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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Arable Farming: Research
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote research and development in applied arable research in (a) the UK and (b) in collaboration with other EU member states. [99786]
Mr Paice: The UK Cross-Government Food Research and Innovation Strategy sets out the Government's plans for improving the contribution of science and innovation to tackling the challenges facing global food production and ensure translation of science to practical use. Industry, Government, academia and other public funders are working together to implement the strategy through the Food Research Partnership.
The Global Food Security programme and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) led Sustainable Agri-Food Innovation Platform (SAF IP) are two initiatives providing a line of sight between research and end use. DEFRA is contributing £30 million of funding to the SAF IP, which is providing a total of up to £90 million for collaborative research with industry.
At the European level, DEFRA supports agricultural research collaboratively with other member states through the Framework programme (FP7) and the Joint programme initiative and is providing funding for a number of ERAnet projects relevant to agricultural production.
More specifically, DEFRA funds strategic applied research on crop genetic improvement, crop protection and biodiversity to develop sustainable integrated approaches and underpin private sector investment and translational research.
Eggs: Imports
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will outline her Department's policy in relation to the importation of eggs produced from illegal battery farms. [99779]
Mr Paice: My written statement of 6 December 2011, Official Report, column 16WS, sets out the UK's enforcement strategy in relation to the importation of eggs from other member states.
Forests
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what area of forest on the public forest estate managed by the Forestry Commission England is clearfelled each year; [98997]
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(2) what species of trees were replanted by Forestry Commission England on felled areas on the public forest estate in the latest year for which figures are available. [98998]
Mr Paice: Information on the area of land that is clearfelled each year is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following table lists the area of each species planted on the public forest estate during the 2010-11 planting season:
| Species | Area (hectares) |
The entire public forest estate has been independently certified for sustainable forest management, which means that the clearfelling and restocking practices have been independently audited.
Gangmasters Licensing Authority
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make an announcement on the future of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. [99780]
Mr Paice: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 509W, which confirmed that the Red Tape Challenge Ministerial Star Chamber process has endorsed the need for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to enforce protections for vulnerable workers, subject to reducing burdens on the compliant. We will make further announcements on this in due course.
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Livestock: Production
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of trends in levels of livestock production in each of the last five years. [99885]
Mr Paice: The following tables show the value and volume of UK livestock production between 2006 and 2010. These are the latest years for which figures are available, and the data are sourced from the Agriculture in the UK publication produced by DEFRA:
| Value of production (£ million) | ||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Percentage change 2006 to 2010 | |
| Volume of production (thousand tonnes unless otherwise stated) | ||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Percentage change 2006 to 2010 | |
The percentage increase in the value of production is greater than that for volume of production as a result of increased prices in livestock commodities over the period.
Schmallenberg Virus
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential threat of the Schmallenberg virus to cattle and sheep; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent the spread of the virus amongst livestock. [99425]
Mr Paice: The reports of farms affected with Schmallenberg virus in England are an indication of the geographic spread of infection which took place during the summer and autumn of 2011. All the counties where disease has been reported are within the at-risk regions for midge incursion from continental Europe.
We will therefore continue to monitor cases across the UK and test for suspect disease so we can determine what the spread of disease was during that time.
The disease is not notifiable and as such, movement restrictions are not being applied to affected premises.
DEFRA is funding research into finding out more about this virus that will help in understanding how best it can be managed.
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Culture, Media and Sport
Food Standards
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99811]
John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 31W.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings in each case. [98276]
John Penrose: Between 1 June 2011 and 21 January 2012, the Department has repealed:
(i) A number of provisions of the Communications Act 2003, the Media Ownership (Local Radio and Appointed News Provider) Order 2003, and the Communications (Isle of Man) Order 2003, to deregulate the provisions which govern the ownership of local newspapers, radio and television licences. An impact assessment was conducted, which stated that it is difficult to quantify the monetised benefits of deregulation in this case. Further information can be found at:
http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/uploaded/Annex%20B% 20Cross%20Media%20Ownership%20Impact%20Assessment% 20Final%2016%20Nov%2010.pdf
(ii) A provision requiring notice to be served in relation to transport and other works under the Transport and Works (Applications and Objections Procedure) (England and Wales) Rules 2006, which is expected to have marginal savings.
In addition to these repeals, we are introducing deregulatory measures which will benefit business and create savings, including the Adjustment to Gambling Operating Fees, Amendments to Schedule 6 of the Gambling Act 2005 and the Gambling Act 2005: Category B3 Gaming Machine provision. The overall savings from these measures stands at around £9 million.
Also, the Department has played a central role in the Red Tape Challenge, leading the Hospitality Food and Drink theme in partnership with other Departments. We will cut red tape in 62 of the 102 regulations which were looked at as part of this theme; 12 will be abolished, with a further 50 to be merged or simplified. Further information can be found at:
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/themehome/hospitality-food-and-drink/
Transport
Aviation
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many scheduled passenger air routes between Scotland and (a) Brazil, (b) China, (c) India, (d) Japan, (e) Russia and (f) Singapore have been established and operated as a consequence of UK Government (i) bilateral international agreements, (ii) amendments, (iii) memoranda of understandings and (iv) records of discussions since 1982 by year; [99475]
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(2) how many scheduled passenger air routes between London and (a) Brazil, (b) China, (c) India, (d) Japan, (e) Russia and (f) Singapore have been established and operated as a consequence of UK Government (i) bilateral international agreements, (ii) amendments, (iii) memoranda of understanding and (iv) records of discussions since 1982 by year; [99570]
(3) how many slots per week were agreed between the UK Government and the Russian Federation government for passenger air services between (a) London, (b) Manchester, (c) Liverpool, (d) Birmingham, (e) Edinburgh, (f) Glasgow, (g) Prestwick and (h) Aberdeen and the Russian Federation in the latest period for which figures are available. [99572]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The United Kingdom's bilateral air services arrangements do not prescribe the establishment or operation of routes and services, but rather set out the legal and regulatory framework under which services may be operated by the airlines of both sides.
The Government's overall objective for the UK's air services negotiations is to seek to put in place liberal arrangements that reciprocally remove restrictions on market access, maximising competition between airlines, and allowing airlines to operate services based on their own commercial decisions and assessment of market demand.
However, this is not always possible to achieve in the context of a bilateral negotiation, and limitations do still remain in some of the UK's air service arrangements on the number of services that can be operated and, in some cases, on the routeings that may be operated.
The details of the air services arrangements between the UK and the six countries referred to are as follows:
(a) Brazil—no restriction on UK-Brazil routes since 2006 with a current limit of 35 passenger services per week between the two countries by the airlines of each side allowed;
(b) China—restricted to six points in the UK and six points in China since 2004 with a current limit of 31 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed;
(c) India—no restriction on UK-India routes since 2005 with a current limit of 56 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on UK-Delhi and UK-Mumbai services, 14 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on UK-Chennai and UK-Bangalore services, and seven passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on services between any other city pair;
(d) Japan—no restriction on UK-Japan routes since 2008 with no restriction on the number of services per week allowed since 2012 other than to/from Tokyo, where there is a current limit of 28 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed to/from Narita airport and seven passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed to/from Haneda airport during the nighttime/early morning period;
(e) Russia—UK-Russia routes are restricted to eight points in Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk and two other points to be named by the UK) for UK airlines from any UK point, and six points in the UK (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and two other points to be named by Russia) for Russian airlines from any Russian point.
In addition there are limits on the number of passenger services per week allowed between specified city pairs. The current limits for the airlines of each side are 35 passenger services per week allowed on London-Moscow, seven passenger services per week allowed on London-St Petersburg, and seven passenger services per week allowed on services between any other allowed city pair;
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(f) Singapore—no restriction on UK-Singapore routes since 2005 with no restriction on the number of passenger services per week allowed.
Information on the number of passengers travelling between airports in the UK and the six countries referred to is available from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website See Airport Statistics, Table 12.1, at:
www.caa.co.uk/airportstatistics
Information on the number of scheduled air services actually operated between airports in the UK and the six countries referred to is not collected centrally but data on services since 1990 are available from the CAA and I have arranged for them to be placed in the House Library.
Finally, in considering the strategy to be adopted at air services negotiations the Department for Transport routinely consults a range of stakeholders, including interested EU airlines, airport operators and the devolved Administrations, including Transport Scotland.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what proportion of the total value of contracts issued or to be issued by her Department in 2011-12 have required successful organisations to put up a capital bond; and if she will make a statement; [94906]
(2) which contracts her Department has tendered or will tender in 2011-12 which require successful organisations to have a capital bond of more than £5 million; which contracts have not required such a bond; and if she will make a statement. [94928]
Norman Baker: In 2011-12 the Department tendered 77 contracts valued at £618.2 million. Of these, one contract, valued at £417.8 million (67.6% by total value) required the successful organisation to put up a capital bond. The bond was more than £5 million and the details of this are given in the following table. A table showing all other contracts awarded since 1 April 2011 requiring no capital bond has been placed in the Library of the House.
| Contract—Greater Anglia (rail franchise) February 2012 to July 2014 | |
| £ million | |
| (1) Value of the premium to be paid. | |
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) with reference to her Department's publication 2012 Economic Case for HS2 for what reason the projected London to Liverpool high speed rail journey times have increased compared to her 2011 consultation on high speed rail; [99579]
(2) for what reason she has altered the service specification assumptions for the high speed rail network in her January 2012 revision to the Economic Case for HS2; and why this has resulted in (a) reduced high speed services (i) between Preston and London and (ii) between York and Darlington and (b) the removal of HS2 services to Warrington and Wigan. [99580]
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Justine Greening: Indicative service specifications for the HS2 network have been prepared by HS2 Ltd for the purpose of understanding the potential benefits of HS2, for inclusion in the economic case for the project. As the document made clear, these specifications are purely illustrative. Final decisions on service specifications will be taken considerably nearer the opening of the network by a network operator based upon the latest patterns of demand and in consultation with the towns and cities served.
I anticipate that HS2 will generate significant journey time savings not only for the key cities already identified on the network but also a range of other destinations through classic compatible running and other means. HS2 will bring great benefits to the regions served and I look forward to working with them to ensure that all the possible benefits are maximised.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publication 2012 Economic Case for HS2 whether, in order to provide two services per hour between London and Newcastle on the proposed high speed rail network, she considered alternatives to assigning £1 billion to special 260 metre trainsets for Newcastle. [99583]
Justine Greening: HS2 Ltd undertook an investigation of whether it would be practical to operate the standard GC gauge continental trains right through to Newcastle, through gauge clearance works on this section of the East Coast Main Line. The conclusion—as published in the “Review of Technical Specification of High Speed Rail in the UK”—was that the cost of upgrading the route to GC gauge would be between £3.5 billion and £4 billion, comparable to the cost of building an entirely new high speed railway between York and Newcastle.
The additional rolling stock costs included in the most recent economic case reflect the fact that more rolling stock will be required to run the enhanced level of services proposed in the service specification. The planned 260 metre train sets would enable higher capacity services to serve destinations off the HS2 network, bringing significant benefits to passengers. The assumed cost of these 260 metre trains is pro-rata to the mechanically similar 200 metre “classic compatible” trains.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publications Economic Case for HS2 published in 2011 and Economic Case for HS2 published in January 2012, for what reason the projected cost of operating and maintaining the HS2 network over the 60 year appraisal period has increased by £5.9 billion. [99584]
Justine Greening: The reasons are set out at section 4.5 of the “Economic Case for HS2: Updated Appraisal of Transport User Benefits and Wider Economic Benefits”, available at
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/hs2-economic-case-appraisal-update/
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publication January 2012 Economic Case for HS2, what steps she plans to take to achieve the £5.1 billion of operating savings on the existing rail network. [99585]
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Justine Greening: This figure represents the net cost savings from the reconfiguration of intercity services operating on the existing network and increases in other services utilising the capacity released on the existing network as a result of HS2. Separately, the Government are implementing a range of measures to make the railways financially sustainable in the long term. These plans are outlined in the Command Paper, “Reforming Our Railways”, published on 9 March 2012.
Motorways: Closures
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the M3 was closed on 28 February 2012; what steps she is taking to reduce the number of motorway closures; and if she will make a statement. [99155]
Mike Penning: The M3 was closed between Junctions 2 and 3 on 28 February due to a fatal collision, to which the response was police led.
We are taking a number of steps to reduce the impact and number of motorway closures under the CLEAR initiative which includes:
Working with the police to produce training material to reduce collision investigation times and allow lanes for traffic flow to be released sooner.
In turn, the police are revising their Road Death Investigation Manual to give the re-opening of lanes and roads a higher priority.
The Highways Agency is also working closely with VOSA to reduce the number of HGV incidents which result in longer duration closures and can have a significant impact on the motorway network.
Railways: Greater London
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department has done on transferring responsibility for additional rail services in London to Transport for London. [99448]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Department is currently considering the proposals made by Transport for London regarding London rail services. This consideration will take place alongside our assessment of responses to the consultation on the decentralisation of rail services that we have recently published.
Railways: Hertfordshire
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site from (a) local residents, (b) Helioslough, (c) First Capital Connect and (d) St Albans City and District Council. [98034]
Mrs Villiers: None. This is a planning matter for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles).
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) meetings and (b) discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site. [98035]
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Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has not had any meetings with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), about the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site.
Railways: Information Services
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which holders of (a) passenger train and (b) train station licences have not met the Office of Rail Regulation's 1 March 2012 deadline to modify the provision of passenger information during disruptions. [99449]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has informed us that all the holders of the passenger licences and the station licences have accepted the modifications and ORR has made the modifications to the licences.
West Coast Railway Line
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the conclusion of Network Rail and Passenger Focus's report entitled Future priorities for the West Coast Main Line that congestion is projected on the West Coast Main Line at Colwich Junction between 2026 and 2033 created by new high speed rail trains and freight services; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce any such congestion. [99581]
Justine Greening: The report published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus makes clear that the opening of the first phase of HS2 will present valuable opportunities for passenger and freight improvements on the West Coast Main Line, and shows there are a number of potential options for managing the allocation of capacity between passenger and freight services at Colwich Junction. HS2 Ltd is working with Network Rail on a number of interface issues between HS2 and the existing network, including options for making the best use of capacity on the West Coast Main Line to the north of the HS2 junction at Lichfield.
Communities and Local Government
Fire Services: Finance
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take into account in future formula settlements the contribution of Metropolitan fire and rescue authorities to the maintenance of national resilience capacity and support for neighbouring fire and rescue services. [99816]
Robert Neill: Support for neighbouring fire and rescue authorities is a statutory duty and a mutually beneficial process. National resilience capability is funded through a specific grant; neither national resilience nor mutual support is affected by formula settlements.
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Homelessness
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the (a) size and (b) condition of the homeless population. [99312]
Grant Shapps: Homelessness charities regularly publish research and information on the potential size and causes of homelessness. Ministers from this Department regularly meet with key partners in the voluntary sector to discuss homelessness issues.
This Government are committed to tackling homelessness. We have acted decisively to introduce a more accurate assessment of rough sleeping levels so that there is clear information in all areas, to inform service provision and action to address the problem. The previous Government's approach to assessing rough sleeping did not capture the full extent of the problem across the country.
We have maintained funding for Homelessness Grant at 2010-11 levels with £400 million over the next four years. In addition, Supporting People investment at £6.5 billion over the same period will protect the preventative services that help the most vulnerable live independently and retain their tenancies.
On top of that the Government have announced an additional £70 million investment this year:
£20 million—Homelessness Transition Fund to support the roll-out of No Second Night Out and protect vital front line services.
£20 million—Preventing Repossessions Fund to enable local authorities to intervene earlier and help people stay in their homes.
£20 million—Single Homelessness Prevention Fund to help ensure single homeless people get access to good housing advice.
£5 million boost to the Homelessness Change Programme (bringing the total investment to £42.5 million) to deliver improved hostel provision and provide over 1,500 new and improved bed spaces.
£5 million—Social Impact Bond—using a payment by results model to help persistent rough sleepers in London. This is the first Social Impact Bond set up to tackle homelessness in the world.
Housing
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been admitted to hospital as a result of category 1 and category 2 hazards in housing, in each of the last five years. [100153]
Andrew Stunell: This information is not held centrally.
Landlords: Private Rented Housing
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to encourage best practice amongst landlords in the private rented sector. [100112]
Grant Shapps:
In August 2011, a package of guidance for both landlords and tenants was placed on my Department's website. The guidance covered the rights and responsibilities for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector and included advice on best practice.
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We also encourage local authorities and the sector itself to embrace best practice through accreditation schemes and industry-led initiatives such as SAFEagent—a consumer facing campaign to highlight the importance of client money protection.
Local Government: Procurement
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will make an assessment of the use of PAS91 by individual local authorities in England; and if he will make a statement. [99830]
Andrew Stunell: Information on the use of PAS91 is not collected centrally by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Parish Councils: Bureaucracy
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the proportion of taxpayers' money spent by Bayston Hill parish council on administration; and if he will assess the extent to which best practice is being followed. [99831]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the expenditure of individual parishes, and so cannot provide the assessment requested.
Social Rented Housing: West Midlands
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the level of social rented housing provision in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement. [99426]
Andrew Stunell: Figures on dwelling stock in English districts for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 are available in live table 100, which is published on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website at the following link. This gives a breakdown of dwelling stock by tenure including local authority, housing association and other public sector dwellings.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/
Urban Areas: Coastal Areas
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on long-term regeneration of seaside towns. [99250]
Grant Shapps: My Department recognises that coastal and seaside towns face many economic and social challenges and works across Government to support efforts to promote their economic regeneration and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.
In partnership with relevant Government Departments, the devolved Administrations and Big Lottery Fund, it has led work to design and develop the new UK-wide Coastal Communities Fund launched last month. The
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fund will provide funding on a bid basis for projects which support the economic development of coastal communities by promoting growth and jobs. It is a rolling programme with annual bidding rounds, reflecting our commitment to help coastal communities build stronger and more diverse local economies now and in the future.
The Coastal Communities Fund is one of a number of funding schemes supported by the Government which may potentially assist regeneration in seaside towns, including the European Regional Development Fund and the Regional Growth Fund. My Department has also published a regeneration toolkit to accompany the Government's response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee report on regeneration, which has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Indian Ocean Territory
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has responded to any requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration. [99459]
Mr Bellingham: We have responded to 35 Freedom of Information requests since 2005 on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Central Africa
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has given to the authorities in Central African states to assist with the arrest of Joseph Kony. [99432]
Mr Bellingham: Britain is an active member of the International Working Group on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and has the lead in the UN Security Council on LRA matters. We have used these positions to urge the UN missions in the region to co-ordinate better the international response to the LRA. This includes the production of a regional UN LRA strategy and the closer coordination of UN and African Union (AU) efforts. This has promoted dialogue amongst Central African states and their international partners on the best way to tackle the LRA, protect populations affected by their actions and bring Kony to justice.
The British Government support the recent efforts made by the AU to co-ordinate regional military efforts against the LRA, and the appointment of an AU Special Envoy on the LRA. The EU, with British contributions and support, has made a package of support available to the AU to help establish the Special Envoy's office and the co-ordination support it requires.
We have made significant contributions to UN programmes to disarm and demobilise LRA combatants and reintegrate them into their home communities. These programmes have helped to remove a steady stream of LRA combatants from the conflict.
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Embassies: Expenditure
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which 15 nations the Government spent the most on maintaining diplomatic missions in the latest period for which figures are available; to how many missions that sum applied in each such country; what his most recent estimate is of the number of British nationals (a) living permanently in each country and (b) who visit each country each year; and what the monetary value was of UK trade with each such country. [96555]
Mr Lidington: The 15 nations the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent the most on maintaining diplomatic missions with during 2010-11 (in cost order) are:
| Country | Number of posts | Residents (1) | Visits (2) |
| (1) Numbers of residents taken from the IPPR 2010 report “Global Brit: Making the most of the British diaspora” (except where marked). (2) Information on visits can only be obtained from host Governments. Where we can provide this information, it is taken from the 2011 British Behaviour Abroad report. (3) Figure from local authorities. | |||
The figures for our posts in the USA, Belgium, Switzerland and France include the FCO delegations to international bodies such as the UN (New York and Geneva), NATO (Brussels), Council of Europe (Strasbourg) and the OECD (Paris).
The monetary value of UK trade is published at the following links: trade in goods:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=summaryTrade
and via the interactive table tool at:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=td_inttradetables;
trade in services is published in table 9.13 in the Office for National Statistics Pink Book 2011 at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-21551
Iran
Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Chinese and (b) Indian counterparts on trade with Iran. [99726]
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Alistair Burt: The Government discourage trade with Iran. As part of the dual track policy of pressure and engagement, the Government are committed to lobbying other countries to (i) implement targeted UN sanctions against Iran rigorously, and (ii) extend sanctions against Iran to the same level as those agreed by the UK, wherever possible.
The Government regularly discuss these issues with both India and China. In particular, we have recently lobbied both countries to reduce their dependence on Iranian oil following the implementation of a phased oil embargo (by the EU) on 23 January.
Iraq
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [99428]
Alistair Burt: We remain concerned about the fragile security situation in Iraq, including an unwelcome increase in sectarian tensions. I condemned the terrorist attacks which targeted Iraqi police on 23 February. I called on Iraq's political leaders to unite to ensure political progress delivers real improvements in security for all of Iraq's people, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We continue to support the Iraqi Government in its fight against terrorism, including through the training of Iraqi police and security forces, and strengthening the rule of law.
North Korea
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the death of Kim Jong-il and the succession to the leadership of Kim Jong-un on the political situation in North Korea. [99167]
Mr Bellingham: It appears that the succession from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un is progressing smoothly. Everyday life is continuing and the situation in North Korea, and in the region more generally, is calm. However, the situation in North Korea remains unpredictable, making it difficult to forecast how the regime will react.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), welcomed the recent agreement between the US and North Korea on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme in a public statement on 29 February. If the North Korean Government upholds this commitment and seizes this opportunity, it will find that the international community is ready to work with North Korea to achieve lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking in respect of the repatriation of North Korean refugees from China to North Korea; and what assessment he has made of the likely treatment of refugees when they are repatriated to North Korea. [99775]
Mr Bellingham:
We are aware of reports of mistreatment of refugees who have been returned to North Korea. We use every opportunity to raise reported abuses of
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international human rights standards with the North Korean Government, both through the North Korea embassy in London and through our embassy in Pyongyang.
We have also raised our concerns with the Chinese Government about the treatment of North Korean nationals upon repatriation. We have urged Beijing to allow access by the relevant UN organisations to North Korean citizens in China. Most recently we raised this issue with the Chinese Government at the 19th Round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2011. We will continue to raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese Government.
The UK participated in the discussion of last month's report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March. At the meeting we agreed with the Special Rapporteur that all states should adhere to their obligations to provide asylum seekers protection.
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to urge China to abide by its responsibilities under the 1951 Refugee Convention and stop forced repatriation of North Korean refugees. [99776]
Mr Bellingham: We have raised our concerns with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions about the treatment of North Korean nationals upon repatriation, and urged them to allow access by the relevant UN organisations to North Korean citizens in China. This formed a part of discussions at the 19th Round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2011.
We will continue to raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese Government.
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will encourage the BBC World Service to consider establishing a Korean language service to broadcast in North Korea. [99777]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds regular meetings with the BBC World Service to discuss its strategic direction and priority markets. North Korea has been discussed in this context.
However in North Korea it is illegal for citizens to listen to any radio or television broadcasts except those from the state broadcaster. This means the options for reaching audiences are extremely limited and resources devoted to such broadcasting would have a very low impact. This necessarily affects the BBC World Service's decisions on this issue.
Turkey
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely date of Turkey's accession to the EU. [99832]
Mr Lidington: Her Majesty's Government strongly support Turkey's accession to the EU. We believe this would benefit security and prosperity in both the EU and Turkey.
Successive European Councils have made clear that Turkey is a candidate for full membership of the EU and the EU must keep its commitment to candidate countries. Accession for any candidate country is a
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condition-based not time-based process. Turkey must meet all the requirements of the EU acquis before it can join the EU. Turkey has made clear its firm strategic commitment to accession and we support its full membership. The UK works closely with EU member state counterparts and with the European Commission to encourage and support progress in Turkey's accession process.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Manpower
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which constituency offices of hon. Members IPSA staff visited (a) as part of the consultation into staffing needs for hon. Members and (b) for other reasons in the last 12 months. [99240]
Mr Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about visits to constituency offices in the last twelve months.
IPSA staff have visited the constituency offices of MPs for the following constituencies.
(a) As part of the review of the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses:
Barrow and Furness
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Edmonton
Fylde
Islington South and Finsbury
Lewisham, Deptford
Lewisham West and Penge
Luton South
North Ayrshire and Arran
Preseli Pembrokeshire
Putney
Scunthorpe
St Ives
Streatham
Torridge and West Devon
Westmoreland and Lonsdale
Wyre and Preston North
(b) For other reasons:
Ashfield
Chelsea and Fulham
Croydon South
East Dunbartonshire
North Thanet
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Members: Allowances
Sir Bob Russell:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what methods were used to consult members of the public on the hon.
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Members' scheme of business costs and expenses between 24 November 2011 and 20 January 2012; what the cost was of such consultation; and how many members of the public participated in the consultation. [99239]
Mr Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the consultation on the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses.
The consultation document was made available on IPSA's website from 24 November 2011 to 20 January 2012, accompanied by an online survey. The marginal cost involved in hosting the document and the survey on the website was negligible. IPSA pays an annual charge of £395 plus VAT for the survey facility.
Twelve members of the public responded to the consultation document. A further 121 members of the public responded to the consultation survey. The Report on the Consultation and the new edition of the “MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses” were laid before Parliament on 5 March 2012.
Redundancy
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason IPSA decided that staff in receipt of redundancy packages employed by hon. Members prior to the creation of IPSA should not be entitled to a doubling of the statutory minimum in the redundancy package made available for staff on IPSA contracts. [99241]
Mr Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the doubling of redundancy packages for MPs' staff employed prior to the creation of IPSA.
IPSA has no control over contractual arrangements between MPs and their staff that were entered into prior to the creation of IPSA. MPs are free to move staff to IPSA contracts if both parties agree.
House of Commons Commission
Catering
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission what proportion of food procured by the House of Commons (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99812]
John Thurso: The House of Commons catering service is part of the House Service, and therefore is not subject to the Government Buying Standards for food and catering. However, the catering service seeks to follow industry best practice and so has recently completed an audit of its performance against the Government Buying Standards. I am placing a copy of the audit report in the House of Commons Library.
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No record is held of the country of origin of food procured by the House of Commons catering service and so it is not possible to confirm the overall proportion of food sourced from British producers. However, certain categories of food are purchased in accordance with higher animal welfare schemes or standards that demand full traceability through the supply chain, and it is estimated that over the past 12 months: (i) more than 98% of fresh meat and poultry supplies were from British reared and slaughtered livestock; (ii) around two-thirds of seafood supplied was caught in British coastal waters; (iii) all fresh eggs were British, Lion-stamped and Freedom Food assured; (iv) all fresh milk and cream was sourced from UK producers; and (v) all dairy ice creams and sorbets were produced in the UK using local fresh milk and cream.
Home Department
Bank Services
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001, on how many occasions the UK authorities (a) issued and (b) received requests to (i) provide information on a bank account pursuant to Article 1 of the Act, (ii) provide information on banking transactions pursuant to Article 2 of the Act and (iii) monitor banking transactions under Article 3 of the Act in each year since 2002; and how many of each type of request have been granted. [99987]
James Brokenshire: Outgoing requests under EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 are issued directly by UK prosecution agencies and other judicial authorities and are not recorded by the Home Office. The UK Central Authority (UKCA) within the Home Office deals with incoming requests only in relation to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Articles 1-3 of EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 are not the exclusive means by which member states may request banking information. The UKCA records do not distinguish between requests made under EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 and those made on any other valid basis and neither do they distinguish between requests for (i) and (ii). No requests have been received for (iii) although they may not have been separately recorded if made alongside a request for (i) and/or (ii).
Boothby Report
Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the letter of 24 January 2012 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, whether a copy of the Boothby Report has been located; and if this will be made available to the hon. Member's constituent, Mr Paul Cleeland. [97124]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 28 February 2012]: I have been informed that a copy of the Boothby Report has been provided, by Hertfordshire police, to solicitors acting for Mr Cleeland.
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Wildlife Crime
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce international wildlife crime; and if she will make a statement. [99156]
James Brokenshire: The Government works through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to tackle smuggling and trafficking of wildlife. In line with the coalition's commitments, the Home Office is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (which leads on CITES) to ensure an effective multi-agency, operational response to combating the smuggling and illegal trade of wildlife. This includes co-funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which has as one of its priorities tackling CITES related crimes, and it in turn has provided assistance to a range of international enforcement agencies.
This response will be further strengthened by the creation in 2013 of the Border Policing Command, within the National Crime Agency, whose remit will include co-ordinating the activities of the agencies operating in and around the border, principally Border Force, to crack down on the trafficking of wildlife through the UK border.
Crimes of Violence: Pedicabs
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on assaults committed by drivers of rickshaws plying for hire. [99160]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2012]: The Home Office has no records of having received representations on assaults committed by riders of rickshaws plying for hire.
Drugs
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were charged with offences relating to the cultivation of cannabis in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) England in each of the last five years; [99212]
(2) how many people were charged with offences relating to the sale of cannabis in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) England in each of the last five years. [99213]
James Brokenshire: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for cannabis supply and cultivation offences in England and the Kent police force area, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available), is given in the following table.
Charging data at this level of detail are not collated centrally thus proceedings data have been given in lieu.
Court proceedings data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
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| Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for cannabis supply and cultivation offences, England and Kent police force area, 2006 to 2010 (1, 2) | |||||
| Area | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Data relating to the Kent police force area for 2006 and 2007 are known to have been under-reported. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. [Ref: 203-12] | |||||
Child Pornography
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the UK's compliance with EU Council Decision 2000/375/JHA of 29 May 2000, on combating child pornography on the internet. [99919]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2012]: We believe that the UK is fully compliant with the Council Decision. The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. This measure falls within the scope of that decision and will be reviewed accordingly.
The Government take child protection very seriously and strongly support the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre, the internet industry and the Internet Watch Foundation to tackle illegal images of child sexual abuse.
EU Justice and Home Affairs Council
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 520W, on EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, if she will publish the findings of each of the five evaluation rounds conducted under EU Joint Action 97/827/JHA. [99348]
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James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Council Secretariat of the European Union co-ordinates the evaluation process and the final reports. Once finalised, the reports are made public. Final reports on the first four evaluations have been published and can be found on the Council's public register using the following link and document reference numbers.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/documents?lang=en
8648/01—1(st) round report
9615/03—2(nd) round report
13321/07—3(rd) round report
8302/09—4(th) round report
Families
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in her Department are working on the troubled families initiative. [99176]
James Brokenshire: The troubled families team, which administers this initiative, is based within the Department for Communities and Local Government. Officials within my Department are in regular touch with this team on all aspects of the programme, but are not a formal part of the team.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether funding of the troubled families initiative has had implications for the funding of other programmes operated by her Department; what such programmes are; and what funding has been so directed in each case. [99514]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office is contributing £75 million over the next three financial years to the troubled families programme. This funding has been allocated as a result of reduced costs in other areas and from the Department's contingency provision. No previously announced programmes will be cut as a result of this decision.
Firearms: Forensic Science
Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the letter of 24 January 2012 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, whether she has received a response from the Forensic Science Regulator as to whether a review is necessary into firearm discharge residue testing; and if she will make a statement. [97123]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 28 February 2012]: Mr Andrew Rennison (the Forensic Science Regulator) has proposed an initial review of the use of the sodium rhodizonate test in the 1970s. Details of the review were set out in a letter to the hon. Member on 3 March. A copy of that letter has been provided to the Library of the House.
Gold: Theft
Nicola Blackwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is
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taking to reduce levels of theft and resale of
(a)
gold and
(b)
other precious metals. [99129]
James Brokenshire: A number of police forces have seen rises in the theft of gold and other precious metals and have responded by working closely with their communities and businesses to offer advice on security and good practice. How the police respond to local crime priorities is an operational matter for the chief constable and from November this year, police and crime commissioners.
The Home Office will continue to listen to the advice of the police and industry concerning the theft and re-sale of gold and other precious metals and, if appropriate, take steps at a national level in support of local action.
Metropolitan Police Service: Finance
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the Metropolitan Police service received from the European Commission for Operation Golf. [98774]
Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally. Any payments made by the Metropolitan Police Service relating to operational matters, or income received by the force from sources other than the police main grant are a matter for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.
Police
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the draft proposals of the West Midlands and Surrey police authorities to contract out policing services to the private sector; [98817]
(2) what her policy is on the areas of police authority expenditure that are not appropriate for contracting to private sector companies; [98818]
(3) what guidance she has issued to (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) police authorities on the commissioning of front-line policing services from the private sector; [98819]
(4) what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the managing of private sector contracts by police authorities; [99198]
(5) what guidance she has given to police authorities on requirements for due diligence on the letting of police contracts to the private sector. [99199]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office supports police authorities and police forces (and from November 2012 Police and Crime Commissioners) in examining options for private sector partnering as part of broader efforts to reduce costs while maintaining and improving services to the public.
Chief constables and police authorities are responsible for decisions on spending and are accountable for achieving results which ensure value for money.
There is no intention to allow private companies to carry out police activities which require warranted powers except to the extent that this has already been achieved for detention and escort officers by legislation passed under the previous Government.
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Telecommunications: Databases
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests to (a) intercept and transmit telecommunications and (b) intercept, record and transmit telecommunications under Article 18 of EU Council Act of 29 May 2000 (2000/C197/01) have UK authorities (i) made to and (ii) received from other EU member states in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those requests have been granted. [99347]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 March 2012]: The Home Office records do not distinguish between requests coming within (a) or (b). The UK has not made any requests under Article 18. The following table shows the numbers or requests received and granted for each of the last 10 years:
| Received | Granted | |
Treasury
Ministerial Air Travel
Mr Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions he has taken flights to overseas countries on official business since August 2010; what class of travel was used on each such flight; and by whom he was accompanied. [99393]
Miss Chloe Smith: All ministerial visits are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
The Department has committed to publish details of all ministers’ meetings, hospitality and overseas travel, including that of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne). These data are published on the HM Treasury website and can be found at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
Banks: Iceland
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress he has made in recouping the money owed to the UK by Iceland following their financial crisis. [99837]
Mr Hoban: In November 2008, following the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) announcement that the UK branch of Landsbanki was in default, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) began payouts to UK depositors with Icesave. The FSCS made payments of approximately £4.5 billion to UK depositors in Icesave. These payments were made up of three different tranches:
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(a) £2.3 billion for deposit balances up to EUR 20,887 (£16,872) which should have been paid by the Icelandic Depositors and Investor Guarantee Fund (DIGF).
(b) £1.4 billion for deposit balances above £16,872 and below £50,000 which the FSCS is liable for.
(c) £0.8 billion for deposit balances above £50,000 which HM Treasury is liable for.
Negotiations took place with Iceland and in December 2010 a new loan agreement was initialled by the UK and Iceland in respect of the £2.3 billion loan. This loan was ratified by the Icelandic Parliament but on 8 April 2011 the loan agreement was rejected in an Icelandic referendum.
As Iceland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA) will commence proceedings against Iceland in the EFTA Court in respect of this loan. This case, which the ESA is preparing, will confirm whether there is a legal obligation for Iceland to repay the amounts distributed by the UK and The Netherlands on behalf of Iceland.
Details of the Icesave loans as at 31 March 2011, including repayments and interest received, can be found in Section 36 of the Treasury Annual Reports and Accounts 2010-11. The report can be accessed via the following web link:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/annual_report_ accounts140711.pdf
Figures as at 31 March 2012 will be published in the Treasury Annual Reports and Accounts 2011-12.
The Government have exposure to three Icelandic banks in respect of compensation payments to UK depositors: Landsbanki (Icesave), Heritable Bank plc and Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF). However, Heritable Bank plc and KSF are UK-based banking subsidiaries of Icelandic banks and are regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). As such, there is no liability from the Icelandic Authorities.
Business: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in the city of York were registered for VAT in each of the last 10 years. [99753]
Mr Gauke: Between 1999 and 2008, the number of businesses registered for value added tax at the start of the year is shown in the following table:
| City of York | |
These figures originate from the report ‘Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations’, published by the Department for Businesses, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in November
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2008. This report has now been discontinued. An extended series covering the later years can be produced only at disproportionate costs.
Child Benefit: Rutherglen
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency are currently in receipt of child benefit. [99533]
Mr Gauke: There are 13,705 families in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency currently in receipt of child benefit.
This information is published in the HMRC publication ‘Child Benefit Statistics Geographical analysis at Country, Region, Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency levels’. Information for August 2011 can be found at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug11.pdf
Table 6 has this information by Westminster parliamentary constituency.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings to the public purse have been projected from the reform of employment and support allowance in each budget and autumn statement since May 2010. [99486]
Danny Alexander: The information requested is available on the HM Treasury website within Tables 2.1 and 2.2 of the relevant fiscal event documents. The website can be accessed at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
Film
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate his Department has made of the contribution to the national balance of payments of the animation industry; [98547]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the value to the economy of the animation industry. [98549]
Mr Gauke: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), gave on 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 42W.
Food Standards
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99798]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's catering services are currently provided by a sub-contractor to our PFI provider.
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(a) Although there is no requirement in the current contract to meet Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, the sub-contractor works with the PFI supplier and the Treasury to ensure that these standards are complied with as far as practical, bearing in mind it is a commercial organisation and Treasury has no direct contractual relationship with it.
The hon. Member will recollect from my earlier answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1022W, on departmental food, that Treasury will ensure that the new contract references the Government's Buying Standards for Food and Catering as far as possible when the new contract is let in July 2014.
Currently, the catering sub-contractor is accredited by Assured Food Standards and monthly product ranges include Red Tractor products appropriate to the season.
(b) For the period April 2010 to March 2011, the catering sub-contractor sourced 71% of its food supplies from UK food producers.
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount that would be raised or lost in future years if the 50 pence income tax rate were introduced at (a) £100,000, (b) £125,000, (c) £150,000, (d) £175,000 and (e) £200,000 income per annum. [99383]
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from the introduction of the 50 pence tax rate; and what the cost to the public purse has been of collecting it. [99999]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has asked HM Revenue and Customs to assess the revenue from the 50 per cent rate of income tax. HMRC will consider a wide range of evidence including data from the 2010-11 self-assessment returns filed at the end of January 2012.
Until HMRC's assessment has been completed it is not possible to assess the impact of the introduction of the additional 50 per cent income tax rate at different thresholds.
Information relating to the cost to HMRC of collecting this revenue is not available.
Loans: Local Government
Mr Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has estimated how much the Debt Management Office will raise from the financial charge levied on loans provided to local authorities under the self-financing housing reforms. [95716]
Mr Hoban [holding answer 22 February 2012]:If all eligible authorities choose to borrow from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB), which is part of the UK Debt Management Office (DMO), to fund all their obligations under the housing reform scheme, up to £13.4 billion could be borrowed. This would be equivalent to around £4.7 million in fees.
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Fees are non-discretionary and set by regulation and fee income is routinely published in the PWLB's annual report and accounts.
Fees contribute towards the DMO's costs of delivering the PWLB function in the year they are levied, with any surplus being managed by HM Treasury within the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) and in keeping with standard public spending control processes.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings in each case. [97920]
Miss Chloe Smith: Between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012, HM Treasury has repealed the following statutory instruments:
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Revenue and Customs
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the budget is for moving HM Revenue and Customs staff from Wingfield to Lynx House; and whether any costs have been incurred as a result of remodelling facilities to accommodate more people and upgrading the IT capacity at Lynx House; [99861]
(2) what estimate he has made of savings from the closure of Wingfield House; [99862]
(3) how many HM Revenue and Customs staff will be moved to Lynx House; [99864]
(4) what the cost to the public purse will be of increased travel allowances for HM Revenue and Customs staff as a result of moving from Wingfield to Lynx House. [99865]
Mr Gauke: At present the closure of Wingfield House, Portsmouth in 2014-15 is a proposal only and no final decisions have yet been made. The proposal would see all of the staff based at Wingfield House, a total of 454.6 full time equivalent posts, relocating to Lynx House with a small number remaining to provide face to face Inquiry Centre services either from Wingfield House or from an alternative location nearby. However this may alter depending on individual circumstances or on changes to business plans after the feasibility process is completed.
HMRC is currently carrying out feasibility work on all of its proposals and its findings will inform the decision making process. The work undertaken includes looking at the capacity of importing offices along with one to one discussions between staff and their managers to establish how personal circumstances may affect an individual's ability to travel.
If the closure goes ahead financial support in the form of daily travel assistance (DTA) will be considered for those who face increased travel costs as the result of the move. Wingfield House is less than 3.5 miles from Lynx House. DTA will normally be payable for three years to people who qualify but this may be extended to five years for those who relocate outside of reasonable travel.
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HMRC does not intend to publish specific costs or savings arising from individual buildings as there would be issues of commercial sensitivity in doing so. HMRC will be looking at global savings across its estate as a whole both to deliver the efficiencies required by the 2010 spending review and to take into account the Government targets on estate performance and sustainability in place for all civil service Departments.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will leave HM Revenue and Customs through natural wastage in the next 12 months; how this estimate has been made; and whether HM Revenue and Customs took into account the increase in the pension age for women. [99863]
Mr Gauke: HMRC's current forecast anticipates that an average of 265 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts will be lost each month through natural wastage. This figure is an estimate reached at the beginning of the year and may well be reviewed for the future at the start of 2012-13.
This projection was reached using data provided by each of HMRC's lines of businesses. The businesses have provided their projections on the best knowledge they had, including historical data and a forward look. The projection makes assumptions about the number of staff staying on beyond normal retirement age, informed by historical data on hand at the date of the forecast but does not take into account the increase in pension age for women.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the proposed reduction in HM Revenue and Customs staff of 10,000 full-time equivalents will have on the number of staff employed in the Portsmouth office. [99867]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is still drawing up its plans to meet this reduction and it is too soon to say just what this might mean for any individual location. However I can state that HMRC plans a long term future at Portsmouth which together with Southampton forms Solent, one of the 16 key locations where HMRC has announced it will be maintaining operations until at least 2020.
Smuggling
Ian Paisley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to tackle illegal (a) tobaccco and (b) fuel smuggling. [99884]
Miss Chloe Smith: In April 2011, HMRC published a comprehensive new strategy: “Tackling Tobacco Smuggling—building on our success”. The strategy is available in the Commons Library and at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/tackling-tobacco.htm
HMRC also has a comprehensive strategy in place to tackle fuel fraud and crime. The oils anti-fraud strategy was launched in 2001 and has driven down the estimated illicit market considerably in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Government have re-invested over £900 million over the spending review period from 2011-12 to 2013-14 to tackle organised crime and tax evasion, including tobacco and oils fraud.
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Tax Allowances: Film
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered introducing a tax credit for the animation industry. [98548]
Mr Gauke: All aspects of the tax system are kept under review and any new policies are announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), at Budget.
Taxation: Africa
Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to developing countries in Africa of (a) the use of tax havens and (b) corruption by companies based in the UK since May 2010. [99247]
Mr O'Brien: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for International Development.
No such estimates have been made.
Thames Estuary Airport
Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) who (a) he and (b) his officials have met to discuss proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary in the last year; [99413]
(2) how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met individuals or organisations in support of proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary in the last year. [99414]
Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
VAT: Tax Rates and Bands
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had in relation to lowering the rate of VAT on (a) maintenance or home improvement and (b) tourism. [99384]
Mr Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Banks: Foreign Workers
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to make it more difficult for jobs in the banking sector to be outsourced overseas. [98140]
14 Mar 2012 : Column 265W
Mr Prisk: Naturally the Government would like to see as many operations and the jobs associated with them in the UK as possible. We do however recognise the benefits that off-shoring can bring, e.g. improving a firm's competitiveness which may then lead to the subsequent creation of jobs back in the UK. It is companies themselves that are best placed to take strategic decisions about the location of their work force in order to maximise their ability to remain stable and competitive. Government's role is to ensure that we create the right economic conditions within the UK to support that stability and growth.
Business
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to assist businesses to improve their human resource functions. [99887]
Mr Prisk: All Government support and advice for businesses is available at:
www.businesslink.gov.uk
That is the Government's online information service for businesses which we have recently updated and improved. Improvements include a new growth and improvement service and “my new business”, a comprehensive start-up service which includes a range of online information, training modules, and practical guides. There is also a range of specific information and tools available under “Employment and Skills” to help businesses improve their human resource capability including recruitment, pay, managing people, conflict resolution and dismissals.
In addition, we have facilitated a new national network of experienced business mentors.
www.mentorsme.co.uk
provides a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK and aims to raise awareness of mentoring. It currently provides access to around 75 mentoring organisations and through them 11,000 mentors and this number continues to grow. It offers both free and paid for mentoring on a range of issues.