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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Northern Ireland

Electoral Register

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her assessment is of the findings and recommendations of the report of the Electoral Commission of 27 November 2012 on the state of the electoral register in Northern Ireland. [134336]

Mike Penning: It is vital that there is public confidence in the electoral register. We have allocated funding for the review of data matching processes recommended by the Electoral Commission and are considering carefully what further steps are needed to ensure that the register is in good shape for elections in 2014. We will be writing to political parties early in the new year to seek their views on proposed action.

Political Parties: Finance

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her policy is on transparency of potential donations to parties in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [134347]

Mike Penning: I believe that there is room to increase the transparency of the donations and loans regime without compromising the security of individuals or businesses. This requires the introduction of primary legislation to allow the current arrangements to be amended. I hope to publish a draft of such legislation by early February.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to consult on the renewal of legislation governing the transparency of political donations to parties in Northern Ireland. [134420]

Mike Penning: The Government conducted a full public consultation on this issue in 2010. The commitments made following that consultation will be implemented through primary legislation, of which I hope to publish a draft by early February.

As the current prescribed period expires after 28 February 2013, I wrote to the main Northern Ireland parties and the Electoral Commission on 22 November, setting out our intention to extend the existing provisions for a limited period to allow time for primary legislation to be introduced.

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Scotland

Dover House

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost is of building and associated work at Dover House to accommodate the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [134512]

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office is providing temporary decant space in Dover House while essential building works take place in 70 Whitehall. The cost of most work necessary to accommodate Cabinet Office personnel, including the Deputy Prime Minister, will be borne by the Cabinet Office and will be published in the Cabinet Office's annual accounts in the usual way.

Energy and Climate Change

Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. [133909]

Gregory Barker: There were two agreements relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Doha.

The first related to the conclusions of the ongoing technical work programme, where discussions focussed on national forest monitoring systems and measurement, reporting and verification. Progress is captured in an annex to the conclusions which will be forwarded to the next negotiations session in June with the aim of agreement in 2013. There was insufficient time in Doha to further consider other aspects of the work programme—including drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, further guidance on the safeguards and on technical assessment of reference levels.

The second related to a decision on finance, and has led to a one-year work programme with the aim to contribute to the ongoing efforts to scale up and improve the effectiveness of finance of REDD+ activities, taking into account both market and non-market approaches on results-based finance. The work programme will address ways and means to transfer payments for results-based actions; ways to incentivise non-carbon benefits; and ways to improve the co-ordination of results-based finance.

The two agreements are in document FCCC/SBSTA/2012/L.31, and in section C of decision -/CP. 18—contained in document FCCC/CP/2012/L.14/Rev.1:

http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2012/cop18/eng/l14r01.pdf

Immigration

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the additional cost of the delivery of those public services for which his Department is responsible arising from inward migration since 1997. [134294]

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Gregory Barker: The Department does not routinely produce estimates of this nature. Doing so would incur disproportionate cost

Secondment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 311W, on secondment, in which (a) departments and (b) policy areas each of the secondees referred to worked during their time at his Department. [134772]

Gregory Barker: Following is a table which outlines the group and policy area the inward secondees referred to in the answer of 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 311W, worked during their time in the Department:

GroupPolicy areaCompany

Energy Markets and Infrastructure (EMI)

Security of Supply

National Grid

EMI

Security of Supply

National Grid

EMI

Future Electricity Networks

National Grid

International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (ICCEE)

Energy Resilience Team(1)

National Grid

EMI

Office of Renewable Energy Development

Centrica

EMI

Office of Renewable Energy Development

RWE NPower

EMI

Future Electricity Networks

EDF

EMI

Security of Supply

Electricity Supply Board

EMI

Security of Supply

Elexon

(1) One post but two people over period

Warm Front Scheme: North West

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to promote the take-up of the Warm Home scheme in the North West. [134595]

Gregory Barker: The Warm Front scheme provides a range of heating and insulation measures to low income vulnerable households living in energy inefficient properties. The Government have taken a number of actions to make it easier for households to access the scheme in its final year. This includes working closely with local authorities, fuel poverty stakeholders and delivery partners to encourage those on low incomes to apply for the help to which they are entitled. Significantly, on 12 September 2012, the Warm Front regulations were changed to help even more fuel poor households benefit.

In addition, around 2 million low income and vulnerable households will benefit each year as a result of the Warm Home Discount scheme, which started in April 2011. In winter 2011-12, this included over 700,000 of the poorest pensioners who received an automatic £120 discount on their electricity bills in winter 2011-12. This winter, over 1 million of the poorest pensioners will receive an increased discount of £130. 90% of these will receive the discount without the need to apply but all

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eligible and potentially eligible pensioner householders are written to each year. Regional breakdowns for these data are not available.

Home Department

Asylum: Afghanistan

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers living in the UK claim to have been members or supporters of the Taliban; [129811]

(2) how many asylum seekers living in the UK claim to have had connections with the Taliban. [129812]

Mr Harper: Data on the detail of asylum claims, including any associations the applicants may have had with proscribed organisations, are only held at the level of co-ordinated paper case files or within the notes section of the UK Border Agency's Case Information Database (CID) or in specialist national security systems. Such data are not aggregated in national reporting systems, which would mean this question could only be answered through a disproportionately expensive manual case search to collate the data.

However, information on asylum applications, initial decisions, appeals and removals for all nationalities are published on an annual and quarterly basis.

Latest figures are available in the release Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012 second edition, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q3-2012/?view=Standard&pubID=1088283

Entry Clearances

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications made before 22 November 2012 had not been decided by 13 December 2012. [134525]

Mr Harper: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, nor is the requested information available through published statistics.

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of using the Immigration Rules, laid on 22 November 2012, to determine applications made before that date. [134526]

Mr Harper: The Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 760, laid on 22 November 2012, together with the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 820, laid on 12 December 2012, make some changes to the rules on the Points-Based System, other work-related routes and family and private life which came into effect on 13 December 2012 and apply to undecided applications submitted before that date. By contrast, other changes in HC 760 are subject to transitional provisions which disapply the new rules to earlier applications.

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The effect of applying changes in Immigration Rules to undecided applications in this way is to provide greater clarity for applicants and for the UK Border Agency as to the requirements applicable to all applications decided from 13 December 2012. The majority of the changes are minor corrections or clarifications, or are more generous than the previous rules, and so do not disadvantage applicants.

Immigrants: Detainees

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals detained under the detained fast track process had been detained for (a) fewer than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six and 12 months and (d) more than 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [128700]

Mr Harper [holding answer 20 November 2012]:An asylum applicant will be detained for fast track processes only if, based on the information available at the asylum screening stage, it appears that a quick decision will be possible on the application, and if the applicant does not fall into one of the general exclusions for reasons of vulnerability. Given the nature of the DFT process it is crucial that the process operates flexibly and with efficiency. The majority of applicants who enter DFT are held for less than three months. However, data on the precise numbers are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols.

Each applicant's detention is regularly monitored throughout the DFT process. In cases where it becomes apparent that the applicant's case cannot be determined fairly within a quick time scale, where there is a need to obtain medical or documentary evidence, for example, or where there is credible evidence of torture, then the applicant is released from detention, with the case taken out of the DFT process, and placed into the non-detained route.

Immigration

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British residents applying to sponsor non-EEA partners for family reunification in the UK in the first six months of 2012 were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful. [129470]

Mr Harper [holding answer 22 November 2012]:The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, nor is the requested information available through published statistics.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British nationals were (a) successful in their non-EEA child reunification application and (b) unsuccessful in their non-EEA child reunification application in the first six months of 2012. [129471]

Mr Harper [holding answer 22 November 2012]: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, nor is the requested information available through published statistics.

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Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British residents applying to sponsor non-EEA elderly dependent relatives to join them in the UK in the first six months of 2012 were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful. [129472]

Mr Harper [holding answer 22 November 2012]: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, nor is the requested information available through published statistics.

Immigration Controls

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals living in the UK are currently subject to deportation orders; and how many foreign nationals outside the UK are currently prohibited from entering the UK under the terms of the Immigration Act 1971. [122105]

Mr Harper: As supplied to the Home Affairs Select Committee, at end of Q3 there are 3,980 foreign nationals in the UK subject to deportation action living in the community. We continue to pursue removal in all these cases. The principal barriers to removal are non-compliance on the part of individuals which means we have insufficient evidence of nationality and identity to obtain a travel document, ongoing legal challenges and the situations in countries of return.

The Immigration Act 1971 distinguishes between those who have a right of abode (for example, British citizens) and those who are subject to immigration control. All foreign nationals subject to immigration control are prohibited from entering the UK unless they obtain permission to enter.

Pay

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 349W, whether the number given for employees of her Department earning in excess of £80,000 per year includes or excludes the number earning in excess of £100,000 per year. [134485]

James Brokenshire: In the answer of 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 349W, the number given for employees in the Department earning in excess of £80,000 per year includes the number earning in excess of £100,000 per year.

Police

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of serving police officers in England and Wales were male in each year from 1 April 1997 to 2012; [133571]

(2) what proportion of serving police officers in England and Wales were (a) white British, (b) black Caribbean, (c) black African, (d) Pakistani, (e) Indian, (f) Bangladeshi and (g) of another ethnicity in each year from 1 April 1997 to 2012; [133572]

(3) what proportion of serving police officers in England and Wales were (a) Christian, (b) Muslim, (c) Jewish, (d) Hindu, (e) Sikh, (f) of no faith and (g) of another faith in each year from 1 April 1997 to 2012. [133573]

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Damian Green: The proportion of male police officers in England and Wales, as at 31 March 1997 to 2012 can be seen in the table. Also provided within the table is the proportion of white, mixed, black or black British, Asian or Asian British, other ethnic group and not stated ethnic police officers in England and Wales, as at

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31 March 2003 to 2012 (full-time equivalent). Police officer ethnicity breakdowns were not collected by the Home Office prior to 31 March 2003. The Home Office does not collect figures on police officers' faith, or their ethnicity for the more detailed categories requested.

Proportion of male, and ethnicities: white, mixed, black or black British, Asian or Asian British, other ethnic group and not stated police officers in England and Wales, as at 31 March 1997 to 2012(1, 2)
Percentage
As at 31 March each year:Proportion of male officersProportion of white officersProportion of mixed officersProportion of black or black British officersProportion of Asian or Asian British officersProportion of other officers ethnic group officersProportion of not stated officers

1997

85.0

1998

84.3

1999

83.9

2000

83.5

2001

82.8

2002

82.1

2003

81.0

94.8

0.7

0.8

1.0

0.4

2.3

2004

79.8

95.3

0.8

0.9

1.2

0.4

1.3

2005

78.8

95.0

0.9

0.9

1.3

0.4

1.4

2006

77.7

95.1

0.9

0.9

1.4

0.4

1.2

2007

76.7

94.7

1.0

0.9

1.5

0.4

1.4

2008

75.8

94.6

1.1

1.0

1.6

0.5

1.4

2009

74.9

94.3

1.2

1.0

1.7

0.5

1.3

2010

74.3

94.1

1.3

1.0

1.8

0.5

1.3

2011

73.7

94.1

1.3

1.0

1.9

0.5

1.2

2012

73.2

93.6

1.4

1.1

1.9

0.6

1.4

(1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Police officer ethnicity breakdowns were not collected by the Home Office prior to 31 March 2003.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2012, Official Report, column 204W, on police and crime commissioners, how much her Department has reimbursed to returning officers following the elections for police and crime commissioners. [133864]

Damian Green [holding answer 17 December 2012]: As of 13 December, no claims from returning officers have been submitted. Under the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Returning Officers' Accounts) Regulations 2012, returning officers have eight months from the election to submit a claim for reimbursement.

Police: Overseas Workers

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 106W, on police: overseas workers, how many death penalty sentences have been (a) imposed and (b) carried out in cases overseas where UK forces have provided assistance in each of the last 10 years. [133660]

Damian Green: It is Government policy that when providing policing assistance that could potentially lead to the imposition of the death penalty overseas, written assurances are sought that anyone found guilty would not face the death penalty. In cases where assurance are not forthcoming, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write with a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who decides whether or not to authorise assistance.

We do not have a record of any death penalty sentences being imposed or carried out in cases where police have provided assistance overseas.

Prime Minister

ICT: Expenditure

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been spent on (a) strategy and planning, (b) design and build, (c) hosting and infrastructure, (d) content provision and (e) testing and evaluation on the No. 10 Downing Street website in each of the last two years; and how much has been allocated for each such category of expenditure in 2012-13. [132131]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), gave to him on 11 December 2012, Official Report, column 242W.

Culture, Media and Sport

Broadcasting Programmes

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to increasing the amount of television drama produced in each constituent part of the UK. [134316]

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Mr Vaizey: The Government put a series of commitments on Public Service Broadcasters through their licence agreements. This specifies a percentage of network production produced outside London by value and by volume. The current quotas for regional programming are:

Percentage
PSBValueVolume

All BBC

30

25

ITV1

35

35

Channel 4

30

30

Channel 5

10

10

In the March 2012 Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that the Government would introduce corporation tax reliefs to promote the sustainable production of high-end culturally British TV across the UK.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has made to the BBC and independent producers on increasing television production in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each constituent part of the UK. [134318]

Mr Vaizey: The BBC is an independent body governed by the Royal Charter. The Royal Charter sets out the public purposes of the BBC, guarantees its independence, and outlines the duties of the Trust and the Executive Board. The current Charter runs until 31 December 2016. Under the terms of the BBC's Charter and Agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the Corporation's day-to-day operations. How the BBC allocates its funding, in meeting its objectives, is a matter for the BBC. The BBC Trust is the governing body of the BBC and it makes decisions in the best interests of licence fee payers and protects the independence of the BBC.

Catering

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010. [127100]

Hugh Robertson: Between May 2010 and the end of October 2012, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £59,922 on refreshments for the ongoing functions of the Department and £43,567 for the Government Olympic Executive, relating to work on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Costs are for tea, coffee, light refreshments and working lunches for meetings with external partners. The bulk of costs was incurred on the Department’s catering contract, and includes an element of labour costs to deliver catering to meeting rooms and clear waste. These labour costs cannot be disaggregated from food preparation costs. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

A further breakdown is set out in the following table:

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£
DatePeriodOngoing departmental functionsOlympicsTotal

2010-11

11 months from May

31,364.48

17,498.40

48,862.88

2011-12

Full year

17,845.49

22,421.15

40,266.64

2012-13

7 months to October

10,711.97

3,647.49

14,359.46

Cumulative since May 2010

 

59,921.94

43,567.04

103,488.98

In comparison, figures for 2009-10 were as follows:

£
DatePeriodOngoing departmental functionsOlympicsTotal

2009-10

Full year

75,944.91

20,498.98

96,443.89

Television: Licensing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what information her Department holds on the number of registered blind or severely sight impaired individuals who purchased television licences in the last 12 months; [133853]

(2) what information her Department holds on how many black and white television licences were purchased in the last 12 months. [134002]

Mr Vaizey: The Department does not hold information on the number of TV licences purchased. Discounted television licences are administered for the blind and partly-sighted by TV Licensing as agents for the BBC who also issue black and white TV licences. The BBC have provided the following figures: a) 41,500 blind concessionary licences had been issued as at end March 2011-12, and b) 15,000 black and white licences were in force as at end March 2011-12.

Work and Pensions

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of his Department to the Public Accounts Committee of 19 November 2012, HC 744-i, Q164, what the monetary value of service credits secured from Atos Healthcare was in (a) each month since May 2010, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012 to date. [131961]

Mr Hoban: In respect of the monetary value of service credits from May 2010 to date this information is commercial in confidence and cannot be released as it may prejudice future dealings between the Department and Atos Healthcare.

Service credits are contractually agreed financial incentives designed to recognise a true pre-estimated financial loss to the Department as a result of failure to meet agreed contractual service level targets. They are an effective tool for aligning the incentives of the contracted supplier with key service levels objectives.

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Under normal operating circumstances a service credit becomes due when there is a failure to achieve both the monthly and cumulative contractual service levels. There are currently 168 service level targets which attract service credits for performance failure. These are assessed at regional and national level and grouped into specific benefit lines, quality and accuracy, average actual clearance and customer service measures.

In the majority of cases where there has been a service level failure, service credits become automatically applicable. Contractually the service provider then has three months in which they are able to earn back the financial service credit by achieving the service level target and redeeming one third of the service credit applicable in the month of failure in each of the following three months.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with chronic fatigue syndrome as their primary condition received (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance in (i) Vauxhall constituency and (ii) England and Wales since May 2010. [131482]

Mr Hoban: Information on how many people with chronic fatigue syndrome as their primary health condition received employment and support allowance (ESA) is not readily available and to provide this would incur disproportionate cost.

Information on the number of recipients of disability living allowance (DLA) with main disabling condition of chronic fatigue syndrome by area from May 2012 to February 2012 is:

 Area
MonthEnglandWalesVauxhall parliamentary constituency

May 2010

28,200

1,800

May 2011

32,110

2,000

50

February 2012

34,910

2,130

60

Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. “—” denotes nil or negligible. 2. February 2012 data are the latest available data. 3. DLA figures do not include people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended for example if they are in hospital. 4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. For example, a customer would not be awarded DLA on the basis of a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome; the decision is based upon the care/supervision and difficulty getting around. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 5. Main Disabling Condition: Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Coatings Industry

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish the report by the Health and Safety Executive into the coatings industry; and if he will make a statement. [131769]

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Mr Hoban: The Health and Safety Executive is finalising a research report on “Exposure to hexavalent chromium, nickel and cadmium compounds in the electroplating industry”. It is planned that this will be published early in the new year.

Disability Living Allowance

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled children under the age of three were awarded the care component of disability living allowance in each of the last three years; and how many such claims were considered under special rules. [132336]

Esther McVey: The information is in the following table.

Number of disabled children under the age of three who were awarded disability living allowance (DLA) care component in each of the last three years and of these the number that were considered under DLA special rules
As at February:Number awarded DLA care componentNumber considered under special rules

2010

14,800

(1)100

2011

14,900

(1)200

2012

17,300

(1)100

(1) Figures of 500 or less are subject to a degree of sampling variation and should therefore be used as a guide only. Note: 1. Figures are taken from 5% sample data. They have been uprated to be consistent with Works and Pensions Longitudinal Study data and are rounded to the nearest 100. 3. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude cases where payment has been suspended e.g. if they are in hospital. 4. All recipients who qualify under the Special Rules are entitled to the highest rate care component of DLA. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of whether an applicant for employment and support allowance who has been placed in the support group and diagnosed with a progressive disease can be excused from any further work capability assessment. [134523]

Mr Hoban: Everyone who claims employment and support allowance (ESA) will undergo periodic work capability assessments (WCAs) to ascertain whether they still meet the conditions for the benefit. This is because entitlement to ESA is based on an individual's functional ability rather than the condition itself. Individuals with lifetime impairments may be able to adapt to those conditions and take up some work. So it is important we can provide them with the right support to get back to work when it is appropriate.

A claimant for whom a return to work is considered unlikely within two years will be reassessed after two years. This is because, even for claimants who are unlikely to see an improvement in their health and who are unlikely to sufficiently adapt to their condition, it is important that we do not write them off completely.

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However, this reassessment will not necessarily involve a face-to-face assessment—where possible, the Department may make a decision using paper-based evidence.

The WCA is an assessment of someone's functional capability, not just their condition. A disability or health condition will affect different people in different ways. Therefore it is important to treat people as individuals and assess their capability for work, rather than labelling them because of their condition.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons that the latest labour market statistics show an increase of 5,000 in the number of people engaged on Government employment and training programmes who are categorised as being employed. [134486]

Mr Hoban: Labour Force Survey figures on Government is supported training and employment programmes are based on relatively small sample sizes and therefore subject to considerable sample fluctuation. In addition, to reflect the Government's new Get Britain Working measures, ONS has introduced a revised set of LFS programme questions and a new method for allocating those who report participation on a programme into employment, unemployment or economic inactivity. Recent trends in the number of people the LFS records as in employment on Government-supported programmes are likely to have been affected by these changes and should be treated with caution. Looking at the whole period since the 2010 election, those on Government-supported programmes comprise only 6% of a total rise in employment of over 750,000.

ICT: Expenditure

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on (a) strategy and planning, (b) design and build, (c) hosting and infrastructure, (d) content provision and (e) testing and evaluation for his Department's websites in each of the last two years; and how much has been allocated for each such category of expenditure in 2012-13. [132117]

Mr Hoban: For the reporting year 2010-11 the following amounts were spent:

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 Amount (£)

(a) strategy and planning

145,878

(b) design and build

484,240

(c) hosting and infrastructure

656,810

(d) content provision

73,676

(e) testing and evaluation

172,150

For the reporting year 2011-12 the following amounts were spent:

 Amount (£)

(a) strategy and planning

149,722

(b) design and build

382,692

(c) hosting and infrastructure

640,330

(d) content provision

170,601

(e) testing and evaluation

148,327

We would expect broadly similar expenditure this year (2012-13).

Pay

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials in his Department in each of the last two years. [132867]

Mr Hoban: Since its formation, the Department for Work and Pensions has operated two pay-related employee reward schemes: End of year non-consolidated payments and in-year non-consolidated payments. The Department uses these payments to motivate and engage employees and ensure business performance.

Currently 50% of DWP's 100,000 staff (the majority of whom deliver front-line services) earn £21,000 or less, with the lowest being paid £14,550 full-time equivalent.

Staff from administrative grades to Grade 6 who received a ‘consistently good' or ‘wholly exceptional' end of year performance marking received an award. The top 25% of senior civil servants received an award in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance. End of year non-consolidated payments paid in one financial year are based on performance in the previous performance year eg payments made in 2011-12 relate to performance in the 12 month period from April 2010 to March 2011.

The following table summarises the figures for all DWP staff including SCS:

End of year non-consolidated payments
    Staff receiving a payment
Financial yearTotal paid (£ million)Proportion of pay bill (percentage)Average payment (£)NumberPercentage of Department

2010-11

48.68

1.87

428

113,607

97

2011-12

45.59

1.68

443

102,963

94

DWP employees up to Grade 6 are eligible to be nominated for an in-year performance award. These are one-off payments, made to recognise exceptional achievements and/or contributions to business performance. In-year awards can be made at any time during the performance year and are paid either as retail vouchers between £25 and £50 or cash payments above £50. The following table summarises the figures. SCS are not eligible to receive these payments.

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In-year non-consolidated payments
 Total paid Voucher payments  
Financial yearCash (£ million)Percentage of pay billAverage cash payment (£)Net cash (£ million)Percentage of pay billAverage voucher payment (£)Number of payments issued(1)

2010-11

2.41

0.09

154

2.28

0.09

Between 25 and 50

84,389

2011-12

2.31

0.09

136

2.51

0.09

Between 25 and 50

89,497

(1 )Vouchers and cash

Senior Civil Servants

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of senior civil servants have left (a) his Department and (b) each of the public bodies for which he is responsible since May 2010; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants has been in (i) his Department and (ii) each such body since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [132162]

Mr Hoban: The answers are in the tables:

Period 1, 1 June 2010 to 30 June 2012
Reasons for leavingDWPCMECHSE

Resigned

19

5

2

Transfer to other Government Departments

24

4

Voluntary early release

47

2

2

Normal retirement

5

1

7

Approved early retirement

5

1

FTA ended

2

1

Compulsory redundancy

6

1

Flexible early severance

1

Loan ended returned to Home Department

2

2

Actuarially reduced retirement

1

Individual severance on agreed terms

2

Total leavers

112

15

15

    

Proportion (percentage)

40.00

31.90

30.00

Turnover (percentage)

46.00

37.50

32.60

Period 2, 1 July 2012 to 30 November 2012
Reasons for leavingDWP(1)HSE

Resigned

3

Transfer to other Government Departments

1

Voluntary early release

2

Normal retirement

Approved early retirement

1

FTA ended

Compulsory redundancy

1

Flexible early severance

Loan ended returned to Home Department

Actuarially reduced retirement

Individual severance on agreed terms

1

Total leavers

8

1

   

Proportion (percentage)

3.30

2.40

Turnover (percentage)

3.40

2.40

(1 )Includes figures for the Child Maintenance Group, formerly the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission which was abolished on the 1 August 2012.

Proportion—the number of leavers in the period expressed as a percentage of the number of senior civil servants at the start of the same period.

Turnover—the number of leavers in the period expressed as a percentage of the average number of senior civil servants in the same period.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of his Department to the Public Accounts Committee on 19 November 2012, HC 744-i, Q193, what proportion of appeals to work capability assessments overturned on appeal were (a) new employment and support allowance claims and (b) incapacity benefit reassessments in (i) each month since May 2010, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012 to date in (A) the UK and (B) each region. [131932]

Mr Hoban: Producing the information requested would come at a disproportionate cost.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of his Department to the Public Accounts Committee of 19 November 2012, HC 744-i, Q165, how many people in each region are currently waiting longer than the Atos clearance target. [131955]

Mr Hoban: A snapshot of the current position of ESA cases outstanding above the target in each region in October 2012 is as follows:

19 Dec 2012 : Column 789W

 Number

Central England

2,521

London and Home Counties

17,350

North East

401

North West

305

Scotland

2,128

South England

18,236

Wales

1,862

Considerable efforts have been put into reducing the backlogs and Atos Healthcare performance in the North West and North East Groups is back on target with significant improvements everywhere. DWP and Atos Healthcare continue to work closely together to address this issue, particularly in London and Home Counties and Southern Groups.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to section 8, page 17 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Third Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), if he will publish the findings of the pilot to smooth the transition between the WCA and work which commenced in July 2012. [131965]

Mr Hoban: There are no plans to publish the outcomes from the pilot to smooth the transition between the WCA and Work which commenced on 23 July 2012 in Handsworth Benefit Centre and six linked jobcentres: Perry Barr, Washwood Heath, Handsworth, Erdington, Chelmsley Wood and Sutton Coldfield.

It is being monitored as part of ongoing evaluation to test the value of four of Professor Harrington's year Two recommendations, to share work capability assessment outcomes with personal advisers and to provide additional information to claimants to ensure they understand what it means to be in the Work Related Activity Group and how to access that advice through the personal adviser in the Jobcentre.

Early evaluation findings are encouraging, for example, a better understanding of roles within the end to end ESA and WCA process has ensured more focused interviews at jobcentres with claimants and greater claimant satisfaction.

DWP is undertaking ongoing evaluation which is capturing further customer insight and management information. This is being used to identify further improvements to the pilot and to inform any plans for national implementation. An evaluation report will be produced in February 2013.

Work Programme

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have been referred to the Work programme. [132671]

Mr Hoban: Official statistics on Work programme referrals can be found on the Department's website via the DWP tabulation tool:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool

19 Dec 2012 : Column 790W

Guidance on use of the tabulation tool can be found at:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all specialist homelessness organisations have now withdrawn as sub-contractors to the Work programme. [134479]

Mr Hoban: I can confirm that there are a number of specialist homelessness organisations currently in the Work programme supply chain.

Working Hours

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people working regular night shifts. [133648]

Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2012:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the estimate of the number of people working regular night shifts. 133648

Estimates of employment come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are not seasonally adjusted. For the period April-June 2012 it is estimated that 361,000 people in UK worked permanent night shifts. This does not include people who occasionally work night shifts.

The question of “shift pattern” is only asked in the April to June quarter, hence these are the latest estimates available. As they are only asked for one quarter of the year, we are unable to seasonally adjust the figures.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 326,000 and 397,000.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Africa

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to deter the implementation of homophobic policies by (a) the Government of Uganda and (b) other African Governments; and if he will make a statement. [133792]

Mark Simmonds: The British Government are committed to ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people around the world are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment. We are concerned about the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill which is being considered by the Ugandan Parliament and which has very public support. We raise our concerns regularly with the Ugandan Government. I raised this issue with President Museveni during my visit to Uganda on 21 November, and with Henry Okello, Minister for International Affairs, on 10 December. The UK is in close contact with Ugandan civil society groups, and

19 Dec 2012 : Column 791W

provides training and advocacy support in legal cases related to the protection of LGBT communities' human rights. Our missions across Africa regularly look for opportunities to promote human rights and prevent discrimination, including on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Commonwealth

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to promote human rights, good governance and the rule of law in the Commonwealth. [134146]

Mr Swire: Commonwealth membership is based on shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Commonwealth Heads of Government have recently agreed on a charter which sets out the values to which Commonwealth countries adhere. We plan to promote the charter in the UK during Commonwealth Week in March next year, and will work with Commonwealth members, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, to raise the profile of the charter and embed the values set out in the document. The charter, and a strengthened Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), with support from the Commonwealth Secretary-General's good offices, will be important tools to uphold Commonwealth values.

The UK remains the largest funder of the Commonwealth, supporting the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation to promote democracy and development throughout member countries. Examples include sending election observer groups to 13 countries in 2011-12, and providing programmes, training and advice focused on public sector development, legislative drafting capacity, gender equality and member states' preparation for the UN's periodic reviews of human rights.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider not attending the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo following human rights concerns in Sri Lanka. [134144]

Alistair Burt: It is too early to confirm UK attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo in 2013. Ahead of the meeting, we will look to Sri Lanka, as any other CHOGM host, to demonstrate its commitment to upholding the Commonwealth values of good governance and respect for human rights. The British Government and wider international community regularly raises their concerns about human rights with the Government of Sri Lanka. These include issues of media freedom and the need to address longstanding issues of accountability and reconciliation after the war.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterparts on the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. [134145]

19 Dec 2012 : Column 792W

Alistair Burt: The British Government have had numerous meetings with the Sri Lankan Government about the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM). These meetings have been both at ministerial and official level. I most recently discussed CHOGM formally with Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Peiris in September, and it was also discussed in a meeting between officials from the British high commission in Colombo and Sri Lankan Deputy External Affairs Minister Perera last month.

Egypt

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian authorities regarding the deteriorating situation in that country and the need for restraint. [134409]

Alistair Burt: We have urged all sides to engage in dialogue, and refrain from violence. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement to this effect on 5 December.

I discussed the situation in Egypt with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mohammed Kamel Amr, in a phone call on 27 November and at a meeting in Tunis on 13 December. We discussed the demonstrations, prospects for dialogue and the political process. We are also in contact with members of the Opposition in Egypt, and are monitoring the situation closely.

EU Budget

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the European Court of Auditors is able to declare that the implementation of future EU budgets is free from material error. [129516]

Greg Clark: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.

The UK, along with the Netherlands and Sweden, in February 2012 voted against the discharge of the 2010 EU budget and together called for a number of measures to improve EU financial management, including for the Commission and member states to pursue greater simplicity of rules, make payments and the use of EU money more transparent, and embed better management practices in programmes.

Mali

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote good governance in Mali. [133854]

Mark Simmonds: I called for an immediate return to civilian rule in Mali following the arrest by the military, and subsequent forced resignation of Prime Minister Cheick Modibu Diarra, in my statement on 12 December.

The restoration of good governance, and the principles of constitutional democracy are (alongside security) among the key challenges Mali faces.

19 Dec 2012 : Column 793W

We are working with the AU, UN, ECOWAS and key international partners to assist Mali towards holding democratic elections, and to restoring territorial unity, so that the principles of good governance can be the bedrock of the country's future stability.

Official Cars

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers in his Department have been allocated Government cars; and what the last dates were on which such cars were used by each Minister for (a) individual and (b) pool car use. [133799]

Mr Lidington: No Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been allocated a Government car.

Overseas Trade

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas trade delegations have been accompanied to countries in the last 12 months. [134408]

Mr Swire: In 2012 there were 24 trade delegations that involved UK Government Ministers, some visiting multiple markets. This includes high-level business delegations led by the Prime Minister to Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia in April, Mexico in June, Brazil in September, and the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in November.

In addition, other senior figures have often accompanied trade delegations. For instance, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland accompanied a delegation to China and Hong Kong in November, and the Lord Mayor of London accompanied delegations to a large number of markets over the course of the year, including Argentina, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the Philippines.

Sri Lanka

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the government of Sri Lanka's commitment to the principles enshrined in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration. [134143]

Alistair Burt: The Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991 reaffirms the Commonwealth's commitment to fundamental principles, including democracy, the rule of law and good governance. We look to Sri Lanka, as with all Commonwealth members, to demonstrate their commitment to upholding these values. The British Government and wider international community regularly raises their concerns about human rights with the Government of Sri Lanka.

The UK, in conjunction with the EU Heads of Mission, released a statement on 5 December. This statement expressed our concern about recent developments in Sri Lanka surrounding the rule of law and individual freedoms. We continue to press the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the protection of the independence of the judiciary and the fundamental rights of all citizens. The statement can be found at:

19 Dec 2012 : Column 794W

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/sri_lanka/documents/press_corner/20121205_en.pdf

Uganda

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Ugandan government on its proposals to legalise discrimination against people based on their sexuality. [134439]

Mark Simmonds: The British Government is committed to ensuring that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people around the world are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment. We are concerned about the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill which is being considered by the Ugandan Parliament and which has Ugandan public support. We raise our concerns regularly with the Ugandan Government. I most recently raised this issue with President Museveni during my visit to Uganda on 21 November, and with Henry Okello. Minister for International Affairs, on 10 December.

Cabinet Office

Volunteering

9. Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to build a legacy of volunteering following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [134233]

Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office is working with the Mayor of London to deliver the volunteering legacy of the Games. The successful ‘Join In’ programme involved over 300,000 people this summer and we will shortly be making announcements on plans for 2013.

Voluntary and Community Sector

11. Nic Dakin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with charitable leaders on the financial outlook for the voluntary and community sector in the next 12 months. [134236]

13. Andy Sawford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with charitable leaders on the financial outlook for the voluntary and community sector in the next 12 months. [134238]

Mr Hurd: I have regular discussions with voluntary and community sector leaders. A recent report suggests that charitable income has risen by 5.5% in the past year against a challenging economic outlook. The Government will continue to support voluntary organisations by promoting social investment, encouraging social action and opening up new opportunities to deliver public services.

Economic Situation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the UK's (a) GDP and (b) life satisfaction level was in each of the last 10 years. [134364]

19 Dec 2012 : Column 795W

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2012:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking what the UK's (a) GDP level and (b) life satisfaction level was in each of the last 10 years.(134364).

The following table shows the level of UK GDP for the years 2002 to 2011.

Gross Domestic Product (£ billion)
 Current pricesChained volume

2002

1068.6

1262.7

2003

1136.6

1310.9

2004

1199.9

1349

2005

1262.7

1386.4

2006

1333.1

1422.5

2007

1412.1

1474.2

2008

1440.9

1459.9

2009

1401.9

1401.9

2010

1466.6

1427.1

2011

1519.1

1439.6

Note: Ref year 2009

ONS started collecting data on life satisfaction along with three other subjective well-being questions, in April 2011 in the Annual Population Survey (APS). The four subjective well-being questions are as follows:

Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?

Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?

Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?

Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?

All were answered on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is 'not at all' and 10 is 'completely'.

The results of the first annual subjective well-being Annual Population Survey (APS) dataset, April 2011 to March 2012 was published in July 2012. The APS is the largest constituent survey of the Integrated Household Survey. The sample size of the 12 month APS dataset is 165,000 adults aged 16 and over and covers the UK. These first annual estimates of subjective well-being are considered to be experimental statistics.

The results of the July publication are given in the following table and showed that:

Three-quarters (75.9 per cent) of people aged 16 and over rated their overall 'life satisfaction' as 7 or more.

The average mean rating for the life satisfaction question was 7.4 out of 10.

Average (mean) rating and percentage of adults reporting very low, low, medium, high and very high ratings for life satisfaction(1), 2011-12(2,3,4), United Kingdom
Percentage
 Very low (0-4)Low (5-6)Medium (7-8)High (9-10)Average (mean)

Life satisfaction

6.6

17.5

49.8

26.1

7.4

(1) Adults aged 16 and over were asked 'Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?' where nought is 'not at all' and 10 is 'completely'. (2) Data from April 2011 to March 2012. (3) All data weighted. (4) Non-respondents not included. Source: Office for National Statistics

19 Dec 2012 : Column 796W

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for which Government employment and training programmes participants are categorised as being employed in the Labour Market Statistics. [134480]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2012:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, for which Government employment and training programmes participants are categorised as being employed in the Labour Market Statistics. 134480

The published labour market statistics for employment are derived from the Labour Force Survey which identifies people participating in government-supported training and employment programmes. Participants on such programmes are classified as either employed, unemployed or economically inactive. This classification is based primarily on the activities they report that they were undertaking in the survey reference week.

The type of programme is not a determinant of labour market statistics on its own. Participants who report that they were engaged in any form of work, work experience or work-related training are classified as in employment.

The remainder are classified as either unemployed or economically inactive, in line with internationally accepted definitions, according to the nature and extent of their reported job search activity.

Equality

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of staff in his Department have received training in equality and diversity and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, within the last three years. [134590]

Mr Maude: In April 2011 all staff were advised of their responsibilities under the legislation and were provided with links to further information. The Cabinet Office also held sessions for business units relating directly to the Equality Act 2010 during 2011 and 2012. We hold no central records regarding training for individual members of staff.

Government Departments: Procurement

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on streamlining the procurement process to enable more small and medium-sized enterprises to secure Government contracts. [134234]

Miss Chloe Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave in oral questions today to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Nick de Bois).

Honours

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people were nominated by members of the public for inclusion in the 2012 (a) New Year's honours list, (b) Birthday honours list and (c) Diamond Jubilee honours list; and how many of those people were awarded honours; [133380]

19 Dec 2012 : Column 797W

(2) how many members of honours appointment committees are (a) men, (b) women and (c) members of ethnic minorities; and how many have been awarded honours. [133381]

Mr Maude [holding answer 13 December 2012]:Records are not kept centrally of nominations for honours made by members of the public to Government Departments.

Honours awarded in respect of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee were made personally by Her Majesty the Queen. Information on committee members is published at:

www.gov.uk/honours/members-of-honours-committees

Pay

Wayne David: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was paid (a) in year-end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office in each of the last two years. [134402]

Mr Maude [holding answer 18 December 2012]:For the purposes of corporate administration and financial management, the Deputy Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) on 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 529W.

Senior Civil Servants

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 419W, on senior civil servants: pensions, if he will publish the (a) names, (b) positions and (c) remuneration rates for all persons in receipt of Civil Service pensions who are employed on non-executive or consultancy contracts with Government Departments at rates which exceed the ministerial element of the Prime Minister's salary. [133836]

Mr Maude: I have nothing further to add to my previous answer of 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 419W. The information requested is not held by the Cabinet Office.

Transport

A14

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost to businesses of accidents or delays on the A14 in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) Suffolk in each of the last three years. [134263]

Stephen Hammond: The Department has not specifically estimated the cost to businesses of accidents and delays experienced on the A14 in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in each of the last three years.

However, the A14 study highlights the delays experienced by users of the A14. The study reports are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a14-challenge

19 Dec 2012 : Column 798W

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the volume was of (a) HGV and (b) non-HGV traffic on the A14 in each of the last three years. [134264]

Stephen Hammond: The approximate average volume of HGV and non-HGV traffic on the A14, based on the annual average daily traffic flow, in each of the last three years, where data are available, is shown in the following table.

 HGVsNon-HGVs

2009

7,058

32,842

2010

7,188

33,155

2011

7,197

32,009

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how often (a) one carriageway and (b) two carriageways have been closed (i) for routine maintenance or upgrade and (ii) due to a road traffic accident on the (A) eastbound A14 and (B) westbound A14 in Suffolk in each of the last three years. [134429]

Stephen Hammond: The tables show the data requested, where figures are available. The requested information has been extracted from the Highways Agency's schedule of road works system. Entries on to the system do not always include a carriageway direction ie, eastbound or westbound. This is shown in the following tables as “Unknown direction”.

One carriageway closure for routine maintenance and upgrade
 EastboundWestboundUnknown direction

2009

4

5

1

2010

11

15

3

2011

4

5

2

Two carriageway closures for routine maintenance and upgrade
 Number

2009

1

2010

1

2011

1

One carriageway closure due to a road traffic accident
 EastboundWestboundUnknown direction

2009

7

10

3

2010

8

5

6

2011

15

7

4

Two carriageway closures due to a road traffic accident
 Number

2009

4

2010

4

2011

1

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the junctions on the A14 in order of the volume of traffic that uses each one for each of the last five years. [134430]

Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency does not record the volume of traffic that uses each junction on the strategic road network.

19 Dec 2012 : Column 799W

Airports Commission

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to section 2.127 of the Autumn Statement 2012, for what reason the Government plan to bring forward the timetable for public consultation on operational freedoms and final decisions and on making these measures permanent. [134101]

Mr Simon Burns: The Government's desire is to strike the right balance between enabling Heathrow, the UK's biggest and busiest airport, to operate as effectively as possible and to protect local communities from its environmental impacts.

By seeking to bring forward the public consultation and final decisions on operational freedoms, we hope to reduce the period of uncertainty for all involved.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials of his Department are (a) on secondment to and (b) supporting the Independent Commission on Aviation chaired by Sir Howard Davies. [134102]

Mr Simon Burns: The Airports Commission is an ad hoc advisory body and, as such, would not recruit its own staff. The Department for Transport is in the process of setting up an arm’s length team to form the secretariat to the Commission.

Currently, the Head of Secretariat is in place and is supported by two full-time members of staff. The Department intends to post further members of staff into the secretariat team over the coming months.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to set out a strategy for the training and remuneration of staff in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. [134726]

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is committed to developing and rewarding its staff in line with the strategy and principles as set out in the civil service reform plan that was published in June 2012.

Network Rail: Compensation

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations his Department has received on the payment of compensation to businesses disrupted by local transport works carried out by Network Rail. [133770]

Mr Simon Burns: Ministers take an interest in this issue, and Ministers and officials meet regularly with Network Rail to discuss a range of issues, including the impacts of its engineering works strategy.

However, Network Rail is a private sector company limited by guarantee and this is a commercial matter for direct resolution between the parties, in which Ministers have no powers to intervene.

19 Dec 2012 : Column 800W

Public Transport: Crime

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of likely trends in the level of crime on public transport over the next five years. [134152]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of trends in the level of crime on public transport for the next five years.

Railways: Franchises

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to agree any other management contracts for the operation of the three suspended rail franchise competitions for more than 13 months without conducting a tendering competition; and if he will make a statement. [134126]

Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Lady to the terms of reference of the Brown review, which have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has asked Richard Brown, Chairman of Eurostar, to lead an independent review into the wider rail franchising programme. This review will look in detail at how to get the franchise programme, including the three currently suspended competitions, back on track as soon as possible. This will report by the end of December and will be published thereafter. The Department for Transport does not wish to prejudice the findings of this review.

Railways: Norwich

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have travelled on the Norwich to London railway line in the course of their official duties in each of the last three years. [133911]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not record the railway line used on Ministerial visits, although I can confirm I personally have travelled on this line.

Rescue Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure an independent safety risk assessment is carried out into the closure of UK coastguard rescue co-ordination centres. [134344]

Stephen Hammond: Safety is this Government's top priority. Therefore, rigorous and robust risk and impact assessments have been prepared and published on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website:

www.dft.gov.uk/mca

to support the decisions we have taken.

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of skilled staff within (a) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and (b) maritime rescue co-ordination centres in tackling incidents. [134345]

19 Dec 2012 : Column 801W

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency keeps the operational capability of all its staff and volunteers under constant review, taking account of planned changes as set out in the blueprint which the Government published in November 2011.

This includes staff within the agency's maritime rescue co-ordination centres.

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the age profile and length of service is

19 Dec 2012 : Column 802W

of coastguards at each maritime rescue co-ordination centre. [134470]

Stephen Hammond: The age profile and length of service for coastguards, for each maritime rescue co-ordination centre, is shown in the following tables:

 Age profile (years)
MRCC<2121-3031-4041-5051-6060+Total

London CG

2

2

2

5

11

Aberdeen

8

12

4

4

2

30

Belfast

6

8

4

8

26

Brixham

1

6

5

11

3

26

Clyde

1

2

7

9

7

26

Dover

7

4

8

12

3

34

Falmouth

3

5

11

12

2

33

Holyhead

1

4

6

8

1

20

Humber

3

6

2

13

3

27

Liverpool

3

3

6

8

20

Milford Haven

3

2

7

8

3

23

Portland

3

2

7

12

2

26

Shetland

6

1

8

5

20

Solent

4

7

6

5

8

30

Stornoway

3

8

10

5

26

Swansea

3

8

6

4

1

22

Thames

2

5

5

8

3

23

Yarmouth

1

3

5

2

4

4

19

Grand Total

1

62

90

106

141

42

442