi) International Fund for Ireland, (vii) Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme, (viii) European Fisheries Fund, (ix) Seventh Framework Research Programme, (x) Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, (xi) Progress Programme, (xii) Lifelong Learning Programme, (xiii) Youth in Action, (xiv) Life + (Environment), (xv) Culture Programme, (xvi) Europe for Citizens, (xvii) Media 2007 and (xviii) EU Health Programme. [99055]
Mr Paterson: I have regular discussions with the Minister for Europe, Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive and Ministers in the Irish Government on a range of issues.
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Communities and Local Government
Council Tax
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to help keep council tax bills down. [98972]
Mr Pickles: Under the last Government, council tax more than doubled. This Government are working with councils to freeze council tax for two years. A recent survey by CIPFA indicates that council tax bills this April will only change by 0.3%. This is a real-terms tax cut for hard-working families and pensioners.
The final out-turn figures will be published by my Department later this month.
Council Tax: Redcar and Cleveland
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change in band D council tax was in Redcar and Cleveland local authority area in each year since 2001. [99151]
Robert Neill: Details of the average change in band D area council tax (including parish precepts) in Redcar and Cleveland local authority area in each year since 2001 are shown in the following table.
These data are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website under Related Downloads at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/
| Band D area council tax (including parish precepts) in Redcar and Cleveland | ||
| £ | % increase | |
Council Tax: Students
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with (a) other Ministers, (b) local authority leaders and (c) the Local Government Association on reviewing the council tax exemption for students. [99137]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the minutes of a meeting, held on 18 October 2011, between Ministers and the Local Government Association, which has been published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website in response to a Freedom of Information request:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/foi/disclosure-log/
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However, as I clearly indicated in my answer of 25 November 2011, Official Report, column 605W, the Government have no plans to change the rules governing the long-standing council tax exemption for full-time students. This remains the case.
The sole changes we propose to make to council tax discounts and exemptions relate to empty and second homes, as explained in the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 24WS.
For the avoidance of doubt, we do not support the amendments to the Local Government Finance Bill, tabled by the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) to (a) make students liable for council tax and (b) levy business rates on student landlords (Notice of Amendments given on 26 January 2012, New Clauses 17 and 18).
Day Centres: Fees and Charges
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have increased charges (a) for the use of day centres and (b) for transport to day centres in 2011-12; and how many local authorities plan to increase such charges in 2012-13. [98857]
Robert Neill: The information requested is not held centrally.
Diamond Jubilee 2012: Medals
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to extend eligibility for the Queen's Jubilee Medal to fire service personnel based in control rooms. [99196]
Robert Neill: I acknowledge and pay tribute to the challenging and vital role that fire and rescue control room staff play every day in contributing to the safety of their community. However, for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal, all sponsoring Government Departments are adhering to the same criteria used for the Queen's Golden Jubilee medal in 2002. Across all emergency services, only those personnel who are called to attend emergencies, potentially placing themselves in danger and with at least five years service as of 6 February 2012, are eligible to receive the medal.
As for the Golden Jubilee Medal, chief fire officers have a degree of latitude to recommend for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal those individual fire control staff who by virtue of their role meet the criteria.
Employment Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which sub-contractors have been employed by the main Work programme contractors in each part of the four unitary authorities in former Humberside; whether each such sub-contractor is a (a) charity, (b) limited company and (c) social enterprise; and on what date each such sub-contractor started its contract. [98629]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
12 Mar 2012 : Column 47W
The two prime providers in the Yorkshire and the Humber contract package area are G4S and Newcastle College. Their sub-contractors, correct at 30 January 2012, are as follows:
| G4S | |
| Sub-contractor | Sector |
12 Mar 2012 : Column 48W
| Newcastle College Group | |
| Sub-contractor | Sector |
The Department does not hold information relating to whether each sub-contractor is a charity, limited company or a social enterprise. Neither can we confirm the dates that each sub-contractor started its contract as arrangements between providers and their supply chains is a commercial matter between the interested parties.
Empty Property
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the 38,000 empty homes brought back into use by (a) former tenure and (b) English local authority in the last year. [98949]
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Andrew Stunell [holding answer 8 March 2012]: Figures on the number of empty homes in each English local authority district in each year from 2004 to 2011 are shown in live table 615, which is published on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website at the following link. This table also shows the number of empty homes in the local authority and housing association tenures. Figures on the number of empty homes specifically in the private sector are not available.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/
These figures give the position at a point in time and make it possible to calculate the net change from year to year, but it is not possible to provide data on individual dwellings.
Floods: Insurance
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the potential cost to (a) his Department and (b) English local authorities of the ending of the Statement of Principles agreement with the Association of British Insurers on flood defence insurance. [98922]
Robert Neill: Further to the written ministerial statement of 19 December 2011, Official Report, column 140-41WS, my Department is working closely with DEFRA and HM Treasury to ensure flood insurance remains widely available, which is the objective of the existing Statement of Principles. We are working towards an announcement in the spring of a new shared understanding which sets out more clearly what customers can expect from their insurer and from Government. Accordingly, we cannot yet assess the cost of the successor arrangements to the Department or local government.
Landlords: Registration
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will undertake a national consultation of local authorities to gain their views on the merits of a statutory register of private sector landlords. [99020]
Andrew Stunell: The Government believe that the current legislative framework governing residential renting in the private sector strikes the right balance between the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants. We therefore have no plans to consult on additions to the framework, including a statutory register of private landlords.
Local Planning
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will increase resources available to local authorities to help with the transition to the National Planning Policy Framework. [98952]
Greg Clark:
The National Planning Policy Framework will radically simplify the policies that local authorities need to take into account when plan-making. The regime
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we inherited was needlessly bureaucratic for everyone involved in the planning system. We are taking steps to make it easier for councils to produce up-to-date local plans.
Non-domestic Rates
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish the business rate returns for 2011-12. [98855]
Robert Neill: Details of the amount of national non-domestic rates local authorities in England expected to collect in 2011-12 were published on the DCLG website on 25 May 2011. The statistical release can be found here:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/forecast/
It is planned that a statistical release giving details of the amount of national non- domestic rates collected by local authorities in England in 2011-12 will be published on the DCLG website in August 2012. A precise date will be published on both the UK National Statistics publication hub,
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html
and DCLG websites nearer the time.
Planning Permission: Appeals
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will take steps to ensure that local communities can appeal against planning decisions granted by a local authority. [98747]
Greg Clark: Local councils are representatives of their communities, with local and neighbourhood plans reflecting the views of local people. We want more decisions to be taken locally in line with local plans rather than relying on a system where, as has come to be the case, too many decisions are taken out of the hands of local people and made by a remote appeals system.
Planning Permission: Sustainable Development
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he applied the definition of sustainable development recommended by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee when drafting the National Planning Policy Framework. [99120]
Greg Clark: We are considering very carefully the recommendations from the Communities and Local Government Select Committee and responses from the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework regarding the definition of sustainable development. We will publish our response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee and the analysis of consultation responses when the final framework is published.
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Urban Areas: Rents
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will take steps to encourage private sector landlords to offer reduced rents to businesses that wish to acquire an empty high street shop; and if he will make a statement. [98726]
Grant Shapps: The Government are fully committed to supporting high streets and recognise the negative impact that empty properties have on the high street and town centres. Rents sought by private landlords are for the most part directed by market forces, and it is in the interests of landlords to offer competitive rents in order to lease their property. The Government's response to the Portas review into the future of the high street will be published in the spring. This response will outline the key initiatives that the Government are launching to support the addressing of empty properties and the high street overall.
Voluntary Organisations: Nottinghamshire
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers he has to instruct Nottinghamshire county council to abandon its plans to cut funding to the voluntary sector; if he will take such steps as are open to him to secure the abandonment of those plans; and if he will make a statement. [99473]
Andrew Stunell: In January 2012, in response to representations by the voluntary and community sector, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), wrote to Nottinghamshire county council. He asked the council to ensure that they properly took account of the statutory Best Value guidance which sets out clearly the way that councils should work with the voluntary sector.
A copy of the council’s reply is on its website at:
http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/thecouncil/democracy/finance/conversation/voluntarysector/
The guidance is statutory and related to the duty of Best Value which, introduced by section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999, is a general duty that requires authorities to
“make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.”
It makes it clear that authorities should consider overall value—including social value—when considering service provision.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish his communications with Nottinghamshire county council about its plans to cut funding to the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement. [99474]
Andrew Stunell: Nottinghamshire county council has published the letter on its own website, along with its response, at:
http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/thecouncil/democracy/finance/conversation/voluntarysector/
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Best Value is a statutory duty and the guidance is a statutory document. It is a tool to help communities and the voluntary sector hold councils to account, and councils should be clear in how they are making spending decisions and prioritising funding.
I also refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 6 December 2011, Official Report, columns 247-48W, on the steps my Department is undertaking to support the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
Cabinet Office
Charities: Annual Reports
Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are taken by the Charity Commission to ensure that all the annual returns submitted by charities are accurate. [98077]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Sam Younger CBE, dated 2 March 2012:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on what steps are taken by the Charity Commission to ensure that all the annual returns submitted by charities are accurate [98077].
The majority of the 162,000 charities on the Register simply have to provide the Commission with basic information about changes to their registered details. Our online service automatically checks that the information charities provide is valid at the point at which it is entered. For example, we check dates of birth to ensure that an individual is of a legal age to be a trustee; address details to ensure they are recognised by the Royal Mail; and email addresses to ensure these are in a valid form. In addition, our system ensures that at least one set of trustees' details is provided and that trustees give their full name.
Charities with an income of £500,000 or more have to provide additional financial data to the Commission. Our online service checks that figures provided add up and will flag up information that is potentially incorrect; for example, a charity with a relatively low income that claims to have a large number of employees. Commission staff will examine other potential errors or anomalies in a charity's financial information. We also check a sample to ensure consistency between charity accounts and annual returns.
Furthermore, we may check the contents of annual returns in the event of an ongoing case involving a particular charity.
In general, charity trustees are responsible for ensuring that the information in their annual return is accurate. By displaying the majority of this information on the public register, the Commission encourages charities to check this information before it is placed in the public domain. Although some charities will make mistakes, our online service and manual checking normally identify the majority of errors.
Childbirth
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many live births there were in Northern Ireland in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001; [99110]
(2) how many live births there were in Scotland in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001; [99126]
(3) how many live births there were in Wales in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001; [99127]
(4) how many live births there were in England in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001. [99128]
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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 March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
1. how many live births there were in Northern Ireland in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001. 99110
2. how many live births there were in Scotland in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001. 99126
3. how many live births there were in Wales in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001. 99127
4. how many live births there were in England in each quarter since the first quarter of 2001. 99128
Figures for live births have been compiled from birth registration data. The following table shows live births by quarter from 2001 to 2011 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
| Quarterly numbers of live births in the UK by constituent country, 2001-11 | |||||
| England (1) | Wales (1) | Scotland | Northern Ireland | ||
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| (1) Provisional figures for England and Wales are rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Provisional. | |||||
Citizenship: Young People
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children in Dartford constituency participated in the National Citizen Service scheme in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [99214]
Mr Hurd: The first Government National Citizen Service pilots were held in summer 2011.
We are currently collating information on the number of National Citizen Service participants in the 2011 pilots. This information will be available shortly, including data for Kent.
Employment
Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the net change in (a) public sector and (b) full-time equivalent private sector jobs has been in each region of England since May 2010. [99145]
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 March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, what the net change in (a) public sector and (b) full-time equivalent private sector jobs has been in each region of England since May 2010. [99145]
Regional estimates of public and private sector employment are not available from the Office for National Statistics on a full-time equivalent basis.
Official estimates of public sector employment for each region of England, by headcount, are published on a quarterly basis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of the Public Sector Employment statistical bulletin.
Estimates of private sector employment are not routinely produced by region, but were recently published on a headcount basis on 1 March 2012, as part of an article entitled 'Regional Analysis of Public Sector Employment 2011'.
The requested data are shown at Table 1. Table 1 shows the net change in employment for both the public and private sectors, on a headcount basis, between Q1 2010 (March) and Q3 2011 (December).
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| Table 1: Net change in public and private sector employment Q1 2010 to Q3 2011 (1) | |||||||||
| Head count (thousand), not seasonally adjusted | |||||||||
| English Region | |||||||||
| All employees | North West | North East | Yorkshire and the Humber | West Midlands | East Midlands | East of England | London | South East | South West |
| (1) Estimates calculated based on the change in level of employment between Q1 2010 and Q3 2011. (2) Estimates are based on where people are employed. (3) Estimated as the difference between Labour Force Survey (LFS) total employment (all in employment aged 16 and over) and the data from public sector organisations. LFS data refer Q1 to February to April, Q2 to May to July, Q3 to August to October and Q4 to November to January. Source: Office for National Statistics | |||||||||
Fraud
Mr Byrne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects guidance on passing on allegations of fraud to Ministers to be ready. [98523]
Mr Maude: A review of existing guidelines by the Cabinet Secretary is under way.
Homes and Communities Agency: Statistics
Paul Uppal: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what discussions the UK Statistics Authority has had with representatives of the BBC on the issue of Homes and Communities Agency statistics during 2011; [99333]
(2) what media briefings the UK Statistics Authority gave to the BBC on the issue of Homes and Communities Agency statistics. [99410]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Sir Michael Scholar, dated 9 March 2012:
As Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your questions asking (i) what discussions the UK Statistics Authority have had with representatives of the BBC on the issue of Homes and Communities Agency statistics during 2011 [99333] and (ii) what media briefings the UK Statistics Authority gave to the BBC on the issue of Homes and Communities Agency statistics [99410].
The UK Statistics Authority received one telephone enquiry from a representative of the BBC asking for an Authority view on the release of statistics produced by the Homes and Communities Agency on 22 November 2011. The Authority responded by confirming that it would wish to review any particular statistical issues or concerns that were raised before commenting further. The Authority also received a copy of a letter from the Hon. Member for Birmingham Erdington to the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government dated 24 November 2011.
The UK Statistics Authority independently reviewed the issues raised in BBC news articles published on 23 and 24 November 2011, and in the correspondence dated 24 November 2011. The Authority subsequently wrote to the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government, under section 16 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, on 6 December 2011. The Authority notified the Minister of the Authority's wish to conduct a formal assessment of statistics produced by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority against the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Under section 16 of the Act, the Minister, as the appropriate authority, is required to provide the Statistics Authority with a statement as to whether he intends to make a request for such an assessment. No reply has yet been received.
There has also been recent related correspondence on other matters concerning housing statistics.
Correspondence is published on the Authority's website at:
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports---correspondence/correspondence/index.html
Meetings
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the minutes and meetings of his Transparency Board since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [98790]
Mr Maude: Appropriately, all minutes of meetings held by the Transparency Board since May 2010 have already been published and are available to view on:
www.data.gov.uk
Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Government Departments have appointed champions or czars; and what the (a) role and (b) terms and conditions of service are of each. [99070]
Mr Maude: The information requested is not held centrally.
Public Sector: Pay
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) civil servants and (b) other people whose salaries are paid from the public purse in Shropshire earned a basic salary greater than £100,000 per annum in the latest period for which figures are available. [99191]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) civil servants and (b) other people whose salaries are paid from the public purse in Shropshire earn a basic salary greater than £100,000 per annum in the latest period for which figures are available. (99191)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
Annual levels of earnings are estimated from the ASHE, and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year. ASHE methodology cannot be used to provide estimates of the numbers of employees whose earnings are more than a specific amount, but can be used to provide estimates of percentage of employees in that category.
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Reliable statistics cannot be produced from ASHE on the number of public sector employees with gross annual earnings greater than £100,000 in Shropshire due to the relatively small sample size of public sector employees at this geographical breakdown.
The Annual Civil Service Employment Survey provides information on earnings and employment in the Civil Service. This survey shows that there were no Civil Servants in Shropshire earning above £100,000 in March 2011.
Senior Civil Servants: Pay
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations he has received from organisations representing the collective interests of civil servants on the use of tax avoidance schemes and personal service companies by senior civil servants. [98485]
Mr Maude: I have received no such representations.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Africa
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will commission research into the potential effects of illegal fishing in African waters on levels of piracy in that region; [98365]
(2) if he will take steps at (a) EU and (b) international level to assess the scale and source of illegal fishing in African waters. [98366]
Mr Bellingham: There are already a number of international studies which are relevant to these questions, such as the UN Report of the Secretary-General on the protection of Somali natural resources and waters, published on 25 October 2011, and the Department for International Development-commissioned report entitled “Review of Impacts of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on Development Countries”. A recent UN scoping mission to west Africa also investigated the impact of illegal fishing off the coast of west Africa. The British Government support the publishing of such studies, as they provide an insight into the scale and source of illegal fishing in African waters, and into the impact of this on levels of piracy. At this moment in time, we do not consider additional research into this matter to be necessary.
Bahrain
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the Bahraini Government's policies towards non-governmental organisations. [99557]
Alistair Burt: I receive regular reports about the situation in Bahrain from our embassy in Manama and officials in London are in regular contact with non-governmental organisations concerned about the situation there. We continue to urge the Bahraini Government to ensure they adhere to international standards on human rights and that access to the country is freely allowed where there is no legitimate reason to refuse entry.
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Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Bahraini Government on non-governmental organisations in Bahrain. [99558]
Alistair Burt: I have recently spoken to both the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain and the Bahraini ambassador in London about a wide range of issues, including the implementation of reforms and offering our assistance where appropriate. Our ambassador in Manama specifically raised the situation of non-governmental organisations with the Bahraini Foreign Minister during his meeting on 8 March.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on steps taken by the Bahraini Government to act upon the recommendations proposed by the Bassiouni Commission on 23 November 2011. [99559]
Alistair Burt: I receive regular updates on the progress the Bahraini Government have made since the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report was published. We are encouraged by the steps that have been taken so far. In an act of transparency, the Bahraini Government have established a website:
www.govactions.bh
so that developments can be tracked against each recommendation. In accepting the Commission's findings, the King undertook to act fully on its recommendations and we will hold the Government to this.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Bahraini Government, (b) non-governmental organisations in Bahrain, (c) his international counterparts and (d) others on the recommendations proposed by the Bassiouni Commission on 23 November 2011. [99560]
Alistair Burt: We frequently discuss the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report with the Bahraini Government, non-governmental organisations and other international partners. The discussion between the Prime Minister and the King during his visit to the UK in December 2011 focused on the King's plans to implement reforms in the country. I also held similar talks during my visit to Bahrain that same week with various members of the Bahraini Government and also with members of the opposition and Bahraini civil society.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Bahraini Government on the recommendations proposed by the Bassiouni Commission on 23 November 2011. [99561]
Alistair Burt:
I raised the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report (BICI) during my visit to Bahrain in December in meetings with the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and other key interlocutors. I have subsequently talked to the Deputy Prime Minister on a number of occasions to discuss latest developments and progress made. I welcomed the Bahraini Government's commitment to implement
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the report's recommendations and urged them to do so rapidly and in full. I will continue to discuss the BICI report with the Bahraini Government at every opportunity.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on reports that Bahrain is in violation of a number of articles of international conventions relating to human rights; what assessment he has made of such reports; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such reports on the political and economic ties between the UK and Bahrain. [99562]
Alistair Burt: We continue to raise the importance of Bahrain meeting all its human right obligations and our ambassadors in Manama and Geneva have raised this on many occasions.
As a long-standing ally, we will continue to pursue a policy of direct and frank engagement with Bahrain to achieve our shared goal of long-term stability in the kingdom.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his Bahraini counterpart, (b) the Government of Saudi Arabia and (c) others on equality between (i) men and women and (ii) Sunnis and Shias in Bahrain. [99563]
Alistair Burt: We continue to raise a variety of human rights issues with the Bahraini authorities, including gender equality and religious discrimination. Our embassy in Riyadh has also discussed the situation in Bahrain with the Saudi Arabian Government.
British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from his Department have visited (a) St Helena and (b) Tristan da Cunha in the last 12 months. [99237]
Mr Bellingham: British Government officials regularly visit St Helena and Tristan da Cunha. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Director for the Overseas Territories visited St Helena in May 2011.
Colombia
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which peace and civil society organisations his ministerial colleagues will be meeting on the forthcoming visit to Colombia. [99327]
Mr Jeremy Browne: During my visit to Colombia, I am due to meet representatives from Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children, Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR) and Movimiento Nacional de Victimas de Crímenes de Estado (MOVICE) to hear their current appraisal of the Santos Government and the human rights situation in Colombia.