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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 13 February 2013
Energy and Climate Change
Diesel Fuel: Prices
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the unit retail price of diesel in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries; and if he will make a statement. [143478]
Mr Hayes: DECC publishes weekly, monthly and annual prices for petroleum products including road fuels and fuels used for home heating. The UK and other member states are required to report to the European Commission each week on the prices of petrol and diesel pre and post-tax. For the UK, the weekly results are based on a sample of major oil companies and supermarkets. Prices are published on the .GOV website on a Tuesday morning. On 12 February this update noted that on Monday 11 February the price of unleaded petrol was 135.6p/litre, and the price for diesel was 143.0p/litre.
The OFT recently reported that before tax and duty the UK has consistently had some of the cheapest petrol and diesel prices in Europe, although after tax and duty UK prices are among the most expensive. The OFT noted that given the price paid for crude is likely to be similar all over Europe, this indicates that combined gross margins being made at the refining, wholesale and retail levels of the supply chain are among the lowest in Europe.
Comparisons between member states should be made with some caution because of the impact the exchange rate can have on prices for countries not within the euro, and as there are differences in the methodology used to report prices in different states.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations. [143332]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is responsible for a wide range of statutory functions and obligations relating to energy and climate change issues. Full details on the Department's responsibilities and their implementation are available in the Department's published business plan:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47961/decc-business-plan-2011-2015.pdf
The level of staffing required to ensure delivery of these objectives varies over time depending on the needs of the business.
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DECC carries out a rigorous business planning approach to ensure that we allocate staff and skills to match the requirements of the business.
Our current staffing levels are set out in our workforce planning information which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-november-2012--2
Thorium
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the use of thorium as a way of meeting future energy need. [143125]
Mr Hayes: DECC maintains an interest in the global potential of thorium.
The Department commissioned the National Nuclear Laboratory to undertake an early stage assessment to compare thorium and uranium fuel cycles across a variety of reactor types. This was completed in 2012 and is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thorium-and-uranium-fuel-cycles-comparison-by-the-national-nuclear-laboratory
For the longer term, the Department has commissioned a wider analysis of nuclear fuel cycle scenarios which are open to the UK, among which is a reactor design fuelled by molten thorium salts.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142761]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ core responsibilities for conduct of the Government's foreign policy are mostly conducted under the Royal prerogative rather than under statute.
Under section 3(2) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRAG) 2010, the Secretary of State has power to manage the diplomatic service. In 2011-12. the cost of running the diplomatic service was £1,049 million. Under section 20 of CRAG 2010, no treaty may be ratified unless it has been published and laid before Parliament. The cost of publishing treaties in the 2011-12 financial year was £51,023.
Like all other public bodies, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is subject to other general statutory obligations, for example in its capacity as an employer.
Shaker Aamer
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his US counterpart on
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the condition of Shaker Aamer in Guantánamo Bay; and when he now expects Mr Aamer to be released. [143037]
Alistair Burt: The British Government remain committed to engagement with the US with the aim of securing Mr Aamer's release and return to the UK as soon as possible. Ministers and senior officials continue to raise Mr Aamer's case with their US counterparts.
Previous legislation passed by the US Congress, namely the 2011 National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), all but precluded transfers out of Guantanamo Bay. This legislation was renewed by the US Government for 2012, allowing for the US Secretary of Defense to exercise a waiver should stringent conditions be met. Despite the British Government's best endeavours Mr Aamer was not released in 2012.
The NDAA has now been renewed for 2013. We continue to work with US counterparts to consider the implications of the NDAA 2013 for Mr Aamer's case. Ultimately, any decision regarding Mr Aamer's release remains in the hands of the United States Government.
South Sudan
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit South Sudan to discuss increasing bilateral trade. [129436]
Mark Simmonds: I plan to visit in the near future.
The former Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), met a number of British businesses operating in South Sudan and asked the UK ambassador to establish a formal British Business Group when he visited South Sudan in May 2012. The first meeting of this group took place in November 2012 and seven UK companies were represented. These meetings will continue on a regular basis.
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Attorney-General
Recruitment
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments have spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [139965]
The Solicitor-General: The Information requested is contained in the following table.
| Department | Recorded expenditure on advertising job vacancies since May 2010 (£) |
| (1) TSol data includes expenditure incurred by the Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate up to 31 December 2012. | |
Senior Civil Servants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of officials of the three most senior grades in the Law Officers' Departments have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement, (c) left the Law Officers' Departments for alternative employment, (d) been dismissed, (e) taken long-term sick leave and (f) taken administrative leave since May 2010. [139208]
The Solicitor-General: The following table contains details on the number of individuals in the three most senior SCS grades (SCS1, SCS2, SCS3) or equivalent who have left for the above specified reasons.
| Reason for leaving | Crown Prosecution Service(1) | Treasury Solicitor's Department(1) | Serious Fraud Office | |||
| Number | Proportion (%) | Number | Proportion (%) | Number | Proportion (%) | |
| (1) The TSol figures also include the Attorney-General's 0ffice and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. | ||||||
Serious Fraud Office
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General for which ongoing investigations the Serious Fraud Office (a) has sought and (b) intends to seek additional funding from the Exchequer. [142480]
The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office has asked for additional funding for one current investigation, relating to Libor.
Written Questions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff in the Law Officers' Departments work on answering parliamentary questions. [143219]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General's Office employs one Parliamentary Clerk who co-ordinates the answering of parliamentary questions across the Law Officers' Departments.
Officials from across the Law Officers' Departments work on answering parliamentary questions depending on the subject matter and it is not possible to estimate exactly how many members of staff may be involved.
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Transport
Electric Vehicles
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of electric personal vehicles in use on UK roads in each of the last five years. [142879]
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Norman Baker: The numbers of registered electric cars and motorcycles in Great Britain for the end of September 2012 (the latest figures available) and as at the end of each of the previous five years are shown in the table below.
| Cars(1) | ||||||
| Numbers licensed as at: | Electric | Plug-in Hybrid Electric | Hybrid Electric | Total | Of which Plug-in Grant Eligible(2) | Electric Motor Bikes(3) |
| (1) Includes Quadricycles (e.g. Renault Twizy, Reva G-Wiz) (2) Plug-in Grant was introduced from January 2010. Figures based on models which are eligible for grant, not actual grant claims (3) Includes mopeds, scooters and tricycles. Note: Vehicle types, other than cars and motorcycles are excluded as they are assumed not to be ‘personal vehicles’. Also excluded are invalid carriages. The figures shown include vehicles with both private and company registered keepers. Source: DfT Vehicle Licensing Statistics, derived from the DVLA vehicle register, an operational database used to handle the licensing of vehicles registered in Great Britain. | ||||||
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars that have previously been declared off-road via a statutory off-road notification have since been taxed for road use in each of the last five years. [142498]
Stephen Hammond: The information requested is not readily available and would incur disproportionate costs to gather.
Motorways
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on removing the hard shoulder of motorways to create an extra lane. [142477]
Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency has received a number of representations from local highways authorities, emergency services and other affected parties in relation to managed motorway schemes planned for the M25, M1, M3, M6, M60 and M62.
In all cases the Agency continues to have active and productive dialogue with all interested parties.
In South and West Yorkshire emergency responders and the Agency are setting up a group to agree the operational procedures for these schemes.
Railways: North West
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect of Northern Hub on commuter services through Mossley train station. [142969]
Mr Simon Burns: Changes to timetables arising from the Northern Hub will be implemented in December 2016 and 2018. Consultation on proposed services for Mossley will take place before that date and no decisions has therefore yet been taken.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and which regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings that will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal. [141831]
Stephen Hammond: Twenty-one statutory instruments were revoked between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. These are listed in the following table.
Where an impact assessment has been prepared for the instrument that contained the revocation, the best estimate of the total benefit to those affected and the best estimate of the total net present value are given.
These sums relate to the values associated with the introduction of the instrument containing the revocations. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to provide savings attributable solely to the revocations, in particular because of the further analysis that would be required.
Where no benefit figure is given, this is because no impact assessment was produced for the instrument containing the revocation. Impact assessments are not usually produced where no significant impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen. In the case of the Severn Bridges Tolls Order, it has not been the practice of the Department to produce impact assessments for orders of this type that change toll levels.
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Roads
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what process a non-core trunk road can be reclassified as part of the core network of nationally important routes. [142774]
Stephen Hammond: The strategic national corridors were established in 2009 to define the transport links over which the largest proportion of strategic traffic—that is traffic travelling between the 10 largest urban areas, 10 busiest ports and seven busiest airports in England—moves around the country. The strategic national corridors are therefore defined by the places they connect and the size of traffic flows using them rather than by road classification. A road could become part of the strategic national corridor if the total or HGV traffic flows grew to be within the top 20% for GB trunk roads in England, or if the Department for Transport were to change the criteria used to define the SNCs. The Government have no current plans to review the criteria for the strategic national corridors.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed. [142793]
Norman Baker: The total number of staff employed by the Department for Transport and its seven Executive Agencies for the last five years can be found in the table below. The Government Car and Despatch Agency ceased to be a separate agency in September 2012.
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| Civil Service Grade | |||||||
| Year | Senior Civil Service | Grades 6 and 7 | Senior and Higher Executive Officers | Executive Officers | Administrative Officers and Assistants | Not reported | Total |
Work and Pensions
Carers
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people caring for less than 20 hours per week and who are not in employment. [143078]
Esther McVey: In 2010-11 there were an estimated 1.1 million adults who are informal carers, caring for less than 20 hours per week, and not working.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 2010-11
Notes:
1. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) is a nationally representative sample of approximately 25,000 private households across the United Kingdom. Data for the 2010-11 survey year is collected between April 2010 and March 2011.
2. Figures from the FRS are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the estimates to region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error.
3. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.
4. Informal carers are individuals who provide any regular service or help to someone, in or outside of .their household who is sick, disabled or elderly; excludes those who give this help as part of a formal job.
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142772]
Mr Hoban: The Department takes the view that its core statutory obligations are (a) determining entitlement to all social security benefits (but not child benefit, tax credits, housing benefit or council tax benefit); (b) calculating and paying those benefits; (c) paying subsidy to local authorities for the payment of housing benefit and council tax benefit; (d) establishing and maintaining the regulatory and protection framework (including the Financial Assistance Scheme) for work place pensions and certain pensions-related bodies (e) providing employment and training programmes; (f) operating the child maintenance scheme; and (g) complying with data governance obligations.
The Department's annual expenditure is set out in its annual report and accounts, and the annual cost of meeting these obligations is therefore covered by the figures in those accounts.
The annual report and accounts for the year 2011-12 is at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2011-2012.pdf
Pages 9 to 20—Introduction and Performance summary
Page 210—Table 1: breakdown of Public spending (includes AME)
Page 223—Table 8: expenditure by function
Funeral Payments
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for social fund funeral payments were (a) received and (b) approved in each month since January 2007; and what the total cost was for each such month. [142933]
Steve Webb: The information is contained in the following table.
| Table 1: Funeral payment applications, awards and expenditure each month from 2007 onwards | |||
| Applications received | Awards made | Total cost of amount awarded (£) | |
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| Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer ail parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. Figures are for applications received, not for the number of people who made an application, and for initial awards made, not the number of people who received an initial award. (Some people made more than one application or received more than one initial award.) | |||
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process an application for a social fund funeral payment from the time of death to the date of payment was in each year since 2007. [142934]
Steve Webb: Processing times are calculated from the date claim is received to the date of the decision and these are provided in the following table:
| Table 1: Funeral payment processing times | |
| April to March: | Average time to process in working days |
| Notes: 1. We do not measure the time it takes for a claim to be submitted following the date of death. 2. Payment is normally made on the same day as the decision but if this is late in the day, the payment may be issued the following day. 3. The average actual clearance time standard from 2007 to date is 16 working days. 4. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. | |
Hyperkinetic Syndrome: Children
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of support for parents who have children with hyperkinetic syndrome. [143126]
Mr Hoban: We have made no such assessment. However a range of financial support may be available, depending on the individual circumstances of the family and how the condition affects the child. This could include disability living allowance for the child (depending on how the condition affects the child's care or mobility needs) and carers allowance.
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A range of other income related benefits may also be available for the family depending on their financial circumstances such as jobseeker's allowance or income support, tax credits, child benefit.
New Enterprise Allowance: Disability
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2013, Official Report, columns 645-6W, on employment schemes: disability, how many of the 3460 disabled people securing new enterprise allowance mentor starts between April 2011 and May 2012 had stopped claiming employment and support allowance by the most recent date for which data is available. [141775]
Mr Hoban: The NEA is currently only available to people aged 18 and over who are claiming JSA.
Therefore all of the 3,460 disabled people that started with a mentor between April 2011 and May 2012 were claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) not employment support allowance.
Redundancy
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to protect (a) vulnerable people and (b) people with disabilities from redundancy. [142493]
Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Employees may not be selected for redundancy because they are vulnerable or disabled. The selection process for redundancy must be fair and balanced for all employees.
However, the duration of a worker's employment and numbers of workers required are of course matters for the employer concerned.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what regulations his Department have repealed in the last six months; and what has been the anticipated cost saving of each such repeal. [141585]
Mr Hoban: The following sets of statutory instruments were revoked between July and December 2012 by my Department. Further information on cost savings on each revocation is provided where it is available.
Regulation 10 of the Child Support (Meaning of Child and New Calculation Rules) (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/2785) revokes the following instruments:
the Child Support (Maintenance Assessment Procedure) Regulations 1992;
the Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Regulations 1992;
the Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Amendment Regulations 1993;
the Child Support Departure Direction and Consequential Amendments Regulations 1996;
the Child Support (Maintenance Calculations and Special Cases) Regulations 2000;
the Child Support (Variations) Regulations 2000; and
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the Child Support (Maintenance Calculation Procedure) Regulations 2000.
The revocations have effect in relation to a particular case on the day on which paragraph 2 of schedule 4 to the 2008 Act (calculation by reference to gross weekly income) comes into force in relation to that type of case.
A copy of the impact assessment can be viewed at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2785/pdfs/uksifia_20122785_en.pdf
The following instruments were revoked by the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/1537) which came into force on 1 October 2012:
Regulations, dated 24 August 1906, made by the Secretary of State for Use of Locomotives and Waggons on Lines and Sidings in or used in connexion with Premises under the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901 (S.R. & O 1906/679);
The Pottery (Health and Welfare) Special Regulations 1950 (S.I. 1950/65);
The Non-ferrous Metals (Melting and Founding) Regulations 1962 (S.I. 1962/1667);
The Employment Medical Advisory Service (Factories Act Orders etc. Amendment) Order 1973 (S.I. 1973/36);
The Health and Safety (Foundries etc.) (Metrication) Regulations 1981 (S.I. 1981/1332);
The Pottery (Health etc.) (Metrication) Regulations 1982 (S.I. 1982/877);
The Anthrax Prevention Order 1971 etc. (Revocation) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/228).
A copy of the impact assessment can be viewed at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1537/pdfs/uksifia_20121537_en.pdf
The following instrument was revoked by the Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012 which came into force on 1 October 2012:
Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/579).
The 2010 regulations were replaced almost in their entirety by the 2012 regulations, which also introduced ‘Fee for Intervention’. There were no cost savings anticipated from the revocation.
Social Security Benefits
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's impact assessment on the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill, what the expected savings to the Exchequer are for each individual benefit in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16, (c) 2016-17 and (d) 2017-18. [140582]
Steve Webb [holding answer 31 January 2013]: The expected Exchequer savings from individual benefits in the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill are presented in the following table:
| £ million | |||
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | |
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| Notes: 1. A detailed breakdown is not available for 2017-18. 2. During this period the benefit and tax credit system is undergoing significant reform with the introduction of universal credit which will see a number of individual benefits amalgamated into a single payment. 3. The savings are presented in a consistent fashion with the autumn statement forecasts. 4. Rounded to nearest £10 million and numbers may not sum due to rounding. | |||
State Retirement Pensions
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the triple lock on the proposed single tier state pension will apply to benefits accrued by people in the second state pension. [143079]
Steve Webb: The Coalition's commitment to protect the basic state pension by the ‘triple-lock’ ensures that its value is increased by the highest of price inflation, earnings growth or 2.5%. The illustration of single tier in the White Paper similarly uses an assumption of triple-lock uprating.
Consistent with legislation for the current basic state pension, the draft Pensions Bill provides that the single-tier pension is to be uprated by at least the growth in average earnings, regardless of the class or type of national insurance contribution from which the entitlement is derived or when the contributions were paid.
Where a person's national insurance contribution record at the point of implementation gives a potential entitlement which is above the level of the full single-tier pension, the draft Bill provides for the excess to be paid as a 'protected payment’. The draft Bill also provides that this protected payment will be both revalued and uprated in line with prices.
Future decisions on uprating the single-tier pension will be made by the Government of the day closer to implementation, and as part of the annual uprating process, underpinned by the legislative minimum of earnings.
Winter Fuel Payments: Perth
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) households and (b) individuals in Perth and North Perthshire constituency have received winter fuel payments in each of the last three years. [143472]
Steve Webb: Information on winter fuel payments in Perth and North Perthshire constituency in each of the last three years is provided in the documents for each winter entitled “Winter Fuel Payment recipients by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender (All)” and “Winter Fuel Payment recipients by Parliamentary Constituencies by Household (All)”. This is available on the internet at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp
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Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
3. Figures from 2010-11 recognise the May 2010 structural changes to the parliamentary constituencies of England and Wales.
Source:
DWP Information Governance and Security
Work Capability Assessment
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Atos recommendations that a person should be fit for work have been overturned by his Department's decision makers (a) through their own assessment before any representations have been received from or on behalf of the claimant about the Atos recommendation in their case and (b) after such representations had been received. [141747]
Mr Hoban: Between October 2008 and August 2012 there were 1,390,800 initial WCAs held. Of these, 62,400 were recommended as being fit for work by the Atos Health Care Professional, but later deemed to be eligible for either the Support Group or the Work Related Activity Group by the DWP Decision Maker.
Information on whether these decisions were made before or after receipt of a representation is not available.
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many other contractors bid for the last round of contracts for the employment and support allowance and disability assessment services currently provided to his Department by Atos; and how many of those bidders were considered by his Department to be capable of providing a suitable level of service. [141748]
Mr Hoban: Two other contractors tendered for the current Medical Services Agreement in 2005. Employment support allowance was not a benefit provided by the Department at that time. This was added to the Agreement in 2008. All the bidders were evaluated against the standards specified in the tender, including level of service and all bidders met those standards. The decision to award the contract by the previous government to Atos was based on best value for money for the taxpayer.
Work Programme
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2013, Official Report, column 658W, on Work programme, if he will begin to record the number of people achieving job outcomes on zero-hour contracts. [143051]
Mr Hoban: The Department does not intend to record the number of people achieving job outcomes on zero-hour contracts.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of payment by results in the Work programme. [143093]
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Mr Hoban: It is too soon to judge the effectiveness of payment by results in the Work programme—we have just over one year's data for a programme that is designed to support people for two years or more. However, we know that the Work programme is helping people off benefit and into employment, and that job entries are increasing.
ERSA, the trade body for the welfare to work industry, has published evidence suggesting that the Work programme is achieving the lowest cost-per-job versus any comparable programme in the last 20 years. They show relative cost per job of the Work programme is £2,097 compared to a £7,495 cost-per-job for flexible new deal.
Work Programme: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reduction in long-term unemployment there has been since the start of the Work programme in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber. [140706]
Mr Hoban: Since June 2011 the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than a year has risen from 230 to 580 in Brigg and Goole and from 21,330 to 47,830 in Yorkshire and the Humber. However, nationally the number of people unemployed for over 12 months on the broader ILO measure fell by 5,000 in the latest quarter.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has for developing a framework between local authorities and network operators for a more efficient application process for permit regimes for the expansion of broadband provision. [142433]
Mr Vaizey: On 15 January 2013, the Department for Transport published additional guidance for local authorities developing and operating future permit schemes for road works. This guidance requires future schemes to focus on the most strategically significant streets and adopt a revised fees structure for major works reflecting the duration. These changes will reduce the bureaucracy faced by broadband providers when laying new cables and installing cabinets in streets, and support efficient and proportionate permit schemes.
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate she has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142756]
Hugh Robertson: The statutory obligations of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State are set out in a wide range of legislation. However, the costs of carrying out these obligations are not recorded separately from the costs of wider policy making and delivery across the full range of the Department's responsibilities for Culture, Media, Sport and Equalities.
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Government Procurement Card
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance or instructions have been issued to staff in (a) her Department and (b) its arm's length bodies about the timing of the publication of data relating to spend over (i) £25,000 and (ii) £500 using the Government Procurement Card. [141494]
Hugh Robertson: The guidance on the timing of the publication of data relating to expenditure transactions over £25,000 is in line with the HM Treasury guidance available on their website:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_transparency_index.htm
There have been no instructions issued to staff in the Department or in any of our ALBs about publication of expenditure over £500 on GPCs but details of such spending can be found here:
www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2012/11/22/dcms-spend-approvals-01-april-2012-30-september-2012/
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will consider developing strategic relations with third sector organisations. [142499]
Hugh Robertson: The Department and its arm's length bodies already possess a number of strategic relationships with third sector organisations to aid the delivery of key programmes and projects.
Tourism: Snow and Ice
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the possible effects of further inclement weather on (a) the hospitality industry and (b) hotels and holiday resorts in the UK. [142494]
Hugh Robertson: While no specific assessment has been made of the possible effects of further inclement weather, it is recognized that the weather is a factor that influences domestic tourism patterns and visitor expenditure (its impact on inbound visitors is much more limited). VisitEngland has worked with the Met Office to examine the impacts of weather forecasting and in particular how medium-term forecasts can impact on resorts. The inclement summer weather of recent years has caused destinations to examine more wet weather options for visitors and many are now offering a much wider choice of activities.
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Pay
Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil service employers have stopped paying progression steps since May 2010; and how many civil servants that would otherwise have received annual increments since May 2010 have not received them. [142042]
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Mr Maude [holding answer 11 February 2013]:The delegated arrangements for staff outside the senior civil service mean that the pay arrangements in Departments vary reflecting business and work force needs. The Cabinet Office does not hold details of the individual pay systems operated by Departments.
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation; [142754]
(2) if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations. [143327]
Mr Maude [holding answer 11 February 2013]: My Department has various statutory obligations. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 266, where I outline my responsibilities and to my Department's business plans:
http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/business-plan/1
Further detail of departmental expenditure is contained in our annual reports and accounts.
My Department publishes headcount information at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/payroll-costs-and-non-consolidated-pay-data
Emergency Services: Telecommunications
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office further to the answer of 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 865W, on emergency services: telecommunications, whether his Department is responsible for ensuring emergency services can communicate with each other; what the size and nature is of the additional resilient telecoms capability; and what guidance his Department provides on the security requirements of emergency services telecoms capability. [142808]
Mr Maude: Emergency responders are individually responsible for assessing and determining the capabilities of the telecommunications services they need and the security requirements for these services. My Department provides statutory guidance in 'Emergency Preparedness' to responders about their responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) which includes the duties to co-operate and share information. The Cabinet Office also provides non statutory guidance which references interoperability set out in 'Emergency Response and Recovery.'
Additional resilient telecoms capability is provided by the Cabinet Office including via the High Integrity Telecommunications System; the National Resilience Extranet, and the Mobile Telecommunications Privileged Access Scheme.
Equal Pay
Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil service employers have carried out equal pay audits since May 2010. [142748]
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Mr Maude: The delegated arrangements for staff outside the senior civil service mean that the pay arrangements in the civil service vary by Department, reflecting their own individual business and work force needs.
The Cabinet Office does not hold details of the individual pay systems operated by Departments, and it is up to individual Departments to conduct pay audits.
Official Residences
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many bedrooms there are at (a) Chequers, (b) Chevening and (c) Dorneywood. [142815]
Mr Maude [holding answer 12 February 2013]:Chequers, Chevening and Dorneywood have been left in trust for the use of certain Government Ministers. Information about the residences is publicly available.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed; [142777]
(2) how many staff were employed by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed. [142781]
Mr Maude: The Deputy Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The number of staff employed by my Department is published each year in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts which is available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-annual-reports-and-accounts
The information about grade on appointment is not readily available.
Travel
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [142630]
Mr Maude: Details of how much my Department has spent on the Government Car Service is published in the annual written ministerial statement, which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
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As was the case under previous Administrations, records of taxi use by my Department are not recorded centrally.
Voluntary Work
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of the benefits to the individual of volunteering. [142470]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office recognises that volunteering can help individuals in their personal and professional development, and is now exploring the link between volunteering and well-being. The evaluation of the 2012 National Citizen Service pilots seeks to measure the well-being of participants.
House of Commons Commission
Crime Prevention
Mark Pritchard: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will introduce smartwater technology to reduce the number of thefts from the Parliamentary estate. [143072]
John Thurso: A variety of crime prevention and detection techniques are used across the Estate. We do not comment directly on security matters.
Parliament: Security
James Duddridge: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, columns 124-25W, on all party groups, if he will list the (a) names, (b) employers and (c) sponsors of the 81 parliamentary pass holders registered as providing secretariat support to an All-Party Parliamentary Group; [142586]
(2) what representations he has received on the issuing of parliamentary passes to individuals providing secretariat support to All Party Parliamentary Groups; [142731]
(3) how many applications have been received for parliamentary passes for the purpose of providing secretariat support for an All Party Parliamentary Group since 2005; and how many such applications were rejected. [142732]
John Thurso: The latest published Register of All-Party Groups, dated 1 February 2013, is at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/contents.htm
It contains in Part 3 a list of those who held APG security passes, together with any external employment for which these passholders received £329 or more in a calendar year, but it does not name any employer they might have within Parliament. Security passes for these staff are sponsored by the chair of the relevant Group at the time when the pass was issued. A full list of Groups and their chairs is in the current Register. I have also arranged for an updated list of APG passholders to be placed in the Library.
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The issuing of passes to APGs was most recently examined in the Speakers' Working Group on All-Party groups: Report to the Speaker and Lord Speaker, published on 11 June 2012:
http://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/intranet/news-current-issues/Speakers-Working-Group-on-APGs-report.pdf
see Section 5: Passes and Security.
A paper on the 2009 Review of Passes was presented to the Administration Committee by the Serjeant at Arms in February 2009. We have had no representations on applications.
111 applications have been received for parliamentary passes for the purpose of providing secretariat support for an All-Party Group since 2009 (the year such passes were introduced). One application was rejected as the APG in question had been dissolved.
Wales
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142771]
Stephen Crabb: The Secretary of State for Wales exercises statutory obligations in three areas. First, he must propose a day for the holding of a poll at an extraordinary general election to the National Assembly for Wales if the Assembly resolves it should be dissolved and at least two-thirds of the total number of Assembly members vote in favour.
Second, the Secretary of State must consult the Assembly about the Government's legislative programme as soon as is reasonably practicable after the beginning of each session of Parliament. Third, the Secretary of State has a number of obligations in relation to the Welsh Consolidated Fund, including making payments into the Fund out of money provided by Parliament.
No estimate of the annual cost of delivering each of these obligations has been made and any such estimate could only be made at disproportionate cost.
The Secretary of State for Wales also has a wide range of statutory powers, which he may exercise at his discretion.
Official Cars
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the total cost has been of his ministerial car since 4 September 2012; [142545]
(2) how many journeys he has undertaken in a ministerial car since 4 September 2012; [142546]
(3) what the total mileage is of all journeys he has undertaken in a ministerial car since 4 September 2012; [142547]
(4) how many journeys of under a mile in distance he has undertaken in a ministerial car since 4 September 2012. [142548]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office reduced its ministerial car fleet from three to one after the general election at a saving to the taxpayer of £66,000.
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The sole ministerial car costs £80,764 a year and is spread evenly across the financial year and paid on a monthly basis.
Information relating to departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published annually in a written ministerial statement.
The Department does not keep records of the number of journeys made or distances covered.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and which regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings that will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal. [141830]
River Severn: Tidal Power
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to Wales of the Severn tidal barrage and accompanying transport links. [142491]
Mr David Jones: The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study, published in 2010, assessed the potential benefits to Wales of the Severn tidal barrage and accompanying transport links and concluded that there is currently no strategic case for public investment in a Severn tidal scheme.
The Government welcome well-developed proposals for all types of tidal generation projects (barrages, lagoons etc) in the bays and estuaries around our coasts; however, the case for any potential investment must be balanced against an assessment of wider impacts, particularly environmental and social impacts as well as the value for money of such projects to the consumers.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed. [142795]
Stephen Crabb: The following table shows the number of staff in post within the Wales Office and their grades at the end of each of the past five financial years.
| Date | AA | AO | EO | HEO | SEO | G7 | G6 | SCSI | SCS2 | Total |
| Key: AA (Administrative Assistant) AO (Administrative Officer) EO (Executive Officer) HEO (Higher Executive Officer) SEO (Senior Executive Officer) G7 (Grade 7) G6 (Grade 6) SCS 1 (Senior Civil Servant Payband 1) SCS 2 (Senior Civil Servant Payband 2) | ||||||||||
13 Feb 2013 : Column 724W
Travel
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [142646]
Stephen Crabb: Information relating to departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published in the annual written ministerial statement. The costs for the Wales Office for using the Government Car Service is:
| £ | |
Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
The cost of taxis and other car services for ministerial travel, including some travel by Wales Office staff, was £4,683 in 2009-10, £4,157 in 2010-11 and £30,366 in 2011-12.
The Wales Office reduced the number of Government cars in 2010-11 from three to one and now uses other car services whilst on visits in Wales.
Treasury
Child Trust Fund
Mr Doran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure wider understanding of the availability of suitable savings options after the maturation of a child trust fund account. [142134]
Sajid Javid [holding answer 7 February 2013]:The first child trust funds (CTF) will not mature until 2020 when the oldest account holders become 18 years old. In good time before then, the Government will consider options to ensure that CTF account holders are not disadvantaged in comparison with Junior ISA holders on account maturity.
In the interim, children with child trust fund accounts may wish to use the Money Advice Service (MAS) to help gain an understanding of financial systems and the range of saving options available. MAS offers free and impartial information and advice on money matters and is readily available online, face-to-face, or by telephone.
Diesel Fuel
Andrew Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that traffic commissioners are notified promptly of the unlawful use of red diesel in the road haulage industry. [142932]
Sajid Javid:
An Information Sharing Protocol was set up between HM Revenue and Customs, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Traffic
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Commissioners in March 2011. This sets out the arrangements for the disclosure of information by HMRC about certain road hauliers who have evaded excise duty (including the illegal use of red diesel).
The protocol has recently been reviewed in order to increase the flow of information being exchanged. An amended Memorandum of Understanding came into effect on 1 February 2013.
Energy: Industry
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to protect the long-term competitiveness of the UK's energy-intensive industries beyond 2015. [142888]
Sajid Javid: The Government have developed an industrial strategy, which will include publishing sector strategies which will set out long-term actions for Government and industry, tackling barriers to growth in key sectors such as automotive, aerospace, nuclear, oil and gas and offshore wind. The Plan for Growth set out the Government's economic policy objective:
‘to achieve strong and sustainable growth [...] evenly balanced across the country and between industries.’
Further, to maintain the competitiveness of the UK as a place to do business, the Government recently announced their intention to exempt Energy Intensive Industries from the cost of Contracts for Difference under Electricity Market Reform, subject to state aid clearance and further consultation.
Excise Duties: Beer
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to bring forward proposals to provide a long-term solution to the problem of beer duty fraud. [142920]
Sajid Javid: The Government expect to publish a summary of responses to their consultation on new alcohol anti-fraud legislation, as well outlining the likely timing of any new measures to be introduced, during the spring.
Excise Duties: Tobacco
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to bring forward proposals to provide a long-term solution to the issue of lost excise duty on tobacco in the UK, which takes account of international obligations including the Illicit Trade Protocol of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. [142921]
Sajid Javid: The Government are fully committed to tackling the illicit trade in tobacco and ensuring that smuggling does not undermine the health and revenue benefits of real increases in tobacco duties.
HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have an established and effective strategy to tackle illicit trade which has substantially reduced both the cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco illicit markets since the launch of the first Tobacco Strategy in 2000, with the mid-point estimate of the tax gap for cigarettes reducing from 21% to 9% and for hand-rolled tobacco from 61% to 38% by 2010-11.
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Through the 2010 spending review, HMRC has invested a further £25 million to further strengthen the strategy and maintain downward pressure on the illicit market.
The Government are pleased that agreement on the framework convention on tobacco control protocol on illicit trade has been reached. The Government are now working towards ratification of the protocol in support of the work to tackle the illicit tobacco trade.
Excise Duties: Wines
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish figures for the excise duty lost on wine in the UK due to fraud. [142919]
Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs does not currently have a measure of the excise duty lost on wine in the UK due to fraud. The Department is researching alternative methodologies to produce a reliable estimate for the wine tax gap and will report its progress in Measuring Tax Gaps 2013.
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current average call wait time is for calls to HM Revenue and Customs; and what the target is for wait times. [142914]
Mr Gauke: The average call wait time for January 2013 was 2 minutes 23 seconds. This was the time spent by customers waiting to talk to an advisor after they selected an option from the interactive voice recognition message menu (IVR). It excludes time spent listening to IVR messages.
HMRC does not currently have a specific call wait time target. They are planning to introduce a target of answering 80% of calls within 5 minutes from April 2013. This will include the time spent by customers waiting to talk to an adviser and the time spent listening to IVR messages.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed. [142794]
Sajid Javid: The information requested is available as follows:
| Range | 2008-09(1) | 2009-10(1) | 2010-11(1) | 2011-12(1) | 2012-13(2) |
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| (1) As at 31 March (2) As at 31 December | |||||
The table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff for core HM Treasury excluding agencies and associated bodies as at 31 March at the end of each financial year, unless otherwise stated. Summary numbers are available in the annual report and accounts for each of the years and available on the HM Treasury website:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/dep_perf_reports_index.htm