Cormorants

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what his policy is on protecting river fish stock from increased cormorant numbers; [119884]

(2) whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects on cormorant numbers of adding that bird to the general shooting licence; [119885]

(3) whether he has given consideration to adding cormorants to the general shooting licence. [119886]

Richard Benyon: Cormorants, like all wild birds, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Section 16 of the Act allows for licences to be issued in certain circumstances and for certain purposes, including the protection of livestock. If cormorants are causing or are likely to cause serious damage to inland fisheries, licences permitting fisheries managers to shoot a limited number of them to protect a fishery may be granted. Licences will only be issued where it can be shown non-lethal measures designed to address problem birds have failed to be effective. Most licences issued are for the purposes of enabling fishery owners to reinforce the effects of shooting to scare.

DEFRA is carrying out a review of the current policy in relation to managing the impact of predation on inland fisheries from cormorants, goosanders and red-breasted mergansers. In the course of this review, officials are considering a range of options for managing the serious damage these birds can cause and will consider the impacts of using general licences along with the other options. The review is expected to report to Ministers this year. Once completed, the outcomes of the review will be made publicly available.

Ducks: Animal Welfare

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve the welfare of farmed ducks. [122022]

15 Oct 2012 : Column 48W

Mr Heath: The Government are committed to improved standards of welfare of all livestock. The welfare of ducks is provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. DEFRA also has a duck welfare code which keepers are required by law to have access to and be familiar with, which encourages high standards of husbandry.

DEFRA completed a three-year research project in 2007 to assess whether farmed ducks needed bathing water and if so, how it should be provided. The findings of this research were built on, with the RSPCA, academics and the duck industry, to look at how water could be provided to ducks in a commercial setting, whilst being mindful of the risk to biosecurity. DEFRA took an active part in the accompanying RSPCA ‘Higher Duck Welfare Programme' steering group. As a result of this collaborative approach, duck welfare standards have been raised as both the RSPCA's Freedom Foods scheme and the industry's own Duck Assurance Scheme have ensured that their standards reflect the latest research.

DEFRA welcomes the availability of duck meat products reared to a range of standards which meet the law and allow consumers to make their own choice in purchasing.

Fisheries

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of research into fish stocks in the North sea by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. [121638]

Richard Benyon: The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science conducts a wide range of research on fish stocks in the North sea. Findings from this research are used to inform UK fisheries conservation policies and feed into International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice on the health of fish stocks, which are in turn used to set catch limits to protect against overfishing.

For example, ICES advice shows that there has been a gradual improvement in the status of the North sea cod stock over the last few years. The weight of mature cod (spawning stock biomass) has increased from its historical low in 2006 of 26.2 kt to 65.3 kt at the start of 2012. This equates to an estimated 21 million breeding mature cod in the North sea. Although the cod is still at low levels, it is positive news that this stock is gradually recovering.

Fishing Vessels

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to licence variations issued to the UK scalloping fleet limiting them to a prescribed number of 24 hour fishing days in Western Waters for quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2012, how many and what proportion of vessels did not comply due to deploying excessive days beyond those permitted in each such quarter; and how many non-compliant vessels in each such quarter (a) were contacted directly by fisheries administrations and (b) have had (i) administrative or (ii) other action taken against them. [121900]

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Richard Benyon: In quarter one 2012, 23 (32%) active vessels in that quarter overfished their allocation of effort days. In quarter two 2012, 3 (5%) active vessels in that quarter overfished their allocation.

Administrations will be contacting vessels that have overfished with a view to taking administrative action in the final quarter of 2012.

Fishing Vessels: Decommissioning

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is his policy to seek voluntary decommission of fishing vessels in the North Sea. [121644]

Richard Benyon: There are currently no plans to seek voluntary decommissioning of fishing vessels in the North sea.

Health: EU Law

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the effect on (a) life expectancy and (b) premature deaths avoided of action taken to implement the EU Incineration of Waste Directive and associated amendments (i) in total and (ii) in each region since it came into force; and if he will make a statement. [121590]

Richard Benyon: Some assessment at a national level of the general benefits to health of the EU Waste Incineration Directive was included in an impact assessment prepared at the time the directive was finalised in 2000.

The Health Protection Agency has reviewed research undertaken to examine the suggested links between emissions from municipal waste incinerators and effects on health. While it is not possible to rule out adverse health effects from modern, well regulated municipal waste incinerators with complete certainty, any potential damage to the health of those living close-by is likely to be very small, if detectable. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that modem and well managed municipal waste incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants.

Medical Equipment: Waste Disposal

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the classification for the purpose of waste disposal of colostomy and urostomy bags; whether such items can be disposed of as waste; and what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities comply with his policy on disposal of such items. [122116]

Richard Benyon: The exact classification of colostomy and urostomy bags depends on their nature. Under the controlled waste (England and Wales) regulations 2012, they may fall within the definition of ‘clinical waste', ‘offensive waste', or ‘household waste' under section 75(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

In a domestic situation, colostomy and urostomy bags would normally be classified as ‘offensive' waste from health care related activities, rather than ‘clinical waste'.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 50W

A domestic household can discard small quantities of offensive waste in their domestic refuse. It is recommended practice, to aid subsequent management and disposal, that larger quantities are segregated for collection. This should be arranged with the local authority. The same principle would apply for the patient's place of work.

These bags would only be considered ‘clinical waste' where a health care worker had identified a specific risk from that individual patient, such as a risk of infection. ‘Clinical waste' is subject to additional controls that typically involve more stringent packaging, transportation and documentary tracking requirements followed by either incineration or disinfection (e.g. by autoclave).

We believe it is best for local authorities, working with their residents, to decide how to run local waste services. Any dissatisfaction with local authority services should be taken up with that authority. Failure by a local authority to fulfil its statutory duties may be taken up with the local government ombudsman.

Milk: Prices

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the recent price reduction by milk processors on the dairy industry with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. [121578]

Mr Heath: The Groceries Supply Code of Practice covers relationships between supermarkets and their direct dairy suppliers. However, key contractual arrangements and pricing policies between milk processors and dairy farmers will be addressed by the dairy industry's new code of practice, which includes arrangements for evaluation and review.

Miriam Maes

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department have met Miriam Maes on official business since May 2010. [121341]

Richard Benyon: According to core DEFRA records, no Ministers or special advisers in the Department have met Miriam Maes on official business since May 2010. Information on official level meetings cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Natural Resources

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the proposals in the Gaborone Declaration on valuing natural capital. [121731]

Richard Benyon: The Gaborone Declaration sets out 10 African countries' commitment to respond to the issues of environmental destruction and climate change. It places emphasis on natural capital accounting as a complement to GDP and corporate performance statistics.

The independent Natural Capital Committee has been established to provide advice on the state of English natural capital and in particular to advise the Government

15 Oct 2012 : Column 51W

on: (i), when, where and how natural assets are being used unsustainably; (ii), how it should prioritise action to protect and improve natural capital, so that public and private activity is focused where it will have greatest impact on improving wellbeing in our society; and (iii), research priorities to improve future advice and decisions on protecting and enhancing natural capital.

The Government have committed to put natural capital at the heart of government accounting and the Office for National Statistics has recently published a consultation, ‘Accounting for the value of nature in the UK', to help achieve this. The Natural Capital Committee is working with the Office for National Statistics in developing methodologies for accounting for natural capital.

Nature Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the European Commission legislative proposal on invasive alien species. [121741]

Richard Benyon: We are expecting the European Commission to publish its proposed EU directive on invasive alien species later this year. Until its publication, we will not know its precise content. However, given the serious ecological, environmental and economic impacts that invasive alien species are causing, and their potential to spread across the EU naturally or via the single market, member states' Governments have repeatedly called on the Commission to develop a strategy that would create a stronger framework for collective action in the EU to tackle this issue.

Proposals for a new EU Strategy on Invasive Alien Species have been in development for some considerable time. The UK's objective has been, and will continue to be, to ensure that what results is helpful, justified, practical and proportionate.

As well as the proposal itself, the Commission is required to produce an accompanying impact assessment. We will of course be scrutinising this to ensure it is rigorous and comprehensive.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the Royal Association of Dairy Farmers' request that due to summer rainfall and the effect on slurry storage there should be a national derogation for the upcoming nitrate vulnerable zone closed spreading periods. [120108]

Mr Heath: Rainfall this summer has been much greater than normal, and the five months from April to August were the wettest in England and Wales since records began in 1910. This has made conditions for spreading slurry difficult on many farms. In addition, many animals have been kept indoors for significantly longer than usual because of the poor ground conditions, resulting in further slurry accumulation.

The closed period rules which apply in nitrate vulnerable zones are set out in the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, as amended. We do not consider that a national derogation from the closed period rules would be appropriate.

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However, the Government has asked the Environment Agency to take particular account of certain matters when deciding whether enforcement action under those regulations would be appropriate during the first two weeks of the closed period as it applies to heavier land. (The closed period is 1-15 October for tillage land and 15-31 October for grassland; “heavier land” is land which is not sandy or shallow as defined in the regulations). In brief, those matters are the impact of the exceptional weather on individual farms and, in light of that, whether farmers have complied with the relevant rules and followed good practice. We have also asked the Environment Agency to take account of these matters when deciding what action should be taken when a breach of the regulations concerning the closed period is identified. The full policy statement is available on the DEFRA website.

The Environment Agency seeks to enforce the regulations in all cases in a proportionate way, taking into account all the circumstances of each case. Where the impact of the exceptional weather has been demonstrably detrimental to the individual farmer's ability to spread slurry and the factors set out in the statement apply, the Environment Agency will be in a better position to give credit to the farmer when it comes to deciding whether, in all the circumstances, enforcement action is justified and appropriate.

The Government will keep this matter under review.

Ministerial Visits: Nottinghamshire

Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what ministerial visits to (a) the City of Nottingham and (b) Nottinghamshire have taken place since May 2010. [121761]

Richard Benyon: The following visits to the (a) City of Nottingham and (b) Nottinghamshire have taken place since May 2010:

MinisterVisitedDate of visitPurpose of visit

Owen Paterson

City of Nottingham

13 September 2012

Flood defence visit

Lord Taylor

City of Nottingham

2 March 2012

Fact-finding visit ‘Love Where You Live' campaign

Child Care

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many child care places his Department provides on its estate; what the cost is of providing such places; how many such places his Department provided in 2010; what the cost was of providing such places in 2010; what plans he has for changes in the provision of such child care places; and what the number of places will be once any such changes have been implemented. [121267]

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA currently provides the full-time equivalent (FTE) of 44 nursery places, which are taken up on a full or part-time basis. Costs for the 2012-13 financial year are not available. Costs for the previous two financial years are shown in the following table.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 53W

 2010-112011-12

Number of FTE places available

44

44

Number of children from core DEFRA employees filling places on full and/or part-time basis

45

48

Cost to core DEFRA (£)

91,469

68,273

Costs to core DEFRA have reduced since 2010 due to withdrawal of a subsidy for new entrants to the nursery. Core DEFRA only incurs costs for the remaining subsidised nursery places.

Additionally, in 2010-11, core DEFRA provided for six nursery places off-site at a cost of £7,863. In 2011-12, core DEFRA provided for one place off-site at a cost of £996. This facility was withdrawn due to lack of demand.

There is a planned review of the strategy for child care in 2013.

Palm Oil

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the prohibition on the first placing of unsustainable palm oil on the EU market. [121736]

Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him of 19 June 2012, Official Report, column 858W. As explained, we have no plans to prevent the placing on the market of unsustainable palm oil. The Government is however supporting a number of positive initiatives to encourage United Kingdom users and the wider market to move to sustainably sourced palm oil.

Plants

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the European Commission proposal for a new plant health law. [121742]

Mr Heath: The UK was instrumental in securing a review of the EU plant health regime which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction at the start of the Single Market. In partnership with key stakeholders the UK has been active in influencing the Commission's approach with key objectives being:

faster decision-making as plant health risks change and new pests arrive;

better risk targeting and a shift of inspection effort from plant produce to plants and propagating material (including addressing threats from new and emerging trades);

more co-operation between plant health inspectorates across the EU.

The Commission's formal proposals for a new plant health law are expected early next year.

Pollution: EU Law

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the effect on (a) life expectancy and (b) premature deaths avoided of action taken to implement the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive and

15 Oct 2012 : Column 54W

associated amendments (i) in total and (ii) in each region since it came into force; and if he will make a statement. [121589]

Richard Benyon: The 2008 Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) consolidated the 1996 Air Quality Framework Directive and three, subsequent ‘daughter' directives into a single directive. It introduced several new provisions, including the possibility of additional time to meet certain limit values. The fourth ‘daughter' directive, adopted in 2004, is expected to be consolidated at a later date. Many of the health based standards set out in the 2008 directive were adopted over 10 years ago. Detailed estimates are not available of the effects of the legislation on life expectancy and premature deaths avoided since its adoption.

An assessment made in 2010, using 2008 data, estimated the average reduction in life expectancy due to exposure to fine particulate matter to be six months. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) estimated that this burden can also be expressed as being equivalent to 29,000 deaths per year, assuming particulate matter concentrations do not change. However, COMEAP considers it very unlikely that this represents the number of individuals affected or that air pollution affects everyone equally. Instead it speculates that air pollution, acting together with other factors, may have made some smaller contribution to all cardiovascular deaths in the UK; that is, the earlier deaths of up to 200,000 people per year.

The mortality effect associated with particulate air pollution is now an indicator in the Government's Public Health Outcomes Framework for England. COMEAP recently published a statement recommending simplified methods for estimating the mortality effects of particulate air pollution on a local scale. These estimates are expected to be useful in future in communicating the importance of the effects of air pollution on public health.

Research

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on research and development in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; and how much he plans to spend in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [121882]

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA’s research and development (R and D) spend since 2008-09 is summarised in the following table.

 Spend (£ million)

2008-09

128

2009-10

120

2010-11

105

2011-12

109

Core DEFRA has allocated £106 million for R and D in 2012-13, but has not yet finalised allocations for R and D budgets in 2013-14 or 2014-15.

These figures include work commissioned by core DEFRA from its laboratory agencies, namely the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

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Seas and Oceans: Pollution

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the marine and coastal environment of plastics that have been dumped at sea. [121903]

Richard Benyon: Charting Progress 2 (CP2), the 2010 comprehensive report on the state of UK seas, summarises the information available on the sources and effects of litter, including plastics. Around 15% of UK beach litter, including lost fishing gear and litter from containers lost at sea, is thought to originate at sea from fishing and shipping. The effects of plastic litter can include harm to wildlife from entanglement or ingestion of plastics.

Since 2010, DEFRA and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS), the Government's foremost source of evidence on the marine environment, have continued work to improve understanding of marine litter. This includes a current research project that has updated some information in CP2 and aims to develop a standardised UK monitoring programme. CEFAS is also contributing to MARLISCO (Marine Litter in Europe Seas: Social Awareness and Co-responsibility), an EU research programme on societal changes on litter and it will be taking part in an EU project on effects and distributions of micro plastics.

Sky Lanterns

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the dangers to animals, crops and property arising from the release of sky lanterns. [119337]

Mr Heath: The Government is aware of concerns about the impacts of sky lanterns on animals, crops and property and has taken steps to raise public awareness about the potential dangers sky lanterns pose, and to encourage people to think carefully before using them. We will continue to look for further opportunities to do this over the coming months, especially as we approach bonfire night.

In order to assess the extent of the dangers posed by sky lanterns and possible steps to address such dangers, DEFRA proposes to commission an independent study to examine in detail the scale of the risks associated with the use of sky lanterns, and their impact on livestock, plants and the environment. The results of this study will help inform any future Government action.

Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to review the Government's policies to ensure such policies are consistent with the Government's vision for sustainable development. [121737]

Mr Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Minister for Government Policy have lead responsibility for the commitment to

15 Oct 2012 : Column 56W

mainstream sustainable development in Government. Both are members of the Home and Economic Affairs Committees that deal with domestic policy.

Departments' business plans include commitments relating to sustainable development. Each Department is responsible for deciding how it will implement its sustainable development commitments. Progress is monitored through a regular review process led by the Minister of State for Government Policy and supported by DEFRA.

Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what media or public speaking training Ministers in his Department have received since May 2010. [122079]

Richard Benyon: Lord Taylor, the then Under-Secretary of State in the Lords, received internal media training on 27 October 2011 and 29 February 2012.

No other Ministers in the Department have received media or public speaking training since May 2010.

Veterinary Medicine

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the veterinary surgeons that work for the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency were trained (a) in the UK and (b) abroad. [121648]

Mr Heath: Of the 302 veterinary surgeons that work for the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency:

(a) 230 studied in the UK, and;

(b) 72 studied abroad.

The data were obtained on 11 October 2012 from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons register, which holds the details about the background and training of individual vets.

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinary surgeons are employed by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. [121649]

Mr Heath: As of August 2012, based on subscriptions to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 302 vets are employed by Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory Agency.

Veterinary Medicine: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what information his Department holds on levels of use of (a) fluoroquinolones and (b) 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins by vets; [121733]

(2) what guidance his Department provides to vets on the desirability of limiting the use of (a) fluoroquinolones and (b) 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. [121734]

15 Oct 2012 : Column 57W

Mr Heath: For the past 14 years, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has collected, collated and published figures on UK sales volumes of active antimicrobial ingredients in authorised veterinary medicinal products.

There is no central record of the use of antimicrobials in animals in the UK. However, it is reasonable to assume that there is a direct relationship between the reported quantities of products sold and those used in the UK in the species indicated:

The report published for 2010 shows that there were 1.4 tonnes of 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins sold (0.3% of the total 447 of antimicrobials tonnes sold) and 2.2 tonnes of fluoroquinolones sold (0.5% of the total 447 tonnes of antimicrobials sold).

These reports can be found at:

http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/fsf/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx

The Government have long promoted the responsible use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine and has produced publications such as a Code of Practice on the Responsible Use of Medicines on the Farm and a leaflet on antimicrobials, available on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's website:

http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/vet/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx

The Government work closely with the farming industry, the veterinary profession and the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance. RUMA has produced, various sector specific publications and guidance all of which can be found on the RUMA website. RUMA's most recent publication is a poster on responsible use of antibiotics available at:

http://www.ruma.org.uk/images/EPRUMA%20poster.JPG

In addition, the British Veterinary Association has produced a poster on the responsible use of antimicrobials for veterinary practices, available at:

http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/BVA_Antimicrobials_Poster.PDF

Cabinet Office

Census

Mr Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he intends to conduct a review of the 2011 census and make proposals for the format of the next census. [122064]

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:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which has responsibility for the Census, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking when he intends to conduct a review of the 2011 Census and proposals for the format of the next census. (122064)

An ONS review of the 2011 Census in England and Wales is already in progress and a number of evaluations were published on the ONS website on 16 July. Further evaluations will be published as they become available. A General Report of the 2011 Census will be published by March 2014. In addition, the National Audit Office has recently conducted its own review of the 2011 Census and is expected to publish a report shortly.

At this stage it is too early to know whether or not there will be another Census in England and Wales. All the signs are that the 2011 Census in England and Wales has been a great success.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 58W

Nonetheless in common with many other countries there are concerns that a census is becoming increasingly costly and difficult to carry out. A more mobile population and the increasingly complex ways in which people live are making the process of census taking more and more challenging. There may also be opportunities to produce statistics in other ways, for example by using data about the population that government already holds.

ONS established the Beyond 2011 Programme on 1st April 2011 to assess options for meeting future user needs for population and small area socio-demographic statistics in England and Wales. During the first phase, which runs from 2011 to 2014, the programme will assess users' requirements and consider the best way of meeting these needs. The options under consideration include full or partial use of linked data from existing government administrative sources, the use of an address register with surveys, a short-form census with continuous surveys, and the retention of a traditional census.

Users of census statistics will be consulted before any recommendation is made. A report setting out the recommendation arising from the first phase of the programme will be published in 2014.

Civil Servants: Training

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants in each Government department have enrolled in the Major Projects Leadership Academy since February 2012. [120938]

Miss Chloe Smith: This Government established a Major Projects Leadership Academy (MPLA) as a unique world class development programme to transform the delivery of major projects in the public sector. We are confident that this will dramatically improve the performance of Government's largest and most complex projects. This is in striking contrast to the track record of the previous administration's handling of the major projects portfolio.

Since its launch earlier this year, the MPLA programme is on track to bring back world class project leadership capability to Whitehall. The number of participants per Department so far are:

DepartmentTotal number

CO

3

BIS

3

DCLG

2

DCMS

1

DFE

3

DEFRA

2

DFT

5

DWP

2

DECC

4

DH

4

FCO

1

HMRC

4

HO

4

MOD

8

MOJ

4

NAO

1

ONS

2

NI

1

Scottish Government

1

Welsh Government

1

ODA

1

Total

57

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We are on track to ensure (as per the Civil Service Reform Plan) that all senior project leaders across Government have commenced training through the Major Projects Leadership Academy by Q4 2012.

Employment: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the net change was in the number of private sector jobs in (a) the Tees Valley, (b) the North East, (c) Middlesbrough, (d) Redcar constituency, (e) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (f) Stockton North constituency, (g) Stockton South constituency, (h) Hartlepool constituency and (i) Darlington constituency from May 2010 to the latest date for which figures are available in 2012. [121214]

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 Parliamentary Question asking what the net change in private sector jobs was in (a) the Tees Valley, (b) the North East, (c) Middlesbrough, (d) Redcar constituency, (e) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (f) Stockton North constituency, (g) Stockton South constituency, (h) Hartlepool constituency and (i) Darlington constituency from May 2010 to the latest period for which figures are available. (121214)

Estimates of private sector jobs are not available. As an alternative in table 1, we have provided net change in private sector employment in the North East from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and returns from public sector organisations between June 2010 and June 2012 the latest available period.

As data from the LFS and returns from public sector organisations is only available at regional level, in Table 2, we have provided the net changes in private sector employment from the Annual Population Survey (APS) in (a) the Tees Valley, (b) the North East, (c) Middlesbrough, (d) Redcar constituency, (e) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (f) Stockton North constituency, (g) Stockton South constituency, (h) Hartlepool constituency and (i) Darlington constituency between the 12 month periods ending in December 2010 and March 2012 the latest available period.

Estimates for May 2010 are not available as public sector returns are collected quarterly (March, June, Sept, Dec).

Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS and the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the APS estimates is given in table 2.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Table 1: Net change in private sector employment between June 2010 and June 2012
Thousand
 June 2010June 2012Net change

North East

841

877

36

Note: Estimated as the difference between LFS total employment and the data from public sector organisations. Source: Labour Force Survey and returns from public sector organisations.

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Table 2: Net change in private sector employment between December 2010 and March 2012
Thousand
 12 months ending: 
 December 2010March 2012Net change

North East

793

*796

3

Tees Valley

198

**195

-3

Middlesbrough

39

**37

-2

Redcar

24

**23

-1

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

27

**29

2

Stockton North

29

**26

-3

Stockton South

34

**34

0

Hartlepool

26

**25

-1

Darlington

27

**29

2

Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated tor the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey.

Employment: Surrey

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed by small and medium-sized businesses in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey in the latest period for which figures are available. [122009]

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 recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people were employed by small and medium-sized businesses in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey in the latest period for which figures are available. [122009]

Annual statistics on the number of employees are available from the ONS release Business Register Employment Survey (BRES) at:

www.statistics.gov.uk

However, it is not possible to derive a breakdown by employment size band from BRES. The table contains the latest statistics available, which show the number of employees in Woking and Surrey for 2010.

AreaNumber of employees

Surrey

509,000

Woking

45,000

Note: These figures are aggregates from which farm agriculture (SIC class 0100) have been excluded.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 61W

Former Ministers

Dr Whiteford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost to the public purse is of resettlement payments made to former Ministers of each Department who have left the Government since 4 September 2012; and which former Ministers who left the Government after 4 September 2012 have been recommended to receive an honour. [120800]

Mr Maude: As was the case under previous Governments, the rules on severance payments are set out in the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991. Under this legislation, Ministers leaving office are entitled to receive three months' worth of severance pay which is based on their annual ministerial salary.

The Prime Minister will recommend to the Queen that my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Sir George Young) be appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour. The Prime Minister has also recommended to The Queen that knighthoods be conferred upon the following:

James Paice MP

Edward Garnier QC MP

Nick Harvey MP

Gerald Howarth MP.

Government Departments: Assets

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government freehold assets have been sold to private purchasers since 2010; and what Government freehold assets have been identified for future sale to private purchasers. [121592]

Miss Chloe Smith: Specific information about the purchasers of Government assets is not collected centrally.

Government Departments: Electric Cables

Chris Williamson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the volume of counterfeit or falsely marked electrical cabling that is installed in Government buildings. [121605]

Mr Maude: There have been no recorded instances of counterfeit or falsely marked electrical cabling installed into Cabinet Office buildings.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2012, Official Report, column 118W, on Government departments: procurement, which government departments are yet to eliminate the use of pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements below £100,000; and when they expect to do so. [122047]

Miss Chloe Smith: The use of pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) for procurements below £100,000 has been eliminated in all central Government Departments except the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence; these Departments have additional security requirements to consider.

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The Minister for the Cabinet Office has granted exemptions to the FCO and the MOD to use PQQs in below threshold procurement where it is necessary to withhold information from suppliers who do not meet minimum selection criteria due to the performance of the contract being secret, accompanied by special security measures, and/or when the protection of personnel or the special interests of the United Kingdom warrant it. The exemption also applies, for defence goods, works or services, where the impact of military-technical or safety risks is disproportionately high compared to the value of the requirement.

For procurements where PQQs are still required we issued a simplified, standardised pre-qualification questionnaire in 2010. This was updated in February 2012 to reflect changes as a result of the Bribery Act. It is available for any public body to use.

If suppliers come across overly bureaucratic PQQs they can report them to our ‘Mystery Shopper' service.

Government Departments: Property

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what savings to the public purse have been made on the Government's property estate since May 2010. [121014]

Mr Maude: I refer my hon. Friend to the annual State of the Estate report, which I laid before the House on 23 May 2012.

Internet: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) individuals and (b) households in (i) the North West, (ii) Warrington and (iii) Warrington North constituency, who do not use the internet. [121830]

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 recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the number of (a) individuals and (b) households in (i) the North West, (ii) Warrington and (iii) Warrington North constituency, who do not use the internet. [121830]

Estimates of Internet use by adults aged 16 years and over are published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics and are available on the Office for National Statistics website. These estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and have coverage of the United Kingdom (UK). The latest available estimate (in respect of Q2 2012) of the number of adults in the North West who have never used the Internet is 886,000. Estimates are not available for Warrington in isolation or the Warrington North constituency. However, the number of adults in the Halton and Warrington area who have never used the Internet is 31,000. Halton and Warrington is an area defined by the Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS), which is a hierarchical classification of administrative areas used across the European Union for statistical purposes.

Estimates of household Internet access are published on an annual basis by the Office for National Statistics and are also available on the Office for National Statistics website. These estimates are derived from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, and are available by region, but for Great Britain only. The latest available estimate (in respect of 2012) of the number of households

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in the North West without Internet access is 693,000. It is not possible, from this survey, to produce reliable estimates of household Internet access at a small area level.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people over the age of 25 claiming jobseeker's allowance have never been in employment of any kind. [121986]

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 Parliamentary Question asking how many people aged over the age of 25 years claiming jobseeker's allowance have never been in employment of any kind. (121986).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles Jobseeker's Allowance data from the Jobcentre Plus Administrative system. Unfortunately, data on whether an individual has ever been in employment are not collected by this system.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many citizens from other EU member states claimed jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years. [122048]

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 Parliamentary Question asking how many citizens from other EU states claimed Jobseeker's Allowance in each of the last 5 years. (122048).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles Jobseeker's Allowance data from the Jobcentre Plus Administrative system. Unfortunately, data on citizenship is not collected by this system.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Lobbying

Angela Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) whether it is the Government's intention that any future legislative proposal on lobbying will exempt meetings between a member of the House and his or her constituents; [121216]

(2) whether it is his policy that the cost of a statutory register of lobbyists should be met from the public purse or by the lobbying industry; [121217]

(3) whether he has estimated the cost of a statutory register of lobbyists; [121218]

(4) what progress his Department has made in drafting legislation to create a statutory register of lobbyists; and when he intends to bring forward legislative proposals on this matter; [121219]

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(5) whether it is his policy that an independent body should be set up to run and monitor any statutory register of lobbyists. [121235]

Miss Chloe Smith: The consultation document “Introducing a Statutory Register of Lobbyists” was published to gather evidence from experts in the field and members of the public. The consultation closed on 20 April 2012 and we will respond in due course after reviewing the responses we received.

Responses to the Government's consultation generally endorsed the Government's clear view that the interaction between a constituent and their MP should not be classified as a form of lobbying.

The Government's consultation proposed funding by the industry itself, through registration fees. We are reviewing the responses we received on this question.

The Government's consultation proposed that any register should be run by a body independent of Government and the industry. We are reviewing the responses we received on this question.

Manufacturing Industries: Woking

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many manufacturing firms are registered in Woking constituency. [122005]

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 recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many manufacturing firms are registered in Woking constituency. [122005]

Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at:

www.statistics.gov.uk

The table contains the latest statistic available, which shows the count of enterprises classified to manufacturing in Woking constituency for 2011.

 Number

Manufacturing enterprises in the parliamentary constituency of Woking as at March 2011

170

Note: The above figures have been rounded to avoid disclosure

Miriam Maes

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the (a) terms of reference, (b) evidence examined, (c) length of time and (d) findings were of the examination by the Cabinet Secretary of Miriam Maes' employment by the Department of Energy and Climate Change; [121500]

(2) for what reason the Cabinet Secretary investigated the publication of emails between Miriam Maes and the Minister of State for Climate Change; [121501]

(3) whether the Cabinet Secretary investigated any putative breach of the Ministerial Code by the Minister for Climate Change as part of his investigation into the

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release of emails between Miriam Maes and

(a)

Ministers and

(b)

officials in the Department for Energy and Climate Change. [121663]

Mr Hurd [holding answer 18 September 2012]: Requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act are handled in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. As was the case under previous administrations, it is not unusual for the Cabinet Secretary to be involved in the handling of requests.

Morecambe and Lunesdale: Funding

David Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what funding his Department has allocated to Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency since 2010. [121959]

Mr Maude: As was the situation under previous Administrations, the Cabinet Office accounts do not break down funding by constituency.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Work

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to offer London 2012 Olympics volunteers further opportunities to get involved in their local communities and national events. [121997]

Mr Hurd: The Government are keen to use the momentum created by the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage even more people to continue volunteering. We are in discussion with LOCOG about how to best keep the London 2012 volunteers engaged. We are backing frontline organisations to support existing and new volunteering opportunities, as well as investing in infrastructure and reducing bureaucracy to better connect volunteers to local and national opportunities.

Procurement

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of prime contractors who have contracts with central Government have failed to honour the commitment to pay their sub-contractors within the agreed 30-day period in each region of the UK in the last year for which figures are available. [121229]

Miss Chloe Smith: Departments are required to monitor prime contractors' performance against a 30 day commitment to pay sub contractors as part of the contract management process, but this information is not collected centrally.

We are also encouraging prime and sub-contractors to use the ‘Mystery Shopper' service to report to Government instances where prompt payment is not happening; and we regularly publish investigated cases on the Cabinet Office website:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/mystery-shopper-results

15 Oct 2012 : Column 66W

Public Sector: Procurement

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to create consortiums or other similar vehicles for the purpose of tendering for public procurement projects. [121776]

Miss Chloe Smith: The Government recognises the vital role that small firms have to play in helping it to achieve the best possible value for money when it buys goods and services, both as sole bidders and when they work together in consortia. In 2011, a 100% SME consortium, Creative Choice, successfully competed to win a Government marketing and communications contract, providing us savings of 25%, worth £11 million.

I have asked the SME Panel to work with the Cabinet Office to pilot approaches to make it easier for SMEs to form consortia to successfully win Government business. Guidance is currently being drafted and will be published later this year.

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to reduce or remove barriers to small and medium-sized enterprises when they formulate tender processes, contract frameworks or procurement strategies for procurement related to public sector organisations. [121778]

Mr Maude: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Gloucester (Richard Graham) and for Waveney (Peter Aldous), on 7 September 2012, Official Report, column 505W.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office to what extent his Department and the public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible used name-blank or anonymised sifting of applications to recruit staff in the last year for which information is available. [121551]

Mr Maude [holding answer 18 September 2012]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 June 2012, Official Report, column 1074W.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Armenia

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and the Republic of Armenia. [121123]

Mr Lidington: The anniversary of 20 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Armenia was one of the reasons why I decided to visit Armenia on 17-19 September. The current state of bilateral relations between the UK and Armenia is good, but it could be developed further. I particularly see opportunities to develop our commercial relationship, as Armenia works towards further modernisation and reform of its economy, where there

15 Oct 2012 : Column 67W

are a number of mutually beneficial opportunities, for example, in the mining industry. I am also very supportive of the plans to take a trade mission of British companies to Armenia (and Georgia) in November this year.

Not only does this year mark 20 years of diplomatic relations, but also 10 years of the British Council in Armenia. This year saw a record number of Armenian students coming to study in the United Kingdom.

Arms Trade

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for Government decisions on arms sales to countries in the Middle East and North Africa of recent insecurity in that region. [121237]

Alistair Burt: The UK maintains a rigorous and transparent arms export control system. All applications are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated European Union and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of the end use and circumstances prevailing at the time. This includes an assessment of the impact each proposed arms export could have on regional peace, security and stability, as well as the risk of it being used for internal repression.

Azerbaijan

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Azerbaijan on President Aliyev's decision to pardon convicted murderer Ramil Safarov. [121126]

Mr Lidington: The UK Government have not held any discussions with the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the pardon of Ramil Safarov. However, as stated in my previous answer of 17 September 2012, Official Report, column 467W, we have supported EU and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) statements on the case. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs raised the issue with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister when they visited Baku on 3 September. Our main concern is to ensure that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan are not increased as a result of this incident, and to encourage both sides to exercise restraint to prevent any escalation of the situation.

Bahamas

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Government of the Bahamas on tackling maritime piracy. [121121]

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to work closely with the US, EU and local law enforcement agencies to disrupt drug trafficking routes from Latin America and the Caribbean to Europe and the UK, through increased maritime security patrols in Caribbean and Bahamian waters.

The Bahamas are a valued member of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, an international forum to facilitate the discussion and coordination of

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actions among states and organisations to suppress piracy off the coast of Somalia, in which the UK plays a leading role.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the recent reports by Physicians for Human Rights entitled Weaponising Tear Gas and Under the Gun: Ongoing Assaults on Bahrain's Health System; and if he will make a statement. [121978]

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has seen the report referred to. We have expressed our concern about the continuing violence on the streets of Bahrain many times. This includes the excessive use of tear gas and we have urged the security forces to show maximum restraint when dealing with protests. Legitimate and peaceful demonstrations are an integral part of any democratic society, but we have also seen an increase in political street violence directed against the security forces, including the use of Molotov cocktails and nail bombs. We call on all sides to renounce violence, and to peacefully follow the rule of law in all circumstances.

Caribbean

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on security in areas along the international border between those two states. [121127]

Mr Swire: Our ambassador to the Dominican Republic (also accredited to Haiti) has periodic discussions with the Governments of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on security issues, including on the international border between the two countries. In September, he discussed with the Dominican Minister for the Armed Forces security on the border.

The UK is also a major financial contributor to MINUSTAH, the UN stabilisation mission in Haiti, which plays an important role in ensuring security on the Haitian side of the border.

Georgia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assistance his Department is providing to help ensure free and fair elections in Georgia; [122123]

(2) how many officials from his Department will assist with election monitoring in Georgia during the forthcoming elections. [122125]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have a dedicated research and development fund. Research in the FCO is primarily undertaken by FCO research analysts, who provide analysis and advice to Departments. Research is also conducted by individual directorates, departments and posts and funded from devolved budgets. Information relating to expenditure on research is difficult to identify with any certainty and, as potentially relevant data are not held centrally, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 69W

Haiti

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what technical assistance his Department is offering to the President and government of Haiti in the field of building capacity for good government and democratic accountability. [121124]

Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not currently offering any direct technical assistance to the President and Government of Haiti in the field of building capacity for good government and democratic accountability. However, the UK is a significant contributor to the EU and World Bank programmes in Haiti, both of which address issues of governance and accountability. The UK is also a major financial contributor to MINUSTAH, the UN stabilisation mission, which also supports governance and democratic accountability in Haiti.

Iran

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to discourage the oppression of the Baha'i community in Semnan, Iran. [121721]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answers of 6 September 2012, Official Report, column 419W and 6 September 2012, Official Report, column 420W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff North (Jonathan Evans).

Maldives

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit the Maldives in an official capacity. [121980]

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs does not have any current plans to visit Maldives in an official capacity.

Middle East

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the treatment of Christians in the middle east. [121813]

Alistair Burt: Freedom of religion in the middle east is an issue raised frequently by parliamentarians and our contacts in the region.

In the last six months alone the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also responded to over two hundred letters from members of the public and Members of Parliament regarding religious freedom in the Arab world, specifically the treatment of Christians.

On 10 July, I addressed a reception organised by Open Doors, a Christian non- governmental organisation (NGO) on religious freedom in the Arab world and on 19 September I met a representative of another NGO to discuss the Government's policy on religious freedom.

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In June, a Christian NGO also contacted the FCO regarding the treatment of a group of Ethiopian Christians in Saudi Arabia.

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on how many occasions in the last 10 weeks he has discussed with (a) his Israeli and (b) American counterpart a possible armed attack by Israel on Iran; and if he will make a statement; [122014]

(2) when he last discussed with representatives of other member states of the European Union a possible armed attack by Israel on Iran; and if he will make a statement. [122015]

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers, senior officials and I discuss Iran regularly with our American and Israeli counterparts.

We have made it clear to Israel, as the US has done, that a real chance should be given to the approach we have adopted to the Iranian nuclear issue: serious economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure and negotiations with Iran. While we have made clear that all options remain on the table, we are not advocating military action in the current circumstances.

Ministerial Duties

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the definition is of the office of Senior Minister of State in his Department. [121613]

Mr Hague: Baroness Warsi's responsibilities in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government will be set out in the Cabinet Office publication, List of Ministerial Responsibilities, which will be published in due course.

Miriam Maes

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department have met Miriam Maes on official business since May 2010. [121340]

Mr Lidington: There is no record of Ministers or special advisers having met Miriam Maes on official business since May 2010.

Information about officials is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nagorno-Karabakh

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support a mediated solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group. [121125]

Mr Lidington: The British Government support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group peace process and regularly encourage the Azerbaijani and Armenian

15 Oct 2012 : Column 71W

Governments to accelerate efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement. I personally discussed this with the Armenian President and Foreign Minister while in Yerevan on 18 September and with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister in April this year. The Prime Minister also raised it with the Azerbaijani President in August.

As well as high level support, we continue to sponsor and organise events and projects to bring together different aspects of Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society, who currently have no contacts at all, to meet and work on joint projects to aid reconciliation and build bridges across the conflict divide. Given the difficulties people from the two countries have to meet and engage, we hope that our projects have made and will continue to make a difference in fostering positive community relations and countering negative stereotypes. We believe these civil society contacts can contribute to laying the foundations on which political reconciliation could take place and a sustainable resolution to the conflict found.

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh; and if he will make a statement. [121144]

Mr Lidington: The UK is concerned that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved and is a source of regional instability. The longer the conflict remains unresolved, the greater the loss of life on the Line of Contact and the more difficult a settlement could become.

We share the concerns of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Minsk Group about the impact that the handling of the Ramil Safarov case may have on prospects for peace in the region. It is important however, that moving forward, both sides exercise restraint—in both actions and public statements—to prevent any escalation of the situation.

North Africa

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the treatment of Christians in north Africa. [121814]

Alistair Burt: Freedom of religion in north Africa is an issue raised frequently by parliamentarians and our contacts in the region.

In the last six months alone the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also responded to over two hundred letters from members of the public and Members of Parliament regarding religious freedom in the Arab world, including north Africa, and more specifically the treatment of Christians.

On 10 July, I addressed a reception organised by Open Doors, a Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO), on religious freedom in the Arab world and on 19 September I met a representative of another NGO to discuss the Government's policy on religious freedom. Officials also discussed religious freedom in Egypt and Libya with a Christian NGO in July and August.

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Ministerial Visits: Nottinghamshire

Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what ministerial visits to (a) the City of Nottingham and (b) Nottinghamshire have taken place since May 2010. [121763]

Mr Lidington: None.

Nurseries

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many childcare places his Department provides on its estate; what the cost is of providing such places; how many such places his Department provided in 2010; what the cost was of providing such places in 2010; what plans he has for changes in the provision of such childcare places; and what the number of places will be once any such changes have been implemented. [121269]

Alistair Burt: There are two nurseries on the FCO Estate. One is in Hanslope Park, near Milton Keynes, and is operated by FCO Services, the other is in central London and operated by the FCO.

There are 50 places available at the Hanslope Park site and 46 places available at the London site.

The net cost of providing the places at the Hanslope Park nursery in 2010-11 was £35,860 after receipt of fees paid by staff.

The net cost of providing the places at the London nursery in 2010-11 was £74,166 after the receipt of fees paid by staff.

The capacity of the Hanslope Park nursery was increased in 2006 from 25 to 50 places when it moved to new purpose built premises. There are no plans to further increase the capacity.

The capacity of the London Nursery was increased in 2008 from 36 places to 46 places. There are no plans to further increase the capacity.

The nursery helps the FCO and FCO Services recruit and retain staff especially those who might otherwise not return after maternity leave.

For many staff, the availability of high-quality, reliable child care (full or part-time) is one of the most important factors in them being able to return to work and/or choosing to work in a particular location and for a given employer.

FCO and FCO Services recognise this and over the past decade have continuously improved the quantity and quality of child care provided by our nurseries.

Pakistan

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to address adverse treatment of Christians in Pakistan. [121811]

Alistair Burt: The Government raise the issue of the persecution of religious minorities on a regular basis with the authorities in Pakistan. Following the arrest of Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl arrested under the blasphemy laws, I spoke to Dr. Paul Bhatti, the Pakistani

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Minister for Interfaith Harmony, to lodge our concerns about the treatment of Christians and religious minorities in Pakistan, and to discuss recent shocking examples of religious persecution. I am pleased that Rimsha has now been released on bail.

This month Baroness Warsi also raised our concerns about the treatment of religious minorities with the Chief Minister of Punjab during his visit to London. In February Baroness Warsi raised the issue of religious persecution and the blasphemy laws with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan during her visit to London.

Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the highest paid position is in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies. [121632]

Alistair Burt: The highest paid positions are

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)—Permanent Under-Secretary

FCO Services—Chief Executive

Wilton Park—Chief Executive

Pay for senior appointments is governed by strict Cabinet Office guidelines which the FCO and her agencies follow.

The information requested is a matter of public record appearing in the Annual Reports and Accounts and in transparency disclosures. Latest details can be found on

www.data.gov.uk


Research

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on research and development in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; and how much he plans to spend in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [121872]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have a dedicated Research and Development fund. Research in the FCO is primarily undertaken by FCO Research Analysts, who provide analysis and advice to Departments. Research is also conducted by individual directorates, Departments and posts and funded from devolved budgets. Information relating to expenditure on research is difficult to identify with any certainly and, as potentially relevant data are not held centrally, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Rwanda

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on the restoration of international aid to Rwanda. [121615]

Mark Simmonds: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has discussed Rwanda with my right hon. Friend the recently appointed Secretary of State for International Development. Officials from the two Departments work closely together,

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both in the UK and overseas on this important issue. We remain very concerned by the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and continue to monitor it closely.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to monitor the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda following the restoration of international aid to Rwanda. [121616]

Mark Simmonds: The UK continues to monitor the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo closely through our diplomatic Posts in Kinshasa, Kigali and Goma, and through the UN, including the Group of Experts. We welcome the current lull in fighting. But we remain very concerned by continuing reports of Rwandan support for the M23 rebels, by the humanitarian situation, and by reports that the M23 rebels are setting up a parallel administration, and are committing human rights abuses.

Sri Lanka

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Sri Lankan Government's National Plan of Action to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission; and what recent representations he has made to the Government of Sri Lanka on ensuring accountability for human rights violations and reforms to promote reconciliation. [121610]

Alistair Burt: We continue to have concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka including political violence and intimidation of the media. We have urged the Sri Lanka Government to make progress in implementing the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution. Sri Lanka's July 2012 Action Plan on implementing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission recommendations fulfils one of the Council's requests. We look to Sri Lanka to implement the Action Plan and to address other elements of the resolution including alleged violations of international law.

We look forward to actively contributing to Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review at the HRC in November. In that context, the UK made clear in a statement on 17 September 2012 to the HRC that we continued to monitor developments in Sri Lanka and looked forward to a visit to the country by the high commissioner for human rights.

The Prime Minister emphasised the need for accountability and reconciliation most recently in a short discussion with President Rajapaksa at the Commonwealth Secretary General's lunch on 6 June 2012. The Foreign Secretary made the same points when he met the Sri Lankan Minister for External Affairs on 6 June.

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. [121791]

15 Oct 2012 : Column 75W

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 544W.

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the National Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the lessons learnt in Reconciliation Commission issued by the government of Sri Lanka. [121792]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 544W.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Tamil asylum seekers deported by the UK Border Agency since May 2010 he estimates have been the victims of torture by Sri Lankan security services after their deportation from the UK; and if he will make a statement. [121928]

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is aware of allegations of deported asylum seekers being tortured in Sri Lanka. We take all allegations of torture and mistreatment very seriously. However on the basis of allegations raised with the FCO we have not been able to identify any individuals as having been deported to Sri Lanka from the UK since 2010 and subsequently tortured. The FCO follows the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and contributes to the country information which the UK Border Agency (UKBA) uses when making asylum decisions. All asylum decisions are carefully considered on their merits and returns to Sri Lanka are only undertaken when UKBA are satisfied that the individual has no international protection needs.

Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what media or public speaking training Ministers in his Department have received since May 2010. [122070]

Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), to the hon. Member for Makerfield (Yvonne Fovargue), on 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 569W. No further training has been undertaken since then.

Venezuela

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the arrangements for international observation of the forthcoming elections in Venezuela; and whether UK observers will be present as part of (a) a separate UK group and (b) an EU mission. [122045]

Mr Swire: There was no full observer mission covering the campaign or the presidential elections in Venezuela, which took place on 7 October. The Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) invited representatives from the Union of South American Nations to accompany them in the period immediately around the elections.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 76W

The CNE and political parties also invited individuals from a number of international political groups and NGOs.

The EU was not invited by the Venezuelan election authorities to send an observation mission, but we, and EU partners, followed events closely on the ground.

Treasury

Air Passenger Duty

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when his Department expects to publish its research on the effects of air passenger duty; [121362]

(2) what conclusions his Department has drawn from its assessment of air passenger duty; and when those conclusions will be published in full. [121367]

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has conducted on the effects of the increase in air passenger duty on (a) Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley airports and (b) other regional airports. [121598]

Sajid Javid: HMRC has commissioned research on the effect that differential prices at UK airports could have upon the overall demand for aviation and upon passengers' choice of airport.

A full report on the findings of the research will be published on HMRC's website in due course.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his policy is on air passenger duty; whether he plans to change that policy; and if he will make a statement; [121783]

(2) how much has been paid in air passenger duty on UK domestic flights from Northern Ireland in each of the last four years. [121784]

Sajid Javid: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 5 September 2012, Official Report, column 343W.

Revenue figures for air passenger duty (APD) are collected for the UK as a whole and are not broken down by devolved region. Information on APD revenues from domestic flights is not available, because HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on the contribution to APD revenues made from flights to specific countries. APD revenues and passenger numbers are available online at:

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDuty Bulletins.aspx

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the oral answer by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Lincoln of 11 September 2012, Official Report, column 125, on beer duty, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Health, (b) Scotland and (c) the Home Department regarding the setting of a minimum unit price for alcohol; [121173]

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(2) what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Scottish Government regarding minimum unit pricing of alcohol. [121176]

Sajid Javid [holding answer 17 September 2012]: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The cross-Government Alcohol Strategy was published in March 2012. This included a commitment to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol alongside other key measures to reduce the harms caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Government Departments continue to engage on these issues in advance of a Government consultation on the alcohol strategy in the autumn. The Government continue to engage with the Scottish Government on the issue of minimum unit pricing.

Art Works

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what works of art each of the Ministers in his Department have on display in their offices; and how much they are valued at. [121614]

Sajid Javid: The works of art in the Ministers’ offices are on loan from the Government Art Collection. Information about the works on loan to HM Treasury has been deposited in the Library of the House. Details of the artwork in each ministerial office are not provided publicly for security reasons.

It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the value of the works as they do not have a current market valuation.

Business: Government Assistance

Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2012, Official Report, column 672W, on business: government assistance, what funds are being allocated under the Business Finance Partnership by stage of allocation; [121290]

(2) what proportion of the funding allocated under the Business Finance Partnership has been drawn down by end recipients. [121291]

Greg Clark [holding answer 17 September 2012]: £1.2 billion has been allocated to the Business Finance Partnership. HM Treasury will be investing £700 million this autumn in funds that lend to mid-sized businesses, following the receipt of bids earlier in the year and subsequent due diligence to select the strongest candidates. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will invest a further £100 million in non-traditional lending channels such as peer-to-peer lenders and supply chain finance, also this autumn. Bidding for the remaining £400 million closed in July and assessment of these bids is currently under way.

Child Tax Credit

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families received the child element of the child tax credit in Woking constituency in each of the last three years. [122006]

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Mr Gauke: This information is published in the HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised annual awards. Geographical analysis”. Information for the last three years available can be found here:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/final-award-geog.htm

The last three years available are 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. In the publications for each of these years, the average number of families who received the child element of child tax credit (CTC) in the Woking constituency can be found in table 3. The total number receiving the child element is found by summing the number of out-of-work families with the number of in-work families with children receiving either both working tax credit (WTC) and CTC, or CTC in excess of the family element.

For convenience, these figures have been reproduced in the following table.

Average number of families benefiting from the child element of CTC
Thousand
  In-work families with children 
 Total out-of-work familiesReceiving WTC and CTCReceiving CTC only, more than the family elementTotal families benefiting from the child element of CTC

2010-11

1.4

2.1

0.9

4.4

2009-10

1.4

1.9

0.9

4.2

2008-09

1.3

1.8

0.8

4.0

Note: Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Child Care

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings which would arise from reduced expenditure on childcare costs following the extension of the disadvantaged two-year-old offer to 40 per cent of two-year-olds; and whether he plans to use these savings to extend entitlement to childcare through the benefits and tax credits system. [121866]

Mr Gauke: This information is not available.

Construction: Self-employed

Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of people who are falsely self-employed in the construction industry; and what methodology he has used to reach this estimate. [121449]

Mr Gauke: Please see my answer of 27 June 2012, Official Report, column 309W, to a similar question

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120627/text/120627w0003.htm#12062779000435

Paragraphs 2.6 and 2.7 and page 6 of Annex A of the consultation document mentioned in my answer set out the methodology behind the estimate.

15 Oct 2012 : Column 79W

Economic and Monetary Union

Guy Opperman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the financial situation in the eurozone on the UK economy. [120093]

Greg Clark [holding answer 18 September 2012]: As set out in Budget 2012, the euro area crisis poses a significant downside risk to the UK. According to the OECD:

“economies both inside and outside the OECD area have been adversely affected by the euro area crisis through trade and confidence channels.”

As the Prime Minister said on 17 May, whatever path the euro area takes the Government are prepared to do:

“whatever is necessary to protect this country and secure our economy and financial system.”

EDF Group

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal of 11 September 2012, Official Report, columns 133-34, on nuclear power, what matters were discussed in the meeting with EDF; and what decisions were taken at the meeting. [121452]

Sajid Javid: This was an introductory meeting. Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Mr Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on implementation of the Equitable Life Compensation Scheme; what proportion of Equitable Life policy-holders are eligible for compensation; how many and what proportion of those eligible for compensation have received payments; what his most recent estimate is of the date by which all those eligible will have received compensation; and if he will make a statement. [121691]

Sajid Javid: The scheme published a detailed progress report in July 2012 which can be found online at:

http://equitablelifepaymentscheme.independent.gov.uk/pressfaq/news.htm

The scheme will continue to make payments until it closes in April 2014.

Finance Act 2008

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations his Department has received from those affected by the retrospective implementation of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008; and what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department had with representatives of those affected by section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 in the last 12 months; [121137]

15 Oct 2012 : Column 80W

(2) if he will commission a review of the effect of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008; and if he will place a copy of any such review in the Library; [121138]

(3) how much HM Revenue and Customs has collected through the retrospective application of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 in the last 12 months; and how much HM Revenue and Customs expects to collect from the retrospective application of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 in the next 12 months. [121139]

Mr Gauke: Representations regarding section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 have been received from users of the wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme affected by section 58 seeking repeal of either its retrospective element or the section as a whole.

No meetings have been held with the scheme's users or their representatives in the last 12 months beyond those with HMRC relating to individual inquiries.

A new clause proposing a review of the implementation and impact of section 58 was introduced during the passage of this year's Finance Act but the clause was withdrawn after debate. The Government explained our position during that debate and have no plans to commission a review.

UK residents are taxable on their worldwide income wherever it arises, including situations where it arises by way of foreign partnerships. Section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt. As section 58 retrospectively clarified existing legislation, its introduction had no affect on any taxpayer’s tax position.

Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill

Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will request an assessment from the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential effects of implementation of the provisions of the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill on levels of (a) employment, (b) under-employment, (c) average hours worked, (d) real wages, (e) productivity, (f) business investment and (g) gross domestic product growth in each of the next three financial years. [121537]

Danny Alexander: The decision to award a guarantee under the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill will take appropriate account of the impact on the UK economy, including forecasts from the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, as part of the wider value for money assessment of a project, adhering to Managing Public Money principles.

Insolvency

Nick de Bois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many winding up orders HM Revenue and Customs applied for on behalf of (a) public limited companies, (b) sole traders and (c) partnerships in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010 and (v) 2011; [120967]

(2) how many (a) public limited companies, (b) sole traders and (c) partnerships HM Revenue and Customs placed into administration in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010 and (v) 2011. [120968]

Mr Gauke [holding answer 17 September 2012]: The figures for England and Wales(1) are:

15 Oct 2012 : Column 81W

 20072008200920102011

(a) Companies (including PLCs)

     

Petitions filed

5,978

4,128

3,656

3,268

4,897

Orders obtained

3,164

2,902

2,342

1,965

2,349

      

(b) and (c) Individual and partnerships

     

Petitions filed

6,753

6,478

5,184

4,002

4,618

Orders obtained

3,964

3,939

4,330

2,867

3,023

(1) England and Wales figures show figures of petitions filed where HMRC had had a first hearing. Some petitions are filed but never get to hearing; this information is not available and could be researched only at disproportionate cost.

The figures for Scotland are:

 20072008200920102011

(a) Companies (including PLCs)(1)

     

Petitions lodged

264

352

292

577

834

Liquidations awarded

168

214

182

407

574

      

(b) and (c) Individual and partnerships(2)

     

Sequestrations lodged

1,595

1,261

1,359

989

913

Sequestrations awarded

1,100

888

843

671

535

(1) The figures include limited companies and public limited companies; HMRC does not have figures which distinguish between the two. (2) HMRC does not have figures which distinguish between sole traders and partnerships. Where there is a partnership, one petition is lodged which includes the firm and the partners.

In Northern Ireland HMRC uses the Crown Solicitor’s Office to handle these cases. The Crown Solicitor's Office provided these figures and it does not hold any data prior to February 2010.

 CompaniesIndividuals and partnerships

2011

224

492

2010

205

(1)423

(1) Figures For February to December 2010.

HM Revenue and Customs did not place into administration any (a) public limited companies, (b) sole traders or (c) partnerships for the years in question.

Ian Paisley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a person in an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) who is awarded a payment protection insurance compensation payment whilst in the IVA which is subsequently included in their IVA by HM Revenue and Customs as a creditor is liable to pay the tax due on that payment. [122114]