2 July 2012 : Column 397W
2 July 2012 : Column 397W
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 2 July 2012
Treasury
Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress the ministerial sub-group on devolving the rate of corporation tax to Northern Ireland has made; and if he will make a statement. [114552]
Mr Gauke: Ministers from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive held the third meeting of the Ministerial Working Group on Rebalancing the Northern Ireland Economy in Belfast on 25 June.
While good progress has been made on some aspects of the work, including the potential shape of a devolved corporation tax regime, there remain some crucial areas where significant differences of opinion still exist, including on the potential costs to the Northern Ireland block grant.
Officials will continue to work over the summer to understand these differences and the Ministerial Working Group have agreed to meet again in September.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on a rural fuel duty discount for North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [114365]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Chancellor of the Exchequer routinely receives a range of representations from stakeholders, Members of Parliament, and the general public on current and future rates of excise duty as well as other issues such as fuel prices.
The UK's derogation from the EU energy tax directive, unanimously agreed to by other EU member states, is for a rural fuel rebate pilot scheme for remote islands only. Pump prices in these areas are particularly high when compared with the mainland. Beyond this pilot scheme nothing has been ruled in or out.
Government Procurement Card
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which dates his Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010. [113366]
2 July 2012 : Column 398W
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury has published details of spend on Government procurement cards over £500 on the following dates:
| Date set | Date published |
April to August 2011 data were published on 19 November 2011. This was the first publication of the Department's spending on Government procurement Card over £500, in line with the Government's transparency commitment.
Data relating to spend from 2008 to 2011 were published on 5 May 2011, in response to a Freedom of Information request.
Minimum Wage
Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases managed through the national minimum wage enforcement regime had an element related to holiday pay in each year since 2007. [114640]
Mr Gauke: HMRC does not record that information.
Tax Havens
George Galloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek international agreement on the closure of offshore tax havens. [114115]
Mr Gauke: The G20 is committed to tackling tax havens and has initiated a programme of peer reviews conducted by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes to ensure that all jurisdictions comply with international standards.
Taxation: Environment Protection
Dan Byles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total revenue accruing to the Exchequer from the carbon price floor in each of the first five years of its operation. [113976]
Miss Chloe Smith: The carbon price floor policy begins on 1 April 2013. Budget 2012 updated forecasts of Exchequer revenues from the carbon price floor (CPF). The following table summarises this information:
| £ million | ||||
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | |
|
Budget 2012 forecast based on policy announced at Budget 2011 (table 2.2) | ||||
2 July 2012 : Column 399W
The additional measures announced at Budget 2012 included the introduction of an exemption from the carbon price floor for fossil fuels used in the production of heat in a good quality combined heat and power station.
Revenue forecasts are only available for the forecast horizon, up to 2016-17, and therefore only cover the first four years of the carbon price floor's operation.
VAT
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will withdraw his proposal to end VAT relief from alterations to listed buildings and retain the zero rate for approved alterations to listed buildings irrespective of building type or ownership. [114801]
Mr Gauke: The Government remain committed to removing the anomaly whereby approved alterations to certain listed buildings are zero-rated for VAT purposes but alterations to other types of building and the repair and maintenance of all buildings are standard-rated, and will make the necessary changes by a Report stage amendment to Finance Bill 2012.
On 28 June HM Revenue and Customs published on its website a Summary of Responses to its consultation "VAT; Addressing VAT borderline anomalies". Having specifically invited comments on the transitional arrangements for the listed buildings measure as part of the consultation, this document sets out the Government's plans for the arrangements to provide relief to more projects already under way at Budget by specifying an earlier trigger point and an extended transitional period. Details can be found at paragraphs 2.6.14 and 2.6.15 of the document
Summary of Responses: VAT—Addressing borderline anomalies
Working Tax Credit
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the total cost was of working tax credit paid to households whilst the employed householder was taking industrial action in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011 and (f) 2012 to date; [114333]
(2) how many households in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland were in receipt of working tax credit when taking industrial action in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010, (v) 2011 and (vi) to date. [114334]
Mr Gauke: HMRC does not hold information on participation in industrial action by working tax credit claimants.
Home Department
Air Displays: Farnborough
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2012, Official Report, column 202W, on air displays: Farnborough, if she will refuse entry visas to anyone working for or representing Rosoboronexport intending to exhibit at the July 2012 Farnborough Air Show; and if she will make a statement. [114811]
2 July 2012 : Column 400W
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not routinely comment on individual cases. All applications for entry clearance to the UK are assessed on their individual merits and in accordance with the Immigration Rules.
Asylum
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy asylum cases for each country of origin remain unresolved; and when she expects these cases to be resolved. [113672]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency provides regular updates to the Home Affairs Committee on the cases in its Case Assurance and Audit Committee. The latest update was sent to the Committee in May 2012.
The additional information you have requested about legacy asylum cases for each country of origin is not readily available or quality assured. However, the top 10 nationalities have been sourced from local management information; this is not a national statistic:
1. China
2. India
3. Pakistan
4. Afghanistan
5. Sri Lanka
6. Iraq
7. Nigeria
8. Turkey
9. Zimbabwe
10. Iran.
The Casework and Assurance Audit Unit will resolve these legacy cases as barriers are lifted.
British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK nationals (a) lived and (b) worked for part or all of the year in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [114092]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
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 question to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK nationals (a) lived and (b) worked for part or all of the year in each EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement (114092).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not collect information regarding UK nationals resident or working outside the UK. However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
2 July 2012 : Column 401W
Children: Protection
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to police on cases where a parent is cautioned in respect of offences under section 1 of the Children and Young Person's Act 1933; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of such guidance in preventing child neglect. [111134]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the policy on simple cautions. There is no specific guidance for cautioning offenders who have committed an offence under section 1 of the Children and Young Person's Act 1933. General guidance on simple cautions for adult offenders is contained in the Home Office Circular 016/2008. It does not stipulate the use of simple cautions in particular cases because it depends on the individual circumstances in each case. Instead it provides guidance to the police and Crown Prosecution Service on the use of simple cautions and explains the practical process of administering a caution.
We are developing a clearer national framework to deal with offending out of court which includes consolidating and simplifying the current raft of guidance including for simple cautions.
Crime: EU Nationals
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-British EU citizens were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted for an offence committed in the UK in each of the last 10 years, by member state and offence; and if she will make a statement. [114197]
Lynne Featherstone: The nationality of those arrested, those charged and those convicted is not collected centrally.
2 July 2012 : Column 402W
Crime: North Yorkshire
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were (a) reported to the police and (b) identified by the British crime survey in (i) York and (ii) north Yorkshire and York in (A) 1992 and (B) each year since 1992; and how many and what proportion of these crimes in each year resulted in a conviction. [111426]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office is responsible for the police recorded crime statistics. The available information relates to offences recorded by the police and is given in the following table. Data for North Yorkshire are available for the period requested but figures for total crime in York are only available from 2000-01.
The sample size of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), formerly known as the British crime survey, is not large enough to provide a robust estimate of the number of incidents of crime covered by the survey at local authority or police force area level. However, CSEW estimates of crime at a police force area level are published as a percentage of respondents who have been a victim of crime once or more in the last year, and these data are available going back to 2004-05. Estimates have been provided on this basis by the Office for National Statistics for North Yorkshire police force area for all years since 2004-05.
Year on year changes in estimates of CSEW crime at police force area level should be treated with caution as, being based on a relatively small sample, they are liable to fluctuation. It should be noted that the only statistically significant change in CSEW estimates is between 2008-09 and 2009-10 for household crime.
From the data held centrally in the Home Office, it is not possible to follow a recorded offence through to any conclusion at court and data are therefore not available on the percentage of these crimes which result in a conviction for these years.
| Crime in North Yorkshire and York | ||||||
| North Yorkshire | York | |||||
| Offences recorded by the police | Percentage victim of personal crime at least once based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales(1) | Statistically significant change from previous year(2) | Percentage victim of household crime at least once based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales(1) | Statistically significant change from previous year(2) | Offences recorded by the police | |
2 July 2012 : Column 403W
2 July 2012 : Column 404W
| n/a = Not available. (1) Known as the British crime survey prior to 1 April 2012. (2) **+/**— denotes statistically significant change from previous year. (3) The police recorded crime coverage was extended and the counting rules changed in 1998-99. Data before and after that date are not directly comparable. (4) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced nationally in 2002-03 and police recorded crime figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. | ||||||
Criminal Proceedings: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each year since 2010 a competent authority in the UK has (a) contacted and (b) been contacted by the competent authority in another EU member state regarding the belief that a parallel set of criminal proceedings is being conducted under Article 5 of EU Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA; and on how many occasions in each year it was necessary to refer the matter to Eurojust under Article 12(2) of the Decision. [114857]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
None. The Framework Decision has not yet been implemented.
Criminal Records: EU Action
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the European Criminal Records Information System has been used by UK authorities to exchange criminal conviction information since it was introduced; and if she will make a statement. [114112]
Lynne Featherstone: The European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) started operation on 27 April 2012. The UK is currently operational with eight other member states. The number of transactions between the UK and these member states is set out in the following table. For notifications in and notifications out, it is not possible to separate the number of new convictions from the number of updates to old convictions.
| ECRIS | ||||
| Country | Requests out | Requests in | Notifications out | Notifications in |
| Notes: 1. ‘Notifications in’ concern Britons who have been convicted abroad, or updates to previous convictions. 2. ‘Notifications out’ concern EU nationals who have been convicted in the UK, or updates to previous convictions. 3. ‘Requests in’ concern an EU country which is seeking the previous convictions of a UK national who is being prosecuted their jurisdiction. 4. ‘Requests out’ concern the UK seeking the previous convictions of an EU national who is being prosecuted in the UK. | ||||
Databases: Telecommunications
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether data stored under the proposed Communications Capabilities Development Programme will be subject to the European Investigation Order. [113904]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 26 June 2012]: Communications data can be provided under existing arrangements for mutual legal assistance within the EU.
The European Investigation Order currently under negotiation does not envisage any change to that situation.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU students were reported to her Department by educational institutions due to (a) poor attendance and (b) other concerns about their genuineness. [114868]
Damian Green: Tier 4 sponsors use the online Sponsor Management System to report on student activity. Sponsors select one of a number of categories when reporting.
The number of reports by sponsors using the category which most closely equates to poor attendance, "Student has missed 10 expected contacts without permission", in each year from March 2010 to March 2012 is as follows:
| Number | |
These figures are taken from Management Information and sponsors may have reported any individual student on multiple occasions.
The Sponsor Management System does not include a specific reporting category for concerns about genuineness.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the respondents to her consultation entitled “Building a Fairer Britain: Reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission” published in March 2011 agreed with the proposal to remove (a) section 3, (b) sections 10 and 19 and (c) section 27 of the Equality Act 2006. [114274]
2 July 2012 : Column 405W
Lynne Featherstone: A summary of responses to the Government's consultation on reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, including a breakdown of the number of respondents agreeing with each proposal, was published on 15 May 2012. It is available in the House Libraries and on the Home Office website, at:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk
(a) 53 respondents agreed with the proposal to remove section 3 of the Equality Act 2006.
(b) 45 respondents agreed with the proposal to remove section 10 and section 19 of the Equality Act 2006.
(c) 61 respondents agreed with the proposal to remove section 27 of the Equality Act 2006.
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the respondents to her consultation entitled “Building a Fairer Britain: Reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission” published in March 2011 agreed with the proposal to amend section 12 of the Equality Act 2006 which would change the requirement for it to report on section 3 to sections 8 and 9 of the Equality Act 2006; and what assessment she has made of the compatibility with the Paris Principles. [114275]
Lynne Featherstone: A summary of responses to the Government's consultation on reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, including a breakdown of the number of respondents agreeing with each proposal, was published on 15 May 2012. It is available in the House Libraries and on the Home Office website at:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
50 respondents to the consultation expressed support for the proposal to amend section 12 of the Equality Act 2006.
None of the reforms impacts on the compatibility of the legislation governing the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Equality Act 2006, or on the Paris Principles.
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the respondents to her consultation entitled “Building a Fairer Britain: Reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission” published in March 2011 agreed with the proposal to amend section 12 of the Equality Act 2006 to change the requirement for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to report every three years to every five years. [114276]
Lynne Featherstone: A summary of responses to the Government's consultation on reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, including a breakdown of the number of respondents agreeing with each proposal, was published on 15 May 2012. It is available in the House Libraries and on the Home Office website, at
www.homeoffice.gov.uk
50 respondents to the consultation expressed support for the proposal to amend section 12 of the Equality Act 2006.
Extradition: EU Action
Mr Raab:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the decision to extend the scope of EU
2 July 2012 : Column 406W
Council Decision 2009/933/CFSP to cover the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. [114858]
Damian Green: The Home Office has made no assessment of this Council Decision, which merely extends the Agreement on Extradition between the European Union and the United States of America to the Netherlands, Antilles and Aruba.
This Council Decision has no effect on extradition between the UK and the US.
Forensic Science: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to ensure compliance with EU Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA in advance of the implementation deadline of 30 November 2012; and what the associated costs of such steps have been. [114330]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 28 June 2012]: Framework decision 2009/905/JHA requires accreditation in relation to DNA profiles by 30 November 2013 and accreditation in relation to fingerprint data by 30 November 2015.
Forensic suppliers who process DNA samples to produce DNA profiles which are added to the National DNA Database are all already compliant with ISO 17025 and EU Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA. As a matter of practice, the standards required by Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA are also inserted into all commercial contracts awarded by police services in this area.
A Forensic Quality Standards Project has been set up within the National Policing Improvement Agency's (NPIA) Forensics 21 portfolio to assist police forces with the accreditation process mandated by this Framework Decision.
Police forces are working towards accreditation: 22 forces have submitted their applications to the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS): 12 have undertaken a UKAS pre assessment; and two have been recommended for accreditation in the mandated areas. This approach has received the endorsement and backing of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Forensic Science Regulator.
The UK takes a comprehensive approach to the regulation of services in this field, including the publication of Codes of Practice and Conduct by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs relating to implementation of the Framework Decision from the wider costs of related work.
Immigration
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to make changes to her Department's IT systems in order to be able to report the number of migrants with leave to remain under each immigration category. [114869]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is in the process of modernising the IT that supports immigration casework. The new IT system will hold details of applicants’ status for those people who have had their application processed through this system.
2 July 2012 : Column 407W
Immigration Controls
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family migration cases transferred to Sheffield when the UK Border Agency offices in Croydon closed (a) remain under active consideration and (b) have yet to be allocated to a caseworker. [113568]
Damian Green: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports.
However, the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics in relation to family migration on a quarterly and annual basis, a copy of which can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q1-2012/family-q1-2012
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest period is for which any of the family migration cases transferred to Sheffield when the UK Border Agency offices in Croydon closed has been open. [113569]
Damian Green: The longest period for which any of the 2,078 family migration cases transferred to Sheffield has been open is 14 months.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the family migration cases transferred to Sheffield when the UK Border Agency offices in Croydon closed are still under active consideration for each country of origin; and when she expects all these cases to be completed. [113570]
Damian Green: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports.
However, the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics in relation to family migration on a quarterly and annual basis, a copy of which can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q1-2012/family-q1-2012
It is expected that all the cases transferred to Sheffield will be completed by December 2012.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio was of cases to caseworkers dealing with (a) family migration cases and (b) legacy cases in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [113706]
Damian Green: The ratio of caseworkers dealing with family migration cases and legacy cases in each of the last five years is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
2 July 2012 : Column 408W
Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012: Security
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers she expects to work on security for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics; [114318]
(2) what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of providing security during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics; [114316]
(3) how many private security personnel she expects to work on security for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. [114317]
James Brokenshire: Government expenditure on venue security is forecast to be £553 million. This budget provides for a pool of 23,700 people to carry out venue security duties. The total number of private security personnel used throughout the Olympic and Paralympic period will not be known until after the games, as this is dependent on workforce shift patterns. The peak number deployed on the busiest days is forecast to be around 18,500. The majority of security personnel will be provided by G4S, with up to 7,500 military personnel performing venue security roles and up to 3,000 London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) volunteers supporting the security operation. We are confident that venue security costs are within budget.
Police
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the recruitment criteria for the police; and whether she has any plans to change them. [114101]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 28 June 2012]: Tom Winsor's recommendations on entry requirements for the police have been referred to the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), will give careful consideration to the advice offered by the board on this matter before taking any final decision.
Police: Civilians
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilian staff have been made redundant in each police force since 2010. [114301]
Nick Herbert: Separate figures for staff made redundant are not collected centrally. The available data provided in the table show the number of civilian staff dismissed for 2009-10 and 2010-11 by police force area. Dismissals include members of staff required to resign, staff that have been made redundant or staff whose contract has been terminated. These figures exclude voluntary resignations.
| Civilian staff that have been dismissed for 2009-10 and 2010-11, by police force area(1,2,3) | ||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
2 July 2012 : Column 409W
2 July 2012 : Column 410W
| (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Dismissals include members of staff required to resign, staff who have been made redundant or staff whose contract has been terminated. (3) These figures are provisional and have not been confirmed by forces. | ||
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of police officers in roles previously undertaken by civilian support staff; and if she will make a statement. [114302]
Nick Herbert: The deployment of police officers to roles within a force is a matter for individual chief constables, working with their police authorities or police and crime commissioner.
Police: Sick Leave
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in each police force are on sick leave; how many and what proportion of such officers have been absent for more than a year; and how many and what proportion have been injured on duty. [114303]
Nick Herbert: The available data provided within the tables show the number of police officers on short and medium-term sick absence (28 calendar days or less) as well as long-term (more than 28 calendar days) certified sickness absence (assault and non-assault) as at 31 March 2010 and 2011 by police force area. Also provided is the number of assaults on police officers by degree of injury while carrying out duty as at 31 March 2010 and 2011 by police force area. The number and proportion of officers that have been absent for more than a year is not collected centrally by the Home Office.
| The number of police officers on short and medium-term absence as well as long-term certified sickness absence, assault and non-assault as at 31 March 2010 and 2011, by police force area(1, 2, 3, 45) | ||||||
| As at 31 March 2010 | As at 31 March 2011 | |||||
| Long term absence | Long term absence | |||||
| Short and medium term absence | Certified sickness—assault | Certified sickness—non assault | Short and medium term absence | Certified sickness—assault | Certified sickness—non assault | |
2 July 2012 : Column 411W
2 July 2012 : Column 412W
| (1 )This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2 )These data are provisional. They have not undergone usual quality assurance practices (including validation with individual police forces), and are therefore supplied for information purposes only. (3 )Figures for staff that are on short or medium-term absence are absent for 28 calendar days or less. (4 )Figures for staff that are on long-term absence are absent for more than 28 calendar days. (5 )Data unavailable. Source: Home Office using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement. | ||||||
Proceeds of Crime: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for bank information the UK (a) issued to and (b) received from the US under Article 4 of the Agreement on mutual legal assistance between the EU and the US which entered into force on 1 February 2010 in each year since 2010; and how many such requests were granted. [114485]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not record this information.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many joint investigation teams involving the US and UK authorities operated in the (a) UK and (b) US under Article 5 of the Agreement on mutual legal assistance between the European Union and the United States which entered into force on 1 February 2010 in each year since 2010. [114486]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not collate data centrally on the operations of joint investigation teams involving the UK and US authorities in the UK. We have no records of operations in the US.
Redundancy Pay
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on redundancy payments at (a) the National Policing Improvement Agency and (b) her Department in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012. [113380]
Nick Herbert: The following table sets out the amount spent on redundancies by the National Policing Improvement Agency and the Home Office in 2010, 2011 and 2012:
| £ | ||
| (a) NPIA | (b) Dept. | |
2 July 2012 : Column 413W
Telephone Services
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private sector call centre staff were used by her Department and its agencies in each of the last three financial years; and at what cost to the public purse. [114436]
Damian Green: The number of private sector call centre staff used by the Home Office and its agencies is not held centrally. The deployment of staff is a matter for each company contracted to provide call centre services to agreed service levels and price.
Each month, since April 2010, the Department publishes details of supplier spend on its website,
www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Prior to April 2010 the cost of call centre services was not held centrally.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing
20. Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of affordable house building starts in 2011-12. [114406]
Andrew Stunell: There were 15,698 affordable housing starts on site in 2011-12 delivered in England through the programmes managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.
High Streets
22. Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to support local high streets. [114408]
Robert Neill: As described in our response to the Portas review, we are supporting 27 Portas pilots; have distributed a £10 million High Street Innovation Fund to local authorities for tackling empty properties; and are launching a £1 million Future High Streets Challenge X Fund, rewarding local schemes that best revitalise their high streets.
Wind Turbines
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning approvals and rejections there were for wind turbines in (a) Isle of Wight constituency and (b) England in the most recent year for which figures are available. [114409]
Greg Clark: My Department does not collect this information, but the Isle of Wight council advises that in the 12 months from 1 June 2011 a roof-mounted micro wind turbine was approved. In the same period an application for three turbines was dismissed following a planning appeal. For England, for the same period, DECC’s Renewable Energy Planning Database recorded 36 approvals and 37 refusals but this does not record applications for small-scale microgeneration.
2 July 2012 : Column 414W
Children in Care
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to support the recommendations of the National Care Advisory Service's report on young people leaving care, “Access All Areas”. [114335]
Andrew Stunell: The Department welcomes the direction of the proposals highlighted in the “Access All Areas” report. The Department for Education is represented on the cross-government Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness. We will continue to work closely with them on what more we can do to promote the support needs of young people leaving care.
Community Development
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support his Department plans to make available to communities seeking to purchase their local pub or other assets of community value. [114526]
Robert Neill: The Government have recently laid the Assets of Community Value Regulations. Once in force, these will give communities a fairer chance to bid to take over local assets of community value, including pubs. We will also make available a support package to help communities taking up these rights, details of which will be announced shortly.
Council Housing: Sales
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council houses were sold in each year from 1979 to 1997. [112453]
Grant Shapps [holding answer 18 June 2012]: Statistics on the number of sales of local authority owned properties are available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/socialhousingsales/livetables/
Live table 648 shows local authority sales and transfers by district and table 670 shows local authority sales under right to buy from 1980.
Under this Administration, the additional properties that are sold under the revamped right to buy scheme will be replaced by new affordable homes.
Council Tax Benefits: Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to require local authorities to include or exclude income from universal credit in the means test for localised council tax benefit. [114803]
Robert Neill: Local authorities will be free to design their own scheme for localised support for working age people in their area. This includes being able to design any means test they wish to include, and deciding on what that test should and should not take into account.
2 July 2012 : Column 415W
Where a local authority fails to agree a scheme by 31 January, the default scheme will come into operation. The regulations defining the default scheme will prescribe the calculation of awards, including how recipients of universal credit are to be treated. Government will publish draft regulations relating to the default scheme in mid-July.
Energy
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department switched its (a) gas or (b) electricity supplier in any of the last 10 years. [113457]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government was formed in May 2006 and uses the Government Procurement Service’s (formerly Buying Solutions) framework agreement for energy supplies. It has not switched its gas or electricity supplier during this period.
The Government Procurement Service’s framework agreement delivers pan-Government energy supplies through the Official Journal of the European Union competitive tender process. The utility contracts are typically four years in duration with the option to extend by one year. The Department is in the first year of a four-year agreement.
The Department has made significant year-on-year reductions in energy consumption. In 2011-12, electricity and gas consumption were reduced by 9% and 45% respectively, compared to the previous year.
Under the last Administration, the Department’s main building (Eland House, Victoria) was one of the least energy-efficient buildings in Whitehall, despite our being the lead Department on energy efficiency standards in buildings. In June 2011, the building was awarded a ‘D’ grade display energy certificate, having improved from ‘G' grade in 2006-07.
Green Belt
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research the Government have (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of their green belt policy in (i) meeting its primary purposes and (ii) delivering other benefits. [113539]
Greg Clark: This Administration have not commissioned any specific research into the effectiveness of the green belt.
However, the National Planning Policy Framework states that green belt:
checks the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
prevents neighbouring towns merging into one another;
assists in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
preserves the setting and special character of historic towns; and
assists in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
Mr Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 8W, on planning permission: green belt (1) if he will provide
2 July 2012 : Column 416W
examples of the considerations which may outweigh harm to the green belt and allow planning approval of new residential development on such land; [114574]
(2) how many new residential applications on protected green belt have been approved under the provisions of (a) Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, paragraph 11 and Planning Policy Guidance 2: Green Belts, section 3 and (b) National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 87 to 91 and 55; and what the circumstances and considerations were that outweighed the harm done to the green belt caused by the new developments which resulted in planning approval being given in each case. [114575]
Greg Clark: Planning policy on the green belt is outlined in Section 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Each planning application should be determined on its own facts and merits by a local planning authority in light of its local plan, the framework and other material considerations.
The information requested on individual decisions is not centrally held.
Homelessness: Veterans
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to prevent homelessness among veterans. [114579]
Grant Shapps: This Government are committed to preventing and tackling homelessness and protecting the most vulnerable, including among veterans. That is why in 2011-12 we announced an additional £70 million homelessness investment package consisting of £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund; £20 million Preventing Repossessions Fund; £20 million Single Homelessness Prevention Fund; £5 million boost to the Homelessness Change Programme (bringing the total investment to £42.5 million) and a £5 million Social Impact Bond to help rough sleepers in London using a payment by results model. This is on top of the £400 million investment over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) to prevent homelessness, and the Supporting People investment at £6.5 billion over the same period will protect the preventative services that will help the most vulnerable live independently and retain their tenancies.
The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness will shortly publish its second report on preventing homelessness which will include veterans. The latest figures from CHAIN highlight that only 4% of rough sleepers from the UK have experience of the armed forces.
I am determined to ensure that current and former members of the armed forces gain the housing they deserve, recognising the sacrifices they have made for the country. I have therefore introduced measures to place members of the armed forces at the top of the priority list for home ownership schemes, including FirstBuy and instructing special agents to visit military bases to promote such schemes. We are also working with credit reference agencies and Royal Mail to standardise forces' post office addresses so personnel are not disadvantaged when applying for mortgages.
2 July 2012 : Column 417W
We have also recently finished consulting on proposals to change the law to make it easier for service personnel to access social housing so that former personnel with urgent housing needs are always given high priority on waiting lists, and that personnel who move from base to base do not lose their qualification rights. Under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 priority need is granted to a person who is vulnerable as a result of having been a member of Her Majesty's regular naval, military or air forces.
Housing: Armed Forces
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much additional funding his Department has allocated for adaptations to homes for wounded service personnel and veterans in each of the years between 2012-13 and 2016-17. [114208]
Grant Shapps [holding answer 28 June 2012]: My Department has signed up to the Ministry of Defence Covenant, which aims to assist the nation’s service personnel when they return from active service. In each financial year of the current spending round, £1.7million—approximately 10% of the main national disabled facilities grant annual allocation that supports housing adaptations —is set aside for wounded ex-service personnel.
Housing: Regeneration
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 11W, on housing: regeneration, if he will estimate the number of homes (a) refurbished and (b) built under the Housing Market Pathfinder renewal programme between 1997 and 2010. [114711]
Grant Shapps: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 10W and the associated links to the programme reviews.
Local Government Finance
Louise Mensch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was collected by each local authority in England in national non-domestic rates in each of the last three years; and how much was received in Revenue Support Grant by each local authority in each such year. [113972]
Robert Neill: Information on the amount of national non-domestic rates collected by each local authority in England in each of the last three years can be found at the following address:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/outturn/outturndatalocallevel/
Information on the amounts received in Revenue Support Grant by each local authority in England in the last three years can be found in row 851 of the Revenue Outturn Summary forms, which have been published as follows:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/21237421.xls
2 July 2012 : Column 418W
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/2031728.xls
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1718972.xls
Non-domestic Rates: Pendle
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in Pendle constituency received business rate hardship relief in 2011. [114762]
Robert Neill: This information is not collected centrally.
Planning Permission
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework, paragraphs 82 and 157, where the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework are set out. [113541]
Greg Clark: The National Planning Policy Framework, at paragraph 6, is clear that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. To do this, the planning system needs to perform a number of mutually dependent roles: environmental, social and economic. Within these roles, paragraph 17 sets out a set of core land-use planning principles that should underpin plan-making and decision-taking.
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation documents have been issued by his Department since May 2010. [114166]
Robert Neill: The Department has published on its website 85 consultation documents since May 2010.
| Consultations | |
To place these figures in context, 66 consultation documents were published in 2009 alone.
Social Rented Housing
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of people with household earnings over £100,000 who are living in council or social housing; and on what evidential basis this estimate was reached. [114580]
Grant Shapps:
The estimated number of social tenants with incomes over £100,000 is based on two surveys: the English Housing Survey (data for 2008-09 and 2009-10) and the Department for Work and Pensions' Family Resources Survey 2008-09. Almost 10,000 households
2 July 2012 : Column 419W
living in the social rented sector were sampled in total. Incomes over £100,000 are relatively uncommon in the social sector so comparatively few respondents met these criteria. The range of households with incomes above this level, between 1,000 and 6,000, is therefore our best estimate of the actual number of high income tenants.
Datasets from both surveys are deposited at the UK Data Archive and are available to external users.
Wind Power: Planning Permission
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to introducing a minimum average wind speed requirement as part of the planning system and subsidy eligibility process in relation to wind turbine developments. [111663]
Robert Neill: The planning policies for renewable energy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework do not include any requirements relating to average wind speed or the subsidy eligibility process for wind turbines. The framework’s policies were finalised in the light of extensive public consultation.
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider introducing guidelines for wind farm developers for the purposes of preventing unsuitable speculative sites from being considered. [111781]
Greg Clark: Communities should be protected from unacceptable impacts from new development, including wind farms. We are reforming the planning system to restore democratic and local control over planning.
We want local decisions to be plan-led; our planning reforms make it clear that local councils can identify suitable areas for wind farms. Outside the areas identified in the plan, developers would be expected to show how the site meets the same suitability criteria contained in the local plan. We have also underlined that meeting our energy goals is not an excuse for building wind farms in the wrong places.
Scotland
Freedom of Information
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received between 10 May 2010 and 31 May 2012; how many requests (a) were answered within 20 working days, (b) were answered between 20 and 40 working days, (c) were answered between 40 and 60 working days, (d) were answered between 60 and 80 working days, (e) were answered between 80 and 100 working days, (f) were answered after 100 working days and (g) remained unanswered after more than 100 working days. [114332]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office received 324 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 between 10 May 2010 and 31 May 2012:
(a) 294 were answered within 20 working days;
2 July 2012 : Column 420W
(b) 17 were answered between 20 and 40 working days and nine of these were subject to an extension as permitted in legislation;
(c) 4 were answered between 40 and 60 working days and all were subject to an extension as permitted in legislation;
(d) 0 were answered between 60 and 80 working days;
(e) 0 were answered between 80 and 100 working days;
(f) 5 were answered after 100 working days and all were subject to an extension as permitted in legislation;
(g) 1 remains unanswered after more than 100 working days and is subject to an extension as permitted in legislation.
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars have been issued by his Department since May 2010; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular. [114176]
David Mundell: Since May 2010, the Scotland Office has issued (a) three publications (other than consultation documents), (b) two consultations documents, and (c) no circulars. The title of each publication and consultation document is listed as follows:
Scotland Bill Command Paper: Strengthening Scotland's Future;
Annual Report of the Scotland Office and the Office for the Advocate-General 2011;
Scotland's constitutional future: A consultation on facilitating a legal, fair and decisive referendum on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom;
Scotland's constitutional future: Responses to the consultation;
Consultation on reforming the law on Scottish unincorporated associations and criminal liability of Scottish partnerships.
Wales
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars have been issued by her Department since May 2010; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular. [114172]
Mr David Jones: Since May 2010, my Department has published one consultation document—a Green Paper on future electoral arrangements for the National Assembly for Wales, which was published on 21 May 2012.
Northern Ireland
Corporation Tax
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the ministerial sub-group on devolving the rate of corporation tax to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114368]
Mr Paterson:
The Ministerial Working Group met in Belfast on 25 June. The meeting was productive, but there remain some crucial areas of difference between
2 July 2012 : Column 421W
members. As a result, the group announced that further work would be necessary. It agreed to meet again in September.
Economic Growth
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on encouraging and developing economic growth; and if he will make a statement. [114551]
Mr Paterson: These were matters that I discussed with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the Minister for Finance and Personnel and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment when I last met them on 25 June in Belfast along with the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), and my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary.
Meat
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the moratorium on the use of desinewed meat; and if he will make a statement. [114369]
Mr Paterson: Neither I, nor the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), have had any discussions on this subject with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers. My right hon. Friend met the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development on 18 June to discuss agriculture issues but the matter was not raised by the DARD Minister.
2 July 2012 : Column 422W
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the moratorium on the use of desinewed meat; and if he will make a statement; [114553]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Health and (b) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the unilateral nature of the ban on desinewed ruminant meat products in April 2012; and if he will make a statement. [114554]
Mr Paterson: These are matters primarily for the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and in Northern Ireland for the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.
I have not been asked by Northern Ireland Ministers to discuss the issue with ministerial colleagues or the European Commission but I stand ready to do so if asked.
Public Expenditure
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the level of block grant to Northern Ireland was in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11, (d) 2011-12 and (e) 2012-13; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of block grant in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15. [113932]
Mr Paterson: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Northern Ireland Executive DEL | |||||||
| £ billion | |||||||
| Outturn | Provisional outturn | Plans | |||||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
| Note: The figures include depreciation and impairments. | |||||||