Location
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to relocate any staff in his Department to new offices in Birmingham. [101395]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Within the last year the Ministry of Justice has re-located around 320 office staff within the Public Guardian posts from London to new offices in the Government's estate in Birmingham. There are no current plans for any significant future relocation of staff to new administrative offices in Birmingham.
Prisoners
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average prison population was in each year since 1990. [102149]
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Mr Blunt: The prison population annual average for England and Wales 1990 to 2010 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Prison population annual average, 1990 to 2010, England and Wales | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. The prison population average is the average of the 12-month end prison populations. 2. Due to technical problems relating to the supply of data for statistical purposes, month end data was not available for the period from July 2009 to February 2010, so data for the last Friday of the month has been used instead (except for December 2009, where 18 December was used). | |
Prisons: Private Sector
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) suicides, (b) deaths by natural causes and (c) unclassified deaths of prisoners there have been in each of the privately-run prisons since they opened. [102151]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the total number of deaths by category for privately operated prisons up to the end of 2010 the latest year for which figures are available.
| Table 1: Deaths in privately operated prisons (1) by apparent cause (2) | ||||
| Year opened | Self-inflicted (3) | Natural causes | Un-classified (4) | |
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| (1) The table includes deaths in prisons classified as privately run at the end of 2010. They exclude Blakenhurst and Buckley Hall which were privately operated for a period but are now run by the public sector. They also exclude HMP Birmingham which did not become a privately run prison until October 2011. (2) The National Offender Management Service uses a classification system based on the apparent cause of death. The actual cause of death is not confirmed until the conclusion of the coroner's inquest which is held into all deaths in prison custody. The classification of death may change following an inquest or as new information emerges. (3) The 'Self-inflicted' category includes a wider range of deaths than suicides. When comparing these figures with other published data it is important to determine what definitions are used. (4) 'Unclassified' was a new category first used in official figures in 2010. Numbers reported in this category are expected to reduce over time. | ||||
Telephone Tapping: Business
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to provide greater protection for small businesses which are encouraged to enter into binding legal contracts by the use of recorded telephone messages. [101257]
Mr Djanogly: We have no plans to change the requirements of the law of England and Wales regarding the formation of contracts. One of these requirements is that the parties must intend to create legal relations. Any small business considering entering a contract, whether encouraged to do so by recorded telephone message or not, should ensure that it understands the consequences of doing so, taking legal advice where necessary. Legal remedies are available for people who have been induced to enter a contract by misrepresentation or fraud. Small businesses that consider they have been tricked into entering a contract should consult the trading standards department of their local authority and if necessary take legal advice as to their rights and the ways in which they can be enforced.
International Development
Developing Countries: Tuberculosis
Nic Dakin: 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. [101398]
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.
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Although considerable progress has been made, significant challenges remain, including drug resistant TB and TB-HIV co-infection.
Iraq
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of internally displaced people in Iraq in each year since 2003; [101801]
(2) what assistance his Department is providing to reduce the number of internally displaced people in Iraq; [101802]
(3) whether his Department is taking steps to encourage Iraqi refugees who fled from their country to return. [101803]
Mr Duncan: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there are around 1.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in Iraq. Most are unable to return to their areas of origin because of the difficult security situation, the destruction of their homes, or a lack of access to services.
Between 2003 and 2011 the Department for International Development (DFID) provided over £200 million of humanitarian assistance to IDPs, other vulnerable groups in Iraq, and Iraqi refugees outside Iraq, through the United Nations (UN) agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The UK will continue to provide support to populations affected by displacement in Iraq until 2014, as part of a project implemented in several countries by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Multilateral agencies such as the UN also continue to provide assistance in this area. In particular, the UNHCR is working with the Government of Iraq to end displacement, through a comprehensive plan which is due to become fully operational in 2012. The UK is also providing wider support to help create a more stable and prosperous Iraq, to which all Iraqis can return.
Sri Lanka
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to visit Sri Lanka. [102135]
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials of his Department are currently stationed in Sri Lanka. [102136]
Energy and Climate Change
Clean Coal Technology
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government spent on research and development into clean coal technology in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and what projection he has made of spend in each of the next three years. [101857]
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Charles Hendry [holding answer 26 March 2012]: Government expenditure on research and development into carbon abatement technologies for the 2010-11 financial year was as follows:
| 2010-11(£ million) | |
Between 2011-12 and 2014-15, the Government and their partners expect to invest £125 million in CCS R&D.
Combined Heat and Power: Biofuels
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will define the 60% greenhouse gas emissions savings standard compared with fossil fuel which he proposes for use of biomass in CHP generators. [102049]
Gregory Barker: The Renewables Obligation Order 2009, as amended by the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011, sets out the 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings standard for the use of solid biomass in power or CHP generators. This states the standard as 79.2 grams carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) for one mega joule of electricity generated using solid biomass.
Subject to certain exceptions for microgenerators or the use of waste, CHP generators receiving support under the renewables obligation for electricity generated using solid biomass must report against this standard.
Energy: Carbon Emissions
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of his Department's accuracy in forecasting forward carbon emission factors for grid electricity for the purposes of Standard Assessment Procedure calculations in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [100871]
Charles Hendry: The carbon emission factors for grid electricity that underlie those used in the Standard Assessment Procedure, are derived from the DECC energy and emissions model. The carbon intensity of the grid is one of a number of outputs from the model and has not been separately assessed directly for accuracy against past data. However, the factors that determine the grid intensity in the model are updated regularly, taking account of the latest actual data and the projection methodology is regularly reviewed to improve projection accuracy. This process includes calibration to actual past data for some inputs eg on thermal efficiencies of electricity generating plant and updates to other projections that feed into the model eg DECC fossil fuel price projections.
DECC also undertakes analysis of the sensitivity of projections to key assumptions. A key driver or uncertainty in grid intensity projections is fossil fuel price projections.
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For DECC's latest projections, published in October 2012, the impact of uncertainty in fossil fuel price projections on carbon emission factors for grid electricity is approximately +/-10% (+/- 0.03 kgCO2e/KWh) for a 10 year ahead forecast.
Energy: Disconnections
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of (a) domestic customers and (b) non-domestic customers disconnected by their energy supplier in (i) 2011, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2008, (v) 2007, (vi) 2006 and (vii) 2005. [100524]
Charles Hendry: Ofgem monitors and publishes information about the disconnection of domestic gas and electricity supplies (in its social obligations annual reports). Ofgem does not publish data about the disconnection of non-domestic customers. The following tables show the number of domestic disconnections due to debt for electricity and gas supplies by each of the big six suppliers from 2005-10. Data for 2011 is not yet available.
| Disconnection of electricity supplies | ||||||
| Supplier | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Disconnection of gas supplies | ||||||
| Supplier | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
Existing supply licence obligations and an industry code of practice provide protection for consumers in debt: for example suppliers must not disconnect a domestic premises during October to March if they know or have reason to believe that the customer is of pensionable age and lives alone, or only lives with other pensioners or children under the age of 18.
Energy: Meters
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to companies of smart meter roll-out. [100264]
Charles Hendry:
The cost of rolling out smart meters to businesses will be borne by the energy industry,
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mostly energy suppliers, who will be responsible for funding the equipment as well as its installation, operation and maintenance.
Any cost to energy suppliers will be recovered through bills, although we expect that cost savings to suppliers, such as not having to send an operative to read the meter, will also be passed on to small and medium-sized enterprise consumers. After receiving a smart meter, companies will be able to use the information provided to reduce their energy consumption. DECC's August 2011 impact assessment estimates that once all cost and savings are taken into account, the average SME will see a bill saving (not a cost) of £143 by 2020, rising to over £200 per year by 2030.
Energy: Prices
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to protect consumers from rising global energy prices. [101641]
Charles Hendry: As a relatively small player in increasingly globalised energy markets the UK is largely a ‘price taker'. However, the UK Government are working in the EU and internationally to ensure that the UK has access to the energy imports it needs through encouraging sufficient investment in global energy production and promoting reliable supplies to the UK.
The coalition Government are committed to helping UK consumers to control their energy bills and heat their homes affordably by ensuring effective energy markets and promoting energy efficiency. This winter we have been working with energy suppliers to deliver the warm home discount scheme, providing heating and insulation measures through Warm Front, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the Community Energy Saving Programme; and developing our proposals for Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation. Additional support for energy bills is provided through winter fuel payments and cold weather payments.
Budget further built on this work by announcing: £200 million further investment in the Green Deal to support energy efficiency; £3 billion for the Green Investment Bank and £200 million for low carbon technology to help the UK decarbonise further; and, a package of oil and gas tax measures which will secure billions of pounds of additional investment in the UK continental shelf.
Environment Protection
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of his Department's policy that post-2020 targets for decarbonisation should be neutral with respect to different low carbon technologies on (a) the level of employment in the renewables sector, (b) the level of private investment in renewable energy, (c) the potential UK share of the export market in renewable energy technologies and (d) the potential for the UK to become a global leader in (i) offshore wind and (ii) marine energy; what discussions he has had on this issue with representatives of the renewable energy sector; and if he will make a statement. [101489]
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Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has regular discussions with representatives of the renewable energy sector, including on our objectives for 2050. All meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the DECC website and are available for download at the following link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
The UK is already the recognised global leader in both offshore wind and marine energy. In respect of offshore wind, the UK has the most installed capacity of any country in the world, the biggest pipeline of projects up to 2020 and also has a very high potential for deployment to 2030, as set out in the UK Renewable Energy Roadmap. In respect of marine energy, wave and tidal stream technologies are still at an early stage of development, and larger scale deployment is anticipated in the period beyond 2020. Further details are set out in the UK Renewable Energy Roadmap which can be found at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/2167-uk-renewable-energy-roadmap.pdf
However, the Government envisage multiple low carbon technologies: renewables, nuclear and carbon capture and storage (CCS) all competing freely against each other in the years to come, driving down capital costs as the market forces innovation and greater efficiency. Any technology-specific target risks distorting the market and making investment in other low carbon technologies more difficult. It could also force the UK down a more expensive route to 2050 than necessary.
The investment associated with our reforms to the electricity market (which involve stimulating over £100 billion of new investment in the electricity sector alone) have the potential to generate around 250,000 jobs in low carbon electricity to 2030.
Environment Protection: Taxation
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met the EU Commission to discuss state aid rules in relation to support for energy intensive industries under the Carbon Price Floor. [101293]
Gregory Barker: Work on the measures to compensate electro-intensive industries for the indirect cost of the carbon price floor is led by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). No Ministers from DECC or BIS have met the EU Commission to discuss this matter, but the Government will engage with the Commission on this issue at the appropriate juncture.
Green Deal Scheme
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to take account of recommendations from the Hills Fuel Poverty review on the energy company obligation (ECO) in his response to consultations on Green Deal and ECO. [102282]
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Gregory Barker: The Green Deal and ECO consultation closed earlier this year, and the Government are now considering the responses. As part of this process we are also taking Professor Hills's findings into consideration. Announcements on the final design of the ECO will be made shortly.
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to publish a response to the report of the Consents barriers and retaliatory evictions working group. [102283]
Gregory Barker: The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), and I are currently considering the response. The Government will respond on consent issues, including those raised by the working group, as part of their overall response to the consultation on the Green Deal.
Manpower
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people were employed in interim posts by (a) his Department and (b) a Non-Ministerial Department or arm’s length body controlled by his Department, through (i) Penna Consulting, (ii) Reed Personnel Services and (iii) Capita Resourcing Ltd (trading as Veredus) at the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such people (A) had been in post for over a year and (B) worked full-time. [101581]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 23 March 2012]: To answer the question as tabled would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has engaged staff on a temporary basis through two of the listed organisations between 1 April 2010 and 31 December 2011. The expenditure incurred with these companies is shown in the following table. It would incur disproportionate cost to establish how many individuals were employed through each agency and whether the person was in post for more than one year or engaged on a full time basis. To do so would involve retrieving all invoices and supporting evidence for payments to these organisations and making inquiries with the local business area that had procured the services of each individual as to the basis and duration of their employment.
| £000 | ||
| April 2010 to March 2011 | April 2011 to December 2011 | |
The Committee on Climate Change and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority report no spend with the listed organisations between April 2010 and December 2011.
The Civil Nuclear Police Authority spent £3,000 on interim posts with Capita Resourcing Ltd in 2010-11. The information requested with respect to this expenditure cannot be collated within the overall cost limit.
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Power Stations: Carbon Emissions
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether it is his policy to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. [102350]
Charles Hendry: The Carbon Plan, published in December 2011, set out the Government's view that deep cuts in emissions from the power sector will be required during the 2020s to keep the UK on a cost-effective path to its 2050 goal of an 80% reduction in emissions. The actions outlined in the plan, including the Government's reforms of the electricity market and work to address technology-specific barriers to deployment, will drive the huge increase in investment in low-carbon generation that will enable these cuts to be realised.
The analysis within the plan considered a range of 2030 electricity generation decarbonisation scenarios consistent with meeting carbon budgets and an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. The Government are not setting an explicit decarbonisation goal for electricity generation in 2030 at this point, given the uncertainties involved in setting a target this far out, which include levels of electricity demand and cost-effectiveness of different technologies.
DECCs Carbon Plan report can be found at the following weblink:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/carbon_plan/carbon plan.aspx
Renewable Energy
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department are working on (a) community scale renewable energy, (b) electricity market reform and (c) new nuclear power. [102092]
Charles Hendry: The number of staff in the Department that work in the three areas mentioned in the question are as follows:
Community-scale renewables forms a key part of two of the Department's large programmes. There are 71.5 staff based in the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment, and an additional team working on the renewable heat incentive. Within these wider programmes, a core team of four people focuses on community scale renewable energy, with additional assistance from specialists on science and engineering, economics and social research.
There are currently 72 people working on electricity market reform and 23 on new nuclear power.
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will include bioliquids in his scheme of assistance for domestic heating installations under the Renewable Heat Incentive. [102289]
Gregory Barker: Further to the Departmental Note laid in Parliament yesterday on support for renewable heat technologies in the domestic and non-domestic sector, we are considering whether to support bioliquids as part of our policy development for the support of renewable heat in households (the non-domestic scheme was launched in November 2011).
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In September 2012 we will consult on how we can support renewable heating for households in the longer term. We will set out a firmer timetable for delivering this support and we anticipate that this will be from summer 2013.
Renewables Obligation
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to including public acceptability in the sustainability criteria for renewables obligation certificates. [101682]
Gregory Barker: Sustainability criteria were introduced under the renewables obligation to ensure generators use biomass feedstocks that deliver significant greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil fuel, and to restrict the sourcing of biomass from land with high carbon stock or high biodiversity value. Public acceptability is addressed through public consultation on planning applications and so can cover a wider remit than sustainability issues.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on including public acceptability in the sustainability criteria for the Renewable Obligations Certificates in the same way as the criterion for private finance initiative credits. [102048]
Wind Power
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the British Medical Journal editorial of 8 March 2012 on health effects of the distance of wind turbines to houses and its lessons for his policies. [101366]
Charles Hendry: A number of independent peer reviewed research studies commissioned by DECC and its predecessor Departments have looked at the impacts of noise from wind farms and concluded that there is no evidence of direct health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise generated by wind turbines.
The Government review new evidence carefully to assess whether these conclusions remain valid. In our assessment the British Medical Journal editorial article of 8 March 2012 on wind turbine noise does not change the conclusion that appropriately sited wind turbines do not have a direct effect on public health.
On 23 June 2011, DECC published an independent report(1) on matters arising from the consideration of noise impacts when determining wind farm applications in England. This found that current guidance (ETSU -R- 97) is fit for purpose and recommended that further good practice guidance is developed to confirm, and where necessary, clarify the way it is implemented in practice in the planning process to ensure consistency. The Institute of Acoustics is producing this additional guidance.
(1 )Analysis of How Noise Impacts are Considered in the Determination of Wind Farm Planning Applications by Hayes McKenzie Partnership—June 2011
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/wind/onshore/comms_planning/noise/noise.aspx
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Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he has taken to realise the Offshore Wind Developers' Forum target for UK-based suppliers to provide at least 50% of the supply chain for future wind farms. [101283]
Charles Hendry: Recent wind farms, such as Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth with a reported UK content of 32%, have shown a real improvement in the level of UK content compared with earlier developments.
However, I still want to see a step change in the overall level of UK content. This is why I am pleased that the Offshore Wind Developers Forum (OWDF) has adopted its vision for the UK to be the centre of offshore wind technology and deployment, with a competitive supply chain in the UK, providing over 50% of the content of offshore wind farm projects.
Future work of the OWDF will assess how the industry in the UK can make the most of this opportunity and compete effectively. Work is being currently undertaken for the OWDF, looking at the experience of supply chain development in the UK oil and gas sector and a methodology for measuring the level of UK content in future offshore wind farm projects is also being developed in order to benchmark progress.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of UK offshore wind development contracts have been awarded to firms based in the UK in each of the last three years. [101284]
Charles Hendry: The Department does not hold this information. However, E.ON recently published a study available at:
http://eon-uk.com/downloads/E.ON_Robin_Rigg_UK_content_report_October_2011.pdf
The study showed 32% of the content of the Robin Rigg wind farm, in the Solway Firth, was awarded to UK companies.
Recent wind farms such as this one have shown a real improvement in the level of UK content compared with earlier developments. However I still want to see a step change in the overall level of UK content.
This is why I am pleased that the Offshore Wind Developers Forum, through its vision, recognises the importance of maximising the UK benefit of developing offshore wind.
Since April 2011 there have been investment announcements in the UK's offshore wind supply chain totalling over £1.6 billion, with the potential to create 5,700 new jobs. Details are published on the DECC website.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
1 Carlton Gardens
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of maintaining his Department's Carlton Gardens property under each budget heading in each of the last two years. [93485]
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Mr Hague: Under the terms of the lease for 1 Carlton Gardens the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is obliged to:
“as often as necessary, well and substantially to repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair the demised premises”.
The maintenance of the property is undertaken in accordance with the quadrennial inspections of listed buildings, statutory inspections for listed properties carried out every four years. The last quadrennial inspection was carried out in late 2009 and the higher maintenance costs in 2010-11 in large part reflect the recommendations of that inspection being put into practice. We always seek value for money in carrying out such work while also ensuring the preservation of what is a Grade 1 listed building.
The maintenance costs for the last two full financial years have been as follows:
| £ | ||
| Description | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on redecorating the Carlton Gardens property; and how much of that was paid by him. [93486]
Mr Hague: The maintenance of the property has been undertaken as a result of the quadrennial inspections of listed buildings, most recently in 2009, and in accordance with lease obligations. We are required under the terms of the lease for 1 Carlton Gardens to:
“as often as necessary, well and substantially to repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair the demised premises.”
Since May 2010 costs of redecoration have been as follows:
(i) £6,273 for the residential accommodation, of which I paid £2,218;
(ii) £112,520 for the non-residential areas, of which I paid £1,289.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has a role in intellectual property policy development. [101247]
Mr Lidington:
The overall policy lead for intellectual property is held by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills via the Intellectual Property Office. Many
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Government Departments have an interest in intellectual property, and the policy making process, including collective ministerial consideration of proposals, reflects those interests. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has an interest in strengthening the international intellectual property framework and works closely with the Intellectual Property Office in representing UK interests at the World Intellectual Property Organisation and other relevant international fora. The FCO also has an interest in strengthening national intellectual property frameworks in key countries and in helping UK business address the intellectual property challenges they face overseas and similarly works closely with the Intellectual Property Office in this work.
Iraq
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iraq on women’s rights in Iraq. [101642]
Alistair Burt: Iraq has committed itself to improving the rights of women in its 2012 National Action Plan and we continue to offer our support to the Government of Iraq to achieve this goal. In 2011, the UK funded training to judges and judicial staff in gender concepts, and how to deal with cases involving gender-based violence. In the Kurdistan region, UK experts have been working with women’s shelters to improve facilities and the care they give residents, and with the Kurdistan regional government to develop and implement strategies for protecting women’s rights. We will continue this work in 2012, as well as raising our concerns on the situation for women in Iraq with the Government of Iraq where appropriate.
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will appoint a human rights envoy to Iraq to submit reports to the Government and Parliament. [101643]
Alistair Burt: The promotion and defence of human rights around the world remains a key Foreign and Commonwealth Office priority. The appointment of the previous ‘human rights envoy’ was a specific appointment under the previous Government. There are no current plans to reinstate the position but Ministers raise human rights issues whenever necessary. We continue to support the Iraqi Government in improving human rights in Iraq, not least by providing training and expertise on a range of human rights issues including to the Iraqi Council of Representatives Human Rights Committee. We will continue to update Parliament on our work to improve the human rights situation in Iraq, including how we can continue to help the Government of Iraq.
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Iraq regarding the use of (a) torture and (b) evidence obtained through torture in court cases in Iraq. [101644]
Alistair Burt:
We remain concerned over allegations of torture and mistreatment in Iraqi prisons. We regularly raise these concerns with the Government of Iraq,
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particularly in relation to Iraq's application of the death penalty. In 2011 the UK contributed to a UN-led project aiming towards strengthening the credibility of human rights reports, particularly around allegations of torture and systematic abuse. The UK has also helped to establish police forensics laboratories in Baghdad, Basra and Erbil. This project has helped to encourage the reform of the Iraqi criminal justice system so that it develops an ethical, principled and comprehensive approach to criminal evidence, and moves away from over-reliance on confessional evidence.
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Iraq on the transparency and fairness of judicial processes in Iraq. [101645]
Alistair Burt: We continue to have serious concerns about the administration of justice and the rule of law in Iraq, including the issue of lengthy pre-trial detention. We have repeatedly called for the Iraqi Ministry of Justice to assume full control and authority over all detention facilities in Iraq, and for all those in detention to have access to legal counsel and the right to a fair trial. In 2011 we provided training on human rights for the police and judiciary in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan region, and contributed to a UN-led project to train human rights advocates in Kirkuk. We will continue to assist the Government of Iraq in improving the transparency and effectiveness of its judicial system.
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the Government of Iraq on the number of (a) executions carried out and (b) offences for which the death penalty may be imposed in Iraq. [101646]
Alistair Burt: We continue to raise our opposition to the death penalty with the Iraqi Government at the highest levels. The recent increase in the number of executions in Iraq is deeply worrying. Reports indicate that so far in 2012, 65 executions have been carried out in Iraq. This brings the total number of executions in Iraq since November to 94. This is a worrying trend, and our ambassador in Baghdad raised our concern with the Vice President of Iraq on 30 January and with the Chief Justice on 8 February. We continue to discuss with EU partners and the Government of Iraq ways we can support Iraq's commitment to reducing the number of crimes that carry the death penalty, as laid out in their National Action Plan on Human Rights.
Libya
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to protect the safety of UK citizens visiting Libya. [101745]
Alistair Burt: While the wellbeing of British nationals overseas is of paramount importance to us, the British embassy in Tripoli is not ultimately responsible for the safety and security of British nationals in Libya. This is the responsibility of the Libyan authorities and the individuals concerned.
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We keep our travel advice under constant review and would urge all British nationals travelling overseas to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website regularly for the most up-to-date information. Our travel advice offers British travellers guidance and advice to help them make their own informed decisions about travelling to a particular country. We currently advise against all travel to parts of Libya and against all but essential travel to other parts of the country. At present, the UK embassy in Tripoli and office in Benghazi are only able to provide very limited consular assistance.
Mauritania
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Mauritania. [102109]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not held any direct discussions on the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Mauritania.
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the provision of processing and landing facilities will be included in a new Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Mauritania. [102110]
Alistair Burt: The exact terms of the EU-Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Agreement are subject to further discussion.
Syria
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking as part of the UK presidency of the UN Security Council to seek consensus for a resolution on humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria. [101825]
Alistair Burt: Further to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 486W, the UN Security Council on 21 March during the UK presidency issued a presidential statement which calls upon the Syrian Government to ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas and commit to stop the fighting and achieve urgently an effective United Nations supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians. The statement received the full and unanimous support of the Security Council for the work of Kofi Annan as joint UN-Arab League Envoy on Syria.
The UN Security Council will consider what further steps are necessary in the light of reports from Mr Annan updating the Council on the progress of his mission. We do not consider a presidential statement to be a substitute for a Security Council Resolution and will continue to work with our international partners to push for further tough action on Syria.
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Treasury
Child Benefit
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many higher-rate taxpayers have more than 10 children in receipt of child benefit; [100833]
(2) if he will set out his calculation of the minimum number of children qualifying for child benefit that a higher-rate taxpayer would have to have before the total of child benefit received was greater than that person's payments of income tax; and if he will make a statement; [100849]
(3) pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, column 841, on child tax credit, if he will set out his calculation of the minimum number of children qualifying for child benefit that a higher-rate taxpayer would have to have before that person's own payments of income tax were exceeded by the child benefit received; and if he will make a statement. [100850]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 19 March 2012]: In 2012-13, a higher rate taxpayer would have to have a minimum of 10 children to receive more in child benefit than they pay in income tax.
The total number of child benefit claimants with upwards of 10 children is 365. The number of these that are in a family that contains a higher-rate taxpayer is not available.
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with children have an earner with a gross taxable income in excess of (a) £50,000, (b) £60,000 and (c) £70,000. [100851]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 19 March 2012]: We estimate in the United Kingdom in 2009-10 there were:
1.1 million benefit units with dependent children with at least one adult with non-zero earned income and a gross income from ail sources greater than £50,000.
0.7 million benefit units with dependent children with at least one adult with non-zero earned income and a gross income from all sources greater than £60,000.
0.5 million benefit units with dependent children with at least one adult with non-zero earned income and a gross income from all sources greater than £70,000.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 2009-10
Notes:
1. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) is a nationally representative sample of approximately 25,000 UK private households.
2. Data for 2009-10, the latest year available, was collected between April 2009 and March 2010.
3. The figures from the FRS are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the estimates to Government Office Region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error.
4. A benefit unit is defined as a single adult or a married or cohabiting couple and any dependent children. An adult is defined as those individuals aged 16 or over, unless defined as a dependent child. An individual may be defined as a child if aged 16-19 years old and they are not married nor in a civil partnership nor living with a partner; and living with parents; and in full-time non-advanced education or in unwaged government training.
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5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.
6. Earned income includes income from wages and salaries and income from self-employment. A full list of income sources used to calculate gross income is within then FRS publication glossary found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/frs/2009_10/glossary.pdf
Meg Munn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs of administering the new arrangements for child benefit. [102081]
Mr Gauke: The estimated administrative cost of administering the new arrangements for child benefit can be found in the Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which was published on HMRC's website:
www.hmrc.gov.uk
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the number of single-parent households that will lose child benefit (a) altogether and (b) partially as a result of his Budget proposals; [102161]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of households with an income in excess of (a) £60,000 and (b) £80,000 per annum which will retain child benefit in 2013-14. [102270]
Mr Gauke: As a result of the Budget 2012 announcement, 90% of households with children will keep some or all of their child benefit.
HMRC estimates that in 2013-14 there will be 30,000 single parents who will lose all of their child benefit and 790,000 couples. A further 20,000 single parents, and 330,000 couples will lose a proportion of their child benefit.
In 2013-14 there will be approximately 670,000 households with family income above £60,000 per year that will retain at least some of their child benefit. For those with a family income over £80,000 per year, this figure is 170,000 households.
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the administrative cost of recovering through the tax system child benefit paid to families with a person earning over £50,000 a year in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [102269]
Mr Gauke: The estimated administrative cost of recovering through the tax system child benefit paid to families with a person earning over £50,000 a year can be found in the Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which was published on HMRC’s website:
www.hmrc.gov.uk
Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers who do not currently have to submit a tax return will be required to do so as a result of the Government's proposals in relation to child benefit. [102271]
Mr Gauke: The estimated number of additional taxpayers who will be required to submit a tax return can be found in the Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which was published on HMRC's website:
www.hmrc.gov.uk
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Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to bring forward proposals to remove the privilege of confidentiality in relation to tax returns from recipients of child benefit with a partner earning in excess of £50,000 per annum. [102281]
Mr Gauke: There are no plans to bring forward proposals to remove confidentiality in relation to tax returns from recipients of child benefit with a partner earning in excess of £50,000 per annum.
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria will be used to judge whether significant administrative savings are deliverable following the consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment energy efficiency scheme; when the consultation will begin; and for what time period it will run. [102200]
Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Government's consultation on ambitious simplification of the CRC was launched on 27 March, and will run for 12 weeks. The consultation contains a number of proposals on how to reduce the administrative cost of the CRC scheme. The administrative savings we believe these proposals will deliver is set out in the impact assessment that accompanies the consultation document. The costs and savings data is based on a survey of participants' costs that KPMG conducted on our behalf last year, and the results of which we have also published alongside the consultation document. We are keen to receive views from stakeholders on both the proposals and our costs and savings estimates in the impact assessment. We expect responses to include comments on deliverability, which is normally the case with Government consultations.
Recruitment
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93555]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government introduced an external recruitment freeze in May 2010 across central Government Departments. In HM Treasury, ministerial approval is required to recruit either temporary or permanent staff where the skills are not available internally.
Third party recruitment services spend, since May 2010, is shown in the following table. The information includes costs for advertising, candidate sourcing and assessment services. The figures are cash rather than accruals based and exclude VAT.
| £ (excl. VAT) | |
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Additionally, since May 2010, HM Treasury has also used an executive search agency, for which total spend to February 2012 is £40,318 (excluding VAT).
A monthly breakdown of departmental expenditure over £25,000 (excluding VAT) can be found at:
www.data.gov.uk
Details of all contracts with a value of over £10,000 (excluding VAT) awarded since 1 January 2011 are published online at:
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
Employment Agencies
Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on recruitment agencies in each month since September 2011. [87993]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government introduced an external recruitment freeze in May 2010 across central Government Departments. In HM Treasury, ministerial approval is required to recruit either temporary or permanent staff where the skills are not available internally.
HM Treasury spend with recruitment agencies, since September 2011, is shown in the following table. The figures include the recruitment of both temporary and permanent staff and the costs of advertising, candidate sourcing and assessment services. The figures also include the costs of temporary and interim staff that are recruited and paid via recruitment agencies.
The information has been taken from HM Treasury's financial system and is third party spend. The figures are cash rather than accruals based and exclude VAT.
| Total £(excluding VAT) | |
A monthly breakdown of departmental expenditure over £25,000 can be found at:
www.data.gov.uk
Details of all contracts with a value of over £10,000 that have been awarded since 1 January 2011 are published online at
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
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Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many road hauliers have had their licences withdrawn as a result of successful HM Revenue and Customs action to tackle alcohol duty fraud in each of the last five years. [101959]
Miss Chloe Smith: The licensing of road hauliers (including the consideration of revocation of licences) is the responsibility of the independent Traffic Commissioners.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been able to refer cases to the Traffic Commissioners for consideration of revocation of a licence since March 2011. No such referrals have yet been made although HMRC anticipate doing so in the coming year. This measure is one of several actions HMRC and the Border Force are able to use against operators who take part in alcohol fraud, including levying wrongdoing penalties, seizing alcohol and vehicles, and pursuing criminal prosecutions.
Income Tax: Rates and Bands
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) Medway who will no longer pay income tax consequent on the proposed increase in the personal allowance (i) from April 2012 and (ii) to £10,000 by April 2015. [101632]
Mr Gauke: The 2011 Budget announced a £630 cash increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £8,105 in 2012-13 (£240 above indexation), with an equivalent reduction in the basic rate limit to leave the higher rate threshold unchanged.
As a result of these measures the Government estimated that in 2012-13 260,000 of the lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether. Information at Government office region is provided in the following table:
| Government office region | Number taken out of income tax (thousand) |
These estimates are based on the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2012-13 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook.
The 2012 Budget announced a £1,100 cash increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £9,205 in 2013-14 (£850 above indexation).
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As a result of this measure the Government estimate that in 2013-14 844,000 of the lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether. Information at Government office region is provided in the following table:
| Government office region | Number taken out of income tax (thousand) |
These estimates are based on the 2009-10 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2013-14 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2012 economic and fiscal outlook. Reliable estimates are not currently available at parliamentary constituency level, due to greater uncertainties in projections for small geographical areas and small sample sizes.
The Government are committed to supporting lower and middle income earners by raising the personal allowance to £10,000, and removing the lowest income individuals out of income tax. Decisions on future changes in the personal allowance will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.
Minimum Wage
Chris Bryant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff at HM Revenue and Customs work on the enforcement of the national minimum wage. [101941]
Mr Gauke: There are currently 152 staff in post working on the enforcement of the national minimum wage.
PAYE
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department adopted the interim solution to provide real time information for PAYE; and if he will make a statement. [102221]
Mr Gauke: HMRC's original plans for the implementation of real time information (RTI) assumed that employers would use the BACs channel to send payment and tax data to HMRC. However, following consultation on RTI in 2011, and in response to concerns raised by employers, software providers and the banking industry, HMRC decided to adopt the interim solution.
Particular concerns raised related to the time needed to implement a BACs filing channel and a new payment standard. By adopting the interim solution HMRC will ensure that RTI is ready in time to support the implementation of universal credit from October 2013.
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Stamp Duty Land Tax
John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) value and (b) extent of forestalling in advance of the coming into effect of his planned changes to stamp duty land tax. [102162]
Miss Chloe Smith: The value and extent of forestalling is estimated to be negligible.
Taxation: Multinational Companies
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was foregone by HM Revenue and Customs due to multinational company tax write-offs in the latest period for which figures are available. [101217]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Tobacco: Smuggling
Ian Paisley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 4.16 of his Department's publication, Tackling Tobacco Smuggling—building on our success, how many (a) charges and (b) prosecutions have been brought that have resulted in (i) seizure of goods, (ii) seizure of vehicles or vessels and possible non-restoration, (iii) seizure of cash under the proceeds of crime legislation, (iv) criminal prosecution with a custodial sentence of up to seven years, (v) confiscation of assets as part of the proceeds of crime legislation, (vi) assessment for the loss of duty, (vii) financial wrongdoing penalties of up to 100 per cent. of the duty due, (viii) civil action including winding up orders and bankruptcy, (ix) fines of up to £5000 for selling illicit tobacco not bearing the UK duty paid fiscal markings, (x) prohibition on the sale of tobacco products for up to six months and (xi) travel restrictions on repeat tobacco smugglers in the last five years. [101707]
Miss Chloe Smith: It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of actions taken in respect of individual prosecutions for tobacco related offences in the way requested. To the extent that we are able to provide details of prosecutions and sanctions, this is detailed as follows.
The way in which prosecutions and convictions are recorded has changed. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) now counts a prosecution as the point at which the individual is charged and a conviction as post trial. However, information is available from 2008-09 onwards. The total number of prosecutions made by HMRC, and the number of convictions for financial year 2008-09 onwards is as follows:
| Number of prosecutions | Number of convictions | |
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In the last five years, the combined total of tobacco seized by HMRC and UKBA is detailed as follows.
| Cigarettes seized (billion) | Hand-rolling tobacco seized (tonnes) | |
The following table gives details of the number and value of confiscation orders granted in relation to tobacco prosecutions, where available.
| Number or orders | Total value (£ million) | |
Figures for the seizure of cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 cannot be disaggregated to show only those relating to tobacco. The total figures available are as follows:
April 2010 to March 2011: 109 cases worth £2,342,303.00
April 2011 to February 2012: 156 cases worth £4,632,791
The issuing of assessments and wrongdoing penalties are not linked to prosecutions so it is not possible to say how many prosecutions led to assessments or penalties being issued.
The other information requested is not centrally available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
VAT
Derek Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has conducted an impact assessment of the potential effects of a reduction in the rate of VAT to 5% for home repair, maintenance and improvement work. [102114]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 713W, and on 21 October 2011, Official Report, column 1201W, to the hon. Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson).
Welfare Tax Credits
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households in each region which will no longer be entitled to tax credits following the introduction of changes to those credits from April 2012. [101762]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 26 March 2012]:Estimates of the number of households in each Government office region that will no longer be entitled to tax credits following the introduction of changes to tax credits from April 2012 (in 2012-13, thousand) are as follows:
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| Region | Households |
Health
NHS: Scotland
Public Health Responsibility Deal
18. Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the public health responsibility deal. [101889]
Mr Lansley: One year into the responsibility deal, we are already seeing successes, including the elimination of artificial trans-fats, further reductions in salt in manufactured foods and over 8,000 high street outlets showing calorie information. Transparent monitoring and evaluation of the deal are vital, and both the Department and our partners are committed to this. We will make up to £1 million available to fund an independent evaluation.
Private Health Care Sector
19. Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the involvement of the private health care sector in the NHS. [101890]
Mr Simon Burns: The private sector has always provided services to the national health service. The Department does not collect information regarding which providers are providing what NHS services. This will continue to be a matter for commissioners. We agree with the previous Government that the best providers should provide NHS services and that clinical commissioners and patients should decide who delivers them.
GP Waiting Times
20. Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for patients to see their GP in the latest period for which figures are available. [101891]
Mr Simon Burns: 68% of patients say they are seen within 15 minutes of their appointment time. 84% of patients say that they are able to get an appointment to see a general practitioner in their practice when they wanted or sooner where an appointment was secured.
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Health Allocation Formula
21. David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the health allocation formula. [101893]
Mr Simon Burns: The independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation constantly reviews the formula and it is regularly updated with the most up-to-date data, such as population projections. The Committee is supporting the detailed development of allocations for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities for their future public health responsibilities.
NHS: Scotland
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions and on what dates he has met the Secretary of State for Scotland to discuss the potential effects of the Health and Social Care Bill on the NHS in Scotland. [101876]
Mr Simon Burns: Department of Health and Scotland Office Ministers have not met to discuss the Health and Social Care Bill.
Provisions which apply to Scotland have been discussed at official level between the Department of Health, the Scotland Office and the Scottish Government.
Asperger’s Syndrome
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects a universal and full service for the treatment of Asperger's syndrome to be available following diagnosis without a second condition. [102053]
Paul Burstow: We have seen significant progress in the development of a consistent pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of autism—including Asperger’s syndrome—since the publication of Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives, the adult autism strategy, and its attendant statutory guidance.
A consistent pathway for diagnosis is being created through the development and implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, clinical guidance for the diagnosis and management of autism, social care eligibility criteria, signposting newly diagnosed patients to advice and information, and lead professionals appointed in most local areas to develop diagnostic services.
Further work will be done over the coming year to evaluate the progress made in putting in place diagnostic pathways and to identify good practice in developing local and flexible arrangements.
Access to publicly funded care services is based on meeting the criteria set out in guidance known as “Prioritising Need”. This sets out four bands that reflect the risk to people's independence or other consequences if their need for services is not met. The four bands are low, moderate, substantial and critical. Each local authority decides, according to their own resources, which people they can support. If the needs of the individual do not meet the eligibility criteria set out by their local authority, they will not receive funded social care services. But people should be given information about what other support from charities or other community groups is available in their area.
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Care Quality Commission
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission. [101862]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has recently undertaken a Performance and Capability Review of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The report of the review, which was published on 23 February 2012, recognised the progress that CQC has made in the past three years, and sets out recommendations to challenge CQC and support its continuing improvement by providing a clearer strategic direction, strengthening the CQC Board and developing and delivering the regulatory model.
A copy of the report “Performance and Capability review: Care Quality Commission” has already been placed in the Library and the report can be found on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/02/cqc-performance-review
In addition, the Department continues to monitor CQCs financial and operational performance and risks at a general and strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings.
Care Quality Commission: Consultants
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts with external consultants were held by the Care Quality Commission in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; how many have been held in 2011-12 to date; for what services the contracts were made; and what the cost was of each. [101867]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of essential levels of safety and quality of health and adult social care services.
The CQC has provided the following information.
The following tables show the total CQC spend on consultants.
| 2009-10 financial year | ||
| Consultancy costs—2009-10 | ||
| Supplier | Description | £000 |
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Scenario Testing Events to test our approach to registration |
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