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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 19 April 2012
Attorney-General
Prosecutions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions launched by the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 where the accused had been held in prison on remand were dropped; and if he will make a statement. [104183]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of a defendant's custodial status when the case is finalised. This information could be obtained only by examining all of the CPS's files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Prosecutions: Business
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether he proposes that deferred prosecution agreements for companies which report financial wrongdoing should apply to offences committed prior to the implementation of such agreements. [103359]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Justice.
My Department is continuing to work with the Solicitor-General and his officials on the introduction of deferred prosecution agreements, a new approach to dealing with economic crime committed by commercial organisations. I expect to publish a consultation document shortly.
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The consultation document will address the question of whether deferred prosecution agreements will be capable of being applied to criminal wrongdoing committed prior to the introduction of such agreements.
Church Commissioners
Metal Theft
Jonathan Lord: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the cost was of metal theft from Church of England property in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) England in each of the last three years. [103421]
Tony Baldry: The insurance cover available from Ecclesiastical Insurance who insure the majority of churches in England has changed over the years in question, so a true year-on-year comparison of cost is difficult to make.
(a) Figures are also not available specifically for the Woking constituency.
(b) The following table illustrates the claims made by Church of England churches on their Ecclesiastical Insurance policies for theft of metal. These figures are from the county of Surrey, the diocese of Guildford and across England. The figures are likely to be higher in reality as not all the churches concerned will have made claims on their insurance unless the value of the claim exceeded the insurance excess which will have varied from church to church.
Total value of cost to the Church of England for:
2010 was around £6.5 million of which around £2.3 million was covered by insurance.
2011 was around £10 million of which around £4.4 million was covered by insurance.
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Total | ||||||
| Claims | Cost (£) | Claims | Cost (£) | Claims | Cost (£) | Claims | Cost (£) | Claims | Cost (£) | |
Home Department
Animal Experiments
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, 2010, what types of procedures were carried out on the 417 macaques who were used for the primary purpose of protection of man, animals or the environment. [103363]
Lynne Featherstone: The procedures involved the collection of blood or urine for the development and validation of tests in support of toxicological, safety or environmental evaluation of substances and were classified as “mild” severity.
Asylum
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the UK Border Agency does not recognise asylum seekers from non-Arab ethnic groups from Darfur as members of such groups; and what assessment she has made of the likelihood of non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers returned from the UK to Sudan being at risk of detention and torture. [103654]
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Damian Green: Each asylum and human rights claim is considered on its individual merits in accordance with the UK Border Agency's obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. Claimants who meet the definition of a refugee in the 1951 convention are granted asylum. If they do not qualify for asylum, but there are other circumstances that make them particularly vulnerable and engage the UK Border Agency's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, they are granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave. If their application is refused, they have a right of appeal to the courts. In this way the UK Border Agency ensures that it provides protection to those who need it.
Asylum claims by Sudanese nationals are dealt with in the same way as claims from every other country of origin. This includes assessment of nationality and, where appropriate, ethnicity, using information provided by the claimants themselves, relevant case law and objective country of origin information.
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likelihood of the ethnicity of the 15 non-Arab Sudanese in detention at Campsfield facility and 13 at the Dover facility making them subject to detention and torture if returned to Sudan. [103655]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency carefully considers all applications on their individual merits, and will offer protection to those who genuinely need it. Those who are found not to have a right to be here are expected to leave voluntarily. If they fail to do so, the UK Border Agency will seek to remove them.
The UK Border Agency only enforces the return of individuals whom it is satisfied have no right to be in the United Kingdom and who do not leave voluntarily.
Child Protection
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plans to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse; and if she will make a statement. [103816]
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plans to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse; and if she will make a statement. [102392]
Lynne Featherstone: The UK signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in May 2008. Officials across a number of Government Departments are currently considering the steps that would be required to ratify and implement the Council of Europe convention.
Cycling: Pavements
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that the Metropolitan Police Service enforces the law against persons cycling on pavements. [103300]
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Nick Herbert: The way that the police enforce the law, how they carry out their operational duties and how they deploy the resources available to them are matters for their professional judgment and discretion, taking into account concerns that may be brought to their attention and demands with which they are faced.
Deportation: Gary McKinnon
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the US Administration on the deportation of Gary McKinnon. [104014]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of national and international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Female Genital Mutilation
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. [103864]
Lynne Featherstone: Information on the number of people charged under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 is not centrally held. There had been no prosecutions under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in England and Wales, from its introduction in March 2004 up to the end of 2010.
Research suggests that there may be a number of barriers to prosecution, including pressure from the family or wider community to remain silent. Multi-agency practice guidelines on handling cases of female genital mutilation were published by the Home Office in February 2011; and the Crown Prosecution Service published guidance for prosecutors in September 2011.
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last reviewed whether to proscribe the group Hizbut-Tahrir. [103821]
James Brokenshire: It is not Government policy to comment on whether an organisation is, or is not, under consideration for proscription. However, Hizb ut-Tahrir is an organisation about which the Government have significant concerns and its activities are kept under close review.
Human Trafficking
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will discuss with her Dutch counterpart the effects of the independent National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings on the Dutch Government's human trafficking policies. [103431]
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Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will discuss with (a) her Finnish counterpart and (b) the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities the effects of the independent National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings on the Finnish Government's human trafficking policies. [103432]
Damian Green: Discussions take place at official level on a regular basis between the United Kingdom and other EU member states to exchange national experiences, develop best practice and coordinate efforts across Europe to tackle human trafficking.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place on the agenda of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking the establishment of an independent National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking. [103329]
Damian Green: The agenda of the most recent meeting of the Group included an item on how it will perform the role of national rapporteur.
Human Trafficking: Children
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British nationals were found to be victims of child trafficking in each year since 2000. [103727]
Damian Green: Since April 2009 a multi-agency framework has been in place for identifying and protecting victims of trafficking called the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). A breakdown of identified numbers of child trafficking victims by nationality can be found on the United Kingdom's Human Trafficking Centre website at:
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc
Prior to 1 April 2009, the UK did not have a national system to formally confirm trafficking victim status.
Immigration: Students
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU migrants have leave to remain in the UK as a student, excluding student visitors. [103612]
Damian Green [holding answer 18 April 2012]: The available statistics relate to the number of visas issued and grants of an extension of stay in the study category (excluding EEA nationals) and are published in tables be.04, be.06.s and ex.06 in the Home Office statistical release ‘Immigration Statistics’.
These data will include some students who have not yet entered the country and some who have subsequently left the country. Individuals could be counted more than once within the data.
A copy of the latest release, ‘Immigration Statistics October-December 2011’, is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science, research and statistics web pages at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/
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Human Trafficking
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place on the agenda of the Inter Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking and the UK Human Trafficking Centre the extent to which it plans to collect statistics on victims of human trafficking from police, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and churches. [103845]
Damian Green: Through the Officials' Human Trafficking Strategy Board, the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group will consider what data are available to fulfil its national rapporteur function.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to the Minister for Immigration by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 13 February with regard to Mr Muhammad Naeem Ajmal. [104008]
Damian Green: I refer the right hon. Member to my letter of 26 March 2012.
National Policing Improvement Agency
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her written ministerial statement of 26 March 2012, Official Report, columns 94-95WS, on the National Policing Improvement Agency, whether she intends to mandate police and crime commissioners to co-operate with (a) the police ICT company and (b) her Department concerning the airwave system and its replacement. [102564]
Nick Herbert: At this stage, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), sees no need to mandate PCCs to co-operate with the police ICT company or her Department concerning the Airwave system and its replacement. However, mandation powers remain available if necessary.
Passports
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many passports confiscated by nightclub security staff were returned to the Identity and Passport Service by police forces in England and Wales in each of the last two years; and if she will make a statement; [103422]
(2) how many passports were returned to the Identity and Passport Service having been confiscated by nightclub door security staff in the latest period for which figures are available; how many of these were destroyed; and if she will make a statement; [103423]
(3) what powers police officers have to (a) hold passports seized by nightclub security staff and (b) destroy passports seized in this way; and if she will make a statement. [103424]
Damian Green:
In 2010, almost 55,000 passports were returned to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and in 2011 approximately 60,000. Information is not
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collected centrally on the reasons for the return of the passport or the source from which these passports are returned. All passports returned to the IPS by a third party are automatically cancelled for security reasons. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 sets out police powers to seize and retain material considered as evidence of an offence.
Passports: Scotland
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK passports have been issued to British nationals residing in Scotland in each year since 1998; and what the cost was to the public purse in each year. [103728]
Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service does not hold information on the basis of geographical location of the applicant. Passports are issued to applicants on a self-funding basis.
Peter Cruddas
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in her Department have had with Peter Cruddas since 12 May 2010. [103462]
Damian Green [holding answer 18 April 2012]:Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Preventing Programme
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the Prevent programme in the last year for which figures are available; and for what purposes that money was spent in each local authority area concerned. [103846]
James Brokenshire: In 2011-12, £9.142 million was spent on the Home Office OSCT Prevent programme, of which £1.180 million was spent in 23 local authority areas to provide Prevent local co-ordinators (£1.133 million) and in three local authority areas to fund local Prevent projects (£0.047 million).
The 23 local authority areas receiving funding for Prevent local co-ordinators and the three local authority areas receiving funding for Prevent projects are as follows:
Local authorities in receipt of funding for Prevent coordinators
Barking and Dagenham
Birmingham
Blackburn with Darwen
Bradford
Brent
Camden
Derby
Ealing
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Kensington and Chelsea
Lambeth
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Leeds
Lewisham
Luton
Manchester
Newham
Redbridge
Stoke-on-Trent
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Westminster.
Local authorities in receipt of funding for Prevent projects
Blackburn with Darwen
Leeds
Westminster.
Proceeds of Crime
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider reviewing the terms of the Proceeds of Crime Recovery Fund to allow churches to make claims. [103272]
James Brokenshire: The Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme exists to incentivise law enforcement agencies involved in recovering criminal assets. The Government have no current plans to change the scope of the scheme but will keep the position under review.
Refugees: Asylum
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances a stateless person would be expected to provide a passport when making an application for asylum in the UK. [103628]
Damian Green: All applicants for asylum are expected to provide documents relating to their identity, nationality or country of habitual residence in so far as it is reasonable for them to do so. However, it is recognised that in some circumstances this will not be possible.
Refugees: Kuwait
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on applications to the UK Border Agency from the Bidoon people; what changes there have been to such policy since May 2010; whether Ministers in her Department have issued instructions to UK Border Agency staff on such applications since May 2010; and if she will make a statement. [103587]
Damian Green: All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the UK Border Agency's obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees and the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
Applications from Bidoon people are considered in line with the current policy advice in the latest Kuwait Operational Guidance note, issued in May 2011 and published on the UK Border Agency website at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/countryspecificasylumpolicyogns/
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Rob Whiteman: Pay
Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will consider decreasing Rob Whiteman's salary to reflect his reduced responsibilities as chief executive of the UK Border Agency. [103277]
Damian Green: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 526W.
Sarah Southern
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in her Department have had with Sarah Southern since 12 May 2010. [103463]
Damian Green [holding answer 18 April 2012]:Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Metal Theft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many itinerant metal collectors her Department estimates are not registered under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. [103302]
James Brokenshire: Information relating to the registration of itinerant metal collectors under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964, is held and maintained by the relevant local authorities rather than centrally by the Home Office.
We have made no estimate of the number of itinerant collectors who are not registered under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many containers containing stolen scrap metal have been seized leaving UK ports in each of the last 10 years. [97100]
Damian Green: Border Force does not collect this information.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses will apply to her plans to ban cash payments for scrap metal. [103433]
James Brokenshire: The moratorium on domestic regulation for micro business will not apply to the proposed prohibition of cash payments for the purchase of scrap metal by scrap metal dealers.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for enforcing a ban on cash payments for scrap metal; and what resources will be available for that purpose. [103437]
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James Brokenshire: Local authorities with the support of the police are responsible for tackling metal theft. The ban on cash payments will make it easier for them to gather the evidence to prosecute the new offence and use their resources more effectively to stop metal thieves.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which forms of scrap metal a ban on cash payments will apply. [103438]
James Brokenshire: The ban on cash payments will apply to all forms of scrap metal handled by scrap metal dealers as defined in the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for exempting itinerant collectors from a ban on cash payments for scrap metal. [103439]
James Brokenshire: The exemption will only be for those itinerant collectors who have firstly registered with their local authority as a scrap metal business under Section l and then applied for and been granted an order under Section 3(1) of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. The Section 3(1) order was intended to spare very small local businesses from some of the record-keeping requirements that the Act places on larger dealers, and can be granted by the local authority only in consultation with the chief police officer. As enforcement of the new offence of cash payment will be reliant on those record-keeping requirements, including the additional requirement inserted by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, it is appropriate that those who are currently exempt from those requirements are also exempt from the new offence. However, by definition these itinerant collectors have no capacity to process scrap metal, can only collect from domestic dwellings and will need to sell whatever they collect to a larger dealer who is subject to the new offence.
We will work with the Local Government Association and Association of Chief Police Officers on advice for local authorities and police forces on enforcement of the requirements of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and the criteria for issuing any new Section 3(1) orders.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward the date of the review of the offence of buying scrap metal for cash. [103440]
James Brokenshire: We will review the impact of the proposed new offence after five years, in line with current guidance on new regulation. In the interim, we will be monitoring the effectiveness of this measure as part our ongoing efforts to reduce metal theft and strengthen the licensing regime for scrap metal dealers.
Travellers
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Travellers without fixed address were stopped by police for non-payment of road tax in each constabulary area in England in each of the last five years; [103601]
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(2) how many Travellers without fixed address were stopped by police for not having a licence to tow a caravan, in each constabulary area in England in each of the last five years. [103602]
Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collated centrally.
UK Borders
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with frontline staff on the separation of the UK Border Force from the UK Border Agency. [101053]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Work and Pensions
Child Maintenance
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what proportion of cases under the new statutory schemes with a positive maintenance liability the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission expect the weekly child maintenance liability to be (a) £5 or under, (b) £10 or under, (c) £20 or under, (d) £30 or under, (e) £40 or under, (f) £50 or under and (g) more than £50. [102907]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of cases under the new statutory schemes with a positive maintenance liability the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission expect the weekly child maintenance liability to be (a) £5 or under, (b) £10 or under, (c) £20 or under, (d) £30 or under, (e) £40 or under, (f) £50 or under and (g) more than £50. [102907]
The following table shows the estimated proportion of cases in each of the requested ongoing weekly maintenance bands from March 2010 where a positive maintenance liability was estimated to exist. This is based on internal research using a 1% sample of the then current caseload.
The actual proportions under the new statutory scheme will depend on client behaviour and in particular which clients opt to open cases. in the following figures, a similar new scheme client mix has been used as exists with current schemes.
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| New scheme assessment amount | Proportion (percentage) |
Deep-vein Thrombosis
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to raise public awareness of (a) the risks of developing a deep vein thrombosis due to prolonged immobility in the workplace and (b) how deep vein thrombosis can be prevented in the workplace. [103847]
Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not produced specific guidance on the risks of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at work. The Department of Health has produced advice on travel-related DVT.
HSE provides guidance for workers required to be at a workstation for long periods, and for their employers. The guidance primarily addresses the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, but is consistent with that issued by the national health service on DVT. For further information, please see:
www.hse.gov.uk/msd
Guaranteed Minimum Pensions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what consideration he has given to introducing cost reducing measures to offset the cost of Guaranteed Minimum Pension equalisation for UK pension schemes; [103256]
(2) what assessment he has made of the administrative burden of the equalisation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions; [103257]
(3) what assessment he has made of the likely cost to UK pensions schemes of the requirement to equalise Guaranteed Minimum Pensions; and if he will make a statement. [103258]
Steve Webb: The need to equalise pensions for the effect of the Guaranteed Minimum Pension is longstanding and was reaffirmed in a written ministerial statement on 28 January 2010, Official Report, columns 65-66WS, by my predecessor, the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle), who said:
“it is the Government's opinion that, in order to ensure full compliance with European law, trustees and others should act as if existing domestic legislation requires equalisation in respect of differences resulting from GMPs whether or not real comparators exist.”
It is difficult to estimate the costs of equalisation or the administrative burden, as these will depend on the structure of individual schemes and what they have already done to equalise benefits.
Part of the recent consultation asked for comments on what could be done to assist schemes in dealing with their equalisation obligations. We are currently considering the responses.
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Housing Benefit
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the (a) National Landlords Association and (b) Residential Landlords Association on direct payment of housing benefit to tenants under universal credit; and if he will make a statement. [103676]
Steve Webb: Under the local housing allowance (LHA) arrangements which were introduced from April 2008, housing benefit is paid directly to tenants in most circumstances. The Government are considering how these arrangements will work under universal credit, including appropriate safeguards to pay the landlord direct where the claimant is unable to manage their rental payments themself.
The Department regularly attends meetings and other events involving landlords. Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, met with a number of landlord representatives in October 2011.
Pension Credit
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples received the savings element of pension credit in each constituency in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [102736]
Steve Webb: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Figures provided are as at August 2010 and August 2011.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made in defining what changes in circumstances will lead to a loss of transitional protection under universal credit. [103930]
Chris Grayling: The exact definition of the changes in circumstances that will lead to a loss of transitional protection is under development.
We will provide more information as soon as it is ready. Full details will be set out in regulations, which will be debated in the House.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of local authority staff required to deliver face-to-face assistance under universal credit. [103933]
Chris Grayling: DWP continues to develop the face to face service offering for universal credit claimants with local authority colleagues and as such the number of local authority staff required to deliver the service offering is yet to be finalised.
The Local Government Association has been working with the Department for Work and Pensions to explore pilot working in preparation for universal credit and the universal credit programme has also set up a Finance and Commercial Working Group, including local authority finance professionals, to inform decisions on resources required by local authorities to support the transition from legacy benefits to universal credit.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means claimants' documentary evidence in support of universal credit applications will be collected. [103934]
Chris Grayling: My Department is currently considering a variety of options for documentary evidence to support a universal credit application. Full details will be set out in the regulations, which will be debated in the House.
Health
Abortion
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish advice provided to him by his Department's civil servants on the unannounced inspection of abortion providers in March 2012. [103836]
Anne Milton: We have received serious allegations involving doctors in abortion clinics pre-signing abortion certificates. We have a duty to urgently investigate. Advice was submitted to Ministers in week commencing 12 March.
The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), subsequently asked that urgent unannounced inspections be carried out to ensure that the law was being upheld, which the Care Quality Commission agreed to do. Disclosure of the advice submitted to Ministers might prejudice the administration of justice through law enforcement proceedings, the carrying out of public bodies regulatory functions, including in relation to professional fitness or competence, and would prejudice the civil service's free and frank provision of advice to Ministers.
Antibiotics
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department is providing for the development of new antibiotics. [103837]
Mr Simon Burns: We are actively encouraging further drug development and pressing for greater research collaboration at an international level as recommended in the new European strategic action plan(1).
(1) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Action plan against the rising threats from Antimicrobial Resistance (COM (2011) 748).
Asperger’s Syndrome
Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take as part of his proposed reforms of adult social care to improve support available for adults with Asperger’s syndrome. [103301]
Paul Burstow: The care and support White Paper and progress report on funding reform, planned for spring 2012, will set out the Government's plans for transforming the care and support system.
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It is important that the White Paper sets out sustainable reform for all individuals throughout the time they experience a care need. This will mean ensuring that the system is responsive to a variety of needs, including older people and working age individuals with all types of care need, including those living with Asperger syndrome.
I also refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett), on 27 March 2012, Official Report, column 1101W.
Brain Tumours
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will collect data on the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis of brain tumours. [103843]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect statistics regarding average time taken from the onset of symptoms of a primary brain tumour to its diagnosis. However, The National Report of the 2010 Cancer Patient Experience Survey, published in December 2010, included a series of questions about general practitioner (GP) presentation and referrals. The views of over 67,000 cancer patients were included in the survey results and of these 2,382 had brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumours.
Set out in the following table are the responses of patients with brain and CNS tumours to questions concerning GP presentation and referral, presented alongside the results for all cancers
Both national and trust level reports can be found on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_122516
We are in the process of carrying out the 2011 cancer patient experience survey. It is anticipated that the report on the 2011 survey will be published in June this year.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to encourage more brain tumour patients to take part in randomised controlled trials. [103844]
Mr Simon Burns: Patients can find out about trials in all therapeutic areas including brain tumours on the UK Clinical Trials Gateway website at:
www.ukctg.nihr.ac.uk
A version of the gateway has also been launched for smartphones and tablet devices.
In 2010-11, the equivalent of 19.8% of new incident cancer cases were recruited into studies hosted by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cancer
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Research Network (NCRN), representing a fivefold increase in recruitment in the decade since the network was established. In the same year, 194 patients were recruited to randomised controlled trials in brain cancer hosted by the NCRN.
Cleveland Fire Brigade
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided for the restructuring of Cleveland Fire Brigade. [103552]
Health Services: North Yorkshire
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with NHS North of England on the budget for the implementation of the North Yorkshire review. [104015]
Mr Simon Burns: No such discussions have taken place between Ministers and NHS North of England.
Any costs associated with implementation of the North Yorkshire review are a matter for the local national health service.
Information Officers
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in the last two years. [102375]
Mr Simon Burns: The reimbursable expenses claimed by press officers in the Department's media centre and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the last five years are detailed in the following table:
| £ | |||||
| Financial year | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
The figures include travel and subsistence for ministerial visits and other departmental and agency business.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent press officers (a) are employed by and (b) work for his Department. [102497]
Mr Simon Burns: At the end of March 2012, 34 full-time press officers and one part-time press officer work for the Department's media centre, equating to 34.73 full-time equivalent press officers.
Leukaemia: Drugs
Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will encourage Bristol Myers Squibb to introduce a patient access scheme to discount the price of dasatinib. [104123]
19 Apr 2012 : Column 471W
Mr Simon Burns: It is for the manufacturers of a drug to decide if they wish to submit a patient access scheme proposal to the Department for potential consideration as part of a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence appraisal. The manufacturer of dasatinib has not approached the Department regarding the possibility of a patient access scheme for this drug.
NHS North of England Strategic Health Authority
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the NHS North of England Strategic Health Authority holds in reserves; [104017]
(2) what decisions have been made on the apportioning of reserves in strategic health authority accounts following their dissolution. [104019]
Mr Simon Burns: At quarter three of 2011-12, the NHS North of England Strategic Health Authority Cluster is forecasting total reserves of £135,000 in their Statements of Financial Position, all of which is classified as revaluation reserve.
The detailed financial regime for the new health system is still being developed and part of the development will include the treatment of reserves.
North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1156W, on primary care trusts: debts, what recent discussions he has had on the level of debt of the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust; and how it will be dealt with in preparation for the transfer to GP commissioning consortia; [104016]
(2) what his Department estimates the legacy debt level of the NHS North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust to be. [104018]
Mr Simon Burns: North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust is not forecasting to have any legacy debt at the end of 2011-12.
In accordance with the 2012-13 NHS Operating Framework, there is a requirement that no primary care trust or strategic health authority will plan for a deficit in 2012-13. Primary care trusts carrying legacy debt into 2012-13 must clear it. Furthermore, clinical commissioning groups will have their own budgets from 2013-14. They will not be responsible for resolving primary care trust legacy debt that arose prior to 2011-12. It is expected that aspirant clinical commissioning groups will continue to work closely with primary care trusts and primary care trust clusters in 2012-13, to ensure that no primary care trusts end 2012-13 in a deficit position.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide additional support to Nottingham University Hospitals to prevent the number of cancelled operations from increasing; and if he will make a statement. [103977]
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Mr Simon Burns: This is a matter for the national health service locally. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has not requested support from the Department.
NHS Midlands and East is aware of this issue and is working closely with the local primary care trust cluster and the trust to ensure action is taken to sustain the provision and management of appropriate services for the local population.
Obesity
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of (a) laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, (b) sleeve gastrectomy, (c) biliopancreatic diversion, (d) Roux-en Y gastric bypass and (e) other types of gastric bypass in the latest period for which figures are available. [103309]
Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested because the Department does not collect the cost to national health service providers of treating individual diagnoses.
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bariatric surgery operations were performed in the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available. [103310]
Anne Milton: In 2010-11 there were 8,209 finished consultant episodes (FCEs)(1) with a primary diagnosis of obesity(2) and a main or secondary operative procedure of bariatric surgery(3).
(1) Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)
A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a patient may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. The data does not represent the number of individuals treated.
(2) Primary diagnosis
The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.
ICD-10 Code used:
E66 Obesity
(3) Number of episodes with a (named) main or secondary procedure
The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients undergoing a 'cataract operation' would tend to have at least two procedures—removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one—counted in a single episode.
OPCS-4 Codes used:
G271—Total gastrectomy and excision of surrounding tissue
G272—Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum
G273—Total gastrectomy and interposition of jejunum
G274—Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to transposed jejunum
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G275—Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to jejunum NEC
G278—Other specified total excision of stomach
G279—Unspecified total excision of stomach
G281—Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G282—Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum
G283—Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to jejunum NEC
G284—Sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch
G285—Sleeve gastrectomy NEC
G288—Other specified partial excision of stomach .
G289—Unspecified partial excision of stomach
G303—Partitioning of stomach using band
G304—Partitioning of stomach using staples
G305—Maintenance of gastric band
G310—Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G311—Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum
G312—Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G313—Revision of anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G314—Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G315—Closure of connection of stomach to duodenum
G316—Attention to connection of stomach to duodenum
G318—Other specified connection of stomach to duodenum
G319—Unspecified connection of stomach to duodenum
G320—Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum
G321—Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum
G322—Revision of anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum
G323—Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum
G324—Closure of connection of stomach to transposed jejunum
G325—Attention to connection of stomach to transposed jejunum
G328—Other specified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum
G329—Unspecified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum
G330—Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to jejunum NEC
G331—Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to jejunum NEC
G332—Revision of anastomosis of stomach to jejunum NEC
G333—Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to jejunum NEC
G335—Closure of connection of stomach to jejunum NEC
G336—Attention to connection of stomach to jejunum
G338—Other specified other connection of stomach to jejunum
G339—Unspecified other connection of stomach to jejunum
G387—Removal of gastric band
G481—Insertion of gastric bubble
G482—Attention to gastric bubble
G716—Duodenal switch
Additional information:
Data Quality:
HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
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Activity included:
Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of (a) diabetes treatment and (b) obesity-related illnesses in the latest period for which figures are available. [103311]
Paul Burstow: In 2010-11, the estimated England level gross expenditure on diabetes was £1.55 billion as reported through the programme budgeting data collection.
Information on costs for obesity related illnesses is not collected centrally.
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has undertaken of the potential benefits of bariatric surgery for obese patients. [103313]
Anne Milton: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential benefits of bariatric surgery.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued “Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children”. This includes recommendations to primary care trusts on when to consider bariatric surgery for people who are obese. These recommendations were informed by an evidence review process, conducted by NICE, on the benefits and effectiveness of surgery.
In addition, in 2009 the “Cochrane Collaboration published Surgery for Obesity (Review)”, this review assessed the effects of bariatric surgery for obesity. A copy of the review is available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003641.pub3/pdf
Prescription Drugs
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which angiogenesis drugs are (a) approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), (b) used in the NHS and (c) being tested by NICE; and for which type of cancer they are used. [102918]
Mr Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued appraisal guidance making recommendations for the use of the following drugs which have angiogenesis inhibitor properties:
| Drug | Indication |
|
Second-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer |
|
|
First-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer |
|
19 Apr 2012 : Column 475W
The following drugs which have, or may have, angiogenesis inhibitor properties are currently being appraised by NICE or have been referred to NICE's technology appraisal programme for future appraisal.
Any drug licensed for use in the United Kingdom may be prescribed for national health service patients if it is not subject to any national restrictions and subject to the clinical judgment of the prescribing clinician.
Radiotherapy
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the next radiotherapy dataset will include information on the provision of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy including information on waiting times and variations in clinical practice; [103325]
(2) when he expects the next radiotherapy dataset to be published; [103326]
(3) with reference to the National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) Guidelines document Radiotherapy: an Introduction for Commissioners and providers, what the evidential basis is for the statement that chemotherapy is the primary modality in two per cent of cancer causes; [103328]
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(4) pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2012, Official Report, columns 111-2W, on cancer: health services, for what reasons the collection of outpatient procedure data for cancer treatment is not mandated by his Department. [103657]
Paul Burstow: Information on intensity modulation radiotherapy treatment (IMRT) is already included in the Radiotherapy Dataset (RTDS) but the quality of the data is not yet sufficiently robust to provide a detailed analysis. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of the data. To gain a clearer picture on the provision of IMRT in England, the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group has commissioned an IMRT survey. They hope to publish the results later this year.
The second analysis of the RTDS collection for 2010-11 was published on the National Cancer Services Analysis Team website in March 2012 and can be found at:
www.canceruk.net/rtservices/rtds/
It is anticipated that the analysis of 2011-12 data will be completed by the end of 2012.
With reference to the National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) guidance “Radiotherapy: an Introduction for Commissioners and providers”, the evidential basis for the statement that chemotherapy is the primary modality in 2% of cancer causes can be found at the footnote accompanying this statement. This cites the source as being “Morgan G, Ward R, Barton M. The contribution of cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-years survival in adult malignancies. Clin Oncol 2004; 16: 549-60”. The NCAT guidance can be found at:
http://ncat.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/Guidance%20for%20commissioners%20and%20others-%20radiotherapy.pdf
There are a number of reasons that the collection of out-patient data, including cancer data, is not mandated. These include the fact that not all hospitals have systems in place to support collection of this data and because there is currently no definition of an out-patient procedure or list of procedures which should be recorded for out-patient attendances only.
We are committed to improving the quality of radiotherapy and chemotherapy data, including for those treatments provided in an outpatient setting. The RTDS completed its first year of full data collection in August 2011 and work is under way to improve the quality of the coding in the data returns to enable better analysis. Phased collection for the chemotherapy dataset began in April 2012.
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many external beam radiotherapy tariffs have been set for 2012-13; and whether Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) or Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Treatment (SBRT) is included among those tariffs. [103327]
Mr Simon Burns: For 2012-13, the use of currencies (the unit of health care for which payment is made) for external beam radiotherapy has been mandated. 19 non-mandatory tariff prices have been published; however, these are indicative and commissioners and providers can agree local pricing.
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Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy/stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment is not included in the non-mandatory tariff prices. We will investigate the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including the newest radiotherapy techniques, once the standard radiotherapy tariff has been introduced.
Schizophrenia
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of new GP commissioning arrangements on the referral and treatment of schizophrenia. [104130]
Paul Burstow: General practitioners (GPs) will be given responsibility to ensure that commissioning decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local health care needs. GPs, in partnership with other local health care professionals, are best placed to understand the mental health needs of local populations and how to work with their local populations to design services that meet those needs.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will work with elected councillors, local authority commissioners and representatives of patients and the public through health and well-being boards to develop a comprehensive analysis of health and social care needs in each local area, and to translate these into action through the joint health and well-being strategy and their own commissioning plans.
As commissioners, CCGs will need to have strong relationships with a range of health partners. This will provide them with access to information, advice and knowledge to help them make the best possible commissioning decisions. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places a duty on CCGs to obtain appropriate advice from a broad range of professionals, such as mental health specialists, in commissioning services. CCGs will also access multi-disciplinary advice from clinical networks and senates on the design and delivery of services.
Social Services
Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's social care White Paper. [103295]
Thromboembolism
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism diagnosed in the NHS were attributed to immobility in the workplace in each of the last five years; [103848]
(2) how many cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism diagnosed in the NHS were attributed to immobility through video gaming in each of the last five years. [103849]
Anne Milton: This information is not collected by the Department.
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Tuberculosis
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to inform patients of the potentially severe side effects of tuberculosis medication. [104354]
Anne Milton: Information on treatment for tuberculosis (TB), including the possible side effects of the drugs used is primarily a matter for individual clinicians to discuss with their patients as part of clinical care.
General information on TB treatment and possible side effects is provided on the websites of NHS Choices and TB Alert, the national charity for TB, which the Department has funded to raise public and healthcare professional awareness of TB.
Women and Equalities
Sexual Harassment
8. Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps her Department is taking to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace. [103792]
Lynne Featherstone: Under the Equality Act 2010, which this Government brought into force, sexual harassment in the workplace is unlawful.
Unemployment
9. Joan Walley: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to tackle unemployment among women. [103793]
Mrs May: The Government are supporting women to move into employment through the Work programme and into self-employment through our business mentoring scheme. Over 10,000 mentors have now registered, 40% of whom are women. We are also encouraging more women to enter apprenticeships; latest figures show that record numbers of women have started their training.
Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the effect of recent labour market trends on black and minority ethnic communities. [103786]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Tackling unemployment is a priority. There is no single ethnic group where one type of support fits all. That is why we have introduced personalised support, through the Work programme, the Youth Contract and Get Britain Working. More flexibility for providers and Jobcentre Plus means that unlike the prescriptive and short-term programmes delivered under the previous Government, employment support can now be tailored to address an individual including ethnic minority communities.
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Christianity
Mr Bone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of inequalities faced by Christians in the UK. [103927]
Lynne Featherstone: Within Great Britain, anti-discrimination provisions contained in the Equality Act 2010 are intended to provide equal protection to all religions and religious or philosophical beliefs. No assessment has been made by Government of the effectiveness of these provisions in relation to any specific religion or belief.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Kate Green: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she expects to publish her response to the consultation on the future of the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled Building a Fairer Britain: Reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. [103810]
Lynne Featherstone: Our consultation last year Building a Fairer Britain: Reform of Equality and Human Rights Commission sought views on our proposals for reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission to clarify its functions, focus it on its core activities and improve its transparency, accountability and value for money. Nearly 1,000 responses to the consultation were received. We want the Commission to become a valued and respected national institution, and we will be publishing our response shortly setting out how we plan to proceed.
Human Rights: Religion
Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will bring forward legislative proposals to protect workers who choose to wear a visible cross or crucifix. [104122]
Lynne Featherstone: There is nothing in domestic law that denies people the right to wear visibly a religious symbol such as a cross or crucifix while at work. Employers need to have proportionate and legitimate reasons—for instance in order to comply with health and safety requirements—if they want to restrict their employees from openly wearing any religious item.
We believe that domestic law already strikes the right balance between the rights of employees to manifest their faith and that of employers to place legitimate and appropriate restrictions on that freedom. There are no current plans to change the law in this respect.
Marriage: EU Action
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what consideration she is giving to recent rulings on equal marriage rights from the European Court of Human Rights in preparing legislation on equal marriage rights. [104012]
Lynne Featherstone:
In a recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (‘Gas and Dubois v. France'), the Court reiterated its earlier ruling in ‘Schalk and Kopf v. Austria' that member states are under no obligation to allow same-sex couples access to marriage.
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The Gas and Dubois decision was incorrectly reported as stating that churches will be forced to marry same-sex couples.
The Government will continue to consider any relevant court judgments as they arise in relation to UK Government policy.
Scotland
Civil Servants: Code of Practice
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [103146]
David Mundell: There were no investigations into breaches by civil servants of the Civil Service Code of Conduct between May 2010 to March 2012.
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his policy is on the period for which emails sent and received by (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department are retained; and whether such emails are recoverable from the IT systems in his Department after that period. [102939]
David Mundell: E-mail messages that form part of the official record are saved for as long as business needs require and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures.
Sovereignty
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his communications strategy will be in respect of the referendum on Scottish independence. [102574]
David Mundell: The Government believe that any referendum should be legal, fair and decisive. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I, and other Ministers, and those from outwith Government will make the positive case that Scotland is stronger in the UK, and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts Vodafone has been awarded by his Department in the last 12 months. [103216]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not awarded any contracts to Vodafone in the last 12 months.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contracts his Department has with Vodafone. [103217]
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David Mundell: The Scotland Office has a contract with Vodafone for the provision of mobile telephone and data services under the Government's central framework contract with the company.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many times the permanent secretary in his Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103218]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have a permanent secretary. The director of the Office has not met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Register: Students
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of students not registered to vote. [103273]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission has made no recent estimate of the number of students not registered to vote. Such estimates are difficult to make because of the ability of students to register at both their term time and home addresses.
However, our research into the accuracy and completeness of the electoral registers in Great Britain, published in December 2011, estimated that 55% of 17 to 18-year-olds and 56% of 19 to 24-year-olds were registered in April 2011.
Our 2005 report “Understanding Electoral Registration”, which used data from the 2001 census, estimated that at that time 22% of students were not registered to vote. However, the fact students can register at both their term time and home addresses means that this is likely to have been an overestimate.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to encourage students to register to vote prior to the (a) May 2012 local elections and (b) November 2012 police and crime commissioner elections. [103274]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it undertook a public awareness campaign to promote voter registration prior to the May 2012 local elections. The activity included radio adverts and press releases targeted specifically at students, and online advertising, including working with Facebook.
Subject to funding, the commission will undertake further public awareness work for the November 2012 police and crime commissioner elections, including an information booklet with details of how to register to vote.
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The commission has also provided guidance for electoral registration officers on raising awareness among hard-to-reach groups, including young people, and is monitoring their performance against its published standards framework.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 2.1 of his Department's publication Extra Help Where it is Needed: A new energy company obligation, published in May 2011, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the carbon emission reduction target has been very successful at installing simple loft and cavity wall insulation. [103681]
Gregory Barker: Between April 2008 (when the carbon emissions reduction target began) and March 2011, energy suppliers promoted in achievement of their target 1.58 million cavity wall insulation measures and 2.02 million professionally installed loft insulation measures.
Community Energy Saving Programme
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to Ofgem's update on the Community Energy Saving Programme, issue 4, what assessment his Department has made of the prospects of delivering 100% of the programme by December 2012. [103729]
Gregory Barker: Ofgem estimate that schemes proposed by obligated companies up to the end of 2011 would, assuming they are delivered in full by the deadline, account for 67.9% of the overall CESP target.
This indicates that while good progress has been made there is still a significant challenge for obligated companies this year to meet the targets in time. Ofgem will be publishing a further update on progress in May this year as part of their annual CESP progress report to the Secretary of State.
While it is the legal responsibility of the obligated companies to meet their targets under the scheme, DECC has always been willing to assist in facilitating delivery where reasonable to help ensure a cost-effective scheme. I met with representatives of the CESP obligated energy supply companies to discuss progress in meeting the CESP obligations on 1 February 2012. Following this meeting a number of actions are being pursued by DECC to assist delivery, including:
supporting the Energy Retail Association in holding a forthcoming workshop with energy companies, charities, local authorities and others looking to address key challenges and communicate best practice;
writing out to all local authority chief executives through established DCLG channels with a call to engage with CESP;
engaging local authorities more directly through meetings which can help identify and broker viable partnerships with energy companies; and
publishing new HECA guidance shortly—which will encourage local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of their residential housing.
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Community Energy Saving Programme
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the (a) Community Energy Saving Programme and (b) Carbon Energy Reduction Target funding has been spent in (i) off gas grid and (ii) mains gas areas to date. [103389]
Gregory Barker: Under the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) and the Carbon Energy Reduction Target (CERT) obligated companies are required to meet carbon reduction targets. The companies are not required to report on the amount they invest to meet their targets or, usually, on whether treated properties are connected to the gas grid; this information is therefore unavailable.
However, the CERT evaluation report indicated that proportionally few people in off gas grid homes had benefited from the scheme. There have also been only a small number of CESP schemes in rural areas (which are more likely to be off the gas grid), but some off gas grid properties in urban areas have benefited under the scheme.
More generally the Government seek to encourage energy companies to deliver their schemes equitably, and work to help ensure all local authorities are informed of the opportunities available.
Detailed information on CERT delivery, including down to parliamentary constituency level, is available on the website of the Energy Saving Trust:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Professional-resources/Existing-Housing/Homes-Energy-Efficiency-Database/CERT-reports-from-HEED
Energy
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with industry on minimum planning and delivery times for community Energy Saving Programme schemes; and if his Department will publish the outcome of any such discussions. [103399]
Gregory Barker: Companies with obligations under the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) have until 31 December 2012 to meet their targets under the scheme. Subject to the terms of the CESP legislation how companies plan to meet these targets and to what timetable is a commercial matter for them.
While it is the legal responsibility of the obligated companies to meet their targets under the scheme, DECC has always been willing to assist in facilitating delivery where reasonable to help ensure a cost-effective scheme. I last met with representatives of the CESP obligated energy supply companies to discuss progress in meeting the CESP obligations on 1 February 2012. Following this meeting a number of actions are being pursued by DECC to assist delivery, including:
supporting the Energy Retail Association in holding a forthcoming workshop with energy companies, charities, local authorities and others looking to address key challenges and communicate best practice;
writing out to all local authority chief executives through established DCLG channels with a call to engage with CESP;
engaging local authorities more directly through meetings which can help identify and broker viable partnerships with energy companies; and
19 Apr 2012 : Column 484W
publishing new HECA guidance shortly—which will encourage local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of their residential housing.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to support a national roll-out of voltage optimisation devices to (a) commercial buildings and (b) residential buildings. [103905]
Gregory Barker: Energy efficiency is often the most cost-effective way of cutting emissions and saving consumers money, and is a priority for this Government. Different energy efficiency measures will be appropriate for different properties.
My officials will shortly be holding a meeting with representatives from a number of companies supplying voltage optimisation devices. This will be an opportunity to explore more fully the potential for this technology, including the sectors and buildings where it can create the greatest energy saving benefits. I look forward to considering the outputs of this meeting.
Environment Protection
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the funding announced in the comprehensive spending review to support low-carbon technologies has been allocated. [103757]
Charles Hendry: In the spending review last year we announced the allocation of over £200 million of direct capital funding to support low-carbon technologies. Of this funding to date up to £180 million has been allocated to specific schemes. As a proportion this is 90%.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which projects have been allocated funding from the funding announced in the comprehensive spending review to support low-carbon technologies; and how much funding has been allocated to each such project. [103758]
Charles Hendry: In the spending review last year we announced the allocation of over £200 million of direct Capital funding to support low-carbon technologies. Of this funding to date up to £180 million has been allocated to specific schemes. These are:
1. Developing manufacturing infrastructure at port sites—up to £60 million
2. Marine energy array demonstration projects—£20 million
3. Offshore wind accelerator project (to innovate in key areas)—up to £15 million
4. Offshore wind innovative components—up to £15 million
5. Buildings Energy Efficiency Projects—up to £35 million
6. Carbon Capture and Storage costs reduction innovation—up to £20 million
7. Bio Energy Innovation—up to £15 million
Fuel Poverty
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of people in fuel poverty in (a) Wrexham, (b) Wales and (c) the UK in the last year. [103888]
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Gregory Barker: Fuel poverty among the countries of the UK is measured by each devolved Government, and is measured at a household rather than individual level. In 2009, the latest year for which data is available, 5.40 million households in the UK were in fuel poverty. Latest figures for 2010 for the UK and England will be published on 17 May.
For Wales, the last available data shows that in 2008, approximately 332,000 households were estimated to be in fuel poverty. Projections for 2009 and 2010 estimate 368,000 and 332,000 fuel poor households respectively.
Data is not produced for lower geographical areas in Wales.
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Green Deal Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has undertaken on consumer attitudes to the Green Deal in the last year. [103717]
Gregory Barker: Details of research undertaken on consumer attitudes to the Green Deal in the last year are listed in the following table (all relevant research commissioned between January 2011 and April 2012 has been included):
The results of some of research above has already been published on the DECC website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/green_deal/green_deal.aspx
A second tranche of research will be published alongside the DECC response to the Green Deal consultation.
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Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what definition of rural was adopted in his Department's evaluation of the Carbon Energy Reduction Target (CERT) that led to the conclusion on page 133 of his Consultation document on the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation that rural areas in Great Britain had received a proportionate rate of delivery under CERT. [103899]
Gregory Barker: The definition of rurality adopted for the evaluation of the Carbon Energy Reduction Target was the standard DEFRA/ONS Rural Definition for England and Wales(1), and the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification for Scotland. The Rural/Urban Definition was used in analysis of CERT delivery in England and Wales. The Scottish Urban Rural Classification(2) was used in analysis of CERT delivery in Scotland. The Rural/Urban Local Authority Classification and Scottish Urban Rural Classification were used in survey and case study research conducted as part of the CERT evaluation.
(1) DEFRA/ONS Rural Definition:
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/rural/documents/rural-defn/Rural_Urban_Introductory_Guide.pdf
(2) Scottish Urban Rural classification for Scotland:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/20WUR
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress he has made of the development of national occupational standards for Green Deal advisers; and if he will make a statement. [103995]
Gregory Barker: DECC commissioned Asset Skills, one of the Sector Skills Councils to develop a suite of National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Green Deal Advisors which build on the existing suite of Energy Assessor NOS arid qualifications. These have now been approved by the UK NOS Panel and can be found on the Asset Skills website:
http://www.assetskills.org/PropertyAndPlanning/PropertyNOS.aspx
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects learning providers to begin to offer training that leads to a Green Deal adviser qualification. [103996]
Gregory Barker: We expect training providers to begin to offer training across Great Britain from the beginning of June. The Government are also providing £l million in funding to be invested in training up to 1,000 Green Deal Advisors in readiness for the launch of the Green Deal in the autumn. DECC has appointed Asset Skills, one of the Sector Skills Councils to lead the project to develop this and details will be announced shortly.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how long he expects training leading to a Green Deal adviser qualification to take. [104000]
Gregory Barker: Training times will vary depending on the sector in question and the existing skills possessed. For those already trained and qualified as energy assessors capable of producing an EPC we would expect training times to be substantially shorter.
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Although the market is likely to offer a range of learning approaches, discussions with the sector suggest that existing domestic energy assessors could require up to 16 days additional training to become a Green Deal Advisor.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what he expects the likely cost to be to individuals undertaking training leading to a Green Deal assessor qualification. [104001]
Gregory Barker: Training costs will vary depending, on the sector in question, the existing skills possessed by the candidate and the learning providers in question. For example, those already trained and qualified as energy assessors could expect to see the cost of training. reduced. Early discussions with the sector suggest that an existing domestic energy assessor could expect a cost of training around £1,600.
I recently announced £1 million for the training of up to 1,000 advisors in readiness for the rollout of the Green Deal. DECC has appointed Asset Skills, one of the Sector Skills Councils to lead the project to develop this and details will be announced shortly.