NHS: Finance
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there are any Barnett consequentials to Northern Ireland arising from the announcement of £140 million of additional funding for NHS training and technology provision. [123063]
Danny Alexander: This funding will come from within the existing Department of Health budget. There will therefore be no additional Barnett consequentials to Northern Ireland arising from the announcement.
Pay
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2012, Official Report, column 1054W, on pay: public appointments, how many appointments to senior posts with a salary in excess of £142,000 were made in the two-year period to 29 May 2010. [119329]
Danny Alexander: Since May 2010, I have been asked to approve the remuneration packages of individuals earning more than £142,500 in areas under ministerial control.
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The Government do not centrally hold information on the number of such appointments with a salary in excess of £142,000 that were made in the two-year period to 29 May 2010.
However, since May 2010, the Government have published details of the number of individuals earning over £150,000 in central Government—and these figures show that since May 2010, the number of these individuals has fallen by 36%. Further information is available at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/senior-civil-servants-high-earners-salaries
Pensions
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that those with pension plans taken out prior to 1990 with a guaranteed annuity provision which would mean that the recipients receive a better pension at no extra cost are aware of what they need to do to receive the additional benefit. [124741]
Sajid Javid: In March 2011 a Government working group was asked to identify and agree feasible options for a default 'open market option' to stop consumers from making an uninformed annuity purchase from an existing provider. As a result, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) announced on 5 March a new Code of Conduct for Retirement Choices, binding on all annuity providers who are members of the ABI. The code will come into effect on 1 March 2013.
The Code of Conduct includes the requirement that providers must,
“highlight any applicable guaranteed annuity rate (GAR) or other guarantee”,
“both through the wake-up and follow-up packs, and when approached by a customer about their retirement options".
The code requires that this is highlighted on the front page of any cover letter. In addition,
“unless the customer has requested an alternative, an illustration must clearly set out at least any applicable GAR or other guarantee”.
To ensure customers consider what type of annuity may be best suited to their needs, providers must
“highlight the benefits of shopping around, and set out options including deferring retirement, commuting or amalgamating pension pots“
“explain the range of ways in which a customer can receive their retirement income, including the different annuity options and products available, particularly the possibility of medical conditions or lifestyle choices leading to a higher level of retirement income, and including joint and escalating annuities and ways to keep savings invested.”
Further details can be found on the ABI's website:
http://www.abi.org.uk/Information/Codes_and_Guidance_Notes/63419.docx
In addition, the Money Advice Service and the Pensions Advisory Service offer free information and guidance on pensions and annuities.
Pensions: Scotland
Mr David Hamilton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has imposed (a) non-financial constraints and (b) reporting requirements on the Scottish Government in respect of
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its ability to set pension terms for those public-sector workers whose pension is controlled by that Government. [123265]
Danny Alexander: Legislative competence for public service pensions policy is reserved to Westminster and the Public Service Pensions Bill is currently before Parliament. The Bill sets out the framework for the operation of public service pensions in the future. In order to reassure public servants as to the scale and nature of the changes to their pensions the Government has decided that there are some core elements of the reformed framework that must apply to all defined benefit public service pension schemes. These elements were recommended by Lord Hutton's Independent Public Service Pensions Commission which the Scottish Government accepted as a basis for negotiations with, public service stakeholders last year.
Clause 13 of the Public Service Pensions Bill compels scheme managers or responsibly authorities to publish or provide to HM Treasury such scheme information as HM Treasury directions require.
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on its ability to set pension terms for those public sector workers whose pension is controlled by that Government; [123266]
(2) if he will place in the Library any correspondence between his Department and the Scottish Government on the ability of the Scottish Government to make any changes to public-sector pension schemes in Scotland that would differ from those in England and Wales. [123264]
Danny Alexander: HM Treasury has had regular discussions with the Scottish Government on public service pension schemes.
As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to make correspondence with the Scottish Government public.
Public Expenditure
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures departmental underspends from (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2012-13 have been used to fund to date. [123492]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 18 October 2012]:Departmental underspends that are identified throughout the financial year can be reallocated to new areas of spending. Where re-prioritisation results in amendments to Departmental budgets, these are included in the respective Department's estimates for the year, as voted by Parliament and published at Supplementary Estimates.
We have used underspends to fund high priority areas of expenditure in line with Government objectives. This includes the council tax freeze, the Growing Places Fund and the freeze in fuel duty, announced in June 2012.
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Public Service Pensions Bill: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the implications of the Public Sector Pensions Bill for the Local Government Pension Scheme Scotland. [124039]
Danny Alexander: The Public Service Pensions Bill was introduced in Parliament on 13 September. HM Treasury has had regular discussions with the Scottish Government on public service pension matters.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on a legislative consent motion for the Public Service Pensions Bill; [124040]
(2) whether the Public Service Pensions Bill will require a legislative consent motion in the Scottish Parliament. [124041]
Danny Alexander: The Public Service Pensions Bill contains provisions that trigger the Sewel convention in Scotland.
The Government has sought “in principle” agreement from Scottish Ministers to seek a legislative consent motion for these provisions.
HM Revenue and Customs
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many additional jobs will be required by Tracing Unit Cumbernauld following the transfer of work from HM Revenue and Customs Shipley. [124563]
Mr Gauke: No additional posts are required at present.
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs policy is on the redeployment of staff and the protection of staff with disabilities. [124564]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) seeks to redeploy staff wherever possible when current roles are coming to an end. It places emphasis on forward planning across lines of business so that alternative work can be considered in advance, facilitating bulk and individual moves of staff. A redeployment pool has been introduced to support staff who need to be redeployed, giving them priority for vacancies in HMRC and other Government Departments. Proposed moves take account of individual circumstances and allow as much personal choice as is reasonable. HMRC complies with the 2008 Cabinet Office/Council of Civil Service Unions protocols for handling surplus staff situations.
Members of staff with disabilities are protected under the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. The Act places responsibility on the employer to make reasonable adjustments to enable staff to work as normally as possible. The responsibility applies from pre-recruitment to post-employment. Reasonable adjustments are formally agreed and staff are encouraged to complete a reasonable adjustment passport which is taken into consideration if the individual needs to move to a new role or workplace.
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Scotland
John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many inquiries his Department has received from Members of the Scottish Parliament on reserved constituency issues in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [122968]
Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials receive correspondence from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
Tax Avoidance
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals whose gross annual income exceeds £100,000 he estimates were being paid via personal service companies in the most recent financial year for which figures are available. [124740]
Mr Gauke: HMRC data show the total annual income of individuals by income type, but not which type of business this income derives from. Further, there is no statutory definition of a personal service company which would enable HMRC to make this assessment. As such, it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the incomes of those being paid by PSCs.
Tax Incentives: Natural Gas
Dan Byles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the tax incentive for the production of shale gas which was announced in Birmingham on 8 October 2012 will apply (a) only to shale gas or (b) to other unconventional gas sources such as Coal Bed Methane. [124699]
Sajid Javid: The Government announced on 8 October that they will be engaging with industry on an appropriately targeted tax regime for shale gas. The Government would consider the implications of any future changes to the oil and gas fiscal regime in the round, in the context of their overall objective of maximising the economic recovery of UK hydrocarbons while ensuring a fair return for the Exchequer.
Taxation: Broadband
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the revenue likely to accrue to the Exchequer from the auction of the 4G mobile broadband spectrum; and if he will make a statement. [124534]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 23 October 2012]: Ofcom is conducting the auction of spectrum to support the delivery of fourth generation mobile services independently of Government, and has set a reserve price of £1.4 billion. HM Treasury has not formally assessed likely revenues from this commercial auction.
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Transport for London: Finance
Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding his Department allocated to Transport for London in each year since 2000; and what funding has been allocated to Transport for London in each remaining year of the comprehensive spending review period. [122589]
Danny Alexander: The Department for Transport provides grant funding to the Greater London Authority (GLA) which is required to forward it to Transport for London (TFL). The Department provided £331 million of funding in 2000-01. Outturn funding from 2001-02 to 2005-06 is set out in pages 209 and 212 of the 2007 DFT Annual Report:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070603181925/http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/publications/apr/ar2007/appendixa_pubexpendcoretables
Equivalent figures from 2006-07 to 20011-12 are set out in the Department's 2011-12 annual report:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-annual-resource-and-accounts/annual-report-and-accounts-1112.pdf
There are a number of mostly smaller grants that the Department has paid TFL over the period in question which will not be included in the GLA Transport grant figures above because they were paid under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003.
Alongside these smaller grants, £1.7 billion was paid to TFL in 2007-08 also under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This was in relation to the collapse of the Metronet PPP contracts. This is explained on page 9 of the DFT's Resource Accounts for 2007-08:
www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0708/hc06/0673/0673.pdf
TFL's 2010 funding agreement was amended in a letter in 2011. A copy of this letter, setting out the expected funding for TFL for the remainder of the current spending review period is published on the TFL website:
www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/gla-grant-re-profile-november-2011.pdf
Ministers recently announced their intention to provide the Mayor and TFL with funding to enable them to hold fare increases for 2013 and 2014 to RPI plus 1%. A revised funding letter will be issued to TFL shortly setting out a new funding profile for the remainder of the spending review period.
www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/investorrelations/1466.aspx
UK Research Partnership Investment Fund
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which source of funding the £200 million of additional support to the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, announced on 8 October 2012, will come. [123493]
Danny Alexander: Additional funding of £200 million will be provided to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support this announcement.
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Welfare Tax Credits
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the aggregate annual value was of tax credits paid in respect of dependants who reside outside the United Kingdom; [122579]
(2) how many dependants in respect of whom tax credits are paid reside outside the United Kingdom. [122580]
Mr Gauke: The main purpose of the child tax credit is to support families in the UK. Consequently, the child tax credit rules generally do not provide for it to be paid in respect of children who live abroad other than in limited circumstances (for example, in the case of the children of a UK Crown servant posted overseas and the Crown servant's accompanying partner) or to meet the UK's obligations under EU law, specifically EC Regulation 883/2004. This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), including the UK, and Switzerland when they exercise their rights of free movement under EU law.
Out of a total of approximately 5.2 million families currently receiving the child tax credit for almost 9.3 million children, at 30 September 2012 there were 3,447 ongoing awards of the child tax credit under EC Regulation 883/2004 in respect of 5,962 children living in another member state. This equates to around 0.06% of all child tax credit awards.
Information about the value of child tax credit awarded by the UK under EC Regulation 883/2004 is available only at disproportionate costs. This is because under the priority rules in that regulation not all awards of UK family benefits are made at full UK rates.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Nationals Abroad
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were deported to the UK from (a) all other EU member states, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Poland and (e) the Netherlands in each year since 2004. [124906]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office captures only information that is brought to our attention on deportations (and extradition) cases. Our electronic records on this only go as far back as April 2008. There is no international obligation on behalf of foreign governments to inform our consular staff of an impending deportation; no obligation either within the EU. An exception occurs where there are formal arrangements for notification between the UK and most Commonwealth and some foreign countries. Otherwise, the information may come to staff by way of a request that the deportee be provided with a travel document, or through some other means.
On this basis the figures we have between 2008-12 are:
France: None throughout whole period.
Germany: None throughout whole period.
Poland: None throughout whole period.
The Netherlands: 1 in 2011, none in other years.
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| Number | |
Business: Human Rights
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress he has made on the development of his business and human rights strategy. [124607]
Mr Lidington: The Government's draft strategy on business and human rights is currently going through a final round of consultation across Whitehall and we hope to publish it in the near future.
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to open his proposed strategy on business and human rights to public consultation. [124608]
Mr Lidington: The Government's work is currently focused on finalising and launching the Government strategy on business and human rights which is, in effect, our interpretation in the UK context of the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights.
We are actively giving consideration to how to monitor implementation—including through consultation with interested groups from outside of government—as we move forward and believe this an essential part of the process.
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Spanish and (b) Gibraltarian counterpart on Gibraltar's sovereign territorial waters. [124797]
Mr Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have regular contact with their Spanish counterparts on a wide range of issues, including Gibraltar-related issues. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Spain on 14 October in Brussels, where both Ministers were attending an EU meeting. We also keep in close touch with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, whom we inform and consult on relevant diplomatic discussions with Spain. The Foreign Secretary and I both met the Chief Minister in Birmingham on 7 and 8 October. We do not systematically disclose the content of meetings with Spanish and Gibraltarian Ministers, which are subject to diplomatic confidentiality.
Indonesia
Mr Buckland:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the government of Indonesia to act on the recommendation to stop human rights violations by military and police officers
25 Oct 2012 : Column 1024W
and lift the climate of impunity in West Papua made by the UN Human Rights Council during its Universal Periodic Review. [124407]
Mr Swire: We regularly discuss the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua with the Indonesian Government. The UK takes seriously all reports of human rights violations in the provinces and we will continue to raise our concerns with the Indonesian authorities. Our ambassador discussed Papua with the co-ordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs on 26 September. He also visited Papua in September this year and met with senior police and military officials where he emphasised the need to respect human rights and ensure full and transparent investigations into any violent incidents. It is UK policy to encourage effective responses and implementation of Universal Periodic Review recommendations including those on addressing impunity.
Latin America
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries in Latin America he has visited since taking office. [124400]
Mr Lidington: Since May 2010, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has visited Brazil and Panama. In addition to this, the former and current Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) and my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), have visited the following countries: Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Costa Rica.
Single European Act
George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether steps were taken by his Department to investigate allegations made in the book by Peter Schweizer entitled Friendly Spies, published in 1993, that a British diplomat briefed the French Directorate General for External Security on internal discussions within his Department on the UK's negotiating position prior to the signing of the Single European Act and the Brussels Summit of June 1987. [124539]
Mr Lidington: I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested as the historical nature of the details required demands research into 27-year-old archives.
Stabilisation Unit
Sir Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2012, Official Report, columns 126-7WS, on building stability overseas, if he will publish the recommendations of the internal review of the tri-departmental Stabilisation Unit. [124858]
Mark Simmonds:
A review of the tri-departmental Stabilisation Unit was commissioned by Ministry of
25 Oct 2012 : Column 1025W
Defence, Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in December 2011 and completed on 30 March 2012. The review found that the Stabilisation Unit had demonstrated clear successes in the rapid deployment of experienced people to fragile environments. It set out more clearly the vision for the Stabilisation Unit—a high-quality deployment capacity; plus an agile and focused role on planning, analysis and lessons which responds to the needs and prioritised tasking of parent departments. It recommended that we should strengthen the leadership of the unit, provide increased strategic direction to the unit by its three parent Departments, and drive value for money and efficiency changes.
Good progress is being made in implementing these findings. We have increased the seniority of the head of the Stabilisation Unit and appointed a senior civil servant at director level to lead the unit through these changes. We have established a senior tri-departmental management board to provide increased strategic direction. Work is ongoing to implement structural and efficiency changes to the unit.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and where the next Friends of Yemen meeting will take place. [124354]
Alistair Burt: It was agreed at the Friends of Yemen meeting on 27 September in New York that the next Friends of Yemen ministerial meeting would be held in March 2013. Exact date and venue are yet to be decided.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to restore consular services in Sana'a. [124355]
Alistair Burt: The British embassy in Sana'a continues to offer as full a consular service to British nationals in Yemen as it is possible to do in light of on-going security challenges within the country. Any decision to provide a fuller range of consular services will be judged against the security implications for staff serving at our embassy in Sana'a, and will be fully reflected in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice which, at the present time, advises against all travel to Yemen.
Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels: Timber
Graham Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what tonnage of biomass co-fired in coal fired electricity generation was (a)
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UK-sourced and
(b)
externally sourced wood in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [124870]
Mr Hayes: As required by the Renewables Obligation, generators have reported to Ofgem the following amounts of wood co-fired with coal in electricity generation for which Renewables Obligation Certificates were claimed:
| Tonnes | |
Carbon Monoxide: Publicity
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department (a) has and (b) had considered to require any suppliers to fund carbon monoxide awareness publicity and research through a levy from Ofgem. [122333]
Mr Hayes: Gas suppliers are obliged under the terms of their licence conditions to provide specific gas safety information to each domestic customer at least once a year. This information includes the safe use of gas appliances, the dangers of carbon monoxide and the benefits of fitting an audible carbon monoxide alarm and the undertaking of gas safety checks.
Under the RIIO-GD1 2013-21 price control framework, gas distribution network (GDN) companies are expected to play a greater role in combating the risks associated with carbon monoxide poisoning. Having engaged with stakeholders, the GDNs have now submitted their RIIO-GD1 business plans to Ofgem, which include activities on carbon monoxide awareness. Further details on RIIO-GD1 price control review is available at:
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/NETWORKS/GASDISTR/RIIO-GD1/Pages/RIIO-GD1.aspx
Energy Distribution
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the (a) proportion and (b) quantity in MW of energy lost during the distribution phase of each source of energy in each of the last five years. [122273]
Mr Hayes: The following table shows the quantity and proportion of energy (in GWh) lost in the distribution of electricity and gas, for 2007 to 2011.
| Electricity | Gas | |||||
| Distribution losses (GWh) | Electricity available for distribution (GWh) | Distribution losses (% of electricity available for distribution) | Distribution losses (leakage assessment) (GWh) | Gas available at terminals (GWh) | Distribution losses (% of gas available at terminals) | |
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25 Oct 2012 : Column 1028W
| Note: 1 GWh = 1,000 MWh Source: Electricity distribution losses are included in the losses figures in table DUKES 5.1, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/electricity/electricity.aspx | ||||||
A breakdown of losses for 2011 can be found in paragraph 5.14 of chapter 5 of the 2012 Digest of UK Energy Statistics (see link in table).
Electricity available for distribution is electricity available less transmission losses.
Electricity available can be found in table DUKES 5.5 (see link in table).
Gas data from table DUKES 4.3, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/gas/gas.aspx
Gas leakage assessment is the National Grid's assessment of leakage through the local distribution system, based on the National Leakage Reduction Monitoring Model. Gas available at terminals is gross production plus imports less exports and producers’ own use.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much special advisers in his Department have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [121996]
Gregory Barker: According to the Department's finance system, special advisers in this Department have submitted claims totalling £479 in respect of travel and subsistence expenses on official business during the period 20 May 2010 to 30 September 2012.
This figure covers, for example, taxi expenses for travelling to/from meetings. It does not include flights or hotel expenses for trips accompanying the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), e.g. to Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, for which central records are not held. Those expenses were paid for directly by private office, expense claims were not submitted by SpAds.
Renewable Energy: Heating
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the (a) number of exhaust air source heat pumps that have been installed in the UK, (b) total level of public subsidy that has been given for exhaust air source heat pumps to date and (c) number of such installations likely to be removed due to excess cost to the householder. [124859]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect or hold information on the number of exhaust air heat pumps (EAHP) installed in the UK. EAHP are not subsidized through the renewable heat incentive, as it is not a renewable technology. One of the conditions of funding for affordable housing is to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH). Small-scale low-carbon technologies such as EAHP may be used to help meet parts of the code. However, there is now less reliance on such technology because of the more frequent use of the building fabric—the walls, roof and windows—to meet the code.
Affordable housing delivery is administered by the Homes and Communities Agency on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government, neither of whom collect information on the number of EAHPs installed or those that benefit from Government funding.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the data from the heat pump metering programme in the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme; and what proportion of such heat pumps conform to renewable standards. [124860]
Gregory Barker: We will publish these data as soon as a suitable amount has been collected over a period of at least one year and they have been thoroughly audited and analysed. The earliest this is likely to be is summer 2013.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of ground source heat pumps in the UK which receive the renewable heat incentive subsidy. [124869]
Gregory Barker: Ofgem is responsible for administering the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme on behalf of DECC and publishes data on the number of renewable heat installations which have been accredited into the scheme. These can be found at the following link:
https://rhi.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ExternalReportDetail.aspx?RP=RHIPublicReport
These data is updated on a daily basis. As of 23 October 2012, 19 ground source heat pumps had been accredited into the scheme.
Wind Power
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what onshore wind energy generation capacity (a) was installed, (b) has gained planning consent and (c) was seeking planning permission on 1 October 2012. [R] [124837]
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Mr Hayes: The Renewable Energy Planning Database showed that in September 2012 5,183 MW of onshore wind were operational, 6,542 MW had gained planning consent and 6,678 MW were seeking planning permission.
We do not anticipate that all consented projects will be built and not everything in the planning system deserves to be consented.
Education
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he continues to use a private e-mail account for Government business; and whether civil servants in his Department have access to that account in order to allow them to fulfil requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [124074]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 22 October 2012]:The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), uses equipment supplied by the Department and his own IT equipment as appropriate, depending on his location and circumstances. Where information is generated in the course of conducting Government business, it is stored on departmental systems.
e-mail: Freedom of Information
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 399W, on e-mail, what the cost was of the legal advice his Department has taken in respect of claims relating to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request for e-mails about official business sent from non-departmental accounts from September 2011 to date. [110126]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 11 June 2012]: The Department has spent a total of £12,539.50 on legal advice and litigation services. This includes advice relating to the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to non-departmental e-mail accounts and the handling of appeal EA/2012/0072.
Free Schools
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that the enrolling of students and hiring of staff to free schools is not dictated by religion. [124380]
Elizabeth Truss: All free schools are required to adopt fair and open admission arrangements that comply with, the School Admissions Code. A free school that is designated as a school with religious character is able to select up to 50% of their pupils with reference to faith, if it is oversubscribed.
As part of their application to the Department to set up a free school, proposers are required to set out how they will ensure the highest quality of teaching and leadership in their schools. No school is allowed to proceed without robust plans for doing so. Faith designated free schools are able to prioritise recruitment of staff on the basis of faith to help support their vision and ethos.
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Free Schools: Coventry
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many groups have applied to establish a free school in (a) Coventry local authority area and (b) Coventry North East constituency; [124114]
(2) how many groups who applied to establish a free school in (a) Coventry local authority area and (b) Coventry North East constituency have received advice and assistance from the New Schools Network. [124115]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answers 22 October 2012]:Since the launch of the Free Schools Programme in June 2010, one group has applied to establish a free school in the Coventry local authority area; this was not in the Coventry North East constituency.
The Department does not hold information on the advice and assistance given to proposer groups by the New Schools Network.
Freedom of Information
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the total cost of (a) external legal advice, (b) advice from the Treasury Solicitor's Department and (b) civil service time incurred in dealing with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request EA/2012/0072 at the moment that the Information Commissioner's Office issued its decision notice on the issue. [122801]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 17 October 2012]:The Department spent a total of £1,575 in April 2012 on external legal advice relating to compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA), which included advice in relation to this request. The Department had not incurred any costs relating to advice from the Treasury Solicitor's Department at the time of the Information Commissioner's Decision Notice. The costs of internal civil service time are not held in such a way that they can be separately identified.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the total cost of (a) external legal advice, (b) advice from the Treasury Solicitor's Department and (b) civil service time incurred in dealing with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request EA/2012/0072. [122802]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 17 October 2012]: The Department has spent a total of £4,875 on external legal advice from counsel in relation to this request (this figure includes £1,575 for advice relating to compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which was in part advice in relation to this request). The Department has paid £7,664.50 to the Treasury Solicitor's Department on dealing with appeal EA/2012/0072. This covers the legal advice and litigation services provided by TSol, including administrative charges and disbursements. The costs of internal civil service time are not held in such a way that they can be separately identified.
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Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which universities he has visited in the last 12 months. [116290]
Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), visited the university of London in November 2011 and the university of Reading in June 2012.
UK Council for Child Internet Safety
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the dates of future meetings of the UK Council on Child Internet Safety. [124433]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 23 October 2012]: There is a meeting of the UKCCIS Executive Board scheduled for the 17 December 2012.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the names of all the members and board members of the UK Council on Child Internet Safety. [124434]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 23 October 2012]: The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) is jointly chaired by myself, as Minister for Children and Families, and the Minister for Crime Prevention, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne). The Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), is also an executive board member.
A current list of UK Council for Child Internet Safety executive board members is as follows:
Joe Godwin—BBC
Susie Hargreaves—Internet Watch Foundation
Peter Davies—Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
Scott Dodds—Microsoft
John Carr—Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety
Mike Short—O2
Jo Twist—The Association for UK Interactive and Entertainment
Sonia Livingstone—London School of Economics
Elizabeth Kanter—RIM BlackBerry
Philip Raines—Scottish Government
Chris Woolard—Ofcom
Eillis McDaniel—Northern Ireland Government
Simon Milner—Facebook
David Happy—Samsung
Dido Harding—Tall Talk
Will Gardner—Safer Internet Centre
Andrew Uden—Tesco
Vicki Shotbolt —Parentzone
Sue Warrington—Chace Community School
Peter Liver—NSPCC.
A full list of all UKCCIS member organisations has been placed in the House Libraries. This list is correct as of 24 September 2012.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Trident
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) civil servants in his Department and (b) military personnel will be tasked to assist the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, the right hon. Member for Yeovil, in his review of the options for replacing the UK nuclear deterrent. [121505]
Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
The review continues to be led by officials in the Cabinet Office, consulting relevant military and civilian experts in the Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and other Departments on an as-required basis. The number of experts in each Department varies with the different stages of work and the type of expertise required.
Lord-Lieutenants
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the process is for the appointment of Lord-Lieutenants. [124909]
Miss Chloe Smith: In England, the process of consultation is carried out by the Head of Honours and Appointments Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. S/He will write to a wide range of individuals with knowledge of the county, including local MPs, local government chief executives, representatives of the magistracy, the constabulary, religious groups, voluntary bodies and charities, academics, health sector, the territorial armed services, industry and agriculture, the High Sheriff, Lord-Lieutenancies of neighbouring counties and the Minister for the region. S/He will also spend two or three days in the county having face to face discussions with some individuals who may have particularly relevant knowledge. The results of the consultation are reported to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister for consideration. The Prime Minister makes the eventual recommendation to the Queen.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what arrangements govern the standing for election to public office of Lord-Lieutenants' secretaries. [124910]
Miss Chloe Smith: Lord-Lieutenancies do not currently have arrangements in place for governing the standing for election to public office of Lord-Lieutenants' clerks or secretaries. If the clerk is a local government official, then the individual would be subject to any local government rules that may apply.
Health
Clinical Commissioning Groups
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to the capacity of local authorities to scrutinise effectively the work of clinical commissioning groups. [124415]
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Anna Soubry: Local authorities have the power to review any matter relating to the planning, provision and operation of health services in their area. From April 2013, this will include the power to scrutinise the work of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) as well as all national health service bodies and relevant service providers from the independent sector. These powers of scrutiny provide an important mechanism for councillors to hold health services to account for the quality of their services and give greater influence to local people over NHS decision-making.
CCGs will work with elected councillors, local authority commissioners and representatives of patients and the public through health and well-being boards to develop a comprehensive analysis of health and social care needs in each local area through Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs), and translate these into action in Joint Health and Well-being Strategies (JHWSs). CCGs, the NHS Commissioning Board and local authorities will also be expected to develop their commissioning plans in line with any relevant JSNA or JHWS, and must be able to justify any parts of their plans which are not consistent.
When preparing or significantly revising its commissioning plan, a CCG must consult the health and well-being board on whether it has taken proper account of the JHWS, and the board must give its views—a statement of the final opinion of the health and well-being board must be included in the CCG's published commissioning plan. The health and well-being board can express concerns to the NHS Commissioning Board, which would be able to take action where deviation from the relevant JHWS is not adequately justified.
As a committee of the local authority, health and well-being boards will also be subject to overview and scrutiny committees of the local authority who will be able to review and scrutinise the decisions and actions of health and well-being boards, and make reports and recommendations to the authority or its executive.
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of clinical commissioning groups have been judged to have limited capacity to perform to the required standard to date. [124416]
Anna Soubry: The authorisation process is still under way for all 211 applicant clinical commissioning groups, and the results will not be known until the NHS Commissioning Board takes its final decisions.
Eyesight: Testing
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take further steps to encourage the uptake of regular sight tests for hard to reach communities and minority ethnic groups in (a) Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [124359]
Dr Poulter: The Government recognise that regular sight tests are an important measure in preventing avoidable sight loss.
Free national health service sight tests are available to many, including children, people aged 60 and over, people on benefits and those people at particular risk of developing eye disease. The uptake of NHS sight tests is
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increasing. In 2011-12, there were 12.3 million NHS sight tests, an increase of 367,000 (3.1%) compared with the previous year.
Information about the extensive arrangements for providing help with NHS optical services and other health costs is published in leaflet HC11 “Are you entitled to help with health costs?”
It is for local health commissioners, taking into account the needs of the communities they serve, to make decisions about local strategies for promoting eye health. From April 2013 local authorities will have a greater role to play in public health. The Public Health Outcomes Framework includes an indicator on avoidable sight loss.
The new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies will provide a vehicle for local communities to plan action to meet identified needs, including eye health.
The Department has worked, and continues to work, with NHS Choices on the development of articles and videos to raise the profile of visual health and promote the importance of regular sight tests.
Fertility
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost to the NHS was of semen cryostorage for conditions that impair fertility or that need treatment likely to impair fertility in each primary care trust area in each of the last three years; [124889]
(2) what consideration his Department has given to the regulation of semen cryostorage charges. [124890]
Anna Soubry: Information on the cost to the national health service of semen storage is not collected centrally.
The Department's view is that the level of charges for the provision of private treatments and services, including cryopreservation (frozen storage), is a matter for Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licensed clinics and storage centres to determine. However, the schedule of charges must be clear to those who will pay them. The HFEA's code of practice requires that before treatment, storage or both are offered, the clinic or centre should give the person seeking those services a personalised, costed treatment plan.
Health Services: Armed Forces
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serving members of the Army have been treated by the NHS for each category of illness in each of the last five years. [123374]
Mr Francois: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Primary and intermediate health care for serving members of the Army, wherever they are based in the world, is normally delivered via a combination of Army and Defence primary health care organisations. These provide military general practice, general dentistry, specialist occupational health services, rehabilitation and community mental health.
There may, however, be occasions when Army personnel access the NHS for some services such as out of hours treatment and NHS general practitioners as temporary patients. This generally arises when personnel are staying
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at another location away from their unit. Within the UK, all secondary hospital-based care is also accessed via the NHS.
Information relating to the number of Army personnel treated by the NHS over the last five years is not currently held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). However, this should change from April 2013 when, under the NHS Commissioning Rules, the MOD will be provided with data about the services armed forces personnel have accessed.
Health Services: Foreign Nationals
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a GP whose list is closed may refuse to register an overseas visitor as a patient. [124766]
Dr Poulter: Where a general practitioner practice has formally closed its patient list to new patient registrations, it may only accept new applications to join its lists of national health service patients from immediate family members of patients who are already registered with it.
Health Services: Homelessness
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that homeless people are able to register with a GP. [124404]
Dr Poulter: Homeless people are entitled to access national health service primary medical services in the same way as everyone else in the country. General practitioner practices are therefore expected to register homeless patients, and we are aware of practices using a temporary address—which may be a friend's address, a day centre or a hostel address, or even the address of their premises in order to register someone who is homeless or without a permanent address.
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve hospital discharge procedures for homeless people. [124405]
Anna Soubry: There are a number of hospitals joining up care and support services effectively to ensure safe and appropriate discharge for homeless people and our aim is to ensure this happens across the country. The Government's report ‘Making every contact count: A joint approach to preventing homelessness’ encourages local authorities and the national health service to integrate services to improve hospital discharge for the homeless. As part of a broad ranging programme of work, we are also working with Homeless Link to ensure medical professionals discharging patients who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless know who to approach for help with meeting housing needs.
Newspaper Licensing Agency
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department and associated agencies has been of Newspaper Licensing Agency licences for scanned content in each year since 2010. [124826]
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Anna Soubry: The Department receives printed copies of its national press cuttings and electronic copies of regional cuttings. The Department's Media Centre holds a licence from the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) which covers both these printed and electronic cuttings.
The figures for financial years 2010-11 to 2012-13 are provided in the following table:
| Department of Health | |
| Financial year | Total payments (£)(1) |
| (1)All payments are inclusive of VAT. | |
Financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 include NLA costs for Connecting for Health, which joined the Department's Media Centre from NHS Connecting for Health following the merger of the media relation functions of the two organisations in April 2009.
Payments made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) for the financial periods 2010-11 to 2012-13 are in the following table:
| MHRA | |
| Financial year | Total payments (£)(1) |
| (1 )All payments are inclusive of VAT. | |
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial resources were allocated to North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation NHS Trust in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13; and what the planned budgetary allocation for the trust from his Department is in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16 expressed in (A) cash terms and (B) adjusted for inflation. [124419]
Anna Soubry: The Department cannot provide the information requested. The Department currently allocates funding to primary care trusts (PCTs) and not to individual national health service foundation trusts. A national weighted capitation formula is used which determines each PCTs target share of available resources to enable them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations.
The current formula calculates each PCT's target share of available resources based on the age distribution of the population, additional need over and above that accounted for by age, which includes factors such as deprivation, and unavoidable geographical variations in the cost of providing services (the market forces factor).
The NHS Commissioning Board is responsible for the allocation of resources to clinical commissioning groups for 2013-14 which are to be announced by the end of the year. In addition, the Department will allocate a ring-fenced grant to upper tier and unitary local authorities for their future public health responsibilities.
The financial resources data requested at trust level can be obtained directly from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.
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Out of Area Treatment: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the estimated numbers of referrals from patients residing in Scotland to the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014; [124755]
(2) what the value of reimbursement received from the Scottish Government was in respect of care provided to patients resident in Scotland who attended the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath in each of the last five years; [124756]
(3) how many patients residing in Scotland have attended the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath for treatment in each of the last five years. [124757]
Anna Soubry: The Department has not had any discussions with the Scottish Government with respect to patients resident in Scotland being referred to the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust.
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The number and cost of such referrals is a matter for the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to the trust's chair, Peter Franklyn, informing him of this enquiry. He will reply to the hon. Member shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Patients: Death
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of patients dying in hospital who were admitted to hospital over the weekend in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement, [124408]
(2) how many patients who died in hospital were admitted to hospitals over a weekend in each year since May 1997. [124409]
Anna Soubry: Data on the number of patients who died in hospital by day of admission for 2010-11 are given in the following table.
| Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | |||||
| All Admissions(1) (elective, emergency and other) | |||||
| Discharged | Percentage | ||||
| Admission day | Dead | Alive | Total | Dead | Alive |
| (1) The method of admission recorded at the beginning of the spell for the relevant discharge group where: Elective includes HES codes: 11—Elective from waiting list 12—Elective booked 13—Elective planned Emergency includes HES codes: 21—Emergency—via Accident and Emergency ( A&E) services including the casualty department of the provider 22—Emergency via the General Practitioner (GP) 23—Emergency—via Bed Bureau , including the Central Bureau 24—Emergency—via consultant out patient clinic 28—Other means including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another health care provider Other includes HES codes: 31—Maternity—where the baby was delivered after the mother's admission 32—Maternity—where the baby was delivered before the mother's admission 81—Transfer of any admitted patient from another hospital provider other than in an emergency; this does not include admissions to High Security Psychiatric Hospitals 82—Other—babies born in health care providers 83—Other—babies born outside the health care provider, except when born at home as intended Note: Similar data for the period 1997-98 to 2009-10 have been placed in the Library. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre | |||||
It is important that people have access to services that are consistently safe and high quality every day of the week. The Royal Colleges and specialist societies are leading the way on how to do this through the development of standards and guidance, and the Department will work with these organisations and others to make this happen across the national health service.
Pedicures
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the safety of pedicures using fish. [124358]
Anna Soubry: The Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland, and the Health and Safety Laboratory reviewed the available evidence in 2011 and produced guidance to minimise any potential risk of infection.
On the basis of the evidence identified and the view of experts, the risk of infection from a fish pedicure is likely to be very low.
The Health Protection Agency and Health Protection Scotland are currently unaware of any confirmed cases of infection associated with the use of fish spas pedicures in the United Kingdom.
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Visual Impairment: Waiting Lists
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for (a) an initial appointment with a hospital consultant and (b) follow-up treatment of patients diagnosed with (i) age-related macular degeneration, (ii) glaucoma, (iii) diabetic retinopathy and (iv) cataracts in each of the last five years. [124360]
Anna Soubry: The available information is shown in the following table.
The average waiting times for out-patient appointments for these diagnoses have not been calculated because of the poor quality of diagnosis coding in nationally available out-patient data.
| Median time waited for booked and waiting list finished admission episodes (FAEs) for primary diagnoses of macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, 2006-07 to 2010-11, from decision to admit: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | |||||
| Median time waited (days) | |||||
| Primary diagnosis | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Notes: 1. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Planned cases have been excluded. 2. ‘Age related macular degeneration’ is not specified in HES, therefore information is provided for ‘degeneration of macula and posterior pole’. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre | |||||
Business, Innovation and Skills
Basic Skills
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of functionally illiterate adults; [124596]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that literacy and numeracy programmes are accessible to the most hard-to-reach functionally illiterate and innumerate adults; [124597]
(3) with reference to page 11 of the New Challenges, New Chances report published on 1 December 2011, what progress he has made on implementing a national mathematics campaign to tackle innumeracy; [124637]
(4) if he will make an assessment of the implementation of measures to tackle adult illiteracy and innumeracy. [124639]
Matthew Hancock:
In the last spending review the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) secured continued funding of English and maths courses for adults who lack these basic skills. This is funding over 600,000 adults to take maths courses and over 600,000 to take English courses each year, and we are now funding GCSE English and maths qualifications
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for adults from the 2012/13 academic year. We have brought in new freedoms and flexibilities whereby further education colleges and providers have a single Adult Skills Budget which enables them to respond to learner and employer needs locally.
Awarding organisations have responded to BIS' call for new unit-based qualifications that are tailored to the differential needs and learning patterns of adults, and which provide the necessary rigour and flexibility to support progression from lower levels towards a GCSE or other training.
New pilots have commenced which are seeking to determine how providers can be funded on the basis of the skills gained by their learners, to incentivise providers to maximise skills acquisition.
As set out in ‘New Challenges, New Chances’, BIS is raising demand for maths improvement working through stakeholders rather than using a top-down approach as has been the case with previous campaigns.
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress his Department has made on increasing participation in literacy and numeracy programmes for functionally illiterate and innumerate adults. [124601]
Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) funds English (literacy) and maths (numeracy) provision for those aged 19 and over who lack these basic skills.
The following table shows the number of adult learners aged 19+ participating in Skills for Life English and maths courses, by level. The academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11 are based on final data; year 2011/12 is based on provisional data.
| Adult Skills for Life English and Maths participation, by level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 (provisional)(1) | |||
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | |
| Final | Final | Provisional | |
| (1 )Information on the number of learners participating on a Skills for Life course is published a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 11 October 2012: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures relate to learners aged 19 and over and include a small number of learners with an unknown age. 3.Provisional data for the 2011/12 academic year. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||
Business Links
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many start-ups have accessed publicly-funded sources of assistance from the business support finder section of his Business Link website in each year since 2005; and how many such start-ups are still in existence. [124842]
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Michael Fallon: The business support finder section of the Business Link website was only launched during November 2011 so I am unable to report traffic to that particular tool back to 2005. I can however confirm that the business support finder received 228,992 visitors during the period November 2011 to October 2012, although it is not possible to report how many of these would have been by start-ups.
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget for the Business Link website was in 2011-12; and what that budget is in 2012-13. [124843]
Michael Fallon: The Department is not responsible for the budget for the Business Link website as this falls to HM Revenue and Customs. However, I can confirm that the budget for the Business Link website for 2011-12 was £26.746 million and for 2012-13 is £4.728 million. The lower amount for 2012-13 is as a result of the closure of the Business Link website on the 17 October 2012 when it was replaced by the new single domain for government:
www.gov.uk
Conditions of Employment
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the potential effects on growth and levels of labour market participation in the first two years following the introduction of his Department's proposals to permit staff to forfeit employment rights in respect of (a) unfair dismissal, (b) flexible working and (c) flexible dates of return from maternity leave in exchange for shares in the company for which they work. [122981]
Jo Swinson: The Government are currently carrying out a consultation on the proposed new ‘employee owner’ employment status. As part of the consultation, we are seeking views on how we can implement the new status and its likely impacts including on growth and levels of labour market participation, employee engagement and labour market flexibility.
The consultation closes on 8 November.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will commission further evidence-gathering to monetise the potential effects of the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. [123416]
Jo Swinson: The Government have no plans to commission further evidence gathering on this issue. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 852W, for information.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether a date has been set for the commencement of a public consultation on the implementation of the transitional provisions for businesses affected by the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; [124737]
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(2) if he will take the steps to ensure that any transitional periods granted to businesses affected by the proposed changes to section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 will be granted on a case-by-case basis. [124738]
Jo Swinson: As the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 has not yet been approved by Parliament, no date has been set for the commencement of a consultation on transitional provisions. Questions of what transitional periods might apply, including whether or not these might be granted on a case-by-case basis, would be matters for that consultation and have not been decided.
Employee Ownership Scheme
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the employee ownership scheme he announced on 8 October 2012, whether the employee ownership shares will be treated as employee related securities as defined under the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. [123611]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
It is anticipated that shares issued under the employee owner status will be employment-related securities as defined in the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation on the implementation of the new status opened on 18 October and will close on 8 November 2012. The consultation document is published on the BIS website and contains further information on the Government's proposals.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the employee ownership scheme he announced on 8 October 2012, whether employees will be required to have paid market value as defined in sections 272 and 273 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to qualify for exemption from capital gains tax on disposal. [123613]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
It is anticipated that employees taking up the new employee owner status will not be required to pay market value for the shares they receive in order to be eligible for the associated capital gains tax exemption.
A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation on the implementation of the new status opened on 18 October and will close on 8 November 2012. The consultation document is published on the BIS website and contains further information on the Government's proposals.
Green Investment Bank
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for the Green Investment Bank. [124171]
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Michael Fallon: The board of the UK Green Investment Bank is required under the company's Shareholder Relationship Framework Document to ensure that each investment of the bank is made in accordance with responsible investment criteria set by the board. The criteria must be in line with best practice and cover areas such as the environmental, social, safety and governance standards of investments. The UK Green Investment Bank responsible investment criteria will align with Government policy, which is fully committed to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Growth Implementation Committee
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he expects to be appointed a member of the proposed Cabinet Growth Implementation Committee. [124868]
Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), is the Deputy Chair of the Growth Implementation Committee. A full membership list will published in due course.
Higher Education: Mental Health Services
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department gives to universities to assist students with mental health issues. [124503]
Mr Willetts: Universities have duties under the Equality Act 2010 (which incorporated the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995) to support disabled students in higher education, including those with mental health conditions. Higher education institutions have clear duties and responsibilities with regard to ensuring that disabled students do not face discrimination or less favourable treatment while applying to, and studying in, higher education. However, the detailed decisions of how an institution will comply with legislation and, more broadly, support disabled students will be determined by the institution itself within the requirements of the law.
The Government provide financial support to disabled students in higher education (HE). They are supported via (i) the institution they attend and (ii) individually through disabled students' allowances (DSAs).
The Government provide funding to HE institutions, through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, to help them recruit and support disabled students; £13 million has been provided in academic year 2012/13.
In addition, the Government also provide direct support to disabled students through disabled students' allowances (DSAs). In England, £87.8 million was spent on providing DSAs to 41,700 students in 2009/10. DSAs can help pay the extra costs a student may incur because of a disability when undertaking a course of higher education. DSAs are provided in addition to the standard student support package, are not income-assessed, and do not have to be repaid.
The Government have established a new framework with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for
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new annual access agreements from higher education institutions which wish to charge above the basic amounts for tuition, £6,000, to demonstrate what more they will do to attract students from under-represented and disadvantaged groups. In 2012/13 and 2013/14, 86 higher education institutions have milestones in their access agreements relating to disability (around 55% of all institutions).
There is guidance available to universities on supporting students and staff with mental health conditions from a range of sector and medical bodies, including the Heads of University Counselling Services, the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the former Disability Rights Commission and most recently from the Universities UK/Guild HE Working Group for the Promotion of Mental Well-Being in Higher Education.
London Metropolitan University
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what calculations were used to form the evidential basis for the Government's decision to set up a fund of £2 million to help overseas students at London Metropolitan University affected by the decision to revoke the University's highly-trusted status. [124565]
Mr Willetts: The Government's decision to make available up to £2 million from existing funding took account of the potential numbers of students affected; the known costs of repeat visa applications; and estimates of possible additional costs, for example in respect of lost deposits on accommodation due to having to move somewhere else to study. The recent decision of the High Court allowing legitimate non-EU students to remain at London Metropolitan University until their course has ended or the end of the academic year, whichever is sooner, is expected to reduce the number of claims on the fund.
Secondment
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length was of a secondment undertaken by staff in his Department to business and industry in the latest period for which figures are available. [124863]
Jo Swinson: The average length of a secondment undertaken by a member of staff from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to business and industry was just under 12 months in 2011-12 and is currently 13 months (for the period 1 April 2012 to 30 September 2012).
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length was of a secondment undertaken from business and industry to his Department in the latest period for which figures are available. [124865]
Jo Swinson: The average length of a secondment from business and industry to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was a little over 10 months during 2011-12 and is currently around four months (for the period 1 April 2012 30 September 2012).
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Students: Fees and Charges
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the average (a) fees paid for higher education and (b) proportion of such fees paid by the student in higher education systems overseas. [124123]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 22 October 2012]: Average tuition fee levels are published by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) when the Director of Fair Access announces his decisions on institutions' Access Agreements. OFFA estimates average fees under the new funding regime will be £8,385 per annum in academic year 2012/13 before fee waivers and institutional support are applied. Starting from 2012/13 the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will collect information on tuition fees charged to students studying in the UK; information will be available from January 2014. No eligible student has to pay for their tuition up front. Loans of up to £9,000 are available for full-time and full-time distance learning students to meet the full cost of tuition at publicly funded institutions.
Comparative information on how much tertiary education students pay in tuition fees across OECD countries is published by the OECD in their annual report ‘Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators’. This is shown in table B5.1. Figures specifically relate to home students, unless stated otherwise in the table. The table does not distinguish between countries which charge tuition fees up front and countries where fees are repaid after graduating via an income-contingent loan, though further details of the funding models applied in each country are available in the report:
http://www.oecd.org/edu/highereducationandadultlearning/eag2012.htm
Mr Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the effect of changes in tuition fees in England on the level of the consumer price index in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15. [124321]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 22 October 2012]: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not make estimates of this, but the Office for Budget Responsibility has some forecasts in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
International Development
Bangladesh
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's report from November 2011 on her Department's climate change programme in Bangladesh. [124361]
Mr Duncan:
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) report on DFID Bangladesh's climate change programme made five recommendations, listed as follows, which the programme team is implementing. DFID Bangladesh provides an update every six months
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to Ministers, which feeds into an organisation-wide progress update to the International Development Committee on the implementation of all the ICAI review recommendations.
DFID should ensure that organisations implementing UK aid are selected competitively and managed according to clear performance targets, set out in a service level agreement.
DFID should ensure that all UK resources that support Bangladesh's response to climate change are managed in a co-ordinated and integrated manner.
DFID should support monitoring by local and international civil society organisations of the activities and achievements of the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.
DFID in Bangladesh should use the programme to fund research and activities to address migration caused by climate change over the next 20 to 30 years. It should support building capacity to deal with such effects of climate change.
DFID should plan more explicitly for what will happen at the end of the programme. In particular, more effort is needed to build capacity within government to enable activities and administration to be led by local, not international, institutions.
The detail of how we are addressing the recommendations are available to view at:
http://icai.independent.gov.uk/publications/dfid-response-to-icai-reports/
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment she has made of the position of the Results and Evaluation Advisor appointed in 2011 as mentioned in her Department's Operational Plan in Bangladesh 2011-15; [124363]
(2) what the salary is of the Results and Evaluation Adviser appointed in 2011 as mentioned in her Department's Operational Plan in Bangladesh 2011-15. [124364]
Mr Duncan: The results and evaluation adviser for DFID Bangladesh was appointed in October 2011. This is an A2/civil service grade 7 position and the salary range for this post is £49,168-£56,293.
The position is held by a member of the Statistics Cadre and has proved valuable in increasing the capacity of the staff and delivery partners to improve the evidence base in programmes, by improving the use of data sources and more effectively applying rigorous methodological approaches for tracking results. The post holder is also working across teams to embed improved monitoring systems and independent evaluation into programme design.
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of her Department's aid to Bangladesh is implemented through the Bangladeshi Government and its connected agencies. [124365]
Mr Duncan:
The 2012-13 budget for programmes implemented by DFID Bangladesh is £197 million. Of this, £19 million is allocated for the Government-led Health Sector Development Programme and £20 million
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for the Government-led Education Development Programme. In addition DFID also allocated £3.5 million to the ‘connected’ agencies of the Micro-Finance Regulatory Authority and Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) to strengthen the micro-finance sector.
In total these amount to 22% of the DFID Bangladesh allocation for 2012-13.
Crimes of Violence: Females
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Minister in her Department is responsible for the elimination of international violence against women. [124468]
Justine Greening: The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) is the Ministerial Champion for tackling Violence against Women and Girls Overseas. My Department’s policy on gender and women’s rights is cross-cutting and I have overall responsibility for these issues.
EU Aid
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of her Department's budget is spent via the EU. [124465]
Justine Greening: Approximately 16% of DFID's total programme and programme capital budget was spent in the EU in 2011-12.
India
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Indian Government on the UK's bilateral aid programme. [124466]
Justine Greening: I met Indian Finance Minister Chidambaram during the World Bank Annual Meetings in Tokyo on 13 October. We discussed the future of the India-UK development partnership.
Overseas Aid
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the Bilateral Programme Budget's funding of (a) training for journalists on capacity development for investigative reporting on financial management and accountability and (b) training for diplomatic reporters on foreign affairs and diplomatic issues. [124362]
Mr Duncan: We do not have a specific assessment on funding of DFID's bilateral aid programme for capacity development for investigative reporting on financial management and foreign affairs issues.
DFID sees the media as an important element in governance. Training for journalists and other media professionals is delivered through the £90 million global grant to BBC Media Action 2011-16 which helps citizens in 14 countries to hold governments to account. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a £13 million media
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support programme is delivering training and support to media professionals and has increased the number of investigative reports in six provinces.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the estimated spending on climate change-related activities will remain under 10 per cent of the overall official development assistance budget in 2013. [124464]
Justine Greening: Estimated spending on climate change-related activities will remain under 10% of the overall official development assistance budget in 2013.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate she has made of how many people in Yemen are being supported by UK aid. [124356]
Mr Duncan: The UK supports Yemen in four main areas: Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability; Humanitarian Relief; Governance and Security; and Wealth Creation.
In 2011-12 UK support reached the following beneficiaries:
300,000 people benefitted from UK funded emergency food assistance;
111,000 people received essential health services;
87,000 people received cash transfer (including through public works employment);
11,700 people benefitted from access to financial services including loans and deposit accounts;
6.6 million people voted in the elections in February 2012 which were supported by the UK.
Our planned results for the next three financial years have been published in our operational plan 2012-15. This can be found on the Department's website.
Justice
Alternatives to Prison
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on alternatives to a custodial sentence for offenders who have been diagnosed with severe mental health problems. [124417]
Jeremy Wright: If an offender is suffering from mental disorder that is of a nature and degree that makes it appropriate for them to be detained in hospital for medical treatment then it is unlikely they would be eligible to receive any order other than a hospital order, rather than a custodial sentence or a community order.
A community order with a mental health treatment requirement is available where an offender's mental health problem is such as to require and be susceptible to treatment, but not serious enough for a hospital order or a guardianship order. In addition to this sentencing option, the Ministry of Justice is working with the Department of Health, and the Home Office to deliver the Government's commitment to diverting offenders with less severe mental health problems from the criminal justice system or from custody at the earliest opportunity, where appropriate. To develop this further, £19.4 million
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has been provided by the Department of Health in 2012-13, which will include exploring options for treatment based community sentences for offenders with mental health vulnerabilities.
Approved Premises
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of people were resident in an approved premises in England and Wales whose index offence was (a) sexual and (b) violent in the latest period for which figures are available. [124694]
Jeremy Wright: The number of (a) sexual and (b) violent offenders accommodated in approved premises in England and Wales will vary from time to time. Statistical information about the offending history of offenders residing in approved premises at any one time is not collected centrally, although offenders' assessed level of risk of harm at the point of admission is.
Approved premises provide for enhanced supervision, particularly of high risk of harm offenders on release from custody. It would be much more difficult to provide that level of supervision, were such offenders to be dispersed into less suitable accommodation in the community on release from custody.
Courts
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of court time in England and Wales was split between (a) lay magistrates and (b) district judges in each of the last 10 years. [124560]
Mrs Grant: We do not collate data on the division of court work between district judges (magistrates courts) and magistrates. It is, however, the Government's firm view that an appropriate balance of both magistrates and district judges (MC) is vital to run an effective and efficient justice system.