Women and Equalities
Conditions of Employment
Ann McKechin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what proportion of staff in the Government Equalities Office currently work (a) part-time, (b) in a job-share or (c) in another flexible working arrangement. [139539]
Mrs Grant: The information is as follows:
(a) As at 31 December 2012 (the latest available data) 14.00% of GEO employees were working part-time.
(b) and (c) The Department's Human Resources system (Adelphi) allows employees to record a flexible working pattern on the system themselves. It should be noted that it is not mandatory for employees to note any flexible working arrangements on Adelphi and, of the civil servants working in the GEO at 31 December 2012, only 82.88% had recorded if they have a flexible working pattern or not. 0.90% of civil servants in the GEO at 31 December 2012 had recorded that they were involved in a job share and 53.15% had some other sort of flexible working arrangement listed (including compressed hours, flexi time, home working and staggered hours).
Cabinet Office
Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to paragraph 83 of the summary of recommendations in Lord Justice Leveson's report on The Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press, what steps his Department has taken to comply with the recommendations set out in that paragraph. [140182]
Mr Maude: The Government already publish, on a quarterly basis, information about meetings between Ministers, permanent secretaries, special advisers and media proprietors, editors and senior executives. Cross-party talks about Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations, including the implementation of recommendations at paragraph 83 for Government Ministers and Front Bench Opposition spokesmen, are ongoing.
Cybercrime
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the likely effect on Government cyber security of the development of network virtualisation. [140717]
Miss Chloe Smith: In developing our ICT Strategy Government work very closely with CESG, the Information Assurance Arm of GCHQ, and the Security Services in order to ensure that the relevant security is considered and employed. This complements the ongoing and routine support CESG provides to the Government on how to protect our networks and detect and mitigate various types of cyber attack.
Employment
Jack Dromey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) nationally were employed in the (i) private, (ii) public and (iii) third sector in each of the last five years. [140908]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, what proportion of people in (a) Birmingham Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) nationally were employed in the (i) private, (ii) public and (iii) third sector in each of the last five years. (140908)
Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates of people employed in the third sector are currently not available from APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are included in private sector estimates. Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts' definition and are not available for areas smaller than regions.
The tables show the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years, who were employed in the public or private sector along with those who were unemployed or inactive, resident in Birmingham, Erdington constituency; Birmingham and the UK. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2011. It should also be noted that the estimates also include people who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
The tables will be stored in the Library of the House.
Employment: North East
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in (i) Pendle constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the North West in (A) 2009, (B) 2010, (C) 2011 and (D) 2012. [140576]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in (i) Pendle constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the North West in (A) 2009, (B) 2010, (C) 2011 and (D) 2012. (140576)
The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
The table shows the number of people who were employed full-time or part-time in Lancashire and the UK during the 12 month period ending September 2012, the latest available period, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2009 to 2011. The sample size for Pendle is too small to reliably split full-time and part-time employees.
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| Number of people employed full time or part time | |||||
| Thousand | |||||
| Pendle | Lancashire | North West | |||
| 12 months ending: | FT and PT | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time |
| (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey | |||||
Job Creation: Lancashire
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the number of (a) part-time and (b) temporary jobs created in (i) Pendle constituency and (ii) Lancashire since May 2010. [140577]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of (a) part-time and (b) temporary jobs created in (i) Pendle constituency and (ii) Lancashire since May 2010. (140577)
ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for areas smaller than the UK from the Annual Population Survey. (APS).
Information regarding jobs created is not available. As an alternative we have provided estimates of the number of people who were employed part-time or employed in jobs that were not permanent according to survey responses, during the 12 month periods ending June 2010, the survey period closest to May 2010, and September 2012 the latest period available, along with the net change between these two periods. This net change provides a reasonable approximation of the number of jobs created since May 2010.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
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| Table 1: Number of people employed part-time(1) | |||
| Thousand | |||
| Level | |||
| 12 months ending: | June 2010 | September 2012 | Change between 12 month periods ending June 2010 and September 2012 |
| (1) Part-time in main job. Note: All estimates are independently rounded. Source: Annual Population Survey | |||
| Table 2: Number of people employed in temporary(1) jobs | |||
| Thousand | |||
| Level | |||
| 12 months ending: | June 2010 | September 2012 | Change between 12 month periods ending June 2010 and September 2012 |
| (1) Temporary is defined as “not permanent in some way”. Reasons included are: Working for employment agency; Casual type of work; Seasonal work; Under contract for fixed term or fixed task; Other reason. Note: All estimates are independently rounded. | |||
Parents: Resignations
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information he holds on the number of (a) mothers and (b) fathers who have left work after the birth of a child to become a full-time parent. [140540]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what information he holds on the number of (a) mothers and (b) fathers who have left work after the birth of a child to become a full-time parent (140540).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles economic status data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Unfortunately, we cannot identify what those who are looking after the family were doing before the birth of the child.
Pay: West Midlands
Jack Dromey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average salary was in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands for (i) women and (ii) men in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [140915]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average salary was in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands for (i) women and (ii) men in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (140915)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
The following tables show the median gross annual earnings for all male and all female employees in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands for each year from 2008 to 2012.
| Median gross annual earnings for all male and all female employee jobs(1) in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands from 2008 to 2012 | ||||||
| £ | ||||||
| Birmingham, Erdington constituency | Birmingham | West Midlands | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| (1) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than one year. (2) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV<=5% * CV >5% and <=10% CV >10% and ** <=20% X unreliable. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. | ||||||
Recruitment
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010; [139967]
(2) how much No. 10 Downing Street has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [139980]
Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
Since the last General Election, my Department has helped drive savings for the taxpayer from across central Government of over £12 billion.
In the past there were no central controls over recruitment. On 25 May 2010 the Government announced a freeze on all recruitment other than those specially exempted by a ministerial decision. Since then my Department has spent £21,537 advertising vacancies.
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By way of comparison this Department spent £226,853 in 2007-08 and £273,148 in 2008-09 on “advertising-recruitment”.
Surveys
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date the report of the most recent survey of staff attitudes in the Cabinet Office was published; on what date the report of the next such survey will be issued; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that report. [140718]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office, in common with other Departments, will be publishing the results of the Cabinet Office People Survey 2012 on its departmental website on 31 January 2013.
The survey timings for 2013 are yet to be confirmed.
Work Experience
Margaret Curran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people in each (a) age group and (b) administrative location who have no experience of full or part-time work. [140724]
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 January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of people in each (a) age group and (b) administrative location who have no experience of full or part-time work. (140724)
The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
The tables show the number of people who have never had a paid job or place on a scheme according to survey responses during the period October 2011 to September 2012. Estimates for Northern Ireland local authorities are not available from this source. As the information requested is quite extensive, a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the tables.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
The tables will be stored in the Library of the House.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Insolvency
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Insolvency Act 1986 to give preferential creditor status to those consumers who have purchased gift vouchers from companies in the UK. [140634]
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Jo Swinson: I have no plans to bring forward such legislative proposals.
An underlying principle in insolvency law is that all creditors are treated equally within their class—the fairest way of treating creditors where there are insufficient funds to pay them all. For this reason the list of preferential creditors is kept to an absolute minimum; if one group of creditors is preferred, it can only mean that the position of all other creditors below them is worsened.
New Businesses
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what facilities and support are available to newly-founded companies to assist them with employee regulations and legislation. [140403]
Jo Swinson: Guidance on employment regulations and legislation is provided online on the single Government website:
www.gov.uk
The website has a section aimed at employers called Employing people at:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/employing-people
and a page specifically aimed at new employers called Employing staff for the first time at:
https://www.gov.uk/employing-staff
BIS sponsors The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) which provides guidance, best practice and advice on employment rights and law to employers and workers through its helpline. The Helpline (08457 47 47 47) provides employers, employees and their representatives with advice designed to help them avoid or resolve disputes in the workplace.
The Pay and Work Rights helpline provides advice and guidance on employment rights and law to everyone and is contactable by telephone on 0800 917 2368 and via an online inquiry form at:
https://payandworkrights.direct.gov.uk/
Information and advice for small and medium sized businesses is promoted through the Business in You campaign:
http://businessinyou.bis.gov.uk/
https://twitter.com/businesslinkgov
using #businessinyou. In particular, a section of advice on the Business in You website is dedicated to providing advice and support around employment for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), as employment is one of the core themes of the Business in You campaign.
Overseas Trade: China
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to support companies in accessing and using Renminbi when trading with China. [139566]
Greg Clark: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
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The Government are supporting the private sector led development of the international RMB market in London, with the objective of establishing London as the Western Hub for RMB business.
HM Treasury is leading this development through the facilitation of the London-Hong Kong International RMB Forum. On the second day of the Forum in December I was pleased to welcome over 60 corporate treasurers to HMT to discuss the opportunities to access RMB products and services in London.
Overseas Workers
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which countries UK civilian workers employed by his Department are based. [140632]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information centrally.
Postgraduate Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking as a result of a fall in the number of postgraduate students enrolled at universities in 2013. [140205]
Mr Willetts: The Government recognise the important role of postgraduate study in sustaining higher level skills for the UK, contributing to the development of the next generation of researchers for academia and for supporting the wider economy and sustainable economic growth.
In 2011, I asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to undertake a programme of work to understand the impact of changes in higher education finance on postgraduates. That programme is ongoing. The numbers of students undertaking postgraduate education continued to increase through the early part of the recession and the decline in the last year may partly represent stabilising of the market following a period of significant growth.
Government support for both postgraduate taught and research provision is continuing. For 2012-13, HEFCE's allocation for taught postgraduate provision is being maintained at similar levels to 2011-12, at ca £135 million. In addition, HEFCE will provide £240 million for postgraduate research degree supervision support, and Research Councils will invest £340 million in postgraduate research provision.
Refineries: Overseas Workers
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of oil or gas refineries employing UK citizens in (a) the Middle East, (b) North Africa and the Sahel, (c) Europe, (d) South East Asia and (e) North America. [140633]
Michael Fallon: No such information is held by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
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Students: Finance
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what resources his Department plans to allocate to explain the student finance system to potential applicants in 2013. [140162]
Mr Willetts: Those who are applying to study in the 2013/14 academic year are the principal target audience for our communications activity for the financial year 2012/13. We are running a second year of the Student Finance Tour, which is available to all schools and colleges with sixth form provision, and which to date has visited almost 2,000 venues. We also ran a digital campaign in the new year which reached over 90% of all 17 to 18-year-olds with details of university application and student finance. The total cost of the 2012/13 campaign is £1.125 million.
The Student Loans Company is also targeting those wishing to start university in the 2013/14 academic year with information about how to apply promptly and successfully for student finance, working with organisations such as UCAS and The Student Room. The cost of this is £386,000.
We continue to work through our stakeholder reference group and with the higher education sector more widely on tailored and effective communications.
BIS is still in the planning phase for communications activity targeted at those who will apply in 2013 to begin higher education in September 2014. This will be informed by evaluation of our communications activity, especially the effectiveness of the Student Finance Tour.
Work and Pensions
Employment Schemes: Young People
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of manufacturing firms that have taken up the Youth Contract wage subsidy; and if he will make a statement. [140583]
Mr Hoban: Following the collection and quality assurance of this data, I expect the first set of Official Statistics on the wage incentive to be available in the early part of 2013. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.
However, we do not routinely collect data on employers by trade; we do not know what proportion of Youth Contract wage incentive-related jobs are with manufacturing firms.
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber have participated in his Department's work experience schemes in the latest period for which figures are available. [140705]
Mr Hoban:
For the period January 2011 up to and including May 2012, there have been (a) 90 starts to a work experience placement in Brigg and Goole constituency
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and
(b)
2,260 starts to a work experience placement in the Jobcentre Plus district of North East Yorkshire and the Humber.
The values have been rounded to the nearest 10.
These figures are based upon official Get Britain Working statistics available via the DWP website:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_aug12.pdf
Employment: Veterans
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department monitors the employment of former members of the armed forces. [140712]
Mr Hoban: We do not obtain information on the number of former armed forces personnel who use DWP services, and therefore cannot monitor their employment. However, we are aware of the importance of this, which is why we have an armed forces champion in each Jobcentre Plus district, whose role is to ensure the support, advice and guidance offered reflects the needs of service leavers and the wider service community. The champions work in partnership with the armed forces community, support organisations and local and national employers to identify employment opportunities and specialist support for service leavers.
New Enterprise Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have (a) applied for and (b) received a loan for the start up costs of a new business under the New Enterprise Allowance. [140650]
Mr Hoban: We do not publish data on the numbers of people who have applied for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) loan or the number of people who have received the loan.
However, we do have published data on the number of NEA mentor starts and weekly allowance starts for the period April 2011 up to and including May 2012. This can be found here:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_aug12.pdf
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for the roll-out of the Single Fraud Investigation Service; and if he will make a statement. [140579]
Mr Hoban: The Welfare Reform Act provides the powers to facilitate the creation of a new single, integrated fraud investigation service covering the totality of welfare benefit fraud. This means we will have a single investigation on welfare benefit and tax credit fraud, carried out by staff from either the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and local authorities, creating a more efficient and effective service.
Design of the Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS) is being developed collaboratively between DWP, HMRC and local authorities. Pilots testing the design
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began in November 2012 ahead of the launch of the service. The pilot areas are Corby borough council, Glasgow city council, London borough of Hillingdon and Wrexham council.
Additional piloting and pathfinder testing of SFIS will be undertaken in 2013-14 taking account of the evaluation of the first set of pilots that started in November 2012, ahead of the roll-out of the service in 2014-15.
Universal Credit
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to assist those with literacy and computer literacy problems in using the new universal credit system. [139934]
Mr Hoban: Universal credit has developed its online service using customer insight and work to determine claimant needs. The design has been user tested as it has developed with existing claimants and staff in order to continually improve and create an easy to use online service.
Universal credit is developing all its products using the DWP guidelines for level of literacy required of between nine and 13 years of age and to be compliant with disability legislation. We are also taking the opportunity to simplify the language we use and will provide appropriate support for those who need it.
Work Programme
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to address levels of functional illiteracy on the Work programme. [139933]
Mr Hoban: Work programme providers have the flexibility to design individually tailored support based on participant need. If providers cannot deliver this either in-house or through their existing subcontractors they would be expected to source specialist provision to meet the needs of people as required. In addition, basic skills provision in literacy is available to Work programme participants through the Skills Funding Agency.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether (a) Cricklewood Homeless Concern, (b) The Mustard Tree, Manchester and (c) Shekinah, Plymouth (i) are included in the Work programme supply chain list, (ii) have agreed contractual terms with a Work programme prime provider and (iii) have received any Work programme referrals. [140584]
Mr Hoban: All three organisations are listed in the Work programme supply chain.
The contractual terms and flow of business is a commercial matter between the prime provider and their subcontractors.
Work Programme: West Midlands
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Work programme in (a) Birmingham, Erdington constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands have been placed on zero-hour contracts to date. [140914]
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Mr Hoban: The Department does not hold information on the number of people on the Work programme who have been placed on zero-hour contracts.
International Development
Africa
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of her Department's staff are based in (a) Mali, (b) Niger, (c) Nigeria, (d) Algeria, (e) Mauritania, (f) Burkina Faso, (g) Chad, (h) Libya, (i) Sudan, (j) South Sudan, (k) Ethiopia, (l) Somalia, (m) Kenya and (n) Western Sahara. [140542]
Mr Duncan: DFID does not publish staff numbers for country offices, following advice on DFID's work in insecure environments by the National Audit Office in October 2008, and a review of our security policies and procedures.
DFID takes its duty of care for its staff very seriously. Providing staff numbers is inappropriate because it can provide useful information to people who wish to harm UK staff and interests. It also makes DFID vulnerable to adverse diplomatic and public reactions in some situations, for example when withdrawing non-essential staff during periods of high threat.
Overseas Aid
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she plans to invite applications to the UK Aid matched funding programme in 2013; and what criteria will be used to determine the success of applications. [140714]
Mr Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development is reviewing the UK Aid Match scheme. Information about the future of the scheme will be published in due course.
Palestinians
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what information her Department holds on whether the allowance paid by the Palestinian Authority differs between married and unmarried Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails; [140657]
(2) what information her Department holds on whether the Palestinian Authority makes payments to unmarried Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. [140656]
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what information her Department holds on whether Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails convicted of terrorist offences receive financial payments from the Palestinian Authority each month; [140708]
(2) what information her Department holds on whether the allowance paid by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is determined by the length of sentence being served. [140707]
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Mr Duncan: The Palestinian Authority pays an allowance to cover the cost of food and clothing for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The nature of this allowance is governed and managed by the Israeli authorities.
UK assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) supports a successful Middle East Peace Process by helping build Palestinian institutions and promoting economic growth, so that any future state will be stable, prosperous, well-run, and an effective partner for peace with Israel. This is provided subject to a number of safeguards.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Africa
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's staff are based in (a) Mali, (b) Niger, (c) Nigeria, (d) Algeria, (e) Mauritania, (f) Burkina Faso, (g) Chad, (h) Libya, (i) Sudan, (j) South Sudan, (k) Ethiopia, (l) Somalia, (m) Kenya and (n) Western Sahara. [140541]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has staff in the following countries:
| Staff | |
| (1) For operational and security reasons we do not disclose the precise number of staff in embassies, high commissions or consulates of fewer than five staff. | |
These figures include FCO UK based staff, and those employed locally by our posts overseas. They do not include other departments' staff based in our posts. The other countries listed in the question have no permanent FCO staff. A majority of local staff will be employed in support functions, which includes guarding roles. The number of staff employed in these roles are dependent on the security considerations in each country and the specific arrangements made by each post.
The British Office for Somalia is located within the British high commission in Nairobi, Kenya. Its staff are reflected in the figure for Kenya above. Western Sahara is a disputed territory and the UK regards its status as undetermined. There is no British diplomatic or consular presence in the area known as Western Sahara.
Bulgaria
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his EU counterparts about involvement by Hezbollah in the Burgas terror attack. [140658]
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Alistair Burt: We remain deeply concerned by indications that Hezbollah was involved in the terrorist attack in Bourgas. Once the official Bulgarian investigation has concluded, the EU will need to decide how to respond. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is in close touch with his EU counterparts on this issue as is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Based on our national proscription, we continue to believe there is a strong case for similar action by the EU against the military wing of Hezbollah.
Burma
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Aung San Suu Kyi, on the Government's policy on aid to Burma. [140530]
Mr Swire: The UK has made the largest commitment of bilateral aid to Burma and currently provides aid through trusted partners including UN agencies and non-governmental organisations rather than directly to the Burmese Government. During my visit to Burma in December 2012, I discussed a range of issues relating to Britain's policy towards Burma with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi has praised the Department for International Development's approach to aid in Burma. The British embassy in Rangoon continues to discuss British Government policy and our aid programme with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Burma on the number of political prisoners in Burma's jails and detention centres. [140531]
Mr Swire: The British Government recognise the progress made by the Burmese Government on releasing large numbers of political prisoners over the last two years, and granting the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Burmese prisons. We remain committed to ensuring that all remaining political prisoners are released, and their cases reviewed through a transparent and independent mechanism. During my visit to Burma from 12-15 December, I raised the issue of the prisoner review mechanism and addressed specific political prisoners' cases of concern to the UK Government including that of UNHCR employee Nandar Aung and her husband, following which both were released without charge. On 21 January, the British ambassador to Rangoon received assurances that the Burmese Government remain committed to the creation of an independent prisoner review mechanism. We will continue to follow up on progress made.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Burmese counterpart on (a) promoting tolerance and peaceful co-existence between Arakan Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims and (b) creating an environment conducive to the safe return of displaced people. [140565]
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Mr Swire: The British Government remain extremely concerned about the plight of internally displaced people from both the Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim communities in Rakhine State.
During my recent visit to Burma in December 2012, I visited Rakhine State and raised our concerns with Burmese Ministers and local leaders, including the chief Minister of Rakhine State. I called for security for all affected populations to prevent future outbreaks of violence and to allow the safe return of displaced people to their former homes. I also called for improved coordination and an increase in the level of humanitarian aid to affected communities. The British Government are providing £2 million in humanitarian assistance to people displaced in Rakhine State, enabling non-governmental organisations to provide support to 58,000 people from both communities. Thirdly, I called on the Burmese Government to take steps to bring those responsible for the violence to justice through a fair and transparent process in accordance with the rule of law. Finally, I urged the Burmese Government to address the longer term factors affecting the Rohingya community, including a review of their citizenship status.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma on constitutional reform in that country; and what recent reports he has received on the role of the military in the Burmese Parliament. [140719]
Mr Swire: The British Government support constitutional reform in Burma and are working with key Burmese institutions involved in the reform process. During my visit to Burma in December 2012 I raised with Burmese Ministers the prospects for Burma's transition towards democracy and offered support as Burma seeks to reform its laws and processes I repeated this offer of support to members of the Burmese Parliament, Nanda Kyaw Swo and Aung San Suu Kyi. British embassy officials are in regular contact with members of the Burmese Parliament who will be vital in developing Burma's constitutional framework. Three Burmese MPs from the Draft Bills Committee visited the UK from 11-16 December 2012 and met with Government and Parliament officials who shared expertise on legislative and constitutional processes I repeated this after. The British Government are also funding efforts by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy to support the Burmese Public Accounts Committee.
The military continues to exert considerable influence in the Burmese Parliament. The current constitution provides that 25% of the members of both Houses are nominated from the military. Given that changes to the constitution require a parliamentary majority of at least 75%, this gives the military an effective veto over constitutional change. Senior Burmese Government Ministers have suggested that this could be reformed when the time is right.
North Korea
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of establishing a UN Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in North Korea. [140710]
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Mr Swire: We remain extremely concerned at the extent of human rights abuses in North Korea and agree that more needs to be done to put pressure on the North Korean Government. To this end, we are currently consulting with partners in the UN about the merits of establishing an international inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea, in the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his international counterparts and (b) the North Korean ambassador about human rights in North Korea. [140711]
Mr Swire: Human rights in North Korea are the subject of regular discussions both at ministerial and official level.
On 6 September 2012, I met the North Korean ambassador and Rim Ju Song, who with the support of the British embassy in Pyongyang, became North Korea's first Paralympic athlete. During my conversation with the ambassador, I discussed the opportunities and rights for people with disabilities in North Korea.
During my visit to Seoul in October 2012, I met the advisers to presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Moon Jae-in and discussed what approach their candidates would take towards human rights in North Korea. I met the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahn Ho-young, and discussed the likelihood of North Korea embarking on economic reform.
In December 2012, I met the North Korean ambassador for a second time and discussed the importance of North Korea improving its overall human rights record. The ambassador confirmed that North Korea had no plans to change its current approach on human rights.
During my visit to Japan in January 2013, I discussed the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea with the Senior Parliamentary Vice-Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunichi Suzuki.
Pakistan
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Pakistan, with particular reference to the protection of Hazaras and other minority ethnic groups; and if he will make a statement. [140720]
Alistair Burt: We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Pakistan, particularly the violent persecution faced by minority ethnic and religious groups. The recent terrible attacks against the Shia community in Quetta on 10 January were a shocking example of this. Many of the victims were from the Hazara community. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs strongly condemned the senseless attacks and the persecution of the Shia population in a public statement on 11 January 2012.
This Government's concerns about the treatment of the Hazara community in Pakistan are expressed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO)
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Annual Human Rights Report. A House of Commons Adjournment Debate on this important issue has been tabled for 4 February.
The FCO continues to urge the Government of Pakistan to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of all their citizens. The Senior Minister of State, my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Warsi, discussed the treatment of religious minorities with Pakistani Ministers during her visit in November 2012. She also hosted a Freedom of Religion and Belief Ministerial conference in London on 22 January 2013 where she was able to discuss these issues with the Pakistani Human Rights Minister.
Polar Bears
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his international counterparts on steps to tackle the illegal international trade in polar bears. [140232]
Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The UK is committed to the conservation of polar bears and supports a ban on international trade in polar bear pelts and other body parts, as we believe this will help safeguard the species. I recently met the Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss the USA's proposal to ban international trade in polar bears and their products. The proposal will be considered at the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to CITES in March.
Ahead of this meeting, we have made representations through UK embassies and high commissions to a number of countries about proposals of particular interest to the UK, including the USA's proposal to transfer the polar bear to Appendix I of CITES.
Rwanda
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings officials from his Department have held with their Rwandan counterparts since 2010. [140505]
Mark Simmonds: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials meet frequently, at all levels, with their Rwandan counterparts in London, in Kigali and at international meetings. We do not hold information on the number of meetings that have been held between FCO officials and their Rwandan counterparts since 2010.
Somaliland
Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons his Department issued revised travel advice for Somaliland and Somalia on 27 January 2013; and if he will make a statement. [140580]
Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice has always advised against all travel to Somalia including Somaliland. The latest update has been issued in response to a specific threat to Westerners in Somaliland.
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Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Somaliland diaspora community on the revised travel advice issued by his Department on 27 January 2013. [140581]
Mark Simmonds: I have not discussed the revised travel advice with the Somaliland diaspora community, but they have been in touch with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express their views on the changes.
Women's League of Burma
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department provides to the Women's League of Burma. [140532]
Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not provided funding to the Women's League of Burma fund.
Northern Ireland
Bomb Disposal
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents requiring (a) civilian and (b) military experts in explosive ordnance disposal there have been in each year since 2010. [140514]
Mr Robathan: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
The Explosive Ordnance Device teams in Northern Ireland respond with great professionalism to all requests for assistance. We will continue to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the most operationally effective way.
Incidents requiring explosive ordnance disposal experts in Northern Ireland are dealt with solely by military personnel. The information requested on the number of occasions Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel have responded to incidents in Northern Ireland is published annually in the Report of the Independent Reviewer of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007. Copies of the reports covering the years 2010, 2011 and up to July 2012 are available in the Library of the House.
Between 1 August 2012 and 29 January 2013, Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel have responded on a further 128 occasions to incidents in Northern Ireland.
Justice
Community Orders
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of community orders or licences were successfully completed in (a) each region of England and (b) Wales in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [139270]
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Jeremy Wright: The number and proportion of community orders, suspended sentence orders and licences that were successfully completed (ie ran their full course or were terminated early for good progress) in each region in 2010-11 and 2011-12 are shown in the following table.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Number and proportion of successfully completed(1) orders and licences in 2010-11 and 2011-12, England and Wales | ||||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |||
| Region | Number | Proportion (percentage) | Number | Proportion (percentage) |
| (1 )A successfully completed order is one which has run its full course or been terminated early for good progress. Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level. | ||||
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours of community payback were completed in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 in (i) total, (ii) each region, (iii) each London borough and (iv) each constituent part of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [139465]
Jeremy Wright: The total hours of Community Payback work completed during 2010-11 and 2011-12 are shown in Table l, by probation trust and by region. Tables 2a and 2b provide the total hours worked by each London borough during the same periods.
The reduction in the total hours worked between 2010-11 and 2011-12 reflects a reduction in the number of community payback sentences imposed by the courts as the crime rate has fallen. The proportion of offenders successfully completing community payback sentences increased last year.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The data for London have been provided by Serco and London Probation Trust using different databases to that employed to obtain the national data. The individual databases will potentially have been updated at different times. Data relating to Community Payback hours worked are used only to identify trends and while care is taken to ensure accuracy the figures are not verified.
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| Table 1: Number of hours of community payback completed in 2010-11 and 2011-12 by probation trust and region | |||
| Region | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
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| Table 2a: Number of hours of community payback completed by London borough 2011-12 | |||||||||
| 2011 | |||||||||
| April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
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| 2012 | ||||
| January | February | March | Total hours | |
| Table 2b: Number of hours of community payback completed by London Borough 2010-11 | |||||||||
| 2010 | |||||||||
| April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
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