Diabetes: Leicestershire

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Leicestershire Primary Care Trust spent on renal failure in diabetics in (a) 2002, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012 to date. [112598]

Paul Burstow: The requested information is not held centrally. The right hon. Member may wish to contact Leicestershire Primary Care Trust for this information.

Disability Aids

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage re-use of mobility equipment that is no longer required by the original user. [112407]

Paul Burstow: It is for local authorities and primary care trusts to ensure that they encourage their local providers to ensure when mobility equipment is no longer needed that the equipment is collected, reconditioned and passed on to the next person who may need it.

Drugs and Alcoholic Drinks: Veterans

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ex-armed forces personnel in England are diagnosed with (a) drug dependency, (b) alcohol dependency and (c) both drug and alcohol dependency; and if he will make a statement. [112322]

Mr Simon Burns: This data is not collected centrally. The national health service does not register people who are diagnosed as being dependent on alcohol or drugs. We do collect data on people receiving structured treatment for alcohol and/or drug dependency—this is done through the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, which in turn collects alcohol treatment data through the National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring

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System and drug treatment data through the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. However, neither of these organisations collect data on an individual's veteran status.

Food: Labelling

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department will take to encourage food companies to adopt the front of pack nutrition labelling scheme his Department recommends; [112544]

(2) what steps the Government is taking to ensure that his Department's recommended front of pack nutrition labelling is the most useful to consumers; [112545]

(3) what consideration his Department has given to the BMRB report on the comprehension and use of UK nutrition signpost labelling schemes, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and published in 2009 as part of the Government's consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling; [112546]

(4) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the scheme it recommends for front of pack nutrition labelling does not increase dietary health inequalities in respect of consumers who are less numerate or for whom English is not their first language; and if he will make a statement. [112547]

Anne Milton: The Governments across the United Kingdom launched a UK-wide 12-week consultation on front of pack (FoP)-nutrition labelling on 14 May 2012. This is an open consultation and does not recommend any one particular FoP labelling system. It is an opportunity for the food industry, public and all other interested parties to give their views on a number of issues relating to FoP labelling.

The consultation is based on the most recent evidence available, including the BMRB report on the comprehension and use of nutrition signpost labelling schemes, which was published in 2009.

Currently there is little published evidence which differentiates the effects of labelling schemes on subgroups in the population, which is why we are asking for any relevant unpublished work though the consultation.

The findings from the consultation will be used to help develop the approach on nutrition labelling across the four countries of the UK.

Genetics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients have been diagnosed with chromosome 22 deficiency in each primary care trust area in each of the last 10 years; [112320]

(2) what specialist (a) treatment and (b) facilities are available to NHS patients with chromosome 22 deficiency. [112321]

Anne Milton: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

The testing for chromosome 22 deficiency is carried out in NHS regional genetic centres.

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There are multidisciplinary clinics available nationally for chromosome 22 deficiency (22 q11 deletion). As the condition can be very variable, not all patients need to be seen in specialist clinics. Once a patient has been seen by a genetics service, appropriate assessments and monitoring are put in place.

Health: Screening

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if his Department will publish details of the locations where the NHS health checks have been carried out; [112542]

(2) what steps he is taking in respect of primary care trusts which are not meeting their targets on the NHS health checks. [112548]

Anne Milton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) have been phasing in their local national health service health check programmes since 2009, and additional funding has been provided in baselines to support this. The NHS Health Check programme is a national performance measure in the Operating Framework for the NHS in England in 2012-13. PCT clusters have submitted plans to achieve full roll-out of their programmes this year. Performance against plans will be monitored by strategic health authority clusters and, in turn, the Department in the same way as other national performance measures for the NHS.

Performance data on NHS Health Checks by PCT and PCT cluster are published quarterly on the Department's website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/Integratedperfomancemeasuresmonitoring/DH_129481

The latest available data are for Quarter 4 2011-12.

Heart Diseases

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age was of heart attack victims in each of the last 10 years. [112584]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the following table provides information on the mean age of people admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of heart attack.

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Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with cardio- vascular disease (a) nationally and (b) in North Swindon constituency in the last year for which figures are available. [112585]

Mr Simon Burns: Information on the number of people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) nationally and in North Swindon is not collected centrally.

The South East Public Health Observatory, the lead public health observatory for CVD, produces CVD profiles, a set of indicators relating to cardiovascular disease that are available for every primary care trust in England. These profiles provide a snapshot of key issues relating to heart disease and stroke, including incidence, mortality, risk factors, treatments and costs. The profiles can be found at:

www.sepho.org.uk/CVDprofiles.aspx

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people his Department estimates suffered a heart attack (a) nationally and (b) in North Swindon constituency in the last year for which figures are available. [112586]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the following table shows information on the number of finished admission episodes during 2010-11 where the primary diagnosis was heart attack.

Not all patients who suffer a heart attack will be admitted to hospital, therefore these people will not be counted in these figures. Also, it is possible for an individual to have more than one admission to hospital for a heart attack within any given year and so the information given in the table is not a count of the number of people who have had a heart attack.

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Homeopathy

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered making homoeopathic treatments available on the NHS. [112438]

Anne Milton: The Department does not maintain a position on any particular complementary or alternative therapies including homeopathy. It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of such treatments, taking account of issues to do with safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness and the availability of suitably qualified/regulated practitioners.

Kidneys: Transplant Surgery

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent consideration his Department has given to the provision of long-term strategic direction and leadership for kidney transplant services over the next 10 to 15 years. [112816]

Anne Milton: The implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce's 14 recommendations published in 2008 has been successful with a 35% increase in donor rates over the baseline year of 2007-08. We continue to support work at a local, regional and national level focusing on increasing consent rates, particularly from the Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and optimising donation from all potential donors.

Increasingly, operational responsibility in the future will rest with NHS Blood and Transplant as the national donation organisation. They are currently developing

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the post-2013 strategy that will build on the Taskforce's recommendations. This will be supported by commissioning as the new national health service arrangements are put in place.

Mental Health Act 2007

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2007; and if he will make a statement. [112876]

Paul Burstow: The Department is currently working on a post-legislative assessment of the Mental Health Act 2007.

NHS: Equality

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of changes to the level of public funding to address health inequalities since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [112698]

Anne Milton: Funding allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) have not been broken down by service or policy area at national or local level. PCTs have been responsible for setting their local priorities for the services they commission to meet the health care needs of their local populations.

NHS: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people employed in the NHS are earning more than £100,000 per annum. [112396]

Mr Simon Burns: Information is not held centrally on the salaries of national health service staff.

The Government Actuary's Department estimate that, as at 2008, 36,000 NHS Pension Scheme members had whole time equivalent pensionable pay of over £100,000.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the original timetable for putting an interim team from the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in place in the North Cumbria University Trust by May 2012 has been achieved. [112485]

Mr Simon Burns: The acquisition of North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a matter for the local national health service. The hon. Member may wish to approach the chief executives of the trusts for further information on the acquisition process.

Obesity

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK have been diagnosed with obesity in each of the last five years. [112754]

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Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested. Information is not available for Jarrow constituency, the South Tyneside area, or the United Kingdom.

Information on the percentage of obese adults aged 16 and over in England is available in the ‘Health Survey for England—2010’, Adult trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for all adults (men and women) in England for the years 1993 to 2010. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse10trends

Information on the percentage of obese adults (men and women) aged 16 and over by strategic health authority (SHA) area in 2010 is available in Table 10.3 on page 15 of chapter 10—Adult anthropometric measures, overweight and obesity of the ‘Health Survey for England—2010: Respiratory health’ report. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse10report

Information on the percentage of obese adults (men and women) aged 16 and over by SHA area in 2008 is available in Table 7.3 on page 194 of the ‘Health Survey for England—2008: Physical activity and fitness’ report. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08physicalactivity

Information on the percentage of obese adults (men and women) aged 16 and over by SHA area in 2007 is available in Table 3.3 on page 53 of the ‘Health Survey for England—2007: Healthy lifestyles: knowledge, attitudes and behaviour’ report. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse07healthylifestyles

Information on the percentage of obese adults (men and women) aged 16 and over by SHA area in 2006 is available in Table 5.3 on page 99 of the ‘Health Survey for England—2006: Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in adults’ report. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse06cvdandriskfactors

Copies of all these publications have already been placed in the Library.

Out-patients: Attendance

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to address the cost to the NHS of missed appointments. [112884]

Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Constitution emphasises patients' responsibilities including making it clear that “You should keep appointments, or cancel within reasonable time”.

Local national health service organisations make their own arrangements for preventing and dealing with missed appointments, for example by agreeing local standards in contracts between commissioners and providers and sending written or telephone reminders to patients.

Patient Choice Schemes

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are measures in place to ensure that the Patient Advice Liaison Service gives NHS users a choice of hospital clinic. [112602]

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Mr Simon Burns: The Patient Advice and Liaison Service exists to provide contacts within the national health service to whom patients can turn if they have a problem or need information in relation to hospital or other NHS services. It would be inappropriate for them to become directly involved in choices about healthcare.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what systems are in place to support an NHS user who has not been given a choice of hospital clinic by their GP and the Patient Advice Liaison Service; [112603]

(2) if he will take steps to ensure that advice is available to NHS users when their GP and the Patient Advice Liaison Service do not give them a choice of hospital clinic. [112604]

Mr Simon Burns: The right to make choices about required national health service care and receive information to support those choices exists within the NHS constitution. When undertaking discussions with their general practitioner, NHS patients may choose to be referred to a named consultant-led team for their first consultant-led out-patient appointment, if clinically appropriate.

Directions place duties on primary care trusts (PCTs) to publicise and promote patients' entitlement to choice and to publish and report to the strategic health authorities the number of choice related complaints, and the action taken by PCTs.

This Government are committed to the aim of providing everyone with more say in decisions about choice of care and treatment and has recently launched the choice publication ‘No decision about me, without me—Further consultation on proposals to secure shared decision-making’.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service exists to provide identifiable people within the NHS to whom patients can turn if they have a problem or need information in relation to hospital or other NHS services. It would be inappropriate for them to become directly involved in the actual offering of choice.

Public Sector: Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its public bodies was in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13. [112481]

Mr Simon Burns: Information about base salary for the Department and its agency, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Department's arms length bodies has been placed in the Library. The quoted figures do not include allowances as to obtain this information would have incurred disproportionate costs.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Veterans

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ex-armed forces personnel living in Wales have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [112323]

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Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected by the national health service in England. Health is devolved, and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has its own health care system. The Department of Health in England does liaise regularly with the WAG in relation to veterans' welfare. The Ministry of Defence/UK Departments of Health Partnership Board, which includes representatives of the devolved Administrations meets quarterly to discuss relevant issues including veterans’ mental health.

Some of the recent improvements to veterans' mental health care are being delivered in response to the ‘Fighting Fit’ report, by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), and are also openly accessible to those in the devolved Administrations. The veterans' 24-hour mental health helpline, for example, run in partnership with Combat Stress, is available as is the Big White Wall online emotional support network.

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ex-armed forces personnel living in England were diagnosed with (a) post traumatic stress disorder and (b) complex post traumatic stress disorder in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [112324]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, this Government considers the health and wellbeing of armed forces personnel, veterans and their families to be a top priority. My hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), published his review of mental health services for veterans in October 2010, and funding of £7.2 million was immediately announced to implement his recommendations. As a result, England as a whole now benefits from a number of enhanced services targeted at veterans' mental health and wellbeing. These include the 24-hour veterans' mental health helpline run by Rethink, in partnership with Combat Stress; the emotional health support service Big White Wall; and a general practitioner awareness-raising e-learning package run with the Royal College of General Practitioners. In addition, enhanced veterans' mental health support services are now being put in place across the country.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what estimate he has made of the saving to those affected in each case. [112932]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department did not repeal any regulations during the period 1 February and 31 May 2012.

In line with the above, no savings were achieved.

Salt

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the European Commission's proposal to revise regulations on health claims in respect of added sodium and salt; and if he will make a statement. [112402]

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Anne Milton: The United Kingdom has supported the European Commission's proposal to authorise a ‘no added salt’/‘no added sodium’ claim for use on foods. The claim will only be permitted on foods that have no salt added and in which the naturally-occurring salt content is low.

Helping consumers to reduce their salt consumption is a priority for the Public Health Responsibility Deal; a salt reduction pledge was among the first food pledges to be published when the deal was launched in March 2011. Securing European Union wide agreement to this claim would enable manufacturers to signpost foods that are low in salt, thus helping people to select foods which may help them reduce their salt consumption.

Speech and Language Disorders: Young Offenders

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many young offenders there were in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of such offenders had speech or language issues; [112501]

(2) how many young offenders' institutions had (a) full-time speech and language therapists, (b) part-time speech and language therapists and (c) no speech and language therapists in the latest period for which figures are available. [112502]

Paul Burstow: This information is not collected by the Department.

Transplant Surgery

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Transitional Steering Group for Organ Transplantation has made towards its objectives. [112815]

Anne Milton: The Transitional Steering Group has met on three occasions. It is chaired by Professor Chris Rudge with representatives from all United Kingdom health administrations, NHS Blood and Transplant, the Intensive Care Society, the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and the British Transplantation Society.

The first two meetings agreed proposals for action to be taken at local, regional and national levels. These included at local level supporting senior nurses for organ donation, clinical leads and donation committees to optimise donation rates in hospitals. Work at a regional level relies primarily on regional collaboratives and the support and leadership they give to local donation committees. National responsibility rests with the UK health administrations, NHS Blood and Transplant and the professional colleges and societies.

A review in March 2012 showed good progress. Donation rates at the end of 2011-12 had increased by 35% over the 2007-08 baseline but work continues at all levels to address the six key areas identified by the Transitional Steering Group for improvement, namely: increasing consent rates, optimising donation, identifying potential donors from emergency medicine, increased and timely referral of all potential donors, and improved donor management.

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Defence

Armed Forces: Cadets

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Government's Positive for Youth document and new approach to cross-governmental policy for 13 to 19 year olds, what steps he is taking to expand cadet forces into state schools; and how he is ensuring this will be done in a cost effective way. [112196]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 91W. In line with our commitment to Positive for Youth, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with the Department for Education to explore options to expand the cadet forces. I recently held a conference with the Schools Commissioner to discuss options with key stakeholders. I am keen that any expansion is carried out in the most cost effective manner without diluting the cadet experience, and I hope that an announcement will be made soon.

Positive for Youth applies to England only, but the MOD is of course willing to discuss similar opportunities with the devolved Administrations.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force (i) committed and (ii) attempted suicide in each year since 1992. [112047]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 18 June 2012]: The following table illustrates the number of suicides by serving members of the armed forces in each year since 1992:

Information on incidents of deliberate self harm, which can include attempted suicide but also less serious incidents, is set out in the following table. For the period to 2005 only information relating to the Army is held

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centrally. Data for 2006 onwards are available from the Tri-Service Notification of Casualty system, and from 2010 these have been supplemented by Defence Medical Information Capability Programme sources. These three series are therefore not directly comparable.

Where there is only one cell in a row or column that is fewer than five, the next smallest number has also been suppressed so that numbers cannot be derived from totals.

Defence Equipment

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 1, on new equipment expenditure, which lost and stolen items listed between May 2010 and March 2012 have subsequently been found or recovered. [111521]

Mr Robathan: The following items were reported as stolen but were subsequently found or recovered during financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12:

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External Reference Group for the Service Personnel Command Paper

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the External Reference Group. [112854]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 19 June 2012]:Officials have regular meetings with members of the Covenant Reference Group, which superseded the External Reference Group.

A joint meeting between the Ministerial Committee on the Armed Forces Covenant and the Covenant Reference Group is currently in the planning stages. Separately, I have had various meetings with organisations which are members of the Community Reference Group, such as the Families Federations and Service Charities, but not as representatives of the group.

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Fraud

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the level of (a) procurement and (b) other fraud affecting his Department's spending in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [110178]

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s estimated losses to procurement fraud were £2.7 million in financial year (FY) 2010-11 and £5.8 million in FY 2011-12. Losses for all other categories of fraud were estimated to be £3.4 million in FY 2010-11 and £5.2 million in FY 2011-12. These losses represent less than 0.019% of the Defence Budget in 2010-11 and less than 0.033% in 2011-12.

The estimate of loss is provided when suspicions are initially reported and will only be quantified when investigative processes have been completed. These figures will fluctuate on an annual basis depending on the particular allegations of fraud under investigation in any one year.

The MOD is developing initiatives to better understand the risks of fraud, and to enhance existing mechanisms aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to fraud.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether sea trials of the F35b aircraft will involve both Royal Navy and RAF pilots. [109073]

Peter Luff: Decisions on which pilots will participate in sea trials on the F35b aircraft will be taken nearer the time. They will be drawn from a joint Joint Strike Fighter force of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel.

Medals: Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many campaign medals were awarded to Territorial Army (a) officers and (b) other ranks in each of the last five years. [112181]

Mr Robathan: The number of campaign medals in respect of Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan awarded to Territorial Army officers and other ranks in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table:

Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the public have communicated with his Department about the Armed

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Forces Parliamentary Scheme since May 2010; how many such people identified themselves as former members of the armed forces; and if he will place copies of any such correspondence in the Library. [112298]

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence holds no records of written communications from members of the public about the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme since May 2010.

There may have been other forms of communication from members of the public but this information is not held centrally.

Territorial Army

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the Territorial Army numbers in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) England were in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of the target threshold this represents; [112194]

(2) how many Territorial Army (TA) personnel he proposes to allocate above present numbers in each constituent part of the UK as part of his uplift of the overall TA numbers. [112195]

Mr Robathan: The Strategic Defence and Security Review and subsequent Defence Transformation announcement laid out the key role that the Territorial Army would play in the delivery of the Army's structure under Future Force 2020. As a result of this, the regular/reserve balance will be adjusted, with the aim of achieving an integrated Army of around 120,000 by 2020, of which some 30,000 will be trained reserve personnel, with a further 8,000 under training.

Against this target, the following table shows the Territorial Army numbers (trained and untrained) in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England at 1 April 2012.

An announcement on the Army's new structure is planed to be made before the summer recess. Further work will then be required before the exact regional spread of Territorial Army personnel across the UK is decided.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel are serving in each regiment; how many such personnel are required by each regiment; and how many such personnel will be required to meet the 2020 objective. [112395]

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Mr Robathan: Information relating to the strength and establishment (manpower requirement) for Territorial Army (TA) regiments is not held centrally.

As at 1 April 2012 there were around 25,000 members of the TA (trained and untrained strength), against an Army 2020 objective of some 30,000 trained reserve personnel with a further 8,000 under training.

Training

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on education and training in each of the last five years; and how much of that amount was spent on training for specific equipment. [111561]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence invests in both internal and external training for service and civilian personnel. Given the central importance of readiness for operations, whether ongoing commitments such as Afghanistan or new contingencies, training lies at the core of what we do. This means that training costs are not easily separated out from the rest of the Defence Budget, and that includes the amount spent on training for specific equipment.

It is, however, possible to identify the costs for external training for the last five years and these are given in the following table:

Veterans: Discrimination

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with employers on tackling discrimination against veterans in the workplace. [112855]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 19 June 2012]:The Ministry of Defence encourages all employers to value the skills and experience which former service personnel can bring to the workplace.

War Memorials

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what places will be provided for Bomber Command veterans at the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park on 28 June 2012. [111995]

Mr Robathan: The allocation of tickets has been co-ordinated entirely by the Bomber Command Association. However, we understand that the vast majority of places in the Memorial and Saluting Areas of the event site in Green Park, which has a combined capacity of 6,600 licensed by Westminster council, have been allocated to veterans, the next of kin of the 55,573 members of Bomber Command killed during the War, their carers and immediate family.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have committed money for the Afghan National Security Force from 2014; and for how many years they have pledged to continue that funding. [111935]

Mr Hague: The following countries have publicly committed money to support the Afghan National Security Forces after 2014:

Afghanistan, US, UK, Australia, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Montenegro, Finland, Turkey, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, Norway, Hungary, Austria, Romania.

The UK has announced that we will provide £70 million for an initial period from 2015 and kept under review. We do not have details of the intended duration of each country's contribution. We would expect the contribution from the international community to decrease as the capacity of the Afghan forces increases.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department expects the $4.1 billion a year which is estimated to be required to maintain a permanent 230,000-strong security force in Afghanistan from 2014 to be fully pledged by contributing countries. [111936]

Mr Hague: At the NATO summit in Chicago, the international community made pledges totalling around $1 billion towards the US request of $1.3 billion for the funding of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The UK has pledged £70 million. We expect other countries to finalise their contributions over the coming months. We will continue to work with our US, Afghan and NATO partners to ensure the ANSF are sustainable.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the (a) likely size of the Afghan National Security Forces in 2014 and (b) amount of funding available to maintain it at that size. [111937]

Mr Hague: The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are expected to reach their 'surge' target of 352,000 during 2012 and to be at that level in 2014. There will need to be a managed drawdown to reach the enduring level agreed between the Afghan Government and the international community of around 230,000 at some point after 2014. The pace of that drawdown will be based on conditions on the ground. The costs of the enduring size of the ANSF are envisaged at $4.1 billion.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether British forces remaining in Afghanistan after 2014 will be covered by the status of forces agreement to be signed between the US and Afghan authorities. [111938]

Mr Hague: The Prime Minister has made clear that UK forces will not be in a combat role after 2014. The NATO Strategic Plan for Afghanistan, agreed by Heads

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of State and Government at the NATO Chicago summit, sets out the activities in which NATO expects to be engaged after 2014. This plan will form the basis of future work by NATO to determine with the Afghan Government the legal framework under which it will carry out these activities. The UK intends to play its part in supporting NATO activities and we envisage that any NATO status of forces agreement will provide the necessary legal arrangements.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of the threat from terrorism from Afghanistan after 2014; and if he will make a statement. [111940]

Mr Hague: International forces in Afghanistan are currently working to ensure that al Qaeda, and those willing to offer them sanctuary, will not be able to re-establish themselves there and pose a threat to the region and the UK after British combat operations end in 2014.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether any British forces operating in Afghanistan to combat terrorism after 2014 will be part of a NATO command and control structure if they are not part of the training mission; [111941]

(2) what the command and control structure will be for any British forces remaining in Afghanistan after 2014 with a role to combat terrorism rather than only training Afghan forces. [111942]

Mr Hague: The Prime Minister has made clear that UK forces will not be in a combat role after 2014. Our confirmed contributions to Afghanistan after 2014 include our leading role in the Afghan National Army Officer Academy and our £70 million contribution to sustaining the Afghan National Security Forces. No further decisions have been taken on any other activities British troops may undertake after 2014. NATO is currently working to define its mission post 2014 and its command and control structure for this period has not yet been configured.

Afghanistan: Pakistan

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the closing of the supply lines between Pakistan and Afghanistan. [111933]

Mr Hague: The supply lines through Pakistan are used by the UK and NATO partners to support our military mission in Afghanistan. Since their November closure, NATO allies have used alternative arrangements to mitigate the impact.

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Pakistan authorities on the re-opening of the supply lines between Pakistan and Afghanistan which were closed in November 2011. [111934]

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Mr Hague: I discussed a wide range of issues with my Pakistani counterpart when I visited Islamabad on 12 June, including the importance of progress on negotiations on supply lines between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Anti-Semitism: Football

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what reports he has received of anti-Semitism at football matches in (a) Poland and (b) Ukraine since January 2012; what discussions he has had with the Governments of (i) Poland and (ii) Ukraine on (A) anti-Semitism and (B) anti-Semitic chanting at football matches since January 2012; what response was received from each Government; and if he will make a statement; [R] [112030]

(2) what discussions he has had on with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on (a) anti-Semitism and (b) anti-Semitic chanting at football matches in (i) Poland and (ii) Ukraine since January 2012; what response was given by UEFA; and if he will make a statement; [R] [112031]

(3) what recent reports he has received of anti-Semitic chanting during football matches hosted by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in June 2012 in (a) Poland and (b) Ukraine; what recent discussions he has had with UEFA on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [R] [112032]

Mr Lidington: The Government has not received any reports of anti-Semitism at football matches in Poland and Ukraine since January 2012. We have not had any discussions on this subject, or on anti-Semitic chanting at football matches, with the Governments of either country or UEFA.

In accordance with our commitment to combat all discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnicity, we are committed to confronting anti-Semitism wherever it is found. We are working with the London Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC) on a series of seminars to bring together journalists from Central and Eastern Europe and the UK to raise awareness of the rise of anti-Semitism and racism and discuss strategies for countering it. Together with the LJCC we are committed to promoting press freedom and to combating discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnicity.

Our embassy in Warsaw is actively engaged in promoting tolerance and awareness in anti-Semitism. Examples include a highly successful Jewish Community Centre in Krakow which was opened by HRH Prince of Wales in 2008. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), visited Auschwitz-Birkenau last December

Diplomatic Service: Official Cars

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 18 April 2012, Official Report, column 376W, on diplomatic service: official cars, what other vehicles are used by UK high commissions in each of the Commonwealth countries. [111518]

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Mr Lidington: In Commonwealth countries high commissioners use their official flag car when on official business. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information about non-official cars they may use centrally. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 18 April 2012, Official Report, column 3763W, on diplomatic service: official cars, what other vehicles are used by UK embassies in each other EU member state. [111519]

Mr Lidington: Specific detail of all official vehicles used by our embassies in EU states is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Environment Protection: Fisheries

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the talks which were agreed during the Prime Minister's meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 8 June 2012, will begin; and whether they will include the questions of sovereignty, the return of the Chagossians and the Marine Protected Area. [112797]

Mr Bellingham: During Dr Ramgoolam’s meetings with the Prime Minister and myself on 8 June there was no agreement to formal talks, although we retain a warm bilateral relationship. During the meetings we expressed interest in a more constructive relationship on British Indian Ocean Territory issues, though we made it clear that this was difficult while court cases continue. I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer to question HL 633 from Lord Avebury.

Euro 2012

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with representatives of UEFA and the authorities in the host countries of the Euro 2012 Championships the training provided to the appropriate authorities in respect of the policing of Euro 2012; and if he will seek assurance from the Ukrainian and Polish authorities that the full force of the law will be used to protect football fans going to the tournament. [112270]

Mr Lidington: Security is the responsibility of the Governments of Poland and Ukraine as the hosts of Euro 2012, working with UEFA. The Home Office and the UK Football Policing Unit have been working with the host countries for a number of years to assist their preparations for the policing of Euro 2012. We have shared best practice on security at major events, including bespoke training on policing football matches for both host countries through the European Commission-funded Pan-European Policing Training Project. Under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), a delegation of UK police officers has been deployed to both Ukraine and Poland during the tournament to support and advise the host police in venue cities. The British embassies in Poland and Ukraine continue to stress the importance of fan safety in our contacts with the local authorities.

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John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision for consular support his Department will make for fans in Ukraine and Poland going to Euro 2012. [112271]

Mr Lidington: Drawing on lessons learned from previous European Championships and World Cups we have reinforced our consular teams in both countries, including through a mobile team of consular specialists who will be present in cities whenever England play. The team were present in Donetsk alongside the ambassador to meet and assist fans. We have ensured that Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are available to speak to British nationals in need of consular assistance at any time of day, either direct with the consular staff in Poland or Ukraine, or through the 24-hour FCO Global Response Centre in London. At the same time, we have worked closely with the Football Association, the Football Supporters Federation, the England Band and other Government Departments to ensure that England fans have access to the best possible information on personal safety. We have a Euro 2012 Web page set up so that any travellers to the tournament can look at information relating to the competition. We also worked closely with, and provided funding for, the Football Supporters Federation to enable them to produce their publication “Free Lions” a guide for England supporters travelling to Euro 2012.

France

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on anti-Semitism in France since March 2012; what discussions he has had with the Government of France on this issue since March 2012; and if he will make a statement. [R] [112029]

Mr Lidington: I was horrified to learn of the 19 March shootings at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse. Following this, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), immediately expressed his sympathy for the people of France, as did the Prime Minister in a personal letter to the then President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The French Interior Minister and the Service for the Protection of the Jewish Community report that 148 acts of anti-Semitism took place in France between 19 March and 30 April 2012. There were 43 violent acts against people and property with 105 acts of intimidation in various forms.

The Government takes anti-Semitism very seriously and condemns it in all its forms. I know the French Government shares this view.

Kosovo

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of efforts to resettle internally displaced persons in Kosovo. [112743]

Mr Lidington: The Government condemns the 22/23 May attack on two returnees' homes, one of which was completely destroyed, in the village of Drenovac. I urge

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the Kosovan Government to ensure that all efforts are made to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

The returns process remains a challenge for the Government of Kosovo. As noted in the European Commission's 2011 progress report on Kosovo, limited access to property, delayed property restitution proceedings and the scarcity of economic opportunities continue to be the main obstacles to sustainable returns.

The UK Government are supporting, through their conflict prevention fund, two projects aimed at facilitating the return of Kosovo-Serb families to the historic centre of Prizren, and RAE (Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian) families to Istog municipality. This builds on the success of a returns project in Prizren town completed in 2011—the first urban return in Kosovo—which returned and reintegrated 10 K-Serb families into new homes.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Kosovan Government on the treatment of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. [112744]

Mr Lidington: The UK Government frequently discusses with the Government of Kosovo the importance of guaranteeing the rights, identity and culture of all Kosovo's minority citizens, including Kosovo-Serbs.

The UK continues to support the implementation of Ahtisaari's comprehensive settlement proposal (CSP). This provides for an enhanced and sustainable system of local self government and specific rights for the Serbian and other minority communities in areas such as local self-government, democratic representation and the protection of religious and cultural heritage. These provisions, when fully implemented, will ensure a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo with wide rights at municipal level, progressing towards eventual EU membership and contributing to regional stability.

North Korea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with the US on the provision of a food aid package for North Korea in return for stops in nuclear testing, uranium enrichment and long range missiles. [112234]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The British Government have held a number of discussions with the US Administration, in Washington, Seoul and London, about the details of the 29 February deal between the US and North Korea Six-party and the prospects for a return to Talks.

Pakistan

Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of the threat from terrorism from Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [111939]

Mr Hague: Groups operating from Pakistan continue to represent the greatest long-term strategic terrorism threat to the UK. Although core al-Qaeda have suffered significant losses, they continue to pose a credible threat to the UK and our interests overseas.

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Palestinians

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-funded, EU-funded and UN-funded non-governmental organisations in the Palestinian Authority do not promote the glorification of terrorism and martyrdom. [112518]

Alistair Burt: The UK, along with the US, EU and other European countries, funds the Palestinian Authority to deliver essential services such as health and education to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our development assistance is governed by a memorandum of understanding which reaffirms the Palestinian Authority's commitment to non-violence and a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations his Department has repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings to those affected in each case. [112777]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office rarely sponsors regulations and has not been responsible for repealing any between 1 February and 31 May 2012.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what correspondence (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Scottish Government on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK; and if he will place any such correspondence in the Library; [112634]

(2) what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with Scottish Government Ministers or officials on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK. [112644]

Mr Lidington: I have not had any correspondence or discussions on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK with any Scottish Government representative, nor have my ministerial colleagues or Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.

The Government's position is clear: Scotland is stronger as part of the UK and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the United Kingdom in any referendum.

Sri Lanka

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had recent discussions with the Sri Lankan high commissioner to the UK on the diplomatic immunity of the defence attaché, Major General Prasanna De Silva. [112308]

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Alistair Burt: Ministers have had no recent discussions with the Sri Lankan high commissioner on the diplomatic immunity of Minister (Defence) Major General Prasanna De Silva. Following allegations of war crimes earlier this year, the Sri Lankan high commission contacted officials to confirm Major General De Silva’s ongoing diplomatic immunity. Major General De Silva left the country at the end of his posting in May 2010.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations from the Sri Lankan high commissioner on the appointment of the country's defence attaché, Major General De Silva. [112309]

Alistair Burt: Major General Prasanna De Silva was appointed as Minister (Defence) at the Sri Lankan high commission in September 2010 and left the country at the end of his posting in May 2012. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), did not receive direct representations from the Sri Lankan high commission, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received the usual written correspondence associated with the appointment process.

Syria

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure has been incurred in supporting Syrian opposition groups; what supplies or funds have been provided; and to which groups. [112798]

Alistair Burt: During his speech at the Mansion House on 29 March and his statement to the House on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 34, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), set out that we would provide £1.5 million of non lethal project-based support to a wide array of oppositionists and civil society groups. This will be spent on training and capacity building in a number of key areas including leadership, co-ordination, strategic communication, strategy development and human rights.

Treasury

Government Securities

Mr Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average yield on gilt issuance was in the six months up to (a) 14 October 2011, (b) 30 January 2012 and (c) 28 March 2012. [112306]

Mr Hoban [holding answer 18 June 2012]: The average yields on gilts issued by the Debt Management Office, weighted by cash proceeds, in the six months to 14 October 2011, 30 January 2012 and 28 March 2012 respectively are as follows:

(a) A nominal yield of 2.845% on conventional gilts and a real yield of 0.545% on index-linked gilts;

(b) A nominal yield of 2.174% on conventional gilts and a real yield of 0.236% on index-linked gilts; and

(c) A nominal yield of 2.141% on conventional gilts and a real yield of 0.158% on index-linked gilts.

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Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letter of 18 April 2012 from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale on behalf of Ms Joanne Charles. [113025]

Mr Hoban: I replied to my hon. Friend on 19 June 2012.

Public Sector: Pay

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appointments with a salary over £142,000 he has (a) approved and (b) rejected since May 2010. [110796]

Danny Alexander: In May 2010, it was announced that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury would be required to sign-off the salaries of any individuals earning over a full-time equivalent of £142,500, in areas under ministerial control.

As of 29 May 2012, I have been asked to approve the remuneration of 196 senior appointments. When applications come in, I can and do both reject them if I think they are too high and impose a lower salary range.

Personal Savings

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reward good saving habits; and if he will make a statement. [112561]

Mr Hoban: The Government's savings strategy is based on the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility, so that it meets the needs of consumers while remaining effective and affordable. In particular, the Government aims to encourage more lower and middle income households to start saving and to save more, especially for the long term and retirement.

The Government has taken steps to support existing savers and encourage new savers, including:

1. Promoting choice by providing flexibility to consumers in a competitive market. This Government introduced the Junior ISA, removed the effective requirement to annuitise at age 75, and announced at Budget 2012 that the Government will work with industry to improve competitiveness and transparency in the ISA market, including encouraging industry to make use of the technological advances in how information and funds can be transferred to bring further reductions in the time taken to transfer a cash ISA between providers. The Government also welcomes and strongly supports the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) recommendations to make it easier for personal customers, small businesses and charities to switch their bank account. The Government is clear that the new switching proposals need to be fully implemented by the industry by September 2013 and will monitor progress closely through quarterly interim reports.

2. Promoting fairness in incentives to save by introducing automatic enrolment of employees into a pension scheme from October 2012, reforming the way pensions tax relief is restricted and indexing ISA contribution limits to inflation.

3. Promoting personal responsibility within the saving, debt and protection system. To encourage individuals to save, the Government provides tax relief on private pension saving, worth around £24 billion in 2010-11, and tax relief on cash and stocks and shares saving in ISAs, worth around £2 billion in 2010-11. Promoting personal responsibility also involves making sure that individuals are equipped to exercise effective choice and plan for

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expected and unexpected events. This Government has introduced the Money Advice Service, which among other services provides a free financial ‘healthcheck'; asked an independent Steering Group to devise a suite of simple financial products to help increase the number of new participants in savings and protection insurance markets by providing straightforward, easy to understand products; and worked with industry and consumer groups to establish a ‘default' open market option, which requires retirees to make an active choice about their provider and the shape of their annuity.

WorldSpreads

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has had discussions on the delivery of compensation for customers of WorldSpreads if their money is not returned. [112193]

Mr Hoban: WorldSpreads Ltd was authorised to conduct investment business by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA confirmed on 18 March 2012 that the company had entered the Special Administration Regime and that joint special administrators had been appointed. The special administrators are carrying out a review and will return as much cash as possible to affected customers. Depending on individual circumstances customers may have access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) should there be any losses. The FSCS is currently working with the special administrators to determine the best process for ensuring eligible customers of WorldSpreads Ltd receive compensation quickly.

Deputy Prime Minister

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Office used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year. [110964]

Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Recruitment processes differ between Civil Service Departments and it is not mandated that Departments use the Civil Service e-recruitment system. Neither No 10 Downing street nor the Cabinet Office (or any of its non-departmental public bodies) currently use the Civil Service Resourcing (CSR) e-recruitment system to recruit their staff. We are currently considering whether and when to adopt the full Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system.

International Development

Developing Countries: Equality

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy to establish a separate objective in respect of gender equality in the replacement framework for the Millennium Development Goals. [112650]

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Mr Andrew Mitchell: I am committed to ensuring that gender equality is at the heart of the global development goals that will replace the Millennium Development Goals. This could take the form of a separate goal on gender or ensuring that some targets are specifically on girls and women and that all data is gender disaggregated. The Prime Minister and his co-chairs on the High Level Panel will want to listen to the voice and experiences of others to ensure that the new framework secures the best outcome for girls and women.

Public Sector: Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary was paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its public bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13. [112476]

Mr Duncan: The following table indicates the highest, median, median full-time equivalents and lowest full-time equivalents for DFID:

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what estimate he has made of the saving to those affected in each case. [112934]

Mr Duncan: DFID has not repealed any regulations between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012 and is not responsible for any regulations that are currently in force.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what correspondence (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Scottish Government on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK; and if he will place any such correspondence in the Library; [112632]

(2) what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with Scottish Government Ministers or officials on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK. [112642]

Mr Duncan: Ministers and Officials at DFID have not had any discussions or correspondence with the Scottish Government on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK.

The Government's position is clear: Scotland is stronger as part of the UK and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it.

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The Government is not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the United Kingdom in any referendum.

Home Department

Arrest Warrants

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant in 2011-12; and from which EU member states they were extradited. [112240]

Damian Green [holding answer 18 June 2012]: During the business year 2011-12, 86 people were returned to the UK as a result of European arrest warrants issued by UK prosecutors. This figure includes two people returned from Gibraltar. The following table breaks this down by country.

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) people and (b) UK nationals were extradited from the UK under a European arrest warrant in 2011-12; and to which EU member states they were extradited. [112241]

Damian Green [holding answer 18 June 2012]: During the business year 2011-12, 922 people were surrendered by the UK to other EU member states. Of these, 32 were known to be UK nationals. The following tables breaks these figures down by country.

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Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for the surrender of an individual under a European arrest warrant were received by the Serious Organised Crime Agency in 2011-12. [112242][Official Report, 1 April 2014, Vol. 578, c. 3-6MC.]

Damian Green [holding answer 18 June 2012]: During the business year 2011-12, the Serious Organised Crime Agency received 5,832 European arrest warrants issued by EU member states—this figure includes four issued by Gibraltar. The following table breaks this figure down by issuing state.

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