Solar Power
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the average cost of a 4 kilowatt solar installation in England excluding the purchase cost of the solar panels. [102002]
Gregory Barker: DECC published an updated assessment of solar PV costs in January 2012, prepared for DECC by the engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff. This update estimates the installed costs for PV systems of different sizes, including how costs are split between PV modules, inverters, other components, and installation and project costs.
The report is available on the DECC website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/4290-solar-pv-cost-update-report--3-feb-2012-.pdf
DECC is collecting evidence to update its cost estimates to support the Government response to the current consultation on solar PV cost control, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/fits-review/4309-feedin-tariffs-scheme-phase-2a-consultation-paper.pdf
The consultation closes on 3 April.
Transport
Air Traffic Control
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of levels of pollution and fuel use of stacking at UK airports; what steps she plans to take to reduce stacking; and if she will make a statement. [101776]
Mrs Villiers: We support the Civil Aviation Authority’s Future Airspace Strategy, a key aim of which is to reduce the environmental impact of aviation at all stages of flight. This includes the objective to reduce significantly the amount of time which aircraft hold before they land.
Rail Freight: Radlett
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received on the Helioslough applications for development of the former Radlett aerodrome site; what representations she or Ministers in her Department have made on this matter; and what meetings she or Ministers in her Department have held on this matter. [98944]
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Mrs Villiers [holding answer 8 March 2012]: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has had no meetings or discussions about the Helioslough application.
On 12 May 2011, I met the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill), to discuss general planning issues related to strategic rail freight interchanges, at which the Radlett application was mentioned. This followed a conversation I had with the Minister about rail freight interchanges and the Radlett proposal which took place in Parliament in the autumn of 2010.
In a private capacity, I had lunch on 10 August 2011 with Simon Hoare of Community Connect Ltd, who is retained by Helioslough Ltd, and the matters we discussed included the Radlett proposal. On 10 November 2011 my office received an e-mail from Simon Hoare with a document attached entitled “Radlett SRFI—The economic benefits”, which was passed to policy officials in the Department to respond to. The document was not passed on to ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport or the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The Helioslough application is currently subject to a planning appeal which has been called in for determination by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles). The Secretary of State for Transport is not a party to this determination but, at the invitation of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, did submit a “Rule 11” statement of case setting out current Government policy on strategic rail freight interchanges.
Aviation: Working Hours
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will negotiate an opt-out for the UK from the European Aviation Safety Agency proposals to change the flight time limitations for flight crew. [100825]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 March 2012]: Opt- outs from the proposed implementing rules on flight time limitations are not permitted by the enabling legislation, adopted in 2008.
Driving Offences: Insurance
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what policies she is pursuing to reduce the incidence of uninsured vehicles on the road in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) England and Wales; and if she will make a statement. [101383]
Mike Penning: The policies, which are not determined by county, to reduce uninsured driving are:
(a) Enforcing action against offenders who keep a vehicle without insurance, known as the continuous insurance enforcement scheme (CIE). This has been enforced since last June;
(b) Tackling fraud by working with the insurance industry to allow them access to DVLA driver details on penalty points and disqualifications.
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The Government are also concerned that the rising cost of insurance may tempt motorists to drive uninsured and are working closely with the insurance industry on measures which will help reduce premiums. An industry summit was held on 14 February on the cost of insurance.
Driving Under Influence
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 December 2011, Official Report, columns 56-8WS, on court notification of drink-drive offences, what progress she is making on her investigation into the sharing of data between the police, courts and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. [101469]
Mike Penning: Since my statement to the House, significant progress has been made in introducing safeguards to the data-sharing arrangements between the police, courts and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
These safeguards, which were introduced in December 2011, now prevent court notifications being processed for drink driving offences unless they contain a valid alcohol reading.
Substantial progress has also been made in identifying the drivers affected by the problem and arranging for them to undertake the necessary medical examination. Only a small number of cases remain outstanding.
DVLA
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had on plans to move DVLA data services offshore. [101353]
Mike Penning: There are no plans to move DVLA data storage services offshore or for DVLA data services to be run from abroad.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ask High Speed 2 to publish the study of the adequacy of the capacity of the single track scheme referred to in her Department's White Paper. [99957]
Justine Greening: HS2 Ltd has reviewed these issues following the consultation, and on the basis of this analysis my assessment is that the link provides sufficient capacity to meet likely demand for the foreseeable future across all rail service types. HS2 Ltd's findings are presented in the “Review of Possible Refinements to the Proposed HS2 London to West Midlands Route”.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's publication, Economic Case for HS2, January 2012, what the projected change is in the (a) capacity and (b) frequency of intercity rail services compared to existing services. [101470]
Justine Greening: As was set out in the Department's publications in January, HS2 trains will have up to 1,100 seats, which is more than double the maximum capacity of intercity rolling stock currently in operation. HS2 will be able to carry up to 18 trains per hour.
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Depending on the rolling stock configurations and service specifications ultimately implemented on the existing network and on the HS2 Y network, it would be possible approximately to double current levels of intercity rail capacity serving the cities of the midlands and the north.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason high-speed rail services from London to Liverpool will take 40 minutes longer than the London to Manchester journey. [101471]
Justine Greening: HS2 services to Liverpool will provide substantial improvements in capacity and journey times. The journey time quoted in the January 2012 publications reflects only one possible configuration for the network north of the west midlands. The final journey times to Liverpool and Manchester will depend upon a range of issues, including the route for Phase 2.
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Carbon Plan, when her Department will publish the review of its strategy to support transition from early ultra-low emission vehicle market to mass market. [100863]
Norman Baker: On 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 38WS, I announced that the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk), and I had reviewed the case for the Plug-In Car Grant, concluded that there remains a strong case for the grant and therefore decided to extend the incentive to include vans and also to continue the Plug-In Car Grant at the current level out to 2015.
Office of Rail Regulation
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has carried out a regulatory impact assessment on the proposal in its Command Paper, entitled “Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First”, to move responsibility for issues such as monitoring of passenger complaints handling processes to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and explore the potential to give the ORR a role in relation to train operator performance; and if she will publish the conclusions of any such assessment. [101937]
Mrs Villiers: The Command Paper and the consultation document “A greater role for ORR regulating passenger franchisees in England & Wales” set out a number of options for the transfer of responsibilities from the Department for Transport to the Office of Rail Regulation. The Department and the ORR have not carried out an impact assessment at this stage. Once we have considered consultation responses and developed a more definitive package of proposals, we will develop impact assessments for any proposed transfer.
Pay
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had on the introduction of regional pay in her Department. [102196]
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Norman Baker: The Department is still considering its plans on reform of pay arrangements in light of the recently issued civil service pay guidance for 2012-13. This process takes place every year and departmental officials will begin consultation with the TUS in each of the Agencies and DFT(c) in the coming months.
Railway Stations: Parking
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action she is taking to ensure that railway stations have adequate car parking capacity to encourage more long-distance commuters. [101509]
Mrs Villiers: As part of individual franchising competitions, the Department expects bidders to consider investment in additional car parking spaces where utilisation and demand is high and capacity constraints exist in order to grow patronage and revenue.
A number of recent franchise competitions have demonstrated commercial cases for development of such schemes and have led to increases in the number of car parking spaces offered.
In addition, the £100 million Station Commercial Project Facility is designed to support commercially focused projects at stations across England, including car parking facilities, in the period up to 2014.
Railways: Northumberland
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) consideration she has given to and (b) plans she has drawn up for a Northumbria rail franchise. [101924]
Mrs Villiers: On 8 March 2012 the Government initiated consultation on further decentralisation of rail powers in England. It invites expressions of interest from sub-national bodies in taking over responsibilities for rail franchising, which currently rest with central Government.
Traffic Penalty Tribunal
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the process is for the appointment of the Chief Adjudicator at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal; [101648]
(2) whether her Department provides training to staff at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal on dealing with correspondence from hon. Members; [101649]
(3) whether her Department has made any contributions towards the pension fund of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal in the last five years; [101650]
(4) whether staff salaries at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal have been frozen in line with Government policy on public sector pay; [101651]
(5) what information her Department holds on the salaries of staff at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal; [101652]
(6) whether her Department has conducted a recent review of the effectiveness of the Traffic Penalties Tribunal; and if she will make a statement. [101750]
Norman Baker:
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal is a fully independent body established under statute. Under the legislation the arrangements for providing adjudication
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are agreed by a joint committee of councils that operate civil parking and bus lane enforcement, and which also jointly agree, with the Lord Chancellor, the appointment of adjudicators. The Department for Transport has no role in either the funding or operation of the tribunal under the legislation.
Transport: Further Education
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of students (a) cycle, (b) walk, (c) take public transport and (d) are driven in a private car to (i) further education and (ii) sixth form colleges in England in each local authority area. [102018]
Norman Baker: Figures at national level are available from the Department's National Travel Survey for travel to or from educational establishments for those aged 16, 17, and 18. The latest figures are presented in the following table.
| Trips for education purposes (1) by individuals aged 16 to 18 by main mode: England, 2009-10 (2) | |
| Main mode | Proportion of trips (percentage) |
| (1 )Excludes long-distance journeys (greater than 50 miles). (2 )Two survey years combined (2009 and 2010) for a larger sample size. (3 )All other modes of transport. | |
The Department for Education has published school- level information on mode of travel to school as at January 2011. The data identify the local authority area within which each school lies and include information on the travel patterns of pupils aged 16 and over. However, institutions other than schools (e.g. further education colleges or stand-alone sixth form colleges) are not included.
This information is contained within the Department for Education report “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011” which is available for download at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00196810/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2
Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of each type of crime related to alcohol duty fraud in each of the last five years. [101963]
Mr Blunt:
The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the specific circumstances of each case. From
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centrally held data it is not possible to separately identify specific offences related to alcohol duty fraud from other offences of fraudulently evading duty on goods under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and under the Licensing Act 2003 the keeping of goods without payment of duty.
From information available centrally, there have been no reports of convictions in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 under the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 for offences of buying or possessing spirits known to have been removed unlawfully from storage before duty has been paid.
The latest currently available data on court proceedings cover the period to the end of 2010. Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication on 24 May 2012.
Debt Collection: Regulation
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is taking steps to address the concerns raised by the Financial Ombudsman Service on the risk to consumers of a double disadvantage when using claims management companies. [101272]
Mr Djanogly: Consumers considering using the services of claims management companies (“CMCs”) should be in a position to make an informed choice about whether the service they are being offered is suitable for them and provided on appropriate terms. CMCs are required to give consumers clear, honest, comprehensive and objective information about the options available for pursing their claims, and the associated costs and risks involved. The Claims Management Regulation Unit will investigate and take enforcement action as appropriate against any CMCs that adopt poor business practices, particularly those which take advantage of consumers. Enforcement action taken can range from warnings, restrictions on CMC licences, suspension or cancellation of licences.
Fraud: Social Security Benefits
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number was of previous convictions for social security benefit fraud for an individual convicted of an offence of social security benefit fraud without being sent to prison in each of the last three years; and how many offences they had committed at the point of sentence for the most recent offence. [101787]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the highest number of previous convictions for social security benefit fraud for individuals convicted of this offence in the years 2008 to 2010 who received a sentence other than immediate custody. The three individuals who had, respectively, 10, 17 and 12 convictions for benefit fraud had all of these offences dealt with on one sentencing occasion. It also shows the total number of previous offences for any offence at the point of sentence and the number of previous immediate custodial sentences for any offence. The figures provided cover social security benefit fraud under section 13 of the Social Security Administration Fraud Act 1997.
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These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large-scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100901]
Mr Djanogly: The Media Monitoring Unit has provided the media monitoring services to the Ministry of Justice in each of the last five financial years, the period between April 2007 and March 2012.
The Department has also used the press cutting services provided by Durrants and Precise during the same period. In common with other Government Departments of a similar size, the Ministry of Justice monitors a wide range of media to ensure Government policy is reported accurately and inaccuracies are rebutted.
Defence
Criminal Investigations
17. Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the recent transfer of criminal investigations from his Department's Police Criminal Investigations Department to the Home Department; and if he will make a statement. [101612]
Mr Robathan: I will be making a written statement tomorrow that will explain our proposals for the MOD police criminal investigation department. The proposals will then be the subject of consultation with the staff associations and trade unions concerned and with other key stakeholders, including the Home Office.
Afghanistan
18. Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK troops will play in Afghanistan after 2014; and if he will make a statement. [101613]
Mr Philip Hammond: By the end of 2014, UK forces will not be serving in Afghanistan in a combat role and there will not be anything like the number of British troops that are there now.
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However, we are clear that our long-term commitment to Afghanistan will last well beyond 2014. As part of our enduring legacy we have already made a commitment to UK troops supporting the development of the Afghan national security forces by providing training at the new Afghan national army officer academy. No further decisions have yet been made about any other longer-term residual presence. It is likely that some troops will remain in a non-combat role for a period of some months after completion of security transition at the end of 2014 to finalise our logistics draw-down.
20. Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made on plans for the withdrawal of UK armed forces from Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [101615]
Mr Philip Hammond: As the Prime Minister has said, UK force levels in Afghanistan will reduce from 9,500 to 9,000 by the end of 2012. By the end of 2014, British troops will no longer be in a combat role and will not be in Afghanistan in anything like the numbers they are now.
The Prime Minister has made it clear that there should not be a “cliff-edge” reduction to our force levels in 2014. Planning continues, in conjunction with ISAF allies, to consider our force trajectory through to the conclusion of transition at the end of 2014.
The UK and the international community are committed to Afghanistan for the long term, and some UK troops will remain after 2014. The UK has already committed to a long-term training role with its leadership of the Afghan national army officer academy.
22. Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK troops will play in Afghanistan after 2014; and if he will make a statement. [101617]
Mr Philip Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Amber Rudd).
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions there have been mechanical failures with (a) C17 aircraft and (b) transport aircraft en-route to Afghanistan since May 2010; [100496]
(2) on how many occasions there have been mechanical failures with transport aircraft during a trip to Afghanistan which has resulted in delay of the journey since May 2010; [100497]
(3) on how many occasions a fuel tank has been dumped from a military transport aircraft during a journey to Afghanistan; and for what reason on each such occasion; [100759]
(4) on how many occasions Tristar aircraft travelling to Afghanistan have experienced an air leak which has grounded the aircraft since May 2010. [100824]
Nick Harvey
[holding answer 19 March 2012]: Air leaks or the need to dump fuel in flight are rare occurrences. The detailed information requested for unserviceabilities
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on airbridge flights that occurred after departure from RAF Brize Norton is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Any delays to the airbridge are regrettable, but we must recognise the difficult circumstances in which it operates, transporting large volumes of personnel, equipment and supplies under operational conditions. In many cases, engineers are able to rectify unserviceabilities quickly or, to minimise the overall delay, another airframe may be substituted to undertake the task.
Conflict Prevention
19. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to support conflict prevention; and if he will make a statement. [101614]
Mr Gerald Howarth: Together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence is a full partner in the Government’s building stability overseas strategy, which aims to address instability and conflict overseas. We have been equally involved in its implementation and in all work to date, including in such places as Somalia, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan.
We are also working closely with the FCO in the development of our defence engagement strategy. As well as ensuring that the MOD contributes effectively to the building stability overseas strategy, it will set out how we will prioritise our defence diplomacy activities and contribute to the Government’s wider objectives overseas.
Children: Service Personnel
21. Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to support the children of service personnel. [101616]
Mr Robathan: As part of our commitment to the armed forces covenant, the Ministry of Defence has taken major steps to support children of service personnel, including appointing a director of children and young people to work closely across Government and with external organisations to provide direction, co-ordination and cohesion in this important area.
In the past year we have delivered a range of initiatives across Government specifically targeted at supporting service children, including the delivery of a scheme to provide scholarships to bereaved service children.
For the children of those currently serving we have introduced with the Department for Education the pupil premium, which is paid to schools at a rate of £200 per child to help them provide additional support to service children. This amounted to some £9 million for 2011-12 and will rise to £11 million in 2012-13, with the increase in the rate to £250 per child.
In addition, we have set up a new fund of £3 million per year which is available to state schools and academies with service children, including those of reservists, to help mitigate the impact of mobility and deployment within the armed forces. I recently visited
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Alderman Pounder School in Nottingham, which has received a £50,000 grant under the scheme.
We continue to explore what more we can do.
Trident
23. Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the study on alternatives to Trident to be completed. [101618]
Nick Harvey: The Trident alternatives review is expected to report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at the end of this year.
Syria
25. Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on defence policy on Syria. [101620]
Mr Philip Hammond: There have been no formal ministerial discussions between NATO Defence Ministers on defence policy on Syria. However, I do discuss defence and security-related issues with my NATO counterparts and others on a routine basis.
Armed Forces
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to ensure extremist political groups have not accessed and influenced the armed forces and cadet forces. [101274]
Nick Harvey: The threat from extremist groups is kept under review by the Government. Regular and reserve service personnel are prohibited from participating actively in political organisations, are subject to recruitment and national security vetting checks and are exposed to a continuing process of education and training which enhances security awareness and reinforces the services' core values and standards.
Armed Forces: Accommodation
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for additional funding for forces' accommodation (a) nationally and (b) in Northumberland. [101538]
Mr Robathan: The Government have just announced £100 million of further investment in financial year 2013-14. This will be used to deliver new and refurbished single living and service family accommodation, essential work to prepare vacant homes for occupation in areas of high demand and the purchase of new homes in such areas.
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It is currently too early to say what the implications will be for accommodation in Northumberland.
Defence Equipment and Support
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to publish Bernard Gray's proposals for reforms to Defence Equipment and Support. [101187]
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which companies the Chief of Defence Materiel has had discussions on the future of the Defence Equipment and Support organisation. [101693]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is committed to improving the performance of Defence Equipment and Support through the Materiel Strategy. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), explained in his written ministerial statement of 1 March 2012, Official Report, columns 39-41WS, that we have asked the Chief of Defence Materiel (CDM) to examine options for increasing the role of the private sector in Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).
This analysis is still ongoing. CDM and his officials continue to engage widely with all stakeholder groups, including the private sector. Our records show that over the last year discussions with industry have occurred across a variety of forums, including industry days, workshops and individual discussions, and with more than 140 companies. I will write to the hon. Members with the information requested. In addition, DE&S has now begun a soft market testing exercise to obtain the market's view and explore the potential roles for the private sector in DE&S.
No decisions have been taken about the future status of DE&S. Ministers will review the options in light of this further work and intend to make a decision to take forward later this year.
HMS Vengeance: HMS Vanguard
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the contract to refit and refuel HMS Vengeance has been signed by the contractor; [100081]
(2) how many days in advance of Vanguard submarines arriving in Devonport for refuelling and refit the contract for that work was formally signed off. [100082]
Peter Luff [holding answer 15 March 2012]: The Ministry of Defence has today announced the Long Overhaul Period (Refuelling) (LOP(R)) of HMS Vengeance. This is an essential activity to ensure that she can operate for the remainder of her service life. This £350 million contract will support 2,000 UK jobs.
The following table provides details of the scheduling information requested for the Vanguard Class submarines and their LOP(R).
| Vanguard Class submarine | Arrival in Devonport | Date work commenced | Contract for LOP(R) signed | Number of days between arrival and LOP(R) contract signature |
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Although work to prepare some of the submarines commenced prior to the LOP(R) contracts being signed formally, this work was covered commercially by the existing dockyard sale agreement and its supporting enabling arrangements.
Major Projects Review Board
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Major Projects Review Board has saved since it was established. [101154]
Peter Luff: The Major Projects Review Board was set up in 2011 to give Ministers the opportunity to review the Ministry of Defence’s major programmes on a quarterly basis and ensure that they are on time and on budget. Since its inception in 2011, the Major Projects Review Board has directed action in a number of cases that has led to financial settlements that have reduced the cost to the Department. I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Ministry of Defence Police Criminal Investigation Department: Public Finance
Graeme Morrice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Ministry of Defence Police Criminal Investigation Department; and how much money was recovered by the Ministry of Defence Police Criminal
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Investigation Department in each of the last five years. [101514]
Mr Robathan: The operating cost of the Ministry of Defence Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 2010-11 was £10.144 million. The following table shows the monies recovered (through confiscation, compensation, cash seizure and asset recovery) by the CID in each of the last five years.
| Financial year | Total (£) |
Royal Navy: Redundancy
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each rank in the Royal Navy have (a) been made redundant compulsorily and (b) taken voluntary redundancy in the last period for which figures are available. [101483]
Mr Robathan: 990 Royal Navy personnel have been made compulsorily redundant. This comprises 670 applicants and 320 non-applicants. Applicants are due to leave the service by 31 March 2012 and non-applicants by 30 September 2012.
| Royal Navy Rank | Applicant | Non Applicant | Total |
These figures do not include Royal Marines.
Home Department
Catering
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on complimentary refreshments for (a) staff and (b) visitors in the latest period for which figures are available. [101446]
Damian Green: The Home Office has spent £214,059.72 on complimentary refreshments for staff and visitors during the period April 2011 to January 2012. Records do not split the information between staff and visitors.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is of the contract between the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and BAE System Detica. [99035]
Damian Green: The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) does not have a contract with BAE Systems Detica. However, Detica is a Strategic Partner to CEOP, providing on a pro bono basis data technologies which enhance the speed and efficiency of CEOP's work to safeguard children and apprehend offenders.
The value of this pro bono support in the financial year 2010-11 was £476,123.41. All of CEOP's partnerships comply with the Centre's relationship management strategy, which is available on
www.ceop.police.uk
CEOP's partnership activity is overseen by an independently chaired relationship management group.
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Cybercrime
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 569W, on cybercrime, what definition her Department uses of cybercrime; and whether that definition is used by (a) other Government Departments and (b) the Attorney-General. [102019]
James Brokenshire: The Government's Cyber Security Strategy made it clear that there are crimes which only exist in the digital world, in particular those that target the integrity of computer networks and online systems. However, cyberspace is also used to commit crimes such as theft and fraud, often on an industrial scale. The internet has provided new opportunities for those who seek to exploit children and the vulnerable.
As the Solicitor-General's answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 437W stated, there is no offence of cybercrime in law. Offences involving illegal access to computer systems may be prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, but many other offences committed online would be prosecuted under legislation dealing with the substantive offence, such as fraud.
Immigration Controls
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times e-passport gates have broken down in the last 12 months. [98713]
Damian Green: e-passport Gates were reported as faulty or broken down on 535 occasions between February 2011 and January 2012. This compares with 694 occasions between February 2010 and January 2011.
These reported fault figures reflect various levels of severity. In the majority of cases where a fault has meant the closure of a gate the resilience of having a bank of up to five gates allows the other gates to continue to operate, thereby continuing to offer an automated clearance option to eligible passengers.
Missing Persons: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been reported as missing in the West Midlands since May 2010; and what proportion have not yet been found. [100088]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 15 March 2012]: Data obtained directly from the West Midlands police force in response to this question indicate that from 1 May 2010 until 13 March 2012, 21,961 missing persons reports have been created. However, this is not necessarily 21,961 individual missing people as some individuals are reported missing on more than one occasion.
Of this number, 43 cases are currently active missing people investigations (i.e. people currently reported missing and the police are pursuing active lines of inquiry to trace them) and 57 are inactive cases. Inactive cases are where the person has not been found and there are no current active investigations, although each inactive case is subject to an annual review. The Missing Persons Bureau obtains specific data on individual missing person
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cases on a day-to-day basis and obtains anonymised data quarterly on all missing persons reported to the police. As a consequence, the precise information required to answer this question is not currently held centrally.
The data were obtained from an operational system and are therefore provisional and subject to further quality assurance checks.
Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the effect upon not-for-profit organisations providing immigration services if the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner becomes self-funding and imposes a licence fee upon registered organisations; [101055]
(2) if she will give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner the power to make unannounced audit visits; [101056]
(3) if she will give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) the power to rescind registration of OISC organisations at any time, rather than at the dates of their continued registration; [101058]
(4) if she will give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner the power to deregister a business; [101059]
(5) if she will give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner the power to suspend immigration advisers pending the outcome of investigations into criminal activities; [101061]
(6) if she will give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner the power to authorise supervision of individuals who have had their registration revoked. [101062]
Damian Green: The role of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) was reviewed in 2011 as part of the public bodies review. The conclusion reached was that the services provided by the OISC are best delivered in their current form. The options for enhancing the way in which the OISC regulates immigration advisers will be kept under review.
Passports
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to consult on the removal of gender markers from passports. [101673]
Damian Green: “Advancing Transgender Equality —A Plan for Action”, published by the Home Office on 8 December 2011, set out the Department's commitment to review how gender identification is represented in passport application forms and passports. The Home Office is engaging with international partners on the security and personal safety implications of gender displayed in the passport as part of the normal process of working with partners to ensure that the British passport holder is able to travel freely, securely and without hindrance. The Home Office will contact key stakeholders in the UK in the light of the outcome of discussions.
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Passports: Databases
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Article 3 of EU Council Common Position 2005/69/JHA, with how many EU member states the UK exchanges present and future passport data. [101729]
Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) does not share this data directly with any EU member state. The IPS provides lost and stolen passport data to Interpol via the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on a daily basis, to assist with the international policing of borders. This arrangement has been in place since 2004. In accordance with Article 3, SOCA shares the information only with other Interpol members that ensure an adequate level of protection. These data are set out in Article 2. Only the passport number, lost and stolen reference and issue date are provided.
Private Investigators
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private investigators have been hired by her Department in each of the last five years. [100988]
Damian Green: The Home Office, including its Executive agencies, has not contracted with private investigators in the last five years.
Proceeds of Crime: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK has fully enacted the provisions of EU Council Decision 2005/222/JHA; and what assessment her Department has made of its effectiveness in tackling attacks against information systems. [101927]
James Brokenshire: The UK has enacted the provisions of the Decision mostly through existing domestic legislation such as the Computer Misuse Act. The UK did not apply the discretionary provision under Article 10 (1)(b) regarding extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) by nationality.
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.
UK Border Force
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the likely cost to the public purse will be of her plan to split the UK Border Agency and the UK Border Force. [101051]
Damian Green: There will be no additional costs to the public purse.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where the head office of the UK Border Force will be. [101054]
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Damian Green: The interim director-general of Border Force is based in the Home Office HQ at 2 Marsham street, London.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what operational responsibilities she plans that the National Border Command under the National Crime Agency will have. [101063]
Damian Green: As part of the new National Crime Agency (NCA), the Border Policing Command will be a vital part of the Government’s wider approach to delivering increased security at the border. It will take the lead in making the UK border a hostile and uncompromising environment for those who seek to evade or exploit it and bring harm to our communities.
The Border Policing Command will take the lead—bringing a controlling hand to border security—to deliver better, more joined-up enforcement activity. It will generate intelligence about cross-border crime and threats to national security, collecting and joining up multiple strands of intelligence to expose opportunities and previously unknown threats. It will deliver a single agreed picture of the threats to public safety and security to enable agencies to have an agreed view of the ways in which the border is being exploited and what needs addressing. It will drive all law enforcement agencies operating in and around the border to work together by prioritising action, allocating ownership and accountability, by tasking and co-ordinating the NCA’s own resources and wider law enforcement assets to have the greatest impact. It will also build relations with overseas law enforcement agencies, enabling early intervention against criminals and terrorists who target the UK enforcement response.
Work and Pensions
Apprentices: Remploy
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, if a suitable business case could be demonstrated, Remploy factory sites would be allowed to recruit apprentices. [98696]
Maria Miller: Policies on recruitment of apprentices is the responsibility of Remploy as a NDPB. Any recruitment business cases from Remploy that demonstrate the need to appoint apprentices are considered on their merits.
The hon. Gentleman will now be aware of my announcement on 7 March 2012 regarding the Government's intention to support the implementation of the Sayce Review recommendations. It is therefore not appropriate for me to comment further on any Remploy factory-related issues at this time.
Asylum: Finance
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to people who are granted refugee status, with particular reference to housing; and if he will make a statement. [101852]
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Chris Grayling: People seeking asylum in the UK are supported by the Home Office and not allowed to work or claim benefits until their application is considered and a decision made by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Once they have a positive decision granting them leave to remain in the UK, they receive refugee status.
Those granted refugees status are eligible to be considered for social housing and homelessness assistance. Where they apply for social housing or homelessness assistance, they will have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants.
The Localism Act 2011 gives local councils the power to set their own qualification criteria for social housing. Councils are able to operate a more focused waiting list which better reflects local circumstances.
Refugees have full employment rights and become eligible for the whole range of Department for Work and Pensions benefits as well as support to help them move into work where appropriate, including access to the Work programme, subject to normal eligibility conditions.
Jobcentre Plus advisers will work with refugees to plan a route into employment, tailoring the support accordingly to meet the individual's needs and signposting them to other relevant programmes such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses.
Council Tax Benefits
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households with persons under the age of 65 years in receipt of council tax benefit in each local authority area contain (a) at least one disabled person and (b) at least one adult with caring responsibilities. [101765]
Steve Webb: The requested information is not available.
Employment Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures the provider assurance team follows during its reviews of contracted providers on the mandatory work activity scheme. [101674]
Chris Grayling: The main aim of the provider assurance team is to review and test the internal control systems of the provider to establish how effective they are at managing risk to DWP in relation to Contracted Employment Provision (CEP) expenditure and data security. The review includes all the programmes delivered under CEP and looks for evidence that the provider has systems in place to manage key risks. These key risks are broken down into four scope areas (Governance Arrangements, Service Delivery, Financial Procedures and Data Security) and the process will examine the controls in place within the organisation and test how effective they are in managing the risks identified.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason Work programme contracts include clauses on maintaining commercial confidentiality and programme reputation which prevent providers from making public comments; and what contracts for previous employment programmes operated by his Department included such clauses. [101859]
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Chris Grayling: It is normal standard practice for all DWP contracts to include clauses covering commercial confidentiality and publicity. This has been the case for programmes under both the current and previous Governments. The clauses protect the Department's commercial position and reputation in ensuring all publicity is subject to prior approval by the Department. In meeting their contractual obligations, suppliers must not do anything which may damage, bring into disrepute the reputation of the Department or attract adverse publicity which could ultimately harm the confidence of the public.
The Work programme contracts include clauses on maintaining commercial confidentially and programme reputation. Previous employment programme contracts did not include the Work programme clauses as they where developed for the Employment Related Support Services (ERSS) framework launched in January 2011. The clauses have since been used in all employment programme contracts that have been called off from this framework, i.e. Work programme, European Social Fund, Mandatory Work Activity and Community Action Programme.
Departmental Expenditure: Flowers
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012. [101436]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not identify specific expenditure information relating to cut flowers and pot plants. Breaking down the facilities management contracts to identify such specific costs could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99803]
Chris Grayling: Since 1998, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) occupies the majority of its accommodation under a private finance initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI, the Department leases back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium. This covers a variety of facilities including, where appropriate, the provision of catering services, which is delivered through Telereal Trillium’s service partner Compass Group UK, trading as Eurest.
(a) Telereal Trillium fully supports the introduction of Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services and continues to work with its clients to meet these standards. For the DWP sites where Telereal Trillium provides the catering, an increasing proportion of its offer meets these standards. Examples include:
100% of the food provided meets UK or equivalent standards of production;
100% of the eggs they provide are sourced from enriched cages;
Fish is not sourced from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list;
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Salt has been removed from tables to encourage customers to taste food before seasoning.
(b) All the food provided at DWP sites is sourced from British distributors. In addition, 31% of food is produced in Britain, supporting British farmers, suppliers and manufacturers.
Housing Benefit: Scotland
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of properties which will be outwith the maximum limit for housing benefit that are (a) a single room in shared accommodation, (b) one-bedroom properties, (c) two-bedroom properties, (d) three-bedroom properties and (e) four or more bedroom properties in each (i) local authority area in Scotland and (ii) parliamentary constituency in Scotland. [92185]
Steve Webb: Estimates of the percentage of properties with rents at or below the local housing allowance rates in each broad rental market area are published on the Department for Work and Pensions website (table 9) at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/impacts-of-hb-proposals.pdf
Broad rental market areas tend to be larger than local authorities. The estimates also combine all property types to increase their statistical validity. Figures by property type for local authorities and parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are not available.
Jobcentre Plus
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long the Aberdeen Chapel Jobcentre Plus has been open only to new claims. [101676]
Chris Grayling: The delivery model for interviews in the Aberdeen jobcentres changed on 6 June 2011. As part of our estates rationalisation programme we are moving all of our jobcentre services into a single site within the city of Aberdeen. The new claims interviews at Chapel street jobcentre are the last element of our services to be migrated to the nearby Ebury house jobcentre later in the year.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish a list of the size of live jobseeker's allowance registers at each individual Jobcentre Plus; and what the number of referrals to the Work programme is from each Jobcentre Plus as a proportion of each centre's register. [101677]
Chris Grayling: I have deposited the following information in the Library: the numbers of people on the jobseeker's allowance register for each Jobcentre Plus office as at February 2012 and the number of JSA claimants that each Jobcentre Plus office referred to the Work programme between June and October 2011.
This is the most up-to-date information available for both data sources.
Due to the different administration systems used for these figures, it is not possible to provide a proportional breakdown in the time available.
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Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100909]
Chris Grayling: The services purchased are as follows:
Durrants (including Durrants Ltd and Durrants Press Cuttings Ltd)—this is a contract to provide the Department with daily press cuttings from the national and regional media. This informs the Department on what is being written in the media about our policies so that we can be sure that information getting to the public is accurate.
The Media Monitoring Unit (MMU), part of the Central Office of Information (COI), also provides Government Departments with summaries of national broadcast news and some transcripts. The Department for Work and Pensions uses this service where our policies have been covered in broadcast media.
Occupational Pensions
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress he has made on the implementation of pensions auto-enrolment. [101634]
Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement of 23 March 2012, Official Report, column 82WS, which provides information about the publication of a consultation document containing the full detail of our implementation approach, including draft regulations, and the publication of an accompanying impact assessment.
Copies of these two documents are available from the House Library.
Remploy
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish (1) the financial information for the last five years of Remploy factory sites in Wales that are set to close; [100706]
(2) the (a) dataset used to determine if individual Remploy factories were financially unviable and (b) the centrally-charged overheads for each Remploy factory. [100707]
Maria Miller: The Government commissioned independent advisers to undertake a commercial review of the businesses and provide advice before deciding future strategy.
A copy of the report was published on 13 March 2012 on the DWP website and is available at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/specialist-disability-emp-prog.shtml#ir
This report contains financial information from the last two years.
Remploy has started collective consultation with its trade unions and the management forums on the proposed closure of the 36 factories that the Remploy board considers (subject to consultation) are unlikely to be able to achieve independent financial viability. Remploy welcomes proposals for the exit of any parts of the Remploy businesses currently subject to consultation with any other proposals for avoiding compulsory
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redundancies. I confirmed in my statement of 20 March 2012 that Remploy would publish details of the commercial process on its website:
www.remploy.co.uk
including contact information to assist those who wish to put forward an expression of interest.
Remploy will make commercial data available to any interested parties (under a non-disclosure agreement and with the agreement of other contracting parties as necessary) who express an interest in developing a credible proposal for the exit of a business.
We are also considering the independent expert support that employees might require to help them develop a business proposal.
Social Security Benefits
Sir Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to his Department of raising the earnings disregard (1) in
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housing benefit by
(a)
£8,
(b)
£12.50,
(c)
£20.00
(d)
£31.50 and
(e)
£44.00 per week in each of the next three years; [100529]
(2) on council tax benefit by (a) £2.50, (b) £4.00, (c) £6.00 (d) £9.50 and (e) £13.50 per week in each of the next three years. [100530]
Steve Webb: The estimated annual costs of the requested options are presented in the following tables:
| Council tax benefit | |||||
| £ | |||||
| Cost of additional earnings disregard | |||||
| Financial year | £2.50 | £4.00 | £6.00 | £9.50 | £ 13.50 |
| Source: Policy Simulation Model 11.0.1 | |||||
| Housing benefit | |||||
| £ | |||||
| Cost of additional earnings disregard | |||||
| Financial year | £8.00 | £12.50 | £20.00 | £31.50 | £44.00 |
| Notes: 1. Annual costs have been rounded to nearest £10 million. 2. The figures have been produced using the Policy Simulation Model, using 2009-10 reference data from the Family Resource Survey. 3. Some of the estimated costs of these changes are based on models of expected take-up among entitled non-recipients. Estimates of such behavioural responses are subject to considerable uncertainty. 4. Increased costs are for the directly affected benefit only. Although not modelled, the potential for increased take-up among other benefits (referred to as "cross take-up"), would result in higher overall costs. 5. Figures have not been provided for council tax benefit beyond 2012-13. From April 2013, council tax benefit will be replaced by a localised council tax support scheme. 6. Income-related benefits have broadly consistent rules regarding the treatment of income and capital. The estimates take no account of adjustments to earnings disregards in other benefits. 7. Estimates of costs exclude impacts of UC which will be introduced from October 2013. 8. Estimates of costs have been uprated in line with Budget 2012 forecasts of HB/CTB caseloads. Source: Policy Simulation Model 11.0.1. | |||||
Students: Social Security Benefits
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits a higher education student intercalating as a result of illness is eligible to receive until they return to their course of study. [101759]
Maria Miller: After 28 weeks, during which time student financial support continues to be available, students who intercalate on health grounds can make a claim for employment and support allowance if they are in receipt of disability living allowance.
Students who recover before 28 weeks but cannot resume their course until a later date for academic reasons can claim jobseeker's allowance once they are certified as fit.
Universal Credit
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect on poverty levels of the introduction of universal credit. [101639]
Chris Grayling: An updated universal credit impact assessment was published on the Department’s website on 10 October 2011.
On reasonable assumptions, the combined impact of take-up and entitlements will lift around 900,000 individuals out of poverty, including more than 350,000 children and around 550,000 working-age adults once universal credit is fully implemented. These poverty impacts exclude the positive impacts of more people moving into work.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the time taken in making the decisions involved in the site selection aspect of the integrated assurance and approvals plan for universal credit; and when he expects to make those decisions. [101675]
Chris Grayling: Those sites which will provide processing and telephony support in universal credit service centres are currently delivering DWP and HMRC business. Potential sites are being carefully assessed against a set of criteria to ensure that the cost and disruption associated with preparing for universal credit delivery is minimised. We expect to make decisions on the first universal credit service centres in early summer.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2012, Official Report, column 351W, on universal credit, if he will set a date for an announcement on the impact of TUPE and staff transfers on universal credit implementation. [101718]
Chris Grayling: We are reviewing the latest information on UC design and seeking legal advice on the likelihood of TUPE regulations applying. If sufficient information is available, we hope to make an announcement in May 2012.
International Development
Catering
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on complimentary refreshments for (a) staff and (b) visitors in the latest period for which figures are available. [101451]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development does not hold hospitality information at this level of detail, and the question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate cost.
Central Africa
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to provide assistance for the development of water projects in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo and (b) Uganda. [101338]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting two projects which are helping to increase access to drinking water in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Firstly, ‘Village et Ecole Assaini’ (Healthy Village and School), a national-level programme, has provided 1,366,381 people with access to drinking water across 1950 villages. Secondly, DFID is also providing support in the peri-urban areas of Mbuji Mayi (Kasai Oriental) which has provided access to drinking water for around 150,000 people.
DFID's bilateral aid programme in Uganda does not have a specific focus on water and sanitation, as this area is already supported by other donors. We do however support the sector indirectly through our contributions to the national budget. In 2010 to 2011, the rural population with access to water supply increased from 17.4 million to 18.8 million, out of which DFID's indirect funding benefitted 2,800 people. DFID's attribution for results in the water sector through budget support is calculated on the basis of 0.2% of the GoU's investment in the water sector. In addition, my Department has allocated £900,000 to UNICEF for emergency water and sanitation services in the Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda, where water scarcity associated with the drought contributes to perennially high rates of malnutrition and water borne disease. We estimate that with our support, 27,000 households will gain access to safe water and 15,300 households will gain access to adequate sanitation services.
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Developing Countries: Disease Control
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department has made in increasing the number of (a) tuberculosis (TB) patients tested for HIV and (b) HIV patients tested for TB in developing countries. [101569]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK position paper on HIV, ‘Towards zero infections’, published in May 2011, sets out how the UK will scale up access to HIV and TB diagnosis, treatment, care and support within integrated services. Co-ordination between the services for the two diseases is improving, but much remains to be done. We continue to focus on both HIV and TB, and on strengthening the underlying health systems in order to improve the way health services diagnose and treat illnesses, including TB and TB-HIV.
For example, in partnership with the Treatment Action Campaign in Khayelitsha township in South Africa, improved case detection, brought about by decentralising integrated TB/HIV screening services to every clinic, has resulted in better treatment outcomes with the cure rate for TB standing at 81% in 2010.
Developing Countries: Tuberculosis
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of progress towards international tuberculosis control targets as set out in the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015; and if he will make a statement. [101686]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Across the World Health Organisation's six regions, the world is on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal target of halting and reversing the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) by 2015. In relation to the targets outlined in the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-15, the tuberculosis mortality rates have also fallen by just over a third since 1990 and are on track to meet the target of halving 1990 mortality rates by 2015. However, the target of halving the 1990 prevalence rates by 2015 is unlikely to be achieved globally, although it has been reached in the Americas.
Although considerable progress has been made, significant challenges remain, including drug resistant TB and TB-HIV co-infection.
Departmental Expenditure: Flowers
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012. [101431]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID) London Headquarters spent £2,074.72 on the maintenance of atrium plants from May 2010 till the contract was terminated in November 2010. DFID's East Kilbride Headquarters spent £565 on the maintenance of plants from May 2010 until the contract was terminated in June 2010. Since then, no expenditure has been incurred on cut flowers or pot plans in either of our two UK offices.
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Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to meeting Millennium Development Goal 6. [101685]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Multilateral Aid Review assessed the Global Fund to be critical in the delivery of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 as the leading organisation disbursing finance to AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria. It finances a range of high-impact interventions throughout pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and childhood, and as such has an important impact on MDGs 4 and 5 also.
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Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has a role in intellectual property policy development. [100684]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development does not take a leading role in intellectual property policy development for the UK.
Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100899]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development purchased the following media services in each of the last five years:
| £ | |||||
| Supplier | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 (to date) |
There has been a 47% reduction in purchases between 2007-08 and 2010-11.
McKinsey and Company
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to McKinsey and Company in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [100576]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID) records show that in the last two financial years the following amounts were paid to McKinsey and Company:
| Amount (£) | |
The amounts detailed above for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are for fees and expenses in relation to McKinsey's input to education projects in Pakistan. These arrangements were agreed by the then Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown). Sir Michael Barber was appointed Co-Chair of the Pakistan Education Task Force in 2009. Following requests from the Pakistan Government in April 2010, the UK Government agreed to provide expert assistance to the taskforce. McKinsey, for whom Sir Michael Barber was a director at the time, was contracted to work with the taskforce secretariat providing expert analysis to the Government and driving implementation. In April 2011 the Punjab Education Reform Roadmap succeeded the education taskforce and McKinsey continue to provide expert analysis and advice. McKinsey pay rates are based on a pre-existing cross-Whitehall framework agreement, used for all Government Departments, although DFID negotiated significantly discounted rates with the McKinsey team. Following Sir Michael's departure from McKinsey in September 2011, I negotiated different arrangements and he is now working on a strictly pro-bono basis as DFID Special Representative for Education in Pakistan. I am extremely grateful to Sir Michael for the support he is now providing free of charge.
Rwanda
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of governance in Rwanda. [101339]
Mr Duncan: The United Kingdom Government continuously monitor governance in Rwanda. The Department for International Development (DFID) 2011 Operational Plan reflects the most recent public assessment.
In March 2012, DFID initiated an assessment of the Government of Rwanda's commitment to DFID's four Partnership Principles which underpin decision-making about the provision of budget support. These principles are about commitment to: poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals; human rights and international obligations; public financial management and anti-corruption; and strengthening domestic accountability. The assessment will cover all of the partnership principles but will examine ‘domestic accountability' and ‘human rights and international obligations' in greater detail. The assessment will be completed in May 2012, and a short summary version will be made publicly available.
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Syria
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Syria. [101783]
Mr Duncan: We remain gravely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. Not only have thousands been killed and wounded or are going without basic supplies, but also the regime has committed serious human rights violations against its own citizens.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since the popular uprising began in March 2011 and between 100,000 and 200,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as a result of the violence. The registered refugee population in countries neighbouring Syria is more than 25,000, but unofficial estimates suggest there are more than 30,000.
A Syrian Government-led humanitarian assessment mission is currently under way, with participation of the UN and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. We will closely monitor UN planning following the assessment mission. The UK has already committed £4.5 million to support the global humanitarian response.
We are continuing to call upon the Syrian regime immediately to allow all neutral and impartial humanitarian organisations unhindered access.
Taxis
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on taxis for (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants between August 2011 and January 2012. [101408]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development's accounting system does not split how much we spend on taxis by Ministers and civil servants. To obtain this information would incur a disproportionate cost.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bahrain
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether ammunition manufactured by Gamebore Cartridge Company and used against protestors in Bahrain may have been made in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [101348]
Alistair Burt: No UK licences have been issued to Gamebore Cartridge Company for Bahrain for the last 10 years. The Ministry of Interior acquires ammunition from other countries and companies outside the UK.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what analysis his Department has made of the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards full implementation of, and compliance with, the Dayton/Paris Peace Agreements. [101345]
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Mr Lidington: Recent political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been broadly positive, following the formation of a new state-level government in February 2012 and progress on reforms which are essential for further progress towards EU and NATO accession. The security situation remains calm and stable. This demonstrates the further steps Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken towards stable and lasting peace, which started with the Dayton/Paris Agreement.
We nevertheless continue to monitor closely the situation and urge international partners to remain engaged. The past year has seen actions challenging the authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina state-level institutions and laws and the authority of decisions made by the High Representative, as well as inflammatory nationalistic rhetoric. Further action is also required to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, progress on which has been slow, and on the formal delineation of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL).
As a member of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, the UK works closely with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The UK Government fully support the ongoing role of the High Representative as the Final Authority in theatre on the implementation of the civilian elements of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The UK is also a strong supporter of the EU-led Peacekeeping Mission, EUFOR Althea, whose executive mandate remains an important safeguard of stability.
The UK Government will not tolerate attempts to undermine the Dayton Agreement or the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We remain resolutely committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign and stable country on the path to the EU and NATO.
Catering
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on complimentary refreshments for (a) staff and (b) visitors in the latest period for which figures are available. [101448]
Mr Lidington: This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a wide range of activities to establish and maintain contacts throughout its network of over 250 overseas posts as well as diplomatic activity in the UK to promote and defend British interests. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons, and expenditure on business hospitality is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
Egypt
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of prospects for the forthcoming elections in Egypt. [101746]
Alistair Burt:
We welcome the fact that the Egyptian Higher Presidential Election Committee announced the timetable for presidential elections on 29 February. Registration for presidential candidates opened on 10 March
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and voting will run from 23-24 May, with runoffs on 16-17 June. The final results should be announced on 21 June and the handover of power is due to take place no later than 1 July. We continue to encourage the Egyptian authorities to hold to this timetable.
EU Law: Disclosure of Information
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely benefits derived from the EU exchanging classified information with Bosnia and Herzegovina under the terms of EU Council Decision 2004/731/EC. [101725]
Mr Lidington: Given the United Kingdom's desire for a stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina, moving towards EU membership, it is in the UK's interest for there to be greater co-operation between the EU and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A closer relationship, particularly as Bosnia and Herzegovina moves along its path towards the EU, will require increased sharing of information. This agreement acts to ensure that such information is correctly protected and properly secured.
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.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely benefits derived from the EU exchanging classified information with Norway under the terms of EU Council Decision 2004/843/CFSP. [101726]
Mr Lidington: Norway is a close and reliable partner on defence and security issues and is a member of NATO, the European Free Trade Agreement, the European economic area and Schengen. The implementation of this agreement further cements the UK's close ties with Norway as well as the Norwegian relationship with the European Union.
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.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely benefits derived from the EU exchanging classified information with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia under the terms of EU Council Decision 2005/296/CFSP. [101925]
Mr Lidington:
Given the United Kingdom's desire for a stable and prosperous Macedonia, moving towards EU and NATO membership, it is in the UK's interest for there to be greater co-operation between the EU and the Government of Macedonia. A closer relationship, particularly as Macedonia moves along the EU accession
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path, will require increased sharing of information. This agreement acts to ensure that such information is correctly protected and properly secured.
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.
Departmental Expenditure: Flowers
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012. [101434]
Mr Lidington: Data on expenditure on cut flowers and pot plants across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network of 260 posts worldwide are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. However, in the UK the breakdown is as follows:
(a) Government Hospitality (a section within the FCO's Protocol Department) provides corporate hospitality services for the whole of Government, at Lancaster House, the FCO Fine Rooms, 1 Carlton Gardens and 10 Downing street, among other venues. It is used both for Government business hospitality and commercial hire to fee-paying private clients. It hosts over 200 events each year. Government Hospitality provides semi-permanent plant displays in public areas, decorative arrangements for weekly display and individual table arrangements for lunches and dinners. Fresh flowers are used only when it is appropriate and necessary. Decisions are made on an event-by-event basis and costs are carefully monitored to ensure value for money. Much of this expenditure is reimbursed by revenues generated by the events. From May 2010-March 2011 the costs were £14,276.21. From April 2011-February 2012 the costs were £11,519.30.
(b) There is no direct cost to the FCO for pot plants.
Lebanon: Syria
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he is giving to Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria. [101921]
Alistair Burt: The rights of Christians in Lebanon are enshrined in the national pact and the constitution. Officials in Beirut are in regular contact with leaders of the Christian community and we continue to monitor religious and sectarian relations in the country.
We continue to urge the Lebanese authorities to create the conditions for pluralist and non-sectarian politics and to establish policies that prevent discrimination against anyone on the basis of their religion.
The Government’s policy is that Syria should genuinely safeguard the rights of all minorities and allow for proper freedom of association and expression. In recent contact with Syrian oppositionists, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has made it clear that oppositionists should
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ensure equal rights for all. An immediate end to the violence being perpetuated on the Syrian people by the Assad regime is imperative for all.
Taxis
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on taxis for (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants between August 2011 and January 2012. [101412]
Mr Lidington: Procurement activity overseas is devolved to our network of over 260 posts across 170 countries. Information on taxi use by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff overseas is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We can therefore provide information only for travel in the UK.
FCO Ministers have not used private hire or taxis on official business between August 2011 and January 2012, and this has been the case since May 2010. The only exception was one occasion when a Minister took a taxi on a visit to Cambridge in January 2012 at a cost of £19.50. During this period, transport has been provided through FCO Services or the Government Car Service. Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes it clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
The FCO currently uses two contracts in the UK with private hire companies: Addison Lee, covering the London area; and Raffles Taxis, covering the Milton Keynes area. The spend for these suppliers between August 2011 and January 2012, for both FCO and FCO Services, was £151,990.60.
Like all Government Departments, the FCO ensures we use taxpayer's money very carefully to help reduce the overall costs of Government. Staff therefore are allowed to use taxis only in exceptional circumstances, when public transport is not available, or when their line manager agrees that taking a taxi will help keep a staff member safe during unsocial hours. As well as approved checks, expense claims will be subject to retrospective audit checks.
FCO Services is the trading arm of the FCO and, as such, is not taxpayer funded. There is no public transport between the FCO Services site and the nearest station, so taxis are used to make sure staff are safe.
Western Sahara
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with his Moroccan counterpart the attack of 24 February 2012 by Moroccan police on Saharawi attending a reception in El Aaiun for participants in the UN-sponsored family exchange programme. [101537]
Alistair Burt:
The Government take seriously all reports of such incidents between the Moroccan authorities and the people of Western Sahara. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), stressed the importance the UK attaches to improved human rights in Western Sahara when he last visited Morocco in October 2011. Our ambassador in
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Rabat also frequently discusses human rights with Morocco's newly elected Government.
Officials from the British embassy in Rabat visit Western Sahara on a regular basis and speak to a wide range of civil society organisations and UN personnel in order to monitor the human rights situation there.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the suggestion from the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara that the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression should visit the Territory and the Tindouf camps. [101939]
Alistair Burt: We are not aware of any reports to this effect. The British Government are committed to the independence of UN Special Rapporteurs and their right to fulfil their mandates as they choose. For this reason, we do not become involved in decisions concerning the remit of their work.
However, as set out in UN Security Council resolution 1979, we welcome Morocco’s commitment to ensure unqualified and unimpeded access to all Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many stomach pumps were used in accident and emergency departments to treat patients in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 to date; and how many such devices were used to treat patients under (i) 16 and (ii) 25 years old. [101933]
Mr Simon Burns: This information is not centrally collected.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital as a consequence of intoxication through alcohol in each of the last 12 months; how many people were treated for alcohol abuse in each of the last 12 months; and how many (a) women and (b) men were admitted to hospital for treatment for the effects of alcohol abuse in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) the latest period for which figures are available in 2012. [101964]
Anne Milton: Finished hospital admission episodes for 2010-11 (by month) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of alcohol intoxication, finished admission episodes for 2010-11 (by month) with a primary diagnosis of alcohol abuse and finished admission episodes for 2009-10, 2010-11 and-2011-12 (provisional data), by month and by gender, with a primary diagnosis for conditions that are alcohol induced or due to alcohol can be found in the tables.
It should be noted that admission episodes cannot be counted as patients since the same patient can be admitted more than once in a year.
Reference should be made to the footnotes when interpreting the data.
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| Table 1: Finished admission episodes (1) with a primary (2) or secondary (3) diagnosis of alcohol intoxication (4) , for 2010-11 (by month) | ||
| Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | ||
| Month | FAEs | |
| Table 2: Finished admission episodes (1) with a primary (2) diagnosis of alcohol abuse (5) , for 2010-11 (by month) | ||
| Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | ||
| Month | FAEs | |