Energy and Climate Change
Combined Heat and Power
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on carbon dioxide emissions of changes in the support available for electricity generation from combined heat and power. [114124]
Gregory Barker: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact on carbon dioxide emissions of changes in support for electricity generated by fossil fuel fired combined heat and power. The impacts of the changes announced in Budget 2011, and confirmed in Budget 2012, are summarised in the Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside Budget 2012. This can be found on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/tiin-0700.pdf
We are currently carrying out further analysis of the potential costs and impacts, including carbon impacts, of changing the support regime for fossil fuel combined heat and power jointly with stakeholders through a ministerial contact group.
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 UN Rio+20 conference on Sustainable Development. [114464]
Gregory Barker: The Rio+20 conference endorsed the G20 commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and invited other countries to take similar action.
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Energy: Prices
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households there are in (a) England, (b) Bolton Metropolitan Borough and (c) Bolton North East constituency who spend more than 10% of their income on fuel bills. [114428]
Gregory Barker: The following table shows the number of households living in fuel poverty by parliamentary constituency, local authority and for England, for the latest available year 2010.
| Area | Fuel poor households (thousand) | Percentage living in fuel poverty (%) |
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of non-domestic energy users whose contracts are rolled over at the point of renewal. [114894]
Charles Hendry: DECC does not hold the information requested.
Ofgem is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply, including supply to the non-domestic sector. If a non-domestic customer does not notify their existing supplier that they wish to agree a new contract or switch to another supplier within the time limit set out in the terms of the contract, the supplier will roll over the contract for a further 12 months. This ensures that the non-domestic customer continues to receive their energy supply.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that more business customers are made aware of (a) the contract end dates for their energy contracts and (b) the difference in price between their current and proposed renewal rates. [114895]
Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply, including supply to the non-domestic sector.
Existing rules, which protect micro-business customers, require suppliers to provide clear and transparent contract terms and conditions, including sending the customer a reminder at least 30 calendar days before their existing contract is due to end and details of renewal prices.
Earlier this year, Ofgem consulted on proposals to extend the existing protection on contractual terms and conditions to larger small business customers. Ofgem is considering consultation responses and plans to bring forward further proposals early next year.
Green Deal Scheme
Luciana Berger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with the Office of Fair Trading to
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ensure that it will allow Green Deal finance to be attached to a property, rather than be treated as a loan attached to an individual; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any correspondence on this issue. [114634]
Gregory Barker: This is not a matter for the Office of Fair Trading and there have been no discussions or correspondence with the Office of Fair Trading on this issue. The Energy Act 2011 made provisions for Green Deal repayments to be made by the electricity bill payer for the property and collected through electricity bills. These powers will allow the charge to transfer automatically from bill payer to bill payer.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether there will be a cost to the public purse of the Minister for Climate Change's Green Deal roadshow in summer 2012; and if so what it will be. [114896]
Gregory Barker: This series of roadshows is designed to raise awareness of the Green Deal and the opportunities for new business that it presents, particularly to smaller companies around Great Britain. Over 1,600 companies will have attended the 11 events by the time they end on 20 July. The total cost to DECC is expected to be around £35,000, which equates to around £25 per delegate.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Green Deal assessments will be able to combine Green Deal finance with funding from the renewable heat incentive and feed-in tariffs. [114897]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal assessment will set out those measures expected to be eligible for Green Deal finance and the likely savings the household or business can expect to make. This is intended to provide the consumer with information to help them make an informed decision about the most appropriate financing route.
Where the assessment shows that Green Deal finance will only cover part of the cost of the measure, the consumer may wish to access other available sources of finance as appropriate to cover the remaining cost.
Our ambition is that in future it should be possible for somebody installing microgeneration measures to receive both Green Deal loans and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) or Feed-in-tariff (FIT) payments. However, this cannot be confirmed until current state aid discussions with the European Commission have concluded.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy suppliers would be required to spend each year in order to meet their obligations under the carbon reduction element of the Energy Company Obligation if no household chooses to take out a Green Deal package. [114898]
Gregory Barker: The final Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation impact assessment:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/5533-final-stage-impact-assessment-for-the-green-deal-a.pdf
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models a range of scenarios for the costs of delivering the Energy Company Obligation. One of these scenarios specifically considers the impact of low customer demand for Green Deal packages. However, we estimate that delivery of the final Energy Company Obligation targets should cost suppliers no more than £1.3 billion on average a year and, unlike previous energy efficiency schemes, we have the legislative powers to gather much better real-time data on the actual costs of delivery.
Renewable Energy
Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by what means the contribution of bio-mass co-firing to renewable energy capacity targets is measured. [114794]
Charles Hendry: The UK's renewable energy targets are for generation and consumption; it does not have any renewable energy capacity targets.
The contribution of biomass co-firing to renewable generation/consumption targets is measured by summing the number of renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) issued (by Ofgem) to generators for co-firing, and converting to a generation equivalent (using the number of ROCs per MWh).
Biomass co-firing capacity is not included in the UK's total for renewable energy capacity, since it is not dedicated renewable capacity. However, it is estimated by dividing the annual generation from co-firing by the number of hours in the year (8,760).
Warm Home Discount Scheme
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to extend the Warm Home Discount data-sharing scheme in order to identify and target households to be assisted by the Green Deal and energy company obligation. [114201]
Gregory Barker: The State Pension Credit (Warm Home Discount) Regulations 2011 allow participating energy supply companies to use the information they receive through the Warm Home Discount scheme for the primary purpose of providing a discount on energy bills to pensioners whose data are matched. The Regulations also allow participating energy supply companies to use the information for other limited reasons, including providing people with measures, advice and assistance on energy and thermal efficiency. As such, participating companies could use this information to target the support they are required to deliver under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) from October 2012. Energy suppliers are also able to use the information they hold on additional Warm Home discount beneficiaries, beyond those pensioners found, through data matching, to target measures to a wider group of low income and vulnerable households.
In addition the Government is working with energy supply companies to put in place a referrals mechanism through the Energy Saving Advice Service to help target ECO towards eligible households. This formed part of the consultation on the ECO held last year. In addition we are exploring whether Government data could be used to confirm a customer's eligibility, where the customer consents to this, before the referral is passed on to an obligated energy supply company.
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There are no current plans for seeking wider legal consent data sharing powers for ECO and the Green Deal.
Work and Pensions
Atos
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the average length of time for Atos to process applications for employment and support allowance; what targets his Department has set for processing applications; whether sanctions and penalties apply when timescales are not met; what timescale his Department sets for Atos to complete an application when his Department instructs Atos to expedite an application; and if he will make a statement. [114344]
Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare are not contracted to process applications for ESA. DWP will send a referral to Atos Healthcare as part of a customer's claim for ESA and they complete the work capability assessment process.
The contracted service level is to clear medical assessments within an actual average clearance target (AACT) of 35 working days. There is no formal fast-track process to expedite individual referrals.
Atos Healthcare report on performance against that target on a month-by-month basis.
The Atos Healthcare average clearance (November 2011 to May 2012 ) against a target of 35 days is 62.8 days.
The DWP contractual agreement with Atos Healthcare contains performance service levels (including customer service targets) which also contain financial remedies where there is service level failure, based on pre-estimate of loss to the Department. The contractual performance of Atos Healthcare is monitored closely by DWP.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Atos complaints process; what the name and remit is of the body to which complaints are directed when they cannot or have not been resolved by Atos; to whom the body is accountable; and if he will make a statement. [114345]
Chris Grayling: 10% of Atos Healthcare complaint responses are routinely validated by DWP Medical Services Division through monthly audits. Atos Healthcare have a two tier complaints process; their second tier addresses customer dissatisfaction with their response to the complaint. In such cases customers can request that their complaint is investigated by the independent tier. The independent tier is made up of two bodies, an independent assessor and a doctor. The independent assessor is a person from a private company and offers the DWP benefit claimant an independent review of the way their complaint has been handled by Atos Healthcare medical services. An independent doctor will conduct medical quality reviews when there are issues within the complaint that relate to the quality of the medical report in question.
DWP complaint resolution managers may also escalate complaints for a chief operating officer investigation or for review by the independent case examiner (ICE).
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Employment Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to collect data for the Work programme on the number of different jobs taken by participants in order to achieve the weeks in employment required for job outcome payments or sustainment payments. [114500]
Chris Grayling: The Department requires providers to record job titles as part of the claim process and payment validation regime. The information is collected in free text and not suitable for management information collation.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will publish job outcome data for the Work programme in autumn 2012 as (a) time-series cohorts and (b) percentages of total attachments. [114501]
Chris Grayling: The release plan for statistics on job outcomes and sustainment payments is dependent on the availability, reliability, quality and accuracy of the data. The details of what we will publish are still to be finalised. When details are finalised we will make an announcement.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary contractors under the Work programme are engaging with third sector organisations with specialist experience of handling vulnerable groups. [114863]
Chris Grayling: The Department took steps to ensure that the level of community involvement was commensurate with the needs of Work programme customers during the procurement process. The specification stated that a key factor in the tender assessment process would be the supply chain and it was therefore in the interest of potential prime providers to engage with such organisations to enhance the support available.
All subsequent changes to the supply chain are subject to scrutiny and agreement by Departmental officials to ensure they are justified and that the service available through the Work programme is not reduced or compromised.
Employment Schemes: Ethnic Groups
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Work Programme achieves equitable outcomes for black and minority ethnic participants. [114806]
Chris Grayling: Work programme providers deliver personalised support, tailored to the individual needs of participants. The Department monitors the characteristics, including ethnicity, of participants referred to the Work programme on an ongoing basis, and Work programme providers are bound through the terms of their contract to prevent unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity in respect of ethnicity.
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Furthermore DWP has commissioned a consortium led by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) to undertake an independent evaluation of the Work programme. Evaluation work started in autumn 2011 and will conclude in 2014. This evaluation will consider the effectiveness of the programme for different types of participants, including black and minority ethnic participants.
Employment Schemes: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of contracts under the Work programme in Scotland has been awarded to voluntary organisations since the inception of the programme. [114864]
Chris Grayling: The Department only contracts with prime providers of the Work programme. Neither of the two prime providers operating in Scotland are from the voluntary and community sector (VCS). However, a stock-take of the Work programme supply chain undertaken in January 2012 showed that in Scotland 57 of the 84 organisations in tier 1 (subcontractors delivering a specific element of the service, such as job-broking) and tier 2 (subcontractors working on a call-off basis, with no guarantee of volumes) are from the VCS, which equates to 68% of the supply chain.
Health and Safety Executive: Finance
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of funding changes for the Health and Safety Executive on the number of workplace inspections it is able to carry out in (a) areas of comparatively high risk, (b) areas of concern and (c) lower risk areas. [114627]
Chris Grayling: The number of workplace inspections the Health and Safety Executive undertakes to (a) areas of comparatively high risk, (b) areas of concern and (c) lower risk areas is primarily a matter of policy rather than directly related to its funding settlement to 2014-15.
Housing Benefit
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households claiming housing benefit have at least one person in employment. [114535]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
The economic status of all housing benefit (HB) recipients is not available. Information is only available for those HB recipients whose claim is not passported: that is, for those who do not receive either income support, jobseeker’s allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income-based), or pension credit (guaranteed credit). A small proportion of the passported cases will be in part-time employment.
The available information is shown in the following table.
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| Housing benefit recipients, non-passported, in employment, Great Britain—March 2012 | |
| All employed | |
| Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and March 2012 are the most recent available. 4. Passported status does not include recipients with unknown passported status. These data refers to people receiving housing benefit not in receipt of a passported benefit and are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable), in calculating the housing benefit award. People receiving passported benefits who are working part-time cannot be identified and are therefore not included in this analysis. 5. Case load is rounded to the nearest 10; proportion to one decimal place. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE). | |
Housing Benefit: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Warrington who are in receipt of housing benefit are carers. [114880]
Steve Webb: Information on the number of housing benefit recipients who are carers is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Industrial Diseases: Lupus
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had on the inclusion of lupus within the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985. [114630]
Chris Grayling: Lupus is not one of the prescribed diseases covered by the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
I am advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on which diseases and related occupations should be included (“prescribed”) in the list of diseases for which industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) can be paid. The Council examines any existing or new scientific evidence on conditions where a link with a particular occupation is suggested.
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is not aware of any published scientific evidence with regard to occupational causation and lupus.
Industrial Diseases: Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recourse is open to employees who have developed mitochondrial dysfunction as a result of industrial employment carried out prior to the introduction of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. [114632]
Chris Grayling: This condition is not one of the prescribed diseases covered by the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
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I am advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on which diseases and related occupations should be included (“prescribed”) in the list of diseases for which industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) can be paid. The council examines any existing or new scientific evidence on conditions where a link with a particular occupation is suggested.
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is not aware of any published scientific evidence with regard to occupational causation involving mitochondrial dysfunction in relation to industrial diseases.
This does not prevent people who feel their health has been affected by their work from seeking advice as to the possibility of taking civil action on the grounds of negligence.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to former workers with medium density fibreboard who go on to develop (a) mitochondrial dysfunction and (b) other industrial diseases. [114633]
Chris Grayling: Mitochondrial dysfunction is not one of the prescribed diseases covered by the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
I am advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on which diseases and related occupations should be included (“prescribed”) in the list of diseases for which industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) can be paid. The council examines any existing or new scientific evidence on conditions where a link with a particular occupation is suggested.
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is not aware of any published scientific evidence with regard to occupational causation involving medium density fibreboard and industrial diseases.
New Enterprise Allowance: Ethnic Groups
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that the new enterprise allowance attracts black or minority ethnic participants; and how he plans to monitor the success of those steps. [114861]
Chris Grayling: The new enterprise allowance is a voluntary scheme which is open to all jobseeker's allowance claimants after 26 weeks unemployment. All eligible claimants are informed about the scheme by Jobcentre Plus and, therefore, steps to attract specific groups are not required. Participants are self-selecting and all claimants who express an interest are referred to a local mentoring partnership to have their business idea assessed. Take-up of the scheme is reported each quarter via the official statistics published here:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_may12.pdf
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the successful applicants for the new enterprise allowance are of black or minority ethnic origin. [114862]
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Chris Grayling: These statistics are published and are available on the Department's website:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_may12.pdf
Pensioners: Females
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many female pensioners there are in each (a) region, (b) county and (c) parliamentary constituency. [114206]
Steve Webb: Statistics on the number of females in receipt of state pension by region, county and parliamentary constituency are available from 100% data and are published on the Office for National Statistic’s website at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/
Notes:
1. The information does not include all females over state pension age. For example, those who have not claimed their state pension.
2. To access the data use the Wizard query; select ‘all datasets by theme’; ‘DWP benefits’; ‘benefit claimants—state pension’; and select the categories of information required.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to inform pensioners of the support and benefits available to them; and if he will make a statement. [114125]
Steve Webb: The Department automatically writes to people four months before their state pension age and provides them with information on how to claim state pension. When a customer claims state pension, or reports a change in their circumstances, a customer adviser will discuss a pension credit application with those who may appear eligible. For winter fuel, over 95% of payments are made automatically without the customer having to make a claim. Pensioners claiming pension credit can also claim housing benefit and council tax benefit in a single free phone call.
The Department provides the unique opportunity to join up local community services by providing access to a range of non-benefit-related services in support of well-being, independence and the later life agenda. Also, DWP is actively involved with around 4,000 local community partnerships across England, Scotland and Wales which provide a wide range of advice and support for pensioners. We have also developed a free pension credit toolkit for local organisations working with older people to use. The toolkit provides a range of resources to help advise workers and volunteers to understand more about who may be eligible for pension credit, how to identify potential customers and guide them through the application process.
As more and more people go online, the Government’s website:
www.direct.gov.uk
is an increasingly significant method for providing information to pensioners on the support and benefits available to them. This is supplemented by information in leaflets, letters and a local visiting service for more vulnerable customers.
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Personal Independence Payment
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the economic effect of reducing access to Motability vehicles through the rollout of personal independence payments. [114643]
Maria Miller: Personal independence payment will continue to provide access to the Motability scheme. Anyone in receipt of the enhanced mobility component of personal independence payment will be able to join the scheme if they wish to do so.
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [114174]
Chris Grayling: Regarding the Department’s consultation documents, they are listed and published via the Department’s website at:
www.dwp.gov.uk
There is not a centrally held list of all publications and circulars issued by this Department so it is not possible to provide the details requested as it would incur disproportionate cost to request and collate the information required.
Social Security Benefits
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the saving to his Department of preventing the payment of non-contributory benefits to people not resident in the UK. [114538]
Chris Grayling: EU rules require us to pay the non-contributory winter fuel payment, carer's allowance, attendance allowance and the care component of disability living allowance to people who are resident in the EEA or Switzerland.
In the 2010-11 financial year, the latest year for which outturn data are available, total spending by this Department on non-contributory benefits to those not resident in the UK was around £32 million. This expenditure is broken down by benefit in the following table:
| Non-contributory benefit expenditure for people domiciled outside the UK, £ million, nominal, figures rounded to the nearest £ million | |
| 2010-11 | £ million |
| Sources: 1. DWP benefit expenditure tables, available at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure 2. Winter fuel payments information taken from DWP Statistical and Accounting Data. 3. Figures may include a very small amount of expenditure where the claimant's residence is not known. | |
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However, as future migration patterns and benefit take-up rates are uncertain, we cannot be sure that future expenditure will be similar to past expenditure.
Social Security Benefits: Internet
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason his Department's Services and Benefits Online service is only accessible using proprietary Microsoft software and not using Macintosh or Unix systems. [114488]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has introduced a number of major online services over the last few years. These include Benefit Adviser, Jobseeker’s Allowance Online, State Pension Online and Real Time Pension Forecasting, which are accessible from multiple platforms and browsers, including Macintosh and Unix systems.
A small number of the Department's oldest online services are accessible only through Microsoft platforms. These include Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Child Maintenance, which signpost customers/claimants to alternative telephony channels if required and are being replaced.
All new and replacement systems will be compatible with Macintosh, Unix and Microsoft platforms including popular browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome. This is part of the Government's “digital by default” strategy.
Social Security Benefits: School Leaving
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual cost of school leavers going straight on to benefits was in each of the last five years. [114537]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Timber: Health Hazards
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of any relationship between intensive occupational work with medium density fibreboard and mitochondrial dysfunction. [114631]
Chris Grayling: This condition is not one of the prescribed diseases covered by the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
I am advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on which diseases and related occupations should be included (“prescribed”) in the list of diseases for which industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) can be paid. The Council examines any existing or new scientific evidence on conditions where a link with a particular occupation is suggested.
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is not aware of any published scientific evidence with regard to occupational causation involving medium density fibreboard and industrial diseases.
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Unemployment: Bradford
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to reduce unemployment in Bradford West constituency. [114117]
Chris Grayling: The Department is aware of the challenges facing jobseekers in the labour market and has put in place a substantial menu of support to help them move into work.
Jobcentre Plus currently offers claimants a comprehensive menu of help including skills provision and job search support. All jobseeker’s allowance claimants have access to the Flexible Support Fund which is targeted to help claimants overcome barriers to employment.
This is bolstered by a number of Get Britain Working measures including:
work experience;
work clubs; and
support for those looking to start their own business known as the new enterprise allowance.
The Work programme provides tailored support to those claimants furthest from the labour market. Claimants with more challenging barriers to work can be referred early. Providers are paid on the results they achieve, and are paid more for supporting the hardest to help into sustained work.
The Youth Contract, launched on 2 April, will provide nearly half a million new opportunities for young people including:
wage incentives for employers taking on a claimant from the Work programme;
incentives to take on apprentices; and
extra work experience places.
Extra funding is being made available to support the most vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training, into learning, an apprenticeship or a job with training.
Unemployment: Ethnic Groups
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the high level of unemployment among young black men; and what steps he proposes to take to tackle this problem. [114805]
Chris Grayling: This Government are moving beyond defining people simply because they have ticked a box on a form. Our approach is to support people according to their individual needs and circumstances rather than segregate people according to ethnicity. That is why we have introduced personalised support, through the Work programme, the Youth Contract and Get Britain Working measures. The significantly increased flexibility that we have given to providers and Jobcentre Plus means that interventions can be tailored to address an individual's specific needs.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the high level of unemployment among women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani background; and what steps he plans to take to tackle this problem. [114807]
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Chris Grayling: This Government are moving beyond defining people simply because they have ticked a box on a form. Our approach is to support people according to their individual needs and circumstances rather than segregate people according to ethnicity. That is why we have introduced personalised support, through the Work programme, the Youth Contract and Get Britain Working measures. The significantly increased flexibility that we have given to providers and Jobcentre Plus means that interventions can be tailored to address an individual's specific needs.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the business case for universal credit contains an estimate of the effect on total hours worked. [114499]
Chris Grayling: Universal credit is designed to help people into work. The impact assessment published alongside the Welfare Reform Bill set out an estimate of how universal credit will increase the number of people in work. The business case is an internal document which sets out the costs and benefits of universal credit; this also includes estimates of the positive employment impacts of universal credit.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether direct payment of the housing element of universal credit to (a) social or council tenants and (b) private sector tenants will be operational in time for the rollout of universal credit in October 2013. [114502]
Steve Webb: From October 2013, the Department for Work and Pensions will have the capability, where a need is identified, to make payments from a universal credit award directly to the landlord as well as to the claimant.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2012, Official Report, column 794W, on universal credit, what options he is considering to ensure that universal credit is payable to people without a bank account. [114576]
Chris Grayling: Wherever possible, universal credit will be paid directly into a claimant's bank or building society account. Facilities such as direct debits and standing orders are important tools for helping claimants to managing their benefit payments and for gaining access to discounts for household bills which are especially important for those on low incomes. We are working with a range of banking and financial product providers to encourage more claimants to use a bank account for managing their earnings and benefit income.
For those claimants who cannot access any form of bank account the Department has signed a seven-year contract with Citibank, working in partnership with PayPoint to provide a new Simple Payment service as an alternative to cheque payments.
The Simple Payment service is based on the electronic transfer of funds in the same way that the BACS system works for direct payment into a bank/building society
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account and has been designed specifically for those people who are unable to make use of mainstream bank accounts.
Work Capability Assessment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who is responsible for carrying out the mystery shopper visits to Atos medical assessment centres. [114026]
Chris Grayling: The Atos Healthcare area service delivery manager is responsible for carrying out the mystery shopper visits to Atos medical assessment centres.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mystery shopper visits were undertaken at Atos medical assessment centres in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 to date; and at what locations. [114027]
Chris Grayling: Mystery shopping visits were undertaken at medical assessment centres (MAC) for specific contractual years from September to August.
143 were completed in 2010-11 and 57 for 2011-12 (to date).
| Number | ||
| Locations | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
Attorney-General
Crown Prosecution Service: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2012, Official Report, columns 624-5W on Crown Prosecution Service: York, if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case prepared to estimate the cost and benefits of co-locating the Crown Prosecution Service and police staff at Athena House, York. [114253]
The Solicitor-General: A copy of the business case referred to in my answer of 18 June 2012, Official Report, columns 624-25W, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Drugs: East Midlands
Gloria De Piero:
To ask the Attorney-General how many residents of (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service for (i) possession of, (ii) possession with intent to supply, (iii) supplying and (iv)
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producing (A) class A, (B) class B and (C) class C drugs in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [114893]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the place of residence of the defendants that it prosecutes. These data could only be obtained by examining all of the CPS's files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Attorney-General what regulations the Law Officers' Departments introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse in each case. [114813]
RSPB: Prosecutions
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions brought by the RSPB were taken over by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in each of the last three years; how many such prosecutions were successful; how many were lost; and how many the CPS decided not to proceed with. [114536]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any central data on the number of requests for private prosecutions to be taken over by the CPS prior to February 2011. Since this date, CPS areas have been required to notify any such requests to the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) Principal Legal Advisor (PLA). The PLA has to date received no notifications that the CPS has taken over any prosecutions brought by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
RSPCA: Prosecutions
Simon Hart: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions brought by the RSPCA have been taken over by the Crown Prosecution Service in the last three years; and how many of those were (a) successfully prosecuted, (b) lost and (c) not proceeded with. [114007]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any central data on the number of requests for private prosecutions to be taken over by the CPS prior to February 2011. Since this date, CPS areas have been required to notify any such requests to the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) Principal Legal Advisor (PLA). The PLA has to date received no notifications that the CPS has taken over any prosecutions brought by the RSPCA.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much of the £680 million allocated to improve broadband speeds is being spent in each region. [114298]
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Mr Vaizey: The allocations for each project area have been published on the Department's website and can be found at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah3sVRjT 82KKdE9UUjl2VEJDaWZHV1BldXgzUDdxcWc#gid=0
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah3sVRjT82KKdE 9UUjl2VEJDaWZHV1BldXgzUDdxcWc
Broadband: North West
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to implement superfast broadband in (a) the north-west and (b) Warrington. [114304]
Mr Vaizey: All the local broadband plans for the north-west have been approved by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), including the one covering Warrington. BDUK is also supporting the project teams to prepare for procurement and will continue to support them throughout the process.
Internet: Children
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to improve the safety of children using the internet. [114515]
Mr Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has worked, and continues to work, closely with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) on a number of activities. UKCCIS is co-chaired by the Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Department for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), and the Minister for Equalities and Under-Secretary of State for Criminal Information, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone). I am a UKCCIS Executive Board Member.
DCMS has worked closely with UKCCIS on a number of recent activities including the launch of its guidance for industry, which ensures parents and children are provided with consistent advice when using internet services and activities; and the Safer Internet Day in February and the recent UKCCIS summit (28 June 2012) which saw the launch of UKCCIS's discussion paper on parental controls and active choice.
4G Spectrum
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects Ofcom to publish the rules which will govern the auction of 4G licences. [114696]
Mr Vaizey: This is a matter for Ofcom, the independent regulator. Ofcom are currently considering the responses received as a result of their recent consultation which closed on 22 March and are expected to make a statement, setting out the auction rules, in the summer.
Ofcom remain on schedule for the UK auction process to start by the end of 2012. This is compatible with the spectrum becoming available to allow successful bidders to start rolling out 4G services in these bands in 2013.
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Olympic Games 2012
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the compliance of London 2012 Olympic signage with the International Olympic Committee's requirements for French/English bilingualism. [114810]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for meeting the requirements set out by the International Olympic Committee on the use of the English and French languages. Signage within games venues will be in English and in French, where appropriate.
Sports: Grants
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what estimate he has made of how much each sport governing body will invest in grass-roots sport as a result of the agreement on contributions from their broadcasting income; and if he will make a statement; [114683]
(2) what estimate he has made of how much the Premier League will invest in grass-roots sport as a result of the agreement on contributions from its broadcasting income; and if he will make a statement. [114684]
Hugh Robertson: Sports bodies that are signatories to the Sport and Recreation Alliance voluntary code on sports broadcasting commit to reinvest at least 30% of their net UK television broadcasting revenues in grass-roots sport. Although individual contributions are kept in confidence, the sports broadcasting monitoring committee has verified that they meet this benchmark and estimates the yearly sum from all signatories to be in excess of £250 million.
The Premier League is a signatory to the Alliance’s voluntary code on sports broadcasting and we are confident that it will continue to fund in excess of 30% of its UK broadcasting revenues to support grassroots football.
Transport
Aviation: Compensation
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British nationals successfully claimed compensation under EU regulations for flights to and from EU member states that were cancelled or delayed in each year since the coming into force of those regulations; and if she will make a statement. [114229]
Mrs Villiers: This information is not available.
Complaints about cancellations and delays under Regulation EC261/2004 are handled by the relevant National Enforcement Bodies (NEBs) in the country where the cancellation or delay occurred. Therefore a British national will be in contact with the appropriate NEB rather than the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) if their flight was cancelled or delayed outside the UK. The CAA will handle complaints from British nationals and non-British nationals if the cancellation or delay occurred in the UK. The CAA does not record the nationality or residency in all cases.
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In addition the CAA will only handle complaints where a passenger has been unable to reach a resolution with an airline and therefore does not have figures for successful cases where the CAA has not been involved.
Aviation: Fares
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the average cost of flights from London airports to other EU member state capitals in each of the last 20 years; and if she will make a statement. [114587]
Mrs Villiers: The following table gives estimates of the average one-way fare between airports in London and in the state capitals of other EU-27 countries. These estimates are based on data collected via the International Passenger Survey. There was a change in methodology in 2007, which may partly explain the increase in fares in that year. It is also worth noting that the sample sizes for some destinations are very small and the distribution of destinations has changed over time, as the numbers of flights to different destinations have changed at different rates. These figures should therefore be interpreted with caution.
| Estimated one-way air fare between London airports and other EU member state capitals, 2000-10 | ||
| Average single fare(1 )(£) | Unweighted sample size | |
| (1 )Real 2010 prices. | ||
Cycling
Mr Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider the proposals made by the Cycling Stakeholder Forum for a cross-departmental action plan to increase cycle use and improve the safety of cyclists. [114036]
Norman Baker [holding answer 28 June 2012]: I have seen the proposals from the Cycling Stakeholder Forum and discussed them with the group.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency call centres are set targets in respect of average waiting times. [113797]
Mike Penning: There are no set targets specifically for average waiting times. There is a customer service measure to answer 95% of all calls connected to the contact centre. This is a Secretary of State target. There is also an internal target to answer 70% of all calls queued to an adviser within 30 seconds. In 2011-12 the contact centre achieved 98% against the 95% target and 78% against the internal target of 70%. The average speed of answer for 2011-12 was 28 seconds.
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Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions her Department has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the sale of driver information to private companies; and if she will estimate the proportion of such sales that were related to the pursuit of motorists for parking and speeding fines incurred in other EU member states in each of the last five years. [114582]
Mike Penning: Department for Transport and Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) officials liaise closely on matters relating to the release of data from the DVLA's records.
The following table shows the percentage of requests for registered keeper details to pursue parking and speeding contraventions incurred in other EU member states as a proportion of all fee paying requests for keeper details.
| Percentage of requests | |
Driving Offences
Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions her Department has had with local authorities on the resolution of outstanding motoring offences committed by foreign drivers visiting the UK; and if she will estimate the financial value of unpaid fixed penalty notices issued to foreign drivers visiting the UK in each of the last five years. [114581]
Mike Penning: Fixed penalty notices are criminal sanctions, usually issued by the police. My Department has not had recent discussions with local authorities specifically about these offences in relation to foreign drivers. The Department does not hold information on the value of unpaid fixed penalties for each of the last five years.
Under the graduated fixed penalty and deposit scheme, enforcement agencies can stop drivers who commit motoring offences on UK roads and take a deposit from those that are unable to provide an address in the UK. Since its introduction in May 2009, £5.6 million has been paid in deposits.
Heathrow Airport
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information she holds on the average seat occupancy rate on flights (a) departing from and (b) arriving at Heathrow in the latest period for which such figures are available. [114111]
Mrs Villiers: In 2011, the average seat occupancy rate on flights at Heathrow was estimated to be 73% on both departing and arriving flights.
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Holidays: Compensation
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British nationals, whose holiday provider had gone bankrupt, received compensation under EU regulations in (a) total and (b) each year since the coming into force of such regulations; and if she will make a statement. [114227]
Mrs Villiers: The EU Package Travel Directive, implemented in the UK through the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (the PTRs), requires organisers of package holidays, amongst other obligations, to provide sufficient evidence of security for the refund of money paid over and for the repatriation of the consumer in the event of insolvency.
For package holidays including a flight, package holiday organisers meet this obligation by holding and complying with the requirements of a licence issued under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme. Between 23 December 1992, the date the PTRs came into effect, and 31 March 2011, 202,216 passengers were repatriated and 933,624 passengers received a refund under the ATOL scheme. Details of the number of passengers that received refunds and repatriation assistance under the ATOL scheme for the years between 23 December 1992 and 31 March 2011 are in table 1 as follows.
Package holiday organisers for package holidays that do not include a flight cannot be part of the ATOL scheme but have a choice of other ways to provide insolvency protection for consumers. The Government do not hold figures for the number of passengers that have received refunds or been repatriated under these arrangements.
| Table 1: Number of consumers repatriated or refunded during each year ending 31 March (unless otherwise specified) under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme | |||
| Repatriations | Refunds | Total | |
| (1) 23 December 1992-31 March 1993. Source: Air Travel Trust Report and Accounts 1993-2010 and Air Travel Trust Report and Financial Statements 2011 | |||
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Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the average additional travel (a) cost and (b) distance for hauliers arising from closure of authorised testing facilities. [113618]
Mike Penning: There are no plans to close any authorised testing facilities (ATFs) and to date no ATFs have closed.
With 217 ATFs now available it is likely that the distance to a test site for hauliers has decreased.
Portland Harbour
Mr Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to close Portland harbour; and if she will make a statement. [114876]
Mike Penning: There are no plans to close Portland Harbour. There are however restrictions to the use of Portland harbour during the period of the Olympics and Paralympics. During certain competition times the harbour will be closed to marine traffic. These restrictions and closures do not extend beyond the duration of the games.
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) consultation documents and (b) publications have been issued by her Department since May 2010. [114171]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its seven Executive agencies are required to publish information about their respective publications and consultations on their corporate websites. Details of individual publications published since May 2010 can be found using the standard search enquiry on each site. A list of publication web addresses for each DfT organisation is as follows:
1. DfT and DSA publications 2010:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications?year=2010
2. DfT and DSA publications 2011:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications?year=2011
3. DfT and DSA publications 2012:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications?year=2012
4. DfT and DSA consultations 2010:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations?year=2010
5. DfT and DSA consultations 2011:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations?year=2011
6. DfT and DSA consultations 2012:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations?year=2012
7. VCA downloads:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/downloads/index.asp
8. HA publications:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/136.aspx
9. HA consultations:
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/133.aspx
10. MCA publications:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/newsandpublications/mcga-publications.htm
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11. MCA consultations:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/shipsandcargoes/consultations.htm
12. GCDA publications:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/gcda/about/documents.php
13. DVLA publications:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/publications.aspx
14. DVLA consultations:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/consultations.aspx
15. VOSA consultations:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/publications/publications.htm
16. VOSA publications:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/publications/consultationsandresearch/consultationsandresearch.htm
Railways: Franchises
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to include (a) Transport for London, (b) Kent county council and (c) other local authorities in the decision-making process for the new Integrated Kent Franchise. [113613]
Mrs Villiers: Transport for London, Kent county council and other local authorities (particularly East Sussex county council) will be key stakeholders in developing the new South Eastern franchise. They are formal consultees in the public consultation launched by DFT on 21 June. They are invited to purchase enhancements to the services in their area. Alternatively, they have the option to propose ways in which funding could be reallocated in their area by reductions on some routes in order to fund new priorities for rail service expansion elsewhere in their local area.
Separately, the Department has consulted on ideas for decentralising more decisions on rail franchising. This consultation ended on 28 June.
Railways: Tickets
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds her Department has allocated to support the extension of the Oyster card fare payment system; by what means train operating companies can bid for such funding; what criteria such bids must meet to be successful; and if she will make a statement. [114085]
Mrs Villiers: As part of the November Growth Review, the Government allocated £45 million to support the installation of smart ticketing equipment in a large number of stations in the south-east.
This will allow train operators to offer flexible ticketing products on their networks more quickly than would have been possible if we had waited for the start of new franchises to make progress. This equipment will enable ITSO-compliant smart tickets to be used on these routes. By January 2014 the DfT's ITSO on Prestige project will enable ITSO smart cards to be accepted by Oyster readers and used across London.
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These initiatives will build on the investment that has already been made, for example by including mandatory smart ticketing requirements in the franchises for East Midlands, London Midland, Southern and Southwest trains. TfL is also working on various Oyster-related initiatives and emerging contactless bankcard solutions.
Rescue Services
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions each maritime coastguard station has taken over complete operational control of its paired station for a period of more than two hours; and during times of pairing how many rescue incidents were dealt with successfully, in each of the last five years. [114542]
Mike Penning: The current pairing arrangements—the area operations concept where two MRCC are technically and operationally capable of mutual support—were introduced in 2005.
These arrangements are an innate aspect of current HM Coastguard operations and happen on a regular basis and therefore the Maritime and Coastguard Agency does not keep records of instances where pairing is undertaken on operational grounds.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on how many occasions staff from one maritime coast guard station have carried out training in their paired station's operations room, by station, in each of the last five years; [114543]
(2) how many recorded training hours staff of each maritime coastguard station have spent in the operations room of its paired station in order to gain local knowledge of that station. [114544]
Mike Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has not specifically recorded this information.
The current pairing arrangements—the area operations concept where two maritime rescue co-ordination centres are technically and operationally capable of mutual support—were introduced in 2005. These arrangements are an innate aspect of current Her Majesty's Coastguard operations and happen on a regular basis and therefore the MCA does not keep records of instances where pairing is undertaken on operational grounds.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what testing will take place prior to the proposed closure of the maritime rescue and co-ordination centre at Clyde in December 2012. [114568]
Mike Penning: Preparations have been under way since the announcement on 22 November 2011 for the closure of Clyde. Testing will be carried out prior to the closure of Clyde maritime rescue co-ordination centre (MRCC) to ensure that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is able to maintain the same quality of search and rescue service as at present.
This will include the management of Clyde MRCC's current operational area by the centres at Belfast and Stornoway, while Clyde is still operational, to ensure a smooth transition. Staff from these three centres are already carrying out cross-training.
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Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the evidence supporting her Department's claim that the closure of maritime rescue and co-ordination centres will not affect the safety of mariners off the west coast of Scotland. [114569]
Mike Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has assessed on a national basis the safety risks in relation to HM Coastguard's current operation and how these are mitigated by the new structure. The MCA has also assessed the impact of the new structure on HM Coastguard's capability to deliver its national service.
These assessments, as well as a location impact assessment, location rationale and supporting tables showing factors taken into consideration in the proposed choice of coastguard centres, have been published on the MCA's website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effect on new entrants to farming of freedom contracts replacing the landlord and tenant structure. [114232]
Mr Paice: There has been no assessment by DEFRA of the potential effects for new entrants of the replacement of the landlord and tenant structure by freedom contracts.
Agriculture: Reservoirs
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on allowing farmers with reservoirs to recharge them during periods of heavy rainfall outside of the recharge season. [114162]
Richard Benyon: The two dry winters in 2010-11 and 2011-12 prevented many farmers from filling their reservoirs. The Environment Agency recognised the difficulties farmers would face this summer, and gave them the opportunity to temporarily fill reservoirs outside the normal abstraction period and apply to take summer high flows at a reduced rate.
Heavy rain coincided with the Environment Agency's flexibility, and the majority of farm reservoirs are now full. A small number of farmers have applied to permanently extend their abstraction period and take high flows in summer.
The Environment Agency is encouraging farmers to review their licences now and make this “water security check” a regular feature of their business planning. Those that do so could be in a much stronger position during future dry periods.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent advice she has received on the phasing out of direct subsidy payments to farmers in the UK. [114234]
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Mr Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and I receive regular representations from both officials and stakeholders, and are in discussions with European and devolved Administration counterparts on the subject of direct payments.
In addition, the UK Government consulted on the Commission's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform communication, prior to publishing their response document in January 2011. We were very keen to hear what stakeholders thought after publication of the regulatory proposals on 12 October 2011, and published a discussion paper and questionnaire inviting responses. The responses received have been considered and help to inform the UK Government's position on the proposals.
The UK Government are committed to the gradual reduction of direct support under Pillar 1 and a CAP that moves away from market-distorting subsidies while helping to build the capacity, competitiveness, productivity and resilience of EU farmers. We are committed to an increasing focus on actions under Pillar 2, providing environmental public goods that the market cannot deliver.
Animal Welfare
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage farmer producers to raise animals with higher levels of welfare. [114346]
Mr Paice: This Government see the promotion of high animal welfare standards across all areas of agricultural activity as essential to the long-term sustainability of the farming sector.
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We continue to make significant efforts to educate farmers of their obligations with regard to legislative requirements and to encourage good welfare. DEFRA’s welfare codes of recommendations aim to encourage farmers to adopt the highest standards of animal husbandry. Without good stockmanship, animal welfare can never be adequately protected. Livestock farmers and employers are required by law to ensure that all those attending to their livestock are familiar with, and have access to, the relevant codes.
Over a number of years ADAS, on behalf of DEFRA, have provided comprehensive welfare advice through a variety of media to producers and private veterinary surgeons to promote good stockmanship and to provide guidance on a wide range of on-farm animal welfare issues.
The RDPE Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme and Rural Economy Grants provide funding to farmers and other businesses in England towards the cost of capital expenditure aimed at improving competitiveness. The improvement of the health and welfare of farm animals is one of the key themes of the schemes with improvement measures over and above standard farm practice being eligible for funding.
Animals: Imports
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals have been detected being illegally brought into the UK in each of the last five years. [112110]
Mr Paice: The total numbers of animals that have been detected as being illegally brought into the UK in the last five years are as follows:
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 (January-May) | |
All animals that are found to have been illegally brought into the UK are immediately placed into quarantine as part of the robust disease control arrangements we have in place.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals were imported into the UK to be sold as pets in the latest period for which figures are available. [112116]
Mr Paice: The number of dogs, cats and ferrets that have been imported into the UK under commercial rules in the last five years is as follows:
| Imports into the UK from other EU member states | |
| Total | |
| Imports into the UK from outside of the EU | |
| Total | |
Importers are not required to specify whether these animals are to be sold as pets. The above data are derived from the European Commission's Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES).
Pheasants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether her Department has allocated any funding to (a) research into ways of reducing the buzzard population in or near pheasant shoots and (b) reducing the buzzard population; [110520]
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(2) what consultation she plans to have (a) within and (b) outside Parliament on proposals to reduce the buzzard population in or near pheasant shoots. [110522]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not allocated any funding for use in reducing the buzzard population. DEFRA funded the Food and Environment Research Agency to undertake a desk study in January 2012 entitled “Approaches to mitigating bird of prey conflicts with pheasants at release pens, outdoor poultry and lambs” at a total cost of £24,694. The report can be found on the DEFRA website.
DEFRA has made provision for up to £125,000 to be available in each of the current and following two financial years for additional research to look at the relationship between raptors (including buzzards), livestock, wildlife and game birds. DEFRA will collaborate with all the organisations that have an interest in this issue to identify and develop any future research proposals.
Birds: Conservation
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has considered the reintroduction of brent geese to the quarry list; and what discussions she has had with the Countryside Alliance and British Association for Shooting and Conservation on that matter. [112215]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has not considered placing the brent goose on schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the quarry list”), and has had no discussions on the matter with either the Countryside Alliance or the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.
Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the effectiveness of the provisions of the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. [114889]
Mr Paice: The Government have no proposals to review the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. The independent Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding, under the chairmanship of Professor Sheila Crispin, works with key dog interest groups such as the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust to try to tackle problems associated with the health and welfare of dog breeding. I will of course consider any recommendations that the Council makes.
Cattle: Exports
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live male dairy calves were exported in each of the last five years. [114343]
Mr Paice: While we collect figures for the numbers of cattle exported, we do not collect information on their age or gender and therefore are unable to provide the information requested.
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Dog Control Orders
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dog control orders have been issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years. [114788]
Mr Paice: DEFRA holds no central records for dog control orders. This information is only held by individual local authorities, for the dog control orders issued in their own area.
Energy: Conservation
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the likely (a) average net contribution to the economy and (b) reductions in carbon emissions of the combined effect of the EU energy labelling directive and eco-design for energy using products framework directive in the next 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [114196]
Richard Benyon: Improvements in the sustainability and energy efficiency of domestic, commercial and industrial energy-using products and appliances are recognised as one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing energy demand, carbon emissions and energy bills. A number of measures relating to the eco-design for energy using products framework directive and the EU energy labelling directive to improve these types of products have been, or are in the process of being, agreed at European level.
Measures agreed so far include minimum energy performance standards and energy labels for products which include televisions, washing machines and fridge freezers. These are projected to reduce UK emissions by around 7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtC02e) in 2020, with corresponding net benefits to society of approximately £10 billion over the next 10 years.
It is estimated that the next set of measures to be agreed will save a further six MtC02e in 2020, with corresponding net benefits to society of approximately £5.5 billion over the next 10 years.
EU Law
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department made to the European Commission at the time that (a) Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 and (b) Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 were negotiated. [114323]
Mr Paice: DEFRA and its predecessor MAFF were directly involved in all EU negotiations that led to the adoption of the TSE Regulation (EC) 999/2001.
The proposal for a TSE Regulation was adopted by the Commission in November 1998 and is based on Article 152(4b) of the treaty on the protection of public health. The European Parliament adopted its opinion in first reading on 17 May 2000. A Common Position, incorporating all key amendments of the European Parliament, was unanimously agreed by the Council in February 2001.
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Since its adoption, the regulation has been amended over 40 times to adjust it to new developments and scientific evidence. A comprehensive chronology of BSE/TSE legislation in the EU is available on the European Commission's website. The EU's measures to fight TSE's have led to a significant reduction in cases.
The Commission's TSE Roadmap 2, published in July 2010, notes that the positive trend in the BSE epidemic has continued since 2005, when the European Commission's first TSE Roadmap was published, and that the impact of BSE on human health appears to be more limited than initially feared. The Commission's objective for the coming years is to continue to review the TSE measures while assuring a high level of food safety. Amendments to the TSE measures will be stepwise and supported by scientific advice from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
DEFRA continues to contribute to EU negotiations for more proportionate TSE controls and surveillance, to reduce the economic burden and contribute to a sustainable farming sector.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) contributed to these negotiations in respect of the food safety aspects of Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001, which fall within the policy remit of the FSA. Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 sets down food hygiene rules for products of animal origin which fall within the policy remit of the FSA. The FSA was the lead Government Department in negotiations at European level on Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004. As such, no representations were made by DEFRA to the European Commission at the time the regulation was negotiated, but DEFRA liaised as appropriate with the FSA.
Fish Farming
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of fish was farmed in UK waters in each of the last five years. [114357]
Richard Benyon: The following amounts of fish were farmed in the UK in each of the last five years:
In 2007: 159,000 tonnes finfish and 27,500 tonnes shellfish;
In 2008: 144,000 tonnes finfish and 35,500 tonnes shellfish;
In 2009: 161,000 tonnes finfish and 35,600 tonnes shellfish;
In 2010: 170,000 tonnes finfish and 31,500 tonnes shellfish; .and
In 2011: 171,000 tonnes finfish and 32,000 tonnes shellfish.
The data include fish farmed in both freshwater and marine waters, and include both natural and artificial waters. Around 65-75% of the total fish farmed in each year is Scottish salmon.
Fisheries
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish a register of all UK fishermen; and if she will make a statement. [113885]
Richard Benyon:
We do not currently have plans to publish a register of all UK fishermen. We are planning to publish a register of all holders of fixed quota
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allocation (FQA) units during the course of 2013. We are undertaking this work in conjunction with the devolved Administrations.
Meat: Imports
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of (a) desinewed meat, (b) mechanically separated meat and (c) 3mm Baader meat have been imported into the UK from (i) ruminants and (ii) non-ruminants from (A) Holland, (B) Italy, (C) Spain, (D) France, (E) Austria, (F) Poland and (G) other EU member states since the end of April 2012. [114322]
Mr Paice: It is not possible to identify quantities of desinewed, mechanically recovered or Baader meat from the available trade figures.
Nanotechnology
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will review the arrangements for the regulation of the emission or use of nanoparticles. [114292]
Richard Benyon: The European Commission has been undertaking a thorough review of arrangements for the regulation of manufactured nanomaterials and nanoparticles over the past year or so, following a request from the European Parliament. DEFRA officials have actively contributed to the exercise. We will carefully study the Commission's findings once they have been published.
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate nanoparticles smaller than PM 2.5. [114293]
Richard Benyon: The manufacture, use and importation of chemical substances, including manufactured nanoparticles, is covered by the EU Regulation 1907/2006 on industrial chemicals, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation. UK officials have actively contributed to a European Commission review of REACH. The review is expected to report later this year on, among other things, the way in which the regulation addresses manufactured nanomaterials. We will carefully consider the findings once published. Elsewhere, there are currently no plans to specifically regulate nanoparticles below PM 2.5.
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of research into the toxicology of nanoparticles; and if she will make a statement. [114294]
Richard Benyon:
The UK is a key contributor to the global nanosafety effort, much of which is brought together through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's priority nanomaterials sponsorship programme. This £50 million research collaboration is expected to start delivering results of its research into the toxicity and effects of manufactured
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nanomaterials soon. This will further our understanding of the basis for measures that might be needed to manage potential risks.
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the feasibility of utilising electron microscopy in the evaluation of nanoparticles. [114295]
Richard Benyon: Electron microscopy is extensively used and provides a valuable tool in the characterisation and evaluation of nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to characterise and measure nanoparticles for many years and they continue to be part of UK and EU research into nanomaterials. Standards are being developed for the use of TEM and SEM to look at carbon nanotubes and there is a working group in the international Standards Organisation's Nanotechnologies Committee which is developing a standard to measure primary particle size using electron microscopy.
Origin Marking: Israel
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 10 of her Department's technical advice on the labelling of produce grown in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, what her Department's policy is on whether goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank should be stocked by retailers. [114296]
Mr Paice: The Government's policy in relation to Israeli settlements on the West Bank is quite clear: those settlements are illegal, and they constitute a barrier to a lasting peace. However, it does not believe that a Government-imposed ban or boycott of settlement produce would help to engage or influence Israel, or lead to progress in the middle east peace process. The reason why DEFRA issued the technical advice referred to by the hon. Member was to make it easier for consumers to make their own choices about whether or not to buy produce originating in the illegal settlements, and of course retailers themselves are free to decide not to sell goods from the Israeli settlements if they so wish.
Palm Oil
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will work with her international counterparts to bring forward EU legislative proposals to regulate the (a) sale, (b) possession and (c) purchase of unsustainable palm oil. [113973]
Richard Benyon: We are in contact with other member states regarding their policies to promote sustainable palm oil. In particular, we are keen to learn from Dutch and Belgian colleagues on the commitments their industries have made to use 100% sustainable palm oil. We are working to replicate this in the UK and, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced as part of his recent visit to Indonesia, we are working with British trade associations to set out a roadmap for sustainable palm oil usage nationwide.
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We are also actively engaging with the European Commission's study into the impacts of EU consumption of imported food and non-food commodities on deforestation. This includes a review of Community policy areas with the greatest potential for reducing pressure on forests beyond the EU and to ensure that options for addressing impacts from palm oil are considered. There are no plans at present for an EU-wide legislative approach, but we will be pressing the Commission to provide robust proposals once its consultant's report has been finalised.
Palm Oil: Imports
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to prevent the importation of unsustainable palm oil. [113881]
Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him of 19 June 2012, Official Report, column 858W.