Temporary Accommodation: Greater London
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless households from each London borough were placed in temporary accommodation outside of their area at the end of each quarter in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12. [113442]
Grant Shapps [holding answer 25 June 2012]: A table has been placed in the Library of the House, showing the number of homeless households from each London borough placed in temporary accommodation in another local authority district at the end of each quarter in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12.
I would note that across this sample, based on the data returns, these figures show that average number of households housed outside their local authority area is lower under this Administration than the last.
You will be aware that the Localism Act 2011 contains a new power that will allow local authorities to use the private rented sector to house homeless families. This will mean shorter waiting times for homeless households and less time spent in temporary accommodation.
We are also consulting on strengthening accommodation rules, so that homeless households are placed nearer to home wherever possible. This is outlined in my Department's current consultation on the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012.
Statistical releases on Statutory Homelessness are available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
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http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
Prime Minister
Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister how many emails he received to his official government e-mail address in each month since May 2010. [113743]
The Prime Minister: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mobile Phones
Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister what the (a) make, (b) model and (c) network provider was of each mobile telephone device he has been officially issued with in chronological order since May 2010. [113736]
The Prime Minister: The Government has a corporate mobile telephone contract with Vodafone. Mobile devices are allocated to officials and Ministers as and when appropriate.
Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) telephone calls and (b) text messages he received to mobile telephone devices officially issued to him in each month since May 2010. [113739]
The Prime Minister: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister on which occasions he has given permission for a Parliamentary Private Secretary to travel on an official visit under article 3.11 of the ministerial code since May 2010. [111375]
The Prime Minister: Official overseas travel by a Parliamentary Private Secretary will be exceptional.
Rebekah Brooks
Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister from how many different telephone numbers he has received text messages from Rebekah Brooks since May 2010. [R] [113734]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 4 of my witness statement provided to the Leveson Inquiry.
http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/evidence/?witness=david-cameron-mp
International Development
Hunger Summit
Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives he has for the outcomes of the Hunger summit. [113791]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: The event will further the ongoing UK and global work to tackle hunger and malnutrition. It will build on the important progress made on food security at the G8 Camp David summit.
Sahel
Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to fund resilience building projects in the Sahel. [113792]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently providing urgent humanitarian aid to 1.6 million men, women and children across the Sahel region of West Africa.
We are also keen to do what we can to protect people from future food crises. To do so, we are improving resilience in the Sahel through social protection programmes and livelihoods support. As co-chair of the Political Champions Group on Resilience, I have been driving international discussions on improving resilience in West Africa and elsewhere.
Firstly, we will work through multilateral partners— the World Bank, United Nations and European Commission—to ensure that their investments in the region support the development and expansion of social safety net programmes. Secondly, the UK is funding the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which is promoting agricultural-led economic growth to reduce poverty. A number of Sahelian countries have prepared investment plans for CAADP. Thirdly, DFID is a major funder of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), which includes Niger as one of its priority countries. PPCR, which is managed by the World Bank, is supporting a $63 million programme in Niger to improve the resilience of the populations and production systems to climate change and variability, which in turn should improve national food security.
Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he proposes that the joint initiative to develop and introduce successful farming and agricultural technology to farmers will include farmers in the Sahel. [113793]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The AgResults initiative, launched at the G20 summit by the Prime Minister, provides economic incentives to private sector actors in smallholder agriculture in developing countries. The initiative will develop and ensure the uptake of innovative technologies with the potential to yield high development impacts. These innovative financing mechanisms will be relevant to smallholders in developing countries, including those in the Sahel. The first three pilots will take place in Africa, and will benefit maize producers in Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia.
South Sudan
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to respond to the needs of refugees and the food-insecure population in the border areas of South Sudan. [113710]
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Mr O'Brien: We are deeply concerned about the situation of the refugees in Unity and Upper Nile states of South Sudan. This is an issue I raised during my recent visits to both Sudan and South Sudan. The UK Government is one of the leading donors to the humanitarian response in South Sudan, both through our direct funding and through our core support channelled through the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and UN agencies. This year we are also providing £15 million to the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) for 18 United Nations projects and 72 national and international NGO projects across nine clusters. We have allocated £10 million to the World Food Programme to help feed 100,000 vulnerable people in periods of increased need. We have pre-approved £5 million to use, if needed, in response to a rapid inflow of returnees from Sudan. We are also providing support through the International Committee of the Red Cross and international disaster relief charity, RedR.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Government Procurement Card
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many procurement card holders in his Department were (a) paid off-payroll, (b) employed on a part-time basis and (c) employed as a non-permanent employee in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [113331]
Mr Lidington: The information is as follows.
(a) All cardholders must be on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) payroll for a Government Procurement Card (GPC) to be issued.
(b) The number of part-time employees who hold a GPC is not recorded and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(c) Only staff in FCO funded positions and therefore on the payroll can hold a GPC. The number of seconded staff filling FCO slots who have been issued a card is not centrally recorded.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regulations his Department introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse. [113993]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office introduced no regulations between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012 but it introduced six Orders in Council during this period. These orders related to (a) implementing the international obligations of the UK, including in particular the implementation of UN and EU sanctions in the overseas territories and (b) prescribing the fees payable for the provision of consular services to British nationals overseas. Information about costs to the public purse could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This is because of the level of analysis that would be required to answer the question.
World Trade Organisation
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes his Department has put in place to promote the World Trade Organisation and its round-table talks. [113528]
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Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
In the Trade and Investment White Paper (February 2011), the coalition Government made clear our commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to the multilateral trading system and to completing the Doha Round of world trade talks. The UK was a vocal supporter of concluding the Doha Round, which would have delivered a huge boost to global trade and growth and we are very disappointed that it has not been possible to conclude the negotiations. The coalition Government will continue to work with the EU to push for agreement on those elements of the Round on which there has been good progress, particularly trade facilitation (removing obstacles to the movement of goods across borders), which would deliver significant benefits to all and particularly to developing countries.
We remain committed to the WTO, and in particular to strengthening elements of its regular business, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out in his report—“Governance for Growth”—to the G20 summit in Cannes in November 2011, and reiterated at the G20 summit in Los Cabos earlier this month. The WTO must remain central to the global trading system, to resist the rising trend in protectionist trade policies around the world, to settle trade disputes, and to be a forum to negotiate new trading rules. With Russia joining the WTO in the summer, the organisation will cover almost 100% of world trade, and the UK continues to press to make it easier for the poorest countries to join the WTO.
In terms of specific programmes related to the WTO, the UK is helping the poorest countries participate more effectively at the WTO under our Trade Advocacy Fund. This programme provides legal and technical assistance to help the poorest countries in multilateral and regional trade negotiations. The UK is also a major supporter of Aid for Trade programmes, especially in Africa, which assist poor countries to reap the benefits of global trade.
Cabinet Office
Government Departments: Pay
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2012, Official Report, column 1073W, on Government Department pay, if he will publish the list of people paid off-payroll who earn over £150,000 at the same time as the list of individuals whose annual cost is £58,200 or more. [114003]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 June 2012, Official Report, column 1073W, and the information already published on departmental websites.
Holidays Abroad: EU Countries
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals who had a vacation in each other EU member state in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012; and if he will make a statement. [114228]
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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office, asking what estimate his department has made of the number of British nationals who had a vacation in each other EU member state in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012. [114228]
I am able to report the estimated number of holiday visits to each of the current member states made by UK nationals who are resident in the UK. These estimates are drawn from the International Passenger Survey. For each country the estimate is the number of relevant visits abroad on which the reported country is the main destination. The estimates for 2011 are as follows. I am unable to report estimates for visits in 2012 as this data is not yet available. The data relating to Quarter 1 2012 will be published on 12 July 2012.
| Holiday visits abroadby UK nationals who are resident in the UK—Presented in terms of main country visited on each visit Calendar year 2011 | |
| Thousand | |
May I also draw your attention to my response to Parliamentary Question 82499 of November 2011 in which I provided equivalent estimates for years 2001 to 2010.
Part-time Employment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many households include a couple working (a) 16, (b) 17, (c) 18 and (d) 19 hours a week. [114025]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking us to make an estimate of how many households include a couple working (a) 16, (b) 17, (c) 18 and (d) 19 hours a week (114025).
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The latest information which is for April to June 2011 can be found in the following table.
| Number of couple households(1) by total hours worked per week(2), April to June 2011: United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted | |
| Thousand | |
| Hours | Number of households |
| (1) Couple households includes married and cohabiting couples, same sex couples and civil partners with and without dependent children, non-dependent children or other family units. (2) Total hours worked is the total hours worked per week by both partners in main and second jobs. Source: Labour Force Survey household datasets | |
Energy and Climate Change
Electricity Generation
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the minimum contribution of UK domestic electricity generation required to come from domestic nuclear power stations in order to meet the Government's emission reduction targets for (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2050. [113980]
Charles Hendry: It is Government policy that new nuclear should be able to contribute as much as possible to the UK's need for new low carbon generation capacity. It is not the Government's intention to set targets or limits on any new electricity generating infrastructure to be consented in accordance with the Energy National Policy Statements.
‘The Carbon Plan: Delivering our Low Carbon Future’ (December 2011) sets out the Government's view on how the UK will achieve decarbonisation within our energy policy framework. There are many different ways to achieve decarbonisation of the power sector and it is impossible to predict which will be the most cost-effective route and what the power sector will look like in 2030 and beyond. Scenarios modelled in Carbon Plan suggest that around 40-70GW of new low carbon generating capacity will be needed by 2030, depending on demand and the mix of generation that is built. Depending on the assumed build rates, of this new capacity new nuclear contributed between 10-15 GW by 2030 in the scenarios modelled.
Electricity: Meters
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the relative merits of an (a) area-based and (b) non area-based roll-out of smart meters. [114019]
Charles Hendry:
The Government consulted on area and non-area based approaches to the roll-out of smart meters in the “Smart Metering Implementation Programme—Prospectus” (July 2010). The “Prospectus—Response” (March 2011) set out the Government's decision not to impose constraints on suppliers in relation to
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planning, co-ordination or customer prioritisation, judging that this flexibility will enable suppliers to deliver their roll-out programmes in the most efficient way, reflecting the needs and distribution of their customer base. Nevertheless, the Government recognises the value of co-ordination between suppliers and other parties including network operators and third parties such as local authorities, and is working with suppliers to establish how best to facilitate this type of co-ordination.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the reasons were for his decision to mandate a target for the replacement of 97% of meters with smart meters by December 2019. [114020]
Charles Hendry: Energy suppliers will be required to take all reasonable steps to roll-out smart meters to all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the end of 2019. For the purposes of economic modelling, the Government assumes that suppliers reach 97% of their customer by the end of 2019. This is neither a target, nor guidance, for suppliers. Ultimately, it will be for Ofgem to judge if a supplier has indeed taken ‘all reasonable steps' to reach all their customers.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reason his Department is permitting the installation of early smart meters prior to the agreement of technical specifications. [114024]
Charles Hendry: The installation of smart-type meters enables some consumers to access many of the benefits of smart metering earlier than otherwise, and contributes to learning during the foundation stage of the Smart Meter programme, delivering benefits for the programme more broadly. Meters need to be replaced when they come to the end of their lives, irrespective of the timetable for smart meter roll-out, and the availability of smart-type meters enables suppliers to offer early benefits to their customers. Suppliers will be required to take all reasonable steps to replace these smart-type meters with smart meters that are compliant with the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specification (SMETS) by 31 December 2019.
Electricity: Wales
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the National Grid's Mid Wales Connection Project, what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Wales on the need for a 400kV cable between the National Grid and a new substation. [114016]
Charles Hendry: Neither I nor other DECC Ministers have held discussions with the First Minister of Wales on this project. It would be for National Grid to make the need case for any such connection when submitting proposals for regulatory and planning approval.
Energy Efficiency Office
Martin Caton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost to the public purse has been of the recruitment process to appoint a Chair of the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office; and
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how much of the costs arose from direct payments to consultants from
(a)
Saxton Bampfylde and
(b)
Penna. [113552]
Gregory Barker: The overall cost to the public purse for the recruitment process to appoint a Chair of the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office was £18,604.90 exclusive of VAT.
The breakdown of this expenditure is as follows:
Saxton Bampfylde: £6,975 exclusive of VAT;
Penna: £11,629.90 exclusive of VAT.
Energy: Finance
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were reached on energy subsidy reform at the 2012 G20 Summit. [114202]
Charles Hendry: At the 2012 G20 Summit at Los Cabos Leaders welcomed a progress report on fossil fuel subsidies and reaffirmed their commitment to reform of these in line with previous G20 commitments. Finance Ministers were asked to report on progress and options for a voluntary peer review process to the Russian-hosted 2013 G20 Summit.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on the energy consumer summit held on 17 October 2011. [113434]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change paid £244.50 to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills for venue hire and refreshments.
Pay
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to introduce regional pay since 20 March 2012; and if he will make a statement. [111537]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not yet taken any steps since 20 March 2012 to change its pay system.
I refer the hon. Member to the opposition debate on regional pay on 20 June 2012, Official Report, column 937-86.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what regulations his Department introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse. [113996]
Gregory Barker: The Department introduced four regulations between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012. The regulations, SI numbers and the dates they came into force are:
The Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Inspections etc.) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/461, 23 February 2012)
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The Energy Act 2011 (Commencement No 1 and Saving) Order 2012 (SI 2012/873, 20 March 2012)
The Feed-in Tariffs (Specified Maximum Capacity and Functions) (Amendment) Order 2012 (SI 2012/671, I April 2012)
The Offshore (Oil and Gas) Installation and Pipeline Abandonment Fees Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/949, 20 April 2012).
The cost to the public purse would include staffing and other related costs associated with the development of the policy, drafting of the regulations and parliamentary scrutiny. However, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost due to the amount of analysis required.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the maximum acceptable strike price for a feed-in tariff with contract for difference for new nuclear power generation, beyond which new nuclear build would become uneconomic in comparison with alternative low-carbon energy generation. [113978]
Charles Hendry: No estimate has been made of a maximum acceptable strike price for a feed-in tariff with contract for difference for new nuclear power generation.
Any strike price that is agreed for new nuclear power generation will be based on delivering a fair deal which is affordable and provides clear value for money (taking into consideration the costs of comparable technologies, on a like-for-like basis), and is consistent with the Government's policy on no public subsidy for new nuclear.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biofuels
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effect on biodiversity of increasing biofuel production. [112085]
Richard Benyon: The Government's Bioenergy Strategy, published on 24 April, summarises the principal impacts of bioenergy on biodiversity as follows:
"Demand for bioenergy can present risks for biodiversity and ecosystems through loss of semi-natural and natural habitats (such as forest clearance), intensification of agricultural production and the potential introduction of non-native invasive species. There is, therefore, a potential tension with the Government's commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation both domestically and internationally, particularly the issue of potentially increasing water stress. On the other hand, a number of reports show that perennial energy crops, such as short rotation coppice and miscanthus if cultivated in the right place and in the right way, can be better for biodiversity and water quality than arable crops such as wheat and maize. There will also be benefits if energy demand leads to unmanaged forests being brought back into sensitive management. The precise impacts depend on the previous nature of the land, the nature and location of the new crops and their management, for example by avoiding large swathes of monoculture."
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DEFRA is currently undertaking further research on the impacts of low carbon technologies, including biofuels, on biodiversity. The analysis is due to be published later this year.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she proposes that the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will examine the scientific monitoring of the Government's proposed badger cull and publish its findings. [113896]
Mr Paice: We do not envisage the involvement of the new Group in such matters. An Independent Expert Panel has been established to oversee the design and analysis of the data collection on the humaneness, effectiveness (in terms of badger removal) and safety of the two badger culling pilots in 2012. This expert panel will report to Ministers the findings of the pilots by the end of 2012.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the terms of reference will be of the newly formed Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England. [113936]
Mr Paice: The Group's members will consider its terms of reference at the first meeting. When finalised, the terms of reference will be published on the DEFRA website.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she or Ministers of her Department will attend the meetings of the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England. [113937]
Mr Paice: The Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England is a sub-group of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England which advises Ministers. However, I and other DEFRA Ministers will be happy to attend some meetings, or parts of meetings, as appropriate.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how often she proposes the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will meet. [113938]
Mr Paice: Initially, the Group is expected to meet monthly. But I would expect the Group to meet normally about every six weeks.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the Bovine TB Eradication Group for England has been replaced by the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England. [113939]
Mr Paice:
The TB Eradication Group for England has provided excellent advice over the last four years. The new Group will be a sub-group of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, which was established in 2011. It will continue the valuable work carried out by the previous Group, but with the membership
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broadened to include additional areas of scientific expertise and wildlife and conservation knowledge as well as a broader range of farming experience.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England (TBEAG) will receive submissions from stakeholders who are not members of TBEAG. [113940]
Mr Paice: We expect the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England to engage stakeholders. Precisely how this will be done has yet to be discussed and agreed by the new group.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the minutes of the meetings of the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will be published. [113941]
Mr Paice: It will be for the group to decide how its proceedings should be communicated.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the recommendations of the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will be published. [113942]
Mr Paice: The publication or otherwise of the group's recommendations will be a matter for the group itself, and for the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, of which it is a sub-group.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will provide the secretariat of the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England. [113943]
Mr Paice: DEFRA will provide the secretariat for the group.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will hold evidence sessions to consider the respective roles and responsibilities of Government, the farming industry, the veterinary profession and other stakeholders; and whether such sessions will be open to the public. [113944]
Mr Paice: The Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England will consider the respective roles and responsibilities of Government, the farming industry, the veterinary profession and other stakeholders. It will be for the group to decide how best to do this.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether legal support will be provided to the Bovine TB Eradication Advisory Group for England (TBEAG) to allow TBEAG to advise on compliance with EU legal requirements. [113945]
Mr Paice: DEFRA will ensure the group is provided with any legal advice necessary to carry out its functions.
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Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999: Prosecutions
Jane Ellison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions there have been under the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 in each year since 2001. [113773]
Mr Paice: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, England and Wales, 2001-11 are given in the following table:
| Sale of dogs | Having custody of dog in contravention of S.9(2)(c) and failure to comply with S.9(5) | |
| (1 )The figures for 2008 exclude data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Notes: 1. The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | ||
Dairy Farming
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made on the implementation of a voluntary code of practice between milk producers and processors. [113807]
Mr Paice: Industry representatives are currently engaged in establishing a voluntary code of practice for the dairy industry and I fully support these efforts.
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen of 1 May 2012, Official Report, column 1384W, on email, what her policy is on using personal email accounts for departmental business; and whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers of her Department have used their own email accounts for official business in the last year. [111147]
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Richard Benyon: The Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers set out how Ministers and special advisers should conduct government business.
Departmental policy is that personal email accounts should not be used for official business other than in exceptional circumstances.
Energy
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether her Department switched its (a) gas or (b) electricity supplier in any of the last 10 years; [113455]
(2) which energy supplier supplies her Department with (a) gas and (b) electricity; [113473]
(3) how much her Department spent on (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in each of the last 10 years. [113506]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA transferred all of its electricity and gas supplies to the Pan-Government Energy Framework in 2004. This framework is managed by the Government Procurement Service (GPS) who procure electricity and gas on the Departments behalf.
The current suppliers on the GPS Energy Framework are:
EDF (Half hourly market electricity supply);
British Gas Business (Non half hourly market electricity supply);
Corona (Gas supply).
DEFRA's electricity and gas costs for years 2002 to 2012 are outlined in the following table:
| DEFRA utility costs: 2002-12 | |||
| £ | |||
| Electricity | Gas | Total cost | |
| Notes: 1. The increase in cost over time reflects rising utility costs rather than an increase in consumption. 2. The decrease in cost since 2008-09 reflects the ongoing reduction in the size of the DEFRA estate. | |||
Floods: Insurance
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress has been made in the talks on flood insurance; [113907]
(2) what alternatives to a voluntary agreement with the insurance industry has been considered for flood insurance after 2013. [113908]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 26 June 2012]: The availability and affordability of insurance in flood risk areas is an important issue for this Government.
The current statement of principles agreement between Government and insurers expires on 30 June 2013. While it offers some limited reassurance to households
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about the availability of insurance in areas of flood risk, it has no influence over the price of insurance.
We are at an advanced stage in intensive negotiations with the industry on alternative arrangements for when the statement of principles expires. The merits of both voluntary and regulatory models have been considered. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Meanwhile the Government will continue to invest to reduce the risk of flooding especially to those households at the highest flood risk and living in the most deprived communities. DEFRA expects to spend more than £2.17 billion on flooding and coastal erosion over this spending review period. As a result of the investment we are making, we expect to deliver better protection to 145,000 households by March 2015.
North York Moors National Park Authority
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding the North York Moors National Park Authority received from the public purse in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011; and how much such funding she estimates it will receive in 2012. [111264]
Richard Benyon: The national park authorities receive funding from DEFRA as well as a range of other sources. The level of grant paid, or due to be paid, to the North York Moors National Park Authority by DEFRA for the years in question is as follows:
| £ | |
The reductions in grant are in line with the arrangements made to help address the deficit.
Ofwat: Fines
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what fines were imposed on businesses by the regulator Ofwat in each financial year from 2006-07 to 2011-12; [112051]
(2) what fines were imposed on businesses by the former water regulator, the Office of Water Services, in each financial year from 2000-01 until its transfer to Ofwat. [112052]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 18 June 2012]: Ofwat has existed since 1989. Its official name was the ‘Office of Water Services’ until 2006, when its official name became the ‘Water Services Regulation Authority’.
Ofwat was first given power to impose financial penalties from 1 April 2005 and before this they ensured compliance through other channels.
Details of Ofwat's current and previous enforcement action is available on the Ofwat website at:
http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulating/enforcement/enforcenotices/
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Oil
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the costs to the petroleum industry in the UK of compliance with the (a) Industrial Emissions Directive and (b) Environment Agency containment policy. [113008]
Richard Benyon: In March 2012, DEFRA published a draft impact assessment as part of a consultation on the transposition of the industrial emissions directive. This indicates that 19 large combustion plants within the petroleum refineries sector may be affected, at an average cost of £1.25 million per affected plant per year between 2016-30.
The Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency act together as the Competent Authority for the Control of Major Accident Hazards for England and Wales.
The Competent Authority Containment Policy brings together a range of technical measures to be implemented at oil refineries and fuel storage terminals to prevent the loss of containment from fuel storage tanks.
The Environment Agency prepared a regulatory impact assessment and consulted on it prior to the issue of the Containment Policy. This predicted that the cost to industry, summed for all 95 sites and spread over 10-20 years, would be £270 million to £360 million for primary containment, £360 million to £550 million for secondary containment and £46 million for tertiary containment.
A proportion of this cost would have to be incurred in any event to replace ageing infrastructure.
The Competent Authority cannot say what actual costs have been incurred by industry, as measures required at each site may differ and costs are therefore site specific. Individual examples of costs have been in line with the regulatory impact assessment and no evidence has been presented to indicate that the costs to industry as a whole are exceeding those predicted in the regulatory impact assessment.
Plants: Disease Control
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much her Department spent on controlling invasive non-native plants in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much she expects to spend in each of the next three years; [113261]
(2) what plans she has to provide funding for the future costs of control of non-native invasive plants and those identified as likely to become invasive in the future. [113262]
Richard Benyon: The direct cost of controlling invasive non-native plants primarily rests with landowners and the impacted sectors; examples are provided in the CABI report on the ‘Economic Cost of Invasive Non-native Species to Great Britain’. DEFRA directly funds some specific priority measures such as the development and release of a biological control agent for Japanese knotweed. The Department's contribution to that project to date is £309,234 with a further commitment of £75,000 until 2015. DEFRA is also funding further research into the biological control of invasive non-native plants.
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Through water framework directive funding, DEFRA is also supporting partnership projects taking action on invasive non-native species locally as follows:
2011-12: £264,678;
2012-15: £977,761.
A proportion of this funding directly supports control of invasive non-native plants.
Other funding for direct control or collaborative projects which wholly or in part tackle invasive plants is provided through a range of bodies. With a few exceptions the funding often supports the management of a range of plant species and the specific cost of managing non-native plant species is not separately recorded. For example, the Environment Agency estimates that it spends approximately £1,700,000 per year on control of bank and in-water vegetation, with approximately £500,000 of this in connection with reducing flood risk.
Natural England funds the control of non-native plants through a variety of funding mechanisms, including the Higher Level Scheme within Environmental Stewardship. As of June 2012, Natural England expects to provide a total of £2,100,000 over the life of the agreements (which last up to 10 years).
Natural England has provided £257,000 to local projects aimed and controlling invasive plants during 2011-12 and forecasts £150,000 for 2012-13. This is also a key activity under the Conservation Enhancement Scheme funded from Natural England's grant in aid; however, non-native species costs are not separately identifiable.
From 2009-10 to 2011-12 the Food and Environment Research Agency has spent £2,075,000 on the removal of Rhododendron ponticum to reduce the risks from Phytophthora ramorum. Natural England has also provided approximately £50,000 in 2011-12 for the control of this species on Sites of Species Scientific Interest and expects to spend a further £1,300,000 over the next three years through capital funding for the Conservation Enhancement Scheme. Funding for rhododendron control is also provided through the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme.
It is expected that broadly similar levels of expenditure are likely to be required in future years, subject to significant new developments such as new threats or the need for the development of more ambitious control programmes. DEFRA will seek to support action on preventing new priority threats but, given the unpredictability of these, it is not possible to be more specific about the level of funding that might be required. Any additional expenditure would require re-prioritisation within existing budgets.
Schmallenberg Virus
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to assist farmers to prepare for the possible reappearance of Schmallenberg virus in 2013. [114230]
Mr Paice:
A team of experts from DEFRA and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) constantly monitors disease in the UK and across the world. As a result, we are well informed of the threat of both emerging and spreading diseases. Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is not notifiable in the EU and as such there is no legal requirement to carry out
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surveillance for the virus. However, as little is known about the virus, the Government is supporting research to develop the SBV knowledge base. There are few clinical signs associated with acute infection in adults, and it is their offspring, born sometime after active infection during pregnancy that exhibit clinical signs.
During the winter there was a low level of midge activity, as determined by some of our late sheep cases, so we believe it likely that disease is still circulating, albeit at a low level. Therefore DEFRA continues to provide free testing for the virus for the time being. During the week commencing 25 June the AHVLA issued a questionnaire for completion by GB sheep farmers which will provide additional details of the prevalence of the disease, including the regional extent of infection and impact on affected farms. The benefit of surveillance at this time is under consideration. AHVLA is also raising awareness with farmers to be vigilant for any clinical signs of acute disease in dairy cattle.
A recently published report based on data gathered from all affected member states issued by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has detailed the low impact of this new disease for farmers across the EU. Positives at time of data collection were 3,745 holdings (cattle, sheep and goats) out of a total of just over 1.15 million premises in the eight affected member states. It also notes that immunity levels in affected regions are high thus reducing further disease in these areas. DEFRA is working closely with the farming industry, with the European Commission and EFSA and with international scientific experts to ensure the most up-to-date information and advice is provided to livestock keepers.
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 500W, on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, what agreements were reached on the conservation of marine biodiversity at the meeting of the UN working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction. [113623]
Richard Benyon: The UN working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreed to continue the dialogue on the possibility of a new implementing agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, but was unable to agree that a recommendation on the initiation of a new implementing agreement should be put to the next meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The detailed recommendations of the working group were that the next UN General Assembly should:
(a) Welcome the “first meeting of the working group within the process initiated by the General Assembly” with a view to ensuring that the legal framework for the conservation and use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction addresses issues by identifying gaps and ways forward including through the implementation of existing instruments, and the possible development of a multilateral agreement under UNCLOS, and takes note of the exchange of views at the meeting on aspects of issues referred to in the co-chairs’ summary of discussion, some of which will be discussed during the inter-sessional workshops;
(b) Request the Secretary-General to convene, within existing resources, two inter-sessional workshops before the sixth meeting of the working group on (i) marine genetic resources (ii) conservation and management tools, including area based management and environmental impact assessment's;
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(c) Request the working group, at its next meeting, to continue the consideration of all issues under its mandate, taking into account the discussions at its fifth meeting, as well as the input of the inter-sessional workshops, and provide recommendations to the 68th session of the General Assembly to make progress on ways forward to fulfil the mandate provided in Resolution 66/231;
(d) Request the Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the working group in the second half of 2013; and
(e) Request the Secretary-General to use existing trust funds, through earmarked contributions, to facilitate the participation of panellists and representatives from developing countries in the inter-sessional workshops, and invite member states, international financial institutions and others to make financial contributions to these trust funds.
The need to address issues concerning conservation and sustainable use of marine diversity was reaffirmed at Rio+20. The outcome of this meeting clearly indicated that a decision on whether a new Implementing Agreement should be negotiated should be taken before the end of UNGA69 in 2014. The Government will continue to press for the need for a new agreement to cover, in particular, the need for marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Wetlands: Jersey
Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps she plans to take to tackle pollution at the Jersey Ramsar site; [111763]
(2) what information her Department holds on the recent polluting of the Jersey Ramsar site and on any contribution from the building of a new incinerator adjacent to other Ramsar sites. [111764]
Richard Benyon: Responsibility for the management and protection of Ramsar sites in Jersey rests with the relevant authorities in the States of Jersey. However, DEFRA holds the overall administrative authority for Ramsar in the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and is therefore responsible for liaison with these authorities and ensuring that such incidents are reported to the Ramsar Secretariat. I am advised that these authorities are unaware of any recent significant pollution incidents at any of its four Ramsar sites.
In 2008, complaints were made to both the Jersey authorities and DEFRA about the impact of the construction of an energy from waste plant on the south-east coast of Jersey Ramsar site. An investigation by the Jersey authorities revealed no evidence of significant damage to the site. As a result of that investigation DEFRA holds the following documentation, copies of which have been placed in the House Library.
States of Jersey—Energy from Waste Plant and the Environment Scrutiny Panel's Review of the Planning Process.
Bioscan report—Energy from Waste Plant and Ramsar Review of Planning Process.
States of Jersey—Energy from Waste Plant and Ramsar: Review of Planning Process (S.R. 1/2010)—Response of the Minister for Planning and Environment.
DEFRA response to the Ramsar Secretariat Re South East Coast of Jersey, Channel Islands Ramsar site (No. 1043)—UK decision on the requirement of an Article 3.2 Report.
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Whales: Conservation
Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take to protect whales at the 2012 meeting of the International Whaling Commission. [113567]
Richard Benyon: I will be attending this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in July (IWC64) to demonstrate the UK Government's commitment to the work of the IWC, and our support for the moratorium on whaling.
The UK will continue to oppose all forms of whaling, other than limited whaling operations by indigenous people for subsistence purposes.
The UK will continue to be a key advocate of conservation issues, including support for the creation of sanctuaries, the development of conservation plans for endangered species, such as Western Gray Whales and Southern Right Whales, the development of the whale watching industry and increasing funding for conservation research.
The UK has also submitted a report, seeking the endorsement of the IWC, with recommendations on strengthening the IWC's role in conservation and welfare.
Wildlife: Disease Control
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to limit myxomatosis and its effect on wildlife. [112121]
Richard Benyon: Myxomatosis is a viral disease which decimated the wild rabbit population when it accidentally arrived in Britain in the 1950s. Since then, rabbit numbers have recovered although there continue to be localised outbreaks of the disease. It is only known to affect rabbits and there are no plans to attempt to eradicate this disease.
Work and Pensions
Children: Maintenance
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has taken to establish the proportion of cases with outstanding child maintenance arrears where collection of child maintenance has been (a) temporarily and (b) permanently suspended; and what the results were of any such exercise. [112751]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
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You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has taken to establish the proportion of cases with outstanding child maintenance arrears where collection of child maintenance has been (a) temporarily and (b) permanently suspended; and what the results were of any such exercise. [112751]
The discretion not to pursue a sum of arrears of child maintenance is contained in Section 29 of the Child Support Act 1991. This discretion is exercised in respect of arrears that it is decided will never be collected. This is only in exceptional cases where very particular sets of circumstances, which mean this is the most appropriate course of action available, apply. The power is also exercised on a temporary basis in a much larger number of cases where circumstances mean that collection is not appropriate at a particular juncture. Whenever a decision is made not to collect, either on a temporary or permanent basis, the arrears concerned is put into the category ‘suspended’ on our computer system.
In March 2012, 49% of cases with outstanding maintenance arrears included arrears that have been suspended.
The split between temporary and permanent suspended arrears is available on the data held for the CS2 system, however further work is required to develop a methodology for using the data and to assure the quality of this information.
Further investigation is required to determine if this information is available for cases on the CSCS system. If available we would again need to develop a methodology for using it, and carry out quality assurance.
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 649W, on children: maintenance, what steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission plans to take to improve the effectiveness of its collection and enforcement activity to ensure that as large a proportion of arrears as possible are collected whilst clients are on the existing schemes. [112752]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 649W, on children: maintenance, what steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission plans to take to improve the effectiveness of its collection and enforcement activity to ensure that as large a proportion of arrears as possible are collected whilst clients are on the existing schemes. [112752]
The collection of child maintenance arrears is a priority for the Coalition Government. It is children who lose out when parents do not live up to their responsibilities.
We are determined to collect as much debt owed by non-resident parents as possible. For this reason we commissioned an independent panel of experts to provide advice to the Government on how we might best tackle the issue of uncollected arrears. We are considering the recommendations and will bring forward a strategy in the coming months.
We are using all the powers available to us—for example, we are increasing the use we make of deductions from non-resident parents' bank accounts and orders for sale of their property. We are also making innovations such as accessing wider sources of Government information to locate thousands of parents who have tried to avoid their responsibilities to their children.
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The long-term solution will come with the introduction of the new scheme, which will bring greater automation and in turn, more alerts to identify quickly people who fail to pay. Once the new scheme is introduced, this will give us additional capacity to pursue effective debt collection.
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many child maintenance arrears cases the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is dealing with; and in what proportion of such cases there is (a) a repayment agreement which is being adhered to, (b) an active deduction from earnings order, (c) an active regular deduction order, (d) a liability order and (e) further legal enforcement action in progress; [112817]
(2) in how many child maintenance arrears cases being dealt with by the Child Maintenance Agency there is (a) current active debt recovery action, (b) no active debt recovery action but case surveillance via a credit reference agency and (c) no active debt recovery action and no continuing case surveillance. [112818]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child maintenance arrears cases the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is dealing with; and in what proportion of such cases there is (a) a repayment agreement which is being adhered to, (b) an active deduction from earnings order, (c) an active regular deduction order, (d) a liability order and (e) further legal enforcement action in progress. [112817]; and
In how many child maintenance arrears cases being dealt with by the Child Maintenance Agency there is (a) current active debt recovery action, (b) no active debt recovery action but case surveillance via a credit reference agency and (c) no active debt recovery action and no continuing case surveillance. [112818]
As of February 2012, the total number of cases with child maintenance arrears outstanding was 1,261,900, of which 482,000 cases were either closed or cancelled/withdrawn. Of those cases which are live (i.e. not closed or cancelled/withdrawn) 201,000 cases had an arrears charging schedule in place. 108,100 of those cases with an arrears charging schedule in place were paying towards this arrears schedule.
At February 2012 there were 141,740 cases with an active deduction from earnings order in place. There were a total of 160 regular deduction orders in place. However each regular deduction order could affect more than one case as a non-resident parent could be contributing to more than one parent with care. It is not possible to establish the number of cases without investigating further, which would involve looking at individual cases on the system.
The total, number of liability orders in place at February 2012, was 19,500, and the total number of further legal enforcement action in progress was 26,100. Further legal enforcement actions include arrestment, attachments, bailiffs, charge for payments, charging orders, committals, freezing orders, inhibitions, orders for sale, registering liability orders in county courts, registering liability orders with Registry Trust Limited, set aside disposition orders, third party debt orders and variation orders. A non-resident parent could have more than one liability order or legal enforcement action in place against them. To establish the total number of cases with a liability order and other enforcement actions would involve looking at each individual case on the system.
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To determine the total number of cases with an active debt recovery action and the total number of cases where no active debt recovery action would require further investigation and cross referencing of data on different systems. This further analysis would be available at a disproportionate cost.
Information about the total volume of enforcement actions undertaken by the Agency can be found on page 28 of the March 2012 Quarterly Summary of Statistics, which can be found at the following link:
http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/qss/QSS_mar_2012.pdf
At the end of February 2012, 15,000 actions had been registered with credit reference agencies for surveillance on financial activity as we had exhausted cost effective options for collecting arrears on them.
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the proposed Child Support Management of Payments and Arrears (Write off and Part Payment in Full and Final Satisfaction) Amendment Regulations, what estimate the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) has made of the proportion of existing child maintenance arrears to be written off as a result of (a) parents with care making clear they do require the arrears to be collected, (b) the parent with care having died and there being no next of kin, (c) the non-resident parent having died and the arrears not being recoverable from their estate, (d) arrears accrued from Interim Maintenance Assessments calculated between April 1993 and April 1995, (e) the CMEC having already permanently suspended recovery of certain arrears and (f) parents with care agreeing to accept part payment of arrears in full and final satisfaction of arrears owing. [112819]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the proposed Child Support Management of Payments and Arrears (Write off and Part Payment in Full and Final Satisfaction) Amendment Regulations, what estimate the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) has made of the proportion of existing child maintenance arrears to be written off as a result of (a) parents with care making clear they do require the arrears to be collected, (b) the parent with care having died and there being no next of kin, (c) the non-resident parent having died and the arrears not being recoverable from their estate, (d) arrears accrued from Interim Maintenance Assessments calculated between April 1993 and. April 1995, (e) the CMEC having already permanently suspended recovery of certain arrears and (f) parents with care agreeing to accept part payment of arrears in full and final satisfaction of arrears owing. [112819]
the proposed write off power is very limited and could only be used in the circumstances as outlined in the public consultation and as will be set out in proposed regulations.
Around 5% (c. £200m) of existing child maintenance arrears is known to meet criteria b), c), d) and e). The value of arrears meeting criteria a) and f) will only become clear when the powers are in place and the responses of clients are gauged. The amount that will be written off in practice also depends on how the Commission allocates resources. The current focus is on maintaining the compliance of cases with an ongoing liability and the collection
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of child maintenance arrears where there continues to be a qualifying child. If this current focus continues, the Commission will generally be in contact with older cases less often and this is the group where write off may be most appropriate.
It is children who lose out when parents do not live up to their responsibilities, and we are determined to collect as much debt owed by non-resident parents as possible. We commissioned an independent panel of experts to provide advice to the Government on how we might best tackle the issue of uncollected arrears. We are considering the recommendations and will bring forward a strategy in the coming months.
Employment Schemes: Autism
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with other Government Departments on support for adults with autism to enable them to enter sustainable employment. [113269]
Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions regularly meets with the Department of Health, Department for Education, and the Ministry of Justice through its membership of the cross government Autism Programme Board chaired by the Minister of State, Department of Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Burstow), who has responsibility for care services, and Director General for Social Care at the Department of Health. This group is responsible for overseeing progress against the Adult Autism Strategy for England "Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives" which includes helping adults into work as a key area of activity.
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that all disabled people, including adults with autism have the same employment opportunities and chances as everyone else to find and stay in work.
Employment Schemes: Fraud
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) correspondence and (b) representations his Department has received since May 2010 regarding possible fraud by private companies running welfare to work programmes for the Government in (i) the North East and (ii) England; and if he will make a statement. [112765]
Chris Grayling: The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by DWP's professionally trained and experienced investigations to a standard required to support reference to the police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.
When an allegation of fraud against a provider is received, we assess whether further inquiries are appropriate. Cases are accepted for investigation if allegations refer to potential fraud by a prime or sub contractor and there is evidence of a potentially serious, or criminal, matter in the allegations made.
Between 1 May 2010 and 1 June 2012, there have been 46 investigations into allegations of potential fraud by Welfare to Work providers, five of which are on-going. The subject of the allegations in these cases is of a similar nature, that false representations have been made to claim fees, for example falsifying documentation in relation to client signatures, employers' verification or details of the service provided.
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In the course of the investigation, the investigator will gather evidence to establish the facts and determine whether there is a case to answer by:
recovering and analysing data and documentation;
interviewing DWP and contractor employees, including any suspects;
approaching other DWP and contractor employees, customers and other individuals for written witness statements;
examining available system and written records.
Internal investigation reports set out the findings, outcomes and conclusion of an investigation undertaken in light of the allegations received.
Where the allegations are unproven (or unfounded), no further action is taken.
Where the investigation identifies evidence of procedural non-compliance, but not evidence of prima facie fraud, these enable the contract management team to seek appropriate remedies (e.g. repayment; control improvement, etc.).
If sufficient evidence of criminal offences is identified, investigators will refer the matter to the police. Each investigation case is unique and must be considered on its own merits. In determining whether it is appropriate to involve the police, consideration is given to a number of factors, including the strength of evidence available, whether evidence can be attributed to the actions of an individual(s), whether and how they benefited from their actions, and any intelligence on similar previous investigations involving the contractor. Where there is evidence of an individual falsifying documentation to support false payment claims or where additional factors are evident, such as collusion, we will always refer the case to the police.
The City of London Police are recognised as the national lead force, and a centre of excellence, for fraud investigation across the UK. They have confirmed that the criteria DWP applies in determining whether to refer cases to regional police forces are both reasonable and appropriate. They have also confirmed that the considerations made are aligned to the general principles applied by the police when deciding whether to investigate cases and allocate resources.
In addition to referral of cases to regional police where appropriate, in line with measures taken by City of London Police to increase intelligence gathering on fraud related matters, DWP reports all cases where there are grounds to suspect criminal offences to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau database maintained by City of London Police. This enables the police to be sighted on cases being investigated in a centralised and co-ordinated way. It also enables them to build intelligence on individuals and organisations, provides an efficient protocol and interface for disclosing information on fraud at a national level and enables patterns in fraud-related crime to be identified.
Of these 46 investigations between 1 May 2010 and 1 June 2012, 13 resulted in a case to answer, of which six had evidence of procedural non-compliance and seven had evidence of false representation. Two of these cases have been referred to the police and their investigations are ongoing.
Internal Investigation reports contain specimen evidence and the results of analysis of provider claims that typically include customer details and other confidential information. In addition reports may contain details of
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any witness interviews undertaken and what they have said. The Department has a general duty of care and obligations under the Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act to safeguard individuals and to handle personal data securely. In respect of witness statements, witnesses are not ordinarily protected under the provisions of whistleblowing legislation and may be vulnerable to reprisals by their employer as well as retribution by people implicated in witness statements. In addition to the impact on individuals, full disclosure of reports would be likely to put at risk the co-operation of individuals on whom an investigation can depend. Furthermore, disclosure of both investigative practice and any vulnerabilities exploited by individuals may increase the vulnerability of the system overall.
It is also not ordinarily appropriate to publicise the details of specific investigation cases (e.g. provider details, nature of allegation, and outcomes of investigation):
Disclosure of unproven (or unfounded) allegations could result in litigation against the Department and damage a provider's commercial standing.
Disclosure of specific cases where the investigation identifies evidence of procedural non-compliance, but not evidence of prima facie fraud, could impact on the willingness of providers or whistleblowers to bring matters or concerns to our attention in the first place and/or damage contractual relationships. The Department's contractual relationship with providers is built on partnership and joint working.
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Premature disclosure of cases where there is evidence of prima facie fraud may potentially prejudice or damage future DWP or police investigations. The police have been clear when conducting investigations that publishing any details of an investigation may carry a serious risk of prejudice to any further action by the police and/or the courts. The police may pursue investigations where patterns in suspected offences (e.g. highlighting links between people, organisations, location and events) become evident from such intelligence collected over time. Intelligence of this nature remains relevant and must be held for a minimum of six years in line with guidance produced by the National Policing Improvement Agency.
The Department will, however, publicise critical cases once proceedings have begun, and publicise any subsequent sentencing.
When asked, such as in response to parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, the Department has disclosed statistical information on investigations, including as an example, the number of investigations undertaken; the number of cases where there are suspicions of criminality; and the number of cases where payments had been claimed that were not due under the contract and the amounts were repaid.
The Department now intends to publish said information (annually). The information in respect of contracted employment practice for 2006-07 to 2011-12 is shown as follows.
| Contracted employment investigation cases at 31 March 2012 | |||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | Total | |
| (1) Closed cases only. Data is reflected in the year cases closed, not necessarily the year the matter was referred to the police or prosecuted. In 2011-12 two cases have been referred to the police. One case has been concluded by the Department. The .other is ongoing and is included in the ongoing case figure. | |||||||
The Department will also disclose information on the number and value of contractor investigations where a loss was identified within its Losses and Special Payments Note in the Annual Report and Accounts.
When asked to disclose details of specific investigation cases, the Department will use the policy set out above to assess what if any information can be released into the public domain. The expectation is that the Department will commonly decline to provide such details, and will apply recognised FOI exemptions from disclosure, where appropriate: this will principally be Section 30 (investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities), with consideration of the public interest factors for and against disclosure being made on a case by case basis.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to counter fraud by private companies operating welfare to work programmes. [112767]
Chris Grayling: DWP has robust control and assurance arrangements in place to guard against fraudulent claims being made by providers. These include processes to validate payments, an assurance regime that checks the effectiveness of providers' own control systems, and an investigation and audit team that thoroughly examines allegations of fraud.
In addition, providers are contractually required to have their own fraud prevention policies and procedures in place. These must satisfy the requirements set out in paragraph 11.2 of the Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services available via:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/framework-draft-tandc.pdf
DWP regularly reminds providers of their obligations in fraud prevention, and that we require the highest standards of governance in relation to all our contracts.
Employment Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Sheffield Central constituency, (b) Sheffield local authority area and (c) South Yorkshire have found employment through the Work programme; and what the average length of time for this employment has been. [112519]
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Chris Grayling: The data requested are not available.
Official statistics on job outcomes are expected to be available from autumn 2012. The release strategy for statistics on job outcomes is dependant on the availability, reliability, quality and accuracy of the data and the details of what we will publish are still to be finalised. When details are finalised an announcement will be made on the Department's website.
Hearing Impairment: Telecommunications
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if the Minister for Disabled People will attend meetings of the e-Accessibility Forum sub-group on relay services; [112535]
(2) what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries on the ability of deaf sign-language users to access telecommunications services which are functionally equivalent to those enjoyed by hearing people; [112537]
(3) what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the deaf community to discuss access to telecommunications. [112538]
Maria Miller: Officials from the Department for Work and Pension's Office for Disability Issues will attend the relay services working group and keep me informed of progress, as this is not a ministerial group.
I recently met with the Minister with responsibility for culture, communications and creative industry’s, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), to discuss what steps can be taken to improve the lives of disabled people, and relay services was a part of those discussions. We share a common aim of seeing more progress in this area as it has the potential to transform lives. We were therefore pleased that Ofcom plans a consultation on Video Relay Services this later this year.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport lead on this particular area, but access to telecommunications does come up frequently in discussions with Department for Work and Pensions at our new Disability Strategy meetings, which are attended by representatives from the deaf community.
Pensioners: British Nationals Abroad
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons UK state pensioners living in countries where the pension is frozen are unable to claim a temporary pension uprating while visiting (a) the US and (b) Bermuda. [112697]
Steve Webb: The reciprocal social security agreements between the UK and respectively the USA and Bermuda are designed to co-ordinate the national insurance and benefit position of people who live or work in those countries. They aim to provide reciprocity for people who are ordinarily resident in one of the states party to the agreements, but not to residents of third countries.
Therefore a person who is ordinarily resident in a third country but temporarily resident in the USA or Bermuda cannot take advantage of the pension up-rating provisions in these bilateral agreements.
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The Government have no plans to change the current arrangements for the payment of UK state pension paid overseas.
Poverty: Children
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Bexley who are (i) living in poverty and (ii) living in a household where no adult works. [112806]
Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation and absolute low income are published in the “Households Below Average Income (HBAI)” series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition to provide a proxy for standard of living.
The sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates of the number of children living in poverty at constituency or local authority level. Therefore we are unable to provide data for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or for London borough of Bexley.
Similarly, the Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the numbers of children living in workless households, both at a national and a regional level. However, no estimates are made by constituency and it is not possible to produce reliable estimates at local authority level. Therefore, again, we are unable to provide data for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or for London borough of Bexley.
Social Security Benefits: Industrial Disputes
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people are eligible for benefits when taking industrial action; [114030]
(2) how many people claimed benefits during industrial action in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011 and (f) 2012 to date; [114031]
(3) what the total cost to the public purse was of people claiming benefits during industrial action in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011 and (f) 2012 to date. [114032]
Chris Grayling: Income support and jobseeker's allowance are not payable to single people or couples without dependents where both are involved in a trade dispute.
After seven days, a lone parent or a couple with children who are both involved in a trade dispute may be eligible for income support/jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and/or council tax benefit. No benefit is payable in respect of the claimant or partner. Child tax credit is payable for the children.
After seven days, in the case of a couple where one member is involved in a trade dispute, they may be eligible for income support/jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and/or council tax benefit. Benefit is payable at 50% of the couple rate. Premiums for the partner and housing costs may also be payable. Child tax credit is payable for any children.
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The Department does not hold information on numbers and the related cost to the public purse of people claiming benefits during industrial action.
Sovereignty: Scotland
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [112629]
Chris Grayling: The Government are clear that Scotland benefits from being part of UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the Union in any referendum.
There have been no discussions or correspondence, either at ministerial or official level, on the consequences for my Department of Scotland leaving the UK.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [112639]
Chris Grayling: The Government is clear that Scotland benefits from being part of UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The Government is not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the Union in any referendum.
There have been no discussions or correspondence, either at ministerial or official level, on the consequences for my Department of Scotland leaving the UK.
Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many geographic telephone numbers for public access his Department uses. [112873]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has five geographical telephone numbers published for public access.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-geographic telephone numbers for public access his Department uses with the prefix (a) 03, (b) 05, (c) 070/076, (d) 080, (e) 0845, (f) 0870, (g) 083/4, (h) 0871, (i) 09, (j) 116 and (k) 118. [112874]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has the following non geographic telephone numbers published for public access:.
42 numbers commencing 0845 for telephone calls plus 14 for textphone calls;
22 numbers commencing 0800 for telephone calls plus 12 for textphone calls;
One number commencing 0870 for telephone calls.
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Work Capability Assessment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2011, Official Report column 1098W, on work capability assessment, how many people have been found fit for work under the work capability assessment who had submitted an appeal against that decision and subsequently died prior to the appeal being heard. [114033]
Chris Grayling: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) management information indicates that between October 2008 and December 2011, the most recent reported period, 32 appeals against decisions relating to work capability assessments have been withdrawn following the notification of death of the appellant. HMCTS cannot identify which of these appeals were against decisions where the appellant was assessed as fit for work.
Treasury
Leveson Inquiry
Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it cost to provide him with legal advice in relation to his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry. [112772]
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) cost to the public purse of his representation by Treasury Counsel as a core participant at the Leveson Inquiry and (b) number of hours of Civil Service staff time that will be incurred in support of his core participant status. [106568]
Miss Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Members to the answer the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), gave on 21 June 2012, Official Report, column 1087W.
Aside from the time spent preparing for and attending the hearing on 4 May 2012, at which Treasury Counsel made an application on behalf of the Government for core participant status at the Leveson Inquiry for a number of Ministers, the number of hours that civil servants worked in support of Ministers who gave evidence to the Inquiry was not materially increased by the granting of core participant status to those Ministers.
PAYE
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hashes from the payment system have been (a) matched and (b) not matched to real time information (RTI) data from employers since the start of the RTI pilot to date. [113707]
Mr Gauke: The hash matching mechanism, built into the real time information (RTI) system, can only be applied once the RTI alignment process has been completed. Hatch matching will also only be possible where the payments to employees are made using a Bacs service user number.
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In May 2012, 10 of the first 15 schemes to join RTI submitted hashes within their FPS returns and 87,798 matches were made with hashes received from VocaLink.
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full payment real time information (RTI) returns have been received since the start of the RTI pilot to date. [113708]
Mr Gauke: Since the start of the RTI pilot HMRC have received 1,741 successful return submissions. These consist of 220 employment alignment submissions, 1,400 full payment submissions, and 121 employer payment summaries.
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to HM Revenue and Customs was of the end of year PAYE reconciliation in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2009-10, (d) 2008-09 and (e) 2007-08. [113709]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as it is not centrally held by HM Revenue and Customs data systems.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations his Department introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse. [113998]
Miss Chloe Smith: Statements of the Treasury's regulatory and deregulatory measures are published every six months on our website.
Between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012 the Treasury introduced the fourteen Statutory Instruments listed in the following table. The information required to estimate the cost of the introduction of these regulations to the public purse is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Since the one in one out system has been in operation the Treasury has saved business £26.46 million per annum in regulatory costs, within the scope of the policy.
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