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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 21 May 2012
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012. [108579]
Gregory Barker: The Department's calculated emissions were (a) 1,135.37 tonnes CO2e in the 2010-11 financial year, and (b) 1,046.28 tonnes CO2e in the 2011-12 financial year. Emissions data for DECC, and its arm’s length bodies falling within the scope of the Greening Government Commitments, will be published in our 2011-12 Annual Report and Accounts.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [108580]
Gregory Barker: In the year from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, DECC introduced a range of measures to reduce carbon emissions from its buildings, including:
the installation of a dedicated chiller to cool our server rooms;
the establishment of occupancy controls in all meeting rooms; and
the replacement of tungsten halogen and fluorescent lighting with LED lighting.
In the year from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 further carbon saving measures were introduced including:
the installation of variable speed drives to supply fans;
improving controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems;
installing additional presence detectors to control lighting; and
automating many manual adjustments we make to our building management systems.
Since 1 April 2012 we have installed a system for recovering and recycling heat generated in the kitchen at our HQ building.
More information, including DECC's Carbon Management Plan, can be found on our website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/saving _energy/what_doing/10_percent/low_carbon/lowcarbon.aspx
Consultants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [107494]
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Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change's external consultancy expenditure in (a) 2010-11 was £9,163,000 and in (b) 2011-12 £6,690,000.
This figure excludes expenditure by the Department's arm's length bodies.
Exhaust Emissions: Large Good Vehicles
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the carbon footprint arising from lorries (a) delivering biomass to and (b) removing fly ash and other materials from biomass power stations in the last year for which figures are available. [108394]
Gregory Barker: Biomass power generators above 50 kilowatts capacity are required within the renewables obligation to report on the greenhouse gas lifecycle of their output. This includes the emissions resulting from transporting the biomass feedstocks from where they were grown to the power station. It does not consider transport-related emissions for the removal of residual materials from the station.
Reports covering biomass feedstocks used between April 2011 and March 2012 are due with Ofgem by 31 May this year.
Departmental Staff
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available. [108162]
Gregory Barker: In May 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change had 1,036 full-time equivalent civil servants. As of 31 March 2012, there were 1,286 full-time equivalent civil servants.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years. [108177]
Gregory Barker: The numbers of employees (a) leaving and (b) joining the Department of Energy and Climate Change, in the period 1 April 2010-31 March 2012 are shown in the following table:
| Period | Leavers | Joiners |
The numbers shown above relate to civil servants. Full-time equivalent data are not available for the full period above.
Minerals
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider giving mineral rights to communities and individual landowners that live near or above fracking sites. [106851]
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Charles Hendry: The Petroleum Act 1998, like its predecessor the Petroleum Act 1934, vests the right to explore, drill for and produce oil and gas in the Crown, and empowers the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to issue licences enabling the licensee to carry out such activities, subject to other regulatory checks and permits. In general, the rights to other minerals rest with the landowner. I have no proposals for change in these matters.
The holder of a petroleum licence however will need to acquire rights to use the owner's land (including for location of equipment) and access the oil or gas, in order to conduct drilling and production operations. The terms on which these rights are acquired are a matter for negotiation between the licensee and the relevant landowner(s).
National Grid
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to creating an open web-based register of grid connection applications by distribution network operators to improve transparency in the sector. [108427]
Charles Hendry: The independent regulator, Ofgem, has responsibility for overseeing the grid connection regime. Ofgem requires distribution network companies to publish Long Term Development Statements (LTDS) to ensure that anyone interested in connecting generation or demand can readily identify opportunities or constraints on the network. These statements include information on all connected generation and all generation that has been given a connection offer.
The LTDSs do not include details of all grid connection applications. To do so could give a distorted picture of available capacity on the network, as there is no certainty that an application will result in an actual connection.
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to making improvements to the grid connection process managed by distribution network operators. [108429]
Charles Hendry: The independent energy regulator, Ofgem, has responsibility for overseeing the grid connection process of distribution network operators (DNOs). In 2010, it introduced guaranteed standards of performance for connections, which establishes minimum connection timescales for DNOs to meet. In the first year of operation all standards have been met on more than 90% of occasions. Last month, it introduced requirements for DNOs to measure customer satisfaction. Ofgem has also introduced competition to the connection process to drive up connection performance.
Ofgem's price control review for electricity distribution companies, which was launched earlier this year, will consider additional measures to improve connections to the network in line with DECC's broader energy and low-carbon policies. DECC's response to this consultation emphasised the importance of continuing to improve the connection service network companies provide.
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Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010. [108695]
Gregory Barker: Since May 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has abolished the following public bodies:
The Renewables Advisory Board
The UK Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies
No new public bodies have been established.
Procurement
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010. [107787]
Gregory Barker: Historically, the Department has not separately recorded expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises. Going forward, the Department will use a spend analysis tool developed by the Government Procurement Service to provide these data.
Departmental records on late payment for all suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises can be seen by following the link to the Department's published prompt payment information:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/procurement/prompt_pay/prompt_pay.aspx
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010. [107793]
Gregory Barker: Historically, the Department has not separately recorded expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises. Going forward the Department will use a spend analysis tool developed by the Government Procurement Service to provide these data. This tool links departmental spend to suppliers with Dunn and Bradstreet data to identify small and medium-sized enterprises.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that payments to public sector contractors hired by his Department are made within 30 days. [108655]
Gregory Barker: The Government has set Departments a target of paying 80% of invoices from small and medium-sized entities within five working days of receipt of a valid invoice. The Department of Energy and Climate Change applies this target to all valid invoices, whether they are from public or private sector contractors and regardless of size. The Department has consistently exceeded this target without any change to our contractual terms and conditions. The statistics are published on the DECC website:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/procurement/prompt_pay/prompt_pay.aspx
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The Department of Energy and Climate Change has signed-up to the “Prompt Payment Code” and has developed procurement policies in line with the Prompt Payment Code's recommended best practice.
Redundancy
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years. [108076]
Gregory Barker: Over the last two years, surplus staff have been redeployed where possible, and there were eight voluntary redundancies.
Security
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people who are not employees of his Department have been issued with security passes for his Department's building; and for what reason each such pass was issued. [108018]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 17 May 2012]: DECC non-staff passes are only given to security-cleared civil servants from other Government Departments who have a business requirement to visit DECC regularly in the course of their duties.
As of 15 May 2012, there were 99 individuals who hold this pass.
Additionally seven further individuals who support the Ministers hold a DECC pass, all of whom hold the appropriate minimum level of security clearance, apart from the Government Whips.
Third-party ancillary staff also hold DECC passes, prior to being granted a pass, it must be confirmed they hold the correct level of security clearance. Providing details on numbers would incur disproportionate cost.
Western Power Distribution
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he and Ministers in his Department have had with Western Power Distribution in the last 12 months. [108428]
Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the departmental website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.asp
Attorney-General
Information Officers
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Attorney-General how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in the Law Officers' Departments and their public bodies since May 2010. [108507]
The Solicitor-General: Expenses claimed by press officers for the Law Officers' Departments between 1 May 2010 and 16 May 2012 totalled £898.28.
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Of this, £793.48 was claimed by CPS press officers, nearly all on travel, accommodation and subsistence allowances.
The Attorney-General’s Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department (and, since 1 April 2012, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) share the same press office, which claimed £79.80 in reimbursable expenses during the period. Press officer(s) working for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) claimed £25. No claims were made in respect of HMCPSI press office before 1 April 2012.
Northern Ireland
Dealing with the Past
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the outcome was of his talks with party leaders on dealing with the past; and if he will make a statement. [108344]
Mr Paterson: My discussions with party leaders on dealing with the past are ongoing.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which dates he met party leaders to discuss dealing with the past. [108366]
Mr Paterson: Upon taking office, I invited all party leaders to discuss the issue of dealing with the past, as part of a wider listening exercise the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) and I undertook on the issue. Following the Assembly motion, I again invited party leaders to discuss with me whether they thought any consensus could be achieved on the issue. I have now held several of these meetings with party leaders and plan further meetings to continue the discussions.
Egypt
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from organisations in Egypt on mechanisms for truth and reconciliation. [108141]
Mr Paterson: I have not received any representations from organisations in Egypt on mechanisms for truth and reconciliation.
Gerry McGeough
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the case of Gerry McGeough. [107960]
Mr Paterson: I receive correspondence on a wide range of issues, including the case of Gerry McGeough.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process in Northern Ireland of the continued incarceration of Gerry McGeough; and if he will make a statement. [107961]
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Mr Paterson: Mr McGeough's appeal against the judgment in the Government's favour in his judicial review is due to be heard by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in June. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment further pending the final resolution of that matter.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the case of Gerry McGeough under paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement. [107964]
Mr Paterson: Paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement bears no relation to the case of Mr McGeough.
Good Friday Agreement
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [107962]
Mr Paterson: Paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement is a matter for the devolved Administration.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are imprisoned or held on remand for alleged terrorist offences committed prior to the signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998. [107963]
Mr Paterson: My Department does not hold this information. Prison issues are a matter for the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
Pat Finucane
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the family of Pat Finucane since his decision not to hold a public inquiry into his murder. [108345]
Mr Paterson: I have not had any discussions with the family of Pat Finucane since I met them, together with the Prime Minister, on 11 October 2011 to inform them of the Government's decision to establish an independent review into the death of Pat Finucane.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from the Irish Government on the murder of Pat Finucane. [108346]
Mr Paterson: I meet Irish Government Ministers regularly to discuss a range of issues relevant to Northern Ireland, including the case of Pat Finucane.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made on the De Silva review of the murder of Pat Finucane; and if he will make a statement. [108367]
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Mr Paterson: Sir Desmond de Silva was appointed as Chairman of the Pat Finucane Review on 13 October 2011, and has been asked to provide a full public account by December 2012, for the purpose of its publication. The review is entirely independent of Government. Progress in the work of the review is a matter for Sir Desmond.
Procurement
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010; [107798]
(2) what proportion of his Department's contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late under the Cabinet Office's definition since May 2010. [107837]
Mr Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error. [107923]
Mr Paterson: My Department does not have any current plans to undertake a spend recovery audit. To date, no internal weaknesses have been identified in the controls with regard to payments to suppliers and/or fraud.
Women and Equalities
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Equality and Human Rights Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107100]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
| £ | |||
| Expenses | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) The EHRC's executive directors and its chief executive. | |||
The expenses paid to individual Board members are published in the Equality and Human Rights Commission's annual report and accounts.
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Furniture
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) furniture, (b) artwork and (c) sculptures in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107091]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
| £ | |||
| Category | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
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Hotels
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107092]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
| £ | |||
| Category | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) This is the full cost of hotel accommodation, including international accommodation. The actual cost to the EHRC is lower, as a substantial proportion (estimated at around 50%) of its international travel costs are covered by the meeting organisers and are subsequently reimbursed to the EHRC (for example, by the European Commission, the Commonwealth Institute, the Council of Europe). A detailed breakdown of the actual cost to the EHRC, taking into account amounts reimbursed, can be provided only at disproportionate cost. | |||
Training
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107085]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
The information requested is set out in the following table:
| £ | |||
| Category (1) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) All information relates to internal staff events only. Costs include all related expenditure but exclude staff costs. | |||
Travel
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) first, (b) Club or business and (c) economy class air travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107096]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
| £ | |||
| Category | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) This is the full cost of air travel, including international travel. The actual cost to the EHRC is lower, as a substantial proportion (estimated at around 50%) of its international travel costs are covered by the meeting organisers and are subsequently reimbursed to the EHRC (for example, by the European Commission, the Commonwealth Institute, the Council of Europe). A detailed breakdown of the actual cost to the EHRC, taking into account amounts reimbursed, can be provided only at disproportionate cost. | |||
House of Commons Commission
Security
Thomas Docherty: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many passholders are permanently based in each building in the Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate; and how many such passholders are (a) hon. Members, (b) staff of the House by department and (c) hon. Members' staff. [107768]
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John Thurso:
Many staff work part-time, ‘hot desk' in offices or have roles which do not require office accommodation. The numbers located permanently in each building in the Commons part of the Parliamentary
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Estate have therefore been based on the available desk spaces. The number of desks available in each building is shown in the following table.
| Summary deskcount across House Of Commons Estate at 1 May 2012 | ||||||||||
| Department | ||||||||||
| Location | MP | MP staff | DCCS | DIS | DF | DFIN | HR&C | PICT | Other o ffices (1) | Total |
| (1)Includes: The Speaker's Office; The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Office of the Chief Executive. | ||||||||||
I have asked the Director General, Facilities to provide the hon. Member with additional briefing.
Electoral Commission Committee
Allowances
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Electoral Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107098]
Mr Streeter: Expenses incurred by (a) members of the board and (b) senior executives of the Electoral Commission in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 are published on the Commission's website and are available at:
www.electoralcommission.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/the-commissioners
www.electoralcommission.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/executive-team
Furniture
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) sculptures, (b) furniture and (c) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107089]
Mr Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on (a) sculptures, (b) furniture and (c) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
| £ | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
In December 2010, the commission relocated its largest office resulting in a reduction of ongoing accommodation costs by over £0.5 million each year. To achieve these savings the commission moved to cheaper commercial premises outside Westminster and reduced the overall space required by moving to team-based desk sharing. The costs for new furniture for the relocation were kept to a minimum by recycling a significant amount of existing furniture, including desks and chairs, however suitable lockers and cabinets had to be purchased to establish the desk sharing arrangements and thus reduce ongoing annual costs.
Hotels
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107094]
Mr Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on hotel accommodation in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
| £ | |||
| 2009-10 (1) | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| (1 )The figures presented above do not include costs for the Boundary Committee for England (now the Local Government Boundary Commission for England) which was part of the Electoral Commission until 1 April 2010. | |||
Costs include accommodation for observers at elections and accommodation for staff overseeing the referendum in Wales in 2010-11 and the referendum on the voting system for UK parliamentary elections in 2011-12.
The commission is not able to provide figures for hotel room hire as these costs are included in the overall costs for events and conferences. The total costs for conferences and events held to support the electoral events taking place each year are provided in the following table; in 2010-11 this included activities to support the referendum in Wales and in 2011-12 this included activities to support the referendum on the UK parliamentary voting system.
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| £ | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
Logos
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on items branded with its logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [107086]
Mr Streeter: The Commission has not spent any money on items branded with the Commission's logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.
Training
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107083]
Mr Streeter: The information is as follows:
(a) The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on conferences in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
| £ | |||
| 2009-10 (1) | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
The total amount recorded as spent on conferences each year can be analysed between those conferences staff and Commissioners attend and those events the Commission organises to support the electoral events taking place each year; in 2011-12 this included activities to support the referendum on the UK parliamentary voting system.
(b) The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on staff and Commissioner planning and development days including the annual staff conference in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
(c) Expenditure on sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 was nil.
Travel
Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) first and (b) standard class rail travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [107097]
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Mr Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on (a) first and (b) standard class rail travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
| £ | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| (1 )Indicates brace | |||
The total figure for 2009-10 (£95,159) includes an amount of £18,859 spent on rail travel by the Boundary Committee for England (now the Local Government Boundary Commission for England) before it became a separate organisation on 1 April 2010. The Commission is unable to split the costs for the Boundary Committee in 2009-10 between first and standard class.
In August 2010, the Commission revised its travel and subsistence policy. First-class travel is now only allowed if it is more economical than standard class and is specifically approved by the chief executive. As a result of this policy change, the Commission no longer classifies and records first and standard class rail travel separately.
Culture, Media and Sport
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an analysis of the discussions in the European Parliament on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and its possible effect on internet freedom. [107900]
Mr Vaizey: The final Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) text has been reviewed by Government lawyers from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the European Commission Legal Services, who confirm that ACTA will not create new intellectual property rights, laws or criminal offences in the UK or EU. As such, the agreement does not affect current internet freedoms.
Broadband
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to ensure that small businesses benefit from BDUK broadband funding. [108723]
Mr Vaizey: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) may benefit in two ways from BDUK £530 million broadband funding. Firstly, through subcontracts as part of the delivery supply chain, for example in carrying out civil works, and secondly through increased business opportunities from the improved connectivity. Both the rural and urban programmes require local authorities bidding for funding to demonstrate that their proposals fit with the Government's approach to using SMEs in delivering Government projects. The requirements of the Urban Broadband Fund explicitly require cities to link the roll-out of faster broadband to increasing the capabilities of SMEs.
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In addition there is a £20 million joint DEFRA-BDUK Rural Community Broadband Fund aimed at community projects, for which smaller suppliers could be beneficiaries and small companies located in those communities could be beneficiaries from improved broadband connectivity.
Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012. [108593]
John Penrose: The total level of carbon emissions for the requested periods is set out in the following table:
| As at April each year | Carbon dioxide emissions (kg of carbon) |
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [108594]
John Penrose: In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the Department introduced the following measures to reduce its carbon emissions:
Reduced running times of fan coil units
Lighting adjustments
Sequencing of the boiler and chiller
Reduced cooling in the data centre
Virtualisation of the data centre
Re-timing of building plant to reduce operational running times
Continuation of strategy to ensure building plant runs at its maximum energy efficiency.
Casinos and Bingo Clubs
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of each response received to the 1996 paper Casinos and Bingo Clubs, A Consultation Paper. [108210]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport no longer hold these documents.
Government Contracts: Political Affiliation
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised; [107153]
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(2) what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised; [107154]
(3) which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised; [107155]
(4) which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised. [107156]
John Penrose: As part of this Government's Transparency agenda, since 2010 all contracts over the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder.
Copyright: Internet
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an analysis of the recent High Court ruling requiring internet service providers to block access to the website The Pirate Bay and the effect of this ruling on internet freedom. [107899]
Mr Vaizey: We have not carried out such an analysis. However, it is important to bear in mind that the ruling was made in the High Court, and the action taken by internet service providers are therefore based on a judicial decision that will have taken care to ensure that the order was proportionate and in accordance with all surrounding law, including on freedom of expression and other freedoms.
Cultural Heritage
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to protect and promote intangible cultural heritage in (a) England and (b) other parts of the UK. [107032]
John Penrose: We recognise the importance of intangible cultural heritage, principally through the Heritage Lottery Fund, who provide grants for a wide variety of intangible cultural heritage projects, including heritage skills.
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to the promotion and protection of intangible cultural heritage in each year since 2003. [107033]
John Penrose: The Department does not directly fund intangible cultural heritage. However, the Heritage Lottery Fund, in addition to funding work to buildings, collections and landscapes, has invested £256 million in over 19,000 intangible heritage projects across the UK.
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Food: Marketing
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to prevent children from being exposed to online marketing of high fat, sugar and salt food and drinks. [108657]
Mr Vaizey: The rules covering online advertising are the responsibility of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who are independent of Government. The ASA's codes specifically recognise the social imperative of ensuring that advertising is responsible and that children and young people are suitably protected from harmful or inappropriate advertising. The ASA's non-broadcast Advertising Code, which covers online promotion (including promotional activity by companies on their own websites, on social networking sites and the use of advergames and user-generated content), already contains strict rules on all food and drink advertising aimed at children.
Members: Correspondence
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse of 29 March 2012 on telecommunications for deaf people and Early Day Motion 1438, Session 2010-12, on access to telecommunications for deaf people. [107754]
Mr Vaizey: I will be sending a response to the hon. Member shortly.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010. [108275]
John Penrose: The number of the Departments arm's length bodies (ALBs) has reduced from 55 to 47 since May 2010. Four ALBs have been abolished, four declassified and two transferred to other Government Departments. Two ALBs have been added to the Department's portfolio since May 2010. The British Film Institute was classified as a public body in June 2011 and London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a public corporation in July 2011.
Procurement
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010. [107789]
John Penrose: There is a statutory requirement to pay all valid invoices within 30 calendar days. In addition, since May 2010 the Government introduced a target requirement for all Departments to pay 80% of private sector supplier invoices within five working days of receipt. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not distinguish between small, medium or large suppliers in its treatment of invoices.
Since May 2010 the cumulative proportion of invoices paid after 30 days was 0.5%.
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Between May 2010 and March 2011 the proportion paid after five days was 26.6% and in the year April 2011 to March 2012 the proportion fell to 16.9%.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010. [107800]
John Penrose: The proportion of procured expenditure made by the Department that has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises, for which figures are currently available, is 36.3%, for financial year 2010-11. The Department has not yet assessed the proportion for the current financial year to date.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error. [107916]
John Penrose: The Cabinet Office is currently identifying procurement options to ensure efficiency with the rollout of spend-recovery audits and, once these have been established, guidance will be issued to Departments to support them in meeting the Government commitment to undertake and complete a spend-recovery audit by December 2013. In the context of its own circumstances, the Department will consider later this financial year what approach to take towards meeting this commitment.
Risk Assessment
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what strategic or transitional risk registers are held by the national lottery and its distributors. [107205]
John Penrose: The national lottery regulator, the National Lottery Commission, and the operator, Camelot, both produce strategic risk registers to assess and manage risk. Similarly, lottery distributing bodies will produce corporate risk registers to meet expectations for recognising, managing, tracking and reappraising the risks they face. However, the detailed application of risk management principles, including the necessary documentation, is a matter for each organisation to determine.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [107484]
John Penrose: The Department holds a number of project, programme and local risk registers. It does not hold high-level strategic risk registers for specific policy areas and does not classify any of its risk registers as “transitional”.
Trade Unions
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12. [107306]
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John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) currently provides facilities for one full-time employee (FTE) to act as Chair of the departmental trade union side, to work as a full-time trade union representative on a range of elected duties and act on behalf of trade union members when required. Five members of staff work on trade union activities on a part-time basis.
The Royal Parks Agency (TRP) employs one staff member on a part-time basis for trade union activities.
DCMS does not hold this information for its arm's length bodies (ALBs). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executives of our ALBs to write directly to my hon. Friend with this information. Copies of the responses will be placed in the House Libraries.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies. [107309]
John Penrose: A Partnership Agreement between DCMS and the trade unions came into effect in April 2001. I am arranging for copies of the document to be placed in the House Libraries.
We are unable to answer this question for our arm's length bodies (ALBs). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executives of our ALBs to write directly to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham with this information. Copies of the responses will be placed in the House Libraries.
VisitBritain
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what budget his Department allocated to VisitBritain in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much was allocated to each (i) region and (ii) destination management organisation in each such year. [108662]
John Penrose: The grant in aid the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) allocated to VisitBritain and VisitEngland, for the years requested, can be found in the following table.
| VisitBritain and VisitEngland grant in aid | |
| £ million | |
DCMS does not fund individual regions or destination management organisations.
Transport
Procurement
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of payments made by her Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010. [107778]
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Norman Baker: The Department for Transport monitors its payment performance for all vendor invoices in accordance with the criteria laid down by government, namely:
80% of vendor invoices should be paid within 5 working days of receipt.
98% of invoices should be paid within 30 working days of receipt.
The full statistics for the last 12 months are published on the Department for Transport’s website at the following address:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/prompt-payment-statistics/statistics.pdf
Data are not compiled on payment performance specifically in respect of small and medium-sized enterprises. I regret that this analysis could only be provided other than at disproportionate cost.
Carbon Emissions
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Energy and Climate Change on future UK carbon budgets. [108115]
Norman Baker: Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport have had, and continue to have, regular discussions with their counterparts in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on this and other issues. This Department played a key role, for example, in inter-departmental discussions on the level of the fourth carbon budget, which was announced in May 2011, and in the development of the Government's Carbon Plan, which was published in December 2011.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to reduce the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping originating in the UK. [108116]
Norman Baker: In terms of international aviation, airlines were included in the Emissions Trading System on 1 January 2012. From that point, CO2 emissions from all flights arriving and departing from EU airports were capped, and airlines will be required to surrender allowances equivalent to their emissions.
While there is no agreed international methodology for attributing international shipping emissions to individual countries, the Department for Transport is actively involved in the work of the International Maritime Organisation to reduce global CO2 emissions from international shipping.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to respond to the Committee on Climate Change recommendations on including the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping in UK carbon budgets. [108117]
Norman Baker: In line with the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008, by 31 December 2012 the Government will either lay regulations explaining the circumstances in which emissions from international aviation and shipping will be included in UK carbon budgets, or lay a report before Parliament explaining why regulations have not been made.
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Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking on implementing the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change that the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping be included in the UK's carbon budgets. [108118]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and the Department of Energy and Climate Change are working closely with other Government departments in considering our response to the Committee on Climate Change's advice on whether to include international aviation and shipping emissions in the UK's 2050 target and associated carbon budgets.
Driving Offences
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the data for (a) seat belt wearing and (b) mobile telephone use by drivers to be available for (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. [106656]
Mike Penning: Data on seat belt wearing and mobile phone use by drivers for 2010 and 2011 have not been collected and there are currently no plans to collect these data in the immediate future.
Details of recorded offences for failing to wear a seat belt and using a handheld mobile phone while driving can be found on the Home Office and Ministry of Justice websites:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/motoring-tables.xls
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/immigration-tabs-q4-2011/fixed-penalty-notice-1011-tabs?view=Binary
Driving under Influence
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information she has available on the number of road traffic (a) violations and (b) accidents in which a driver has consumed alcohol below the legal limit. [107671]
Mike Penning: Information about the quantity of alcohol in the blood of reported road accident fatalities aged 16 or over, who die within 12 hours of a road accident in Great Britain, is collected by the Department, from Coroners in England and Wales and Procurators Fiscal in Scotland. It is then matched with the data on the circumstances of the accidents from the STATS 19 police accident reporting form.
The Department is also separately supplied with data (so far by 40 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales) on the results of roadside breath alcohol screening tests, administered by police, using recently introduced digital recording equipment. The equipment is able to record and report the specific quantity of any alcohol present in a person’s system at the roadside, the reason for the test (such as a road traffic collision or a moving traffic offence), the age and gender of the person being tested and the date and time it was carried out.
The Department publishes statistics based on these data sources on its website, at the following links:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/road-accidents-and-safety-annual-report-2010/
http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics?orderby=title&post_type =table&s=ras51
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Driving: Licensing
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions there were for the (a) purchase and (b) sale of fraudulent drivers' licences online in each of the last five years. [107746]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
Other than where specified in a statute, centrally held information does not include all the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from information held on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database those specific cases where a fraudulent driver’s licence has been purchased or sold or whether or not this offence occurred online.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the numbers of fraudulent drivers' licences sold online. [107747]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has not carried out any assessment about the number of fraudulent driving licences that have been sold online.
Intelligence gathered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) indicates that websites which claim to provide genuine driving licences are actually scams. Money is taken from members of the public but no driving licence is produced. Intelligence about websites that appear to be offering driving licences for sale is passed to the police to allow the appropriate action to be taken. The police service is the only organisation within the UK able to combat internet-based criminality.
Genuine DVLA-issued driving licences employ sophisticated physical security features making them among the most secure documents in the world. The DVLA also provides information to stakeholders on various security features that should be present in genuine driving licences to help them identify any false licences that may be produced. The DVLA works closely with other Government Departments and enforcement agencies to tackle identity crime.
Highways Agency
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of senior staff left the Highways Agency in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement. [107718]
Norman Baker: In 2010-11, the Highways Agency had 29 Senior Civil Servants (SCS) at the start of the financial year and there were no leavers. In 2011-12, there were 30 Senior Civil Servants (SCS) at the start of the financial year and there were fewer than five leavers.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget was of the Highways Agency in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; what proportion of its budget was for road repairs (i) in each region and (ii) nationally in each year; and if she will make a statement. [107720]
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Norman Baker: The Highways Agency opening programme budget excluding depreciation was set at:
(a) £2,750 million in 2010-11
(b) £2,406 million in 2011-12
(c) £2,502 million in 2012-13
The following table shows the proportion of the budget that was for road repairs (i) for each operational Highways Agency region and (ii) nationally in each year.
| Proportion of budget for road repairs | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | ||
Midland Main Line
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment she has made of the potential benefits for Kettering of upgrading the midland main line at Derby, Leicester and Market Harborough; [108442]
(2) what assessment she has made of the potential negative consequences of electrifying the midland main line without first upgrading the line, including the remodelling at Derby; [108443]
(3) what estimate she has made of the expected reduction in journey times arising from the upgrade and then electrification of the midland main line. [108444]
Mrs Villiers: Network Rail is assessing the business case for upgrading and electrifying the midland main line which could enable some reductions in passenger journey times if accompanied by works at various locations including Derby, Leicester, and Market Harborough. Network Rail has advised that electrification alone would have little impact on passenger journey times. The Department for Transport expects to announce a decision on rail investment in the period from 2014 to 2019 by July 2012.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to make a decision on the possible upgrade and electrification of the midland main line. [108378]
Mrs Villiers: The Government expects to announce decisions on rail investment in the period from 2014 to 2019 by July 2012.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received from (a) pharmacies and (b) other businesses in London on receiving adequate supplies during the road restrictions in place during the London 2012 Olympics. [108389]
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Mrs Villiers: Within the consultation process, the Department received a small number of representations from businesses in London. ODA, TfL and other delivery partners have undertaken extensive local engagement on the planned restrictions which were taken into account in finalising decisions. At the heart of our planning is to seek to minimise the impact on normal business caused by temporary measures necessary to deliver a successful games.
Where practical, we advise businesses to have non-perishable items such as stationery delivered before the games, or to have deliveries re-timed to arrive outside of peak periods to reduce the amount of delivery traffic on the roads during the day.
Procurement
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of her Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010. [107797]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On’:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
Railways: North West
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what schemes under the Northern Hub project have (a) been allocated and (b) yet to be allocated public money. [108119]
Mrs Villiers: We have announced two Northern Hub schemes comprising £85 million for the Ordsall Chord and associated works, and £130 million for Sheffield-Manchester capacity improvements and line speed improvements between Manchester and Preston, Manchester and Bradford and Manchester and Sheffield. We have also announced, subject to confirmation of the business case, £290 million funding for a related scheme; namely the electrification of the railway between Manchester, Leeds and the East Coast Main Line. We will be considering the remaining Northern Hub schemes in the High Level Output Specification which will be published in July 2012.
Redundancy
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years. [108062]
Norman Baker: In 2011-12, fewer than five employees from the Department for Transport (Centre) were made compulsorily redundant. No staff from the Department's agencies (Driving Standards Agency, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Highways Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Government Car and Dispatch Agency) have been made compulsorily redundant. Additionally in 2011-12, 208 staff left the Department, including agencies, under voluntary redundancy schemes.
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In the previous financial year (2010-11) no employees were made compulsorily redundant, although 248 employees left the Department, including agencies, under voluntary redundancy schemes.
Roads: Accidents
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of road traffic accidents that involved (a) cyclists, (b) motorcycles and (c) pedestrians in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. [107650]
Mike Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
| The number of reported personal injury road accidents in London borough of Bexley: 2005-10 | |||
| Number of accidents (1) involving | |||
| (a) Cyclists | (b) Motorcycles | (c) Pedestrians | |
| (1) Accidents involving more than one of the road user types listed will be counted in multiple columns. | |||
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Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the possible effect on numbers of road collisions of bringing in a more stringent eyesight standard for motorists. [107653]
Mike Penning: Driver licensing is governed by European law which specifies the minimum health, including eyesight, standard that must be applied in all member states. In February 2011 an impact assessment was published to support the public consultation on changes to the minimum EU standards. The assessment is available on the DVLA website.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities and (b) injuries resulted from accidents involving cyclists on the pavement in each year for which figures are available, broken down by location. [107680]
Mike Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Casualties in reported personal injury road accidents, involving a pedal cyclist on the pavement: Great Britain: 1999 to 2010 | ||||||||
| Casualties | ||||||||
| England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain | |||||
| Killed | Injured | Killed | Injured | Killed | Injured | Killed | Injured | |
Shipping
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department have had with (i) trades unions and (ii) the Chamber of Shipping at which the definition of a one-port voyage in the (A) maritime and (B) offshore energy sector was discussed since May 2010. [108337]
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in defining a one-port voyage in the (a) maritime and (b) offshore energy sector since May 2010; what legal advice she has received on this matter since that date; and if she will publish any such advice. [108338]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has not undertaken any work in the last two years on matters pertaining to the definition of one-port voyage in the maritime and offshore energy sector.
As a matter of general policy, and in keeping with the approach taken by other public bodies, the Department does not disclose any legal advice it may receive, and does not disclose whether any such advice has been sought or obtained in any particular case.
Speed Limits
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Strategic Road Safety Framework, when her Department plans to publish revised guidance to local authorities on speed limits in urban areas. [108259]
Mike Penning: We plan to revise and reissue the guidance on speed limits, with the aim of increasing flexibility for local authorities, later this year. We propose to start consultation on the draft in the next few weeks.
The intention to revise the guidance, and to provide a speed limit appraisal tool to help local authorities to assess the full costs and benefits of any proposed schemes, was announced in the Strategic Framework for Road Safety (May 2011), paragraph 3.26. The guidance will
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cover local speed limits in both urban and rural areas. The Tool, which is under development, will be launched with the revised guidance later this year.
Transport
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding her Department has allocated to (a) road maintenance, (b) the Network Rail passenger budget and (c) the local authority major transport teams budget between 2011-12 and 2014-15. [107102]
Norman Baker: (a) The Department is providing over £3 billion for the Highways Maintenance Block grant to local authorities between 2011-12 and 2014-15. The profile of this grant is £806m in 2011/12, £779m in 2012/13, £750m in 2013/14 and £707m in 2014/15.
In addition, and in recognition of the abnormal damage caused by the exceptional winter weather at the end of 2010, the Department is providing a further £200m to authorities in England to repair potholes on the local road network. Further details of this funding are available on the Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/extra-funds-for-pothole-repairs-in-england
The Department allocated over £1.6 billion for Highways Agency Maintenance between 2011-12 and 2014-15. The profile of this grant is £416m in 2011/12, £464m in 2012/13, £391m in 2013/14 and £389m in 2014/15.
(b) The Spending Review allocated over £18bn for rail investment over the period 2011-12 to 2014-15. Funding provided for rail covers two main areas—the Network Grant, ‘which covers funding for Network Rail for the provision of rail infrastructure, and Support for Passenger Rail Services (SPRS), which is for franchised rail services. This funding covers a control period that differs from the spending review period. The current control period (control period 4) runs from 2009/10 to 2013/14.
The Department's financial commitment to the rail industry is set out in a suite of contracts between the Department and franchised passenger rail operators and Network Rail. Contracts with the train operating companies are available on the Department’s website at
www.dft.gov.uk/topics/rail-passenger-franchises/public-register
A copy of the Deed of Grant between the Department and Network Rail is available on the Office of Rail Regulation’s website at:
www.rail-reg.gov.uk
and in the library of the House. In addition, a summary of the forward financial commitments in respect of these contracts is contained in the “Other Financial Commitments” section of the Department’s annual report”.
Network Rail’s funding settlement for Control Period 5 (2014-19) has yet to be fixed. The 2014-15 budget for Network Rail will be determined as part of the Office of Rail Regulation’s Periodic Review.
(c) Between 2011-12 and 2014-15 the Department has allocated over £1.5 billion for local authority major schemes. The profile of this budget is £418m in 2011/12, £364m in 2012/13, £335m in 2013/14 and £427m in 2014/15.
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Further details of the funding provided to local authorities is available in the example local authority transport settlement letter which is on Department’s website at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-transport-capital-block-funding/settlement-letter-2010.pdf
Transport: Exports
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if she will respond to the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce's Exporting is Good for Britain and Transport Connections Support Trade report; and if she will make a statement; [108021]
(2) with reference to the British Chambers of Commerce's report, Exporting is Good for Britain and Transport Connections Support Trade, if she will make it her policy to adopt the British Chambers of Commerce's recommendations on measures to improve the quality and reduce the cost to businesses of local and international transport connections; and if she will make a statement. [108022]
Mike Penning: The Government is committed to maintaining a dynamic, sustainable transport system that supports UK economic growth and competitiveness. I welcome the report from the British Chamber of Commerce and will take its findings and recommendations into consideration when creating and reviewing policies.
Communities and Local Government
Accountancy
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department had (a) a recognised accountancy qualification and (b) the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification in each of the last three years; and how many staff in his Department were working towards a recognised accountancy qualification in each such year. [106911]
Robert Neill [holding answer 15 May 2012]: The available information on the numbers of staff with a recognised accountancy qualification in each of the last three years is as follows. The figures relate to staff in post on 1 September.
| DCLG (1) | Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies | |
| (1) Theses figures do not include all qualified staff working in non-finance posts and the extent of the coverage of these may have varied over time. | ||
There were five employees in DCLG who held the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland qualification as at the end of March 2012 and 12 members of staff who held the Associated Chartered Certified Accountancy qualification as at the end of March 2012. Of the latter, one qualified for membership
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in 2009 and one in 2011. Corresponding information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
As at the end of March 2012, DCLG had 32 trainees working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.
Audit Commission
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1234, if he will provide a breakdown of the £650 million saving over five years expected from the planned abolition of the Audit Commission. [108383]
Robert Neill: Working estimates from the draft impact assessment of local audit reforms show that there will be a saving to the public purse of £650 million over the next five years as a result of the programme to disband the Audit Commission and reform local audit. This figure (which is net of transitional costs) comprises savings from the end of inspection and assessment work, a reduction in audit fees as a result of transferring the work to the private sector, and the slimming down and then closure of the Audit Commission. A full breakdown of the savings will be published in the impact assessment alongside the draft Local Audit Bill.
EU Grants and Loans
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the European Regional Development Fund has been (a) contracted and (b) paid to projects in each region; and how much funding from the European Regional Development Fund remains to be allocated in each region. [108000]
Robert Neill [holding answer 17 May 2012]: The following figures are to the end of April 2012:
| £ million | ||||
| European, Regional Development Fund Programme | Contracted | Paid and declared to the European Commission | Remaining | Pipeline projects |
| Source: European Regional Development Fund Management Information Report May 2012 and individual monthly programme reports on pipeline. | ||||
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All European Regional Development Fund programmes met their 2011 spending targets. 63% of the money is contractually committed and we are about 2/3 of the way through the programme as programmes have until the end of 2015 to complete spending. A good pipeline of projects is coming through with some 93% of the total allocation contracted or awaiting contract.