Visits Abroad
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times she has visited (a) Romania, (b) Bulgaria, (c) Poland and (d) the USA in an official capacity. [143877]
Mr Harper [holding answer 25 February 2013]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as well as making overseas trips, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings and trips are published on the Cabinet Office website.
Written Questions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in her Department includes review by special advisers. [146087]
James Brokenshire: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special Advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer question no. 140113, tabled on 24 January 2013 for answer on 28 January 2013. [143818]
James Brokenshire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 28 February 2013, Official Report, columns 596-97W.
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Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the benefits to the creative industries of the UK's EU membership. [145953]
Mr Vaizey: The Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Balance of Competencies of the EU as it affects the United Kingdom. The benefits to the creative industries will be assessed within the context of that review, which is due to conclude in 2014.
Broadband
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the UK she expects to be covered by 4G mobile services in each of the next five years. [145576]
Mr Vaizey: The roll-out timetable for these services is a commercial decision for the mobile network operators.
Ofcom included an indoor coverage obligation in one of the 800 MHz lots of spectrum. The winner of this lot is Telefonica UK Ltd. This operator is obliged to provide 4G mobile services for indoor coverage to at least 98% of the UK population and at least 95% of the population of each of the UK nations by the end of 2017. This obligation should result in more than 99% outdoor coverage for the UK population.
EE currently provides 4G mobile services to 38 towns in the UK and plan to increase this to more than 65 by the end of June. Towards the end of 2013, Ofcom will be publishing details of the areas and broadband speeds that each operator is providing on their 4G networks.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential merits of altering Broadband UK rules to ensure competition in the supply of superfast broadband services. [146053]
Mr Vaizey: Local authorities and devolved Administrations undertaking broadband projects supported by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) need to ensure their procurements comply with EU procurement and state aid rules. Projects with funding from the Rural Broadband Programme are able to undertake their procurements using the Broadband Delivery Framework agreement that has been put in place by BDUK but this is not a requirement. Thirty-four projects under the programme are using the framework and the remaining 10 have undertaken their own separate procurements using the EU competitive dialogue procedure.
Broadband: Rural Areas
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to announce the projects to be funded under the Rural Community Broadband Fund. [145869]
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Mr Vaizey: Announcements about Rural Community Broadband Fund projects will be made jointly by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) when they have completed the assessment and approval process. The development of projects by applicants requires that they have appropriate levels of capability and capacity to deliver sustainable projects and it is therefore necessary to make a rigorous assessment of each project. To date, three projects have been given pre-contract approval and a fourth is due to be announced shortly. Further announcements will be made when projects have demonstrated that they meet the fund's criteria.
Defamation
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has held with the Attorney-General and the Secretary of State for Justice on steps to protect the families of victims of murder from malicious falsehoods being disseminated as fact by the media. [145033]
Mr Vaizey: The Leveson Inquiry was established by the Prime Minister to look into the culture, practices and ethics of the press following revelations of press misconduct. Since the report's publication, cross-party talks are under way to facilitate a tough new regulatory framework for the press which can deliver public confidence and justice for the victims of press misconduct. The Ministry of Justice is closely involved with this work, and the Secretary of State has worked with colleagues across Government. The press is already, of course, subject to the law on libel and malicious falsehood where applicable.
Football
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set up an independent inquiry into the role and influence of agents in professional football. [145666]
Hugh Robertson: The Government recognises the strong feeling about the way that some agents appear to operate and the potential consequences for conflicts of interest and transfer fee and salary inflation. We support the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's recommendation that the Football Association should continue to press FIFA to provide an international solution.
Mayor of London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has for the devolution of additional powers to the Mayor of London; and if she will make a statement. [145240]
Hugh Robertson: My Department has no immediate plans to devolve additional powers specifically to the Mayor of London. Devolution of power should also be to the lowest appropriate level—down to councils, to neighbourhoods, to community groups and to individuals. However, the Government will in the near future be publishing its response to the Heseltine Review, which included a number of recommendations regarding London.
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Sports: Facilities
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that local sports and leisure facilities are affordable. [145762]
Hugh Robertson: Local clubs and local authorities set the prices for their services. Many offer concessions for families, children and older people and those on lower incomes.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Arms Trade: Treaties
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help bring about an arms trade treaty; and if he will make a statement. [145867]
Alistair Burt: The UK has played a leading role over the last seven years in international efforts to achieve a robust, effective, legally binding, and global arms trade treaty. This remains a top priority for the Government, offering the prospect of a better future to millions who live in the shadow of armed violence. In July last year, we made important progress on a draft text. In November, the UK and key partners secured overwhelming support at the UN for a conference to conclude the treaty this month in New York. We are lobbying states at the highest levels and will continue to do so up to and throughout the conference both in New York and from London. We are also supporting the president-designate and working closely with key states, with industry, and with civil society groups.
A treaty is now within our grasp and the Government will spare no effort to secure it.
Bahrain
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the treatment in detention of Dr. Ali Ekri, Dr. Al Samahiji and Ibraheem Aldemestani in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [146039]
Alistair Burt: Dr Alekri, Dr Samaheejee and Mr Aldemestani are serving between one and five years for charges relating to taking part in illegal gatherings and inciting violence to overthrow the Government.
We are aware from media reports that the families of the three individuals the hon. Member refers to have raised concerns that they are currently being held in solitary confinement.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have frequently stressed the need for Bahrain to meet all of its human rights obligations and we continue to urge the Government to ensure that civil liberties are protected, particularly where severe penalties are imposed.
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Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterparts about the removal of nationality of 31 Bahraini citizens by the Bahraini Government in November 2012. [146117]
Alistair Burt: As I said in my statement of 29 November 2012, our view is that revoking citizenship, which leaves individuals stateless, is a negative step and ultimately a barrier towards reconciliation.
We urge the authorities to conduct full and transparent investigations into any of those accused of crimes. Any charges against these individuals should be based on strong, credible evidence that will stand up to scrutiny.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials in his Department have made any statements to the Bahraini media in connection with the removal of nationality of 31 Bahraini citizens by the Bahraini Government in November 2012. [146118]
Alistair Burt: Our ambassador in Bahrain gave an interview to a local newspaper, “Al Ayam”, in November 2012 during which the issue of the citizenship revocation was raised.
Bangladesh
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department is giving to the maintenance of parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. [145283]
Alistair Burt: Political participation is a crucial element of any democracy. The UK is committed to working with all stakeholders in Bangladesh to support the development of a stable, prosperous and democratic society. To achieve this, Bangladesh needs to have strong, independent and accountable institutions and a functioning Parliament at the centre of political debate. The Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi visited Bangladesh in mid-February. In her meetings with senior political leaders, including the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, she emphasised the importance of the parties working together to ensure free and fair elections that would reflect the will of the Bangladeshi people. She also met with the Chief Election Commissioner and discussed how he and the Election Commission could help in this process.
The UK, through the Department for International Development and international partners, provides support to parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh through a number of key projects under its Strengthening Political Participation programme, including Democratic Participation and Reform, Promoting Democratic Institutions and Practices and Strengthening Election Management in Bangladesh. These aim to support parliamentary engagement with civil society, further strengthen the skills and systems of the Election Commission; support Parliament to become more open and effective; and strengthen the checks and balances on the political process, through civil society advocacy for more responsive political institutions.
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Peaceful, credible elections that express the genuine will of the voters are the mark of a mature, functioning democracy.
Business
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to respond to the UN (Ruggie) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. [145191]
Mr Lidington: The Government have been working on a UK strategy on business and human rights—based on the UN (Ruggie) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights—and hopes to launch this soon. The UK is looking to be one of the first countries to produce a national strategy to implement the Guiding Principles. The strategy will express the Government’s expectation that British companies will show respect for human rights in their operations in the UK and internationally.
Cluster Munitions
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Governments of (a) Canada, (b) the United States and (c) Singapore requesting them to adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions. [145124]
Alistair Burt: We have over an extended period promoted the universalisation of this important convention, which we see as the gold standard to which all states should adhere. We will continue to take all available opportunities to encourage and promote universal adherence to the convention.
Falkland Islands
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on whether discussions were held in the 1980s with the government of Argentina on the establishment of an Argentine naval base on the Falkland Islands. [145284]
Mr Swire: I can confirm that, based on the information held by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1982 until 1990, no discussions were held with the Government of Argentina on the establishment of an Argentine naval base on the Falkland Islands.
Any documents originating from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's South America Department covering discussions between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Argentina up to and including the Falklands Conflict in 1982 have been transferred to The National Archives in accordance with standard procedures set out in the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This would include records or information relating to any discussions on the establishment of an Argentine naval base on the Islands prior to the Conflict. It is conceivable that relevant material may exist in files which have not yet been reviewed for transfer to The National Archives although we have not yet identified any such material. An exhaustive search of archives not yet transferred could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
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Haiti
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations regarding its decision not to compensate cholera victims in Haiti. [145258]
Mr Swire: There have been no ministerial discussions with the United Nations on the compensation claim by cholera victims in Haiti. The UK is not directly party to this matter. The UN has taken a transparent approach and has kept officials from the UK and other UN member states informed throughout. UK Aid contributed to cholera treatment and prevention following the outbreak in 2010 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It is important now that the international community continues to work together to ensure better health and a better future for the people of Haiti.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the claim for compensation from the United Nations by cholera victims in Haiti. [145259]
Mr Swire: The compensation claim was filed against the United Nations. The UK is not directly party to this matter. The UN has taken a transparent approach and has kept officials from the UK and other UN member states informed throughout. UK Aid contributed to cholera treatment and prevention following the outbreak in 2010 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It is important now that the international community continues to work together to ensure better health and a better future for the people of Haiti.
Middle East
Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula. [145805]
Alistair Burt: We remain concerned about the security situation in the Sinai and have raised our concerns with the Egyptian authorities following a number of attacks against Egyptian security forces in 2012, including on the Egypt-Israeli border. The Egyptian authorities have increased their efforts to address the threat, recognising the need for a holistic response including local development as well as security measures. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice warns against all travel to the Governorate of North Sinai and against all but essential travel to the Governorate of South Sinai.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures are in place within his Department to deal with breaches of the code of conduct by special advisers. [145168]
Mr Lidington: Matters relating to special advisers are handled in accordance with the ministerial code, the model contract and code of conduct for special advisers.
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Nationality
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which sovereign states are known by his Department to have the power to deprive citizens of their citizenship for reasons other than that the citizenship has been obtained by deception. [146151]
Mr Swire: This information is not held centrally. It would involve disproportionate cost to obtain it.
Nuclear Weapons
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation his Department plans to have at the forthcoming Conference on the Consequences of Nuclear Weapon Use in Oslo on 4 and 5 March, organised by the Norwegian Foreign Minister; and if he will arrange to (a) place in the Library and (b) post on his departmental web site (i) any submissions to the conference made by the UK and (ii) any submissions made that make reference to UK policy. [145338]
Alistair Burt: After careful consideration, the Government will not be sending a representative to the conference on the ‘humanitarian consequences of Nuclear Weapons’ in Oslo.
The Government support fully the objective of a world without nuclear weapons, and is committed to working with all nations in pursuit of this shared goal. We fully understand the serious consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and will, alongside our P5 partners, continue to give the highest priority to ensuring that such consequences are avoided. While we recognise the seriousness of this subject and attach the utmost importance to it, we are concerned that the conference in Oslo will divert discussion and focus away from the practical steps required to create the conditions for further nuclear weapons reductions.
We believe that the practical, step-by-step approach that we are taking to progress multilateral nuclear disarmament through existing mechanisms such as the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Conference on Disarmament, have proven to be the most effective means to increase stability and reduce nuclear dangers. We will therefore continue to work together with our P5 colleagues, and non nuclear weapon states, toward strengthening the foundation for mutual confidence and further disarmament efforts.
The Government have not made any submissions to the conference and have not, to date, received any submissions made by other parties to the conference.
Palestinians
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on civilian casualties in Gaza. [145651]
Alistair Burt:
The Government have repeatedly called on Israel to observe international humanitarian law and do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, including in the context of the Gaza conflict last November.
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We have made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) polices the buffer zone between Israel and Gaza. In the context of recent cases of Palestinian civilians killed by the IDF in both Gaza and the West Bank, officials from our embassy in Tel Aviv have reiterated our concerns over the IDF's use of live ammunition with both the Israeli Ministry of Defence and National Security Council.
Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Libyan Government for the transferral of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court to stand trial. [145375]
Alistair Burt: The Government has raised on numerous occasions with the Libyan authorities at the highest levels the need for them to engage with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in line with their obligation under UN Security Council Resolution 1970, including most recently on 13 January when Her Majesty's ambassador to Libya met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The Libyan authorities are cooperating with the ICC with respect to the ongoing proceedings. Libya submitted an admissibility challenge to the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber in May 2012 arguing that the Libyan investigation should have primacy over that of the ICC and that Saif should be tried in Libya. It is now for the ICC to decide whether to accept this challenge.
Saudi Arabia and Oman
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent steps he has taken to improve bilateral co-operation with (a) Saudi Arabia and (b) Oman in the fight against Islamic extremism; [145785]
(2) what assessment he has made of the importance of co-operation with Saudi Arabia in fighting the threat of Islamic extremism in the UK. [145771]
Alistair Burt: Saudi Arabia is a key partner for the UK in tackling terrorism particularly from Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has expressed its intent to target the West and Western interests in the region. The Saudi authorities have been unequivocal in condemning al-Qaeda's actions. British-Saudi collaboration has resulted in the foiling of terrorist attacks.
We continually look for ways to further improve our excellent bilateral co-operation with key partners, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, and regularly discuss these issues at ministerial and official level. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed our co-operation with the Saudi National Security Advisor and Head of General intelligence, HRH Prince Bandar bin Sultan, on 25 February. The Minister of the Interior of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Naif, also visited the UK on 9 January 2013, and discussed our strong counter-terrorism co-operation with the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May). I visited Oman
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on 11 February for the UK-Oman Joint Working Group, and discussed our regional foreign policy priorities, including Islamic extremists with the Secretary-General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
Terrorism
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the adoption by the United Nations of the comprehensive convention on international terrorism. [145278]
Alistair Burt: The UK supports the principle of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.
Tunisia
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the authorities in Tunisia on freedom of expression when the new Government of Tunisia is formed. [146062]
Alistair Burt: Tunisia has made significant progress in its political transition, including free and fair elections, encouraging greater media freedom and the drafting of a new constitution that safeguards the rights and fundamental freedoms of all Tunisians.
I spoke with the Tunisian Secretary of State for European Affairs on 7 February where I raised concerns about freedom of expression. We are aware of the ongoing debate on whether freedom of expression should be constrained by legislation to protect sacred values and we continue to monitor developments closely.
We continue to support Tunisia's democratisation process. We are working through our Arab Partnership programme, the EU and with international financial institutions and our G8 presidency to support political reforms and to help the Tunisian Government tackle the major economic and security challenges it faces.
Yemen
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the bombing of targets in Yemen by Saudi Arabian forces; whether aircraft manufactured by UK suppliers were involved; whether UK nationals were involved in Operation capability support for such missions; and if he will make a statement. [145348]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of press reports that Saudi Arabian forces were involved in strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQ-AP) targets in Yemen in early January 2013. In a press interview on 5 January, the Saudi Foreign Minister HRH Prince Saud al Faisal stated that Saudi Arabia had not been involved.
Reducing the threat posed by violent extremists in Yemen is a priority for the Yemeni Government as it seeks to restore security and stability throughout the country. Saudi Arabia is both the UK and Yemen's key partner in combating the threat from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which retains the intent and capability to carry out attacks domestically and against the West.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register: British Nationals Abroad
Mr Streeter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will commission qualitative research to determine why more British citizens living overseas do not register to vote in UK elections. [144269]
Miss Chloe Smith: As of 1 December 2011, there were 23,388 registered overseas electors. This is a relatively small proportion of the estimated 5.6 million British nationals living overseas.
The Government is committed to doing all it can to maximise registration, including among British citizens living overseas. For example as part of the move to individual electoral registration, to help simplify the registration process we plan to remove the current requirement for a person's initial application as an overseas elector to be attested by another British citizen resident abroad.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the name is of each member of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides; and whether any member has declared that he or she is (a) in the employ of or (b) has received funding from companies selling neonicotinoid pesticides. [143510]
Mr Heath: The members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) are:
Dr Andrew Povey;
Dr Gary Bending;
Dr Stephen Waring;
Professor Richard Shore;
Professor Andrew Smith;
Dr Simon Wilkinson;
Dr John Cocker;
Mr Richard Davis;
Ms Jennifer Dean;
Mr Derek Finnegan;
Dr Martin Hare;
Dr Caroline Harris;
Professor Tom Hutchinson;
Mr Philip Jackson;
Professor Edward Lock;
Dr Chris Morris;
Professor Keith Palmer; and
Dr William Parker.
No member has declared that they are in the employ of companies selling neonicotinoid pesticides.
Dr Harris and Professor Hutchinson have declared that their employers have received funding from companies selling neonicotinoid pesticides. Arrangements for dealing with declarations of interest are posted on the ACP webpages. In the case of neonicotinoid pesticides one of these two members has not been present during the discussions after declaring a personal specific interest.
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Agriculture: Subsidies
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received on the outturn of EU budget negotiations on future subsidy payments for farmers. [143203]
Mr Heath: The allocation of UK common agricultural policy (CAP) receipts for direct payments has yet to be confirmed. It is therefore difficult to say what level of funding the UK will receive for direct payments in the future.
Nevertheless, the Commission's proposal of 12 October 2011 on rules for direct payments sets the ceilings for direct payments at member state level over the next Financial Perspective (2014-20). This would amount to an overall UK allocation for direct payments of approximately €25.6 billion. Following the EU budget deal on 8 February, it has been estimated that there will be a minor reduction in the overall UK allocation for direct payments when compared with the Commission's original proposal. We will, however, have to wait for final confirmation from the Commission as to what the final amount for the UK will be.
Alcoholic Drinks
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents. [143965]
Richard Benyon: There were only two cases since 2009 in Core DEFRA where alcohol-related sickness was recorded as the reason for absence; however, it is likely to be a contributory factor in a higher number of cases. Core DEFRA’s managing attendance policy contains guidance for managers and staff on substance (alcohol and drugs) abuse. This policy also includes guidance on occupational health services. The policy will be placed in the Library of the House. The managing attendance policy is currently under review to ensure that it reflects best practice within the civil service.
Animal Welfare: Slaughterhouses
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department will publish the result of the consultation on the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing. [145937]
Mr Heath: The Government's consultation on measures to implement EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing closed on 24 October 2012. We are currently considering the responses received. Once this process has been completed a response will be published as quickly as possible on the DEFRA website.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects a cull on badgers to be rolled out throughout the UK. [145265]
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Mr Heath: Badger culling will be piloted initially this summer in two areas to confirm our assumptions about the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of controlled shooting. An independent panel of experts will oversee and evaluate the pilots before reporting back to Government. Ministers will then decide whether the policy should be rolled out more widely, to up to ten new areas per year, starting in 2014.
British Waterways
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the successes and failures of the move of British Waterways from a public corporation to a new charitable body; and how his Department plans to use the results of that assessment to inform the process for the creation of a new independent public body to hold UK forests in trust. [144279]
Richard Benyon: An assessment of the lessons learned from the New Waterways Charity Project was undertaken shortly after the functions, assets and liabilities of British Waterways in England and Wales had been transferred to the Canal & River Trust (CRT). The assessment did not identify any particular successes or failures which would have direct relevance to the work to set up a new body to manage the Public Forest Estate. The new public body will be a different type of organisation from CRT but we will draw on the experience gained in establishing CRT as we develop the new body.
Crayfish
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences the Environment Agency has issued for crayfish trapping in the latest period for which figures are available. [145776]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has issued the following number of licenses for crayfish trapping since 2007.
| Number of licences issued | |
The data presented are for England and Wales. The authorisations issued are for non-native species of crayfish and are for the purposes of scientific survey, personal consumption, commercial and fishery management.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been arrested for illegal crayfish trapping in each of the last 10 years. [145777]
Richard Benyon: There have been no prosecutions for illegal crayfish trapping in the last 10 years. Illegal traps are often unauthorised and therefore the owners are difficult to trace. Any illegal traps found are removed by Environment Agency officers.
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Crayfish: Hampshire
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences the Environment Agency has issued for crayfish trapping in Hampshire in the last three years. [145772]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has issued the following number of licenses for crayfish trapping for the area in the last three years.
| Number of licences issued | |
The data presented is from the area in which Hampshire sits. These areas are defined by catchment and not county boundaries. The authorisations issued are for non-native species of crayfish and are for the purposes of Scientific Survey, Personal Consumption and Fishery Management.
Crayfish: Wiltshire
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences the Environment Agency has issued for crayfish trapping in Wiltshire in the latest period for which figures are available. [145775]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has issued the following number of licenses for crayfish trapping for the area in the last three years.
| Number of licences issued | |
The data presented is from the area in which Wiltshire sits. These areas are defined by catchment and not county boundaries. The authorisations issued are for non-native species of crayfish and are for the purposes of Scientific Survey, Personal Consumption, Commercial and Fishery Management.
Dangerous Dogs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of dangerous dogs. [142587]
Mr Heath: The total number of dogs placed on the register of exempted dogs in 2012 is as follows:
| Number | |
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official
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, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the issue of compulsory microchipping. [144898]
Mr Heath: Dog microchipping is a fully devolved matter but DEFRA has kept devolved Administrations informed of our proposals.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, if he will publish an updated impact assessment of the new microchipping proposals. [144901]
Mr Heath: A final updated impact assessment will be published when the regulations are laid next year.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, for what reasons the Government has decided not to introduce dog control orders. [144910]
Mr Heath: Dog Control Orders already exist under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 but are due to be replaced by the new Home Office measures to tackle antisocial behaviour. The new antisocial behaviour measures will enable local authorities and other practitioners to intervene early in a variety of low level nuisance behaviour including where such behaviour involves a dog. These wide ranging measures will avoid the need to introduce separate and specific low level controls in respect of dogs.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, what plans he has to issue a definition of the terms (a) owner and (b) keeper of a dog in relation to his proposals. [144911]
Mr Heath: We have not yet finalised the microchipping requirements. Part of our considerations are whether such definitions need to be included.
Floods
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to reduce the effect of flooding on productive agricultural land. [144940]
Richard Benyon: Productive agricultural land continues to benefit from DEFRA's ongoing funding for flood risk management. For example, flood defence schemes which completed in 2011-12 provided an improved standard of protection to more than 180,000 acres of farm land. Many other agricultural areas benefit from the Environment Agency's flood defence maintenance work.
DEFRA's policy statement on the appraisal of flood and erosion risk management underlines the need to value agricultural land and the damages that can occur as a result of flooding or erosion when considering how
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best to manage flood risk. Our new Partnership Funding approach means funding is available towards any worthwhile scheme, including where agricultural land would be the primary or sole beneficiary of taxpayer investment. Under the previous 'all or nothing' funding approach, schemes in more rural areas struggled to make the threshold for Government funding.
Food: Contamination
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Europol's involvement in the investigation of contaminated food products. [143202]
Mr Heath: The European Police Office (Europol) is the EU Agency that promotes cooperation between law enforcement bodies in the EU. It does not conduct investigations itself and has no coercive powers. But it can assist member states' investigations by providing analytical support, enabling closer liaison and information exchange and supporting joint investigation teams. For the time being the Food Standards Agency remains the leading investigating and enforcement authority for the UK. However, member states have agreed to use Europol to coordinate law enforcement efforts.
Food: Labelling
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he next expects to meet the Irish Minister for Agriculture; whether he will discuss food labelling and food provenance policy issues at that meeting; and if he will make a statement. [142617]
Mr Heath: I have regular discussions with Simon Coveney, the Irish Minister for Food, Agriculture and the Marine. I am working closely with my counterparts in Ireland, and across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, the first results of which will be published on 15 April. I made a statement detailing next steps on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 741W.
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment in the Scottish Government on food labelling and provenance policy since 5 February 2013; and if he will make a statement; [143432]
(2) what discussions he has had with representatives of the Scottish Government on food labelling and provenance policy issues since 1 January 2013; and if he will make a statement. [143433]
Mr Heath:
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spoke with Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment in Scotland, on 10 February about the ongoing investigation of horsemeat and adulterated beef products. The Food Standards Agency is working closely with the Food Standards Agency Scotland on this investigation.
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Richard Lochhead agreed to support any action that could be taken which would give consumers the appropriate reassurance they need on the authenticity of foods. I had a discussion with representatives of the devolved Administrations on 13 February.
Also on 13 February the Secretary of State met agriculture Ministers from a number of other member states together with the Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner in Brussels. He requested this meeting to ensure co-ordinated action is taken across Europe so that consumers can have confidence in what they buy.
The Secretary of State updated colleagues from the devolved Administrations, including Richard Lochhead on 15 February. Richard Lochhead also attended a meeting with the food industry representatives hosted by DEFRA on 18 February.
The Secretary of State has since met Richard Lochhead at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on 25 February. The Secretary of State issued a written ministerial statement on 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 26-28WS, updating the House on the Council discussions.
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcomes were of his discussions with his ministerial counterpart in the Republic of Ireland on (a) food policy provenance issues, (b) horsemeat, (c) food labelling issues and (d) passports for horses; and if he will make a statement. [143533]
Mr Heath: I am working closely with my counterparts in Ireland and across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, with first results by 15 April. In addition, both domestic and imported horsemeat will be tested for bute. The current paperwork based system will be replaced by a programme of testing real products.
Secondly, we agreed to a new intelligence system so that information about the current investigations can be shared immediately. This will enable other EU member states to act immediately if they have any suspicions that food businesses are not playing by the rules. Member states also agreed to use Europol to co-ordinate law enforcement efforts. Thirdly, because of the urgency with which we have to deal with what is clearly an international issue, we agreed that the European Commission's report and recommendations on labelling the origin of all processed meat should be accelerated and published as soon as possible. I expect that this will provide consumers with clearer and more reliable information on where meat products come from. I made a statement to this effect on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 741W.
Forestry Commission
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Forestry Commission programmes are supported by the fees charged by the Forestry Commission in visitor car parks. [144580]
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Mr Heath: Any revenues generated from car parking charges at sites on the public forest estate are reinvested in that forest area. The type of work this involves varies depending on the site and is an operational decision for the Forestry Commission. Some typical examples include trail maintenance, litter picking, the provision of dog waste bins and maintenance of the car park itself.
Government Procurement Card
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance or instructions have been issued to staff in (a) his 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. [141498]
Richard Benyon: HM Treasury guidance requires Departments and their arm's length bodies to publish data on all transactions over £25,000, one month in arrears. If the data is available before the end of the month it should be published as soon as the Department has cleared it for release.
Cabinet Office guidance requires Departments to publish data for Government Procurement Card transactions over £500 in core Departments, two months in arrears. For arm's length bodies, the guidance states that retrospective data for 2011-12 should be published by end of March 2012, and that data for later periods should be published on a timetable at the Department's discretion.
Horse Passports
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horse passports have been issued since 2003. [145365]
Mr Heath: As at 2 July 2012, some 1,352,153 passports had been issued by horse passport issuing organisations in the United Kingdom.
Horses: Databases
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government are giving consideration to reinstating the National Equine Database. [143829]
Mr Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs met representatives from across the equine sector on 21 February to look at ways in which we can work together to tighten and improve the current horse passport system and to get an update on the work industry is doing to develop a replacement for the National Equine Database. He committed to continue to work with industry on these issues.
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the 32,000 potential duplicate records of horses in the UK identified by the National Equine Database prior to its closure in 2012. [144892]
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Mr Heath: The National Equine Database was a repository of horse and owner data supplied by each individual horse passport issuing organisation (PIO). It was not capable of automatically identifying or rejecting duplicate information. PIOs continue to be legally responsible for limiting the issue of multiple passports for the same animal by consulting the paper and electronic records available to them. Horses issued with duplicate or replacement passports are automatically signed out of the food chain.
Horses: Slaughterhouses
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency first received correspondence from the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on that organisation's concerns regarding the slaughter of horses and horse passports. [144792]
Mr Heath: Neither DEFRA nor the Food Standards Agency have a record of receipt of correspondence from the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals highlighting concerns regarding the slaughter of horses or horse passports.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many thoroughbred race horses (a) in training, (b) in breeding and (c) out of training were slaughtered in UK abattoirs in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012. [144799]
Mr Heath: DEFRA does not hold the data requested; it only holds data on the total number of horses slaughtered for human consumption. In 2011, 9,011 horses were slaughtered for human consumption, and 9,405 in 2012.
Mayor of London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the devolution of additional powers to the Mayor of London; and if he will make a statement. [145242]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA currently has no plans to devolve additional powers to the Mayor of London.
Meat: Contamination
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) name, (b) location and (c) ownership of meat plants which may have been the sources of the horsemeat found in beefburgers. [142943]
Mr Heath: Any information received by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in response to the current investigation into the use of horsemeat in the food chain is forwarded on to the Food Standards Agency as the appropriate competent enforcement authority.
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The FSA and the police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are involved in a complicated and far-reaching investigation. It would not be appropriate to provide information that may affect a live investigation at this time.
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times assessment and testing for horsemeat and other substances has taken place at each meat processing plant in the UK in each of the last five years; on how many occasions food provenance or safety issues were identified; and on how many occasions that led to police investigations and convictions. [143204]
Mr Heath: Directive 96/23/EC requires member states to conduct an annual surveillance programme to check that authorised veterinary medicinal products are being used correctly in food producing animals and that unauthorised substances are not present.
The programme, operated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is required to cover red meat species (including horses) and poultry meat. (It also covers eggs, milk, farmed fish, honey and game). Over 32,000 samples are taken annually in the UK and tested for a wide range of substances. The results are considered by the independent Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC) and published on the VRC website for 2007 to 2011:
www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/vrc
Final results for 2012 are not yet available but non-compliant samples were notified to the VRC during the year in papers entitled “Statutory surveillance programme” which are also on their website.
There are around 350 red meat and poultry meat abattoirs so it would entail disproportionate cost to provide details of how many samples have been taken in individual premises in each of the last five years, which are taken based on their throughput.
None of the non-compliant results in the past five years have been deemed serious food safety issues or sufficiently serious on investigation to merit referring the matter to the police.
In addition, the Food Standards Agency and local authorities in the UK have a programme of food surveys to check the safety and authenticity of food which uses a wide range of testing methods including DNA.
In 2011-12 local authorities took 78,653 food samples, which underwent 92,181 analyses by Official Control Laboratories. These included 18,219 compositional analyses, 11,879 analyses of food for labelling and presentation and 55,546 microbiological analyses.
Food Labelling
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tests the Food Standards Agency is conducting to ensure that food in the public sector food supply chain labelled as halal does not contain pork DNA. [142097]
Mr Heath:
It is the responsibility of all food businesses to ensure that the food they sell is what it says it is and that consumers are not misled. DEFRA's food authenticity programme develops and validates methods to detect
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the presence of pork in foods. These methodologies are made available as standard operating procedures to support testing by public analysts and industry.
The Food Standards Agency delegates responsibility to local authorities for enforcing food safety legislation in food premises, covering the food supply chain from food manufacturing, processing, packing, distribution and storage through to catering and retail, including in the public sector.
There are no specific regulations governing the sale and labelling of halal or kosher meat. However, if meat is labelled as such, this must not mislead the consumer. Certification is provided by private organisations.
The Government's unit for engaging faith communities at DCLG will be hosting discussions between DEFRA, the Food Standards Agency and representatives of kosher and halal organisations this month. These discussions will cover how the Government are responding to the recently reported contamination of meat products through its testing programme and the approaches being used to detect contamination.
Members: Correspondence
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the letter of the Minister of Natural Environment and Fisheries to the hon. Member for Chesterfield of 24 October 2012, ref MC276618, when the hon. Member's constituent can expect a substantive response to his original concerns raised on 21 June 2012 about the welfare of buzzards. [144935]
Richard Benyon: I provided a substantive response on 20 November 2012. I have written to the hon. Member enclosing a copy of that reply.
Nature Conservation: Crime
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date the Government will publish its response to the Law Commission’s consultation on wildlife law. [144754]
Richard Benyon: Following its consultation, the Law Commission anticipates presenting DEFRA with its final proposals shortly, to which the Government will then respond.
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date the Government plans to respond to the Environmental Audit Committee’s third report of Session 2012-13, HC 140, on wildlife crime. [144755]
Richard Benyon: The Government are currently finalising their response to the report’s recommendations and we will send it to the Committee as soon as we can. The Committee will publish the response in due course.
Nutrition
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the benefits of home cooking to parents. [145767]
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Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.
Change4Life since its launch in 2009 has promoted home cooking by offering healthier recipes that are simple to prepare. The recent Be Food Smart campaign has led to over 450,000 hard copy healthier recipe "Meal Mixers" being ordered so far and the online and app versions have been used to view millions of recipes.
The Be Food Smart Roadshow started in January and will be running through to the end of March 2013 visiting shopping centres and other similar venues around the country offering advice, recipes, activities and cookery demonstrations.
Porpoises
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will respond to requests for information from the European Commission with regard to the UK's position on designating protection sites for harbour porpoises under Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC; and if he will make a statement. [145189]
Richard Benyon: The UK replied to the European Commission's request for information on the designation of Special Areas of Conservation for Harbour Porpoise on 17 December 2012.
Schmallenberg Virus
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the economic effect of the Schmallenberg virus on (a) farmers and (b) regional economies. [139201]
Mr Heath: The information is not held in the format requested. Economic assessments were carried out on an epidemiological assessment completed in early 2012, looking at the potential spread of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in GB, the impact and risk across different regions of the country. As the true impact was not known at that time, we used estimates based on other similar viruses and the UK livestock distribution.
This demonstrated that for infection in counties south of the midlands, which were determined to be at high or medium risk of SBV spread in 2011-12, if losses occurred on 5% of cattle and sheep farms and in 10% of the herd or flock, the cost to sheep farmers would be approximately £1 million, and for cattle farmers approximately £2.5 million. This is less than the economic impact of other common industry managed livestock disease such as mastitis in dairy cows, and foot rot in sheep. Widening the assessment to include counties deemed to be at low risk of infection in 2011, increased costs to farmers by about a third.
Another scenario tested was 20% of all cattle and sheep farms in the high and medium risk areas being affected. This increased costs to sheep farmers to approximately £4 million, and to cattle farmers to approximately £10 million.
Since carrying out these assessments, we now have information from the EU and our own UK farms on the impact and spread. These confirm actual impact to overall be lower than our estimates (although of course
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the impact on an individual flock or herd may be substantial), and we are now looking at reviewing the economic impact to take these into account.
Training
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [144086]
Richard Benyon: The information to answer this question is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Turtles: Cayman Islands
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the Cayman Turtle Farm fulfils its commitment to improve conditions at the farm. [145520]
Richard Benyon: Responsibility for animal welfare and biodiversity conservation in the Overseas Territories is devolved to Territory Governments, which are responsible for the development and implementation of appropriate legislation, policies and practices in devolved matters. The Cayman Turtle Farm is therefore the responsibility of the Cayman Islands Government.
The Governor's Office in the Cayman Islands is keeping DEFRA officials up to date on progress by the farm in improving the conditions in which the turtles are kept, following the recent investigation into its turtle husbandry practices.
I understand that the farm is committed to taking action and has drafted an action plan in response to the independent inspection report published on 25 January.
The farm's commitments include:
the recruitment of a full-time veterinarian;
the establishment of a scientific advisory committee to monitor implementation of the action plan; and
amending the procedures and improving monitoring at the turtle touch tanks.
UK Trade and Investment
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the development of agricultural export expertise within UK Trade and Investment. [138887]
Mr Heath: I have had recent discussion with Lord Green in context of Cabinet sub-committee on the development of agricultural export expertise within UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
DEFRA collaborates closely with UKTI to promote exports from the farming, food and drink sector. DEFRA, UKTI and industry jointly lead the action plan, ‘Driving Export Growth in the Farming, Food and Drink Sector’, published in January 2012. This sets out how Government and industry will work together to open up and take advantage of key markets. The Business Ambassadors
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Group of business and university leaders also work with the Government to promote the UK's excellence internationally and highlight trade and investment opportunities. Business ambassadors with expertise in agriculture include James Townshend, chief executive of Velcourt.
Written Questions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers. [146084]
Richard Benyon: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Cabinet Office
Charities
Bob Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent research his Department has conducted on the effect of the Government's Big Society policy on the charitable sector. [145327]
Mr Hurd: While we do not commission specific research of this nature there are a range of relevant research studies which might be consulted. For instance there is the recent Community Life survey:
http://communitylife.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
which found giving was unchanged and volunteering had increased.
Cycling
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) whether his Department is signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme; [144387]
(2) whether the Deputy Prime Minister's Office has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme; [144466]
(3) who his Department's cycling champion is; [144431]
(4) who the cycling champion is in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office; [144435]
(5) what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee; [144449]
(6) what progress the Deputy Prime Minister's Office has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee. [144453]
Mr Maude: For the purposes of corporate administration and financial management, the Deputy Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office is not a signatory of the Cycle to Work Guarantee, however we do back Business Cycle, which aims to get more people cycling to work.
The Cabinet Office has no specific cycling champion. However we do offer a range of facilities for cyclists including interest free loans to purchase bicycles, showers and lockers. Since May 2010 we have also installed a secure storage facilities for bicycles in 70 Whitehall.
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Internet
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to increase disabled people's internet usage. [145106]
Mr Hurd: The Government are committed to making public services available online through their digital by default strategy. In support of this, the Government Digital Service (GDS), part of Cabinet Office are working with groups such as Go-ON:UK an independent charity and the eAccessibility Forum, run by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) in conjunction with central Government Departments to make sure that no one is excluded from access to digital services.
The Government continue to commit resources to meeting these aims through its Government Digital Strategy.
Olympic Games 2012
John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government vehicles were used to transport Ministers in his Department to London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games events. [140574]
Mr Hurd: In line with the Ministerial code, Ministers are permitted to make use of official cars for official business. Following the practice of previous Administrations, full details of travel are not usually disclosed. However, the Minister for the Cabinet Office used a Government Car to attend an Olympics event at the Greenwich Royal Artillery Barracks on 2 August 2012.
Procurement
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the proposals by Dr Stephen Castell to secure potential savings from ICT procurement; and if he will make a statement. [145131]
Miss Chloe Smith: Cabinet Office officials have met with Dr Castell and made an assessment of his proposals to make savings from high-end ICT procurement by purchasing second hand equipment. However, we do not believe these proposals offer value for money in the context of the Government ICT Strategy.
The Government saved over £400 million from ICT in the first half of this year, in addition to £354 million in 2011-12 and £300 million between June 2010 and March 2011.
Sickness Absence
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis; [144481]
(2) what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department. [144495]
Mr Maude:
Staff qualify for sick leave if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. Staff may receive full pay for the first six months of an absence and half pay for a further six months, subject to a maximum of
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12 months' paid sick leave in any four year period. As part of civil service reform this entitlement is being reviewed.
The average number of working days lost through sickness in the Cabinet Office currently stands at 2.2 days per employee, based on a rolling 12-month period. This is a reduction of 1.2 days on the same period last year, and compares with a civil service average of 7.6 days.
Social Incubator Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what organisations in each region have received support from his Department's Social Incubator fund; and how much has been dispersed to each region. [145347]
Mr Hurd: The Social Incubator Fund was launched in July 2012. So far the fund committed to grant two incubators:
Wayra and UnLtd: £1,219,006
Bethnal Green Ventures: £900,000.
Both of these organisations will be focused on technology-based social ventures. They are based in London but have defined plans to reach beyond London.
Written Questions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers. [146078]
Mr Maude: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Energy and Climate Change
Arctic
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the increased rate of loss of Arctic ice; and what steps he is taking at national and international level to address this issue. [146157]
Gregory Barker: Satellite and other observations show a major decline in Arctic sea ice summer extent of about 40% since 1979, when the satellite records began, and in winter ice thickness which has nearly halved in some parts of the Arctic over the past 40 years, where measured. The rate of decline in summer sea ice extent has accelerated in the past 15 years and has now reached an unprecedented rate of about 12% per decade. The summer extent fell to its lowest value ever recorded (3.41 million km(2)) in September 2012, 18% lower than the previous minimum recorded in 2007 (4.17 million km(2)).
Arctic sea ice extent and thickness are expected to continue to decline in line with increasing global temperatures. Scientific views vary considerably as to when the Arctic could be effectively ice-free in summer.
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Recent models project this to occur between 2030 to 2050 but some analysts suggest it could happen even sooner.
The observed reductions of Arctic sea ice extent and thickness, and the consequent regional environmental and societal impacts, emphasise the urgent need for strong international action to tackle climate change. The Government are working through the UNFCCC process for the adoption of a legally binding global agreement applicable to all Parties by 2015, to come into force from 2020 with the long-term aim of avoiding dangerous levels of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise below 2°C. Action is also being taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions domestically in line with the Government's commitments under the Climate Change Act.
Biofuels
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce the negative externalities of biomass. [145526]
Mr Hayes: The UK Bioenergy Strategy was jointly published in April 2012 by DECC, DEFRA and the Department for Transport. This sets out key principles to steer a sustainable course including that biomass used for energy generation—across the heat, electricity and transport sectors—must deliver real, cost-effective greenhouse gas savings. Support for bioenergy should also aim to maximise the overall benefits and minimise costs, including managing possible impacts on food security and biodiversity.
We are bringing in robust sustainability criteria for the use of biomass under the renewable heat incentive and the renewables obligation. These criteria will include a minimum greenhouse gas savings target compared to fossil fuel use, and criteria to protect land with high carbon stock or biodiversity value.
The UK Bioenergy Strategy, its underpinning research and details of our biomass sustainability criteria proposals are available from the
www.gov.uk
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether roundwood biofuels count towards the EU 2020 emissions targets. [145603]
Gregory Barker: The word “biofuel” is usually applied to liquid or gaseous forms of bioenergy used for transport fuels. “Bioenergy” is typically used to refer to energy generation from all forms of biomass (solid, liquid and gas).
With respect to biofuels, the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) encourages the use of such fuels, including those based on wood, but also requires these fuels to deliver net greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions (ie that any emissions of GHGs associated with production are outweighed by the emissions reductions provided by consumption). The plant for producing transport biofuels from wood is largely at pilot stage and currently the contribution made by biofuels from wood is negligible within the EU.
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Under the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol, emissions of carbon dioxide from biogenic carbon due to the consumption of bioenergy are counted as zero. land use, land-use change and forestry rules, agreed for at the conference of the parties to the Kyoto protocol held in Durban in 2011 set out the accounting of emissions from harvesting of wood.
Coal Fired Power Stations
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the development of clean coal technology is an integral part of UK Government energy policy. [145973]
Mr Hayes: The coalition agreement and recent mid-term review commit us to public sector investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS). This development of this technology provides an opportunity for clean coal to be part of the future generating resource. The Government set out their approach to supporting CCS in a roadmap published in April 2012. Central to this was the £1 billion CCS competition. We are making good progress with this and have shortlisted three coal projects, with a target of supported projects being operational between 2016 and 2020.
Electricity
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to assist small electricity suppliers with research and development costs. [145517]
Mr Hayes: Small electricity suppliers falling within the definition of small and medium enterprises (a company or organisation with fewer than 500 employees and either an annual turnover not exceeding €100 million or a balance sheet not exceeding €86 million) can already benefit from the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Scheme which provides research and development relief for corporation tax. This provides tax relief on allowable research and development costs of 225%—that is, for each £100 of qualifying costs, a company or organisation could have the income on which corporation tax is paid reduced by an additional £125 on top of the £100 spent.
Any changes to tax relief allowances would be a matter for HM Treasury.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on encouraging local authorities to use small electricity suppliers. [145518]
Mr Hayes: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not held any discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on this matter. It would not be appropriate for the Government to seek to influence local authorities in their choice of supplier. It is for them to decide which supplier offers the best value.
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The retail electricity market is a competitive market. The Government are working with Ofgem to ensure that barriers to entry and growth are minimised and that small electricity suppliers can compete on a level playing field with large established suppliers.
We have increased the threshold at which suppliers are required to participate in Government environmental and social schemes from 50,000 customers to 250,000 customers.
Other initiatives are also under way that should help small suppliers. Ofgem is taking forward proposals to address the low levels of liquidity in the wholesale electricity market and Government are seeking backstop powers to address low liquidity should Ofgem and industry efforts not deliver adequate improvements. Government are also looking at other barriers including how independent participants secure long-term contracts that allow them to finance projects.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reducing tax burdens on small electricity suppliers. [145519]
Mr Hayes: Tax is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has held no discussions with him regarding the tax burdens on small electricity suppliers.
The Government are working with Ofgem to ensure that barriers to entry and growth are minimised and that small electricity suppliers can compete on a level playing field with large established suppliers.
We have increased the threshold at which suppliers are required to participate in Government environmental and social schemes from 50,000 customers to 250,000 customers.
Other initiatives are also under way that should help small suppliers. Ofgem is taking forward proposals to address the low levels of liquidity in the wholesale electricity market and Government are seeking backstop powers to address low liquidity should Ofgem and industry efforts not deliver adequate improvements. Government are also looking at other barriers including how independent participants secure long-term contracts that allow them to finance projects.
Energy: Billing
Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that energy companies do not continually roll over energy contracts. [146237]
Mr Hayes: It is for the independent regulator, Ofgem, to consider whether the existing licence condition governing the use of roll over contracts offers adequate protection to business customers.
Ofgem recently consulted on a proposal requiring the contract end date and last date of termination should be printed clearly on business customer bills, as part of their retail market review. The aim of the proposal is to make small businesses more aware of when their contract is coming up for renewal, and reduce the likelihood of automatic roll over. Ofgem are also committed to review
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the roll over contract arrangements immediately after they have concluded their consultation on retail market review.
Energy: Conservation
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the European Commission on the level of VAT levied on energy saving materials being subject to a reduced VAT rate; and on what dates any such meetings took place; [146174]
(2) when he expects the EU Court of Justice to make a ruling on whether the UK can continue to tax energy efficient products at a lower rate of VAT; [146175]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the level of Green Deal take-up of energy saving materials being subject to a VAT rate of 20 per cent. [146176]
Gregory Barker: Treasury Ministers have been leading on responses to communications from the European Commission on the UK's reduced rate of VAT on the installation of energy saving materials for HMG. This is an important issue for social policy—driving a reductions in costs for households and stimulating economic growth.
The Government disagree with the European Commission's view that the current reduced rate of 5% VAT for the installation of energy saving materials in residential properties is unlawful and the UK has been referred to the European Court of Justice, which is the final stage of the infraction proceedings. Current assessments suggest that the earliest the case will be heard is towards the end of 2013, and were any changes required—which the Government strongly contests—it would be necessary to consider carefully what they should be in the light of the Court's judgment.
Energy: Finance
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which projects were successful in applying for Government funding under the Cheaper Energy Together collective switching scheme. [145956]
Gregory Barker: A list of successful applicants for the Cheaper Energy Together funding, including the collective switching scheme, is available from the Government website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/68859/7473-decc-local-authority-competition-201213-projects-.pdf
Energy: Prices
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC and the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC on end user price controls in the energy market. [145849]
Mr Hayes: I have made no such assessment. The UK is one of the nine member states which have no end user price controls.
However, the Commission reported in its Communication on making the internal energy market work, published in November 2012, that the majority of member states
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still intervene in some form in retail price formation. The Commission stated that price regulation does not provide the right incentives for efficient investment or energy use and is not conducive to the development of a competitive market. It is therefore insisting on phase-out programmes for regulated prices as part of member states' structural reforms and taking infringement action where price regulation does not meet the conditions laid down by EU law.
Fluidised Bed Combustion
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the use of fluidised bed combustion technology for the production of energy. [145104]
Gregory Barker: DECC officials review a wide range of technologies. Fluidised bed combustion n technology has a number of applications and is a technology currently used in production of energy from solid fuels such as coal and solid wastes. It is also one of the technologies being researched for production of liquid fuels from by pyrolysis under the DECC sponsored pyrolysis challenge programme.
Fuel Poverty
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to engage (a) communities and (b) community energy suppliers to lift people out of fuel poverty. [145516]
Gregory Barker: Through the energy company obligation (ECO), energy suppliers are required to assist low income, vulnerable households through the installation of basic heating and insulation measures. This month DECC is launching the ECO roadshow which will cover seven different cities across Great Britain and will focus on the building of community delivery partnerships for the scheme.
DECC recently offered English local authorities the opportunity to bid for up to £31 million of funding to reduce the extent of fuel poverty in their area, primarily through the provision of support for improvements to the thermal efficiency of dwellings. The competition is currently delivering 60 projects across 169 local authority areas in England, and a number of these projects are working in partnership with community groups.
The Department of Health's Cold Weather Plan 2012 places a high priority on the engagement of the local community and voluntary sector in delivery aspects of the plan. DECC has supported delivery of the Warm Homes Healthy People fund, which is an integral part of the plan that encourages local authorities to work with voluntary and community sector organisations in their local communities to reduce levels of death and illness due to the effects of cold weather.
DECC is currently scoping a Community Energy Strategy and will publish a Call for Evidence in the spring. This will cover aspects of community-led approaches across a broad range of activities that meet DECC objectives, including those on fuel poverty. We will be engaging widely with stakeholders during the run up to, launch and throughout the consultation period.
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Green Deal Scheme
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on the saleability of a property of having a Green Deal loan attached. [145961]
Gregory Barker: Many factors could potentially affect house prices including the cost of heating an inefficient property compared to an improved home. We have not yet made any assessment of whether the Green Deal has had any positive or negative effect of saleability of properties as the Green Deal market is too new to assess this.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to reply to the letter of 16 January 2013 from the hon. Member for Walsall North on behalf of a constituent. [145861]
Gregory Barker: I have now replied to the hon. Member, and I apologise for the delay in doing so.
Nuclear Power Stations
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the National Infrastructure Plan, published in December 2012, page 43, what work his Department has done to bring forward proposals for reform of the community benefit regime with regard to new nuclear power; and when further details of this policy will be announced. [145549]
Mr Hayes: The Government are currently finalising the proposals for a community benefits package for sites that host new nuclear power stations. Details of the package will be issued shortly.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what work has been undertaken in his Department to take forward the proposals of the Science and Technology Select Committee in its report on Risk Perception and Energy Infrastructure for the use of partnership models and community benefits in the new nuclear build process. [145563]
Mr Hayes: The Government are currently finalising the proposals for a community benefits package for sites that host new nuclear power stations. Details of how the package will be implemented will be issued shortly.
Ofgem
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many staff at Ofgem received bonuses in excess of (a) £1,420, (b) £2,000, (c) £5,000, (d) £10,000, (e) £20,000 and (f) £50,000 in 2011-12; [145944]
(2) how many staff employed at Ofgem received bonuses in 2011-12; [145945]
(3) what the (a) average and (b) total amount paid in bonuses to staff at Ofgem was in 2011-12; [145946]
(4) what the largest salary paid to an individual member of staff at Ofgem was in 2011-12. [145986]
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Mr Hayes: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofgem to write to the right hon. Member and we will place a copy of his letter in the Libraries of the House.
UK Coal
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will seek assurances from UK Coal that it will continue production at Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire, once the fires have been extinguished. [145974]
Mr Hayes: This is a commercial matter for the company. The Department is keeping in close touch with the company as they assess the way forward.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance his Department is giving to UK Coal to restructure its business and safeguard jobs in the deep mine coal industry. [145975]
Mr Hayes: We are actively engaged to help the company find a way forward, and I met with them today to take stock. We are fully committed to exploring every avenue we can to assist.
In the meantime, officials have maintained a full and ongoing dialogue with the company since the incident occurred on 22 February 2013 with a dedicated team in DECC and cross Whitehall co-ordination activated involving the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Shareholder Executive, the Department for Work and Pensions (Jobcentre Plus), the Health and Safety Executive, the Coal Authority and Her Majesty’s Treasury.
In addition to the work being undertaken by the Government, UK Coal is also closely engaged with its trade unions, suppliers, customers and insurers and I hope these talks can help identify constructive and pragmatic solutions to the issues faced by the firm.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance the Government is giving to UK Coal to tackle the serious fire underground at Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire. [145976]
Mr Hayes: We have received assurances from the company that all the necessary actions are being taken to suppress the fire and extinguish it as quickly as possible. The Health and Safety Executive started an investigation soon after being notified of the situation by the company and a principal specialist inspector visited the site last week.
Warm Front Scheme
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have received help from the Warm Front scheme in each year since its inception. [145544]
Gregory Barker: The number of households assisted through the Warm Front scheme in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England is presented in the following table:
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| Assisted Households | 2005-06(1) | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | Total |
| (1) Data is not available prior to 2005-06 (2) The Warm Front scheme is available in England only. | |||||||||
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average level of grant provided to households in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK under the Warm Front scheme was in each year since its inception. [145545]
Gregory Barker: The average grant provided to households assisted through the Warm Front scheme in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England is set out in the following table:
| £ | |||||||||
| Average spend(1) | 2005-06(2) | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | Total |
| (1) The average grant is calculated by dividing expenditure by the number of households assisted. The variation in average grant levels between years, particularly 2011-12, is due to customers applying in one scheme year but being assisted in the following year. The average grant is also affected by the mix of measures installed and their associated costs. (2) Data is not available prior to 2005-06. (3) The Warm Front scheme is available in England only. | |||||||||
Treasury
Bank Services
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to introduce bank account number portability in this Parliament in order to stimulate challenger banks, broader access to finance and as an effective means of resolving a future bank failure. [141904]
Greg Clark: The Government are committed to a competitive banking sector that delivers good results for customers and for the economy.
The Government have announced that they will consult shortly after Budget on introducing regulatory powers over payment systems, in order to increase the degree of competition in the sector.
Credit Unions
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many credit unions in the UK have failed since 1 January 2011. [146063]
Sajid Javid: 15 credit unions have failed and been referred to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) since 1 January 2011. A list of these is available on the FSCS website.
Income Tax
Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received supporting the introduction of the 10p rate of income tax; and if he will make a statement. [145797]
Mr Gauke: The Government receives numerous representations from stakeholders and considers them as part of the annual Budget process.
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking with the financial services industry to improve the operation of the R85 procedure allowing people who do not pay income tax to pay a lower rate on their savings. [145987]
Mr Gauke: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is working with the British Bankers Association and the Building Societies Association to ensure that eligible savers are able to benefit from receiving interest without the deduction of tax through the R85 procedure. This is in addition to the help and guidance HMRC already provides for savers through its website and contact centres.
Individual Savings Accounts
James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to enhance ISAs for savers; and if he will make a statement. [145306]
Sajid Javid: The Government recognise the importance of savings and of ISAs as a popular and accessible savings vehicle. For the year 2009-10, just under 24 million people (around half of the over-16 population) had an ISA.
The Government have protected the amount people can save annually tax-free in ISAs, and ensured it is not eroded by inflation, by indexing the ISA annual subscription limits. This means that from April 2013, the overall ISA limit will rise by £240 to £11,520 and the cash limit by £120 to £5,670.