Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to make all adopted children eligible for the pupil premium. [106328]
Sarah Teather: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Schools: Admissions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what exceptions from the Schools Admissions Code he has granted to schools since his appointment. [103349]
Mr Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Schools: Bullying
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to reduce absences from school due to bullying. [106316]
Mr Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Schools: Expenditure
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the expenditure per pupil by his Department on (a) secondary academies, (b) primary academies and (c) free schools in the last two financial years; and if he will estimate the expenditure per pupil by his Department and local authorities on (i) grammar schools and (ii) all other maintained secondary schools and maintained primary schools in the last two financial years. [105375]
Sarah Teather: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Sixth-form Colleges: Staff Redundancy
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teaching jobs were (a) lost in sixth form colleges between January 2010 and January 2011 and (b) have been lost since May 2010. [104464]
1 May 2012 : Column 1521W
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education does not hold staffing data for sixth-form colleges. We are therefore unable to provide the information requested.
Special Educational Needs Direct Payments
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made on the implementation of the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012; and if he will make a statement. [106383]
Sarah Teather: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects personal budgets for special educational provision to be offered to parents in each of the local authorities listed in Schedule 2 of the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012. [106384]
Sarah Teather: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Stakeholder Advocacy Group
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason his Department's communications department established the Stakeholder Advocacy Group; and on what date the Group started work. [105995]
Tim Loughton: The Department's Communications Group established the Stakeholder and Advocacy team to improve relationships and build understanding of the Department's policies with key stakeholders. The team started work on 11 April 2011.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education why his Department's Stakeholder Advocacy Group was shut down; and on what date it ceased work. [105996]
Tim Loughton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on its Stakeholder Advocacy Group; and how much it spent on re-organising its communications department at the inception and subsequent abolition of that Group. [105997]
Tim Loughton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Stakeholder Advocacy Group: Codes of Practice
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he took to ensure that the Stakeholder Advocacy Group complied with the Civil Service Code of Conduct. [106398]
Mr Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
1 May 2012 : Column 1522W
Teachers: Complaints
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints have been received by his Department in respect of supply teacher agencies. [106350]
Mr Gibb: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Teachers: Pay
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the School Teachers' Review Body on the introduction of pay flexibilities permitting headteachers to reduce teachers' pay. [106250]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has met the Chair of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to discuss the current pay remit, which asks the STRB to make recommendations on the introduction of greater freedoms and flexibilities into teachers' pay. There was no discussion about reducing teachers' pay.
Teachers: Veterans
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many former members of the Armed Forces have entered the teaching profession since November 2010. [104854]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 23 April 2012]: The Department for Education does not hold details of the former careers of individuals entering the teaching profession. We cannot, therefore, provide information on how many members of the armed forces have entered the teaching profession since November 2010.
We have worked closely with the Ministry of Defence and the Teaching Agency on ways to bring more service leavers into the teaching profession. Since March 2011, 195 service leavers have applied for initial teacher training courses, which is significantly higher than the 40 to 50 we would normally expect to receive. Further to this, we allocated 50 additional places on the Graduate Teacher programme, to commence from September 2012, which will be available exclusively to service leavers.
We are also in the process of developing a high quality, employment based training programme, which will form a key part of troops to teachers. This will aim to recruit the most talented service leavers and place them where they can really make a difference in the schools that most need them. We will announce further details later this year.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Watson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer questions (a) 90450 and (b) 90422 on private e-mail accounts and (c) 90217, on departmental technology, tabled on 12 January 2012 for answer on 17 January 2012; and when he plans to answer questions (i) 90467 and (ii) 90468 on private e-mail accounts, tabled on
1 May 2012 : Column 1523W
13 January 2012 for answer on 18 January 2012. [91952]
Tim Loughton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question (a) 94256, tabled on 3 February 2012 and (b) 97217, tabled on 23 February 2012. [106130]
Tim Loughton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with representatives of NATO on the protection and safety of NATO non-combat personnel in Afghanistan after 2014. [105864]
Mr Gerald Howarth: Ministers and officials within the Ministry of Defence, have regular discussions with NATO on a range of issues including both the UK's and NATO's post 2014 role in Afghanistan.
By the end of 2014, UK forces will not be serving in Afghanistan in a combat role as a result of which the number of British troops will be substantially reduced from their current force levels. However, we are clear that our long-term commitment to Afghanistan will last beyond the end of our combat role. As part of our enduring legacy, UK troops will continue to support the development of the Afghan National Security Forces by providing training at the new Afghan National Army Officer Academy.
The safety and wellbeing of our forces is at the forefront of our military strategy. We will continue to work with other ISAF nations and the Afghan Government to ensure that necessary force protection measures are in place for our military personnel still serving in Afghanistan after 2014.
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the Australian decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan earlier than planned on the UK's stated timetable for withdrawal. [106021]
Mr Philip Hammond: The Australian Prime Minister's comments do not represent a shift in Australian or ISAF policy. Her suggestion that Australia will be able to draw down some of its forces once the Afghans have assumed full security responsibility in Uruzgan is in line with the strategy agreed by international partners at the Lisbon Summit in 2010.
As the transition process continues, international forces are gradually handing over security responsibility to the Afghans. The UK and other ISAF nations will realise force dividends in the run-up to the transition process to be complete at the end of 2014. These will be made in a co-ordinated and cohesive manner and will be aligned with the strategy agreed at the NATO Lisbon Summit.
1 May 2012 : Column 1524W
In accordance with this principle, I announced to the House on 26 April 2012,
Official Report,
columns 1117-1119, the detail on how we will draw down our force levels by 500 this year. All ISAF partners, including Australia, remain committed to helping the Afghans provide their national security until the Afghans take over full security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014.
Aircraft Carriers
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what contracts have been awarded by his Department relating exclusively to the conversion of the aircraft carrier to a catapult-assisted take-off barrier arrested recovery configuration since May 2010; and what the value was of each contract; [105853]
(2) what items have been ordered by his Department relating exclusively to the conversion of the aircraft carrier to a CATOBAR configuration since May 2010; and what the value was of each item; [105854]
(3) how much his Department has spent on feasibility studies on conversion of the aircraft carrier to a CATOBAR configuration since May 2010; [105856]
(4) how much his Department has spent on preparation for the installation of catapult and arrestor gear to (a) the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier and (b) the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier since May 2010. [105857]
Peter Luff: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which nations carrier strike capability with a short take-off and vertical landing configuration is interoperable. [106242]
Peter Luff: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Armed Forces: Disclosure of Information
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department has issued new guidance on (a) contact between members of the armed forces and parliamentarians and (b) sanctions for any individual found guilty of leaking information; [105781]
(2) what his Department's policy is on sanctions individuals found guilty of leaking information would face. [105782]
Mr Philip Hammond:
In relation to contact between members of the armed forces and parliamentarians, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 March 2012, Official Report, columns 1050-51W. In relation to the unauthorised disclosure of information, the Ministry of Defence has recently issued guidance reminding staff of their obligations to protect classified and other sensitive information. A variety of sanctions exists for individuals who disclose such information
1 May 2012 : Column 1525W
without authorisation, depending on the severity of the offence. These range from internal disciplinary or administrative action, to dismissal and possible criminal prosecution.
Armed Forces: Olympic Games 2012
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the E-3D Sentry will have in monitoring the airspace around London during the Olympics. [105932]
Nick Harvey: The E-3D Sentry will contribute to the overall radar coverage of the prohibited and restricted airspace during specific periods of the Olympic games as part of a layered approach to enhance radar coverage when required.
Armed Forces: Pay
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the level of savings which will accrue from reductions in (a) civilian and (b) armed forces' allowances in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period; and what estimate he has made of total expenditure on (i) civilian and (ii) armed forces allowances in each of those years. [95687]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 22 February 2012]: As stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, our aim remains to deliver a reduction of £300 million a year by 2015.
Armed Forces: Pensions
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Pension Credit members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme have been affected by his Department's miscalculation of the level of pension to which they are entitled; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of maintaining the payments to such members at the current level. [106372]
Mr Robathan: There are 128 Pension Credit Members (PCMs) who have been paid a full pension from the effective award date when in fact they should either have been paid on an actuarially reduced basis, or not paid until age 60 or 65. There are also 427 PCMs whose pensions are deferred, but they have been incorrectly notified they can claim their full pension at age 55 without actuarial reduction.
The pensions currently in payment are more than the PCMs are entitled to and legally, there is no provision to continue to pay the pensions at the incorrect rates. The reduction to these pensions will be implemented from 1 June 2012. The PCMs with deferred pensions are able to claim their pension at any time between age 55 and age 65; however, these must be paid on an actuarially reduced basis.
Actuarial reduction is a reduction made to a member's final pension and lump sum (where applicable) to take account of the fact that pension/lump sum is being drawn earlier than the scheme pension age. The amount of the reduction applied depends on the age the member is when the pension becomes payable.
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Armed Forces: Young People
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which child protection safeguarding measures which are in place for people aged under 18 in the UK armed forces are implemented in training and capability building provided by the UK to forces in each overseas country; [97449]
(2) what measures his Department has put in place to ensure UK military assistance to foreign armed forces is not used to train under 18s to be deployed to active service; [106288]
(3) what mechanism his Department has put in place to monitor whether foreign armed forces receiving military assistance from the UK deploy child soldiers. [106289]
Mr Gerald Howarth: When undertaking counter terrorism training, capacity building overseas, or providing military assistance using Conflict Pool funding, the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Human Rights Guidance is applied. This is to be extended to all overseas military assistance as soon as is practical.
The guidance includes the requirement carefully to consider and mitigate a range of human rights issues as part of the delivery of training. These include potential violations of the rights of the child and ensuring that soldiers under the age of 18 take no direct part in hostilities. The guidance further includes requirements to conduct an assessment of the human rights situation prior to providing assistance; to monitor this throughout the course of it, and for consideration to be given as to whether applicable human rights training should be included as part of it.
Asylum
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to provide the information requested by the Council of Europe in connection with its inquiry into the Left-To-Die Boat; and when this information will be provided. [106393]
Mr Gerald Howarth: The Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), intends to write soon to the Council of Europe's Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population about its investigation into the loss of lives at sea off Libya.
Expenses
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department expects to spend on (a) motor mileage allowance, (b) commitment bonus, (c) specialist pay reserve banding, (d) recruitment and retention allowance (London), (e) disturbance allowance, (f) daily subsistence (overseas), (g) get you home (early years), (h) get you home (seagoers), (i) food and incidentals allowance, (j) incidental expenses allowance, (k) local overseas allowance and (l) living out supplemental rates of local overseas allowance in the next 12 months; and how many people he expects to receive each such allowance; [83950]
(2) how much his Department spent on (a) motor mileage allowance, (b) commitment bonus, (c) specialist
1 May 2012 : Column 1527W
pay reserve banding,
(d)
recruitment and retention allowance (London),
(e)
disturbance allowance,
(f)
daily subsistence (overseas),
(g)
get you home (early years),
(h)
get you home (seagoers),
(i)
food and incidentals allowance,
(j)
incidental expenses allowance,
(k)
local overseas allowance and
(l)
living out supplemental rates of local overseas allowance in each financial year between 2005-06 and 2010-11; and how many people received each such allowance. [83951]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 30 November 2011]: The information held on Ministry of Defence expenditure categories listed is set out in the following table; the commitment bonus and specialist pay reserve banding are elements of pay rather than allowances.
| The table covers 2007-08 to 2010-11, as well as provisional outturn for 2011-12: | |||||
| £ million | |||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| |(1 )Allowance (2 )Pay element | |||||
Information on daily subsistence (Overseas) is not discretely identified as the allowance has been merged with UK subsistence. Information on the number of recipients could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Procurement
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of contracts awarded through the framework agreement technical support process were not awarded after a competitive tendering process in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the value was of each such contract. [82054]
Peter Luff [holding answer 23 November 2012]: The Defence internal audit on the framework agreement for technical support reviewed the period from April 2009—March 2011. The audit reported that, based on the data available for those tasks placed since 1 July 2010, 25% were awarded following a competitive tendering process.
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In response to this, project teams have been challenged to increase the use of competition, with rates now running at 43% in the period 1 August 2011 to 31 March 2012. Work continues to improve this further.
Depleted Uranium
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has produced a scientifically robust characterisation of the levels of trans-uranic material contaminants, such as plutonium, which are present across all batches of the UK's in-service CHARM3 ammunition manufactured from depleted uranium sourced from the US. [106164]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 30 April 2012]: Work by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on depleted uranium (DU) in UK munitions is described in a report entitled “MOD DU Research programme; Radiochemical analysis task summary customer report, Dstl/CR23587 V 1.0” dated 20 May 2007. The report concludes that the presence of such nuclides is of no significance as their combined radiation dose adds less than 1.0% to the dose from the DU itself. This research was overseen by an Independent Review Board and is supported by work by the US Department of Defense and the Royal Society.
A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.
Falkland Islands
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 527W, on the Falkland Islands, how his Department defines (a) campaign medal and (b) service medal; and if he will make a statement. [106030]
Mr Robathan: Discrete UK operations with little or no opportunity for troops to routinely return to the UK may be recognised by a specific campaign medal. Longer deployments which require successive troop rotation to be sustained would more usually be recognised by the Operational Service Medal and repeat service by the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal. The decision on whether to recommend an award and the appropriate type of award, however, is ultimately one for the military commanders based on their assessment of the nature of the military task and the enduring level of ‘risk and rigour’.
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Ministers in his Department were made aware that the F35C could not land on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. [105280]
Peter Luff: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Legal Costs
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [104556]
Mr Robathan: External fees for legal work in England and Wales arranged through the Treasury Solicitor's Department amounted to:
1 May 2012 : Column 1529W
| £ | |
The Ministry also instructs a panel of external law firms to provide commercial legal services in support of private finance initiatives and major Defence projects. In financial year 2010-11, expenditure in this area amounted to £7,220,636. Expenditure on the panel for 2011-12 is currently being collated.
In Scotland, where the Ministry is represented by a firm of solicitor-agents, the amounts were:
| £ | |
These amounts represent the most significant areas of departmental legal expenditure. Other smaller pieces of legal work are sometimes commissioned locally by some sections of the Department, but figures for these amounts are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Lost Property
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. [100888]
Mr Robathan: The information requested will be placed in the Library of the House.
Staff: Interim Posts
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in interim posts by the Department, or a non-ministerial department or arm's length body controlled by his Department through (a) Penna Consulting, (b) Reed Personnel Services and (c) Capita Resourcing Ltd (trading as Veredus); how many such people have been in post for over a year; and how many are full-time. [102107]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 27 March 2012]:The number of people employed by the Ministry of Defence in interim posts is as follows:
| Contractor: Capita Resourcing Ltd | |
| Number | |
The term ‘interim post' is considered to refer to professional higher management grades with specific skill sets, or with specific qualifications, who are recruited to fill a temporary post that cannot otherwise be filled internally. The Department recruits such personnel through a contract let with Capita Resourcing Ltd. We do not
1 May 2012 : Column 1530W
hold contracts to recruit professional higher management grades to interim posts with either Penna Consulting or Reed Personnel Services.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times (a) Mark Bamford, (b) Jean Parmer, (c) Mary Cross, (d) Edwin Healey, (e) Nicholas Jenkins, (f) Alexander Knaster, (g) David Rowland, (h) Michael Farmer, (i) Jonathan Wood, (j) May Makhzoumi, (l) Paul Beecroft, (m) Chris Rokos, (n) Sir Anthony Bamford, (o) Michael Hintze, (p) Paul Ruddock, (q) Michael Freeman, (r) Clara Freeman and (s) Michael Spencer has been inside his Department's buildings since May 2010. [105953]
Mr Philip Hammond: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department, (c) officials and (d) special advisers have met (i) Mark Bamford, (ii) Jean Parmer, (iii) Mary Cross, (iv) Edwin Healey, (v) Nicholas Jenkins, (vi) Alexander Knaster, (vii) David Rowland, (viii) Michael Farmer, (ix) Jonathan Wood, (x) May Makhzoumi, (xi) Paul Beecroft, (xii) Chris Rokos, (xiii) Sir Anthony Bamford, (xiv) Michael Hintze, (xv) Paul Ruddock, (xvi) Michael Freeman, (xvii) Clara Freeman and (xviii) Michael Spencer; what the purpose was of each such meeting; and when and where each such meeting took place. [105954]
Mr Philip Hammond: We have no records of any official departmental meetings between Ministers, special advisers and the named individuals. Ministers will have met some of these individuals in their personal capacities at social and party political gatherings, but the Department does not hold records of such meetings.
We are not aware of any officials meeting any of the named individuals. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Military Aid: Fuels
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army personnel have been trained to drive fuel tankers in preparation for a strike by tanker drivers. [105774]
Nick Harvey: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department has spent on preparing army personnel for a strike by fuel tanker drivers; and how much has been spent training army personnel to drive fuel tankers; [105775]
(2) how much it costs his Department to train an individual to drive a fuel tanker in preparation for a strike by fuel tanker drivers. [105776]
Mr Gerald Howarth:
Under the Military Assistance to the Civil Authorities (MACA) arrangements, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
1 May 2012 : Column 1531W
has requested assistance from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for contingency planning in the event of the disruption of fuel supplies within Great Britain as a result of potential industrial action by commercial fuel tanker drivers. Additional costs incurred by the MOD as a result of this activity will be reimbursed by DECC.
I am at present unable to disclose figures regarding costs, as their disclosure might prejudice any future discussions between DECC and the commercial haulage companies regarding cost recovery to Her Majesty's Government.
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last reviewed the contracts for maintenance of transmission, rotor and rotorhead components for Westland Sea King and Agusta Westland Lynx AH9 helicopters with (a) Agusta Westland, (b) its parent company and (c) any associated companies. [106377]
Peter Luff: Maintenance of the transmission, rotor and rotorhead components for Sea King and Lynx aircraft is delivered by AgustaWestland (AW) through the Sea King Integrated Operational Support (SKIOS) contract and Lynx In-Service Support Agreement (LISSA). These were last reviewed prior to commitments made in 2007 and 2009 respectively but both are currently being reviewed to agree prices for the next periods of these contracts.
These reviews are between the Ministry of Defence and AgustaWestland as the prime contractor; they have not been formally reviewed with either AgustaWestland's parent company (Finmeccanica) or any associated companies.
Military Alliances
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that foreign armed forces with which it co-operates observe international human rights conventions. [106287]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 30 April 2012]:There are a number of steps the Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes to ensure that foreign armed forces with whom it co-operates observe international human rights conventions.
Prior to deployment, UK military personnel are trained in how to respond in the event that troops they are mentoring or partnering act in a manner which appears to them to be inconsistent with applicable international human rights obligations. This includes how to report up the chain of command incidents of mistreatment by UK forces, our allies, or other nations' forces, to allow appropriate action to be taken. UK military personnel are trained not to participate in or facilitate acts we believe would contravene applicable international human rights conventions.
UK military personnel are also required to act in accordance with relevant policy and guidance, such as relevant Standing Operating Instructions.
1 May 2012 : Column 1532W
Where the MOD enters into agreements with other nations, we may include a requirement that applicable international human rights conventions be observed, or seek assurances to that effect.
When undertaking counter terrorism training and capacity building overseas or providing military assistance using Conflict Pool funding, the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Human Rights Guidance is applied. This is to be extended to all overseas military assistance as soon as is practical. The guidance includes the requirement carefully to consider and mitigate a range of human rights issues as part of the delivery of training. This includes considering the provision of applicable human rights training and a system for reporting any human rights abuses.
Peter Cruddas
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Peter Cruddas has been inside Ministry of Defence buildings since May 2010. [105764]
Mr Philip Hammond: It is not possible to confirm whether Mr Cruddas has been inside any Ministry of Defence buildings since May 2010 without incurring disproportionate costs as access control arrangements and records are managed locally by individual Defence establishments. However, on the basis of an initial check of the official electronic access control records for the Ministry of Defence Main Building in Whitehall there is no indication that Mr Cruddas has visited this establishment since May 2010.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department, (c) his officials and (d) special advisers have met Peter Cruddas; what the purpose was of each such meeting; and when and where each such meeting took place. [105800]
Mr Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 713W to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson).
Terrorism: Chemical and Biological Warfare
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between the Government and NATO regarding Ministry of Defence sites as locations to receive victims in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack. [69757]
Mr Robathan: I will write to the hon. Member.
Substantive answer from Gerald Howarth to Angus Robertson:
In his answer to your Parliamentary Question dated 24 November 2011 (Official Report, column 549W) about Ministry of Defence sites used as locations to receive victims in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, Andrew Robathan, the Minister for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans, undertook to write to you. I very much regret that owing to an administrative error it has not been possible to respond before prorogation, but we will write to you as soon as the information is available.
1 May 2012 : Column 1533W
Theft
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what thefts there were from his Department's establishments in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March 2012; what the value was of the items taken; and if he will make a statement. [105816]
Mr Robathan: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
| January 2012 | |
| Item reported as stolen | Estimated value (£) |
| (1) No records held. | |
| February 2012 | |
| Item reported as stolen | Estimated value (£) |
| March 2012 | |
| Item reported as stolen | Alleged value (£) |
It should be noted that in many cases of suspected theft the property is later recovered, or found not to have been stolen, and some value estimates turn out to be significantly inaccurate. The figures in the tables do not include recovery data.
In the case of key assets, however, Ministry of Defence sites have a wide range of additional security measures to ensure their safety. The detection rate for key assets specifically, where a police investigation is the norm, is high.
The military environment and supply chain represents a population of hundreds of thousands of people. Reported theft represents only about 0.0015% of overall Defence assets.
1 May 2012 : Column 1534W
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 77W, on theft, what level of evidence is required to apply internal disciplinary action in cases of suspected theft; who conducts investigations to identify perpetrators; who conducts disciplinary hearings in each case; whether the suspected perpetrator has access to (a) an advocate, (b) legal advice and (c) appeal; and if he will make a statement. [106028]
Mr Robathan: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Veterans: Suicide
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2012, Official Report, column 542W, on veterans: suicide, during what time period data on mental disorders were collected; and how long after service personnel had left the armed forces the data was collected. [104903]
Mr Robathan: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Cabinet Office
Behavioural Sciences Unit
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on establishing the Behavioural Sciences Unit; and how much his Department has budgeted for the future costs of the Unit. [105838]
Mr Maude [holding answer 30 April 2012]:The Behavioural Insights Team in my Department was established in July 2010 to find innovative ways of encouraging, enabling and supporting people to make better choices for themselves. Annual costs for running the existing team are around £520,000 per year.
The team is working with a number of Departments to realise significant savings, including with the Department of Health on promoting healthier food, with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on consumer empowerment and SME access to finance, with HMRC and the Ministry of Justice on reducing fraud and debt, and with the Department for Energy and Climate Change on improving energy efficiency. To give just one example of what has been achieved by the team, by slightly changing the wording in letters sent out by HMRC to self-assessment taxpayers who owed money, the team has increased payment rates from 68% to 83%, leading to savings of £30 million a year in administrative and court costs.
Civil Servants: Pay
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the process was for the awarding of bonuses to civil servants in 2011-12; how many civil servants received bonuses in 2011-12; what the monetary value was of such bonuses; and what the annual salaries were of the recipients. [103271]
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Mr Maude: Non-consolidated performance-related payments (NCPRP) are one-off, non-pensionable awards that are primarily used to reward individuals for high performance against annual business objectives. Since May 2010, NCPRP for senior civil servants has been cut back. This has been achieved by reducing the number of people who receive awards from 65% to 25% of senior civil servants, so that only those who have given exceptional performance over the year are rewarded. This has delivered savings of around £15 million. Departments and agencies are responsible for determining which of their senior staff should receive such rewards against criteria set by the Cabinet Office. Non-senior staff are covered by delegated pay arrangements and the proportion of staff receiving such awards and the eligibility criteria for NCPRP is matter for each Department and agency.
Further information on NCPRP paid in 2011-12, including the value and number of such awards, was published on departmental websites and linked to data.gov.uk in October 2011. The Cabinet Office does not hold information on the salaries of staff who received such payments.
Civil Servants: Pensions
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to recommendation 10 of the Hutton Report, whether he plans to remove abatement from Civil Service pensions; and if he will make a statement. [105348]
Mr Maude [holding answer 24 April 2012]: Recommendation 10 of the Independent Report on Public Service Pensions include a suggestion that abatement should be eliminated for those who return to work after starting to draw their pension. In line with this the proposed new Civil Service Pension scheme will not apply abatement, in respect of their service in the new scheme, to those staff who return to work after they have retired and started to draw their pension. The abatement rules in the current schemes will remain unchanged.
Civil Servants: Recruitment
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) permanent secretaries and (b) director generals in the Civil Service began their career as fast streamers; and how many were not fast streamers. [105401]
Mr Maude [holding answer 25 April 2012]: We collect centrally information on whether individuals have been on the Fast Stream programme at any point in their career.
As at 31 March 2011 the civil service had:
17 Permanent Secretaries who have been members of the Fast Stream at some point in their career and 23 Permanent Secretaries who have never been on the Fast Stream programme.
50 Directors General who have been members of the Fast Stream at some point in their career and 107 Directors General who have never been on the Fast Stream programme.
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Community Development
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Big Society community organisers were trained in the (a) first and (b) second quarter of 2011-12. [105884]
Mr Hurd: By 2015 the Government is committed to training 500 Senior Community Organisers who will in turn recruit and then train a further 4,500 Voluntary Community Organisers.
The contract to deliver the Community Organisers Programme was signed with Locality in March 2011. Therefore during the first quarter of the 2011-12 financial year, April-June 2011, no Senior Community Organisers had yet been trained. By the end of the second quarter of 2011-12 financial year, July-September 2011, 47 Senior Community Organisers had been trained.
Government Departments: Billing
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of government contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010 using his Department's standard definition of lateness. [105946]
Mr Maude: This information is not held centrally. Nevertheless, to help business manage cash flow and to transform the culture of late payment, our policy in central Government is to pay undisputed invoices within five days and to pass 30 day payment terms down supply chains. Moreover, the Crown Representative team in the Cabinet Office is encouraging prime contractors to pay more quickly than the 30 days commitment on a voluntary basis; and we have tasked Departments to monitor prime contractors' performance against our commitment to pay sub contractors within 30 days.
Government Departments: Databases
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what timetable he has set for implementation of the G-Cloud. [105879]
Mr Maude: Key milestones for the G-Cloud programme are set out in the ICT Strategy (March 2011), Strategic Implementation Plan (October 2011) and Cloud Computing Strategy (October 2011) which are all published on the Cabinet Office website.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what mechanisms the Government Application Store has put in place to provide small and medium-sized businesses with greater access to Government IT contracts. [105885]
Mr Maude: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Legal Costs
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [104544]
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Mr Maude: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mutuals Taskforce
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the dates, minutes and attendees at meetings of the Mutuals Taskforce since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [106388]
Mr Maude: The Mutuals Taskforce is chaired by Professor Julian Le Grand. I am content for the Mutuals Taskforce to publish the dates, minutes and attendees of meetings and I understand that Professor Le Grand plans to do so in the run up to the publication of the Taskforce's report this summer.
National Lottery
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding the Big Lottery Fund distributed in total for each purpose in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how much it expects to distribute in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [105687]
Mr Hurd: All funding by the Big Lottery Fund is connected with its statutory power to support health, environment, education and other charitable purposes; because many grants support more than one purpose it is not possible to provide a break down in the format requested. The Big Lottery Fund made the following payments to grant holders, including to those where awards were made in previous years.
| Payments made (£ million) | |
| (1) This figure is subject to external audit and may vary. | |
The Big Lottery Fund’s projected awards are detailed on its website, and are that for 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 the Big Lottery Fund expects to make awards of around £770 million per year.
Public Sector: Staff
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the ratio of male to female workers in each public sector occupation in the West Midlands is. [106251]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated April 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the ratio of male to female workers in each public sector occupation in the West Midlands is. (106251)
Public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
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Table 1 as follows shows the percentage of male and female workers in the public sector in each Standard Occupational Classification 2010 ( SOC2010 ) Main Job Group for their main job in the West Midlands for the 12 month period, ending in September 2011, the latest available period.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
| Table 1: Percentage of male and female workers in public sector occupations (1) in the West Midlands—October 2010 to September 2011 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Male | Female | |
| (1) ( )SOC 2010 Major job group for main occupation. (2) Other includes managers, directors and senior officials; skilled trade occupations; sales and customer service occupations; and process plant and machine operatives. Source: Annual Population Survey | ||
Public Sector: Pay
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which public sector occupation in the West Midlands has the greatest level of earnings relative to the local average. [106253]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated April 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking which public sector occupation in the West Midlands has the greatest level of earnings relative to the local average. (106253)
Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
The following table shows the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in the West Midlands by broad occupational groups (Standard Occupational Classification 2010 sub-major group) for 2011. Public sector earnings are highest, as a percentage of the local average, in elementary administration and service occupations.
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| Median Gross Weekly Earnings (£)—for full-time employee jobs (1) in the West Midlands by occupation for 2011 | ||||
| All employees | Public sector | Absolute difference | Percentage difference | |
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| ‘x’ = Unreliable. (1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and<= 10% ** CV > 10% and<= 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office far National Statistics | ||||
Public Sector: Procurement
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2011, Official Report, column 619W, on departmental procurement, if he will publish the Efficiency and Reform Group's analysis of procurement spend. [105537]
Mr Maude [holding answer 30 April 2012]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has assessed the Welsh Government's community benefit policy on public procurement. [105889]
Mr Maude: My Department has examined the policy to see whether there are any lessens for UK procurement.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will give consideration to requiring companies bidding for public sector contracts to comply with specified (a) social, (b) environmental and (c) ethical criteria; and if he will make a statement. [106299]
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Mr Maude: Social, environmental and ethical criteria can be taken into account during the procurement process where they are non-discriminatory, represent value for money, and the factors in question are relevant to the subject matter of the contract.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will give consideration to requiring companies bidding for public sector contracts to submit their tax records for scrutiny as a part of the process; and if he will make a statement. [106300]
Mr Maude: The public procurement rules require suppliers to be excluded if they (or directors or other persons with control) have been convicted of various specific offences, which include "cheating the Revenue" and "fraudulent evasion".
There are further grounds for exclusion, including failure to fulfil obligations related to payment of tax.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which (a) private sector and (b) charities and third sector organisations (i) attended and (ii) were invited to his Department's briefing on 26 April 2012 on bid opportunities for Government contracts; and if he will make a statement. [106389]
Mr Maude: Representatives from the following private sector, charities and third sector organisations attended the ‘Strengthening Supply Chains' event on 26 April:
British Chambers of Commerce
Business Services Association
Confederation of British Industry
Engineering Employers Federation
Forum of Private Business
Institute of Directors
UK Contractors Group
Intellect
National Grid
Network Rail
BAE Systems (UK Operations)
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BT Global Services
Capgemini
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services Ltd
Serco UK & Europe
Telereal Trillium
Crossrail Ltd
Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations
Research Councils UK
A representative of the Federation of Small Business was also invited but was unable to attend.
Sick Leave
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many sick days were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years. [105814]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office absence data are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/absence-data
Voluntary Work: Young People
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people who will participate in National Citizen Service in 2012. [105886]
Mr Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to my ministerial statement on 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 6WS.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of each participant in the National Citizen Service in the (a) first and (b) second quarter of 2011-12. [105947]
Mr Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 530W.