Entry Clearances: China
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a list of the main threats to UK security her Department sees would arise if it were to change its policy on issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals. [118583]
Mr Harper: The UK will shortly review the visitor visa regime. We will inform countries on a confidential bilateral basis of our concerns where appropriate.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the name is of each UK university which has had its highly trusted sponsor status revoked since May 2010. [119762]
Mr Harper: Since May 2010, London Metropolitan University is the only university that has had its Tier 4 sponsor licence revoked.
Immigrants: Tuberculosis
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information on migrants from high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries that have had pre-entry screening for active TB and who have arrived in the UK is exchanged between her Department and the Department of Health to assist with latent TB screening. [119598]
Mr Harper:
The UK Border Agency and Health Protection Agency (HPA) are in the process of replacing the existing on-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening arrangements for arriving passengers with a new system of pre-migration screening for long term visa applicants in high incidence countries, and, as part of this work, are developing plans to expand information sharing to
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assist with latent TB screening in the community. This will include data on persons subject to pre-migration screening. The HPA and other health bodies already collect the name and address of migrants arriving at major UK airports from high incidence TB countries intending to stay for over six months to assist local healthcare teams to connect with new migrants. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends that healthcare providers use there data in considering whether to screen for latent TB. Those screened abroad are issued a certificate that advises the migrant to carry their x-rays and medical records from such screening and to pass these on to their GP in the UK.
Immigration
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK have (a) been removed, (b) cases pending and (c) been allowed to remain in the UK following evidence that they have lied or used forged documents in their applications in the last 10 years. [118910]
Mr Harper: 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.
The Home Office publishes immigration statistics annually and quarterly, which are available from the Home Office Research and Statistics website. This includes information on applications for further leave to remain as well as removals data. The latest statistics can be found in the Library of the House as well as on the following website:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q2-2012/
Immigration Controls: Armed Forces
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to enable foreign-born armed forces service personnel who wish to remain in the UK following discharge from the armed forces to apply for (a) leave to remain, (b) acquisition of settlement and (c) citizenship; and if she will make a statement. [119116]
Mr Harper: All foreign and Commonwealth personnel who leave HM forces are given 28 days leave to remain in the UK to allow them to arrange for their departure from the UK, or to apply for leave to remain under the immigration rules.
Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who have served a minimum of four years in HM Forces and who have been, or are being, discharged are able to apply for and acquire settlement in the UK.
Commonwealth personnel who have already acquired settlement under the immigration rules, or those who have served in HM forces for a minimum of five years, are able to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen.
I do not propose to make a written or oral statement to the House on these matters.
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Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter concerning Ms A A sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 31 July 2012. [119546]
Mr Harper: The former Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) wrote to the right hon. Member on 4 September 2012.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter concerning Miss T M Pinnock sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 31 July 2012. [119551]
Mr Harper: The former Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green), wrote to the right hon. Member on 29 August 2012.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter concerning Ms N A sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 31 July 2012. [119584]
Mr Harper: The former Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) wrote to the right hon. Member on 30 August 2012.
Passports
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Identity and Passport Service has made in reviewing gender markers in passports; and when she plans to publish the outcome of this review. [119084]
Mr Harper: “Advancing transgender equality: a plan for action” published by the Home Office in December 2011, indicated that a review would be undertaken on how gender identification is represented in passport application forms and passports.
The review is being carried out by the Identity and Passport Service and will meet the timeline, set out in the action plan, to report by the end of February 2013. The outcome of the review will form part of the Government's response in reporting progress on the transgender equality plan.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was for a UK passport to be issued (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available and (b) in September 2011. [119988]
Mr Harper: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) provides three levels of service to the public.
The Counter service provides guaranteed time bound services for Premium (four hour service) and Fast Track (one week, five working day service). Transaction times are not recorded for these services but the IPS records performance of each counter service.
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| Percentage | ||
| Counter services | August 2012 | September 2011 |
The majority of IPS customers use the Postal Service. IPS records the time taken as the number of days taken between the receipt of application to the time of despatch to the applicant. Guidance to customers is that those using this service will normally receive their passport within three weeks, although it can take longer during peak periods and up to six weeks for first time applications.
| August 2012 | September 2011 | |
It should be noted that the transition from high to low season in passport demand takes place during August and September. These average transaction times do not include the delivery period after the passport is printed—this is normally within 48 hours.
Passports: Concessions
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many free passports were issued in each of the last three years; and whether she has any plans to extend the scheme's eligibility criteria. [118792]
Mr Harper: Concessionary passports were introduced in May 2004 as part of the 60(th) anniversary commemorative events for the second world war to recognise those people who had contributed to the war effort, both civilian and military. The scheme allows any adult born on or before 2 September 1929 to obtain a British passport free of charge. The number of passports issued in each of the last three years is:
| Number | |
There are no plans to extend the scheme's eligibility criteria.
Riot Control Weapons
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many water cannons are available to English and Welsh police forces; and what advice her Department has issued to police forces on their use. [118388]
Damian Green: Water cannon are not authorised for use by the police in England and Wales. If an operational requirement arose, the water cannon currently in use in Northern Ireland could be deployed in England and Wales, but the force would need to seek approval from the Home Secretary first.
Road Traffic Control
Dr Huppert:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) traffic wardens, (b) police officers, (c) police community support officers
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and
(d)
civilian police staff performed traffic policing as their main function in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years. [119892]
Damian Green:
Information for the last ten years on the number of traffic wardens, police officers, police
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community support officers and civilian staff (including s.38 designated officers) within the traffic and traffic wardens policing functions in England and Wales are shown in the following table.
| Number of traffic wardens, police officers, police community support officers and civilian police staff within the traffic and the traffic warden policing functions in England and Wales, 2002-03 to 2011-12(1, 2) | ||||||||
| Traffic(3) | Traffic Wardens(4) | |||||||
| Traffic Wardens(5) | Police Officers | Police Community Support Officers | Civilian Police Staff(6) | Traffic Wardens(5) | Police Officers | Police Community Support Officers | Civilian Police Staff(6) | |
| (1) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables. (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (3) Traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motor-cycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This includes officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties. Also includes staff who are predominantly employed to support the traffic function of the force including radar, accident investigation, vehicle examination and traffic administration. Includes those officers working with hazardous chemicals, and those administrative staff predominantly serving the internal needs of the traffic function of the force and those officers / staff in supporting roles. (4) Traffic wardens function includes traffic wardens engaged in patrol and other duties. Includes senior traffic wardens who are predominantly employed in the supervision of traffic wardens, otherwise than on patrol. Includes those officers / staff in supporting roles. (5) The decline of police employed traffic wardens over this period reflects the increasing role of local authorities in parking control. (6) Civilian police staff includes s.38 designated officers. | ||||||||
Schengen Agreement
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider opting in to the Schengen Agreement in respect of European tourist visas; and if she will consider requesting the power to make individual refusals on a case by case basis where she believes UK security might be threatened. [118584]
Mr Harper: We have no plans to opt in to the Schengen acquis in respect of European tourist visas. The Immigration Rules provide the Secretary of State with a wide range of powers to refuse visas to individuals who pose a threat to UK security.
UK Border Agency
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases are currently designated by the UK Border Agency as lay-by, by section. [119039]
Mr Harper: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been designated as lay-by by the UK Border Agency in each of the last five years. [119040]
Mr Harper: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases designated as lay-by by the UK Border Agency are currently awaiting removal. [119041]
Mr Harper: The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Border Agency caseworkers overruled the advice of a medical practitioner on whether or not an individual detainee was mentally fit to remain in immigration detention between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2012; and how many individual detainees were affected by such decisions. [119510]
Mr Harper: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be provided by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
UK Border Agency case owners must take a number of factors into consideration, including any reported or observed mental health issues, in order to reach a decision on whether detention or continuing detention is appropriate.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the witness statement by the Director of the UK Border Agency's Returns Directorate of 12 March 2012, what progress was made on completing the Equality Impact Assessment of policy on the detention of mentally ill individuals for immigration purposes between 12 and 19 March 2012. [119511]
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Mr Harper: The commitment to carry out the Equality Impact Assessment was given in the course of legal proceedings. In light of the findings in those legal proceedings, and having taken further legal advice, we are now challenging the Court's judgement and reconsidering our position in relation to the Equality Impact Assessment.
UK Border Force
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions and at what cost the Border Force drafted in staff posted overseas to work in the UK on a temporary basis between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2012; and how many individuals working for the Border Force overseas were drafted in to work in the UK on a temporary basis in that period. [119509]
Mr Harper: On no occasions between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2012 did the Border Force draft in any staff posted overseas to work in the UK on a temporary basis.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Aerospace Industry
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to (a) maintain and (b) enhance the competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry; and if he will make a statement. [120081]
Michael Fallon: The Government is working in close partnership with the UK aerospace sector through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow the number of high value jobs in the UK. Industry has provided eight full-time secondees to support the process and over 70 senior executives from a range of companies are engaged in the activity. The AGP is led by a group that I co-chair with Marcus Bryson (CEO, GKN Aerospace). In addition, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), chairs the Aerospace Business Leaders group, which meets to discuss strategic issues facing the sector.
Specific next steps were set out in ‘A Strategic Vision for UK Aerospace’, which was jointly launched by Government and industry at the Farnborough Airshow in July. Details are available at:
http://www.adsgroup.org.uk/pages/40227907.asp
We are working with companies across the sector to publish a full strategy—through the AGP—at the end of this year.
Apprentices
Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of increasing the proportion of apprenticeships for 16 to 17-year-olds by 11 per cent in each year between 2012-13 and 2016-17. [118438]
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Matthew Hancock: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the then Minister of State for Skills and Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes), to my hon. Friend the Member for East Surrey (Mr Gyimah) on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 267W.
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices were employed by (a) his Department and (b) its principal contractors in each of the last five years. [118609]
Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has had the following numbers of apprenticeship starts:
2007/08: No data available
2008/09: 22
2009/10: 34
2010/11: 28
2011/12: 16
2012/13: 20 (anticipated)
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has a large network of partner organisations of different types: executive, advisory and tribunal non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), agencies, public corporations, and non-ministerial departments, many of whom employ apprentices themselves. Some 80% of the Department's resources pass through these organisations, so they are vital to delivering our objectives.
The Department does not hold information on the number of apprenticeships created directly through principal contractors.
Business: West Midlands
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to increase the level of access to credit for small businesses in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in the last two years. [119272]
Michael Fallon: The Government has made it clear that ensuring the flow of credit to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is essential for support to growth and is a core objective.
To support more lending, the Bank of England and HM Treasury launched the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) on 13 July. It gives banks strong incentives to boost lending, by lowering interest rates and increasing the availability of business loans and mortgages. It allows banks and building societies to borrow from the Bank of England for up to 4 years; as security against that lending, banks will provide assets, such as business or mortgage loans, to the Bank of England. This will benefit businesses across the country.
The Government also continues to support lending to businesses through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. In the last two years, the number and value of Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) loans to businesses in (a) the six Birmingham constituencies and Sutton Coldfield is 94 with a value of £10.94 million and (b) the West Midlands is 574, with a value of £61.4million.
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Several programmes under the £2.4 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) also support SMEs access finance. A number of these are national in scope, such as the schemes run by HSBC (£25M RGF), Santander (£50M RGF) and RBS (£70M RGF), but there are also schemes focused specifically on the West Midlands run by Bourneville College (£5M RGF) and Herefordshire Council (£1.5M), details of which can be found at:
http://www.bournville.ac.uk/tag/regional-growth-fund/
http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/.
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures are in place to ensure that recognised qualifications provided by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants are subject to independent quality control. [118825]
Matthew Hancock: The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants regulates the qualifications it offers in accordance with the terms of its Royal Charter. It is also a voluntary member of the International Federation of Accountants, which sets standards to which its members must adhere.
Accountancy, outside of certain reserved areas such as company audit and insolvency work, is not subject to statutory regulation, and there are no statutory requirements for independent quality control of the work of those holding qualifications offered by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Education: Prisons
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress his Department has made on awarding the contract to deliver an education service to prisons on the Isle of Sheppey; and if he will make a statement. [118018]
Matthew Hancock: The Skills Funding Agency published the outcome of the procurement process to appoint a prison learning provider for Kent and Sussex, including the Isle of Sheppey prisons, on 23 August 2012. The contract has been awarded to The Manchester College.
We said in ‘Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation' (May 2011) that we would give prison Governors a decisive role in determining the skills provision in their establishments. None of the tenders submitted in the original September 2011 procurement exercise for prison learning in Kent and Sussex were judged to be acceptable by prison Governors, who were closely involved. The Skills Funding Agency, again working in close collaboration with prison Governors and their Heads of Learning and Skills, commenced a second procurement exercise in April. Bids were again evaluated locally and scored collaboratively, with joint agreement on the successful bidder.
The contract will be closely monitored, with Governors playing a critical role. Lead Governors will meet quarterly with The Manchester College to discuss and monitor performance across the Kent and Sussex prisons. They will be particularly concerned to ensure the College's sub-contracting and partnership arrangements with local
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Kent colleges and with key voluntary and charitable sector organisations are operating effectively to deliver the new responsiveness to local needs that I am determined to secure.
These local Governor-led discussions in Kent and Sussex will replicate those that will take place in all contract areas across England.
The Skills Funding Agency will work closely with prison Governors to ensure their local discussions with providers are backed up by rigorous and decisive contract compliance action where requested. In addition to a formal, annual review of each of the prison learning contracts, the Agency will act ‘out of cycle' where performance data or Ofsted inspections, carried out as part of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons inspections, show that contract requirements are not being met. Decisive action will follow if prison learning contractors fail to deliver.
Electronic Surveillance: Export Controls
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received about reports that FinFisher surveillance ware sold by Gamma International UK has been used to monitor human rights activists in Bahrain; if he will make it his policy to put in place export controls on surveillance technology; and if he will make a statement. [119172]
Michael Fallon: My right hon. friend the Secretary of State has received no such representations. Some surveillance equipment already falls within the dual-use controls currently applicable in the UK if, for example, it is designed to use controlled cryptography. These controls, agreed at the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), are set out in Category 5, Part 2 of Annex I to the EU Dual-Use Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009).
The Government believes that the existence of software designed to penetrate the defences of computers and communications devices and to record, modify and/or relay data without the user's knowledge poses a threat to national security, industry, and commerce, as well as to human rights. Information security is a key concern of governments worldwide and is specifically addressed through existing Wassenaar controls. That is why we consider the WA to be the appropriate forum for considering further controls in this area.
The Government's view is that concerted action at international level is the best option, if further regulation is required. We do not have any plans to impose unilateral controls; however we will continue to keep this option under review.
Higher Education: Admissions
Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the annual cost to the public purse of maintaining the number of university places in 2012-13 at the 2011-12 level. [118439]
Mr Willetts: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given to my hon. Friend the Member for East Surrey (Mr Gyimah) today, PQ number 118440.
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Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the annual cost to the public purse of maintaining the number of university places in 2012-13 at the 2011-12 level. [118440]
Mr Willetts: If the number of university places had been maintained between 2011-12 and 2012-13 an additional 10,000 entrants would have required funding. The extra student finance costs for these students could have been around £16 million per year in maintenance grants and around £100 million per year in additional fee and maintenance loans (or £32 million per year in resource terms, i.e. net of the expected value of future loan repayment).
India
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the percentage cap is for foreign direct investment sector in India. [118896]
Michael Fallon: There is no overall cap for investors seeking to enter the market; however, there are limits placed on foreign direct investment (FDI) in India which vary according to sector.
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Government's immigration reforms on temporary foreign workers from India. [118897]
Mr Harper: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The Government has made changes to the conditions of entry to the UK labour market for skilled workers from outside the EU in order to reduce the numbers coming in while ensuring British employers are still able to access the brightest and best international talent. These changes include the introduction of an annual limit, requiring that all migrant workers have a specific job offer, raising the minimum skills level, reforms to the arrangements for intra-company transfers, and reforms which break the link between work and staying in the UK permanently. These changes affect workers from India in the same way as workers from any other country outside the European economic area.
Full details can be found via:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/passports-and-immigration/immigration-policy/
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to encourage the deregulation of legal and professional services in India. [118898]
Michael Fallon: The Government continues to lobby the Government of India at both ministerial and official level making the case that deregulation of the financial services sector would benefit consumers in India as well as UK businesses. These discussions are included in the ongoing EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. We continue to push for a timely and successful resolution of these negotiations.
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London Metropolitan University
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect of withdrawing highly trusted sponsor status from London Metropolitan University on international students that have (a) already completed one academic year at the university and (b) been admitted but have yet to enrol for their first year of their course. [119191]
Mr Willetts: The Department has asked Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to lead a task force to help new and continuing London Metropolitan University students affected by the UK Border Agency's decision to revoke the university's licence to sponsor non-EU students. The task force will support London Metropolitan and other higher education providers in finding suitable, alternative courses for legitimate students so that they can continue their studies in the UK.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect of withdrawing highly trusted sponsor status from London Metropolitan University on the budget to teach current UK- and EU-domiciled students. [119193]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) have a responsibility to monitor the financial health of all institutions. They are in regular dialogue with the university to assess the financial implications of losing highly trusted status. Our priority is to ensure that all the University's students can access the help and advice they need and we are supporting the university through the recently established Task Force
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how his Department will ensure that the withdrawal of London Metropolitan University's highly trusted sponsor status does not diminish the standing of the UK universities amongst international students. [119192]
Mr Willetts: A task force led by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has been established to help London Metropolitan University to support the overseas students affected by the UK Border Agency's (UKBA) decision to revoke the university's licence to sponsor non-EU students. Its aim is to support London Met and other higher education providers in finding suitable, alternative courses for legitimate students so that they can continue their studies in the UK.
We recognise the concerns for legitimate overseas students who will be affected by the UKBA decision and our top priority is to ensure that the University's students who are due to commence their studies in 2012-13 are given the help and advice they need. London Metropolitan University has established a Help Centre to support and advise students. Updates and guidance for students and other stakeholders are also available on the London Metropolitan University, HEFCE and UKBA websites.
Within Government we have developed key messages with supporting questions and answers to provide assurance to international students, overseas governments and other stakeholders. Guidance has already been issued to
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posts in British embassies and to partner organisations such as the British Council and Universities UK's (UUK) International Unit to ensure greater communications reach.
Medicine: Education
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what proportion of students left their university medical degree courses before completion in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012 to date; [117989]
(2) what proportion of students left their medicine courses voluntarily before completion in each university in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d)
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2012; and what proportion of students were asked to leave before completion of such courses. [117990]
Mr Willetts: Information on the proportion of students who do not continue their higher education course following the year of entry is published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) as part of the Higher Education Performance Indicators. Table 1 shows this information by subject area for students entering higher education courses in 2008/09 and 2009/10. Non-continuation rates are not available by subject area and institution in combination.
Figures for students entering courses in the 2010/11 academic year will become available from March 2012.
| Non-continuation following year of entry of full-time first degree UK domiciled entrants by subject area 2008/09 to 2009/10 | |||||||
| Entrants in 2009/10 | |||||||
| Continue or qualify at same HEI | Transfer to other UK HEI | No longer in HE | Total | ||||
| Subject area | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number |
| Entrants in 2008/09 | |||||||
| Continue or qualify at same HEI | Transfer to other UK HEI | No longer in HE | Total | ||||
| Subject area | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
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| Notes: 1. Medicine and dentistry subject area has been disaggregated into the Principal subjects: (A1) Pre-clinical medicine and (A3) Clinical medicine. 2. All others in medicine and dentistry includes the principal subjects: (A2) Pre-clinical dentistry, (A4) Clinical dentistry, (A9) Others in medicine and dentistry . 3. For specifications and definitions, see: http://www.hesa.ac.uk/pis/noncon 4. In this table 0. 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding, but those calculated on populations which contain 52 or fewer individuals are suppressed and represented as '..' | |||||||
Olympic Games 2012
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the evidential basis is for the statement that the UK will make £13 billion from the London 2012 Olympic Games. [119141]
Michael Fallon: [holding answer 5 September 2012]The figure of £13bn is derived from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Visit Britain's forecasts of the potential economic benefit to the UK economy arising from the Games over time. These include new trade and investment deals stimulated by activity during Games time through the British Business Embassy Programme and related events, and in the following four years, including business won from high value opportunities promoted during the Games, business won on the back of the global spot-light afforded by the Games for UK expertise and companies, and an increase in international tourism and investment.
UK Trade & Investment's forecast took account of: economic benefits generated by Hosts of previous Games; levels of inward investment delivered by UK Trade & Investment since winning the Games and from the Global Investment Conference; current high value opportunities open to UK business; the high level of global business interactions that UKTI will be facilitating during and after the summer; and experience from UKTI's Performance Impact and Monitoring Survey (PIMS) data.
Science
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date he plans to publish the 2012 SET Statistics summarising key science, engineering and technology indicators. [120003]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills plans to publish the 2012 SET Statistics later this month. The exact date will be announced nearer the time.
Sunday Trading
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to investigate the possibility of a permanent relaxation of Sunday trading laws. [119026]
Michael Fallon: The suspension of the current Sunday trading regulations applies to the specified period from 22 July to 9 September. New legislation would be required for any extension. The Department is examining the impact of the Olympic period suspension.
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect of suspending Sunday trading regulations during the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the economy in (a) London and (b) England and Wales. [119027]
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Michael Fallon: The suspension of the current Sunday trading regulations applies to the specified period from 22 July to 9 September. New legislation would be required for any extension.
The Department has requested data on the impact of the suspension from a number of large retailers including the impact on sales and employment.
In addition the Department will analyse the impact on the retail sales of small retailers using the ONS retail sales index.
Trade: British Overseas Territories
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase trade and investment between the UK and its Overseas Territories. [119734]
Michael Fallon: [holding answer 6 September 2012] The paper “BIS and the Overseas Territories”, published in May 2012, confirmed the UK Government's support for the sustainable economic development of the Overseas Territories, for all of whom, trade is an important part of the Government's ambitious overall vision for the future.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the Government's trade and inward investment promotion organisation, provides practical support for eligible investors and exporters, and its Spending Review settlement funds its current service offering, with the amount and geographical spread of its overseas resource reflecting demand for support from UK companies and the UK's strategic priorities for markets of the future. Accordingly, UKTI's eligibility criteria specifically require businesses to have a UK operating address before they can be considered for UKTI support. UKTI will, therefore, provide assistance to Overseas Territories businesses where they have an active UK trading address. UKTI will, however, on a case by case basis and resources permitting, consider requests for help from Overseas Territories Companies in liaising with a foreign government on trade and investment promotion issues.
Vocational Guidance
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in improving access to high quality careers advice and guidance. [119865]
Matthew Hancock: In April 2012 the Government launched the National Careers Service. The new service offers information, advice and guidance through three easily accessible routes: a single free phone telephone helpline service, including web chat and text message; face to face guidance in the community for adults aged 19 and over (or 18 if on out of work benefits); and a website with details of how to access the other two channels. The face to face service currently operates from over 3,250 locations where it is co-located with other organisations, including 198 further education colleges.
Following trials to enhance the co-location of the National Careers Service with Jobcentres we have increased the number of jobcentre offices with a careers adviser presence to 557 (95%). All Jobcentres will provide access
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for their claimants to the National Careers Service through telephone and web, where advisers cannot be available, by the end of September 2012.
Cabinet Office
Community Development
Hilary Benn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on reporting arrangements for community organisers, and on how they will report back to local voluntary and community organisations in the areas in which they are working; and if he will make a statement. [118765]
Mr Hurd: The work of the Organisers is independent of Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations, with local people setting the priorities and projects to take forward. Core to the work of Organisers is empowering local people to take action on the things that matter most to them. The Organisers facilitate this process by empowering communities but does not set an agenda. Therefore there are no formal reporting arrangements in place to feedback to communities but information on the programme is available on the Community Organisers’ website:
http://www.cocollaborative.org.uk/
Correspondence
Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average time taken was by his Department to reply to correspondence from hon. Members and Peers in the last 12 months; and for what proportion of letters the time taken to send a response was longer than (a) one month, (b) six weeks, (c) two months, (d) three months and (e) six months in that period. [118659]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members' and Peers' correspondence. The report for 2011 was published on 15 March 2012, Official Report, columns 30-33WS.
Employment: Lone Parents
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many single parents were (a) in employment and (b) unemployed in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) nationally in each of the last five years. [118925]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimate has been made of the number of lone parents who are in a) employment and b) unemployment in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) nationally in each of the last five years. (118925)
Estimates of the number of lone parents who are in employment and unemployed are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. However, due to the specific nature of your request it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for
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Jarrow and South Tyneside because the sample sizes for this survey are not sufficiently large enough. This is also the case for unemployed lone parents in the North East.
In the tables provided are:
Number of lone parents in employment in the North East and UK
Number of lone parents unemployed in the UK
| Table 1: Number of lone parents employed(1) and resident in the North East and the UK in each year since 2007 | ||
| Thousand | ||
| 12 months ending December: | North East | UK |
| (1) Levels of employment are provided for persons aged 16 and over. Source: Annual Population Survey | ||
| Table 2: Number of lone parents unemployed(1) and resident in the UK in each year since 2007 | |
| Thousand | |
| 12 months ending December: | UK |
| (1) Levels of unemployment are provided for persons aged 16 and over. Source: Annual Population Survey | |
Government Departments: Computer Software
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the level of savings which could be achieved if Government departments replaced proprietary software with open source software. [118579]
Mr Maude: Open source software can deliver significant savings, as indicated by evidence from both the public and private sectors, in the UK and overseas. However it is not always the best solution, and as such the scenario of replacing all software has not been costed.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will issue guidance to Government departments on the removal of computer games from Government computers. [119437]
Mr Maude: There are already clear guidelines that all civil servants follow relating to the use of Government computers for non-business purposes.
Government Departments: Industrial Relations
Toby Perkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) which Government Departments and agencies run formal non-trade-union staff consultation bodies, groups or forums in addition to industrial relations agreements with trade unions; [119299]
(2) how many hours are spent by staff on formal non-trade-union staff consultation bodies, groups or forums in each Government (a) Department and (b) agency; [119303]
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(3) how many staff on formal non-trade-union staff consultation bodies, groups or forums in Government agencies and Departments receive paid time off work to perform their duties and activities; [119304]
(4) how many staff on formal non-trade-union staff consultation bodies, groups or forums receive paid time off work to perform duties and activities in Government Departments and agencies where there is an existing industrial relations agreement with trade unions; [119305]
(5) how many staff of formal non-trade-union staff consultation bodies, groups or forums in Government Departments and agencies have been elected to their place. [119306]
Mr Maude: The information requested is not held centrally. Staff consultation bodies, staff associations, groups or forums are a matter for individual Departments and agencies to determine.
However most civil service Departments and agencies have long established procedures for informing and consulting employees and their representatives, including non trade union bodies, such as staff associations.
The Cabinet Office recently launched a consultation with the civil service trade unions into how much paid time civil servants should be allowed to take off work so they can take part in trade union duties and activities during office hours.
Government Departments: Postal Services
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to encourage Government departments and agencies to use A5 pre-paid envelopes rather than A4; and if he will estimate the potential savings from implementing such a strategy across Government. [118975]
Mr Maude: The standardisation and rationalisation of printed products and envelopes is a core objective of the Print Strategy for Central Government. Work is already under way to build on previous successful initiatives like transferring from C4 to C5 envelopes and is expected to make savings.
The lack of historic spend information at unit pricing level prevents an accurate forecast of potential savings. However, these data are now captured and we will be able to quantify savings going forward.
NDPBs
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his latest estimate is of the number of quangos there will be at the end of this Parliament compared to the beginning. [120002]
Mr Maude: By the end of this Parliament, the Government will have reduced the number of public bodies by a third.
Public Sector: Procurement
Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether a bid by a company for a Government contract has to conform to (a) ethical guidelines and (b) other criteria before it will be given preliminary consideration. [118767]
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Mr Maude: Contracts are awarded on the basis of value for money but wider social, environmental and ethical criteria can be taken into account if they relate directly to the subject matter of a contract from the point of view of the contracting authority.
Peter Aldous: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to streamline and simplify public sector procurement to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to win public sector contracts. [118906]
Richard Graham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what steps his Department is taking to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to win public sector contracts; [119353]
(2) how many small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) Gloucester, (b) the South West and (c) England have won public sector contracts in each of the last five years. [119352]
Mr Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of Government procurement contracts that have been won by small and medium-sized businesses. [119442]
Mr Maude: Over the past 18 months we have opened up the way Government does business in order to ensure that small companies, charities and voluntary organisations are in the best possible position to compete for contracts. We have also:
made public procurement more transparent by publishing tenders and contracts through the ‘Contracts Finder' website.
introduced a new eSourcing solution, the Dynamic Marketplace, on which SMEs are able to provide quick quotes for low value contracts (below £100,000).
piloted a new online service for procurers to invite the SME market to respond, in advance of a formal procurement, to emerging opportunities to deliver government business more efficiently.
introduced a ‘Mystery Shopper' scheme to allow suppliers to report bad procurement practice.
published pipelines of Government Business to enable suppliers to marshal their resources and prepare to bid for future work.
worked actively with Government departments to ensure that, where practicable, procurements are broken up into smaller lots. This will ensure that we create diversity in the supply base and in particular increase the number of SMEs awarded new business directly.
Furthermore, we have introduced a new LEAN sourcing process for central government which aims to reduce procurement timescales substantially. Departments must procure all but the most complex goods and services within 120 days,
On 9 March we published the “One Year On” Progress Report, which gives a breakdown by department of spend with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), up to December 2011. The Report is available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award, at:
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
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We do not hold contract information broken down regionally, but prior to 2010 very limited information was held or published on any government contract spend.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to put into practice the recommendations of the National Audit Office's review of Central Government's implementation of the National Compact published in January 2012. [120004]
Mr Hurd: This Government views the Compact with great importance. Good progress is being made and the Compact has now been included as one of only six cross-Whitehall priorities in Departmental Business plans.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that the winner of the National Citizenship Service contract upholds and implements the undertakings outlined in the National Compact. [119948]
Mr Hurd: The delivery of NCS will uphold the undertakings outlined in the National Compact.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a report to determine the optimum level of air passenger duty in respect of receipts to the Exchequer. [118863]
Sajid Javid: The Government consulted extensively on air passenger duty (APD) following Budget 2011. The Government's response, published on 6 December 2011 can be found online at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_airpassenger.htm
The Government set out APD rates from April 2013 at Budget 2012.
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has raised from air passenger duty in each year since 2007; if he will estimate the proportion of the change in each such year that results from (a) higher duty levels and (b) an increase in flights in each such year; and if he will estimate the amount paid per individual in each such year. [118967]
Sajid Javid: No breakdown between duty levels and the number of flights is available for air passenger duty revenues. However, data on air passenger duty receipts and passenger numbers are published online at:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx
Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of whether the Retail Price Index is a more appropriate measure of inflation than the Consumer Price Index for air passenger duty rises from 2010 to 2014. [118980]
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Sajid Javid: The above inflation increase in Air Passenger Duty rates in 2010 was legislated for by the previous Government. This Government froze Air Passenger Duty in 2011. The subsequent increases in APD, including the RPI increase announced for 2013-14, maintain the real value of the duty.
Air Passenger Duty: Northern Ireland
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the likely effect of lowering airport passenger duty on the economy of Northern Ireland; [119940]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of air passenger duty on (a) the tourism industry and (b) businesses in Northern Ireland. [119994]
Sajid Javid: From 1 November 2011, the APD rates for direct long haul flights departing from Northern Ireland were cut to the short-haul rate. The Government confirmed at Budget 2012 that the power to set APD rates for direct long haul flights departing from Northern Ireland will be devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. This will protect vital direct air services and offers a chance for the development of new long haul services, supporting business and tourism.
The Government undertook a consultation on air passenger duty last year, which generated considerable views and evidence on the impact of APD. The consultation received over 500 responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including from the tourism sector, and other business sectors in Northern Ireland.
The Government's response, published on 6 December 2011, can be found online at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_airpassenger.htm
Bank of England
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects to advertise for applications to be the next Governor of the Bank of England; [119092]
(2) when he expects to finalise a job specification for the next Governor of the Bank of England; [119093]
(3) what parliamentary scrutiny he proposes for the appointment of the next Governor of the Bank of England; [119094]
(4) when he expects to propose a candidate for the next Governor of the Bank of England. [119095]
Greg Clark: The current Governor's term expires on 30 June 2013. The process for appointing his successor will commence in due course.
Banks
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has had discussions with the Financial Services Authority on the granting of more banking licences. [118589]
Greg Clark:
Last month the Government published a White Paper on Banking Reform. In this, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Bank of England are conducting reviews of the prudential and conduct requirements for new entrants to the banking sector to ensure that they
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are proportionate and do not pose excessive barriers to entry or expansion for new entrants and prospective new entrants to the banking market.
Treasury officials are in touch with the FSA on this work. The conclusions of the reviews will be published in the autumn.
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department considered undertaking a consultation on the separation of high street banking divisions from investing banking divisions. [118590]
Greg Clark: The Government have consulted, in the Banking Reform White Paper, on the separation of retail and investment banking as recommended by the Independent Commission on Banking. The consultation closed on 6 September.
The Government will carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill in the autumn, and plan to complete all necessary legislation by the end of this Parliament.
Banks: Loans
Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of whether the Bank of England's funding for lending scheme will benefit businesses in Redditch. [118782]
Greg Clark: The Funding for Lending Scheme is designed to incentivise banks and building societies to boost their lending to UK households and non-financial companies. Easier access to cheaper bank borrowing should boost spending in the economy, for example by allowing families to purchase homes, or by enabling firms to finance investment in productive enterprises. In turn, higher spending will help create jobs and raise incomes.
Business: Loans
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider establishing a facility within the Bank of England to lend directly to businesses. [118591]
Greg Clark: The Government are not considering establishing a facility within the Bank of England to lend directly to businesses.
Debts
Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the average level of non-mortgage debt per (a) person and (b) household, by (i) age group and (ii) income or socioeconomic group. [118903]
Sajid Javid: The ONS does not provide information on non-mortgage debt by age or by income group. Data published by the ONS show that the stock of unsecured lending per person was £3,300 in June 2012. The stock of unsecured lending per household was £7,800 in June 2012.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the rural fuel rebate pilot scheme to sparsely populated areas on the mainland. [119992]
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Sajid Javid: The EU unanimously agreed at the end of 2011 that the UK could put in place a rural fuel duty rebate pilot scheme for remote islands. Pump prices in these areas are particularly high when compared with the mainland because of the high costs of transporting and distributing fuel. Beyond this pilot scheme which the Government will continue to monitor, nothing has been ruled in or out.
Financial Services: Complaints
Mark Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his policy is on the introduction of a long stop in respect of the liability faced by independent financial advisers; [118832]
(2) whether his Department has considered the potential effects of the absence of a long stop in respect of the liability faced by independent financial advisers on their ability to take out personal indemnity insurance; and if he will make a statement. [118831]
Sajid Javid: The Financial Services Authority (FSA), an independent body, is responsible for rules relating to the liability of independent financial advisers. I have asked the FSA to write to my hon. Friend on the issue he raises. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.
Financial Services: Education
Mark Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Money Advice Service on financial education in schools; and if he will make a statement. [118940]
Greg Clark: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Details of MAS's financial education work in 2011-12 and its planned work for 2012-13 can be found in its annual review for 2011-12 published in August. The business plan and annual review can be found at:
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/static/publications
Green Investment Bank
Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give consideration to directing all future quantitative easing measures through the Green Investment Bank. [118995]
Greg Clark: The independent Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) policy tools, including quantitative easing (QE) via the Asset Purchase Facility (APF), are macroeconomic policy tools designed to affect the economy as a whole, in order to meet the 2% inflation target over the medium term.
QE is designed to raise the level of spending in the economy by increasing the amount of money in circulation. Under this policy, the Bank of England purchases assets, largely from the non-bank financial sector, financing these by the creation of central bank reserves.
The MPC is authorised to use the APF for monetary policy purposes. The Bank's Executive Directors for
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Markets and for Monetary Analysis and Statistics are Directors of the APF. The Directors make recommendations on the assets to be purchased to the Governor, who decides after consulting with the two Deputy Governors.
PAYE
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what budget he has allocated for advertising the change to real-time PAYE reporting in advance of its introduction in April 2013. [119759]
Mr Gauke: HMRC was allocated £108 million as part of the SR10 allocation to deliver the RTI programme. This includes all aspects of delivery from IT development to communications and marketing spend. HMRC have not ring-fenced any of this overall budget for communications and marketing. Instead HMRC are continuously monitoring the impact of their communication and marketing work and will continue to allocate funding in line with the communication needs identified.
HMRC's communication strategy is based on principles established through customer insight work. It is designed so that employers are fully aware of what RTI means for them and how to prepare.
The customer insight and message testing already undertaken by HMRC has clearly indicated that there is an optimum time to make contact with employers. The research has clearly indicated that the best time to contact employers is when they actually need to do something.
HMRC will deploy a range of communications activities to ensure all employers are aware of their obligations under RTI.
Pensions
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with industry on changes to drawdown pensions. [119097]
Mr Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
Details of officials' meetings with external organisations are not held centrally and it would entail disproportionate cost to collate this information.
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to investigate the financial situation of pensioners with drawdown pensions. [119098]
Mr Gauke: The Government continually keep all aspects of their policies under review and are committed to maintaining flexibility for those with drawdown arrangements.
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Personal Savings
Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the average level of non-retirement savings per (a) person and (b) household, by (i) age group and (ii) income or socioeconomic group. [118902]
Sajid Javid: The ONS does not provide information on non-retirement savings by age or by income group. Some additional information of interest may be found in the ONS wealth and asset survey. Data from the ONS show total financial assets excluding pensions and reserves were approximately £34,000 per person and £80,000 per household, in June 2012.
Premium Bonds
Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of people hold premium bonds; and what information his Department holds on trends over time in the proportion of people who hold premium bonds. [118904]
Greg Clark: The following table shows the number of customers holding Premium Bonds from April 2009.
| Date | Number of customers |
Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Finance Minister on the Ulster Bank technical incident compensation scheme; [119941]
(2) what discussions he has had with representatives of Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank on the technical incident compensation scheme. [119942]
Greg Clark: Ministers speak to the Northern Irish finance minister regularly on a range of issues.
During RBS's difficulties, Ministers and officials, alongside other regulatory bodies, had regular contact with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to ensure that they were doing everything they could to resolve their technical difficulties as quickly as possible.
The Government welcome RBS and its subsidiary Ulster Bank's decision to compensate customers for the difficulties they faced. However, the specifics of the compensation scheme are a commercial matter for the bank and for the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
RBS have committed to carry out a full and detailed investigation into the causes of the problem, overseen by independent experts, and to publish the findings.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Mr David Hamilton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people benefited from the stamp duty land tax relief available to first-time buyers
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on purchases under £250,000 between 25 March 2010 and 24 March 2012 in
(a)
Midlothian constituency,
(b)
Scotland and
(c)
the UK; [119347]
(2) how much revenue has been raised from stamp duty land tax for properties under £250,000 since 24 March 2012; and how many transactions were for (a) first-time buyers and (b) other buyers; [119349]
(3) what assessment he made of the effects on the ability of people to gain access to the housing market of the stamp duty land tax relief available to first-time buyers on purchases under £250,000 between 25 March 2010 and 24 March 2012. [119350]
Sajid Javid: HMRC published a document in November last year evaluating the impact of first time buyers' relief on stamp duty land tax (SDLT), which is available online at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/sdlt-ftb-workingpaper.pdf
This evaluation was based upon claims made up until August 2011. The analysis concluded that SDLT relief did not have a significant impact in terms of improving the affordability of residential property for first time buyers.
The estimated number of transactions that benefitted from first time buyers' relief in Scotland was 9,800. For the UK as a whole, this number was 179,200. HMRC is unable to provide reliable data on first time buyers’ at a constituency level.
In the period between 25 March and 31 July 2012, an estimated £235 million was raised through stamp duty land tax for residential properties under £250,000.
It is not possible to distinguish between first-time buyers and other buyers during this period.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Carbon Emissions: Business
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the associated benefits of introducing mandatory carbon reporting for (a) listed companies on the London Stock Exchange, (b) listed companies on the Alternative Investment Market and (c) all companies covered under the Companies Act 2006. [118673]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 6 September 2012]: The final impact assessment for company greenhouse gas reporting, which is available on DEFRA's website, identified that there were approximately 1,100 quoted companies, i.e. UK-incorporated companies that are listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (or on the New York Stock Exchange or officially listed in a European economic area state). The estimated impacts for all quoted companies (option 2 in the impact assessment) over 10 years are compliance costs of £28 million and benefits of up to £741 million.
No estimate was made of the costs and benefits for all companies. Option 3 in the impact assessment looked at introducing mandatory reporting for all large companies (as defined by the Companies Act 2006), which would cover approximately 24,000 large companies. Option 3 provides the widest coverage of companies modelled in the final impact assessment and could include some companies on the alternative investment market.
The costs and benefits of companies listed on the alternative investment market have not been monetised.
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Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of business support for mandatory carbon reporting for (a) listed companies on the London Stock Exchange, (b) listed companies on the Alternative Investment Market and (c) all bodies subject to the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. [119045]
Richard Benyon: Assessment of the extent of business support for mandatory carbon reporting was only made for the four options outlined in the 2011 consultation.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with companies listed on the London Stock Exchange on mandatory carbon reporting. [119046]
Richard Benyon: My noble Friend, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, and his predecessor, Lord Henley, have met a range of organisations representing quoted companies to discuss mandatory carbon reporting, including the Confederation of British Industry, the Aldersgate Group and the Freight Transport Association. DEFRA officials have also met representatives of London Stock Exchange companies and continue to do so.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of business support for mandatory carbon reporting under each of the four options presented in his Department's consultation on greenhouse gas reporting. [119047]
Richard Benyon: The consultation on options last year received over 2,000 responses, with the majority of those from business supporting mandatory reporting. A summary of consultation responses was published on DEFRA's website on 20 June 2012, including a breakdown of business support for each option.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to (a) update his Department's guidance on greenhouse gas reporting for companies, (b) provide guidance on a single emissions reporting methodology for all mandated companies from April 2013 and (c) provide similar guidance for non-mandated companies. [119048]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has published guidance for all companies to report on greenhouse gas emissions and this is available on the Department's website. We are considering what supplementary guidance will be required by companies that are mandated to report. There are a number of established methodologies on how to measure greenhouse gas emissions currently in use by companies, so we do not intend to require companies to adopt a single methodology.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce regulations on the scope of greenhouse gas emissions to be reported by quoted companies from April 2013; and whether these will implement options 1, 2 and 3 set out in his Department's consultation in 2011. [119049]
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Richard Benyon: As announced on 20 June, UK regulations will be introduced for all quoted companies (option 2 as set out in the 2011 consultation). The intention is that the regulations will require companies to report their direct emissions, including fugitive emissions (scope 1 in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) and indirect energy emissions (scope 2 in the Protocol).
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost of including some or all Scope 3 emissions within the mandatory carbon reporting for quoted companies. [119050]
Richard Benyon: It would not be possible to require a company to disclose scope 3 information in its directors' report as scope 3 emissions occur beyond a company's organisational boundary. No modelling of costs has been done.