Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the likely savings to the public purse in each case. [97670]
Mr Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 199W.
Sahel
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what presence (a) his Department and (b) the Government has in the Sahel. [98844]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development has no presence in the Sahel, but we have a London-based humanitarian team that covers the region. An official from the team visited Niger in February 2012.
The UK Government have a Political Office in Mauritania (with a cross-accredited ambassador resident in Morocco) and an embassy in Mali. Our ambassador to Mali is cross-accredited to Niger. Our regional counter-terrorism adviser in Algiers provides thematic coverage and UK Defence Attaches in Morocco and Ghana provide non-resident military coverage. Our posts in Mauritania and Mali have five or fewer members of staff. This includes UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. For operational and security reasons we are unable to provide a further breakdown of the size of our posts.
Tanzania: Radar
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2012, Official Report, columns 588-9W, on Tanzania: radar, what progress has been made in reaching an agreement on the oversight of the £29.5 million which BAe systems is required to pay to the government of Tanzania; and when he expects the payment to be made. [98937]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: We expect all parties to sign the Memorandum of Understanding governing the use of the payment from BAe to Tanzania this week.
The funds will then be transferred to Tanzania within 14 working days.
Wellingborough
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will relocate his Department to Wellingborough. [99951]
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Mr Duncan: There are no plans to relocate the Department for International Development to Wellingborough. The Department plans to move its London headquarters to more cost-effective accommodation in Whitehall and, as part of this move, will relocate some posts from its London headquarters to its second headquarters in East Kilbride near Glasgow, where around 500 people are currently located (some 40% of the UK-based work force).
Transport
Cycling: Safety
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing a one metre rule for motorists overtaking cyclists; and if she will make a statement. [99043]
Norman Baker: All drivers have a duty of care and consideration to other road users. Rules 163 and 211 to 213 of the Highway Code advise drivers to give cyclists at least as much room as a car when overtaking, and to give them plenty of room and pay attention to any sudden change they may have to make.
Although failure to comply with this advice will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, the Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’.
To make a law that suggest any space less than one metre is illegal when overtaking cyclists would be difficult to enforce.
Driving under Influence: Rehabilitation
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 568W, on driving under influence: rehabilitation, if she will list all the meetings that her Department has had with AA Drivetech where drink drive rehabilitation was (a) a scheduled agenda item and (b) was not scheduled as an agenda item but arose during the course of the meeting. [99755]
Mike Penning: Driving Standards Agency officials have met with AA Drivetech only once, on 17 January 2011. The drink drive rehabilitation scheme was a scheduled agenda item.
Pedicabs
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what insurance is required of owners or drivers of pedicabs and rickshaws plying for hire; [99157]
(2) what assessment she has made of the (a) accessibility and (b) level of compliance with disability discrimination legislation of pedicabs and rickshaws plying for hire; [99158]
(3) how many passengers of pedicabs and rickshaws plying for hire were injured in the last year for which figures are available. [99159]
Norman Baker:
Pedicabs outside London are regarded in law as “hackney carriages” (taxis) and local licensing authorities have the power to license them under the
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existing legislation which applies to hackney carriages. However, in London, pedicabs do not fall within the legal classification of a hackney carriage and are therefore not subject to formal licensing controls.
There is no statutory requirement for insurance for pedicabs in London—they are not licensed and they are on a par with ordinary cyclists who do not require insurance. Where pedicabs are licensed as hackney carriages outside London, the licensing authority will be able to require insurance as part of the licensing process.
In London, pedicabs are the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London. As such, the Secretary of State has not carried out any specific assessment of accessibility or compliance with disability discrimination legislation. Similarly, the Secretary of State has not collated any information regarding pedicab passenger injuries in London.
I do, however, recognise the concerns that have been expressed from a number of quarters and I am pleased that the Law Commission, which at the Department's request is carrying out a review of legislation relating to taxis and private hire vehicles, is including the position in respect of pedicabs as part of that review.
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to increase the sustainability certification of palm biodiesel supplied under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. [99820]
Norman Baker: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order was amended in December 2011 to implement the sustainability criteria of the renewable energy directive. This means that certificates are only awarded for the supply of sustainable biofuels that deliver greenhouse gas savings and do not cause undesirable environmental impacts. Suppliers of palm biodiesel are therefore required to demonstrate compliance with these sustainability criteria to benefit from the incentives available under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.
Rescue Services: Liverpool
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the risk of closing Liverpool Coastguard Station. [99768]
Mike Penning: The decision I announced on 22 November 2011 included an assessment of the systemic risks associated with the existing national coastguard structure, of which Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre forms a part.
The new ‘National Network’ will address these risks through the application of risk controls or mitigation.
This information can be found within the supporting documentation to the Blueprint document that was published to support my announcement. A copy of this document is available in the Libraries of the House.
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Liverpool Coastguard Station will be closed; and if she will make a statement. [99770]
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Mike Penning: The sequence and provisional closure dates for the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) which will close are outlined in the document “Blueprint for Future Coastguard Organisation in the UK”; this document supported my statement to the House on 22 November 2011. A copy of this document is available in the Libraries of the House.
It should be noted that where it is within the control of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the dates and sequence of closure will be driven by operational requirements during the implementation of the programme and, as such, are subject to ongoing review.
Roads: Closures
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to commence the consultation on the closed roads initiative. [99886]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport is currently considering the case for making it easier to hold on-road motor racing events and intends to consult in due course.
Traffic Regulation Orders
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment she has made of the effect that ending the requirement to advertise traffic regulation orders in local print press would have on (a) the number of jobs at local and regional newspapers and (b) local and regional newspaper revenue; [99660]
(2) what steps her Department will take to ensure people without internet access are aware of temporary and permanent traffic regulation orders if the requirement to advertise them in local newspapers is removed. [99661]
Norman Baker: Following an undertaking in our recent traffic signs policy review document ‘Signing the Way’, a consultation to review the requirements placed on traffic authorities when they propose and make temporary and permanent traffic orders was launched on 30 January 2012. Further information may be found on the Department for Transport website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-06/
With regard to the effect the proposals would have on local newspapers, I refer the hon. Member to the impact assessment for the consultation which may be downloaded from the Department's website at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-06/impact-assessment.pdf
It is the responsibility of the relevant highway authority to ensure that members of the public are aware of proposals to make temporary and permanent traffic regulation orders. Alongside the consultation, I launched draft guidance which states that:
“we consider that in most cases on-line publicity alone will not provide the coverage required to publicise traffic orders adequately... the authority will usually need to do something else to inform people.”
The draft guidance also lays out a range of alternative methods of communication that the authority is asked to consider when deciding how to reach their target audience.
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Justice
Cannabis: Convictions
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were charged with possession of cannabis in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) London in each of the last five years. [99309]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for possession of cannabis in the Greater London area (including the City of London and Metropolitan police force areas) from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Charging data are not collated centrally and therefore proceedings data have been provided in lieu.
Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
| Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for cannabis possession, Greater London (1) , 2006 to 2010 (2,3) | |||||
| Area | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Includes City of London and Metropolitan police force areas. (2) 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. (3) 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. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||||
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the maximum number of crimes someone has been convicted of whilst serving a drug rehabilitation requirement in each of the last three years; [99851]
(2) how many convictions have been made in respect of crimes committed by people convicted whilst serving a drug rehabilitation requirement in each of the last three years. [99852]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is not available; this is because the police national computer data held by the Ministry of Justice, which cover offenders' criminal histories, do not enable us to identify convictions that took place while offenders were serving drug rehabilitation requirements.
Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the average time is between the referral of employment and support allowance appeals to tribunals and a (a) hearing date and (b) decision being promulgated; [99484]
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(2) what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average time is for a tribunal to complete a hearing into an employment and support allowance appeal. [99485]
Mr Djanogly: The information is as follows:
(1) During the period 1 April to 31 October 2011 (the latest period for which data have been published) the average time taken from receipt of an employment and support allowance (ESA) appeal by the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Tribunal until (a) the date of the first appeal hearing was 23.1 weeks and (b) a decision being issued was 24 weeks. In most ESA appeal hearings a decision notice is issued on the day of the hearing.
(2) The SSCS Tribunal does not hold information on the single shortest and longest period an appellant waited for a benefit appeal hearing. The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually checking each individual case file. However, during the period 1 April to 31 October 2011, 119,500 ESA appeals were disposed of. Of these 7% were disposed of within four weeks and 0.1% were more than two years old. An appeal may be disposed of without being heard, or be heard on more than one day, for example a hearing may be adjourned for further evidence to be gathered.
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service is working hard to increase the capacity of the SSCS Tribunal and reduce waiting times. It has implemented a range of measures including recruiting more judges and medical panel members; increasing administrative resources; securing additional estate; increasing the number of cases listed in each session; running double shifts in its largest processing centre; running Saturday sittings in some of the busiest venues; and setting up a customer contact centre to deal with telephone inquiries.
All of this is having a positive effect. The number of disposals has increased significantly from 279,000 in 2009-10 to 380,000 in 2010-11 and the tribunal will dispose of around 435,000 appeals this year, with the capacity for half a million disposals in 2012-13. Disposals outstripped receipts for the 10 months between January 2011 and October 2011, and the number of cases waiting to be heard reduced by over 35,000 between April and October. The average waiting time has stabilised nationally, and is beginning to fall in many venues.
EU Justice and Home Affairs
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people worked for the Data Protection Secretariat established by EU Council Decision 2000/641/JHA of 17 October 2000 in each of the last 10 years. [99913]
Mr Djanogly: As at 12 March 2012, there are three officials working for the Data Protection Secretariat. The total number of officials has been the same since the Secretariat was established in 2001.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the UK has enacted all of the provisions of EU Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA; and what assessment his Department has made of its effectiveness in safeguarding victims' rights. [99915]
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Mr Blunt: The UK has implemented the Framework Decision through a combination of legislative and administrative measures. The requirements in the Framework Decision were a step towards enabling UK citizens to travel throughout the EU with the confidence that, should they fall victim to crime in any member state, their rights would be respected when participating in criminal proceedings and they would be able to access a minimum level of support.
However, I share the European Commission's view that the objectives of the Framework Decision have not been fully realised. Last year the European Commission published a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. The UK has opted in to this directive.
Legal Aid: Fees and Charges
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the rate of interest charged on statutory charges for people who have used legal aid; and if he will make a statement. [99891]
Mr Djanogly: Payment of the statutory charge in respect of the legal aid fund must normally be made immediately. Where the charge attaches to property which is being used as the home of the person liable to pay it, or (in family proceedings) money which is to be used to buy a home, enforcement of the charge may be postponed where it would be unreasonable for the client to repay the relevant amount. In those circumstances simple interest is payable at the rate of 8% a year.
Litter: Prosecutions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) charged, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted for dropping litter in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [98804]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for littering offences in England and Wales, 2006-10 can be found in the table.
Charging data are not collected by the Ministry of Justice.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for littering (1) , England and Wales, 2006-10 (2,3) | |||||
| Defendants | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 (4) | 2009 | 2010 | |
| (1) An offence under s.87, 93, 94, 94(8)(9) Environmental Protection Act 1990, as substituted by s.21 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. (2) The figures given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one 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. (3) 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. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court June, July and August 2008. | |||||
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Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the likely savings to the public purse in each case. [97669]
Mr Djanogly: Between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012, the Ministry of Justice did not repeal any regulation that has regulatory impact.
The Ministry of Justice will be considering its stock of regulation as part of the Red Tape Challenge later in the year.
Reoffenders: Housing
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he proposes that housing outcomes will play a role in the payment by results programme to reduce rates of reoffending. [99346]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has no plans to pay providers for achieving specific housing outcomes under its payment by results pilot programme.
For most of the pilots in the programme, providers will be paid by the Ministry of Justice according to their success at achieving a reduction in reoffending. The remaining pilots are testing a justice reinvestment model, targeting a reduction in demand on local justice services. Providers will be given increased freedom to choose the rehabilitation services that are available to offenders within each pilot.
Secure Accommodation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve the advice and assistance provided to young offenders to secure appropriate accommodation on release. [99249]
Mr Blunt: Youth Offending Teams advise and assist young offenders to find suitable accommodation on release, where necessary securing the involvement of the local Children's Services and/or the housing authority who have statutory responsibilities in respect of young people with accommodation and other needs.
The Youth Justice Board is working to encourage the setting up and expansion of regional resettlement consortia to promote closer working between Youth Offending Teams, custodial establishments and their partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors to enhance joint planning and commissioning of resettlement services.
Victims: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of whether the 2011 proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime will improve the position of victims of crime in the UK. [99916]
Mr Blunt: As negotiations on the directive are ongoing it is not yet possible to fully assess its likely impact on the position of victims of crime in the UK. However, we are confident it will significantly improve the position of British victims of crime in other EU countries.
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Youth Custody
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young adult offenders aged 18 to 20 from each local authority area in Wales have been held in (a) young offender institutions, (b) local prisons and (c) other parts of the secure estate in each month since May 2009. [98507]
Mr Blunt: All young offenders sentenced to detention in a young offender institution (YOI), which is the most common custodial sentence for this age group, are held in appropriately designated YOI accommodation within the prison estate. The majority of this accommodation is in dedicated YOIs, although some establishments in the estate have a dual designation (designated both as a prison and a YOI) and hold both adult prisoners and young offenders.
The following table shows the number of offenders aged 18 to 20-years-old with a
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recorded residential address or proxy in each local authority area in Wales who were held in predominant function male young offender institutions, predominant function male local prisons and other prisons (including female prisons) on a set day in each month where data are available since May 2009.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Information on offenders' residences is provided by offenders on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or next of kin address and these figures are provided in the table. If no address is given, an offender's committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. These figures are also included in the table. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders. These figures are excluded from the table.
| Number and location of male and female young adult offenders (aged 18-20) originating from each local authority area in Wales | |||||||||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||||||
| Originating local authority area in Wales | Predominant function | May | Sep | Nov | Jan | Mar | May | Jul | Sep | Nov | Jan |
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Action for Employment
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the tendering process for the OLASS4 contract was undertaken while A4e were under investigation by (a) the Department of Work and Pensions, (b) the Serious Fraud Office, (c) the police and (d) other public bodies. [99565]
Mr Hayes: Under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, decisions about the awarding of contracts are for the chief executive of Skills Funding to make.
In respect of the OLASS4 procurement process, the chief executive is undertaking a procurement process in line with the EU Procurement and EU Remedies Directives. That process is still under way and will not conclude until May 2012 at the earliest.
As part of this procurement, the chief executive of Skills Funding has made clear to A4e that he must have the results of the independent review of audit and control procedures A4e is undertaking into its own operations, and the results of the Department for Work and Pensions' investigation, before any formal contract with A4e is entered into.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he is reviewing (a) his Department's contract for the provision of education of prisoners and (b) any other departmental contracts held by A4e. [99566]
Mr Hayes: The Department has no contracts with A4e.
Contracts for the provision of education in prisons and provision covering adult skills in England are made by the chief executive of Skills Funding, supported by the Skills Funding Agency.
The chief executive is currently undertaking a re-procurement exercise in respect of offender learning and contracts will be agreed in May, at the earliest.
The chief executive has a number of contracts with A4e for adult skills. In the light of allegations, the chief executive has sought assurance from A4e. As part of this, he is sending in auditors, along with auditors from the Department for Work and Pensions, to ensure there is no risk to public funding and will take appropriate action, including removal of contracts, if the audit findings give grounds for this.
Apprentices
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage apprentices to stay with the companies which have trained them; and if he will make a statement. [99612]
Mr Hayes: Apprentices are employees, and will make independent choices about their employment in a similar way to all employees.
Evidence shows that Apprenticeships deliver economic and social benefits to individuals in terms of higher wages and improved employment prospects, to businesses in the form of higher profits and increased competitiveness, and to the wider economy and society as a whole. Satisfaction rates for Apprenticeships are high, with individuals recognising that the impact of Apprenticeship training is significant and helps with career prospects.
Apprentices and employers tell us that doing an Apprenticeship increases workforce morale and individuals’ loyalty to their employer, particularly where employers support individual apprentices to continue to progress within their business.
The Government are working to improve the quality of Apprenticeships and to ensure individuals and employers understand the benefits which Apprenticeships bring. We will continue to champion these benefits to encourage employers to invest in Apprenticeships.
Apprentices: Agriculture
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures the Government has introduced since May 2010 to encourage agricultural apprenticeships. [99783]
Mr Hayes: The Apprenticeship programme is our preferred vocational route. It is demand led, therefore expanding and improving the apprenticeship offer depends on businesses taking the opportunity to employ apprentices.
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) works with employers and training providers to increase their participation in apprenticeship delivery and is particularly working with LANTRA, the sector skills council for land based and environmental industries, to increase growth of apprenticeships in agricultural areas.
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Recent announcements on measures to expand opportunities and boost the quality of apprenticeships apply across all sectors. In particular, up to 40,000 incentive payments of £1,500 will be made available for small employers who take on their first new young apprentices. This may be particularly relevant to the agricultural sector.
We have seen growth in the number of apprenticeship starts in the agriculture, horticulture and animal care sector in the 2010/11 academic year (Table 1).
| Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in the agriculture, horticulture and animal care sector subject area, 2008/09 to 2010/11 | |
| Apprenticeship starts | |
| Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31 January 2012: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current 3. Information on apprenticeship starts by framework and sector subject areas are available in the SFR Supplementary Tables: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/ Source: Individualised Learner Record | |
Consumers: Protection
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department work on (a) promoting fair markets, (b) promoting consumer protection and (c) preventing cartel behaviour; and if he will make a statement. [97626]
Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has 376 full-time equivalent staff working within its Market Frameworks Group. Market Frameworks Group is the part of BIS that is responsible for promoting fair markets. Consumer protection and the prevention of cartel behaviour is the responsibility of the Department's Consumer and Competition Policy Directorate (CCP). CCP has 78 full-time equivalent staff. Of these, 39 work on consumer protection issues and 9.7 on competition. The remainder work across CCP on a range of different issues.
In addition to the staff identified above, others in BIS spend some of their time working in or supporting the work on fair markets, consumer protection and cartel behaviour (eg press officers, better regulation specialists, Ministers' private office staff).
Copyright
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential effects on educational material of any proposed changes to licensing schemes. [98859]
Norman Lamb: There are regular discussions between Government Departments interested in the Hargreaves agenda, which have included discussions between BIS and Department for Education officials.
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Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many away days his Department has held since May 2010; what the location was of each such away day; how many staff attended; and what the cost was of each such event. [93843]
Norman Lamb: The Department has held 64 away days at a cost of £137,000 since May 2010. This includes team and group events. The total number of attendees was 2,815. The average cost per attendee was £48.66. Further details will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Training, planning and performance improvement are essential for the long term success of any organisation, and Government is no different. The change of environment can help teams to focus on the objectives of the day, to ensure they are successful.
Officials at all levels of the Department make every effort to ensure that all such spending is clearly value for money for the taxpayer.
Education: Prisoners
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consultation he has held with stakeholders before the awarding of the contract for the education of prisoners. [99567]
Mr Hayes: All decisions relating to the funding of individual training providers, including the award of contracts for offender learning, are made by the chief executive of Skills Funding, supported by the Skills Funding Agency.
The re-procurement of offender learning (which is currently under way) is being supported by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), which is part of the Ministry of Justice. All decisions about the procurement process are being made in consultation and agreement with NOMS and Prison Governors.
Employment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the UK's position in the OECD Employment Protection Index; and what assessment he has made of the relationship between such rankings and growth levels. [98914]
Norman Lamb: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its reassessment of its Jobs Strategy in 2006 identified the UK as a ‘successful’ employment performer. It also concluded that
“there is no single combination of policies and institutions to achieve and maintain good labour market performance”.
“this allows scope to tailor policy packages to suit national preferences with respect to equity, risk-taking and other objectives.”
The UK is a good example of this. The UK's position in the OECD Employment Protection Index indicates that it is a country with light employment protection legislation. This is partly because social protection in the UK tends
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to be delivered through the tax and benefit system rather than employment regulation. For example, its benefit system tends to be more comprehensive but less generous than in most other countries.
The UK has one of the highest employment rates in the world and its light employment regulation system is a contributory factor in this. Businesses and workers have the freedom to devise the form of work that suits them. It enables work to be combined with their other responsibilities and the rest of their lives. And this is one of the reasons why, for example, female employment rates are amongst the highest in the world as women can combine work with their family responsibilities.
The light employment regulation regime also fits well with other parts of the UK system. It helps to deliver the employment opportunities that the UK welfare to work system can translate into jobs. This synergy between the employment regulation systems and the welfare to work policies is one of the reasons why employment held up well during and since the recession—despite the size of the fall in output.
However, there is still more to do. The Employment Law Review and the welfare to work reforms both aim to make the system even more employment friendly. And the combination of these labour market reforms with the Government's other structural and macroeconomic reforms have the objective of not just boosting employment but also growth and incomes.
Employment Agencies: EU Law
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to review the Agency Workers Directive before the end of its two year trial. [99314]
Norman Lamb: The Government will monitor the impact of the Agency Workers Regulations on our economy and contribute to the EU Commission's review of the directive in December 2013.
On 23 November 2011, as part of a package of reforms to employment law, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), announced that the Government will review the paperwork obligations of the Agency Workers Regulations in 2013.
Government Departments: Procurement
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that Government sub-contractors are excluded from further contracts if they fail to pay their suppliers within an agreed time period. [99013]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The Government recognise that in the past a culture of late payment for work done made it harder for SMEs to do business with government and introduced complications for suppliers managing their cash flow.
It is Government policy to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within five days and to pass 30 day payment terms down supply chains by including requirements for suppliers to do so in contracts.
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Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the completion rate was for students enrolled on designated higher education courses in the latest period for which figures are available. [99049]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes information on non-continuation rates of undergraduate students, including projected outcomes (completion rates), through the HESA Performance Indicators release. The latest available figures show that 79.2% of full-time students starting first degree courses at English higher education institutions in 2008-09 were expected to complete their course and gain a degree level qualification. Figures for the 2009-10 academic year will become available from 29 March 2012.
Further information on HESA performance indicators can be found at:
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/2072/141/
Higher Education Funding Council for England: Manpower
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff were employed by the Higher Education and Funding Council for England in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and how many he expects to be employed in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13. [99364]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has confirmed their staffing level as 251 full-time equivalent staff in 2009-10, 247 full-time equivalent staff in 2010-11 and 247 full-time equivalent staff for 2011-12 which includes 23 vacancies. HEFCE are forecasting their staffing levels for 2012-13 will remain at the same level as 2011-12 at 247 full-time equivalent.
Higher Education Funding Council for England: Operating Costs
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the administration and running costs of the Higher Education and Funding Council for England were in 2010-11; and what he expects those costs to be in 2011-12. [99365]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) net total administration and running costs for 2010-11 were £17.243 million. This was reported in their published annual accounts.
HEFCE's interim accounts for 2011-12 are forecasting administration and running costs of £20.759 million. This figure includes an amount of £4.026 million which in previous years was classified as programme costs. In 2011-12 this was re-categorised following new government guidance on the definition of administration costs. A direct comparison with 2010-11 figures (i.e. with costs categorised on the same basis) would show 2011-12 at a forecast of £16.733 million.
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Higher Education: Admissions
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on removing the cap on higher education places. [99337]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System”, published in June 2011, announced reforms to free up at least 85,000 higher education places in academic year 2012-13. Institutions are allowed to compete freely for students with AAB+ grades at A' level or equivalent and have bid for a flexible margin of 20,000 places to support the expansion of good quality and value-for-money provision. We intend to liberalise higher education places further over the course of this Parliament and will make an announcement on arrangements for 2013-14 in due course.
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places have been reallocated between higher educational institutions as a result of tuition fee differentials; which institutions have (a) gained and (b) lost places as a result of such reallocation; and if he will publish the most recent figures for student retention for all of the institutions concerned. [99655]
Mr Willetts: In order to increase student choice and support a more diverse higher education sector the Government introduced a flexible margin of 20,000 higher education places in 2012/13. This involved the removal of places from all institutions so that they could be redistributed based on price and quality criteria. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) announced the results of this exercise on 7 March 2012. The allocations to institutions are available on the HEFCE website:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2012/margin.htm
HEFCE will publish figures for the overall effect of student number controls on all institutions when it announces provisional grant allocations on 29 March 2012.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes information on non-continuation rates of undergraduate students, including non-continuation following year of entry (retention rates), through the HESA Performance Indicators release. The latest available figures show that 89.4% of full-time students starting first degree courses at English higher education institutions in 2008/09 continued at the same institution the following year. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from 29 March 2012.
Further information on HESA performance indicators can be found at:
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/2072/141/
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an estimate of how many student places could be funded at higher education institutions if the loans drawn down by students enrolled on designated courses were instead accessed by students attending Higher Education Funding Council for England funded institutions. [99938]
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Mr Willetts: In 2010/11, the Student Loans Company provided a total of £42 million in grants and loans to around 5,300 full time students attending privately funded institutions so as to help with their studies.
The same sum would in 2012/13 fund around 3,200 students attending institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Insolvency: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in the City of York were declared bankrupt in each of the last 10 years. [99751]
Norman Lamb: Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies for England and Wales are not currently available at sub-national level.
Quarterly totals for corporate insolvencies in England and Wales are presented in the Quarterly Insolvency Statistics, the latest publication of which can be found on the Insolvency Service website here:
http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/insolvency-statistics.htm
Members: Correspondence
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Leicester East of 7 February 2012 on the final dividend to BCCI creditors. [99034]
Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has responded to the right hon. Member on 13 March 2012.
Retail Trade: Competition
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations he has met to discuss the draft Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill in the last 12 months. [98822]
Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not met any organisations to discuss the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill over the last 12 months.
Since my appointment earlier this year as the Minister responsible for the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill I have met representatives of both suppliers and retailers to discuss the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill: specifically the Food and Drink Federation, the British Brands Group, the British Retail Consortium and ASDA.
Student Loans
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the financial implications of not imposing charges for the early repayment of student loans. [99052]
Mr Willetts: Many borrowers choose to make voluntary early repayments at present. Early repayments of around £251 million were received in the financial year 2010-11. This reduces the long-term public cost of student loans.
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The introduction of a charge for early repayments could have led to changes in borrower behaviour which could affect the level of these repayments.
If early repayments were to cease entirely, the resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge (the cost of the loans to Government) could increase by around 2 percentage points.
The extent to which charges for early repayment might offset these increased costs would be dependent on the level of the charge and the number of borrowers who still chose to make early repayments.
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what quality assurance measures his Department put in place for designated higher education courses on which students may apply for higher education student loans from the Student Loans Company. [99939]
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
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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.