North Korea
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other countries on the human rights record in North Korea. [145917]
Mr Swire: I discussed the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea with the Senior Parliamentary Vice Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunichi Suzuki during my visit to Tokyo in January 2013. In February 2013, I discussed North Korea's human rights record with Foreign Minister-designate to the Republic of Korea, Yun Byung-se.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), recently discussed the UK and Australia's shared commitment to strengthening the international response to human rights in North Korea during the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations in January 2013.
British diplomats in Geneva have had regular and recent discussions on the proposal to set up an independent international inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea. The EU and Japan will present the proposal to the current session of the UN Human Rights Council, later this month.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of North Korea on its human rights record. [145918]
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Mr Swire: In December 2012, I met the North Korean ambassador and emphasised the importance of North Korea improving its overall human rights record. The ambassador confirmed that North Korea had no plans to change its current approach to human rights.
The British embassy in Pyongyang also takes every opportunity available to raise our concerns with the North Korean Government. The UK also supports the annual resolutions tabled at the UN General Assembly and the DPRK is listed as a country of concern in our annual human rights report. The UK, along with the rest of the EU and Japan will propose to the current session of the Human Rights Council that the UN set up an independent international investigation into the human rights situation in North Korea.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in North Korea. [145919]
Mr Swire: The Department for International Development (DFID) and the British embassy in Pyongyang are in contact with agencies working in North Korea and continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely, in partnership with multilateral humanitarian organisations.
Whilst North Korea still faces food shortages, a World Food programme food security assessment in September/October last year indicated that food production had increased. In addition, a nutrition survey undertaken by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 10 provinces in September/October indicated that levels of acute malnutrition had slightly declined. Whilst obtaining reliable data for North Korea is particularly difficult, the current information that we have does not suggest there is a widespread famine in the country.
The British Government continues to have concerns about North Korea's prioritisation of spending on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, rather than investing in infrastructure which could improve the distribution and availability of food for its people.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights record of North Korea. [145920]
Mr Swire: The human rights record of North Korea remains amongst the worst in the world. It is still a country of concern in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, a copy of which was laid before the House in April last year. We will be publishing the new annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy shortly. North Korea will remain a country of concern.
In his report to the UN General Assembly in September 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur noted the continued widespread and systematic human rights abuses in North Korea. The UK agrees with his assessment and has brought his report to the attention of the North Korean Government.
In January 2013, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement expressing strong concerns about human rights in North Korea, particularly the use of political prison camps. She also called on
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the international community to set up an independent international inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea. The UK shares her concerns and. along with the rest of the EU and Japan, will propose to the current session of the UN Human Rights Council that the UN establish an independent international investigation.
Nuclear Weapons
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government will be represented at the conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Oslo on 4 and 5 March 2013. [145921]
Alistair Burt: After careful consideration, the Government, and the other P5 states, 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 are 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. Whilst 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.
We remain committed to working through existing fora, including this year's NPT Preparatory Committee in April, to discuss the issues raised through the conference in Oslo and to explore what further progress we can make by working together to achieve our ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call for an international ban on weapons that can set and engage targets without further intervention from human operators once activated. [146005]
Alistair Burt:
The use of weapons that can set and engage targets without further intervention from human operators once activated is governed by international humanitarian law as enshrined in the Geneva conventions and their additional protocols. The Government are strongly committed to upholding the Geneva conventions and encouraging others to do the same. The Government consider that the existing provisions of international humanitarian law are sufficient to regulate the use of
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these weapons and therefore we have no plans to call for an international ban. However, we remain firmly committed to their effective control.
Occupied Territories
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process of the announcement that more houses will be built in Ramat Shlomo. [145912]
Alistair Burt: The UK's position on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We consistently urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law and in fulfilment of Israel's obligations under the Roadmap.
In this regard, we condemned the Israeli Government's decision on 30 November to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to unfreeze planning in the area known as El. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions. I formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make clear the depth of our concerns. We emphasised our disappointment that Israel had failed to heed our calls for it not to respond to the vote at the UN General Assembly in a way that would undermine the peace process or the Palestinian Authority.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), issued a statement on 18 December condemning approvals for plans to build 1,500 housing units in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ramat Shlomo.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process of the announcement that houses will be built in Givat Hamatos. [145914]
Alistair Burt: The UK's position on Israeli settlements is clear; they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We consistently urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law and in fulfilment of Israel's obligations under the Roadmap.
In this regard, we condemned the Israeli Government's decision on 30 November to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to unfreeze planning in the area known as El. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions. I formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make clear the depth of our concerns. We emphasised our disappointment that Israel had failed to heed our calls for it not to respond to the vote at the UN General Assembly in a way that would undermine the peace process or the Palestinian Authority.
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I issued a statement on 26 December condemning approvals for plans to build 3,150 units in Givaat Hamatos and 1,242 units in Mordot Gilo South, and the decision to upgrade Ariel College to university status, thereby creating the first university in a settlement illegal under international law.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission research on the legality of importing produce from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to the UK. [145915]
Alistair Burt: We have no plans to commission research on the importing of produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories to the UK. We continue to work to take forward the commitment made by EU Foreign Ministers at the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 May 2012, reaffirmed on 12 December 2012, to fully and effectively implement existing EU legislation and the bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products. There are no plans to introduce domestic or European legislation to ban the import of settlement products.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has sought on whether trade in products from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories breaches the UK's obligation under international law. [145939]
Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend will know, I am not able to comment on legal advice to Ministers. It is the Government's long-standing view that settlements are illegal under international law. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and regularly raise our profound concerns over Israel's settlement policy. We will continue to press the next Israeli Government to cease all settlement activity.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to persuade Israel to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes. [145940]
Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the west bank and in east Jerusalem. We view such demolitions and evictions as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; as harmful to the peace process; and, in all but the most limited circumstances, as contrary to international humanitarian law.
Sri Lanka
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Sri Lanka. [146209]
Alistair Burt:
The British Government regularly discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues with local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Colombo who specialise in this area. Officials from our High Commission in Colombo attend functions that
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promote LGBT rights, and the High Commission has held events on behalf of LGBT rights specialist NGOs. Another such event to raise funds for a local LGBT NGO will take place later this month.
Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. We believe that the international community must address all forms of discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and promote respect for diversity.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's work in combating violence and discrimination against LGBT people forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. The UK works through our Embassies and High Commissions, and through international organisations including the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Commonwealth, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality.
Written Questions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers. [146085]
Mr Lidington: 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
Energy: Employment
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the energy sector. [146416]
Mr Hurd [holding answer 5 March 2013]:The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the energy sector. [146416]
Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Table 1 as follows contains the latest figures available, which show the number in employment in 2011 for industries that are considered to be in the energy sector for the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and England. Figures have not been provided for Barnsley Central constituency as this represents disclosive data that cannot be published.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
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| Table 1: Employment in South Yorkshire and England for the coal, oil and gas extraction industries and the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector | ||
| Industry (SIC 2007) | South Yorkshire | England |
| Note: South Yorkshire refers to the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire. | ||
Mass Media: Employment
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the media sector. [146417]
Mr Hurd [holding answer 5 March 2013]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the media sector. [146417]
Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Table 1 contains the latest figures available, which show the number in employment in 2011 for industries considered to be in the media sector.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
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| Notes: 1. Cells containing an asterisk (*) represent disclosive data that cannot be published. 2. South Yorkshire refers to the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire. | ||||
Overtime
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the average number of hours worked as overtime in each sector of the UK economy. [145127]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the average number of hours worked as overtime in each sector of the UK economy. 145127
Estimates of hours worked are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). This has been presented by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 sections to provide a breakdown by sector.
"Average total weekly hours per person (including overtime)" is the total hours worked in the industry by everyone (including any overtime). So everyone in education (3.080 million people) works on average 27.5 hours per week.
"Average actual weekly hours of overtime worked by people working overtime" is the additional hours worked by people actually working overtime ie everyone in education who actually worked overtime works on average 8 hours additionally a week (this is 1.103 million of the 3.080 million being employed in the education industry).
"Average weekly hours of overtime per person" is the above but based upon that 8 additional overtime hours spread among everyone in the industry - per person/head). All estimates are for the period October to December 2012 and are not seasonally adjusted.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is indicated in the table where possible.
| Average actual weekly hours of both paid and unpaid overtime—October to December 2012. Not seasonally adjusted | |||||
| Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 | Total number of people in employment (thousand) | Average total weekly hours per person (including overtime) | Average weekly hours of overtime per person | Number of people working paid and/or unpaid overtime (thousand) | Average actual weekly hours of overtime worked by people working overtime |
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| (1) Includes those who did not state their industry. Guide to Quality in the Labour Force Survey: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (eg hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.) Source: Labour Force Survey | |||||
Public Sector Debt
Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the national debt was as a proportion of GDP in real terms in (a) 1997, (b) 2010 and (c) each financial year thereafter to date. [145978]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the national debt was as a proportion of GDP in real terms in (a) 1997, (b) 2010 and (c) each financial year thereafter to date. (145978)
The answer to your questions can be found in our monthly publication, Public Sector Finances. The latest Public Sector Finance statistical bulletin was published on the 21st January 2013 and may be found on our website at the following location:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/public-sector-finances/january-2013/stb---january-2012.html
The data requested is located with table PSF1 found on page 37 of the statistical bulletin and also summarised in the table. Although we do not publish debt data in real terms public sector net debt data is published as a ratio of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which allows comparison between years.
| HF6W | HF6X | RUTN | RUTO | |
| PSND (excluding financial interventions) | PSND (excluding financial interventions) as a % of GDP | PSND (including financial interventions) | PSND (including financial interventions) as a % of GDP | |
| £billion | Percentage | £billion | Percentage | |
The figures of relevance to you are those for the Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) and Public Sector Net Debt excluding the temporary effects of financial interventions (PSND ex).
Voluntary Work
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 721W, on voluntary work, how
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his Office is exploring the links between volunteering and well-being. [146362]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office is exploring the links between volunteering and well-being in several ways. The Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently completed an analysis of well-being and volunteering data from the British Household Panel Survey.
The first findings from the Community Life survey
http://communitylife.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
were published on 12 February 2013 and included data on subjective well-being and volunteering; Cabinet Office will be analysing these more fully in due course. In addition, the National Citizen Service (NCS) includes a volunteering dimension and the evaluation of 2011 NCS participants showed significantly greater increases in participants' well-being, compared to a control group
www.natcen.ac.uk/study/national-citizen-service-evaluation
The evaluation of the NCS 2012 cohort will explore this further.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which National Citizen Service pilot projects charge participants to take part; how much each such project charges per participant; and what the average charge levied to participants was in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012. [146557]
Mr Hurd: National Citizen Service (NCS) is a life-changing experience open to all 16 and 17-year-olds across England. In 2011 and 2012, providers were allowed to charge variable fees, depending on the young person's ability to pay. The evaluation from these pilots demonstrated that charging a nominal fee encourages a young person's commitment to the programme. Therefore, in 2013 all providers are encouraged to charge a fee of up to £50 to encourage young people to complete the programme. Full bursaries are also available for young people who cannot afford the fee.
The following table identifies the organizations who levied a charge of between £35 and £50 for summer 2012, and those who did not levy a charge:
| Provider | Charged |
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Deputy Prime Minister
Lord-Lieutenants
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of the running of the office of each lord lieutenant in the UK was in each of the last five years. [136028]
Miss Chloe Smith: Records held for the shire lieutenancies for 2011-12 show that the average cost of running a lord lieutenant's office was £7,711.32. However figures will vary as the cost to the public purse of running some lieutenancy offices are more expensive than others, some receive assistance from their respective county councils and a few make personal financial contributions.
It would not be appropriate to provide the individual running costs of each office as this would make public the salaries paid to individuals within those offices. Office costs for previous years cannot be provided as records only make reference to secretarial expenses.
Records of metropolitan lords lieutenant’s office costs are not available as their funding is based on a yearly bidding system, and they receive funding in advance of each quarter.
Education
Children: Diabetes
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that children with diabetes have access to an education, health and care plan. [145187]
Mr Timpson: The Children and Families Bill includes provision for parents and young people to be able to ask the local authority to carry out an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan. The local authority will be required to consider any such requests.
Not all children with diabetes would necessarily need to have an Education, Health Care Plan, which is replacing the statement of special educational needs (SEN). As with the current system of statements and learning difficulty assessments, the right to a statutory Educational Health Care (EHC) Plan will be triggered in response to a special educational need and not necessarily a purely health related need.
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Education: Qualifications
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage school leavers to view vocational and academic qualifications as being of equal educational status. [145752]
Matthew Hancock [holding answer 1 March 2013]: Vocational education is an incredibly important part of our country's education provision. Standards required of students pursuing vocational education must not be any lower, or less challenging than for those pursuing academic courses. Over the past two years, the Government have implemented Professor Wolf’s review of vocational education in full. In particular, the restriction of Key Stage 4 performance tables to include only high-value vocational qualifications will ensure parity of esteem between academic and vocational study. The Department for Education will shortly consult on proposals to extend these reforms to cover 16-19 vocational qualifications. Last November I also announced the Government's intention to introduce a Technical Baccalaureate Standard that recognised the highest level of achievement in technical education.
From September the legal duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance for 13 to 16-year-olds on the full range of education and training options will be extended to students up to age 18 in schools and colleges. An Ofsted thematic review of careers guidance, reporting this summer, will assess the impact of the new duty and Education Destination Measures published for each school and college will encourage them to support pupils in progressing to the next stage of education, training or work.
Foster Care
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure that couples who disagree with same-sex marriage will not be discriminated against in the (a) fostering and (b) adoption process. [145596]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 1 March 2013]: The Government want people from all walks of life to come forward to foster or adopt. The statutory frameworks do not prevent people who do not favour same-sex marriage from becoming foster carers or adopters. A person's views would only have a bearing if it seemed likely that these would be expressed in actions contrary to the welfare of a child placed with them or who they might adopt National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and Adoption make clear that people who are interested in becoming foster carers or adoptive parents must be treated fairly, without prejudice, openly and with respect. If an applicant who is turned down to foster or adopt believes they have been treated unfairly by the local assessment process, they can apply for an independent review.
Primary Education
Sarah Teather:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many maintained primary schools in England which have received a grading of inadequate in a section 5 Ofsted inspection since the introduction of the new inspection framework in September 2012,
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his Department has undertaken to find a preferred sponsor for academy conversion
(a)
at the request of the governing body and
(b)
at the suggestion of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [144544]
Mr Laws: Ofsted judged 123 maintained primary schools to be inadequate between the introduction of the new framework in September 2012 and the end of January 2013. We believe that the best and most sustainable way for these schools to improve is for them to become Academies, with a strong sponsor. In every case Ministers are responsible for identifying a preferred sponsor, taking into account a range of views, including those of the governing body.
Schools: Armed Forces
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on his proposals to implement a military ethos programme in schools. [144035]
Mr Laws: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has had no specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), about the military ethos programme. In 2010 the Secretary of State wrote to Cabinet colleagues for clearance of the schools White Paper—“The Importance of Teaching”. This document set out intentions on Troops to Teachers, and the use of service leavers as mentors for pupils. The White Paper can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/3tawc7x
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the estimated cost will be of the military ethos programme. [144036]
Mr Laws: The current cost of the military ethos programme is £26.45 million. £10.85 million will be made available to improve the infrastructure needed to support the expansion of 100 more school based cadet units by 2015. £12.4 million will be invested in Initial Teacher Training (ITT), part of the Troops to Teachers programme, by 2015 to increase the number of service leavers making the transition to teaching. £3.2 million has been awarded to four grants supporting military ethos in schools from September 2012.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what representations he has received on the formulation of the military ethos programme; [144038]
(2) what representations he has received on his proposed national military skills and ethos programme. [144630]
Mr Laws: The military ethos in schools grants were announced by the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on 7 December 2012. The press notice can be found in the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/ahv3r5u
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Following this announcement the wider military ethos programme received national and local media press coverage, a number of correspondence inquiries and three Freedom of Information requests. All four military ethos grant holders receive regular interest and feedback from schools and parents.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has conducted an analysis of the potential costs and benefits of the military ethos programme; and if he will place a copy of any such analysis in the Library. [144039]
Mr Laws: The military ethos programme is in its infancy and some of the strands, such as Troops to Teachers and exploration of how free schools and academies can use their freedoms to foster a military ethos, are still under development. Any subsequent evaluation of the costs and benefits will be placed in the public domain.
The four military ethos in schools grants are regularly monitored to ensure they fulfil their objectives and deliver value for money. In awarding these grants DFE looked at each bid in detail, considering the return on investment in each case. An estimated 300 primary schools, secondary schools, and PRUs are being served by our providers with over 15,000 pupils already taking part, more than 2,000 of whom are disengaged with education.
Teachers: Veterans
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made in encouraging ex-armed forces personnel to become teachers in (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire. [145591]
Mr Laws: Since the Troops to Teachers policy was first announced, good progress has been made in attracting Service Leavers in to teaching. The Teaching Agency reports that between March 2011 and February 2013 over 7,000 Service Leavers registered their interest in teaching. The numbers of Service Leavers who have chosen to apply for existing initial teacher training courses has also increased: 309 Service Leavers applied over this period, with 123 accepted and currently training. This information is currently collated on a national basis, and at this point, we are unable to provide regional breakdowns.
Further, during academic year 2012/13, graduate Service Leavers were encouraged to apply for additional employment-based training places on the Graduate Teacher Programme, exclusively to Service Leavers. 20 took up the offer and are currently training in both priority subjects at secondary level and the primary phase.
The new Troops to Teachers (TtT) programme is being designed to encourage and support Service Leavers in entering the teaching profession. High quality, eligible graduate Service Leavers will be encouraged to apply for School Direct (Salaried) places, and receive additional personalised training. For graduate Service Leavers preferring fee-paying routes, there will be an additional bursary available to incentivise these routes. Troops to Teachers will provide opportunities for Service Leavers without degrees, but with some prior academic credits, to train as teachers during academic year 2013/14 and 2014/15.
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A consortium of schools and training providers (the TtT ITT consortium) has now been appointed. It will work together with the MOD's resettlement contractor to develop and deliver the TtT programme, for recruitment in September 2013/14.
The opportunities offered under TtT will be linked to market need and jobs in schools, and will be open to Service Leavers in England. Through Troops to Teachers there is capacity to support over 1,000 places during 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Young People: Unemployment
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of young people aged 16 to 18 and not in employment, education or training were in contact with their local authority in November (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012. [144145]
Mr Laws [holding answer 25 February 2013]:The Department does not collect data on the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training who were in contact with their LA.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish (a) the number and proportion of young people in each local authority in England not in education, employment or training in November 2012 who were in regular contact with the authority and (b) the change in the proportion in regular contact with each such local authority since November 2009. [144146]
Mr Laws [holding answer 25 February 2013]:The Department does not collect data on the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training who were in regular contact with their LA.
Attorney-General
Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of (a) robbery, (b) possession of drugs with intent to supply and (c) indecent images offences the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in each year since 2010; and how many such cases were prosecuted in-house. [146267]
The Solicitor-General: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of cases prosecuted. The following table shows, in each of the last three years, the number of offences charged under section 8 of the Theft Act 1968 (robbery and assault with intent to rob) and section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (possession of drugs with intent to supply).
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
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Indecent images offences may be charged under a number of Acts: section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (possession of a prohibited image of a child); section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (possession of an indecent photograph of a child); section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (possession of extreme pornographic images); section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 (sending a communication of an indecent or grossly offensive nature); section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 (obscene publications); and section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 (sexual exploitation of children through photographs). The number of offences of indecent images charged under these sections in the last three years is as follows:
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
It is not possible to ascertain, from the central record of offences data held by the CPS, the particulars of each offence, such as whether charges under section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 related to material which was indecent rather than grossly offensive. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.
The CPS maintains no central records of the number of cases prosecuted by in-house advocates by the specific offence. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the proportion of Crown Court prosecutions that the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in-house has been in each year since 2010. [146268]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central records of the number or proportion of prosecutions in the crown court undertaken by in-house advocates. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would involve disproportionate cost.
The CPS does record the proportion of work undertaken across the 13 CPS areas in the crown court by in-house and self-employed advocates by value, in accordance with CPS advocate fee schemes. This record is recorded in the following table:
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| Crown court advocacy (13 area position) | ||
| Percentage of total fee scheme value | ||
| Crown advocates | Self-employed advocates | |
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of (a) burglary, (b) carrying a knife and (c) possession of an offensive weapon the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in each year since 2010; and how many such cases were prosecuted in-house. [146269]
The Solicitor-General: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrate courts, rather than the number of cases prosecuted. The following table shows, in each of the last three years, the number of offences charged under section 9 of the Theft Act 1968 (burglary), section 10 of the Theft Act 1968 (aggravated burglary), section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (possession of a blade or sharp point in a public place) and section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 (possession of an offensive weapon).
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
It is not possible to ascertain, from the central record of offences data held by the CPS, the particulars of each offence, such as whether charges under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 related to the possession of a knife or blade rather another sharply pointed implement. A single defendant may also be prosecuted for multiple offences.
The CPS maintains no central records of the number of cases prosecuted by in-house advocates by the specific offence. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Trials
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of trials in (a) total, (b) Harrow Crown court and (c) Isleworth Crown court were cracked in each year since 2010; and how many and what proportion of such trials were handled by (i) in-house Crown Prosecution Service advocates and (ii) barristers from the independent bar. [146277]
The Solicitor-General:
Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) undertake joint cracked and ineffective trial
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monitoring. Although this is a joint exercise, HMCTS is responsible for gathering and producing the summary data.
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Information on the number and proportion of cracked trials for England and Wales, Harrow Crown court and Isleworth Crown court since 2010 is contained in the following table:
| Crown court cracked trials | |||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | January to September 2012 | |||||||
| Total listed for trial | Total cracked | % | Total listed for trial | Total cracked | % | Total listed for trial | Total cracked | % | |
| Source: HM Courts and Tribunals Service CREST MIS system | |||||||||
A cracked trial occurs on the trial date when the defendant offers acceptable pleas or the prosecution offers no evidence. It requires no further trial time, but as a consequence the time allocated has been wasted, and witnesses may have been unnecessarily inconvenienced.
Neither HMCTS nor the CPS maintains central records of the type of advocate who prosecuted those cases resulting in a cracked trial. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Witnesses
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the breakdown of witness expenses charged to the Crown Prosecution Service was in each of the last four years in each region of the UK. [146271]
The Attorney-General: A breakdown of the amount spent by each Crown Prosecution Service business area on witness expenses during the last four years is contained in the following tables.
| Witness expenses all | ||||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13(1) | |
| Ordinary witness expenses | ||||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13(1) | |
| Professional witness expenses | ||||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13(1) | |
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| Foreign witness expenses | ||||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13(1) | |
| (1 )2012-13 year to date figures to the end of January. | ||||
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Aggregates: Recycling
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduced or negative economic growth on aggregate recycling; [146521]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduced or negative economic growth on glass recycling. [146522]
Richard Benyon:
DEFRA has not conducted a formal assessment of current economic conditions on glass and aggregate recycling. However, we have tasked the independent Advisory Committee on Packaging to investigate the causes of the perceived shortage of glass and aggregate recycling in 2012. This will include
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considering any impacts of the current economic conditions and the subsequent spike in the price of glass Packaging Waste Recovery Notes. The Committee will also develop recommendations for reducing the likelihood of such an event in future and mitigating the effects.
Dangerous Dogs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 15WS, on irresponsible dog ownership, (1) how many officials in his Department are currently working on implementing the policies outlined in his statement; [146239]
(2) how many officials in his Department are working on the issue of responsible dog ownership. [146240]
Mr Heath: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has five members of staff whose responsibilities include development of policy on companion animals; that includes responsibility for development of policy on dog control and welfare. The team also has veterinary and legal support.
Food: Origin Marking
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps his Department has taken to work with UK food producer groups that wish to apply for European Protected Foods status; [146377]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to increase the take-up of European Protected Food status in the UK. [146378]
Mr Heath: DEFRA has an active programme of working with new applicants who appear to meet the criteria for recognition under the EU Protected Food Name scheme, with the aim of increasing up take of the scheme by United Kingdom food and drink producers. The Department promotes the scheme via seminars to producers groups and participation at trade fairs such as the International Food Exhibition. At this year's International Food Exhibition, DEFRA in conjunction with UK Trade and Investment is organising a UK Protected Food Names pavilion.
Later this month, the Department will also be supporting an independently organised forum on the subject ‘Great British Food: Can Protected Food Names add value to the British Economy’, to explain the merits and benefits of applying for, and obtaining, protected food name status.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken at EU level to reduce the average length of the application process for European Protected Foods status. [146379]
Mr Heath:
EU regulations for the scheme referred to were revised in 2012. The United Kingdom was influential in securing a reduction from 12 months to six months as the maximum period of scrutiny which the European Commission is allowed to give to a protected food name application, in order to check that it is justified, and that it meets the conditions of the scheme. We also
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played an important part in achieving an additional reduction in the subsequent period during which the Commission is required to hold a public consultation on such applications.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to Article 11 of Council Regulation EC 510/2006 on protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin, who the competent authority is in the UK. [146381]
Mr Heath: The regulation referred to was repealed in 2012. The provisions, formerly set out in Article 11 in the old Council Regulation, are now found in Article 36 of the Regulation (EU) No. 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The competent authority in the UK is DEFRA, as was the case under the old regulation.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on how much UK trade associations have received in EU funding for promotional measures aimed at increasing the information on, and sales of, certain protected designation of origin and protected geographic indication agricultural products in (a) EU and (b) other countries. [146383]
Mr Heath: Between 2005 and 2012 UK trade associations received a total of €7.2 million (approximately £6.4 million) EU funding in respect of information and promotion programmes on protected geographic indication agricultural products. All the programmes concern the EU internal market.
There has been no EU funding received for promotional measures on protected designation of origin agricultural products.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total value of all food products in the UK that have EU Protected Foods status sold (a) in the UK, (b) to other EU member states and (c) to non-EU countries. [146384]
Mr Heath: The most recent information was published by the European Commission and related to 2008. In that year, the total value of UK products which had the status of Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication under the EU scheme referred to was €969 million, the fourth largest total among EU member states. No breakdown is available of the proportions of that total which were attributable to sales on the UK market, the markets of other EU member states or the markets of non-EU countries.
Food: Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Government Buying Standards for food apply to (a) Government Departments, (b) local authorities, (c) schools, (d) hospitals, (e) prisons and (f) care facilities. [146375]
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Mr Heath: The Government Buying Standard for food and catering has been developed so that it can be applied by central Government and the wider public sector, including all the institutions listed. The Greening Government Commitments mandate the use of Government Buying Standards in central Government. They are voluntary for the wider public sector.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's definition is of the terms (a) small producers and (b) local as used in its buying standards for food and catering services; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of food which comes from each of those sources. [146376]
Mr Heath: The Government Buying Standard for food and catering services includes a requirement to
“provide opportunity for separate contracts for supply and distribution; and advertise all food-related tenders to SMEs.”
The definition of SMEs used by Government in this context is the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises in EU law, EU recommendation 2003/361. The Government Buying Standard for food and catering services does not refer to local food and there is no definition as such of local food, but it does include provisions for sourcing of seasonal produce and food that meets UK standards of production or their equivalent.
The Department does not have an estimate of the amount of food from SMEs or from local sources across Government.
Food: Waste
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Government's Review of Waste Policy in England, published in 2011, what recent progress his Department has made on (a) the design of targeted solutions to reduce food waste, (b) developing the role played by the public sector in reducing food waste and diverting food waste from landfill, (c) developments of Government incentives to reduce food waste, (d) the status of the Responsibility Deal with hospitality businesses and the food service sector, (e) the establishment of Courtauld 2 and (f) other measures where Government policy is to make it easier for business and consumers to reduce and sustainably manage their food waste; and if he will make a statement. [146371]
Richard Benyon: The 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England outlines our commitment to reduce food waste being sent to landfill and to move it up the waste hierarchy. Our priority is waste prevention, followed by reuse, recycling and recovery.
Landfill tax is the primary incentive for diverting waste from landfill. The Government are committed to increasing landfill tax to £80 per tonne by 2014-15, with the tax remaining at least at this level until 2020. The Government are working with food retailers, manufacturers and the hospitality sector to reduce food waste through voluntary agreements like the Courtauld Commitment. The second phase of the Courtauld Commitment came to an end in December 2012. We are currently working with the devolved Administrations, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and signatories to develop a third phase of the agreement.
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We are helping households reduce waste and save money through WRAP'S ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign. We also clarified date labelling guidance in 2011.
The Government are committed to leading by example by tackling food waste in the public sector. We have developed minimum buying standards for Government Departments and their agencies for the procurement of food and catering. These standards require caterers to take steps to minimise food waste. Government Departments have also signed up as supporters to the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement, which was launched in June 2012. This agreement now has 141 signatories and supporters.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in implementing the targets in relation to food packaging set out in the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England. [146373]
Richard Benyon: The 2011 Review of Waste Policy did not set out any targets relating to food packaging. However, it did make a commitment to consult on increased recycling targets on all packaging producers, not just food packaging producers, for the period 2013 to 2017.
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 established the higher packaging recycling targets as announced in the 2012 Budget. These took effect from 1 January 2013.
Forests
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set for bringing forward legislative proposals to establish the public forest estate management body proposed in his response to the Independent Panel on Forestry's Final Report. [144946]
Mr Heath: The Government will be developing its plans for the new public body to manage the public forest estate and hold it in trust for the nation in conjunction with stakeholders over the coming months. Subject to parliamentary time, we will look to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity.
Horses: Slaughterhouses
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses were slaughtered in UK abattoirs in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many of those were (a) race horses, (b) wild ponies and (c) domestic horses. [145363]
Mr Heath: A total of 9,405 horses were slaughtered in UK abattoirs during the 2012 calendar year. The Department does not hold a breakdown of this figure by breed or type.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses he estimates were humanely slaughtered by veterinarians and hunts in the last year for which figures are available. [145364]
Mr Heath: DEFRA does not hold the data requested.
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Livestock: Exports
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his statement of 4 March 2013, on the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) Report on Events of 12 September 2012, whether AHVLA's summary of actions will be applicable to the live export trade across the UK in the event that transports begin operating from ports other than Ramsgate. [146707]
Mr Heath: The terms of reference for the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) Report were specifically in relation to the port of Ramsgate. However, I can confirm that AHVLA will apply exactly the same principles behind the actions summarised in that report, to any other port that the exporters choose to use in the future. These principles provide for a proportionate, risk-based and non-discriminatory inspection regime, as required by EU legislation.
Meat Products
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the EU Commission and (b) his EU counterparts on mechanically separated meat; and if he will make a statement. [142814]
Mr Heath: The Commission is clear that the UK expects working group discussions on this matter to reopen without delay after the publication of the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the production of non-ruminant mechanically separated meat (MSM). The publication is expected at the end of March 2013. Scientific evidence has been submitted to EFSA to inform the development of the scientific opinion. DEFRA Ministers have discussed the latest position with the FSA chairman and chief executive and with representatives of the UK meat industry and we are ready to escalate this as necessary once the EFSA opinion is available.
Packaging: Recycling
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of an increase in the price of glass packaging waste recovery notes on the food and drink supply chain. [146251]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 5 March 2013]: DEFRA has not produced a formal assessment of the impact of the elevated price of glass packaging waste recovery notes (PRNs) on the food and drink supply chain.
However, we have been in contact with a number of businesses and representatives of this sector to discuss the issue and are aware of the impacts. We have also asked the independent Advisory Committee on Packaging to investigate the causes of the glass PRN price spike experienced during the final quarter of 2012 and to develop recommendations for reducing the likelihood and mitigating the effects of such an event in the future.
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Energy and Climate Change
Electricity
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce costs for businesses and community organisations which supply electricity. [145528]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 5 March 2013]: In certain circumstances, businesses and community organisations can be exempt from the costs and obligations associated with the conditions attached to the requirement for an electricity supply licence. Details can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/electricity-licence-exemptions
Small licensed electricity suppliers with fewer than 250,000 customers are also exempt from participating in certain Government social and environmental schemes.
Green Deal Scheme: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 190W, on public expenditure: Wales, how much his Department awarded to Welsh local authorities under the local investment element of the Green Deal. [145629]
Gregory Barker: Wales was awarded £646,900 in 2012-13.
Nuclear Power Stations
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's policy is to bring forward community benefits for new build nuclear projects which go beyond what is outlined in Section 106 agreements in respect of new energy infrastructure. [145910]
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 community benefit package will be announced shortly.
Power Stations
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the total amount of carbon dioxide is saved when taking a conventional power station off-line when wind turbines are able to deliver power to the Grid. [146347]
Gregory Barker: A unit of wind generated electricity prevents carbon dioxide emissions from a unit of fossil fuel generated electricity displaced. The amount of carbon dioxide saved by wind energy depends on the type of fossil fuel generation being displaced and a number of other variables. Therefore, the proportion saved from the total amount of carbon dioxide, in whichever way defined, varies according to the electrical power generation system's operating conditions.
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Renewable Energy
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the costs associated with producing a unit of electricity from each form of renewable energy. [146345]
Gregory Barker: DECC has published levelised costs(1) estimates of various generation technologies on the DECC website. A summary of the levelised cost data for a large range of generating technologies including renewable technologies was published in November 2012 and is available on the DECC website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65713/6883-electricity-generation-costs.pdf
Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate, time and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
(1) A ‘levelised cost’ is the average cost over the lifetime of the plant per MWh of electricity generated. These reflect the cost of building a generic plant for each technology, potential revenue streams are not considered.