Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices: North West
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of expected trends in apprenticeship uptake on reducing youth unemployment in the North West in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015. [98301]
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Mr Hayes: No such assessment has been made. In the 2010/11 academic year there were 78,660 apprenticeships starts in the North West Region, up by 66.4% on 2009/10. The apprenticeship programme is demand led and the Government do not set targets on expected delivery in particular areas of the country.
Business: Innovation
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in each constituency in the North West have received funding under the Business Innovation Scheme since the scheme's inception; and how much funding was allocated in each case. [98899]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 8 March 2012]:There are a number of programmes aimed at supporting innovation in UK businesses and these are delivered by the Technology Strategy Board, a BIS sponsored body, which has an annual budget of over £300 million. The schemes include Collaborative R&D, Smart, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and the Small Business Research Initiative.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has never supported a scheme called the Business Innovation Scheme.
Business: Loans
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government has taken to promote a range of forms of finance for small businesses. [97917]
Mr Prisk: It is important that businesses can access the finance they need from a diverse range of sources, including bank debt, equity investment and other alternative forms of finance.
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has established an industry working group, led by Tim Breedon of the Association of British Insurers to explore how to further develop non-bank lending channels. This group will report by Budget 2012.
The Government itself has undertaken a range of measures to promote a range of finance:
To support equity investment in firms, Government has increased its commitment to the Enterprise Capital Funds programme by £200 million over the four years to 2014-15, providing for more than £300 million of venture capital investment.
Government has encouraged a better environment for Business Angel investment through the establishment of the new £50 million Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, which aims to support angel investments into high growth potential early stage SMEs.
Government has reformed the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), increasing rate of income tax relief for EIS to 30% and increasing amounts that can be invested in qualifying companies and the size of qualifying companies (subject to state-aid clearance). From April 2012 the Seed EIS (SEIS) scheme will provide income tax relief of 50% for individuals who invest in shares in qualifying seed companies, with an annual investment limit for individuals of £100,000 and cumulative investment limit for companies of £150,000.
The Government's Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is also available until 2014-15, to guarantee, subject to demand, up to £2 billion in additional lending for those firms who lack the collateral or the track record to secure debt finance. From January 2012 this was extended to include businesses with up to £44 million annual turnover and a number of new lenders have been accredited.
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To support firms' access to finance the Government has also announced £21 billion of credit easing measures to support smaller and mid-sized businesses which will include £20 billion of guarantees for bank funding to be made available over two years under the National Loan Guarantee Scheme; and the £1 billion Business Finance Partnership which will be deployed to stimulate markets in alternative forms of finance.
As part of the Government's “Business in You” campaign, the Government's Business Link website provides advice and guidance for businesses on the range of finance options available and how to apply. This can be found at
www.improve.businesslink.gov.uk/resources/business-support-finder
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of small businesses to access finance. [98728]
Mr Prisk: The independent quarterly SME Finance Monitor, most recently published on the 5 March 2012, found that 63% of businesses that had applied for a new/renewed loan were successful, and 79% of those that had applied for a new/renewed overdraft facility now had a facility.
The SME Finance Monitor is an independently edited report, funded by the British Bankers' Association (BBA) as part of their commitments under the BBA Taskforce. It is the most comprehensive regular survey of small and medium sized enterprises' experiences accessing finance. Its reports are publicly available at
http://www.sme-finance-monitor.co.uk
Business: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the Government's industrial vision. [99382]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), usually visits Wales about twice a year. His last visit was in December, when he met his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government and discussed a wide range of policies that support the Government's industrial vision. In his earlier visit last year, he attended the Wales Secretary's Business Advisory Group meeting, to which the Welsh Assembly Government were also invited.
Competition
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress his Department has made in finalising the Government’s response to the consultation on “A Competition Regime for Growth: a Consultation on Options for Reform” and when he expects to publish the response. [98150]
Norman Lamb: We expect to announce our proposals later this month.
Competition Commission: Office of Fair Trading
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the merger of the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [99221]
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Norman Lamb: The Government will shortly announce their plans for reforming the competition landscape including publication of the Government Response to the “A Competition Regime for Growth: A Consultation on Options for Reform” consultation.
Copyright
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on proposals to change licensing schemes operated by the Copyright Licensing Agency and the Educational Recording Agency. [98858]
Norman Lamb: The Government are currently consulting on a range of proposals to modernise the copyright system. They have received a number of representations from a wide range of interested parties and have hosted consultation events around the country. A summary of responses to the consultation will be published within three months of its close on the 21 March 2012.
East Midlands Development Agency: Pay
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any staff employed by the East Midlands Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of regional development agencies. [99344]
Mr Prisk: The eight regional development agencies (RDA) have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and HM Treasury. This is to safeguard the taxpayer's interest in making best use of the significant public assets that the RDAs have owned. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office.
At the East Midlands Development Agency to date, no member of staff has received a retention payment.
Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what submissions are required to be made by higher education providers in order for their courses to be designated; and if he will publish those submissions. [99050]
Mr Willetts: The arrangements for course designation depend on whether the courses are being provided by a publicly funded or privately funded institution. In most cases eligible higher education courses provided by publicly funded institutions in the UK are automatically designated for student support and institutions input details of eligible courses directly on to the Student Loans Company's (SLC) course database.
All full-time distance learning courses and eligible higher education courses provided by privately funded institutions may be specifically designated at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). Institutions that wish to have courses specifically designated must submit an application form for each
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course they wish to have designated. They must also submit a current prospectus providing details of the course; a validation document from the validating body that demonstrates that a recognised UK award-making body validates the course to be run at the specific private institution; and, for full-time courses a timetable must be submitted providing details of the intensity of study. If the applications are approved the institutions have to complete a data capture form for SLC's higher education institution (HEI) database team to enable the course details to be uploaded on the SLC course database.
We do not routinely publish a list of all submissions for specific designation as there is a public interest in ensuring that the commercial interests of external businesses, such as those who have had their applications for the specific designation of courses rejected, are not damaged or undermined by disclosure of information which is not common knowledge and which could adversely impact on future business.
A list of courses that have been specifically designated is published on the SLC's website.
http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/policy-information/designated-courses/full-list.aspx
Higher Education: Admissions
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the relative performance at university of students entering university from (a) state and (b) private sector schools. [96986]
Mr Willetts: There is a substantial literature examining the relative performance of pupils from different school types in Higher Education. References to some of the key publications are given as follows.
Partington, 2011, The Predictive Effectiveness of Metrics in Admission to Cambridge University, Cambridge University Admissions website
Parks, 2011, School Background is not a factor in Cambridge degree success, Cambridge University Admissions website
Hoare and Johnston, 2010, Widening Participation through admissions policy—a British case study of school and university performance, “Studies in Higher education”.
Ogg, Zimdars and Heath, 2009, Schooling effects on degree performance: a comparison of the predictive validity of aptitude testing and secondary school grades at Oxford University, “British Educational Research Journal”, 35.5, pp781-807
McCrum, Brundin and Halsey, 2006, The Effect of School Background on Value-Added at Oxbridge, Oxford Magazine
Smith and Naylor, 2005, Schooling effects on subsequent university performance: Evidence for the UK university population, “Economics of Education Review”, 24:549-562
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), 2005, Schooling effects on higher education achievement: further analysis—entry at 19
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), 2003, Schooling effects on higher education achievement
Smith and Naylor, 2001, Determinants of degree performance in UK universities: A statistical analysis of the 1993 student cohort, “Oxford bulletin of Economics and Statistics”, 63:29-60
In addition to these publications, the Department also monitors the unpublished literature and is in contact with key organisations and researchers working on this topic. These include Supporting Professionalism in
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Admissions (SPA), the University of Bristol Widening Participation Research Cluster, and the University of Cambridge Undergraduate Admissions.
Higher Education: Standards
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how often designated higher education courses are audited (a) for quality assurance and (b) to ensure student loans claimed match the number of students studying with the provider. [98842]
Mr Willetts: The quality assurance arrangements for designated higher education courses depend on the nature of the awarding body and of the qualification being awarded. Universities and other bodies with degree awarding powers are responsible for safeguarding the quality of their teaching and the standards of their academic awards, including the quality and standards of any privately funded provider whose awards they validate. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education assesses the way in which universities manage the quality and standards of their partnership arrangements with private providers. Management of collaborative arrangements is assessed as part of Institutional Review, or, where partnerships form a significant amount of provision, through a separate review of partnerships, or a hybrid of the two.
Courses leading a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC) can be designated for student support and are regulated by Ofqual. Awarding organisations have to meet Ofqual's formal “Recognition Criteria” which provides assurance to learners about the quality of regulated qualifications, and they are then subject to compliance with Ofqual's “General Conditions of Recognition” which is monitored on an ongoing basis. Providers offering HNDs and HNCs must satisfy criteria set out by the awarding body to demonstrate they are ‘fit and proper' to offer them.
Payments for tuition are made to a provider only if a student has made an application to the Student Loans Company for a loan to cover tuition costs for their course and the provider has confirmed the student's attendance on the course. Tuition fee loan payments are audited on an annual basis as part of the audit of eligibility and entitlement assessments.
Money Advice Service: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether in the transitional period from April 2012 to March 2013, the Money Advice Service will enter new agreements with existing face-to-face debt advice providers located in Scotland; [99435]
(2) whether he has held any discussions with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and (c) Citizens Advice Scotland on the tendering process to be instituted by the Money Advice Service in autumn 2012 for the provision of a new face-to-face service starting in autumn 2013; [99436]
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(3) whether it is his intention that any of the provision of a new face-to-face service by Money Advice Services from autumn 2013 will be located in Scotland; and in which locations any such service in Scotland will be located. [99438]
Norman Lamb: On 22 February 2012, the Money Advice Service published ‘A Better Deal for Everyone: A New Approach to Debt Advice'. This set out their role in co-ordinating debt advice from 1 April 2012, funded by a new allocation from the levy collected by the Financial Services Authority.
Grant funding of £4.8 million from the Scottish Government and £2.2 million from the Money Advice Service will go towards a jointly funded programme which will be managed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to help Scots resolve their legal and financial problems. The locations of the funded projects will be determined following an application process that will open later this year.
Additionally, the Money Advice Service will provide £500,000 of financial support to projects run in partnership with the Improvement Service, the Accountant in Bankruptcy and Money Advice Scotland.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not held any discussions with the Scottish Government, COSLA or Citizens Advice about the tendering process for a new face-to-face service—this is a matter for the Money Advice Service which has had detailed discussions with a wide range of stakeholders in Scotland.
Office for Fair Access
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what areas of expenditure in the Office for Fair Access will increase in 2012-13. [98909]
Mr Willetts: This is a matter for the Director of Fair Access. This year we have increased the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) budget from £484,000 to over £700,000. We are discussing OFFA's budget for 2012-13 with the current Director to ensure he has the resources he needs to discharge his responsibilities effectively. The new Director for Fair Access will take up the role later this year and we will want to discuss the issue of resources with him at the earliest opportunity.
The Government have committed through the White Paper to strengthen OFFA so it can provide more active and energetic challenge and support to universities and colleges. In the White Paper, we said we will make significantly more resources available, increasing capacity up to around four times its original level, and equipping OFFA to use fully its powers to promote access and monitor and review Access Agreements.
Office for Life Sciences
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 149W, on Office for Life Sciences, how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band he estimates will be employed in the Office for Life Sciences in each of the next three years; and what budget he has allocated for the Office for Life Sciences in each such year. [98893]
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Mr Willetts [holding answer 8 March 2012]: The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is currently undergoing a restructure. It is not possible at this time to confirm what the exact grade allocations will be in 2012/13. However, while the balance of roles across grades may alter, the overall headcount is likely to remain broadly the same as for 2011/12.
The OLS staff budget in 2011-12 remains at £692,700. The OLS is staffed as follows:
| Grade | Number of staff (at January 2012) |
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects the Office for Life Sciences has completed since May 2010; what projects are underway; and what the budget is of each such project. [98894]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 8 March 2012]: In 2010/11 the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) had a budget of £84,000 covering three projects. The projects were completed as reflected in Table 1.
| Table 1 | |
| Project | Actual |
|
Extension to the Bioscience and Healthcare Database to include Pharmaceutical Sector |
|
In 2011/12, the OLS had a project budget of £121,000. Completed projects are reflected in Table 2.
| Table 2 | |
| Project | Actual |
|
Strategy for UK Life Sciences (analysis, publication and communications) |
|
The OLS is currently agreeing its business plan, which is expected to be published in April 2012. Priority projects for 2012/13 will be those that involve implementation of the Strategy for UK Life Sciences. At present a budget has not been confirmed at individual project level, but the OLS programme budget is expected to remain at £121,000 per annum, until the end of the spending review period in 2014/15.
Oxford and Cambridge Universities: Admissions
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people from each parliamentary constituency were accepted to study at Oxford and Cambridge universities (a) in the last 10 years and (b) in 2011. [94540]
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Mr Willetts: The information provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Research: Science
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which official in his Department has lead responsibility for communicating with the life sciences industry; and which directorate they are part of. [98895]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 8 March 2012]: The Skills and Life Sciences Directorate is responsible. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not believe that release of the name of the individual would be fair under the terms of the Data Protection Act.
Royal Mail
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when Ministers in his Department met (a) the chief executive and (b) the chairman of Royal Mail to discuss the financial and management performance of the business in 2010. [99361]
Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 6 March 2012, Official Report, column 701W.
South East England Development Agency: Incentives
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether staff employed by the South East England Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of regional development agencies. [99033]
Mr Prisk: The eight regional development agencies have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). This is to safeguard the taxpayer's interest in making best use of the significant public assets that the Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) have owned. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office. At the South East England Development Agency to date, one member of staff received a retention payment on completion of duties when made redundant.
Student Loans Company: Pay
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates (a) he, (b) the Permanent Secretary of his Department and (c) the Minister of State for Universities and Science first became aware of the arrangements for remunerating the Chief Executive of the Student Loans Company. [97115]
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Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), myself and the Department's permanent secretary approved the appointment and remuneration package for the Student Loans Company (SLC) chief executive, as put forward by the SLC Board, in May 2010 for his interim appointment and in December 2010 for his further two-year appointment.
The Department and the SLC followed the correct processes, gaining approval from across Government, and were satisfied that the package met the relevant guidelines, including value for money.
The SLC's overall performance has improved and continues to improve so that the SLC operates more effectively in the interests of students.
Students: Finance
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the student finance arrangements for academic year 2012-13 amongst parents and guardians of university applicants; and if he will make a statement. [97443]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) considers it essential to ensure that prospective students and their families know about the financial support available to support access to higher education.
BIS ran a communications campaign targeting young people and parents/guardians of young people considering starting university in September 2012. This activity took place in May, June and October 2011 and featured radio, digital and regional press advertising, a media partnership with Channel 4 and a mailing to education maintenance allowance recipients.
Underpinning the campaign was the Student Finance School and College Tour. The tour ran from September 2011 to January 2012 and was delivered by recent graduates. The objective of the tour was to explain the new finance arrangements directly to students in the classroom and to their parents/guardians at parent evenings at schools and colleges. The tour reached 1,956 (85%) of the 2,313 schools and colleges in England, engaging 152,014 students and 8,404 parents.
As the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application deadline has now passed for 2012/13 entrants, the task now is to ensure that students and their parents know when, how and where to apply for financial support.
The Student Loans Company (SLC) is responsible for administering the student finance service in England. Once a student has applied through UCAS, the SLC will communicate with them via e-mail to encourage them to apply for financial support and provide them with information to help them with this. If it is indicated that parents are required to provide information to support their student’s application for financial support, the SLC will encourage parents via e-mail/text to support them in completing the process.
The SLC also uses a range of other channels to increase awareness of student finance arrangements among parents and guardians of university applicants, including:
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Videos, downloadable guides and fact sheets designed for student finance practitioners and teachers/tutors to use with 2012/13 applicants and their parents.
Social media activities, including ‘surgeries’ on social media sites to help address the questions and concerns of parents.
Working with UCAS to providing student finance information for both the UCAS website and Parents Guide.
Media coverage in popular consumer titles.
The Directgov website at:
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Student Loans
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the decision not to impose charges on graduates who repay their student loans early. [99051]
Mr Willetts: The decision not to introduce a system of charges for early repayment of student loans was announced on 23 February 2012. The decision was made by BIS Ministers after careful consideration of all the evidence and analysis of responses received from last year's consultation.
BIS Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations and Government Departments, including HM Treasury. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Unfair Practices
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to parliamentary question 97635, how many prosecutions were brought under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 in each year since 2006; and if he will make a statement. [99230]
Norman Lamb: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) came into force on 26 May 2008. Trading Standards Departments have reported to the Office of Fair Trading the following number of prosecutions brought under the CPRs since the end of May 2008:
| Number | |
Justice
Approved Premises
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the safeguards needed on contracts for the provision of bail accommodation that does not meet the definition of approved premises under section 13 of the Offender Management Act 2007. [99324]
Mr Blunt:
There is a single contract, with Stonham, part of the Home Group, for the provision of bail accommodation and support. All defendants released
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on bail are subject to safeguards set out in the bail conditions determined by the court, regardless of the accommodation provider. Stonham, additionally, assesses all applications for accommodation for eligibility and suitability.
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what means his Department governs the provision of bail accommodation under (a) the contract with Stonham and (b) other arrangements for the provision of such accommodation. [99325]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service operates a contract management system which keeps the contract with Stonham under continuous review.
The only other accommodation provided on behalf of the Ministry of Justice that is available to defendants on bail is in Approved Premises. These are regulated by the Ministry of Justice, through the Approved Premises National Rules 2011.
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities comply with the joint working protocol on bail and accommodation support services; and what representations he has received on the need for greater local accountability of the operation of the protocol. [99326]
Mr Blunt: Local authorities that have properties in their areas administered by the bail accommodation and support service have their own protocol with the contractor. The joint working protocol drawn up between the Local Government Association and the Ministry of Justice provides a benchmark for liaison on the location of properties under the contract. The contractor may negotiate local variations, as long as the minimum standards set out in the joint protocol are observed. No formal representations have been received on the need for greater local accountability of the operation of the protocol; local authorities have complied with this process in relation to every property currently provided.
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what conditions he sets for premises to be used for bail accommodation; and whether local authorities require planning consent for such usage. [99362]
Mr Blunt: The conditions relating to properties provided by Stonham are that they may accommodate no more than four people, each with his or her own bedroom. Planning consent is not required; the houses are the private rented homes of those living in them.
Ashfield Young Offender Institution
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many incidents of segregation have been recorded at Ashfield Young Offender Institution in each year since 2006; and how many such segregations have been for more than (a) seven days, (b) 15 days and (c) 28 days; [97773]
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(2) how many boys in Ashfield Young Offender Institution were subject to (a) one episode, (b) between two and five episodes and (c) six or more episodes of segregation in each year since 2006. [97774]
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Mr Blunt: The information is not collated centrally. However, Ashfield YOI has been approached and has provided the following data:
| Number of young people | |||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| (1) Not yet available | |||||||
Chief Coroner
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to appoint the chief coroner; and what the functions and responsibilities of the role will be. [98923]
Mr Djanogly: Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, it is for the Lord Chief Justice to appoint the chief coroner in consultation with the Lord Chancellor. The Ministry of Justice is in discussion with the Judicial Office about the appointment, including timetable and the functions and responsibilities of the chief coroner and will make an announcement as soon as possible.
Closed-circuit Television
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of people who were convicted where CCTV evidence was a contributory factor in (a) the West Midlands, (b) West Yorkshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) Essex in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [98725]
Mr Blunt: Other than where specified in a statute, centrally held information does not include all the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to centrally identify what evidence is produced in court proceedings.
Senior Civil Servants: Ethnic Minorities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 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. [98868]
Mr Djanogly: Information on the number and proportion of senior civil servants in the Ministry of Justice that declared themselves as being from an ethnic minority in March 2010 and March 2011 is set out in the following table:
| As at March each year | Number | Proportion of total senior civil servants in the Ministry of Justice (%) |
Information for March 2012 is not yet available. The latest available data, which is as at January 2012, is as follows:
| Number | Proportion of total senior civil servants in the Ministry of Justice (%) | |
Approximately 20% of senior civil servants in March 2010, 27% in March 2011 and 21% in January 2012 chose not to declare their ethnicity.
The information provided reflects the composition of the Ministry which varied between March 2010 and January 2012. In March 2010 and March 2011, the Ministry comprised the Ministry headquarters, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the National Offender Management Service, the Office of Public Guardian, the Wales Office, and the Scotland Office.
In January 2012, the Ministry compromised the Ministry headquarters, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, the National Offender Management Service, and the Office of Public Guardian.
The Ministry of Justice is continuing to work to increase representation of minority ethnic staff in the senior civil service, as well as to increase the proportion of women and staff with disabilities at this level.
Public Expenditure
Sadiq Khan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding his Department proposes to allocate to (1) the (a) Policy Group, (b) Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, (c) Corporate Services, Estates
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and ICT,
(d)
Youth Justice Board,
(e)
Central Funds and
(f)
other non-departmental public bodies under the Ministry of Justice Headquarters expenditure, in each year of the current spending review period; [99059]
(2) the (a) Criminal Defence Legal Aid, (b) Community Legal Services and (c) Legal Services Commission administration as part of the Legal Services Commission, in each year of the current spending review period; [99060]
(3) the (a) National Offender Management Service Operations (NOMS) and (b) National Probation Services Trust as part of NOMS, in each year of the current spending review period; [99061]
(4) the (a) HM Courts Service and (b) HM Tribunals Service as part of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, in each year of the current spending review period. [99062]
Mr Djanogly: The Department's budget allocations for 2011-12 are outlined in the Supplementary Estimate published on 8 February 2012. The following tables give the break-down of allocations for (a) Ministry of Justice Headquarters; (b) Legal Services Commission; (c) National Offender Management Service; (d) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and (e) Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Youth Justice Board, Central Funds.
| (a) Ministry of Justice headquarters expenditure | |
| Amount (£ million) | |
| (1 )Includes prison capacity estates | |
The above includes allocation of £45.5 million for 2011-12 to administrative non-departmental public bodies.
| (b) Legal Services Commission | |
| Amount (£ million) | |
| (c) National Offender Management Service | |
| Amount (£ million) | |
| (1 )The Probation Trust figure is the total of contract values agreed at the beginning of the year. These amounts vary slightly during the year. | |
| (d) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service | |
| Amount £ million | |
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(e) Allocations for the following are not under the Ministry of Justice Headquarters expenditure.
| Amount (£ million) | |
| (1) CICA's allocation for 2011-12 was increased in the Supplementary Estimate to cover the cost of pre-tariff cases, which will be settled in the year. | |
The Department has not set budgets for the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. Budgets for 2012-13 onwards will be set as part of the Department's regular annual budget allocation process. Allocations will be made on the basis of need and according to departmental priorities.
Driving Offences
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of people whose driving licence was suspended temporarily before trial as a condition of their bail had been charged with (a) causing death by dangerous driving, (b) causing death by careless driving, (c) any offence of causing death through the use of a motor vehicle and (d) drink driving in 2011. [98853]
Mr Blunt: Information on bail and remand collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice and held on the Court Proceedings Database does not record whether conditions were attached to bail, the nature of them, nor whether those conditions were breached.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time was for a defendant to be brought before a court when charged with (a) causing death by dangerous driving, (b) causing death by careless driving, (c) any offence of causing death through the use of a motor vehicle and (d) drink driving in 2011. [98854]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 provides the average length of time in days from the date an offence was committed, to the date of the first hearing in the magistrates court for: (a) causing death by dangerous driving, (b) causing death by careless driving, (c) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (d) causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers, (e) any offence of causing death through the use of a motor vehicle and (f) drink driving. This is provided for January to September 2011.
These experimental statistics are sourced from the administrative data systems used in magistrates and Crown courts, and have been produced by linking together records held on the two datasets.
Summary statistics on the timeliness of criminal proceedings in the magistrates courts and Crown court are published by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletins “Court Statistics Quarterly”. Statistics for the quarter July to September 2011 were published on
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12 January and statistics from October to December 2011 will be published on the Department's website on 29 March 2012:
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http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly
European Court of Justice
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the UK has introduced the measures required by articles 3 to 9 of EU Council Framework Decision 2000/383/JHA. [99434]
Mr Blunt: The Government consider that existing UK law meets the measures required by articles 3 to 9 of EU Council Framework Decision 2000/383/JHA without the need for amendment.
Euthanasia: Prosecutions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for helping another person to end their life in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [98935]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Suicide Act 1961, in England and Wales, from 2001 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
| Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Suicide Act 1961, England and Wales, 2001 - 10 (1, 2) | |
| Number of persons | |
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services--Ministry of Justice. | |
Legal Aid Scheme: Females
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many additional women he estimates will be eligible for legal aid following the amendment made in the House of Lords on 5 March 2012 to the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to specify the evidential criteria for the purpose of accessing private family legal aid. [99242]
Mr Djanogly: We are unable to estimate on the basis of current data how many more women would qualify for legal aid in a private family law matter by virtue of domestic violence as a result of the amendment.
Prisoners
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on ensuring convicted murderers do not move into areas where they might come into contact with their victims’ families; and if he will make a statement. [99236]
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Mr Blunt: I have not received any recent representations on this matter.
Convicted murderers receive a mandatory life sentence and must serve the whole of their minimum term or ‘tariff’ before being considered for release by the independent Parole Board. The Parole Board will direct the release of life sentenced prisoners on licence, following a thorough risk assessment, only if it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary, on the grounds of public protection, for them to be detained in custody.
Since 2001, victims of specified violent and sexual offences, including bereaved relatives, have had a statutory right to make representations about which conditions they would wish to see attached to the offender’s release licence. This could include a request for an exclusion zone which prohibits the offender from entering a specified area where the victim lives and works. The decision on which conditions to attach to a release licence will be for the Parole Board alone to determine in the case of life sentenced prisoners. In reaching this decision, the Parole Board will be mindful of the need to try to address the victims’ concerns while ensuring exclusion zones are not so prohibitive that they prevent the offender from attending activities or accessing support which reduces the risk of reoffending and of others becoming victims.
A life licence lasts for the whole of an offender’s life and, if he breaches his licence conditions, he is liable to be recalled to prison.
Prisoners: Ex-servicemen
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011 to the hon. Member for Luton North (Kelvin Hopkins), Official Report, column 552W, on prisoners: ex-servicemen, if he will make it his policy to record and publish annually the (a) number of ex-service personnel in prison establishments and (b) the proportion of the prison population constituted by ex-service personnel. [98994]
Mr Blunt: In September 2010, the Ministry of Justice and Defence Analytical Services Advice (DASA) published the results of joint work to determine the number of regular ex-service personnel in prison in England and Wales. The report found that or 3.5% of the population in prisons in England and Wales (2,820 prisoners(1)) were ex-service personnel.
This report remains the most comprehensive and reliable piece of research that has been published on this matter to date, and we have no current plans to repeat the exercise as there is no evidence to suggest that the proportion of veterans within the prison population has changed significantly.
(1) This corrects the answer of 2,280 previously given in answer to the right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Mr Llwyd) on 15 September 2011, Official Report, column 1339W, and to the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) on 25 October 2011, Official Report, columns 154-55W.
Proceeds of Crime
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how moneys and assets recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are being used by his Department. [99170]
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Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is responsible for collecting moneys paid in accordance with confiscation orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. A confiscation order is an order to pay a sum of money and is enforced as if it were a fine. The Ministry of Justice pays confiscation order receipts to the Home Office, or the victim, if the court has so ordered.
The Ministry of Justice participates with other asset recovery agencies in an asset recovery incentive scheme, ARIS, under which the participating agencies receive 50% of what they collectively recover. Money available for allocation in accordance with ARIS is determined by the total value of Home Office receipts in any financial year. Incentive allocations are based on each agency's contribution to the total value of remittances from: cash forfeiture orders; confiscation orders (including part paid orders and interest); and civil recovery and taxation cases.
In recent years the Ministry of Justice share of scheme receipts has been 12.5% and income under the scheme as follows:
| £000 | |
The income has been used by the Ministry of Justice to defray the costs of regional collection and enforcement centres, related local and central management costs and the court costs relating to the making and enforcement of confiscation orders.
Reoffenders
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate for (a) Northamptonshire, (b) the area with the worst record in England and Wales and (c) the area with the best record in England and Wales was in the latest year for which figures are available. [99439]
Mr Blunt: My hon. Friend’s question has been answered using the Ministry of Justice's published proven reoffending statistics, the latest of which was published on 26 January 2012. It gives proven reoffending figures for offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, received a caution, reprimand, warning or tested positive for opiates or cocaine between April 2009 and March 2010. Proven reoffending is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up or a further six months waiting period.
Table 1 shows the proportion of offenders that reoffended in Northamptonshire, Hartlepool (the local authority with the highest proportion of reoffending), and Rutland (the local authority with the lowest proportion of reoffending).
| Number of offenders | Proportion of offenders who reoffend | |
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When comparing local authorities, the differences may be due to:
different types of offenders; areas where the offenders have high numbers of previous offences are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates;
police activity; areas with high police detection rates are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates;
age profile of offenders in the area; areas with a younger population are likely to have higher proven reoffending rates.
This information is published each quarter at:
www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending
Suicide
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will take steps to ensure training on the needs of relatives bereaved through suicide is provided to coroners in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement; [98704]
(2) if he will take steps to ensure the needs of relatives bereaved through suicide are considered in the inquest process; and if he will make a statement; [98705]
(3) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the distribution of ‘Help is at Hand’ to coroners; and if he will make a statement. [98715]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice funds and organises regular training for coroners, which includes training on handling bereaved relatives. Once in post, the Chief Coroner will have a power to make regulations about the training of coroners. Under section 42 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 the Lord Chancellor may issue guidance about the way the coroner system is expected to operate in relation to bereaved relatives. This will build on the Charter for Coroner Services, which we intend to publish shortly. Ministry of Justice officials have provided coroners' contact details to the Department of Health to facilitate the distribution of the publication ‘Help is at Hand’.
Translation Services
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2012, Official Report, column 706W, on translation services (1) which of the key performance indicators the contractor is not fulfilling; and when the Department expects the contractor will be fulfilling all the key performance indicators; [99601]
(2) whether he has (a) applied service credits against Applied Language Solutions based upon the delivery of services against key performance indicators and (b) charged the contractor for any cost differential where the Department was required to source translation services from an alternative party. [99602]
Mr Blunt: We are seeing a steady improvement in performance, however the contractor is not yet delivering service in line with the following key performance indicators, for example:
98% of all assignments requested are fulfilled
All complaints were resolved to our satisfaction within three working days
98% of assignments were delivered on time.
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We are demanding continued action to ensure that the contractor meets these performance levels as soon as possible. Contingency arrangements to minimise disruption to courts and tribunals will remain in place until then.
Service credits have not yet been applied against the key performance indicators. We are currently considering the application of remedies in certain cases.
Translation Services: Foreign Nationals
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals in the criminal justice system have been released on bail rather than remanded in custody because of problems with the provision of translation or interpretation services since 30 January 2012. [99243]
Mr Blunt: This information is not available.
International Development
Ministerial Travel Costs
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what occasions he has taken overseas flights to countries on official business since August 2010; what class of travel was used on each such flight; and by whom he was accompanied. [99395]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Details of all Ministers' overseas visits, including the cost of flights and the number of officials accompanying the Minister, are available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/about-us/our-organisation/ministers/#travel
and are published every quarter.
DFID do not hold further details of the Secretary of State's visits. The Secretary of State is accompanied by a Private Secretary and normally by a special adviser, senior official or both when the business requires.
Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other donor countries on meeting commitments to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; and what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure such commitments are met. [98536]
Mr O'Brien:
UK Ministers continue to actively follow the reforms under way at the Global Fund and the resource mobilisation efforts, staying in close contact with the Global Fund and the Board Chair. We have had discussions with US counterparts and we are pleased with the recent USA budget approval to live up to their October 2010 pledge of US $4 million over 2011-13.
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Senior officials are working closely with other donors, including the USA, Australia, Nordic countries, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and with civil society groups to rebuild confidence and to ensure the fund has the resources it needs.
We are encouraged by the recent funding announcements from Germany, Japan, the Gates Foundation, Sweden, the US and the intention of Spain to resume its funding. In November 2011, the Department for International Development was able to bring forward part of the UK's existing pledge to the fund (of up to £1 billion from 2008-15) in order to make sure that all Round 10 grants could be signed.
We will continue to work with the fund and with other Development Ministers to ensure that the fund has resources in 2012 and paves the way for replenishment in 2013.
Jamaica
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost has been of UK aid to Jamaica since his Department's records began. [99022]
Mr Duncan: The amount of official development assistance disbursed by the UK to Jamaica since 1960 (the earliest date for which information is available) is US$293 million at current prices.
Leishmaniasis
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the number of people globally affected by visceral leishmaniasis; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle the disease. [98851]
Mr O'Brien: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is one of the most neglected tropical diseases. The World Health Organisation estimates that 500,000 new cases and approximately 50,000 deaths occur annually due to the disease. The majority (90%) of cases are in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Sudan and South Sudan. If left untreated, VL is invariably fatal within two years.
The Department for International Development (DFID) announced the expansion of its work to help control NTDs on 30 January 2012. This was part of a new coordinated push by public and private partners to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling ten neglected tropical diseases (“London Declaration on NTDs”) and will include the development of a new DFID programme for VL. DFID also supports VL research at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative and the Institute of One World Health.
Members: Correspondence
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development plans to respond to the letter of 16 February 2012 from the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow. [99471]
Mr O'Brien: I replied to the hon. Lady's letter on Friday 9 March 2012.
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North Korea
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to respond to the humanitarian situation in North Korea. [98903]
Mr Duncan: The UK is not taking any direct steps to respond to the humanitarian situation in North Korea. We believe that the UK's investment in the various humanitarian organisations working in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) represents the best way for the UK to assist the people of the DPRK. We are in close contact with these humanitarian agencies and continue to monitor the situation.
Palestinians
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the restrictions in permitted fishing off the coast of Gaza and the effect on the Gazan people's ability to feed themselves. [98792]
Mr Duncan: The UK regularly makes representations at both ministerial and official level to the Government of Israel on the urgent need to ease restrictions on Gaza. Most recently, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), and the Minister with responsibility for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), discussed these issues during visits to the region in December 2011 and January 2012.
As part of our engagement with the Israeli authorities, we frequently emphasise the impact restrictions have had on industry in Gaza. Alongside our EU colleagues, we have urged Israel to extend the fishing zone from three to twenty nautical miles, as stipulated in the Oslo Accords. We continue to express our deep concern that in Gaza, which should have a thriving economy, over 50% of the population are food insecure.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has made on the opening of crossings into Gaza. [98800]
Mr Duncan: We have consistently called on Israel to improve movement and access into and out of Gaza, including in recent visits by the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), and the Minister with responsibility for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt). While steps taken by Israel in 2010 to ease restrictions were welcome, we are clear more needs to be done. We believe that easing restrictions will enhance Israel's security and are working with Israel and EU partners to achieve real change on the ground.
Sahel
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with (a) other governments and (b) multilateral organisations about funding for food insecurity in the Sahel. [98843]
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Mr O'Brien: The UK has responded quickly to provide assistance to the worst affected areas, but it is vital that other donors step forward to carry their share of the international response. To this end date, the International Development Secretary has already spoken with European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, and United Nations Under-Secretary-General Valerie Amos. Officials from my Department have also met representatives from USAID, and raised the issue of the Sahel at a recent EU meeting attended by representatives from all 27 member states; and I have lobbied officials from Nordic countries.
We will continue to engage in regular discussions with our counterparts in other Governments and international organisations to help ensure an effective response to the crisis in the Sahel.
Energy and Climate Change
Energy: Prices
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the value of support fuel-poor households will receive in 2013 from the energy company obligation; and what value of support such households received from the carbon emissions reduction target—CERT—in 2010. [99226]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal and energy company obligation consultation proposed that, under ECO, activity estimated to be worth £350 million per year should be targeted at low income and vulnerable consumers, using means-tested benefit proxies, in private tenures. Within this group, approximately 61% were expected to be in fuel poverty(1). We also consulted on roll-out patterns, including whether there was a need to ensure that a proportion of the remaining carbon reduction element should be reserved for low-income households. In the Government response we will confirm the final structure of ECO and the expected impact on fuel poor households.
Under CERT in 2010, 40% of the overall carbon saving target was required to be met in a priority group of lower income households, defined by age and benefit proxies. This was to ensure the equitable distribution of benefits. Just over £600 million a year was estimated to be needed to meet the priority group target(2). Within the priority group, approximately 15% were expected to be in fuel poverty(3).
(1) Green Deal and energy company obligation draft impact assessment, November 2011, p. 112
(2) UK Fuel Poverty Strategy 7th Annual Progress Report 2009, October 2009, p.4
(3) Carbon emissions reduction target April 2008 to March 2011 Consultation Proposals published May 2007, Annex 3, p.2
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate has been made of the average annual amount which will be levied on a dual fuel bill to pay for the energy company obligation. [99227]
Gregory Barker:
The costs of energy and climate change policies are not direct levies on energy bills but impact on the prices energy suppliers charge their customers. How the costs of policies are passed on to consumers
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will be a commercial decision for energy suppliers. DECC's analysis of the impact on energy bills of policies assumes that energy suppliers fully pass on the cost of the energy company obligation (ECO) to energy consumers on a per unit of energy supplied basis
(1). On this basis, assuming the consultation proposal that ECO be set at £1.3 billion, the estimated impact of ECO support costs on average household energy bills is £48 in 2020:
| £ | |
The Green Deal repayments and total efficiency savings are averaged across all households, including those which do not take up measures. For an individual household which takes up a Green Deal and/or ECO measure, the efficiency saving is expected to be much larger.
The figures presented above are consistent with the Green Deal consultation impact assessment(2). The Government will be publishing an updated impact assessment in due course, which will include the estimated impact on energy bills, alongside its formal response to the Green Deal and ECO consultation.
(1) In reality, this cost may be passed on a per household rather than a per unit energy basis.
(2) http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/3603-green-deal-eco-ia.pdf
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Emissions Trading Scheme. [98987]
Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 133W.
Green Deal Scheme
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to bring forward Green Deal secondary legislation. [99223]
Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 March 2012, Official Report, column 686W.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in establishing a Green Deal apprenticeship scheme. [99224]
Gregory Barker: I am pleased to confirm that on 8 March we announced £3 million to fund the training of up to 1,000 ‘go-early’ assessors and 1,000 solid wall insulation installers as part of our commitment to develop the skills necessary for the Green Deal.
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We will continue to work with the sector skills councils and employers to develop more training opportunities and ensure that the National Apprenticeship scheme can support all those wishing to train for the Green Deal.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence he received between 1 January 2012 and 1 March 2012 from energy companies or their representatives on the implementation of the Green Deal and the Green Deal Central Charge. [99225]
Gregory Barker: Ministers have received correspondence from energy companies or their representatives on the implementation of the Green Deal during this period. However we believe that release of this information would prejudice commercial interests.
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to establish clear rules for the independence of Green Deal assessors from Green Deal providers. [99573]
Gregory Barker: It is important that the advice provided by Green Deal assessors is completely impartial, no matter how they are being employed. The regulations, code of practice and standards, to be published in due course, will set out the expectations on all Green Deal assessors in terms of quality and impartiality of advice.
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure Green Deal assessors are appropriately qualified to provide advice to the consumer of the effect of Green Deal measures on their property. [99574]
Gregory Barker: All Green Deal assessors will need to be qualified to the standards set out in the National Occupational Standards for Green Deal Advisers. The draft standards have been submitted to the UK national occupational standards panel for approval and can be found on the Asset Skills website:
http://www.assetskills.org/PropertyAndPlanning/EPBDGreenDealNOS.aspx
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the Code of Practice for Green Deal assessors enables consumers to access advice on Green Deal measures that is wholly independent of those selling such measures. [99575]
Gregory Barker: The regulations, Code of Practice and standards, to be published in due course, will set out the expectations on all Green Deal assessors in terms of quality and impartiality of advice and the distinction between the assessment process and other elements of the Green Deal.
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that consumers have access to advice from qualified built environment professionals on the full effects of proposed Green Deal measures. [99576]
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Gregory Barker: The role of the Green Deal assessor will be to provide consumers with impartial information on the energy efficiency of their property and the potential to improve it further. They will be required to have an understanding of the effect of installing measures in a range of different property types and they will also be required to have an understanding of where further more specialist advice can be sought, where this is necessary, and to direct consumers towards that advice.
Nuclear Power Stations: Safety
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information he has received from HM Chief Nuclear Inspector on progress made in resolving each of the outstanding issues identified on issuance in December 2011 of the interim design acceptance confirmation for the UK EPR reactor as part of the generic design assessment process; when he expects all outstanding issues to be satisfactorily resolved; and how many such issues are related to concerns arising from safety assessments of the Fukushima nuclear accident. [99005]
Charles Hendry: The Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency provide regular updates on the progress of the Generic Design Assessment process in their quarterly reports. These reports include metrics showing the progress of each GDA Issue and are published on the Regulators' website:
www.hse.gov.uk/newreactors/quarterly-updates.htm
The timing for the resolution of the outstanding GDA Issues for the EPR is a matter for the GDA Requesting Party and the Regulators, and is based on agreed resolution plans, which are also available on the Regulators' website:
www.hse.gov.uk/newreactors/2011-gda-issues-epr.htm
Regulators will not give their permission for construction of the safety related nuclear island until all issues have been resolved to their satisfaction.
The EPR design has one outstanding GDA Issue that requires the Requesting Parties to "consider and action plans to address lessons learned from the Fukushima event". This GDA Issue and its associated resolution plan can be found towards the end of the above web page.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much additional funding he has allocated to the feed-in tariff scheme in the most current spending period. [99577]
Gregory Barker: No specific amount of additional funding has been allocated to the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme. The FITs budget falls within the Levies Control Framework, which also includes the Renewables Obligation and Warm Homes Discount schemes. This includes a ‘headroom' of 20% to recognise the uncertainty involved in managing demand-led schemes.
The anticipated overspend on FITs resulting from the surge in installations in 2011-12 will be met through a combination of underspend from the Renewables Obligation and, if necessary, use of the headroom facility. We expect that underspend on the Renewables Obligation will be available because we will be able to meet our
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interim renewables targets more cheaply than originally anticipated. There will not be any lower deployment of large-scale renewables in order to pay for FITs.
Annex A of the Impact Assessment accompanying the consultation on Phase 2A of the comprehensive review of FITs is available at:
www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filetype=4&filepath= Consultations/fits-review/4320-feedin-tariffs-review-phase-2a-draft-impact-asses.pdf
It sets out the expected spend on FITs on existing installations, and the potential cost of new installations. The actual cost of new installations will depend on the rate at which technology costs fall and on the level of uptake under the proposed new tariffs.
Renewable Energy: North West
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to promote renewable energy sources in the North West of England. [98463]
Charles Hendry: In order to meet our 2020 renewable energy target we will need to boost deployment across the UK. The Renewable Energy Roadmap (published July 2011) sets out a UK-wide targeted plan of action for eight key technologies in order to meet our renewable energy target.
I am aware of a number of existing key renewable energy projects in the North West including: Scout Moor onshore wind farm (65MW); Barrow (90MW); Burbo Bank (90MW); the recently completed Ormonde (150MW); and Walney 1 and 2 offshore wind farms. Walney was recently inaugurated by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) as the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
There is also potential for further offshore wind developments in the North West with the Crown Estate awarding development rights for extensions to both Burbo Bank and Walney and the round 3 Irish Sea Zone with its potential capacity of 4,200MW.
Biomass will also play an important role in the North West—INEOS ChlorVinyls (a leading manufacturer of chlorine and PVC) is currently constructing an energy from waste (EfW) combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Runcorn, Cheshire. When complete, it will be the largest EfW CHP plant in the UK.
The North West is a good place for investment in renewables—from 1 April 2011 to 17 January 2012, the Department has identified £86 million of investment in renewables in the North West with the support of 977 jobs, and a potential £20 million and 610 jobs in the pipeline. Further information is available from our website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/3994-renewables-investment-and-jobs-announced-1-april-t.pdf
Solar Power
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he will take if deployment levels of solar photovoltaics are not on a trajectory to meet his 22GW ambition. [99469]
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Gregory Barker: Under the central deployment scenario set out in the Impact Assessment accompanying the current consultation on solar photovoltaic (PV) cost control, available at the following website,
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/fits-review/4320-feedin-tariffs-review-phase-2a-draft-impact-asses.pdf
we estimate that there could be approximately 22 GW of solar PV by 2020. The assumptions behind this estimate are set out in the Impact Assessment.
Estimates of future solar PV growth are extremely uncertain, and depend on a number of assumptions such as future PV costs, and the growth of the PV market. Thus, whether or not 22 GW is deployed by 2020 will depend on PV costs coming down.
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what levels of solar photovoltaic deployment he expects in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15, broken down by (i) 0 to 4kw and (ii) 250kw to 5MW installations. [99470]
Gregory Barker: DECC's estimates of future deployment levels are set out in the impact assessment supporting the current consultation on solar PV cost control, available to view at:
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/fits-review/4320-feedin-tariffs-review-phase-2a-draft-impact-asses.pdf
The impact assessment does not break deployment down by installation size.
Estimates of future solar PV growth are extremely uncertain and depend on a number of assumptions such as future PV costs and the growth of the PV market. DECC is continuously reviewing its estimates in the light of the latest evidence and will provide updated assessments for the final impact assessment published alongside the Government response to the current consultation.
Tidal Power: North West
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the potential for the use of tidal energy in the North West of England. [98464]
Gregory Barker: In 2007 the Government commissioned the further development of the UK Marine Renewables Energy Atlas. The atlas represents the most detailed regional description of potential marine energy resources in UK waters ever completed to date at a national scale. The atlas is publicly available at:
http://www.renewables-atlas.info/
DECC also takes a strategic view on the environmental impacts of deploying wave and tidal energy technologies. The Department recently published its Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA 2) which considered wave and tidal energy technologies for England and Wales and concluded that there are no overriding environmental considerations to prevent the leasing of wave and tidal energy devices provided appropriate measures are implemented that prevent, reduce and offset significant adverse impacts on the environment and other users of the sea.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Senior Civil Servants: Political Parties
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had on requiring Government funded bodies to publish a register showing the political affiliations, if any, of directors and senior staff. [98360]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
I have had no such discussions.
The rules that are already in place require civil servants to act in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Code, including the requirement to act with political impartiality. They are also subject to restrictions on their political activities as set out in the Civil Service Management Code.
Board members and staff of public bodies are subject to separate codes of conduct and rules that govern impartiality and political activities.
Health
Ambulance Services: Pay
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of all the salaries of the chief executives of NHS ambulance trusts in England in (a) 2007 and (b) 2011. [99189]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on total remuneration is not held centrally. NHS ambulance trusts are independent organisations in their own right, and the pay of their chief executives is a matter for each individual NHS ambulance trust.
The pay of Ambulance Trust chief executives is governed by the Very Senior Managers (VSM) Pay Framework. The spot rates are set out as follows:
| £ | ||
| Current salary levels | ||
| Salary from 1 April 2007 | Salary from 1 April 2011 | |
Ambulance services by band are as follows:
Band 1—South West; North East; Great Western
Band 2—South East Coast; West Midlands; East Midlands; South Central
Band 3—North West; East of England; Yorkshire
Band 4—London
Remuneration committees may consider the need for paying a Recruitment and Retention Premium (RRP). An RRP is an addition to the pay of an individual post (or specific group of posts) where market pressures would otherwise prevent the employer from being able to recruit and retain staff for the post(s) concerned at the normal basic salary for the post(s). Payments in respect of recruitment and retention should not normally exceed 30% of basic pay.
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The Remuneration Committee may also provide additional payments where individuals take on significant responsibilities outside their core role. Payments are linked to the proportion of time that the individual would spend on the additional work.
The remuneration committee should make any recommendations for payments of RRP or Additional Responsibilities on the basis of a clear business case, and this has to be approved by the grandparent organisation.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the levels of pay of chief executives of ambulance services in other EU member states. [99190]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold this information.
Brain: Injuries
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2012, Official Report, columns 244-5W, on Brain: Injuries, for what reason civilian patients treated in NHS hospitals for a head injury are not warned that they have a high risk of suffering post-traumatic hypopituitarism, while members of the armed forces treated in military hospitals are warned of the risk and screened for the condition; and if he will take steps to ensure that all hospitals routinely provide such screening to high risk patients. [99030]
Paul Burstow: Health professionals are best placed to use their clinical judgment to decide on the most appropriate treatment for patients with head injuries.
Breast Cancer
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress his Department has made on a national breast cancer audit as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcome Programme; [98519]
(2) whether he plans to hold a specification development meeting for a national breast cancer audit; [98520]
(3) when he plans to announce further details of the funding arrangements for a national clinical audit for breast cancer as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcome Programme. [98521]
Paul Burstow: The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), announced in October 2011 that 11 new clinical areas would be added to the Department of Health funded National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme. These include a national breast cancer audit. The first four new national clinical audits to be commissioned are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emergency laparotomy, the national vascular registry and prostate cancer. Specification development meetings have already been held for these audits and tender returns will shortly be invited for them. The remaining seven new national clinical audits will be commissioned in due course, using the same commissioning process.
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Cumbria Primary Care Trust
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients from the Cumbria Primary Care Trust area who have been referred to out-of-county specialists in each of the last five years. [99356]
Mr Simon Burns: The available information for patients resident in Cumbria Primary Care Trust (PCT) is shown in the following table. PCT level data have been used, as data by county of residence are not available.
The data provided show a count of first out-patient attendances for residents of Cumbria PCT that occurred in a different PCT, in each of the last five years.
The number of first out-patient attendances does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have had more than one attendance or non-attendance within the year.
| Number of first out-patient attendances by patients resident in Cumbria Teaching PCT that occurred at a different PCT | |
| Number | |
| Note: First Attendance: a first attendance that was either face-to-face or via a telephone/telemedicine consultation. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. | |
Senior Civil Servants: Ethnic Minorities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [98871]
Mr Simon Burns: The numbers and proportions of senior civil servants (SCS) from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, for the months requested, are given as follows.
| As at March each year | Total BME SCS | Percentage of SCS BME |
The Department continues to exceed the Cabinet Office threshold target of 4% for BME staff in the senior civil service and has set aspirational ‘stretch’ goals, to be achieved by April 2013.
Diabetes: Screening
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with diabetes who did not receive the nine health care checks recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines in each primary care trust area in 2011. [98744]
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Paul Burstow: The nine health care checks for diabetes as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are: HbA1c (a measurement of residual glucose), body mass index, blood pressure, urinary albumin, creatinine (a measure of kidney function), cholesterol, eye examinations, foot examinations and smoking status. NICE guidance recommends that diagnosed diabetics receive these nine health care checks (also known as care processes) annually. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are accountable for delivery of care and should be monitoring service delivery at local level.
There are two sources of data for assessing the extent to which the nine health care checks are provided: the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), and the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) achievement data.
The NDA covers 81.1% of the 2.34 million people aged 17 years and over with diagnosed diabetes reported by the QOF. Results for all PCTs that submit data to the annual NDA can be accessed via the NDA dashboard on the following link:
www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-audit-support-programme-ncasp/national-diabetes-audit/analysis/pct-analysis-profiles
Ranking of results is colour coded, enabling easy comparison of performance between PCTs.
In addition, two maps in the NHS Atlas of Variation (2011) can be accessed via the following link:
www.sepho.org.uk/extras/maps/NHSatlas2011/atlas.html
These are specific to delivery of the nine care processes, and use data from the NDA. The atlas shows that, depending on their PCT area, between 5.4% and 47.9% of people with Type 1 diabetes received all nine health care checks, and between 7% and 71.4% of those with Type 2 diabetes received all the nine health care checks.
The QOF achievement data show higher numbers of patients receiving each of the health care checks than does the NDA (when comparing the QOF and NDA figures for each of the tests separately). The QOF data tables for each QOF year including 2009-10 at national, strategic health authority and PCT levels are at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework-2009-10
The differences may be ascribable to variations in scope and data assessment methodology. We intend to work with stakeholders to understand the reasons for the differences and to identify what needs to be done as a result.