Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2012, Official Report, column 906W, on renewable energy: feed-in tariffs, whether his Department has estimated the Government's potential liability for loss of income following the Supreme Court ruling on its consultation on the feed-in tariff for solar power. [102768]
Gregory Barker: The Government have made no such estimate, as it does not accept that it has any such liability.
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to make an announcement on the next stage of policy development for the Renewable Heat Incentive; and whether bioliquids will be included in the scheme. [R] [102560]
Gregory Barker: A Departmental Note was laid in Parliament on 26 March 2012 on support for renewable heat technologies in the domestic and non-domestic sectors. Further to that note, we will consult in September 2012 on whether to include bioliquids in the non-domestic RHI and on how we can support renewable heating for households in the longer term.
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will meet representatives from the Oil Firing Technical Association to discuss the inclusion of bioliquids in the Renewable Heat Incentive. [R] [102561]
16 Apr 2012 : Column 172W
Gregory Barker: The Oil Firing Technical Association have written to me to request a meeting to discuss the inclusion of bioliquids in the Renewable Heat Incentive. Due to diary commitments I am unable to meet representatives at this present time. I have asked my officials to meet with Oftec in the first instance to discuss their concerns.
Secondment
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether secondees to the previous Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform were involved in the preparation of the 2008 Nuclear White Paper, Cm 7296, Section 2: Subsection entitled Our proposals on nuclear power: the Government's preliminary view and Government response. [102554]
Charles Hendry: No secondees were involved in the preparation of the subsections of the 2008 Nuclear White Paper entitled "Our proposals on nuclear power—the Government's preliminary view" and "Our proposals on nuclear power—Government response ". The text was drafted by BERR officials.
Solar Power: British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance his Department has given to the utilisation of solar power in British Overseas Territories. [102138]
Gregory Barker: In recognition of the need to improve their domestic energy security, and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, Overseas Territories occasionally seek support from DECC to help identify suitable and nationally appropriate renewable energy technologies. The Department responds positively to such requests, within resources, by directing the Overseas Territories to both internal and external sources of best practice.
From 30 March 2012 DECC will provide a single point of contact through which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will direct questions and requests from the Overseas Territories in relation to energy and climate change issues.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts Vodafone has been awarded by his Department in the last 12 months. [103222]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has awarded one call-off contract to Vodafone in the last 12 months under a Government wide framework agreement ("Buying Solutions Mobile 11") run by the Government Procurement Service. The contract was awarded on 1 April 2011.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contracts his Department has with Vodafone. [103223]
16 Apr 2012 : Column 173W
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has one call off contract with Vodafone under a Government wide framework agreement ("Buying Solutions Mobile II") run by the Government Procurement Service. The contract was awarded on 1 April 2011.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many times the Permanent Secretary in his Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103224]
Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between the Permanent Secretary and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website.
Warm Front Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2012, on the Warm Front discount scheme; how many households which have received help with their energy bills are part of (a) the core group, (b) the broader group and (c) the legacy spending element of the previous voluntary agreement through social and discounted tariffs. [102931]
Gregory Barker: Information on the final number of households assisted under the scheme from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 will not be known until Ofgem have conducted a review of suppliers’ spending in that year.
Around 660,000 households have already received a discount under the core group element of the scheme in 2011-12. The Department of Energy and Climate Change published an impact assessment in February 2011 for the scheme which estimated that:
The broader group element of the scheme will assist a minimum of 26,000 households in 2011-12.
The legacy spend element of the scheme will assist up to 1.5 million households in 2011-12.
These estimates assume suppliers will spend £130 million on legacy spending. If suppliers choose to spend less than this, they will be required to assist more broader group households this year.
Wind Power
Mr Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of decommissioning windmills (a) on land and (b) offshore. [101513]
Charles Hendry: DECC has not made an assessment of the cost of decommissioning onshore wind turbines. Where the Secretary of State grants consent for an onshore wind farm, he may also grant deemed planning permission and include a condition that requires developers to work with the relevant local planning authorities to make arrangements for the removal of wind farms or individual turbines and for the land to be restored to an acceptable condition at the end of a project's lifetime. Where local authorities grant planning permission for wind farms, they are able to include similar conditions requiring decommissioning of the structures.
Offshore, there is a statutory decommissioning scheme which allows the Secretary of State to compel wind
16 Apr 2012 : Column 174W
farm developers to submit costed programmes for the removal of their projects with funds set aside for that purpose. Initial estimates received from wind farm developers indicate a range of figures for potential decommissioning costs (from £31,000 per megawatt to £200,000 per MW) which reflect the different characteristics of the projects concerned and the lack of practical experience to date of decommissioning offshore wind farms around the United Kingdom.
Wind Power: British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance his Department has given to the utilisation of wind power in British Overseas Territories. [102137]
Gregory Barker: In recognition of the need to improve their domestic energy security, and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, overseas territories occasionally seek support from DECC to help identify suitable and nationally appropriate renewable energy technologies. The Department responds positively to such requests, within resources, by directing the overseas territories to both internal and external sources of best practice.
From 30 March 2012 DECC will provide a single point of contact through which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will direct questions and requests from the overseas territories in relation to energy and climate change issues.
Cabinet Office
Average Earnings
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people earn over £1 million per annum in each parliamentary constituency. [102928]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people earn over £1 million per year in each parliamentary constituency. (102928)
ONS's preferred measure of employee earnings comes from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). ASHE is carried out in April each year and is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
The ASHE sample covers approximately 1 per cent of the UK employee workforce. Given the small number of people with annual earnings of over £1 million, it is not possible to produce reliable statistics for people in this category.
Average Earnings: Greater London
Mr Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average income was of (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (ii) London in the last 12 months. [102118]
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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average income of (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers was in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (ii) London in the last twelve months. (102118)
Estimates of average income are not available for the breakdowns requested, so estimates of average earnings have been provided. Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
The following table shows the median gross weekly earnings for full-time male, full-time female, part-time male and part-time female employee jobs in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and London in April 2011.
| Median gross weekly earnings for full-time male, full-time female, part-time male and part- time female employee jobs (a) : (i) Bexleyh eath and Crayford constituency, (ii) London f or April 2011 | ||
| £ | ||
| B exleyheath and Cray ford (b) | London (c) | |
| (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) Parliamentary constituency. (c) UK region. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV<=5% * CV>5% and <=10% ** CV> 10% and <=20% X Unreliable. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. | ||
Average Earnings: Kent
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average income of (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers in (i) Kent and (ii) Dartford constituency were in the last 12 months. [101947]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The requested information is not available.
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Big Society Investment Fund
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many applications for funding from the Big Society Investment Fund there have been to date. [102504]
Mr Hurd: The Big Society Investment Fund (BSIF) was open from June 2011 to March 2012, and its purpose was to build the diversity and resilience of the social investment market by investing in well managed, ambitious and financially-sound social investment finance intermediaries (SIFIs).
The BSIF received 63 applications from SIFIs over this period.
Business
Damian Hinds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of micro businesses in each parliamentary constituency. [103086]
Mr Hurd: The information' requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of micro businesses in each parliamentary constituency. [103086]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release; UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at
www.statistics.gov.uk
these estimates relate to the count of live businesses in March of each year.
The latest statistics on the number of enterprises in each parliamentary constituency have been provided in the table. The table provides estimates for the number of enterprises in each parliamentary constituency by employment size. Micro businesses are defined as businesses with employment between 0 and 9.
Copies of the table have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Census
Mrs Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been (a) fined and (b) prosecuted as a result of not completing the 2011 Census. [102648]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated April 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which has responsibility for the Census, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people who have been (a) fined and (b) prosecuted as a result of not completing the 2011 Census. 102648.
The prosecution process for failing to complete a 2011 Census questionnaire is still ongoing. As at 3 April 2012, 200 prosecution cases have been concluded, with fines imposed in 198 cases.
A further 54 cases where prosecutions were started, have resulted in the completion of a census return.
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Details about the number of prosecutions will be published as part of the evaluation of the 2011 Census in due course.
Cybercrime
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has estimated the prevalence of cybercrime to inform his cybercrime strategy; and how any such estimate has been made. [102015]
Mr Maude [holding answer 26 March 2012]: The UK Cyber Security Strategy, published 25 November 2011, combined the UK’s approaches to tackling cybercrime and wider cyber security to create a single, strategic plan to deal with the full range of threats to the UK from cyberspace.
The estimate of the scale of cybercrime affecting the UK in the strategy was informed by a number of pieces of work including a report “The Cost of Cyber Crime” which was published in February 2011. The report is available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cost-of-cyber-crime
Efficiency and Reform Group
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff of the Efficiency and Reform Group were employed (a) in total and (b) at each civil service grade and salary band in (i) May 2010, (ii) November 2010, (iii) May 2011, (iv) November 2011 and (v) on the latest date for which figures are available. [102541]
Mr Maude: The Efficiency and Reform Group was created in June 2010. The following table sets out the full-time equivalents (FTEs) employed in the Efficiency and Reform Group on the dates requested. It shows that the headcount of the Efficiency and Reform Group has reduced by 27% since June 2010 and it is operating at the desired "steady state" number of around 440 FTE. The total cost of running the Efficiency and Reform Group has reduced by 38% since June 2010, from around £37 million in 2010-11 to around £23 million.
During this time, the Efficiency and Reform Group, working with Government Departments, has already delivered £3.75 billion of efficiency savings in 2010-11. Savings for the current financial year are anticipated to be around £5 billion.
| June 2010 | November 2010 | May 2011 | November 2011 | March 2012 | |
| (1) Indicates brace. | |||||
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Electronic Government
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether targets exist for the proportion of Government services which citizens can use online. [102259]
Mr Maude: We have not set targets for the proportion of Government services which citizens can use online.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Government services can only be accessed online. [102268]
Mr Maude: The Government Digital Service in the Cabinet Office is working with Departments to transform their digital services and Departments will publish their digital strategies which will set out their services later in the year. The Government are committed to delivering transactional services digitally by default to ensure digital services are simpler, quicker and easier for citizens to use online and making online the channel of choice. However, we are also aware that Government have a duty to ensure everyone has access to services for which they are eligible and is therefore committed to ensuring that assisted digital services are in place to ensure that no one is left behind by the move to digital by default service delivery.
Emergencies
Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account was taken of lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in the revision of the energy sector risk profiles in the 2012 edition of the National Risk Register for Civil Emergencies. [102036]
Mr Maude: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) have been reviewing the risks to the energy sector following events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan last year. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, Mike Weightman, produced a detailed report on the implications of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami for the UK nuclear industry which was published in September 2011:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/
The report includes an appraisal of the protection of nuclear installations from natural hazards and current arrangements for responding to nuclear emergencies. The National Risk Register will continue to be updated to take account of these findings and the results of work to follow up the recommendations of the Weightman report, but no change was required in the energy sector risk profile in the 2012 edition.
Employment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed for each person who had retired in each 10-year period for which figures are available. [102955]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
16 Apr 2012 : Column 179W
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed for each person who had retired in each 10 year period for which figures are available. [102995]
Specific estimates of the number of people who have retired are not available. For this question, an approximation is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) by adding together the number of people aged 16 to 64 who are economically inactive due to retirement and the number of people aged 65 and over who are economically inactive.
The ratio of the number of people aged 16 and over in employment to this above estimate of the number of people in retirement is provided in the following table. Estimates prior to 1993 are not available due to differences in the LFS questionnaire. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Ratio of people in employment to people in retirement (1) . Three months ending December, 1993 to 2011. United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted | |
| Ratio | |
| (1 )This is the number of people aged 16 and over in employment divided by the sum of (a) people aged 16 to 64 who report that they are economically inactive due to retirement and (b) all people aged 65 and over who are economically inactive. Source: Labour Force Survey (ONS) | |
Government Departments: Databases
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the Information Tribunal’s ruling of 18 January 2012 on access to back-up servers, Case No. EA/2011/0152, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on retention of data on servers after deletion from terminals; whether his guidance on data retention has changed as a result; and whether he plans to publish guidance to Departments on data retention. [102963]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not intend to issue any guidance on this matter as ensuring compliance with requirements of the FOI Act and the environmental information regulations (EIR) is a matter for individual Departments.
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Government Departments: Private Sector
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to monitor changes in the level of outsourcing of services to private companies by Government Departments; and if he will make a statement. [102508]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has introduced central controls that currently allow us to monitor specific types of outsourcing deals. These controls are in the process of being strengthened to ensure that, in future, all outsourcing deals in Whitehall come through the Cabinet Office for clearance. This will enable us to look at whether we are using the most appropriate model for delivering services.
Government Departments: Procurement
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to review (a) Government procurement policies in relation to and (b) the effects of Government procurement decisions on small and medium-sized enterprises. [101741]
Mr Maude: A year ago the Government launched a package of radical measures to increase opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to allow us to tap into their creativity and innovation.
Central Government's direct spend with SMEs is on track to double since we took office from 6.5% to 13.7% by the end of this financial year.
On 9 March we published the ‘One Year On’ progress report, which gives a breakdown for each Department of their total spend and proportion of spend with SMEs up to and including the end of December 2011:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
However, there is an ongoing process to reach our aspiration of 25% of central Government procurement spend being with SMEs by the end of this Parliament. That is why I announced a further package of measures on 9 March to make the way we do business more competitive, more transparent, better value and far simpler than before:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/better-deal-smaller-businesses
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of central Government procurement expenditure was spent with small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest period for which figures are available. [101743]
Mr Maude: A year ago the Government launched a package of radical measures to increase opportunities for small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) and to allow us to tap into their creativity and innovation.
Central Government's direct spend with SMEs is on track to double since we took office from 6.5% to 13.7% by the end of this financial year.
On 9 March we published the ‘One Year On’ progress report, which gives a breakdown for each Department of their total spend and proportion of spend with SMEs up to and including the end of December 2011:
16 Apr 2012 : Column 181W
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
Office for National Statistics
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what partnership work the Office for National Statistics is currently engaged in. [102307]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what partnership work the Office for National Statistics is currently engaged in (102307).
ONS does not hold a central list of all partnership work, which could include commercial or non-commercial arrangements, concordats, Memorandum of understanding or Service Level Agreements, Key Accounts, arrangements with government departments, local authorities, educational or research organisations.
Examples of partnership working include:
For the recent 2011 Census, ONS worked in partnership with each of the Local Authority in England and Wales.
ONS has an on-going partnership with Royal Statistical Society to support the Centre for Statistical Education.
ONS hold contracts with Fujitsu and MITIE who provide IM and property services respectively.
In addition, ONS considers the following organisations as Key Accounts:
Bank of England
Cabinet Office
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Education and Skills
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department of Health
Department for Transport
Department for Work and Pensions
Economic and Social Research Council
Eurostat
General Register Office
General Registry Office Scotland
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
HM Treasury
Home Office
Local Government Association
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Justice
National Audit Office
NHS Information Centre
Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency
Office for Budget Responsibility
Royal Statistical Society—Statistics User Forum
Scottish Government
UK Border Agency
UK Parliament
Welsh Government
16 Apr 2012 : Column 182W
Older People
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) parliamentary constituency are over state pension age. [102745]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) parliamentary constituency are over state pension age (102745).
Table 1 shows the number of people of state pension age resident in (a) each region of England and (b) local authority areas within the UK in mid-2010. This is the latest year for which population estimates are available. On 30 June 2010 state pension age was 65 years and over for men and 60 years 57 days and over for women.
Table 2 shows the number of people aged 65 and over for men and 60 and over for women resident in each parliamentary constituency within the UK in mid-2010. These age groups are the closest available approximation to state pension age at mid-2010 that can be obtained for population estimates by parliamentary constituency.
Copies of the tables have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Olympic Games 2012
Mrs Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on (a) consulting and (b) incorporating UK search and rescue personnel and equipment in security plans for the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [102431]
Mr Maude: There have been no discussions between myself and the Secretary of State for Defence about consulting with search and rescue personnel, or incorporating UK search and rescue personnel and equipment in security plans for the London 2012 Olympics. The Home Office is the lead Department charged with the delivery of safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic games.
Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts his Department had with (a) Capita, (b) Serco and (c) ATOS in the last 12 months. [103171]
Mr Maude: Since March 2011, Cabinet Office has had four contracts with Capita and three contracts with Serco. The Cabinet Office has no contract with ATOS; however, it uses the current Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) contract for its services.
As part of my Department's transparency programme, details of contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder:
http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk
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Procurement: EU Action
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects the European Union procurement review to conclude. [102491]
Mr Maude: The European Commission expects that negotiations on the new public procurement directives, which will replace the utilities and public sector directives (2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC respectively) will be concluded by the end of 2012 and that the directives will transposed into national law by 30 June 2014.
While the UK's response to the Green Paper is in the public domain
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/0707UKGPpbResponsefinal%20(2).pdf
our negotiating position is not public. However, our response to the proposals is contained in the Explanatory Memorandum to Parliament (reference numbers 18966/11, COM(2011) 896 final, 2011/0438 (COD).
Public Sector: Construction
Derek Twigg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure public sector construction projects deliver value for money. [102071]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Justin Tomlinson) on 14 March 2012, Official Report, column 332W.
Unemployment: Ethnic Groups
Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the current level of unemployment is among black males aged 16 to 25; and if he will make a statement. [103240]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the current level of unemployment is among black males aged 16 to 25. [103240]
Estimates of unemployment come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). For the period October-December 2011 it is estimated that there were 38,000 unemployed men aged 16 to 25 inclusive who reported their ethnicity as Black.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 22,000 and 53,000.
Well-being
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) whether his Department's measurement of happiness differentiates between (a) remembered and (b) current experienced happiness; [103172]
(2) what research the Office for National Statistics has conducted on (a) well-being and (b) happiness; and whether any such research differentiated between remembered and experienced happiness. [102308]
16 Apr 2012 : Column 184W
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012:
As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions:
In April 2011 ONS introduced four subjective well-being questions onto the ONS Integrated Household Survey (IHS). The four questions are as follows:
Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile?
Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
The first two questions ask respondents to evaluate their well-being in broader terms than the second two questions, which ask about respondents to recall the previous day.
On 28 February 2012, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a research report entitled 'Analysis of experimental subjective well-being data from the Annual Population Survey, April to September 2011’ which presents initial estimates of subjective well-being from six months of the Annual Population Survey (APS) carried out between April and September 2011. This report is available from the following weblink:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-subjective-wellbeing-in-the-uk/analysis-of-experimental-subjective-well-being-data-from-the-annual-population-survey--april---september-2011/report-april-to-september-2011.html
ONS is looking at a number of ways of assessing well-being. Those we are currently using are generally about remembered 'happiness', or psychological well-being, rather than 'happiness' experienced at a point in time or while doing particular activities.
Deputy Prime Minister
Bill of Rights
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Commission on a Bill of Rights. [102455]
Mr Harper: The Deputy Prime Minister met the Commission on a Bill of Rights on 22 March with my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Lord McNally. They discussed the Commission's recent and future work as well as the current state of play on the Government's plans to reform the European Court of Human Rights during the UK's current chairmanship of the Council of Europe.
Constituencies
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on reducing the size of the Executive. [102480]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Deputy Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Blackley and Broughton (Graham Stringer) on 11 October 2011, Official Report, column 168.
16 Apr 2012 : Column 185W
Devolution
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons. [102460]
Mr Harper: I have, to date, received no representations from the Commission on the consequence of devolution for the House of Commons.
House of Lords: Reform
Paul Murphy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on reform of the House of Lords. [102394]
Mr Harper: There have been no official discussions with the Welsh Government on House of Lords reform.
Lobbying: Registration
Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has had from (a) charities and (b) trade unions about the consultation on a statutory register of lobbyists. [103162]
Mr Harper: The Government published initial proposals on establishing a statutory register of lobbyists in a consultation document on 20 January. Following the end of the consultation period on 13 April, the Government will carefully consider all representations received and publish their response to the consultation. It would not be appropriate to comment on representations received to date in advance of this.
Postal Voting
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to the coalition agreement, what progress he has made on proposals to fund all-postal primaries. [102481]
Mr Harper: ‘The Coalition: our programme for government’ says that all-postal primaries will be “targeted at seats which have not changed hands for many years”. Following legislation last year, the Boundary Commissions for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are consulting on changes to constituency boundaries, which will have implications for most existing constituencies. The Government will take this into account in determining the way forward on this proposal.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Tajikistan on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102623]
Alistair Burt:
Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Tajik counterparts, and the UK participates in regional
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co-operation talks alongside Tajikistan. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Tajikistan agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26 to 27 March 2012, where they met with Deputy Foreign Minister Zohidov.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Turkmenistan on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102624]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Turkmen counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside Turkmenistan. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Turkmenistan agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26 to 27 March.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102625]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Uzbek counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside Uzbekistan. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Uzbekistan agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26 to 27 March. We have encouraged Uzbekistan to play a full role in these fora.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Kyrgyzstan on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102626]
Alistair Burt:
Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Kyrgyz counterparts, and the UK participates in regional cooperation talks alongside Kyrgyzstan. I attended the
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Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Kyrgyzstan agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March 2012.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of China on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102627]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Chinese counterparts, and the UK participates in regional cooperation talks alongside China. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including China agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last discussed Afghanistan with State Councillor Dai Bingguo during the Strategic Dialogue with China in September 2011.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of India on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102628]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Indian counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside India. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including India agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last discussed Afghanistan with Indian Foreign Minister Krishna during their meeting of 30 June 2011 and looks forward to further discussions with Prime Minister Singh later this year.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Pakistan on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102629]
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Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Pakistani counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside Pakistan. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Pakistan agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last discussed Afghanistan with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on 21 February during her visit to London.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Russia on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102630]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Russian counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside Russia. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Russia agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior FCO officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed Afghanistan with Foreign Minister Lavrov during their meeting in September 2011, and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe discussed Afghanistan with Deputy Foreign Minister Titov on 26 January 2012 during his visit to the UK.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Turkey on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102631]
Alistair Burt: Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials regularly discuss Afghanistan with their Turkish counterparts, and the UK participates in regional co-operation talks alongside Turkey. I attended the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan in November 2011, where regional countries including Turkey agreed to work together in a range of fields up to and beyond 2014. We continue to play a part as a supporter of the Istanbul Process.
In addition, senior FCO officials attended the Fifth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, on 26-27 March.
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed Afghanistan with Foreign Minister Davatoglu during the Turkish State Visit in November 2011, and the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan met with the Turkish ambassador on 12 January 2012.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Iran on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces. [102632]
Alistair Burt: In line with our approach to Iran, we have not had direct talks with the Government of Iran on the involvement of regional powers in the future of Afghanistan before and after the departure of ISAF forces, Iran has participated in the Istanbul Process and the Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan, alongside other regional powers and the UK.
Expenditure: Alcoholic Drinks
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total spending on wine and other alcoholic beverages was by his Department in the last six months. [103129]
Mr Lidington: This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.
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.
Antarctic
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support British activities in the Antarctic region. [102471]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads on overall Antarctic policy and maintains an influential role for the UK within the Antarctic Treaty System. We also take seriously our responsibilities to effectively administer the British Antarctic Territory. In this year of Captain Scott's centenary we will carry on working closely with the British Antarctic Survey and others to support their dual mission of science and presence in the region. We will ensure that British activities in Antarctica are appropriately supported, but also effectively regulated. We will continue to coordinate interest and activity in the Antarctic alongside other Government Departments, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Ascension Island
Andrew Rosindell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis catch levels have been (a) assessed and (b) set in the
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granting of commercial fishing licences in Ascension Island. [102130]
Mr Bellingham: Fisheries protection is the responsibility of Overseas Territory Governments. I understand, however, that the pilot Ascension Island fishery has been selling licences since 2010. Once sufficient catch data have been gathered, they will be assessed in order to allow the Ascension Island Government to develop an informed sustainable fishery policy.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Bosnian Government on establishment and implementation of its Anti-Corruption Agency in order to facilitate EU membership. [102039]
Mr Lidington: Our embassy in Sarajevo is in regular contact with the Ministry of Security about developments on the establishment of the State Anti-Corruption Agency. Our embassy is closely co-ordinating with the EU who are leading on support to the agency through a EUR 2 million project, funded through the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), that is due to start in mid-2012. Our embassy is complementing the EU work through conflict pool programme funding to support the effective implementation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Anti-Corruption Strategy at the entity level in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
British Antarctic Survey
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department provided to support the work of the British Antarctic Survey in the latest period for which figures are available. [102472]
Mr Bellingham: The British Antarctic Survey is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to provide for the UK a dual mission of world class science and an influential presence in Antarctica and within the Antarctic Treaty System. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides an annual contribution of £500,000 to the British Antarctic Survey to manage King Edward Point base on South Georgia, which supports the administration of the Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
British Indian Ocean Territory
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost to date is of legal expenditure in respect of defending actions brought by Chagos Islanders in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territories. [102369]
Mr Bellingham: Since 2001, the total cost to date of legal expenditure defending actions brought by the Chagossians in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory is £1,826,365.25 including VAT.
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China
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the Chinese Government’s policy on tiger conservation. [103137]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I wrote to the Chinese ambassador on 3 February about the Chinese Government’s current and planned policy on tiger conservation. To date, I have not received a response.
Civil Servants: Code of Practice
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many investigations into breaches by civil servants of the Civil Service Code of Conduct occurred in his Department in each month from May 2010 to March 2012. [103155]
Mr Bellingham: Central records are only held for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff who have faced formal disciplinary action after investigation for breaching the Civil Service Code of Conduct. Records are not held for investigations where there was no case to answer. There were fewer than five cases in each month between May 2010 and March 2012 where FCO civil servants breached the Civil Service Code of Conduct that resulted in formal disciplinary action. For reasons of confidentiality, and to avoid the possibility of revealing the identities of individual staff, the FCO, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, does not disclose more detailed information when overall numbers amount to fewer than five. However, annual figures for 2010 (May to December) were a total of 22 cases; for 2011 (January to December) a total of 22 cases; and 2012 (January to March) there have been five cases.
Correspondence
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond in full to the letter from Stephenson Harwood Solicitors of 23 February 2012 on behalf of Dr Ahmad Azizi and Mr Ali Sedghi. [102542]
Alistair Burt: The Treasury Solicitors Department wrote to Stephenson Harwood on 2 April 2012 stating that the Government anticipates providing a substantive response by 20 April 2012. The response will be reviewed by Counsel before it issues because Stephenson Harwood has indicated that it may seek judicial review and accordingly the response will be treated as pre-action correspondence.
Diplomatic Service
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes in scrutinising the appointment of diplomats to embassies and high commissions in the UK to ensure that such appointments do not provide immunity to alleged war criminals. [102261]
Mr Bellingham:
Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Defence Attachés must receive formal approval from Her Majesty's Government before taking up their positions in the UK. Other diplomats are subject to standard
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entry clearance procedures as necessary. If allegations of criminal activity of any kind are made against a foreign diplomat in the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can, if appropriate, request the withdrawal of the diplomat in question or seek a waiver of the diplomat's immunity to allow investigations to take place.
Diplomatic Service: Arabic Language
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Arabic-speaking British national diplomatic staff in UK embassies and consulates work in (a) Arab and (b) non-Arab countries. [102964]
Mr Bellingham: In support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Diplomatic Excellence initiative we are aiming significantly to raise standards of staff language skills throughout the organisation. We are strategically targeting key positions overseas to ensure extra training improves the language capability of staff, especially to be able to negotiate and influence more effectively. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs recently announced that the FCO is also opening a new language centre, which will train up to 500 members of staff a year.
Approximately 6% of the overall FCO workforce have registered Arabic skills at some level. Of these Arabic speakers, approximately 21% are in Arabic speaking countries overseas with a further 10% in middle east and North Africa Directorate and Africa Directorate in London. The other 69% of our Arabic speakers are based either in overseas posts in non-Arabic speaking countries or other parts of the FCO in London.
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the period for which e-mails sent and received by (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department are retained; and whether such e-mails are recoverable from the IT systems in his Department after that period. [102960]
Mr Lidington: E-mails, along with other forms of official correspondence, are subject to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) records management policies: they must be stored and shared appropriately, and reviewed for possible preservation as part of the public record. The FCO's submissions, responses and other key information and correspondence, including e-mails, are formally recorded by the relevant FCO department.
The FCO's e-mail systems do not automatically delete e-mails. E-mails which are not recorded or saved elsewhere are retained until they are deleted by the user and recipients. When an individual leaves the FCO, the user account is normally deleted by the FCO's central help desk after six months.
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Hungary
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his (a) EU and (b) Hungarian counterparts on the issuance of Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians who are not Hungarian nationals or resident in Hungary; and if he will make a statement. [102297]
Mr Lidington: The UK Government have not discussed this issue either with EU or Hungarian counterparts. The UK believes that regulations on citizenship are a matter for each member state and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment on Hungarian domestic legislation in this area.
Middle East
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the Palestinian Authority’s adherence to its road map commitment to end incitement against Israel. [101940]
Alistair Burt: The UK is not aware of any specific evidence of anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish incitement by the Palestinian Authority. The road map stipulates that a tri-partite committee would look at incidents of incitement, to which any party can appeal.
The UK Government oppose the advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence in all circumstances. I issued a press statement on 23 January condemning inflammatory words used by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and others at an event in January marking the 47th anniversary of the Fatah movement. As I said then, the UK is against any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice in a region that needs a culture of peace and mutual respect.
We are concerned by any instances of incitement which appear in the Palestinian media.
Nagorno Karabakh
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will use the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the OSCE Minsk Group talks over Nagorno Karabakh to urge the co-chairs to increase their efforts to secure the withdrawal of Armenian forces in line with UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884. [102037]
Mr Lidington: The UK fully supports the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and their efforts to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and calls for both Armenia and Azerbaijan to redouble their efforts to achieve a sustainable peace agreement for the stability and security of the region.
Last December, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group (US, France and Russia) and the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to peace and identifying areas of potential co-operation, such as a mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations.
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On the twentieth anniversary of the formation of the OSCE Minsk Group, we continue to support its efforts to improve the likelihood of a peaceful resolution to the conflict by working with the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of how the promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear energy assists implementation of the National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-15; and if he will make a statement. [102714]
Alistair Burt: The National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-15 is clear that the UK will work in support of the rules based international system of counter proliferation treaties, regimes and organisations that underpin global security and prosperity—as well as working bilaterally and through ad hoc groupings.
The key international agreement for countering nuclear proliferation is the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which entered into force in 1970. For its 190 states parties the Treaty aims to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, ultimately eliminate them and enshrines the right to access and develop nuclear energy in a safe and secure environment.
Her Majesty's Government actively support all three Treaty Pillars (non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy) and is clear that the National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-15 is complemented by the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Such promotional activities are currently taking place largely under the umbrella of the International Engagement Strategy on Civil Nuclear (agreed by Government in 2011). These include:
Engagement with priority countries where commercial and political levers can help achieve progress on the National Counter Proliferation Strategy;
Providing a single point of contact on civil nuclear across HMG—the Cross Whitehall Advisory Group—and creating a closer relationship with Industry and academia. This Group feeds into existing structures, in particular the Counter Proliferation Implementation Committee that itself is guided by the National Counter Proliferation Strategy;
Increasing UK engagement with multinational organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency, International Framework For Nuclear Energy Co-operation and the World Nuclear University, and wider political fora, such as the EU and G8/G20. Strengthening these organisations and our relationships with them will help ensure that the development of peaceful uses globally—not just nuclear power—helps us to meet the objectives of the National Counter Proliferation Strategy.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to provide additional resources to the UK diplomatic network to support implementation of the National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-15 announced on 23 March 2012. [102715]
Alistair Burt: The National Counter Proliferation Strategy 2012-15 is a cross Government initiative which draws on resources from across Whitehall to deliver it. The work is co-ordinated through and answerable to the National Security Council, where Counter Proliferation is a priority.
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Counter Proliferation is already a priority area for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s diplomatic network. The FCO recently set up a new Department, Arms Export Policy Department, which sits alongside the existing Counter Proliferation Department to reflect the importance of countering the proliferation of conventional weapons as well as weapons of mass destruction. Over 30 staff from British embassies in priority countries for Counter Proliferation work met in London recently with their Whitehall counterparts to discuss implementation of counter proliferation priorities. The FCO's resources for Counter Proliferation work are kept under regular review and are considered in the context of the increase in overall resources in the diplomatic network for priority emerging countries.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take following the March 2012 Global Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. [102716]
Alistair Burt: The Deputy Prime Minister led the UK delegation to the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul on 26-27 March. He reported significant achievements against our national commitments from the first summit in Washington in 2010, and made new commitments for the two years up to the next summit in the Netherlands in 2014.
These commitments include further provision of financial and expert assistance for nuclear and radiological security improvements overseas, via our Global Threat Reduction Programme and working with the IAEA, the US, and other international partners; the use of our 2013 presidency of the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction to drive forward international co-operation on threat reduction programmes; continuing work through multinational fora such as the Global Initiative on Combating Nuclear Terrorism to support the international development of capabilities in nuclear forensics, detection and emergency response; and further work to assist the IAEA in international implementation of nuclear security education and training programmes.
Domestically, the commitments include the further development of plans for the future management of our inventory of separated civil plutonium; and the further improvement of our civil nuclear security governance through a new Office for Nuclear Regulation.
The Deputy Prime Minister also led a statement by 31 countries committing to specific action to improve the security of nuclear information. We will continue to lead and assist international efforts in this field.
Palestinians
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations his Department has received on the honouring by the Palestinian Authority of Palestinian citizens that have participated in terrorist acts; [102082]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authorities on the naming of cultural and sporting events after Palestinian terrorists. [102083]
Alistair Burt:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any recent representation on this issue. Our officials in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have not had
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any discussions with the Palestinian Authority on this issue. As we do not have any direct contact with Hamas, we cannot make any representations about events taking place in the Gaza Strip.
The Government deplore all incitement to violence. We have strongly supported the Palestinian Authority's programme of reform of its institutions of state, including the security sector. The Palestinian Authority has made considerable progress in this regard, meaning a more effective Government and an improved security situation, with the Palestinian Authority meeting its core commitments under the Quartet Roadmap.
Somalia
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his counterparts in countries surrounding Somalia to act collectively against acts of piracy. [103014]
Mr Bellingham: Regional engagement is at the heart of our counter-piracy strategy for piracy off the coast of Somalia. This is why we invited representatives from over 50 countries to London in February for the Conference on Somalia, including high-level representation from a number of key regional countries. As Minister with responsibility for Africa, I have engaged regularly with my counterparts in these countries, and in particular I worked closely with my counterparts in Kenya, Tanzania, the Seychelles and Mauritius to secure a regional burden-sharing agreement to further our collective efforts to tackle the scourge of piracy. I am committed to ensuring that this close dialogue and cooperation with countries in the region continues.
South Sudan
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in South Sudan. [102484]
Mr Bellingham: We are concerned at the ongoing inter-communal conflicts within South Sudan, particularly in Jonglei State and in the triangle between Warrap, Lakes and Unity States. Protection of civilians should be the first priority, and we support the efforts of the Government of South Sudan, supported by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in that regard. We support efforts to disarm communities, but have urged the Government of South Sudan to carry this out in a way that does not spark further violence. They should also investigate all allegations of abuses by security forces.
We urge the Government of South Sudan to redouble their efforts to defuse tension and find permanent means of addressing grievances between communities.
We are also concerned about the military actions in recent days in the area of the border between the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan. We have called on both Governments to cease aggressive acts, to stop all support to armed groups in each other's territory, and to abide by their Memorandum of Understanding on Non-Aggression and Co-operation signed on 10 February.
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Sri Lanka
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Sri Lanka. [102131]
Alistair Burt: There are currently no plans for a ministerial visit to Sri Lanka.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage dialogue between Singhalese and Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. [102132]
Alistair Burt: The Government firmly believe that the only way to achieve lasting and equitable peace in Sri Lanka is through genuine national reconciliation. The UK engages with all members of the Sri Lankan community who share this goal. We regularly meet with members of the Sinhalese, Muslim and Tamil communities to discuss this and other issues in Sri Lanka.
We urge the Sri Lankan Government to take the necessary steps to implement the recommendations of their Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission as soon as possible, which would significantly advance Sri Lanka's recovery from conflict.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with his EU counterparts the possible imposition of travel restrictions on people accused of committing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [102543]
Alistair Burt: There have been no discussions with EU counterparts on possible travel restrictions on the Sri Lankans accused of committing human rights abuses.
In August 2010, the EU decided to suspend its Generalised System of Preferences+ trading agreement with Sri Lanka in response to its failure to comply with a number of international human rights agreements.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been removed with escorts to Sri Lanka who have (a) maintained contact with the British high commission and (b) been interviewed or arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities; and if he will make a statement. [103070]
Alistair Burt: Since 2008, the British high commission in Colombo has provided its contact details to around 250 returnees. In addition, many returnees are involved in community-based projects.
All chartered flight returnees are interviewed by the Sri Lankan authorities. Six returnees have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities, five of them for document fraud.
Sudan and South Sudan
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of (a) Sudan and (b) South Sudan on the protection of Christian communities in those countries. [102349]
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Mr Bellingham: We have spoken to both Governments about the importance of protecting freedom of expression and the right of assembly. Our embassy in Khartoum in particular holds regular meetings with representatives of faith-based groups, and advocates the protection of minority rights as part of the ongoing constitutional review debate in the Republic of Sudan. Freedom of religion is part of the constitution of South Sudan, and South Sudan is a majority Christian country where we see no evidence of religious discrimination. The UK strongly supports the enduring presence of church groups as crucial partners for peace and development in South Sudan.
Syria
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to whether Shorland armoured cars manufactured by Short Brothers and approved for export to Syria in the 1980s have been patrolling the streets of Homs. [102975]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of, but cannot confirm, reports that Shorland armoured cars have been patrolling the streets of Homs.
The Government take their arms export responsibilities very seriously, and operate one of the most rigorous arms export control regimes in the world. We do not export equipment where there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression. We do not issue licences for goods which might be used for internal repression in Syria. While we can, under certain circumstances, revoke export licences, we cannot recall equipment once exported, especially when the export may have taken place so long ago.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of human rights abuses in Syria. [102983]
Alistair Burt: I condemn the Syrian regime for its continuing violence against civilians. The UN estimates many more than 9,000 people have been killed since March 2011. The UN's Commission of Inquiry reported that the Syrian regime has perpetrated widespread and systematic human rights violations, including torture and rape of men, women and children. The UK strongly endorses the work of the Commission. UK experts have visited countries neighbouring Syria to collect testimony from those who have experienced the Syrian regime's abuses. We see these accounts contributing to a process where those responsible for these horrifying acts will be held to account for their actions.
The Commission of Inquiry has also reported on abuses being committed by members of anti-Government groups. While it is clear that these abuses are on a far smaller scale than those violations committed by the Syrian authorities, this cannot be condoned. The UK continues to urge all parties to respect international human rights law and international standards, in order to protect the Syrian people, including the growing number of internally displaced people and refugees.
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Details of the Commission of Inquiry activities including their report can be found on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website:
www.ohchr.org
USA
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had on (a) US-UK extradition arrangements and (b) sustainable development and climate change during his recent visit to Washington DC. [102055]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs held several meetings during his recent visit to the US, in addition to those he attended with the Prime Minister. The issues of extradition, sustainable development and climate change were not raised during these. Officials continue to work closely with their US counterparts on both of these issues.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts Vodafone has been awarded by his Department in the last 12 months. [103192]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a contract with Vodafone which provides mobile telephones and data services in the UK. This was originally signed on 6 November 2009, and recently extended on 5 December 2011 under the Government Procurement Service, Mobile Solutions (II) Framework Agreement.
The FCO has a network of over 260 posts overseas. Some of these posts will have contracts with local mobile telephone providers, of which some will be with Vodafone partners. The information on such contracts, and if they were awarded in the last 12 months, is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contracts his Department has with Vodafone. [103193]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a contract with Vodafone which provides mobile telephones and data services in the UK.
The FCO has a network of over 260 posts overseas. Some of these posts will have contracts with local mobile telephone providers, of which, some will be with Vodafone partners. The information on such contracts is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the permanent under-secretary in his Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103194]
Mr Lidington:
Simon Fraser, the permanent under-secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has met Matthew Kirk, Group External Affairs Director
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of Vodafone, twice: once at a business breakfast event on 11 May 2011, and subsequently at a lunch meeting on 18 July 2011. Mr Fraser has had no other meetings with Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months.
All external meetings (excluding FCO hospitality) are published on the FCO website:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality/#Ministers
Western Sahara
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 399W, on Western Sahara, whether any Special Rapporteur, other than Farida Shaheed, has visited Western Sahara since UN Security Council Resolution 1979 was adopted. [102341]
Alistair Burt: No Special Rapporteurs, other than Farida Shaheed, have visited Western Sahara since UNSCR 1979 was adopted.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 399W, on Western Sahara, how long Farida Shaheed spent in Western Sahara; what sites she visited; and whether she will produce a report before the MINURSO mandate is due for renewal. [102342]
Alistair Burt: Farida Shaheed visited Dakhla in Western Sahara on 11 and 12 September 2011. She visited the local authorities, local handicraft centres and associations working on issues related to the documentation and the preservation of heritage.
Her full report is expected in June 2012, after the renewal of MINURSO's mandate by the United Nations Security Council in April. Her preliminary conclusions and observations are available at:
www.ohchr.org
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the actions of Moroccan forces in the houses of Saharawi Abdallahi Souayeh, Sid Ahmed Nailad and Bachir Sid Ahmed Mahjoub in El Aaiun, Western Sahara, on 11 August 2011; and if he will make a statement. [102741]
Alistair Burt: We do not have information on these individuals, beyond what is available in the public domain. However, we raise the importance of human rights in Western Sahara with the Moroccan authorities on a regular basis and encourage the Moroccan authorities to ensure that channels exist for human rights complaints to be properly investigated.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the next Friends of Yemen meeting in Riyadh will take place. [103102]
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Alistair Burt: The next Ministerial Friends of Yemen meeting will take place in Riyadh on 23 May. This was announced on 23 March, after the UK hosted a Friends of Yemen Senior Officials meeting in preparation for the Ministerial meeting.
Communities and Local Government
Council Tax Benefit
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the effect on lone parents with (a) one child and (b) two children in receipt of working tax credit of (i) a 16% reduction in council tax benefit awards and (ii) an increase in the taper to 25%. [101770]
Robert Neill [holding answer 26 March 2012]: The Department published an Impact Assessment on 19 December 2011
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/2053960.pdf
Council Tax Benefits
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of likely changes to the number of pensioners who will take up council tax benefit if localisation of the benefit is introduced. [101764]
Robert Neill [holding answer 26 March 2012]:I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 24 January 2012, Official Report, columns 135-36W.
Growing Places Fund
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the Growing Places Fund has been used to build homes to date. [102095]
Grant Shapps: The £770 million Growing Places Fund is intended to support local infrastructure projects which unlock housing and economic growth. The original allocation of £500 million was distributed to respective Local Enterprise Partnerships in February and then in March's Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced an additional £270 million, which was distributed to all Enterprise Partnerships before the end of the 2011-12 financial year. As we outlined in the Fund's prospectus, this is an unringfenced grant so it will be for local areas to decide priorities and which projects to support, and we have not set any top-down targets for the number of houses to be built.
Housing: Armed Forces
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to support former members of the armed forces to secure social housing. [101635]
Grant Shapps:
I am determined to help current and former members of the armed forces gain the housing they deserve. Last year I held a housing summit, as part
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of the military covenant, to discuss how we could ensure that housing was a priority for people who returned from active service for this country.
We are currently consulting on plans to change the law, by regulation, so that former personnel with urgent housing needs are always given high priority on waiting lists, and that personnel who move from base to base do not lose their qualification rights.
We are also consulting on new statutory social allocations guidance for local councils, setting out how their allocation schemes can give priority to current or ex-service personnel, including through the use of local preference criteria and local lettings policies.
We aim to lay the secondary legislation as early as possible after the consultation period has closed.
I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 578-79W.
Housing: Prisoners
Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what housing advice his Department offers to offenders prior to their release from prison. [102152]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
The National Offender Management Service provides the majority of housing advice services in prisons. It commissions these services from voluntary sector providers, such as NACRO, St Giles Trust, St Mungo's and Shelter, save in those establishments where Governors have trained prison or probation staff available.
In some other prisons trained prisoner peer mentors provide housing advice, under staff supervision.
Additionally, local housing authorities provide housing advice in the following four prison establishments:
HMP Nottingham: Broxtowe borough council were successful in bidding for Trailblazer funding to provide monthly housing surgeries; this project has expanded, and the housing surgeries are now attended by representatives from as many as 17 local housing authorities
HMP Lewes: Hastings borough council leads a partnership of local housing authorities which provide a housing support worker in Lewes prison
HMPs Holme House and Low Newton: Middlesbrough council has led a partnership for service provision by Teesside-area local authorities.
A further four housing authorities (Kettering, Melton, Sheffield and Stoke) work in partnership with prisons to offer Housing Options services to serving prisoners.
Land: Auctions
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many community land auction pilots the Government plans to run; where each will be conducted; in each case, which local authority or agency will be responsible for managing the auction; which local authority or agency will capture the value gain; and when the pilots will commence; [103075]
(2) whether the community land auction pilots announced in the 2011 Budget will be conducted using (a) publicly-owned land, (b) privately owned
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agricultural land and
(c)
privately-owned industrial or non-agricultural land; [103076]
(3) what assessment he has made of the markets for (a) housing and (b) land in each of the areas proposed for community land auction pilots announced in the 2011 Budget; and if he will place a copy of any such assessment in the Library; [103077]
(4) what his criteria is for selecting the areas for pilot community land auctions. [103078]
Grant Shapps: In the “Laying the Foundations: a housing strategy for England” (November 2011) we set out that we would undertake a pilot of the land disposal elements of the land auctions model on public land. We are working with the local authorities in Hastings and West Lancashire on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and the local authority in Richmondshire on land owned by the Ministry of Defence.
The local authorities are taking the leading role in the Pilot, working in partnership with the landowners. They will make arrangements for applying for development consents and will sell the sites in open competition, sharing the uplift in land value with the landowners, in the way agreed between them.
As a pilot to test this approach we were keen to have sites of different sizes and characteristics, but importantly where local partners wanted to be involved and where the sites could support local need and objectives for housing. The Department will be capturing the learning and evidence from the pilot to inform the Government's further consideration of ways in which the land auctions model could be used more widely.
Mayors: Greater Manchester
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 486W, on mayors: Greater Manchester, if he will bring forward proposals for a mayor of the Greater Manchester City Region covering all 10 metropolitan districts. [102325]
Greg Clark: As I explained in response to the hon. Member's earlier question, the Government's commitment is to city mayors delivered through the Localism Act 2011; there is no legislative basis for creating city region mayors.
Planning Permission: Chester
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish his response to Mr Reg Barritt's complaint on the Duty to Involve. [98353]
Robert Neill: I shall be writing to Mr Barritt shortly, copying in my hon. Friend.
Regeneration: Urban Areas
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that learning from the urban regeneration at the Olympic Park is used as a framework for urban regeneration in the UK. [100858]
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Robert Neill: Although, following the Localism Act 2011, responsibility for the Olympic Legacy will pass to the London Mayor, the Government are keen that lessons are learnt from the success and future regeneration of the Olympic Park and will continue to engage in its dissemination as appropriate. This is, however, best done by those involved in the work, and in addition to the Olympic Delivery Authority's Learning Legacy project, the Olympic Park Legacy Company regularly engages in seminars and other events to explain their approach to developing the Park.
Regeneration to enable growth: a toolkit supporting community-led regeneration, published in January 2012:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/regeneration/communityledregenerationtoolkit
also outlines the wide toolkit of powers, flexibilities, options and incentives that local councils, residents, local businesses and civil society organisations might find helpful as they drive the regeneration of their area, strengthen their local economy, and improve opportunities.
Remploy
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether his Department has procured any goods from Remploy factories in the last three years; and what the value was of any procurements; [102175]
(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with Remploy on the procurement of goods. [102176]
Robert Neill: My Department has purchased no goods from Remploy factories in the last three years.
However, we have contracted with Remploy-e-cycle for the disposal of our former Government Office IT equipment and have spent £7,800 so far in this current financial year (2011-12). The contract was competed under the Government Procurement Service Framework Agreement and it is ongoing.
Our Local Government and Central Procurement group report they have not had recent discussions with Remploy concerning procurement of goods and services other than above. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
Risk Assessment
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2012, Official Report, column 653W, on risk registers, if he will list only the risk registers compiled by officials in his Department. [101823]
Robert Neill: The Department's risk management policy requires that each division and directorate must maintain its own risk register. This is managed locally and no central list of risk registers is held.