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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Defence
Air Training Corps: Disciplinary Proceedings
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 30W, on air training corps: disciplinary proceedings, how many of the outstanding cases from (a) 2010 and (b) 2011 are awaiting (i) reports and (ii) the outcome of investigations by (A) police forces and (B) auditors or accountants; and if he will make a statement; [98528]
(2) how many of the cases outstanding in 2010 and 2011 are awaiting (a) reports and (b) the outcome of investigations by (i) police forces and (ii) auditors and accountants; and if he will make a statement. [98780]
Mr Robathan: Of those personnel suspended in 2010, one individual is awaiting the outcome of a police investigation or court case and one is awaiting the outcome of internal administrative action. For those suspensions made in 2011, three individuals are awaiting the outcome of police investigations or court cases and six are awaiting the outcome of internal administrative action. None of these cases are subject to review by accountants or auditors.
Armed Forces
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces were (a) married, (b) cohabiting and (c) in a relationship when they joined the services in the latest period for which figures are available. [99228]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 12 March 2012]: A personal status is recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration system on enlistment for the purposes of determining entitlement to some allowances and liability for dependent children, rather than the legal marital status of personnel. As these are private life matters there is no mandatory requirement for personnel to advise the Ministry of Defence if they are cohabiting or in a relationship.
Any information which is held would be on manual records, and could be obtained only by undertaking a manual search of records on multiple sites. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Housing
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the potential annual savings to his Department if married couples in the armed services were required to leave married living quarters after eight years of residence. [99111]
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Mr Robathan: The Future Accommodation Project is considering a range of options as part of the work on the New Employment Model (NEM). The NEM is tasked with developing a future employment model that is affordable and balances the aspirations of service personnel with the demands that service life makes on them.
It is too early to speculate as to what savings may arise, as all NEM proposals are still in development.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the budget for service married living quarters was in each year from 2000-01 to 2011-12; and what the planned budget is for 2012-13; [99200]
(2) what the armed forces housing budget was in each year from 2000-01 to 2011-12; and what it is planned to be in 2012-13. [99201]
Mr Robathan: Due to changed responsibilities between parts of the MOD over this period, information is only held on a consistent basis in respect of housing in Great Britain. The budgets for service married living quarters in Great Britain since 2001 are shown in the following table:
| £ million | |
After taking account of income from service personnel for rent and contributions in lieu of council tax and certain other costs, the overall budgets allocated for armed forces housing have been as follows:
| £ million | |
The Department is in the process of finalising the Planning Round and final budgets for 2012-13 have not been set.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many couples in each year since 2000 had lived in service married living quarters for a longer period than eight years; [99202]
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(2) how many people in each year since 2000 had lived in service married living quarters for eight years; [99203]
(3) how many married couples were housed in service married living quarters in each year since 2000. [99205]
Mr Robathan: As at 7 March 2012, 42,581 service family accommodation (SFA) were occupied. 36,466 families were in a marriage or civil partnership.
Information on the number of occupied SFA per year (rounded to the nearest thousand) is shown in the following table:
| Number of occupied SFA | |
Currently over 12,000 families have resided in SFA continually for the last eight years.
Further information is not available.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service married living quarters there are in each (a) region, (b) local authority area and (c) constituency. [99204]
Mr Robathan: A list of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in each housing region as of 8 March 2012 is shown in the table.
Data on SFA in each local authority area or constituency are not held.
| Housing Region | Location | Total |
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Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual cost to the public purse of service married living quarters was in the latest year for which figures are available. [99216]
Mr Robathan: The average annual cost to the public purse of providing service married quarters for each family occupying housing in Great Britain was some £7,400 in 2011-12. This cost does not, however, take account of depreciation charges on properties owned by the Department in Scotland and some properties in England and Wales.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what employment options for reform of the housing system for married couples are being considered as part of his Department's new employment model. [99229]
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Mr Robathan [holding answer 12 March 2012]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend, Lord de Mauley, to the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill in another place on 1 March 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, column 1424.
Armed Forces: Life Insurance
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the average compensation payment was to bereaved service families from PAX life insurance in (a) the last year, (b) the last five years and (c) the last 10 years; [98766]
(2) how many families have been paid compensation by PAX life insurance following the death of a family member serving in HM forces in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each of the last 12 years. [98767]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 8 March 2012]: Personal accident and life cover is voluntary and is separate from the benefits provided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). We have a duty of care, however, to ensure that personal accident and life insurance cover is available to those service personnel who consider that they require it, and the MOD does this through the PAX and Service Life Insurance (SLI) schemes provided through Aon for PAX and the Sterling Insurance Group for SLI.
The following information has been provided by Aon.
The personal accident section of the PAX Plan provides compensation for death or permanent disability following an accident, on or off duty anywhere in the world. The amount of claim paid will depend on the level of cover purchased by the service person for themselves and, if applicable, their family. The benefit payable in respect of accidental death varies with the level of cover purchased, from £10,000 for the minimum cover, up to £150,000 for the maximum level of cover.
Some 57 accidental death claims were paid in the last year, and 182 in the last five years. It is has not been possible in the time available to identify the number of accidental death claims in the last 10 years.
Of the 57 deaths during the 12 months to 31 December 2011, 39 were as a result of injuries sustained in Afghanistan; there were none from Iraq.
Of the 182 accidental death claims over the past five years, 133 were from personnel serving in Afghanistan; there were none from Iraq.
Taking into account all claims paid for accidental death, the average payment was £102,982 during the past year and £92,991 in the past five years.
If selected, the PAX Optional Life extension adds cover in respect of death due to natural causes.
The average compensation payment to bereaved service families from PAX Life insurance is £111,667 in the last year to 31 December 2011, £68,548 for the last five years, and £62,135 for the last 10 years.
The figures are in respect of death from natural causes and are for armed forces personnel and insured family members (claims for children under 16-years have been excluded).
The Optional Life Extension Insurers regret that it has not been possible to identify natural causes deaths that occurred in either Afghanistan or Iraq, as completed files have been archived. However the number
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will be very small and unlike claims for accidental death, natural causes deaths will rarely be directly related to the location.
The Sterling Life Group has provided the following information:
From 2007-11 Service Life Insurance (SLI), the contracted MOD Life Insurance scheme, has paid 79 claims in total. Some 61 of these are considered operational deaths.
The total claims paid from 2007-11 is £12,709,000, with the average claims payment to bereaved service families being £160,873.
Armed Forces: Mental Health
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will establish procedures of continuous assessment of the psychological health of service personnel and the provision of guidance and assistance to then as necessary; [98990]
(2) what proportion of service personnel in each branch of the armed forces were undergoing psychological (a) testing and (b) training in the latest period for which information is available. [98995]
Mr Robathan: The UK armed forces do not currently have a programme of mandatory mental health screening, because no robust research-based evidence has been produced to show that it is effective in identifying those people who do have a problem. In fact, research undertaken at the King's Centre for Mental Health Research (KCMHR) indicates that in some circumstances it can actually be harmful, by presenting significant numbers of both false positive and false negative results. However, we have undertaken to commission new research into the question, and the major post-operational screening trial (POST) being conducted at the King's Centre for Mental Health Research (KCMHR) in conjunction with the US Department of Defense, which is due to report in 2015, is looking at the effectiveness of post-deployment testing and monitoring of personnel.
We do of course already have a wide range of measures in place to provide advice, support and treatment to service personnel. We are ensuring that all routine medical examinations contain a specific mental health assessment, including those carried out on recruits and those preparing to leave the services. More specific examinations will also form a part of the medical treatment provided for those who have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, either in unit medical centres, MOD departments of community mental health, or in specialist NHS in-patient units. No overall figures are collated for all the various forms of assessments and examinations, and these could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Throughout their careers service personnel receive regular briefings and training on the identification and management of both operational and workplace stress, including recognising its signs in their colleagues. A key factor in all briefings is reducing the stigma that can be attached to mental health disorders. The services maintain a confidential support line that provides a fully trained, confidential, independent and non-judgmental listening and support service, and welfare officers, padres, and members of regimental organisations are all able to provide advice and support. For those seeking help
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online, the Defence internet website provides information on how to get advice and help urgently, and we are currently trialling access for service personnel to the 'Big White Wall' online early intervention service for people in psychological distress.
In April 2010, the MOD set up the stress management training centre (SMTC) at the Defence academy to co-ordinate the provision of training on the identification and management of both operational and workplace stress. Its intention is to ensure that all service personnel will receive regular briefings and training, starting during their initial training and reinforced and developed during a range of career development and promotion courses. Specific training is available for those going on operations, and this is provided before, during and after their deployment. Because of the wide variety of training provided, and the different organisations involved in its delivery, it is not possible to provide a specific number of those receiving training for any given period.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will (a) release anonymised data on the mental health of UK service personnel to research establishments and (b) commission research on improving (i) the mental health of service personnel and (ii) the negative social effects of poor mental health of service personnel. [98991]
Mr Robathan: A large amount of personal data on the mental health of UK service personnel have been collected by researchers working for the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), as part of its major independent study, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), into the impact of deployment on the overall health and well-being of military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the findings from this research have already been published in a range of peer-reviewed medical literature, and are available through the KCMHR website at:
www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr/index.aspx
The MOD values this very important study and will ensure its findings inform future policy to enhance the health and well-being of military personnel during their service career and beyond.
Challenger Tanks
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made with the Article 36 legal review of CHARM3; and if he will make a statement. [99568]
Nick Harvey: The review is close to completion and will report to MOD Ministers shortly. The review conclusion will be published shortly.
Departmental Senior Civil Servants: Ethnic Minorities Staff
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [98875]
Mr Robathan: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
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| Senior civil service—ethnicity breakdown for 1 January 2010, 2011 and 2012 | |||
| Headcount | |||
| As at January each year | |||
| Ethnicity | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Source: DASA (Quad) | |||
| Ethnicity proportion SCS and MOD core comparison | |||
| Percentage | |||
| As at January each year | |||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Notes: 1. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest five and may not sum precisely to totals. 2. All numbers exclude trading funds, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel and locally engaged civilians. 3. Percentage rates are calculated on raw unrounded numbers, listed SCS rates are compared to total MOD core, at each time point differences between SCS rates and total MOD core rates are not statistically significant. 4. Information for March 2012 is not yet available so comparative figures for January have been provided. | |||
Although the numbers of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) senior civil service staff may be too low to show, they are within the expected range based on representation in the Ministry of Defence in general. There is no significant difference in the representation of Black and Minority Ethnic personnel across grades.
Libya: Armed Conflict
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost per vehicle was of (a) fuel, (b) road tolls, (c) accommodation and (d) other logistics of a return trip from the UK to each base in Italy by logistical support provided by No. 2 Mechanical Transport squadron during Operation Ellamy. [99102]
Nick Harvey: The estimated cost of transporting supplies and materials by road to Italy by military vehicles is in the region of £1.6 million. This was done by 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron and comprised around 400 vehicle moves to Trapani and Gioia Dell Colle. There were also additional road moves made by contracted commercial carriers.
The costs for each trip were dependent upon the destination in Italy and changes due to operational requirements. However, the typical cost per vehicle was around £2,000 for fuel, £650 for road tolls, around £300 for accommodation and other personal costs for drivers and around £500 for Eurotunnel costs.
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hire cars were rented for official use by personnel deployed to Italy during Operation Ellamy; and how many personnel on average used each car. [99103]
Nick Harvey: At the height of operations around 100 hire vehicles were rented for official use by personnel deployed to Italy supporting Operation Ellamy. This was to support around 900 personnel.
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Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were used when deciding where to accommodate personnel deployed to Italy during Operation Ellamy. [99104]
Nick Harvey: At the time of Operation Ellamy the Ministry of Defence assessed the most appropriate accommodation for personnel supporting the operation, looking at a range of options from tented or prefabricated units to apartments or hotel accommodation. These assessments included the value for money of each type of accommodation, as well as security considerations and took into account the impact on operations of, for example, travel time to place of work and amenities available at the accommodation. Contracts were entered into based on our best estimate of the duration and the evolving nature of the operation.
Middle East
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when (a) he, (b) each Minister in his Department and (c) senior officials of his Department last met their counterparts in (i) Oman, (ii) UAE, (iii) Malaysia, (iv) Qatar, (v) Saudi Arabia and (vi) India; [99068]
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(2) when (a) he, (b) each Minister in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department last had discussions concerning the Eurofighter Typhoon with their counterparts in (i) Oman, (ii) UAE, (iii) Malaysia, (iv) Qatar, (v) Saudi Arabia and (vi) India; [99069]
(3) when (a) he and (b) his senior civil servants last visited (i) Oman, (ii) UAE, (iii) Malaysia, (iv) Qatar, (v) Saudi Arabia and (vi) India. [99578]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the benefit Typhoon orders can have on our own Typhoon acquisition programme. That is why Ministers and officials from the MOD are engaged in an active and innovative defence diplomacy initiative to promote Typhoon and other British defence and security exports.
As well as when meeting direct overseas counterparts, Ministers and officials are engaging in extensive consultation on Typhoon at all levels.
The following table shows when each Minister and senior official last held discussions with their direct counterpart. In the case of the Defence Senior Advisor Middle East, who has no direct counterpart, his last engagement with Ministers or officials from that country are recorded. Discussions about exports, including Typhoon, form a routine part of such international engagements.
| Oman | UAE | Malaysia | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | India | |
We do not have any records of discussions between the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), and the Minister for Defence Personnel Veterans and Welfare, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), and their counterparts.
NATO: Military Exercises
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assets and how many service personnel were involved in NATO exercise (a) Cold Response, (b) Atlantis, (c) Joint Warrior, (d) NATO Tiger Meet and (e) Oceanis in each of the last 5 years; [96179]
(2) what assets and how many service personnel will participate in NATO exercise (a) Cold Response, (b) Atlantis, (c) Joint Warrior, (d) NATO Tiger Meet and (e) Oceanis in 2012. [96180]
Nick Harvey: Details of the known assets and numbers of personnel involved in NATO exercises detailed for 2012 and the previous five years are as follows:
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| 2007 | ||
| Exercise | Assets | Total number of personnel |
Civil Servants: Private Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to send the children of civil servants to (a) private boarding schools, (b) private day schools and (c) Eton College in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much he expects to allocate for such purposes in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [96626]
Mr Robathan: The civilian boarding school allowance is only paid to Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants appointed overseas. It ceases on return to the UK. MOD assistance with school fees is restricted to 90% of the actual boarding or day fees subject to a maximum ceiling. From 1 September 2010, where service children's education (SCE) schools exist in an overseas area, employees have been expected to use them.
Total costs for financial year (FY) 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 paid to send the children of civil servants to private boarding schools in the UK were:
| Financial year | Cost rounded to the nearest £1,000 |
| (1) For the period 1 April 2011 to 21 February 2012. | |
There are currently no children attending private day school in the UK or at Eton College.
In regard to financial years 2012-13, the MOD expects that the total cost spent on boarding school fees will decrease slightly from the previous financial year. From 1 September 2010 where SCE schools exist in an overseas area, civilian staff are expected to use them. There is no provision for sending the child to a boarding school/day school at departmental expense through choice or because of particular courses of study not covered by SCE overseas. In addition with the Department decreasing the number of civilian appointments overseas, it is expected that the requirement for use of boarding or day school allowances in the UK will continue to decrease.
RAF Lossiemouth
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future use of the Tornado simulator at RAF Lossiemouth. [98777]
Nick Harvey: Following decisions on the reduction of the Tornado fleet the future requirement for training simulators is under review. No decisions have yet been taken on the future of the simulator at RAF Lossiemouth.
Serco
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation process his Department undertook in relation to the announcement that Serco would become the new partner in his Department's Defence Business Services. [99897]
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Mr Robathan: Formal trade union consultation was undertaken in relation to the creation of Defence Business Services (DBS) and the proposal to consider bringing in commercial management to provide strategic management of DBS. The trade unions have been regularly engaged throughout the project including during the procurement process.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms and conditions are of the standstill period in relation to the recent bid from Serco for his Department's Defence Business Services. [99898]
Mr Robathan: The standstill period is a legal requirement that installs a waiting period of 10 calendar days between communicating the award decision to all tenderers and contract conclusion.
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of business risk has been taken by SERCO; and what has been retained by his Department in respect of the Defence Business Services contract. [99920]
Mr Robathan: Business risk in relation to this contract can be categorised as financial risk and operational risk. When the contract is signed, financial risk will be transferred to Serco, as the incentivised payments under the contract will not be made unless efficiencies are delivered. Operational risk remains with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to the extent that the MOD will carry the consequences if corporate services are not delivered to a satisfactory standard. However, an element of this risk will be transferred to Serco as failure to perform against key performance indicators will be subject to a financial penalty.
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the level of public accountability of Serco in respect of its contract for Defence Business Services. [99921]
Mr Robathan: The chief executive of Defence Business Services, who will be part of the Serco management team, will be given financial delegations by the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Second Permanent Secretary, and will be accountable to him. In discharging their financial and other management responsibilities, the Serco management team will be required to comply with all relevant legislation and with all relevant Government and MOD policy, including Managing Public Money. The MOD's Permanent Secretary retains ultimate public accountability.
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of Serco to deliver services better than civil servants at Defence Business Services. [99922]
Mr Robathan: The intent to award a contract to Serco was taken on the grounds of an assessment of a number of factors, including confidence in delivery. A thorough evaluation of the bid was undertaken by the Ministry of Defence's subject matter experts. Serco will provide a management team to work with existing Defence Business Services staff to transform the organisation, building on private sector best practice.
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Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason he approved the contract with Serco for activities previously delivered by Defence Business Services. [99923]
Mr Robathan: Defence Business Services (DBS) will continue to deliver the services they are delivering today, under the leadership of Serco who will provide a management team to work with existing DBS staff to transform the organisation, building on private sector best practice.
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet trade unions representing staff transferred to Serco from Defence Business Services. [99924]
Mr Robathan: Defence Business Services staff will remain Ministry of Defence employees. Trade union engagement will continue via the normal channels.
Veterans: Suicide
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011 to my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr Hamilton), Official Report, column 40W, on ex-servicemen: suicide, if he will publish interim findings of the research on the causes of death of all serving members of the armed forces since 2003; and when he expects the final findings of the study to be published. [98993]
Mr Robathan: In 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) commissioned research into the health of military personnel deployed to Iraq. In 2006, the study was extended for three years and broadened to include all subsequent Iraq deployments as well as deployments to Afghanistan. This research programme now follows a cohort of over 20,000 serving and former members of the armed forces. The study was extended for a further three years to maintain the database and further explore the data obtained in Phases 1 and 2. Key early findings are that:
The overall mental health of the Armed Forces is good and prevalence of disorders among Service personnel is generally in line with the rest of the population.
Some 13% of respondents displayed evidence of alcohol misuse, compared to a similar figure in the general population. Increased use is associated with operational deployment.
Some 4% of respondents displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (compared with 3-7% in the general population).
Common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are more prevalent, with 19.7% of service personnel studied experiencing them.
Deployment on operations was associated with a small increase in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in reservists (5%). This should be viewed against the very low prevalence of symptoms for reservists (1.8%) who did not deploy on operations.
It is the MOD's intention to publish the results of this study in 2013. However, this is dependent upon the time required to process and analyse the data by Defence Analytical Services and Advice and the National Health Service Information Centre.
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Wales
Remploy
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Welsh Government, (b) trade unions and (c) disability groups on the future of Remploy factories in Wales; and if she will make a statement; [99476]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the recent announcement of proposed closures of Remploy factories in Wales; and if she will make a statement. [99478]
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what discussions she has made to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on Remploy closures in Wales; [99911]
(2) what representations she has made to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the closure of Remploy factories in Wales. [99912]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have discussed the future of Remploy factories in Wales with both Welsh Government Ministers and ministerial colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department, particularly in light of the Sayce review recommendations last July. The Secretary of State requested details from officials of the Department for Work and Pensions on the Welsh proposals.
The Remploy Board will consider proposals for the exit of parts of businesses or contracts from those factories proposed for closure along with other proposals for avoiding compulsory redundancies. Subject to the outcome of the consultation process, all disabled employees in every location will receive a comprehensive personalised package of support to help them into alternative employment.
Home Department
Police National Computer
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether responsibility for the police national computer will transfer from the National Policing Improvement Agency to the National Crime Agency; and on what date any such transfer will take place. [97662]
Mrs May [holding answer 1 March 2012]: I announced to Parliament in a written ministerial statement on 15 December 2011, Official Report, columns 125-7WS, plans to phase-out the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), which currently operates the PNC. The Home Office is reviewing all of the NPIA's functions to identify successor bodies for the critical national services it provides.
Animal Experiments
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on licensing mouse bioassays to detect shellfish toxins; for which type of toxin and species of shellfish such licences are issued; and if she will make a statement. [99440]
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Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 12 March 2012]: Regulations EC 15/2011, EC 2074/2005, EC853/2004 and EC854/2004 set out the relevant EU requirements. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 allows the use of the mouse bioassay (MBA) to detect and quantify marine biotoxins in shellfish.
During 2011 significant progress was made in the use of non-animal methods and currently the majority of testing of shellfish for both paralytic shellfish (PSP) toxins and lipophilic toxins, (otherwise known as DSP) is now carried out using non-animal methods. Alternative methods have now been validated and accepted by the competent authority for food hygiene, the Foods Standards Agency, for the species of shellfish that are tested most frequently, which includes mussels, oysters and clams.
The small amount of residual use of the mouse bioassay is due to the alternative methods not having been validated for some types of samples, for example non-bivalve molluscs. Testing of non-bivalve species is only permissible, as an alternative, when bivalve molluscs cannot be used as a marker species. Over time the level of such testing should reduce further as information from these tests form part of the process of validating the non-animal method.
To protect human health and to meet food safety regulations the licence also covers the contingency of having to use the mouse bioassay should the sole world provider of certain essential substances required for the non-animal chemical methods be unable to provide them and also for the investigation of unexplained intoxication incidents.
Appeals: Mohamed Amir
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the determination of the successful appeal of Mohamed Amir, FCO number 14866, appeal number OA/63095/200, which was allowed on 11 November 2010, was notified to the British embassy in Abu Dhabi. [98761]
Damian Green [holding answer 8 March 2012]: This application was lodged in Pakistan and subsequently refused in October 2009. There is no record of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) being notified of an appeal being lodged. The appeal determination was, however, promulgated on 11 November 2010.
Due to administrative errors, the visa section in Abu Dhabi did not receive a copy of this determination until 7 March 2012. UKBA apologises for any inconvenience caused to the applicant. This case is now being finalised as a matter of priority.
Asylum: Lewisham
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers without recourse to public funds in Lewisham, Deptford constituency; and how many such refugees and asylum seekers are children. [99075]
Damian Green: There are no refugees or asylum seekers without recourse to public funds living in Lewisham or any other part of the United Kingdom.
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Refugees who are granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom can access mainstream welfare benefits. Asylum seekers who are destitute cannot access these benefits, but are supported by the UK Border Agency until their asylum claims are decided. Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are supported by local authorities under the Children Act 1989.
Crimes of Violence: Pedicabs
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) sexual assaults and (b) other assaults by drivers of pedicabs and rickshaws plying for hire were reported to the police in the last year for which figures are available. [99161]
Lynne Featherstone: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime statistics held by the Home Office.
Extradition: Christopher Tappin
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the implications of the extradition of Christopher Tappin for her Department's policies; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the law on extradition. [99162]
Damian Green: The UK-US extradition treaty was one of the areas considered by the independent extradition review, which took the implications of many extradition cases into account in the course of their deliberations. The Secretary of State for the Home Department is currently giving the review panel's recommendations careful consideration and the Government will announce what action they will take in due course.
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of food procured by her Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99800]
Damian Green: The Home Office does not directly contract for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management or operating service contracts. Suppliers have been made aware of the Government Buying Standard (GBS) criteria and will report against GBS criteria on the Home Office website.
Foreign Workers: Domestic Service
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how migrant domestic workers who have experienced unlawful working conditions will be able to pursue employment claims against their employers under the changes to the domestic worker visa. [99933]
Damian Green:
Employers will be required, in accordance with the Employment Rights Act 1996, to give the domestic worker a written statement of their particulars of employment in the UK. Employees, including overseas domestic workers, who consider that those particulars
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are not met may make a claim to an employment tribunal, provided they do so within three months of leaving the employment.
Human Trafficking
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the effect of appointing an independent national rapporteur on human trafficking on levels of information about human trafficking available to (a) the Government, (b) the UK Border Agency and (c) police forces. [99097]
Damian Green: The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking will be the UK Government's national rapporteur mechanism. It will assess trends in human trafficking using data provided by the UK Human Trafficking Centre as the central intelligence hub.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which countries (a) within and (b) outside the European Union the Government funds projects to tackle human trafficking. [99391]
Damian Green: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently funds the Malawi Anti-Child Trafficking project, run by the Salvation Army. This project aims to improve knowledge of and access to rights for children in Malawi who have been trafficked or are vulnerable to being trafficked.
DFID is also currently designing a new South Asia regional programme which will focus especially on reducing trafficking of women and girls in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, focusing on the garment and domestic work sectors.
The UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), part of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, is working with others on, and partly funding, a UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) led project focused on Nigeria as a source country.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 2 February 2012 with regard to Mrs Nita Malata. [99747]
Damian Green: I refer the right hon. Member to my letter of 21 February 2012.
National Crime Agency: UK Border Agency
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the relationship will be between the UK Border Force and the National Crime Agency. [98135]
Damian Green: Both the Border Force and the Border Policing Command (which is part of the National Crime Agency), will be critical to delivering increased security at the border. They will act collaboratively to tackle threats at the border through improved tasking arrangements; better intelligence gathering and sharing, and mutual sharing of assets.
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Naturalisation
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for UK naturalisation have been received in each of the last three years; and how many have been successful. [99883]
Damian Green: British citizenship can be granted as either naturalisation or registration, Figures for grants of naturalisation and registration are given in the following table.
| British citizenship applications and grants by general category | ||||
| Of which: | ||||
| Applications | Total decisions taken to grant | Grants of naturalisation | Grants of registration | |
| Notes: 1. Derived from tables cz.01 and cz.02 of 'Immigration Statistics October-December 2011'. 2. Decisions ("Grants of naturalisation and Grants of registration") may not relate to applications made in the same year. Source: Home Office Statistics, Migration Statistics | ||||
Figures of applications for naturalisation are not published separately; however, figures for total applications for British citizenship are published regularly and are also shown in the table.
The available statistics of British citizenship grants reflect decisions made in each year and so may not relate to applications made in the same year.
The latest Home Office immigration statistics on persons applying for British citizenship and being granted naturalisation and registration as British citizens are given in tables ‘cz.01’ and ‘cz.02’ of the statistical release ‘Immigration Statistics October-December 2011’. This publication is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2011
Organised Crime: Colombia
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent members of Colombian crime gangs from entering the UK. [96095]
Damian Green: Police forces across the UK, but primarily in London and the home counties, are investigating a series of burglaries that have resulted in the arrests of over 60 foreign nationals.
The ACPO Criminal Records Office (ACRO) has UK-wide responsibility for making requests for criminal conviction information from other countries across the world. In this case, ACRO has made requests to the Colombian law enforcement authorities to check the identities of all those who have currently come to the notice of the police. We are also working closely with the UK Border Agency in Colombia in relation to these individuals.
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Passports
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the acting profession as an appropriate reference on passport applications. [99813]
Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service issues information to customers on the completion of application forms. This includes the use of countersignatories and guidance on possible occupations that may be considered suitable to verify the person's application. This is to assist applicants and is meant as a guide rather than being an exhaustive list of occupations. The occupation of the countersignatory is not a determining factor in considering whether a passport should be issued.
Police: Court Orders
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to review the annual data requirement of police forces in respect of production orders. [98821]
Nick Herbert: We have no plans to carry out such a review.
The annual data requirement is considered carefully with a view to reducing the bureaucratic burden on police forces and, as an operational matter which is subject to judicial oversight, we do not see the need to collect this information.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulations her Department has repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if she will estimate the likely savings to the public purse in each case. [97671]
Damian Green: The Home Office revoked two sets of regulations between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012. They are the Immigration (Procedure for Marriage) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/15), and the Immigration (Procedure for Formation of Civil Partnerships) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2917).
The revocation of these regulations did not result in any quantifiable savings to the public purse.
Youssef Boutros-Ghali
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department have had discussions with (i) the United States Department of State, (ii) the US Ambassador to the UK, (iii) other American officials, (iv) the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, (v) the Egyptian Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the UK and (vi) other Egyptian officials concerning Youssef Boutros-Ghali; [99025]
(2) whether she has received representations from (a) the United States Department of State, (b) the Ambassador of the United States of America to the UK, (c) other American officials, (d) the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, (e) the Egyptian Ambassador to the UK and (f) other Egyptian officials concerning Youssef Boutros-Ghali. [99026]
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Damian Green [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Government do not comment on discussions or representations in relation to particular individuals.
Energy and Climate Change
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the prohibition by the United States and China of their airlines taking part in the EU's emission trading scheme. [99723]
Gregory Barker: We are aware that a number of countries have raised their concerns and we are working with the Commission and other member states to find a resolution. In particular we are actively engaged in the recent work programme initiated in the International Civil Aviation Organization which is seeking to reach a global agreement to tackle aviation emissions.
Carbon Sequestration
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will reconsider the decision not to proceed with the carbon capture and storage project at Longannet; and if he will make a statement. [99166]
Charles Hendry: The Government announced on 19 October 2011 that a decision had been made not to proceed with the proposed CCS project at Longannet because it was not possible to conclude a deal within the £1 billion the Government have committed. There are no plans to reconsider that decision.
The Government remain firmly committed to supporting the commercialisation of CCS and there are a number of promising projects proposed in the UK. We will launch a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects and a CCS roadmap in the coming weeks.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are responsible for carbon capture and storage. [99527]
Charles Hendry: The current number of full time equivalent staff responsible for carbon capture and storage in the Department of Energy and Climate Change is 31.3.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish his Department's carbon capture and storage baseline risk allocation. [99528]
Charles Hendry: A proposed risk allocation for the CCS project selection programme will be published when the programme is launched in the coming weeks.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he intends to publish the Government's carbon capture and storage roadmap. [99590]
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Charles Hendry: The CCS roadmap will be published in the coming weeks alongside the launch of a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to launch the carbon capture and storage competition request for proposals. [99591]
Charles Hendry: The Government remain firmly committed to supporting the commercialisation of CCS and there are a number of promising projects proposed in the UK. We will launch a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects and a CCS roadmap in the coming weeks.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of (1) the number of commercially-viable carbon capture and storage plants that will be in operation in the UK by 2015; [99593]
(2) the level of installed capacity associated with carbon capture and storage that will be available in the UK by 2015. [99594]
Charles Hendry: Our intention is to launch in the coming weeks a new competition for CCS projects that will assist in achieving our goal of making CCS costs competitive with other forms of low-carbon generation by the 2020s.
The Government have already committed £l billion in funding under the competition. Until we have launched the competition and evaluated bids it is not possible to give a view on the timelines for potential projects.
Carbon Sequestration: Scotland
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on whether the Scottish Government has committed to funding any carbon capture and storage projects in Scotland. [99529]
Charles Hendry: The Scottish Government have not contributed financially to the development of a commercial scale CCS project in Scotland. However, the Scottish Government have contributed to the funding of several offshore storage research projects to help inform CCS deployment in the future.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) when he last met a Minister of the Scottish Government to discuss carbon capture and storage; [99530]
(2) on how many occasions he has met Ministers of the Scottish Government to discuss carbon capture and storage. [99531]
Charles Hendry: Ministers meet their counterparts in the devolved Administrations regularly to discuss a range of energy and climate change issues. In addition, my officials hold regular detailed discussions with their counterparts on specific issues relating to the development of carbon capture and storage.
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Climate Change
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of changes to global temperatures since 2000. [99734]
Gregory Barker: The global temperature record shows that the last decade (2001-10) was the warmest decade in the global surface temperature record (which began in 1850). 2005 and 2010 were the two equal warmest individual years. The Earth has warmed by about 0.8°C since around 1900. Both the geographical patterns and trend of recent warming can only be explained by taking account of human greenhouse gas emissions.
Recently some individual years have not been quite as warm as 2005 and 2010. This is because the long-term warming trend is taking place on top of natural variations. Over periods of up to a decade, natural phenomena, such as Pacific EI Nino and La Nina events, cause year to year variations in the global average temperature that can temporarily mask longer term trends. We will always see such short-term fluctuations and to confirm climate changes we need to rely on long-term trends of longer than a decade.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had on his Department's policy on anthropogenic climate change. [99735]
Gregory Barker: All ministerial meetings with external organisations, including those involving discussions on the Department's policy on anthropogenic climate change, are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the Department's website by clicking the following link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
Electric Vehicles
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of plug-in vehicles to support the development of a UK smart grid. [99491]
Charles Hendry: DECC's Carbon Plan assessed that 20% to 50% of new cars and vans could be battery electric, range extended electric or plug-in hybrid in the UK by 2030. Since they can be charged at any time of the day, plug-in vehicles could help introduce flexibility to the electricity system, allowing electricity demand to be shifted to better match electricity supply and to make more efficient use of network infrastructure.
DECC set up and co-chairs with Ofgem the Smart Grid Forum, a cross-industry group to help develop a smarter grid. A key output of this will be an evaluation framework to assess the costs and benefits of smart grid technologies, including the role played by technologies such as electric vehicles. The work is based on DECC Carbon Plan assumptions of the future take-up of electric vehicles and will inform the investment plans of distribution network companies. The framework will be published later this month.
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Energy
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of households switched energy provider in each region of the UK in each of the last five years. [99164]
Charles Hendry: DECC publishes data on the total number of customers switching from one supplier to another in the UK in its Quarterly Energy Prices reports. However, we do not hold data that show customer switching in each region.
In Q3 of 2011 (latest information available) the number of electricity customers switching was 396,000 and the number of gas customers switching was 318,000.
Energy: Prices
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of firms leaving the UK citing high energy costs. [99725]
Gregory Barker: There is currently no evidence to suggest that high energy costs alone are causing businesses to relocate outside the UK. Furthermore, published research including Climate Strategies(1), the Oko Institute(2) and Cambridge Econometrics(3) suggests that the risk of UK industries moving to third countries as a result of increased costs of carbon in the EU, is limited to a small number of sectors.
Nevertheless, the Government are keen to ensure that climate and energy policies do not lead to competitive distortions and the Chancellor of the Exchequer therefore announced in the autumn statement last year, that Government will implement a package of measures, to reduce the impact of energy and climate change policies on the costs of electricity, for those energy intensive industries whose international competitiveness is most affected by these policies. This week the Government launched a “Call For Evidence” to inform the development and targeting of such measures, available online at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/low-carbon-business-opportunities/energy-intensive-industries
(1 )Climate Strategies (UK) Reports (2007-2009) on: Tackling Leakage in a world of unequal carbon prices:
http://www.climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/32.html
Hourcade et al (2007) Differentiation and Dynamics of EU ETS Industrial Competitiveness Impacts, Climate Strategies:
http://www.climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/6/37.html
(2) Oko-Institut (Germany), Fraunhofer ISI, DIW (September 2008) Impacts of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the industrial competitiveness in Germany:
http://www.umweltdaten.de/publikationen/fpdf-l/3625.pdf
(3) DECC commissioned Cambridge Econometrics report 2010:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/Global%20climate%20change%20and%20energy/Tackling%20Climate%20Change/Emissions%20Trading/eu_ets/news/471-carbon-leakage-ce-report.pdf