Official Visits
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the date and location was of each official visit by a Minister in his Department since May 2010. [103684]
Gregory Barker: Ministerial visits are not centrally recorded. Gathering of this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many solar PV installations qualifying for the feed-in-tariff there were between (a) 3 March 2012 and (b) 1 April 2012. [103756]
Gregory Barker: Data from the Microgeneration Certificate Scheme (MCS) database should be seen as an early indicator of activity and there is no guarantee that all microgenerators with MCS installations will be eligible for, or decide to apply for FiTs. The MCS database covers wind and PV installations up to 50 kW and microCHP eligible for FiTs (up to 2 kW).
As at 16 April 2012, there were 18,942 PV installations up to 50 kW registered on the MCS database between 3 March 2012 and 1 April 2012.
Registration on the CFR represents the final stage in the FiTs registration process. There will be installations eligible for FiT that have been installed but have not yet been registered onto CFR.
As of 16 April 2012, the Ofgem central feed-in tariff register (CFR) shows 34,022 solar PV installations were accredited for feed-in tariffs (FiTs) between 3 March 2012 and 1 April 2012. Some of these installations will have been installed before 3 March 2012.
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Renewables Obligation
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on the advanced conversion technology industry of the Renewables Obligation banding review; and if he will make a statement. [103322]
Charles Hendry: The Government's policy aim is to bring on the deployment of advanced conversion technologies as they have the potential to produce syngas for efficient power and heat generation as well as liquid biofuels for transport. For the Renewables Obligation banding review consultation there was limited cost evidence on which to base proposed levels of support. During the consultation process the Government engaged closely with industry to understand the impact of the proposals and to gather further cost evidence on the level of support required. The Government response to the banding review consultation is due to be published in spring 2012.
Sarah Southern
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Sarah Southern and (ii) Peter Cruddas since 12 May 2010. [104010]
Gregory Barker: There have been no meetings between any of the Department's Ministers, special advisers or the Permanent Secretary and Sarah Southern or Peter Cruddas in relation to DECC business since 12 May 2010.
Details of meetings DECC Ministers and the Permanent Secretary have held with external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
Quarterly details of meetings held since October 2011 will be published in due course.
It would incur disproportionate cost to scrutinise details of meetings held at official level since 12 May 2010.
Solar Power
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what support he plans to provide to maximise the deployment of solar PV. [103583]
Gregory Barker: The coalition is committed to promoting decentralised energy and the take-up of small-scale low carbon technologies by the public and by communities. The feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme has already surpassed expectations for deployment of these technologies including solar PV. When the FITs scheme was originally set up, initial projections indicated we would reach deployment delivering 140 MW of electricity by April 2012. However, as at the end of March 2012, actual take-up stood at 1150 MW.
We will shortly be setting out our plans for future support for solar PV, in our response to Phase 2A of the consultation on the comprehensive review of FITs. We want to put the industry onto a stable footing, so that in
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future subsidies come down as the costs of solar PV fall. Our new proposed support mechanism will put the scheme on a predictable, certain and sustainable footing for consumers, and for the businesses delivering these exciting renewable technologies, while minimising the cost to consumers through energy bills.
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures will be introduced to ensure that feed-in tariffs will be adjusted to reflect rising costs as well as falling costs of solar PV modules and installation to ensure stable growth for the industry. [103898]
Gregory Barker: Over the period 9 February to 3 April 2012, as part of the comprehensive review of the Feed-in Tariffs scheme, the Government consulted on proposals for a tariff-setting mechanism for solar photovoltaic installations which is designed to respond to changes in the market and provide stability for the industry. We are currently analysing the responses, which will be taken into account as part of final decision-making on the policy, and will publish the outcome of the consultation in May.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the consultation on Comprehensive Review Phase 2A: solar photovoltaic cost control, paragraph 24, when his Department plans to publish expected levels of deployment. [104502]
Gregory Barker: The draft impact assessment accompanying the consultation on Phase 2A of the comprehensive review of the feed-in tariffs scheme included projections for expected levels of solar PV deployment under different scenarios for future PV installation costs and proposed tariffs. This is available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filetype=4&filepath=Consultations/fits-review/4320-feedin-tariffs-review-phase-2a-draft-impact-asses.pdf
These deployment projections will be updated in the final impact assessment, which will be published alongside the Government response to the consultation. The Department expects to publish its response to the consultation within the next few weeks.
Tidal Power
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the power which could be generated by marine energy in each region of the UK. [103908]
Gregory Barker: In 2007 the Government commissioned the further development of the UK Marine Renewables Energy Atlas. The Atlas represents the most detailed regional description of potential marine energy resources in UK waters ever completed to date at a national scale. The Atlas is publicly available at:
http://www.renewables-atlas.info/
DECC also takes a strategic view on the environmental impacts of deploying wave and tidal energy technologies. The Department recently published its Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA 2) which considered Wave and Tidal Energy Technologies for England and Wales and concluded that there are no
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overriding environmental considerations to prevent the leasing of wave and tidal energy devices provided appropriate measures are implemented that prevent, reduce and offset significant adverse impacts on the environment and other users of the sea.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has for the future funding of the Marine Energy Array Demonstrator Scheme. [103913]
Gregory Barker: The coalition are committed to driving development of the UK marine energy sector. The total budget for the MEAD scheme is £20 million. We expect to award around £10 million each to two projects. The provisional budget spend profile is:
FY 2013-14—£13 million;
FY 2014-15—£7 million.
Warm Front Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2012, Official Report, column 751W, on the Warm Front scheme, how many applications for a Warm Front grant were (a) accepted and (b) rejected in the whole of 2011-12. [103682]
Gregory Barker: In 2011-12, 43,585 applications were accepted for a Warm Front grant with a further 28,789 applications that did not qualify for assistance.
In addition, a further 8,297 applications were received in 2011-12 that are awaiting a survey. Of these outstanding surveys a proportion will be accepted for Warm Front assistance with a further number rejected as not qualifying for assistance.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance and training his Department has offered to the Government of Afghanistan on domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [103590]
Alistair Burt: We provide funding to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission which works to address issues of domestic violence through education, casework and representation, as well as national advocacy.
We also support training for the Afghan National Police which covers domestic violence, gender integration and the prevention of violence against women.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance and training his Department has offered to the Government of Afghanistan on the detention of women in prison; and if he will make a statement. [103591]
Alistair Burt: The UK is working with the Government of Afghanistan and international partners to ensure that Afghanistan has a safe and secure prison system. It is essential that the human rights of all those detained, including women, are respected.
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Guidance and training on the treatment of those detained in the Afghan prison system is a core part of the mentoring that the UK provides, including through the work of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province to build capacity at the provincial level.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of funding allocated by his Department to programmes to develop the prison sector in Afghanistan have been used to construct women's prisons; and if he will make a statement. [103592]
Alistair Burt: Since 2009, the UK has spent in the region of £3.7 million on projects to support the prison sector in Helmand Province. In addition, the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province is working with the Afghan prison authorities in Helmand Province to construct a dedicated female detention facility in Lashkar Gah. The project is still at the planning stage and the costs will be in the region of £500,000. Construction will commence later this year and should be completed in 2013.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Afghanistan on the imprisonment of women; and if he will make a statement. [103596]
Alistair Burt: I have not held any recent discussions on the imprisonment of women in Afghanistan with my Afghan interlocutors. However my officials in Kabul and the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province are working closely with the Government of Afghanistan to reform the prison sector. An important element of UK support to the Afghan prisons sector is the promotion of high standards of treatment of all detained individuals in line with international standards, including the treatment of women. In addition to monitoring visits, mentoring and training of Afghan prison personnel in Helmand and Kabul, the UK is funding the construction of a female detention facility in Helmand Province which is due for completion in 2013.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation for trade unionists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [103649]
Mr Bellingham:
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) there are 420 officially recognised trade unions active in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC has ratified a number of ILO conventions protecting the rights of trade unions. However, we are aware that members of civil society in the DRC, including trade unionists, suffer abuses of their human rights, including threats to their freedom of expression. Britain provides funding to help strengthen civil society, for example to support capacity building of human rights defenders. British officials will continue to raise our
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concerns about reported repression of trade unionists with the DRC Ministry of Justice. We will also continue to press the DRC Government to meet its responsibility to protect the right to freedom of expression for civil society.
India
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the delivery of justice for victims of communal violence in (a) Gujarat state, India in 2002 and (b) Orissa state, India in 2008. [103842]
Mr Jeremy Browne: It is important to secure justice in these cases for all the victims. There has been some recent progress. In Gujarat, convictions have been made, most recently on 12 April, when 23 people were sentenced. A number of those responsible for the violence in Orissa in 2008 have also been brought to justice. However, many cases remain pending and we support the Indian authorities' efforts to make further progress. We continue to follow developments in both Gujarat and Orissa closely and to work with the Government of India on the cases of British nationals killed in the violence.
Libya
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the Libyan authorities send Saif al-Islam to the International Criminal Court for trial. [103560]
Alistair Burt: This is an independent legal process on which it would be inappropriate at this stage for us to comment in detail. However, we note that Libya's Transitional Government are continuing to engage with the International Criminal Court (ICC) process regarding jurisdiction over the prosecution of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. On 4 April, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber rejected the Libyan Government's request of 22 March 2012 for a postponement of the ICC's surrender request for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber and Appeals Chamber are now considering Libyan appeals lodged on 10 April. We are urging the Libyan authorities to continue to cooperate with the ICC.
It is important that Saif’s detention is in accordance with international law, that he is held by a legitimate authority, has access to a legal adviser, and that any potential criminal trial held in Libya meets international standards.
Mali
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the (a) security and (b) humanitarian situation in Mali. [103595]
Mr Bellingham:
Britain supports the progress which has been made towards returning Mali to constitutional, civilian rule following the forcible seizure of power on 21 March. We welcome the inauguration of interim President Dioncounda Traore on 12 April and continue to support ECOWAS-led efforts to return Mali to full democracy, including the holding of elections. We remain
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deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the north of the country following the capture of three cities by Tuareg insurgents, some with reported connections to Al-Qa'ida.
Reports suggest that nearly 235,000 men, women and children have been uprooted by the current crisis in Mali. This on-going conflict is further exacerbating the already worsening food and nutrition crisis that is currently affecting some 16 million people across the Sahel. Britain is supporting, where local conditions allow, the work of the UN and International NGOs in Mali to provide humanitarian assistance for an approximate 68,000 individuals. We continue to monitor the situation and are in close contact with agencies working on the ground.
Private Military and Security Companies
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress his Department has made with Aerospace, Defence and Security in developing and implementing UK national standards for private military and security companies. [103677]
Mr Bellingham: Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) set up a special interest group, the Security in Complex Environments Group (SCEG) to work with the Government in developing and implementing UK national standards. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted the SCEG's inaugural conference on 5 March at Lancaster House which was attended by over 160 representatives of UK-based private security companies, and which discussed national and international regulatory developments. My noble Friend, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, and the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning), made important speeches at the conference, setting out the Government's work with ADS on the regulatory agenda.
The SCEG announced at the conference that they intend to have UK national standards for both land and maritime based private security companies (PSCs) in place by the end of 2012. SCEG will shortly submit to Ministers specific proposals for this.
Once British national standards are agreed, we intend to submit them to the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICOC) for certification as meeting the ICOC's principles and requirements.
Rendition
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which documents relating to (a) the landing and (b) the refuelling of plane N313P on Diego Garcia on 9 March 2004 held by (i) the UK authorities and (ii) the British Indian Ocean Territory authorities have been searched; and if he will make a statement. [104011]
Alistair Burt: I will write to my right hon. Friend once our searches are completed.
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Somalia
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the recent International Conference on Somalia, what objectives and terms of reference have been set for the new task force group; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the work of the task force does not unintentionally increase the risk to ships and seafarers. [103737]
Mr Bellingham: The creation of a piracy ransoms task force was announced by the Prime Minister at the London Conference on Somalia, with the aim of establishing a multi-national forum in which the issue of piracy ransom payments could be addressed.
We are currently in the process of negotiating the precise terms of reference and objectives with the international partners who are interested in contributing to the task force.
This Government will continue to seek actively the views of the maritime industry and seafarers' groups throughout these discussions.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Droughts
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance she is planning to provide to farmers who operate in areas of drought. [103101]
Richard Benyon: Farmers are represented at water summit meetings and within the National Drought Group, which has been established to co-ordinate management of the drought. DEFRA will continue to work closely with farmers and with water companies to support them in maintaining domestic production and to facilitate a flexible, pragmatic approach in order to adapt to and mitigate, as far as possible, the consequences of reduced water availability.
Specific key actions to help farmers include:
telling farmers in areas of restrictions as soon as water is available to abstract;
keeping farmers aware of prospects for spray irrigation in 2012 and agreeing how they can best manage the reduced amount of water available to avoid or delay irrigation bans;
encouraging and assisting farmers to set up water abstractor groups to share water and knowledge; and
giving farmers advice on farm water efficiency and conservation.
The Environment Agency and the National Farmers Union are also working with water companies to ensure there are contingency plans in place to prepare for increased risks to supplies of drinking water for livestock, particularly housed pigs and poultry.
Animal Welfare
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of animals slaughtered by the halal process in the latest period for which figures are available. [104280]
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Mr Paice: Information on the number of animals slaughtered by the halal process was collected by the Meat Hygiene Service and reported on in the Meat Hygiene Service, Animal Welfare Review 2003. The Food Standards Agency repeated the welfare survey in 2011 and the data collected is currently being collated with a view to publication later in the year. Information on halal slaughter has also been collected by the EU Dialrel project and the results can be found at:
http://www.dialrel.eu/dialrel-results
Droughts
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects of drought conditions on her Department's budget and expenditure in 2012. [103113]
Richard Benyon: To date, the response to the drought in 2012 has not had an effect on DEFRA's budget and expenditure and is being managed within existing resources. The situation is being carefully monitored and calls on DEFRA's budget and expenditure will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of drought conditions in early 2012. [103114]
Richard Benyon: The current estimate of the cost to the economy of drought conditions in early 2012 is considered to be low. Work by the National Drought Group is under way and the Group has been tasked with developing the evidence base and anticipating future costs to the economy.
The drought in the UK is unlikely to affect food prices or supply for items such as fruit, vegetables, sugar and grain as the UK is a trading nation and imports a considerable amount of these food products. However, should the drought be more widespread across Europe and Russia, it is likely to lead to an impact on prices. The water industry is working with farmers and growers to communicate changes in water levels and provide a flexible approach to ease the impact of drought on crops.
Electricity Generation
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of water levels in water courses abstracted by electricity generation plants. [103098]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has an extensive network of sites that monitor water levels and flows across England and Wales. It records data at regular frequencies, from 15 minutes for certain rivers to monthly for groundwater. These data are used to support the Environment Agency's duties and responsibilities under the water framework directive and to inform water resources and flood catchment management work. The Environment Agency uses the data to warn abstractors, such as power stations, about the risks of drought.
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The Environment Agency is working with the power sector at national and local levels to gauge the impact drought is having on the sector and individual sites, and to encourage the sector to establish contingency plans should there be a severe drought this summer.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which electricity generation plants directly abstract water from the natural environment for cooling purposes. [103099]
Richard Benyon: There are 58 power stations in England and Wales that directly abstract water from the environment for the different cooling purposes used in electricity generation. They are as follows:
Aberthaw
Barking
Bristol
Carrington Power Station
Castleford
Connah's Quay
Corby
Cottam
Damhead Creek
Deeside
Derwent
Didcot
Drakelow
Drax
Dungeness
Eggborough
Fawley
Ferry Bridge C
Fiddlers Ferry
Glandford Brigg
Grain
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich generating station
Hartlepool
Heysham 1 and 2
High Marnham
Hinkley B
Ironbridge
Keadby
Kemsley Combined Heat and Power Plant
Killingholme Combined Heat and Power Plant
Killingholme Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
Kingsnorth
Little Barford
Littlebrook
Marchwood
Medway
Oldbury
Pembroke
Ratcliffe-on-Soar
Roosecote
Rugeley
Rye House
Saltend
Sandbach Power Station
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Sappi Blackburn Paper Mill and Combined Heat and Power installation
Sizewell B
Slough Combined Heat and Power
South Humber Bank
Shoreham
Spalding
Staythorpe C
Teesside
Thornhill
Tilbury
West Burton
Willington
Wylfa.
Farms: Taxation
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of farms will be affected by the change to the corporate tax rate in the 2012 Budget; and what assessment she has made of the likely effect of this change on the incorporation of farms. [102238]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
The corporation tax rate cut in the 2012 Budget will benefit incorporated farms with profits in excess of £300,000. It is not possible to provide figures for the proportion of farms benefiting from the reduction.
The Government are committed to improving the UK's competitiveness and supporting investment and growth. The reduction in the main rate of corporation tax announced at the Budget will help achieve this.
Fisheries
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she can take under the UN Fish Stock Agreement to protect the capture of juvenile illex squid prior to them reaching maturity in the territorial waters off the Falkland Islands. [103284]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
The illex squid stock, which reaches maturity within the Falkland Islands territorial waters, occurs across a wide area of the south Atlantic including the Argentine exclusive economic zone and the high seas. The South Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SAFC) between the UK and Argentina provided for co-operation in the management of illex and other shared fish stocks. Argentine withdrawal from SAFC. and its extension of the fishing season for illex in Argentine waters, has endangered the long-term sustainable management of the stock, and this is in contravention of article 63 of the UN convention on the law of the sea. We have made several specific proposals to Argentina seeking to renew co-operation under the SAFC and continue to believe that fisheries offers an important opportunity for bilateral and wider co-operation in the south Atlantic.
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Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcomes were of the discussions at the Fisheries Council in Brussels on 19 March 2012. [103763]
Richard Benyon: At the Fisheries Council in Brussels on 19 March 2012, EU Fisheries Ministers adopted Council Conclusions on the External Dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and discussed how to address the issue of fish discards. These are expected to inform future negotiations on the reform of the CFP.
As UK Fisheries Minister I am continuing to press for major reform of the CFP, including tackling the wasteful practice of discarding of dead and dying fish, and improving the way the CFP operates in relation to fisheries outside EU waters, therefore ensuring the same principles of sustainable use are applied inside and outside EU waters.
Fishery Agreements
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions have taken place between the European Commission and Mauritania on the Future Fisheries Partnership agreement. [103937]
Richard Benyon: The first round of negotiations with Mauritania to set up a new fisheries partnership agreement was held from 13-16 June 2011. Since then there have been a further four rounds of negotiations with the last one taking place between 11-15 December 2011. Due to disagreements between the two sides the negotiations stalled, and informal discussions are now taking place between the two sides in order to speed up the process and secure a new agreement. No date has been set for the next round of negotiations.
Peat
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of B&Q on the phasing out of peat use by 2020. [103672]
Richard Benyon: Ministers and officials meet representatives from B&Q as well as a wide range of other interested parties on an ongoing basis to discuss peat and other issues.
Public Bodies
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers the Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit will have to hold relevant public bodies to account. [103306]
Richard Benyon: The Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit will have no formal powers to hold relevant public bodies to account. The Unit will not give direction or intervene in the advisory or decision making roles of statutory advisers or competent authorities.
The Unit will though work with relevant public bodies to support collaboration with developers of major infrastructure projects, oversee a new process for agreeing evidence and provide greater clarity to developers on key requirements from the Habitats and Wild Birds
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Directives. The aim is that this will maintain protection of environmentally significant sites and species and reduce the likelihood of delays arising to infrastructure projects from meeting obligations under the directives.
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on a new implementation agreement under the UN convention on the law of the sea for the conservation of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction including marine protected areas. [102059]
Richard Benyon: The Government recognise that threats to high seas biodiversity are increasing and the current governance arrangements for biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction need improving. This is why the Government's Natural Environment White Paper set out a commitment to work towards delivering a new global mechanism to regulate the conservation of marine biodiversity in the high seas, including the designation of high seas marine protected areas (MPA).
Working in co-operation with other nations we secured consent at the 66th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011 for a resolution that agreed a process should be initiated that could lead to a new agreement to deal with MPA and environmental impact assessments, coupled with further discussion on an access and benefit sharing regime for marine genetic resources.
This process will now be taken forward at the UN working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, being held from 7 to 11 May 2012, where representatives from the Government will continue to press for the need for a new implementing agreement.
Water Supply
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has (a) quantified and (b) commissioned any research on the potential waste saving from the introduction of retail water competition in England. [103526]
Richard Benyon: The Government have not quantified waste savings that may arise as a result of reforming retail competition in water services. However, the impact assessments published in December 2011 alongside the Water White Paper, “Water for Life”, made a number of assumptions around the benefits that may be delivered by our reforms.
Reforming the current water supply licensing regime by removing barriers to effective competition should lead to the development of new services that will help non-household customers become more water efficient (e.g. by reducing unnecessary water use and waste). Extending the regime to cover sewerage services will also incentivise an increase in the use of recycled water which could reduce the reliance on potable water for some non-household customers.
Pressure at the retail level and from alternative suppliers in a reformed upstream water supply market will also incentivise incumbent water companies to look at ways
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of keeping wholesale costs down. This could, for example, include looking at new and innovative ways of reducing waste through network leakage.
International Development
Developing Countries: Children
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to ensure that its programmes take account of the special interests and vulnerabilities of children. [104347]
Mr O'Brien: All Department for International Development (DFID) supported programmes are required to have a social appraisal carried out by professionally qualified staff. This helps ensure that vulnerable groups of people, including children, are identified at the outset and that the design of the programme benefits, or at least does not harm vulnerable people.
DFID also supports organisations such as UNICEF and Save the Children who work with vulnerable children. A recent report by UNICEF and Save the Children shows that more than 4 million fewer children under five are dying each year, than in 1990:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/News/Latest-news/2012/Report-Child-deaths-drop-by-4-million-/
Developing Countries: Food Prices
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle high food prices in developing countries and ensure food security. [103575]
Mr O'Brien: The Government recognise that high and volatile food prices have a damaging impact on food security, particularly on the poorest households in developing countries. The Department for International Development (DFID) supports substantial food security and agriculture programmes in over 20 countries, covering a wide range of interventions including support for productive safety nets, developing agricultural input markets, and supporting agricultural research to raise productivity. For example, in Ethiopia, DFID support is helping 1.2 million people escape long-term dependency on food aid by promoting cash for work, which is giving the poorest an income to invest in their farms, increase household food consumption and send their children to school.
Along with other governments and organisations, DFID is supporting the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) initiative—the most promising mechanism for accelerating action to improve nutrition in the first 1000 days of a child's life. DFID has committed to double our reach through nutrition interventions from 10 million to 20 million children under five years of age by 2015. And at the global level, DFID is promoting a global market information system initiated by the G20, which will improve global data on public and private stocks and thereby reduce the likelihood of future food price spikes.
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Developing Countries: Females
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what framework his Department is using to measure progress towards the 2015 targets set out in its document Choices for Women. [103896]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The initial monitoring and evaluation framework for the UK Government's Framework for Results: ‘Choices for women: Planned pregnancies, safe births and healthy newborns’ can be found on the Department for International Development's website at:
www.dfid.gov.uk/rmnh
Sahel
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has (a) spent and (b) allocated for future spend, in response to the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa (i) in bilateral aid, broken down by country and (ii) via multilateral organisations, broken down by organisation. [103840]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: UK aid will help treat over 400,000 people across the Sahel in 2012. This will include 155,000 children and women benefitting from improved nutrition, of which over 87,000 children under five will be able to be treated for severe acute malnutrition; 153,000 people who will receive food; and a further 104,000 men, women and children, who will benefit from community livelihoods support such as animal feed and animal vaccinations and cash and or in-kind transfers.
In addition to our direct support, British aid is also reaching those in need through our contributions to multilateral funds. The United Nation's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)—to which Britain is the leading contributor—has released £37 million; and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)—to which Britain is a significant contributor—has provided £96 million.
The Government have allocated £10 million as the UK's contribution to fight the food crisis in the Sahel region. This is being distributed through the following organisations, each of which has substantial expertise and experience in this area:
| Agency | Amount (£) |
UK assistance has been allocated to the affected countries according to their needs, as follows:
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| Country | Amount (£) |
A proportion of UK humanitarian funding is held in a reserve set aside for Africa, which can be used for emergencies in, but not limited to, the Sahel region.
Justice
Confiscation Orders
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many confiscation orders the UK has transmitted to another EU member state under the 2006 Council Framework Decision on the application of the principle of mutual recognitions to confiscation orders in each year since it came into operation; and if he will make a statement. [103059]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 16 April 2012]:I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The UK has not implemented this Framework Decision.
Corston Review
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Corston report. [102473]
Mr Blunt: The previous Government broadly accepted 40 out of the 43 recommendations in the Corston report, which called for a radical change in the way women are treated throughout the criminal justice system. There have been real improvements over the past five years, including significant investment in women's community services to address the underlying causes of women's offending such as drug and alcohol addiction, mental health issues and often long histories of abuse. The National Offender Management Service will provide £3.5 million funding for 30 services in 2012-13.
Other areas of progress include embedding Gender Specific Standards for women in all areas of prison regimes and the delivery of awareness training for more than 2,000 staff working in prisons and the community focusing on key gender issues such as self-harm, relationships and abuse, and support for sex workers. Separately, reduction in demand enabled us to close HMP Morton Hall as a women's prison last year, meeting our plan to reduce the number of places in the women's estate by 400.
We continue to work across Government to address the complex needs of female offenders and those at risk of offending.
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Crime: Victims
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will bring forward proposals to create a statutory basis for the new Victims' Code; [103356]
(2) what steps he plans to take to ensure that a new Victims' Code is adequately monitored and enforced. [103357]
Mr Blunt: In our consultation document ‘Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses’, published on 30 January, we set out far reaching proposals for improving services and support for victims and witnesses. A key proposal is that there should be a new, clearer. Victims' Code and we have sought views on a set of principles on which we think the new code should be based.
The consultation closed on 22 April and we plan to publish the Government's response to the consultation in the summer.
There is already a statutory basis for the Victims' Code. As we begin to draft the new code we will consider how best to monitor and enforce it. There will be a further consultation on the code before we lay it before Parliament.
Foreign Companies
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the access to redress in the UK by people overseas for the actions of UK companies. [103685]
Mr Djanogly: During the passage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill through Parliament, Ministry of Justice Ministers and officials have held many meetings with interested stakeholders and NGOs that support these cases. During our discussions with NGOs we have sought further evidence why these cases could not be brought in the future, which the Government have considered carefully. However, we have not been persuaded that such cases cannot continue to be brought when our changes to no win no fee conditional fee agreements (CFAs) are implemented.
It remains the Government's view that it will still be possible to bring claims against UK multinational companies once our reforms are implemented. CFAs will continue, although any success fee will no longer be recoverable from the losing party.
Legal Profession: Pay
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish a list of the highest earning barristers from legal aid. [103700]
Mr Djanogly: I expect to disclose the information later this summer.
Prison Sentences: Females
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women were serving short sentences in prison in the latest period for which figures are available. [103377]
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Mr Blunt: The population of female prisoners serving short sentences (sentences of less than 12 months) in prison establishments in England and Wales as at 31 December 2011 was 625.
The Department publishes data on the prison population (including those serving short sentences) in the “Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin” (Table 1.1c refers) and is available via this link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prison Service
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Prison Service staff have been dismissed in the last 12 months; and how many have resigned or retired through ill health where a disciplinary hearing had been ongoing prior to their departure. [103544]
Mr Blunt: In the 12 months from 1 February 2011 to 31 January 2012 465 staff were dismissed from public sector prisons. These include dismissals for reasons of conduct, as well as for medical inefficiency, poor attendance and poor performance.
The leaving reason "resigned under investigation" was introduced for public sector prisons in August 2011 but it is not possible to provide 12 months of data. Between 20 August 2011 and 31 January 2012 there have been 14 staff who resigned under investigation. Details of staff retiring through ill health during an investigation are not recorded.
In contracted prisons there have been 97 staff dismissed in the past year and five resignations or retirements through ill health where a disciplinary hearing had been ongoing prior to the departure.
Prisoners: Voting Rights
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals regarding voting rights for prisoners. [103822]
Mr Harper: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Government are currently awaiting the final judgment of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in an Italian prisoner voting rights case known as Scoppola (No. 3), and will consider the judgment and the wider legal context before setting out the next steps on prisoner voting.
Prisoners: Self-Harm
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cases of self-harm in women's prisons. [103379]
Mr Blunt:
NOMS has commissioned Oxford university to undertake research that will support our understanding of self-harm generally in prison. The study will look at
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some 140,000 recorded incidents of self-harm between 2004 and 2009. Early findings have been received and we await the final report.
Most self-harm is not directly life threatening, although clearly a sign of distress. It can also be extremely difficult for those who have to deal with it. As an individual prisoner-focused care planning system for those at risk, the Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process has helped prisons manage self-harm. There are no easy answers to managing self-harming behaviour but NOMS is committed to managing and finding ways to reduce it.
Government investment in prisons in recent years has resulted in a number of improvements in the women's estate: services for women who have misused drugs; programmes to address offending behaviour; in-reach community mental health teams; various resettlement projects, such as accommodation advice and mentoring. The Gender Specific Standards, which were published in April 2008 for implementation in April 2009, cover all areas of regime provision and should enhance improvements that have already been achieved in the care and management of women prisoners, including those vulnerable to suicide and self-harm.
Suicide and self-harm prevention strategies specifically for women continue, with a focus on dealing with some of the underlying factors that can lead women to harm themselves. In addition, guidance about meeting the needs of women in prison who have suffered abuse in the past has been disseminated.
Translation Services
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many applications for mistrial or unlawful detention have been brought relating to a failure to provide adequate translation services by Applied Language Solutions in the last 12 months; [103697]
(2) what steps he is taking in respect of the failure to provide translators by Applied Language Solutions; [103698]
(3) how much his Department spent on translation services in each of the last 12 months. [103699]
Mr Blunt: Information on applications for mistrial or unlawful detention in relation to a failure to provide adequate translation, or indeed interpretation services is not collected centrally.
My officials continue to meet with the contractor and demand continued improvement in performance and seek to ensure that the contractor meets the contracted levels of performance. Contingency arrangements to minimise disruption to courts and tribunals will remain in place until then.
Translation forms a small subset of overall spend on interpretation and translation services. Under the previous arrangements information on spending on translation services was not collected centrally. As made clear on 28 February 2012, Official
Report, column 190W, the cost across the justice system was estimated to be in the region of £60 million. Based on those estimates, spending in the Department is estimated to be in the region of £25-28 million per year across Her Majesty's Courts
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and Tribunal Service, Her Majesty's Prison Service and the Probation Service. Because information on spending in this specific area has never been collected centrally, the Ministry is unable to provide a full monthly breakdown.
Young Offenders: Haringey
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 516W, on young offenders: Haringey, how many juvenile offenders from the London borough of Haringey have been held in each young offender institution since May 2005. [103730]
Mr Blunt:
The following tables show the number of juvenile offenders (aged 10 to 17) either sentenced or remanded in custody attached to the Haringey youth offending team (YOT) who have been held in each
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under 18 young offender institution in each month since May 2005 to February 2012.
These data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB holds data at the YOT area level, not at the local authority level. YOT area data may cover more than one local authority area.
This is based upon monthly snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody will be shown in more than one month in the table.
The data from April 2011 onwards are provisional and will be finalised when the 2011-12 Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.
| Young people attached to the Haringey youth offending team (YOT) held in each under 18 young offen der institution, May 2005 to February 2012 | ||||||||
| Ashfield | Brinsford | Bullwood Hall | Castington | Cookham Wood | Downview | Eastwood Park | Feltham | |
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| Hindley | Huntercombe | Parc | Stoke Heath | Warren Hill | Werrington | Wetherby | Woodhill | |
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| Notes: 1. YJB data referring to secure training centres (STCs), secure children’s homes (SCHs), and under 18 young offender institutions (YOIs). This does not include 18 to 21 year olds held in YOI separate units for which the YJB do not hold data. This is based upon monthly snapshot data therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody will be shown in more than one month in the table. The figures from April 2011 onwards are provisional. 2. Young people are defined as those aged 10 to 17 years of age, however some 18 year olds remain in the secure estate for children and young people if they only have a short period of their sentence left to serve, to avoid disrupting their regimes (and are included in these figures). 3. The data comes from the Youth Justice Board's Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS). These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. | ||||||||