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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 13 September 2012
Attorney-General
Disciplinary Proceedings
David Simpson: To ask the Attorney-General whether any staff in the Law Officers' Departments have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for inappropriate internet usage in the last 12 months. [120414]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has disciplined one member of staff for inappropriate internet usage in the last 12 months. No staff have been dismissed for inappropriate internet usage in the last 12 months.
No staff in the remaining Law Officers' Departments have been disciplined or dismissed for inappropriate internet usage during this period.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Dairy Farming
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what effect the agreement of a voluntary code on contractual relationships between milk buyers and dairy farmers will have upon the provisions of his Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill. [120095]
Jo Swinson: The voluntary code of practice for the dairy sector is distinct from the Groceries Code, and will not change the provisions of the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill. The Bill establishes an adjudicator to enforce and oversee the Groceries Code, which addresses contractual relationships between large supermarket retailers and their suppliers.
Engineers: Training
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist with marine-based training for engineers aged between 16 and 24 years. [118935]
Mr Willetts: The Government's reforms of the skills system are helping to ensure that the system is demand-led, enabling businesses and individuals to take the lead and access the training they need. The Government are equipping them with funding, support and information, so that they can shape the skills system.
The Government and industry published a Marine Industry Growth Strategy in September 2011. This work is being taken forward by the Marine Industries Leadership Council which the Minister for Business and Enterprise my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) chairs jointly with Richard Sadler (CEO Lloyd's Register). As part of this work we have formed a Marine Sector Skills Group which works closely with Semta, the sector skills council for the advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors. This work is helping to engage a wide range of stakeholders,
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including a widening community of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the skills challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Apprenticeships have an important role to play, and engineering apprenticeships include pathways specifically designed for marine engineers. Frameworks cover a wide range of different job roles from operator to senior marine engineer and were designed in consultation with the sector. Final data for 2010/11 academic year show that there were 210 apprenticeship starts in the “Marine Industry” Framework by apprentices aged 16-24.
A University Technology College specialising in marine engineering is planning to open in Plymouth in 2013. It will cater for students aged 14 to 19, offering technically oriented study in a school equipped to industrial standards.
European Patent Court
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will commission research to establish what effect the creation of the European Patent Court will have on economic growth in the UK. [120621]
Jo Swinson: The European (Unified) Patent Court is part of a package of proposed measures to establish a Unitary Patent system within Europe. The Government is working to ensure that the package delivers real benefits for UK businesses and the wider economy and the Prime Minister recently secured political agreement from heads of other participating member states to locate a vital part of the court in London. This will help to secure highly skilled jobs in the legal sector and associated professional services within the UK.
We will continue to review and update our data on potential economic benefits to the UK as the detailed arrangements relating to court costs and funding arrangements evolve. There are no plans to commission external research on the Patent Court proposals.
Exports
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total value of British exports to other Commonwealth countries in each of the last five years. [120824]
Michael Fallon: The information is as follows:
| UK exports to the Commonwealth | ||
| £ billion | ||
| Goods | Services | |
| Sources: HM Revenue and Customs "Overseas Trade Statistics" (goods); Office for National Statistics "Pink Book" (services)—"Pink Book 2012" Table 9.5 was used for Australia, Canada, Cyprus, India, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, and South Africa, which collectively account for over 80% of exports to the Commonwealth. For other Commonwealth countries, Table 9.13 in the Pink Book 2009 (2007 data), 2010 (2008 data), 2011 (2009 data) and 2012 (2010 and 2011 data) editions was used. | ||
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Due to differences in methodology, data are shown separately for goods and services.
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total value of British exports to other member states of the EU in each of the last five years. [120825]
Michael Fallon: The total value of British exports of goods and services to the EU-27 over the last five years was as follows:
| £ billion | |
| Source: ONS Balance of Payments—Pink Book. | |
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of British exports to Russia in each of the last five years. [120826]
Michael Fallon: The total value of British exports of goods and services to Russia over the last five years was as follows:
| £ billion | |
| Source: ONS Balance of Payments—Pink Book. | |
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of British exports to China in each of the last five years. [120827]
Michael Fallon: The total value of British exports of goods and services to China over the last five years was as follows:
| £ billion | |
| Source: ONS Balance of Payments—Pink Book. | |
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of British exports to India in each of the last five years. [120828]
Michael Fallon: The total value of British exports of goods and services to India over the last five years was as follows:
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| £ billion | |
| Source: ONS Balance of Payments—Pink Book. | |
Farepak
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the review into the lessons learnt from the Farepak disqualification proceedings will be made public in its entirety. [119312]
Jo Swinson: I intend to publish as much of the report of the review into lessons learnt as possible except for any aspects that may be subject to data protection and legal professional privilege issues.
Foreign Investment in UK: Barnsley
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many inward investment companies have located in Barnsley Central constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) each of the last 10 years. [120592]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment records the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects entering the UK each year.
(a) there are no recorded FDI projects in the Barnsley Central constituency in the last 12 months;
(b) The following table shows the number of FDI projects in Barnsley Central recorded for financial years 2003-04 to 2010-11. Information on projects before 2003 is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| FDI projects in Barnsley Central | |
| Projects | |
| Source: UKTI database | |
Innovation
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the status is of the Government Innovation Growth Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [120846]
Mr Willetts: The Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth was published in December 2011. We are intending to report on the progress made in our annual innovation report due approximately a year after publication of the original report.
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London Metropolitan University
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with UK universities on the harmonisation of fees or financial support in respect of overseas students being transferred from London Metropolitan University. [120482]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 11 September 2012]: A taskforce led by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is now working with London Metropolitan University to support appropriately qualified genuine students to find another institution where they can continue their studies in the UK. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is represented at official level on that taskforce.
With the support of the taskforce, London Metropolitan University is putting in place a clearing house from 17 September which will allow students to find comparable courses, with comparable fees, at other institutions locally. There are a number of London institutions with similar and in some cases lower fees to London Metropolitan University so it is not expected that fees will be a barrier to successful transfers.
We have also created an emergency fund of up to £2 million to allow affected students to claim back fees for reapplying for visas and discretionary payments to cover, for example, lost deposits on accommodation due to having to move somewhere else to study.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will bring forward proposals to make it easier to recruit, train and retain factory managers in the automotive industry; and if he will make a statement; [119963]
(2) what plans he has to (a) maintain and (b) enhance the competitiveness of the UK automotive industry; and if he will make a statement. [120080]
Michael Fallon: BIS is working with the industry, through the Automotive Council, on strategies for sustainable growth of the sector and supply chain. The Council published a report on 10 August identifying at least £3 billion worth of new supply chain business opportunities for UK based companies. Major global investors including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan have committed over £6 billion to the UK in the last two years.
To strengthen the UK's competitive position with some of the most productive plants in Europe, BIS plans to provide support through its Regional Growth Fund and Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative for the industry on research and development (R&D), training grants, the safeguarding of engineering jobs and the recruitment of new workers. A new Talent Retention Solution programme has also been developed to provide an online resource to enable employers and individuals to share information in a confidential environment and preserve key skills in the automotive and other sectors across the UK.
The industry intends to remain at the forefront of research and technology. This Government is committed to actively supporting the development, demonstration
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and use of low emission vehicles. For example, on 5 September I announced £9 million funding for the creation of a new ‘UK Energy Storage R&D Centre’ to support the advancement of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries. The centre will help the UK to capitalise on the growing electric and hybrid vehicle battery market, worth an estimated £250 million for the UK by 2020.
Overseas Students: Entry Clearances
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, columns 1086-7W, on overseas students, what assessment he has made of the implications of the revocation of the licence of London Metropolitan University to authorise visas on (a) the financial situation of London Metropolitan University and (b) the international reputation and success of the UK's further and higher education sector; and if he will make a statement. [120559]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is working closely with the university to help determine the potential financial impact of the licence revocation. This is a developing situation which is being closely monitored. The initial priority is to ensure that the interests of the university's students are protected.
This Government does appreciate the important contribution that international students make to the UK's economy in terms of the economic benefits and wider enrichment students bring to the UK and genuine students will continue to be welcomed.
The revocation of London Metropolitan University's licence reflects a problem with one university, not the whole sector. This situation has no bearing on the quality of education our institutions provide. Our universities are among the best in the world—the UK remains open for business and is a top class destination for international students.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support and assistance he has put in place to help educational institutions comply with the UK Border Agency guidelines; and if he will make a statement. [120587]
Mr Willetts: The Department has regular meetings with educational institutions to discuss a range of issues including compliance with visa regulations, and engages with the UK Border Agency to influence policy, outcomes and guidance in support of the UK's higher education sector. The Department supports the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), a registered charity, to provide independent advice to assist foreign students, including on immigration matters, and works with the British Council, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and Universities UK to promote the UK's international higher education ambitions to students looking to study in the UK.
Post Offices: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the potential loss of income to post offices from the loss of the provision of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency services; and if he will make a statement. [119318]
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Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd currently provides a number of services on behalf of the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and received approximately £40 million of revenue for these services in 2011/12.
DVLA is currently procuring a wide range of counter services, including those currently provided by Post Office Ltd. As I am sure you will appreciate, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the commercial details of a live procurement which is the responsibility of the DVLA.
Postal Services
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the ongoing additional costs to (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail as a result of the decoupling of the businesses; [120541]
(2) what (a) current and (b) projected costs are estimated to directly arise from the decoupling of Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd. [120543]
Michael Fallon [holding answer 11 September 2012]: The transfer of Post Office Ltd (POL) from being a subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Limited to a direct subsidiary of Royal Mail Holdings plc became effective from 1 April this year. This completes the operational separation of the two companies. The associated transfer costs were borne by POL and Royal Mail Group. I have therefore asked the chief executive officer of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond to your questions direct and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2012, Official Report, column 514W, on publications, how much his Department has spent on (a) circulars, (b) consultation documents and (c) publications since May 2010. [117917]
Jo Swinson: Costs for production of circulars, consultation documents and publications are not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Regional Growth Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the Growth Fund is being handed to local newspapers to manage; and which local newspapers have won Regional Growth Fund bids. [120844]
Michael Fallon: No Regional Growth Fund (RGF) monies are being managed by local newspapers.
From the first two bidding rounds, four bids from consortia where a local newspaper was one of the partners were successful, but in all of these cases the “accountable body” that actually holds the funding is one of the other partners (e.g. a university or a local authority). The role of the local newspaper in these programmes is to promote the local RGF programme to ensure that as many high quality bids as possible come forward.
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The following successful bids have had a local newspaper as one of its partners:
1. Birmingham Post Business Growth Fund—a fund of last resort for SMEs and start-ups in the Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry—managed by Bournville College.
2. The Liverpool Aspire Fund (Liverpool Echo)—a project to stimulate SME growth through media Advocacy—managed by Liverpool City Council.
3. The South West Aspire Fund (Western Morning News)—a project to stimulate SME growth through media and higher education advocacy)—managed by University of Plymouth.
4. Lets Grow Campaign SME Package (NCJ Media)—package bid to support 13 individual SME, predominantly manufacturing, projects all based in the North East of England Assisted Area—managed by 13 SMEs.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on research and development tax credits and small businesses. [120847]
Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills regularly meets the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss a range of business issues.
Science
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the science budget has been allocated to life sciences in the last three years. [120845]
Mr Willetts: The allocations for 2011-12 and 2012-13 for science and research funding were made in December 2010, details of which are provided in the following publication:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/science/docs/a/10-1356-allocation-of-science-and-research-funding-2011-2015.pdf
This also includes figures for 2010-11.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds the UK Research Councils and Higher Education Funding Council for England to support science and research, with higher education equivalents funded by devolved Administrations. The Research Councils most associated with life sciences are the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Funding allocated to them in the last three years is as follows:
| £000 | |||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
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MRC and BBSRC combined received 21.5% of science and research funding from 2010/11 to 2012/13. This is only part of the picture as other Research Councils fund the life sciences, examples include Natural Environment Research Council funding of £126 million in 2011/12 and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funding of £117.3 million in 2010/11 in life sciences. In line with the Haldane Principle, prioritisation of an individual Research Councils' spending is not a decision for Ministers. In addition, it is up to universities to decide how to use Quality Related research funding.
As well as the 2010 allocations, additional capital funding has since been allocated for major research infrastructure projects, many of which are of relevance to the life sciences. Capital projects, announced since 2010, include:
£97.7 million to complete Diamond Phase III;
£28.5 million for the Birth Cohort Facility;
£21 million for four further instruments @ ISIS TS2 Phase II;
£2.5 million for accelerator technology development at Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus;
£26 million to develop the Norwich Research Park;
£44 million to develop the Babraham Research Campus;
£165.5 million in e-infrastructure and High Performance Computing;
£80 million for the Institute for Animal Health;
£6 million for a National Structural Therapeutics Facility;
£75.1 million for the European Life-Science Infrastructure for Biological Information (ELIXIR) project.
Cabinet Office
British Nationals Abroad
Alun Cairns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens living outside the UK. [120474]
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 (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of British currently estimated to be living outside the UK. 120474
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not collect information regarding British citizens resident outside the UK. However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
In 2006, the Institute for Public Policy Research produced a report on the British citizens living outside the UK ‘Brits abroad: mapping the scale and nature of British emigration’. This report can be accessed via the IPPR website on:
http://ippr.typepad.com/brits_abroad/2006/12/brits_abroad_pu.html
ONS produces estimates of Long-Term International Migration flows which are primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Detailed information on countries of next residence of emigrants from the UK is available using the IPS component
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of these estimates. Published estimates on the Top 10 countries of next residence for emigrants who are British citizens can be found in our Series 3 tables (3.20b) on the ONS website at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/long-term-international-migration/november-2010/long-term-international-migration-from-international-passenger-survey--ips--tables-1991---latest.zip
Offences Against Children: Charities
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many charities registered in England and Wales have been (a) investigated or (b) the subject of a regulatory inquiry by the Charities Commission for allegations of child sexual abuse in the last three years. [120713]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's Head of Business Services to reply.
Letter from Nick Allaway, dated 12 September 2012:
I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question regarding how many charities registered in England and Wales have been (a) investigated or (b) the subject of a regulatory inquiry by the Charity Commission for allegations of child sexual abuse in the last three years.
Information about our investigations is published annually in our Back on Track publication, on our website. The Commission's role is ensuring trustees comply with their legal duties and responsibilities, including making sure trustees take appropriate steps to protect their charity and its beneficiaries from harm. The Commission is not responsible for safeguarding matters or dealing with incidents of actual abuse and we do not administer the legislation on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, as explained in our Safeguarding Strategy. All suspected criminal activity is passed to the police.
In 2010-11, there were 57 investigations into charities where issues concerned vulnerable beneficiaries, of which 3 were statutory inquiries.
In 2009-10, there were 25 investigations into charities where issues concerned vulnerable beneficiaries, of which 3 were statutory inquiries.
In 2008-09, there were 38 investigations into charities where issues concerned vulnerable beneficiaries, of which 4 were statutory inquiries.
Please note that “vulnerable beneficiaries” includes vulnerable adults and the elderly as well as children, and can relate to other forms of abuse or complaints as well as sexual abuse. The number of cases within each year relating specifically to child sexual abuse will vary, but form only part of the figures above, but it is not possible to specifically break this down.
I hope this information is helpful.
Communities and Local Government
Audit Commission
Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the monetary value was of the (a) basic pay including responsibility allowances, (b) bonus, (c) employer pension contribution, (d) hotel costs in London, (e) travel expenses, (f) hospitality expenses, (g) standard class return rail ticket each week to and from London and (h) other benefits in kind for the chief executive of the Audit Commission in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [119170]
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Brandon Lewis [holding answer 5 September 2012]: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Controller of Audit at the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
I would add that the programme to end routine inspection and assessment, disband the Audit Commission and introduce a new local audit framework will save £650 million over the next five years.
Letter from Marcine Waterman, dated 13 September 2012:
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply. I have extracted the information requested from the audited remuneration report included in the Audit Commission's annual report and accounts for 2011/12 laid before Parliament on 4 July 2012. I have summarised the information requested in the following table.
| £ | ||
| Item | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
On (a), for both years, staff contribute to the Audit Commission Pension Scheme through a salary sacrifice scheme called SMARTpensions. This means that basic salaries are reduced in lieu of an increased employer contribution to the Pension Scheme. For 2010/11, the Chief Executive's salary was reduced by £13k. For 2011/12, the reduction was £14k. These amounts are included in the pension contribution figures, but have been removed from the basic salary figures.
The commission also paid £27,428 tax and NI in 2011/12 (2010/11 £32,512) for the Chief Executive's travel and subsistence costs.
The Chief Executive and Managing Directors are eligible for a lease car or a transport allowance of £4,070 (shown as (i) in the table). The Chief Executive opted for the transport allowance in 2010/11 and 2011/12.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he had made of the costs to the National Audit Office of preparing the code of practice to be followed by auditors of public bodies following the abolition of the Audit Commission. [119536]
Brandon Lewis [holding answer 6 September 2012]: The programme to end routine inspection and assessment, disband the Audit Commission and introduce a new local audit framework will save £650 million over the next five years.
The Government consider that the regulatory costs in the new framework will be no greater than those present in the current Audit Commission framework. The impact assessment published alongside the draft Local Audit Bill estimates that the regulatory costs in the current audit framework are approximately £4 million, including the cost of preparing the code of audit practice. In the
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new audit framework, some of the costs of regulating the system will fall to the National Audit Office, with others falling to the Financial Reporting Council and recognised supervisory bodies. The impact assessment therefore assigns £2 million to the National Audit Office for their regulatory role, including the preparation of the code of audit practice. My Department is working with the National Audit Office to refine this estimate for the updated impact assessment, which will accompany the final Bill.
Correspondence
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [118656]
Brandon Lewis: The average time taken by the Department to reply to correspondence from hon. Members and Peers during this period was 11.7 working days.
Between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 the department received 9,407 letters from hon. Members and Peers. As at 6 September, the Department has responded to 9,173 of the letters received during this period. The following table sets out the length of time taken to respond.
| Number | |
|
Answered between two calendar months and three calendar months | |
|
Answered between three calendar months and six calendar months | |
| (1) 93% answered within one calendar month. | |
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 31-33WS.
Council Tax
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the maximum amount which could be raised by changes to second home discounts and empty property discounts by each local authority; and on what calculations that assessment was based. [120742]
Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 September 2012, Official Report, column 246W, where the information was placed in the Library of the House.
The estimated cost of the second homes discount uses data from DCLG's Local Authority Council Tax Base 2011 England returns, published at:
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http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/203045312.xls
to calculate the number of Band D equivalent second homes by discount rate band. This number is multiplied by the mid-point of the band (where applicable), the Band D council tax and the collection rate, as published in DCLG's 2012-13 council tax levels set by local authorities in England return (2012-13 CT Levels), published at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/2141741.xls
The sum of these costs of discount by discount rate band gives the total estimated cost.
The estimated cost of council tax exemptions for vacant and unoccupied dwellings (the cost of exemption classes A, C and L) uses data from the Council Tax Base 2011 return to calculate the number of Band D equivalent non-student exemptions by local authority. This is multiplied by the Band D council tax and the collection rate, as published in the 2012-13 CT Levels return, to calculate the total cost of non-student exemptions for each local authority. The cost of non-student exemptions by exemption class is found by multiplying this cost by the number of dwellings in receipt of the exemption (published in the Council Tax Base 2011 return) and dividing by the number of non-student exemptions in the local authority. The published figures relate to exemption classes A, C and L.
This Government are taking action to keep council tax down, confirmed there will be no council tax revaluation and helped freeze council tax for two years. By treating everyone equally and fairly and removing the special tax breaks for empty homes and second homes, councils have the potential to cut £20 a year off families' council tax bills.
Council Tax Benefits
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of council tax benefit subsidy reduction in each local authority area in the next financial year. [118711]
Brandon Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.
From April 2013, our reforms will localise council tax support and give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people back into work. Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Administration and welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit we have inherited.
Council tax support allocations for local authorities in 2013-14 and methodology are published in the ‘Localising Support for Council Tax: Funding arrangements Consultation’ at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/2146644
This sets out a possible approach for managing funding pressures, for illustrative purposes. For those authorities whose council tax support allocation is subject to an adjustment in order to manage a funding pressure, their allocation can be found on page 33 of the consultation. For all other authorities, council tax support allocations can be found in the spreadsheet that accompanies the consultation.
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Dividing an authority's council tax support allocation (prior to managing funding pressures) by 0.9 gives the council tax support allocation had a 10% reduction in funding not been introduced. The notional reduction in a local authority's council tax support is equal to the difference between this figure and their allocation after managing funding pressures.
Resilience and Emergencies
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the role and responsibilities of his Department's resilience and emergencies division is; and what work is carried out in the division's offices in London, Leeds and Birmingham. [118595]
Brandon Lewis: The Resilience and Emergencies Division is responsible for the interface between national and local level in emergency planning and response and, in many cases, recovery as well. The Division works closely with the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office and other Government Departments with leads for aspects of resilience policy and emergency response, as well as the 38 local resilience forums in England.
The Division has four key roles:
1. Enable resilient localities:
helping places to identify for themselves the risks they face, mitigate those risks, and manage the impact of risks that materialise, including through barrier busting with central Government Departments;
2. Ensure preparedness for emergencies:
supporting localities to understand the potential impact of different types of emergency, especially those having a multi-locality impact, facilitate the design of a response capability that strikes an appropriate balance between risk of the emergency materialising and its potential impact, and facilitating liaison between local responders and central Government;
3. Discharge our responsibility as the lead Government Department for particular emergencies:
identifying and mitigating the risks, threats and vulnerabilities within the Department's fields of responsibility, sustaining a capability to manage for Government the response to and recover from wide area and national emergencies, and taking responsibility for post-event inquiries and identification of lessons learned;
4. Provide Government support when emergencies occur:
operating for Government a 24/7 liaison officer service to local responders and providing a 24/7 information service on the impact of emergencies and their management. This role is defined in the Central Government's Concept of Operations, which sets out the UK arrangements for responding to and recovering from emergencies, irrespective of cause or location and requiring co-ordinated central Government action. The Division provides the link between central and local resilience functions in respect of planning for and responding to emergencies, as well as the recovery from particular types of emergency.
European Regional Development Fund
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the total funding allocated under the European Regional Development Fund between 2007 and 2012 is currently contractually committed in (a) each English region and (b) England. [120850]
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Brandon Lewis: Historically, the fund programme has been plagued by the legacy of poor administration and financial corrections that dates back to the 2000-06 programme administered under the last Government. By contrast, the coalition Government have overhauled the management of these schemes, bringing them in-house, and minimising the liabilities inherited from the last Administration.
All English programmes for 2007-2013 met their 2011 spend targets, and the programmes are on course and on track, and exactly where we would expect to be at this point in the seven-year programme. Funds can be allocated until the end of 2013, and funds should be spent by 2015.
Overall, an average of over 100%(1) of the 2007-13 English European Regional Development Fund allocation has been either contractually committed or is awaiting contracting, with match funding in place.
The following table sets out the current rates of contractual commitment in each of the 2007-13 European Regional Development Fund programmes in England, and the total for England:
| ERDF operational programme | Total operational programme allocation (£ million) | Amount of ERDF contractually committed(£ million) | Proportion of ERDF allocation contractually committed(%) | Proportion of ERDF allocation contractually committed and awaiting contracting(%) |
| (1) Some of the operational programmes have accepted projects in the pipeline totalling more than the allocation, on the basis that some will not come to fruition. This has been the case under previous programmes as well. | ||||
As outlined in the answer of 23 January 2012, Official Report, column 50W, during the 2000-06 programme, the benefits of European Regional Development Fund were put at risk by poor management under the last Government. Poor administration resulted in liabilities totalling £236 million on the 2000-06 programmes and a payment suspension by the European Commission on the 2007-13 European Regional Development Fund programmes.
Since the management of these programmes was brought in to the Department in 2011 we have succeeded in reducing the 2000-06 liabilities to less than £50 million and the error rates during 2011 for the 2007-13 programmes to significantly below the European Commission's material threshold of 2%.
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On issues such as matched funding, I also refer the right hon. Member to the written evidence submitted by my Department to the recent Select Committee inquiry (HC 81), which can be found online at:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmcomloc/81/81we07.htm
Family Intervention Projects
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many troubled families were helped by family intervention projects in each of the last five years in England and Wales. [119340]
Brandon Lewis [holding answer 5 September 2012]: Families supported by family intervention projects over the last five years are not necessarily troubled families, which were defined for the purposes of the national Troubled Families programme in March 2012.
Fire Prevention
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget was of his Department for advertising for its Fire Kills campaign in 2011-12. [118698]
Brandon Lewis: The total budget for the Fire Kills campaign for 2011-12 was £1 million.
The campaign's main message last year was to encourage people to test their smoke alarms when they changed their clocks to and from British Summer Time. Our research showed that one in seven people tested, and this successful result was probably reflected in the 12% reduction in accidental fire deaths in the home compared with the year before—from 213 to 187.
Fire Services
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change is in his Department's grant to each precepting fire and rescue authority between 2011-12 and 2012-13. [119806]
Brandon Lewis [holding answer 6 September 2012]: Details of 2011-12 and 2012-13 Formula Grant and overall spending power for all local authorities are available on our website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htm
Formula Grant changes for fire and rescue authorities are available at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/chng.xls
In terms of overall spending power combined shire fire and rescue authorities saw an increase of 0.2% between 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Housing Benefit
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the National Landlords Association on changes to housing benefit regulations. [118670]
Mr Prisk: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations can be found online at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/ministerialdata/
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Local Government: Procurement
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by local authorities in procuring goods, works and services in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [117415]
Brandon Lewis: Local authority procurement expenditure in England in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Procurement (£ million) | |
| Source: Department for Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns. | |
These updated procurement expenditure data have been calculated as the running expenses component of service expenditure net of administration recharges within the authority.
It is clear that there is significant scope for major savings in local authority procurement from the £62 billion spent each year. By making these savings, we can enhance front-line services, save taxpayers' money and help to pay off the deficit. To encourage that, we are cutting red tape to open up procurement, especially to small and medium-sized firms. While it is up to a local area to decide from whom to procure, local authorities clearly have significant spending power, which should be used to help drive local growth.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Federation of Small Businesses report on local authority procurement practice; and if he will make a statement; [120509]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to encourage and improve best procurement practice by local authorities; [120513]
(3) what steps his Department has taken to encourage local authorities to measure and monitor the proportion of contracts being awarded to small firms in their area; [120514]
(4) what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage local government to make procurement opportunities accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises; [120515]
(5) what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the barriers in accessing procurement opportunities faced by small and medium-sized enterprises. [120560]
Brandon Lewis: Procurement in local government is a matter for local discretion but the Government are committed to encouraging a more open and level playing field for small and medium enterprises and has taken steps to improve opportunities for them.
Last year the Prime Minister launched a new, free-to-use, online Contracts Finder portal and simplified pre-qualification questionnaire to make it easier and cheaper for small and medium enterprises to bid for public
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sector opportunities. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has also made clear on several occasions that he expects pre-qualification questionnaires to be removed for contracts under the European threshold of £173,000.
I welcome the Federation of Small Businesses' report on local government and procurement. One of its key recommendations was that local authorities should measure and monitor where their procurement spend goes and the impact it has. The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency encourages local authorities to publish copies of contracts and tenders and also expenditure over £500, (including costs, supplier and transaction information). By increasing transparency in local authority spending, citizens and others are now much better placed to hold their local authorities to account in this regard, including on the proportion of contracts being awarded to small firms in their area.
To support better procurement and commissioning, the Government and the Local Government Association are also opening up access to high quality training products for local authority officers, starting with the Commissioning Academy.
We will be undertaking steps to promote best practice, given the significant scope for major savings in local authority procurement from the £62 billion spent each year.
Members: Correspondence
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to answer the letter dated 6 July 2012 on asset transfer sent by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North and transferred to his Department for reply. [120556]
Mr Foster: I replied to the hon. Member on 10 September.
Parks
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to create a body to assess the effect of reductions in Government spending on urban parks. [120640]
Brandon Lewis: We have no plans to create a new quango to oversee local government spending; we are reining in top-down inspection and micromanagement of local government, such as by abolishing the Audit Commission. Quangos divert resources away from frontline services, as evidenced by the fact that the abolition of the Audit Commission will save £650 million of taxpayers' money over the next five years.
Instead, we are increasing local accountability of local government, such as through the new Transparency Code, and by opening up more council executive meetings to members of the (hyper-local) press and public. This will empower local people to scrutinise the spending decisions of local councils, and help councils identify wasteful spending to make sensible savings and support frontline services and community facilities.
I would add that the National Planning Policy Framework has increased planning protection for community facilities. The new guidance asks local councils
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to consider the availability and viability of community facilities as part of the plan-making process and to develop policies to safeguard against their unnecessary loss.
The framework has introduced a new designation to protect valued local green spaces, which has the potential to provide additional planning protection to parks, playing fields and other open green spaces.
This is also complemented by the new community rights introduced by the Localism Act to allow for greater community ownership and management of important local assets.
Resilience and Emergencies Forums
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regional resilience forums in relation to level 1 incidents; and if he will make a statement. [119127]
Brandon Lewis: The Department wrote to local resilience forums and responders in March 2011 to explain that Government supports a flexible, localist and risk based approach to cross-boundary working and relationship building rather than prescribing arrangements based on arbitrary regional boundaries.
Riots Communities and Victims Panel
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total cost to the public purse was of the Riots Community and Victims Panel and its report. [118803]
Brandon Lewis: Members of the Riots Community and Victims Panel served in a voluntary capacity to undertake this role and have been reimbursed for the travel and subsistence costs incurred in their role as panel members. Further costs include office supplies and services, the commissioning of research and the production and publication of the panel's reports. The final cost was £171,500.
The panel were supported by a secretariat comprised of officials from my Department temporarily reassigned to the role, incurring no additional cost to the Department's agreed pay budget for the relevant period.
Defence
Belize
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training has taken place at British Army Training Support Unit Belize since July 2011; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of such training. [119541]
Mr Robathan:
Following the cessation of infantry training exercises on 15 July 2011, routine training activities in Belize have been temporarily suspended as planned. However, other training has and will continue to take place in Belize on a much reduced basis as required by units, for example in individual and collective
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tropical training techniques, of which three such company level infantry exercises have taken place since mid- July 2011.
Defence Equipment
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the Maritime Indirect Fire System; and what estimate he has made of the unit cost of such a system. [120292]
Mr Dunne: A decision on the Assessment Phase for the Maritime Indirect Fire System (MIFS) project is likely to be taken by the end of the year, but the main investment decision point for the whole Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme, of which MIFS is a constituent part, is not expected until the middle of the decade. Given the status of the project, I am withholding the information regarding unit cost of the MIFS system as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Military Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the SC-130J aircraft's suitability as a maritime patrol aircraft; [119550]
(2) what assessment he has made of C-295 aircraft's ability to collect and process (a) magnetic anomaly data, (b) bathymetric data and (c) specific sonar data collected from sonar buoys; [120294]
(3) what discussions he has had with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company on the procurement of the C-295 maritime patrol aircraft; [120298]
(4) what assessment he has made of the C-295's suitability for anti-submarine warfare including the delivery of (a) stand-off weapons and (b) sonar buoys. [120299]
Mr Dunne: Aircraft such as the SC-130J and C-295 are not currently being actively considered as we have not defined our requirement for a future Maritime Patrol Aircraft capability. A decision on any future requirement will not be made until the strategic defence and security review in 2015.
Syria
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) the US military and (b) other US authorities on military intervention in Syria using (i) USAF Lakenheath and (b) other US bases in the UK; and whether the UK must give permission for the bases to be used for such purposes. [120317]
Mr Robathan: The United Kingdom continues to work with other countries to achieve a diplomatic solution to the situation in Syria. The Secretary of State for Defence has not had any specific discussions with the US military or other US authorities on the use of USAF Lakenheath or other US bases in the UK for military intervention in Syria. He has, however, discussed the situation in Syria with US counterparts in the course of normal ministerial business.
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I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 53, in which he said that our objective remains an end to the violence and a transition to a more democratic and stable Syria. That is the only way to avoid protracted civil war, the collapse of the Syrian state, an even greater exodus of refugees, and further appalling loss of life. That is not just our view or the view of other western countries; it is the view of the Arab League and the vast majority of UN member states.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Agriculture
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce carbon emissions from farming. [119106]
Mr Heath: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
DEFRA recognises the important role of soil management practices in maintaining soil organic carbon and soil organic matter to enhance soil productivity and function, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These practices are currently encouraged through the Cross Compliance Guidance on soil management and Soil Protection Review 2010 which all farmers must complete where they are subject to cross compliance.
In addition, DEFRA is taking a number of steps to protect peatlands, which are an important store of carbon, including providing specific incentives for peatland restoration through agri-environment schemes.
Emissions from livestock and agricultural soils of methane and nitrous oxide represent a loss of valuable carbon and nitrogen resources and reduce the efficiency of agricultural systems to produce food and feedstuffs for industry.
The UK Government and the devolved Administrations have developed a joint research programme to improve the evidence on the on-farm practices which can reduce these emissions in a cost-effective way.
In England, the UK Government are working in partnership with stakeholders, including the Greenhouse Gas Agriculture Industry Partnership, to disseminate the evidence and promote the uptake of efficient on-farm practices. The UK Government also have a number of incentive schemes in place for low carbon energy, which farm businesses may access.
DEFRA is currently undertaking a review of our approach to reducing emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture in England, including progress made by industry and Government action in other relevant policy areas. The final conclusions from this review will be published this autumn.
Energy
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the average tariff differentials between (a) pre-payment meters, (b) standard credit, (c) direct debit offline and (d) direct debit online. [119953]
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Mr Hayes: In the June edition of Quarterly Energy Prices DECC published annual bills for 2011 for both electricity and gas based on fixed consumptions of 3,300 kWh/year and 18,000 kWh/year respectively. Bills are published for the three main payment methods.
| £ | |||
| Pre-payment meters | Standard credit | Direct debit | |
The following table splits the direct debit data between offline and online tariffs.
| £ | ||
| Offline direct debit | Online direct debit | |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of electricity price differentials (a) outside and (b) within suppliers' former monopoly regions. [119961]
Mr Hayes: DECC do not publish data by company. The following data taken from table 2.2.1 of Quarterly Energy Prices (QEP) June 2012 shows average bills by payment method split between home and non-home suppliers (bills are estimated based on fixed consumption of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas):
| £ | ||
| Home | Non-Home | |
The range of bills/prices paid by payment type within a given region are published in table 2.2.3 of QEP for electricity and table 2.3.3 for gas. These tables show the maximum, average and minimum bill/price for selected cities which are taken as representative of a region.
Energy: Meters
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department took to encourage responses to its consultation on the consumer engagement strategy before the smart meter roll-out. [118833]
Mr Hayes:
Ministers and officials in the Smart Metering Implementation Programme regularly meet stakeholders through formal working groups and in bilateral meetings to discuss their views on the. programme, including on the consumer engagement strategy and during the consultation took these opportunities to encourage responses. Workshops were also held with stakeholders while the strategy was out for consultation to discuss their views and encourage responses. We informed more
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than 100 stakeholder contacts of the publication of the strategy and publicised it through our website, including in my blog, a tweet and in a Press Notice. I also wrote to MPs, Lords and the chairs of relevant Select Committees to raise awareness.
The consultation closed on 1 June and we received 55 responses. We are currently reviewing the strategy in light of these and will respond later this year.
Freedom of Information
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what role Ministers in his Department have in taking decisions on requests made to his Department under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [120740]
Mr Hayes: Decisions on requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act are handled in accordance with the provisions of the legislation with day-to-day responsibility for handling requests delegated to officials.
Nuclear Energy Agency
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from what sources funding is drawn for the Government's participation in and membership of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; what (a) financial and (b) in-kind support has been provided by each supporting company since May 2010; and on what dates. [120700]
Mr Hayes: Until the end of 2011, the Department of Energy and Climate Change funded the UK's participation in and membership of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For the 2012 calendar year, funding was drawn from the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. For the next calendar year, funding will again be drawn from the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, with the remainder to be contributed by the Nuclear Industry Association on behalf of industry.
Nuclear Power
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what procedures he is putting in place to ensure maximum transparency in the setting of the strike price for new nuclear generation. [119128]
Mr Hayes: There will be full transparency over the terms of any investment instruments or Contracts for Difference offered to developers of low carbon electricity generating projects, including new nuclear generation.
The Government are currently considering its response to the recommendations for additional measures contained in the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee's report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Energy Bill, and will provide further details in its response to that report.
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Nuclear Risk Insurers
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) hospitality and (b) sponsorship Ministers and officials in his Department have received from Nuclear Risk Insurers Ltd since May 2010. [120699]
Mr Hayes: No Ministers in the Department have received hospitality or sponsorship from Nuclear Risk Insurers Ltd (NRI) since May 2010.
Two officials attended the International Nuclear Pools Chairmen's Conference dinner on 18 June 2012 which was organised by NRI. No officials have been sponsored by NRI.
Departmental Contracts
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the name is of each company with which his Department has a contract; what the monetary value of each such contract is; and what is provided to his Department under the terms of the contract. [120772]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has devolved procurement and contract management to its divisions with all contract requirements being managed independently. The procurement function is an advisory service being provided by the centre. The information requested is currently unavailable.
The procurement section is currently working to provide a central contracts register. Contracts of the Department are published on the Cabinet Office website which can be found at
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on taking into account when assessing tenders submitted for departmental contracts the (a) apprenticeship schemes, (b) policies on employment of paid interns and (c) policies of payment of at least the living wage of each bidding company. [120795]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change policy for all tenders issued is to comply with the Government Procurement Service best practice guidance.
Procurement staff seek opportunities to promote skills training, qualifications and apprenticeships in contracts wherever appropriate.
The Department's standard terms and conditions contain clauses within contracts to ensure suppliers provide the services in accordance with good industry practice and legal requirements. Should a breach of these conditions occur, the Department has the ultimate option to terminate the contract.
Public Expenditure
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on soft furnishings, plants, artwork and other office improvements since May 2010; and what items were purchased. [120853]
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Gregory Barker: DECC has not spent anything on soft furnishing, plants or artwork since May 2010. A number of other office improvements have been carried out over the period, primarily to redecorate after wear and tear or to increase the capacity and efficiency of the estate. These are shown in the following table:
Renewable Energy
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funds his Department spent on energy subsidies for (a) wind, (b) solar and (c) hydro-electric power in each financial year since 2009-10 to date; and what estimate he has made of such spending in each financial year to 2014-15. [120548]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 11 September 2012]: The following tables provide figures for spend on energy subsidies in the financial years since 2009-10 to date, and an estimate of spend in each financial year to 2014-15.
| Table 1: FITs support costs | ||||
| Nominal, £ million | ||||
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
| Note: Non-solar PV total is rounded and does not match sum of components. Source: FITs 2B Government Response IA | ||||
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| Table 2: RO support costs | ||||||
| Nominal, £ million | ||||||
| Actual spend | Estimated expected spend | |||||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12(1) | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
| (1) 2011-12 figures are based on modelling, and may be different from actual figures which are expected to be available in December. Source: ROCs register, Poyry modelling and DECC calculations. | ||||||
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of the National Audit Office report, Central Government's implementation of the national Compact. [120629]
Gregory Barker: DECC has strong working relationships with many civil society organisations. These relationships respect the Compact principle of a strong, diverse and independent civil society. For example, DECC recently established an informal advisory Community Energy Contact Group to advise the Department on community energy issues.
In public consultation exercises, DECC follows the Government Code of Practice on Consultation and if unable, provides a clear explanation as to why that was so.
DECC has a nominated Civil Society Liaison Officer.
Training
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) media and (b) public speaking training Ministers in his Department have received since May 2010; and what the (i) date and (ii) cost was of each session. [120738]
Gregory Barker: Since May 2010, one Minister has received media training. It took place on 31 July 2012 at a cost of £2,160.00 inclusive of VAT.
Warm Front Scheme: Coventry
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) Coventry and (b) Coventry North East constituency who applied for help through the Warm Front scheme were turned down in each of the last five years. [120705]
Gregory Barker: The number of households that applied to the scheme but did not meet the eligibility criteria for Warm Front assistance in the Coventry and Coventry North East constituencies in each of the last five years is set out in the following tables(1):
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| Coventry LA | |
| Applications not accepted | |
| Coventry North East | |
| Applications not accepted | |
| (1 )Prior to scheme year 2011-12 applications not accepted are recorded as non-qualifying applications. Data for 2011-12 include applications that were not accepted at survey stage due to failing to meet the required benefit or SAP criteria. | |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish full details of the background, expertise, previous and current employment, and commercial interest, of all members of Advisory Committee on Pesticides. [120526]
Richard Benyon: Full details of the members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) are published in line with the provisions of the code of practice for scientific advisory committees. These details can be found on the ACP pages of the following website:
www.pesticides.gov.uk
All members declare interests in line with the code of practice both on an annual basis (these are published in the ACP annual report), and at the start of discussion of each item during meetings. Interests of members joining the committee in 2012 will be published in the annual report for 2012. Declarations of interest made at each meeting are published with the minutes and detailed records of those meetings.
Bees
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the statement in the letter of 23 July 2012 from Lord Taylor of Holbeach, reference MC 278501, on the Friends of the Earth report on Reviving British Bees, that the Government would respond to the report as soon as possible after the summer, when the Government plans to respond to the call for a national bee action plan; and if he will make a statement. [120506]
Mr Heath:
We are continuing to consider the detailed recommendations in the Friends of the Earth report, alongside a range of other evidence on the state of bees
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and other pollinators. We hope to be able to be in a position to respond in detail to Friends of the Earth shortly.
National Income
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition of gross domestic product-plus his Department uses. [119783]
Richard Benyon: GDP+ is a proposal to encourage countries to move away from using gross domestic product (GDP) as the sole indicator of progress, by taking account of the full range of factors which contribute to economic activity and societal well-being (for example, social exclusion and non-market goods and services such as those provided by the environment). The precise measures have yet to be defined.
Within the UK, we are building on the commitment in the Natural Environment White Paper to take the value of natural capital into account in our economic thinking. We are doing this by working with the Office for National Statistics on measuring well-being and on including natural capital within our National Accounts.
We are also working with the European Commission to take forward the ‘beyond GDP’ agenda and on measures of resource efficiency as part of the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. DEFRA and the Deputy Prime Minister promoted the concept of GDP+ in the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit. At the conference, the participating countries requested the UN Statistical Commission to launch a programme of work, which the UK will be engaging with.
Scallops
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science project to obtain scallop data for modelling recruitment and management has made; what funding has been made available for this project; and how much has been spent so far. [120008]
Richard Benyon: This five-year project, due to report shortly, will provide DEFRA with a clearer understanding of scallop larvae settlement in the English channel. This information will identify important juvenile scallop grounds, and will help meet our commitments under the marine strategy framework directive. It will also inform the management of these grounds to achieve wider stock benefits.
The project has been allocated funding of £742,064, of which £683,799 has been spent so far.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report, Central Government's implementation of the national Compact. [120563]
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Richard Benyon: We have discussed the Department's approach to Compact implementation with DEFRA's Civil Society Advisory Board (CSAB) and we are now working with the Board on a range of ways in which DEFRA can work more effectively with civil society. The Board's input will underpin our future implementation of the Compact, including consideration of the National Audit Office's recommendations.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Al Shabaab
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the activities of Al Shabaab in East African countries. [120413]
Mark Simmonds:
Despite Al Shabaab's withdrawal from Mogadishu in August 2011 and other significant locations, they continue to pose a threat to the people of Somalia, as demonstrated by the bomb attacks in Mogadishu on 12 September. They also continue to
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pose a threat to regional partners and UK interests in the region, and have issued public threats against Kenya because of its military intervention in Somalia.
Buildings
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the name and address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated book value is of each such building. [120498]
Mr Lidington: The following table details all owned offices in the UK and overseas. Residential accommodation is not included as there is a security risk to our staff associated with releasing such information into the public domain.
The total book value of our owned properties is £2.1 billion. Individual valuations are not provided as this information is commercially sensitive.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Estate is a platform for delivering the FCO’s main priorities of security, prosperity and support for British nationals overseas. Within the Diplomatic Excellence programme, we will deliver an estate that is flexible, safe and secure, low cost and good value for money, modern, functional, smaller, sustainable and, increasingly, a platform for all of the Government.
| Country name | Post name | Address line 1 | Address line 2 | Address line 3 | Address line 4 |
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|
British Consulate-General, 2-8 Alameda de Urquijo, 48008 Bilbao | |||||
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