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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 11 March 2013
Health
Antibiotics
Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to promote the discovery of new antibiotics in the last year. [146976]
Norman Lamb: We are actively encouraging further drug development and pressing for greater research collaboration at an international level.
One of the seven key areas that our forthcoming UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and Action Plan will focus on will be facilitating and encouraging the development of new drugs, vaccines and other immunotherapeutics.
Billing
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of undisputed invoices are paid by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) each NHS trust within five days. [146497]
Dr Poulter: 90.63% of undisputed invoices were paid by the Department within five days in the current financial year (1 April 2012 to 31 January 2013). The equivalent figure for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is 93%.
The Department does not hold the requested information in respect of national health service bodies. However, NHS trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities are required to comply with the Better Payment Practice Code target of paying 95% of undisputed invoices within contract terms, or 30 days where no terms have been agreed.
Care Quality Commission
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the adequacy of the Care Quality Commission inspection arrangements in Oxfordshire. [146464]
Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social, care providers in England. The CQC is responsible for assessing and ensuring the quality of its inspection and monitoring of specific providers on a day to day basis. The CQC publish reports following its inspections on its website.
The Department monitors the CQC financial and operational performance and risks at both a general and strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings. The Department does not assess the CQC's
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inspection or monitoring arrangements of specific health and adult social care providers or in specific geographical areas.
The CQC advises the Department at the start of each financial year, as part of its business plan, how many inspections it has scheduled to carry out over the forthcoming financial year. The CQC also publishes an overall assessment of the inspections it has carried out during the previous year in the State of Care Report. The last report was published on 22 November 2012.
The CQC has provided the following information about the number of inspections it has carried out in Oxfordshire. As of 5 March 2013, there have been 257 inspections, at 232 locations, in Oxfordshire since 1 April 2012.
Christchurch Hospital
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on how much the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust spent on (a) lobbying Christchurch borough council, (b) paid advertising and (c) leaflets, banners and other promotional materials in connection with a proposed development in the Christchurch hospital conservation area. [147062]
Anna Soubry: This is a matter for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
We have written to the trust’s chair, Jane Stichbury, informing her of your inquiries. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
College of Paramedics
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit the College of Paramedics in Bridgwater. [146766]
Dr Poulter: The Department's ministerial team undertake a large number of visits each year to a range of health and care settings across the whole country and would be happy to consider a visit to the College of Paramedics in Bridgwater in the future.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that primary care professionals are familiar with the up-to-date guidance on diagnosing and managing people with deep vein thrombosis. [146622]
Dr Poulter: It is for primary care professionals to ensure their own professional competence in regard to venous thrombroembolism (VTE), and to have regard to the clinical guidelines and Quality Standards on VTE published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The national VTE prevention programme encourages all clinicians to familiarise themselves with NICE guidance on the diagnosis and management of VTE and recommends use of the VTE Prevention e-Learning module which has been endorsed by a wide cross section of the United Kingdom medical community.
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Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of deep vein thrombosis have been (a) diagnosed and (b) misdiagnosed in primary care settings in each of the last five years. [146639]
Dr Poulter: This information is not available.
Drugs: Misuse
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the comments made by the chief medical officer that people who take illegal drugs should not be treated as criminals reflects Government policy. [147036]
Anna Soubry: Professor Sally Davies gave evidence to the Science and Technology Committee on 23 January 2013. The Select Committee’s records show the comment made in relation to illegal drug use was:
“....there is an evidence base about how we should treat it as a health issue, even if you want to criminalise it as well.”
Government policy is to treat illegal drug use both as a health and criminal justice issue.
Exercise: Young People
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research and data collection relating to (a) sport and (b) physical activity amongst young people his Department has (i) initiated, (ii) terminated and (iii) amended since May 2010. [146624]
Anna Soubry: In November 2012, the Department initiated a call for research proposals on physical activity. The scope of the research initiative covers research relating to physical activity among young people. It is anticipated that awards will be made in July 2013.
Since May 2010 the Department has contributed to the following which produce information on sport and physical activity among young people:
The Health Survey for England carried out in 2012 included a Department-funded module which collected information on physical activity (including sport) for adults, children and young people. Results are due at the end of 2013.
The Department contributes to the Active People Survey which is run by Sports England. It includes collection of data on sports and physical activity for people aged 16 and over. Survey questions have recently been amended to include a wider range of physical activity, specifically dance and gardening. Sports England has extended the survey to 14 and 15-year-olds and data collection started in July 2012.
The Health Behaviours in School-aged Children in England 2010 study, which was Department funded, collected information on physical activity, including sport. The Department is committed to co-funding the next study to be carried out in 2014 which is expected to again cover physical activity.
The Department's Lifecourse Tracker collects information on health behaviours, including physical activity, from adults and young people (aged 11 to 17 years). The first wave of this survey was carried out in March 2012 and the second in September 2012.
The Department has not terminated any research or data collection on sports and physical activity among young people since May 2010.
Fish
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government still offers guidance to eat two portions of fish a week; and what steps he is taking to promote any such guidance. [146640]
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Anna Soubry: The Government continues to advise people to eat two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish. This population guideline recommendation is based on a serving of 140 grams.
The Government's fish recommendations are promoted through NHS Choices, Change4Life and is included in the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
General Practitioners: Cambridge
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 725W, on general practitioners: Cambridge, for what reasons the amount allocated is not based on population figures. [147117]
Dr Poulter: The NHS Commissioning Board adopted a uniform 2.3% uplift for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) because of concerns that, when combined with the estimated CCG baselines, the population-based formula implied a movement of resources away from areas with the worst health outcomes towards those with the best. The formula was recommended by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.
The board is undertaking a review of its approach to allocations, with initial findings available to inform 2014-15 allocations.
Heart Diseases: Children
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Independent Reconfiguration Panel will publish its findings of the Safe and Sustainable review into children’s heart surgery services before his Department publishes such a response. [146952]
Anna Soubry: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) is currently due to report to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), no later than 28 March 2013.
As is routine, the IRP will publish its report on the same day the Secretary of State for Health makes his decision public, and after he has had the opportunity to consider the panel’s report and recommendations in full.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that age factors do not negatively affect access for new medicines for older people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. [147057]
Norman Lamb: The Government is committed to ensuring all patients are treated fairly, with dignity and respect, which is why from October 2012 we introduced a ban on unjustifiable age discrimination. Decisions about treatment should be based on patient's ability to benefit, not their chronological age.
Ionizing Radiation
Paul Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been commissioned by the Health Protection Agency into the differential deleterious effects
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on
(a)
males and
(b)
females of exposure to ionising radiation; and if he will publish the uniform resource locators to any such studies on his departmental website. [146687]
Anna Soubry: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has conducted three original studies that include consideration of the differential effects on males and females of exposure to ionising radiation. The following reports are the outcomes of the three studies mentioned above and they consider health risks associated with exposure to ionising radiation, largely cancer, for males and females separately.
The third analysis of the National Registry for Radiation Workers HPA-RPD-062,
www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/HPARPDSeriesReports/HPARPD062/
Cancers in the offspring of female radiation workers HPA-RPD-063,
www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/HPARPDSeriesReports/HPARPD063/
and
Risks associated with medical x-ray examinations HPA-CRCE-028,
www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/CRCEScientificAndTechnicalReportSeries/HPACRCE028/
Mass Media
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 580W, on mass media, what the reasons are for the time taken to publish information relating to meetings since 1 September 2012 on that website; and for what reasons that answer did not follow the practice described by the Leader of the House in the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 649W, on written questions. [146836]
Dr Poulter: Information for the period July to September 2012 has now been published and can be accessed at:
https://www.wp.dh.gov.uk/transparency/files/2013/02/Ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-external-meetings-July-September-2012.pdf
Information for the period October to December 2012 is being compiled for publication.
This Government is the most transparent ever and is publishing more information than ever before on a regular basis.
Muscular Dystrophy
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on funding of research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [147224]
Dr Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no such discussions.
A three-year project on advanced antisense oligonucleotide technology for exon skipping in Duchenne muscular dystrophy started in March 2011. The Department is contributing £1.5 million to this project, with joint funding from the Wellcome Trust.
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NHS: Competition
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister in his Department approved the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) Regulations (S.I., 2013, No. 257). [147042]
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer given by the Minister of State for Health to the hon. Member for Walsall South on 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 844, on the NHS Commissioning Board, which Minister in his Department considered the original section 75 regulations and signed them off before they were laid before parliament. [147052]
Anna Soubry: The National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) Regulations 2013 were approved by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe).
NHS: Redundancy Pay
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to the supplementary written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee from his Department of 14 April 2011, on NHS Foundation Trusts' special severance payments, if he will place in the Library the submission made to his Department in respect of the £150,000 special severance payment made by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2010-11; [147037]
(2) with reference to the supplementary written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee from his Department of 14 April 2011, on NHS Foundation Trusts' special severance payments, if he will place in the Library the submission made to his Department in respect of the £158,726 special severance payment made by Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in 2008-09; [147038]
(3) with reference to the supplementary written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee from his Department of 14 April 2011, on NHS Foundation Trusts' special severance payments, if he will place in the Library the submission made to his Department in respect of the £170,000 and £150,000 special severance payments made by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2009-10; [147039]
(4) with reference to the supplementary written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee from his Department of 14 April 2011, on NHS Foundation Trusts' special severance payments, if he will place in the Library the submission made to his Department in respect of the £190,000 special severance payment made by South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2010-11; [147040]
(5) if he will place in the Library the submission of the business case made to his Department in respect of the severance agreement reached with Martin Yates, former chief executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust in 2009. [147041]
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Dr Poulter: The Department does not hold the requested information. Severance cases by foundations trusts are submitted to Monitor and HM Treasury who would hold such information.
North East
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department intend to visit a hospital or GP surgery north of Darlington; and when the last visit by Ministers in his Department was to the north east of England before 18 October 2012. [146613]
Dr Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has no current plans to visit Darlington but we would be happy to consider if such an invitation should be received.
The Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), is scheduled to visit Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust's new Forensic Mental Health and Forensic Learning Disability expansion in the near future.
I have visited the Darlington Memorial Hospital and the St Teresa's Hospice, Darlington on 18 October 2012. I am intending to visit Penrith & Carlisle and Hexham and Newcastle in the near future.
The last visit prior to 18 October 2012 was by the former Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Burstow) to the Care Quality Commission offices in Newcastle upon Tyne on the 9 March 2012.
Older People: Housing
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to facilitate the development of more extra care residential housing facilities for older people; and if he will make a statement. [147045]
Norman Lamb: The Department announced in October 2012 that up to £300 million of capital funding would be made available over five years to support the development of specialist housing for older people and adults with disabilities.
Palliative Care
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2013, Official Report, column 445W, on palliative care, when he plans to (a) begin and (b) evaluate the progress made in implementing the end-of-life care strategy. [146563]
Norman Lamb: As set out in the answer given on 26 February 2013, Official Report, column 445W, we are committed to moving towards a national choice offer to enable people to be cared for and to die at home if they so wish to. This depends on progress in implementing the National End of Life Care Strategy. We have said that we plan to review this in 2013, and departmental officials are currently determining how best to undertake this. We published the fourth annual report on progress of the strategy in October 2012.
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Pet Foods
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks are carried out on pet food to ensure that all pet food sold in the UK is safe and fully matches the trade description. [146629]
Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency is the central competent authority responsible for the majority of the European Union harmonised legislation on animal feed, which covers feed for all species and categories of animal including pets. This includes Regulation (EC) 183/2005 on feed hygiene and Regulation (EC) 767/2009 on marketing and use. These regulations deal with the safe manufacture of feed and its composition and labelling. Local authorities enforce the legislation and include checks on feed safety management systems at pet food manufacturers during their inspections and undertake sampling and analysis of pet food to verify the accuracy of its labelling.
In addition, all plants producing pet food comprising animal by-products are subject to approval and regular inspection by the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency under Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 on animal by-products to ensure that the material used is suitable for pet food is handled safely and, where appropriate, is processed to the standards required by the regulation. Pet food may also be subject to regular random sampling to ensure it meets the standards for microbiological safety set down in the regulation.
Prescription Drugs
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the appropriateness of existing regulations on the categories of person empowered to write prescriptions for drugs, with special regard to paramedics. [146765]
Norman Lamb: Extending prescribing responsibilities to non-medical professions has brought benefits to patient care and choice.
The Department will work jointly with the NHS Commissioning Board to continue to explore on a case-by-case basis the potential for extending prescribing responsibilities to further non-medical health care professions.
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether value-based pricing places appropriate value on the improvement of the quality of life and outcomes for older patients when assessing appropriate treatments. [147058]
Norman Lamb: Through value-based pricing, the Government's aim is to ensure that an assessment of the value of a new medicine is capable of recognising a broad range of benefits and costs, including impacts on health outcomes and quality of life, for people of all ages.
Thromboembolism
Andrew Gwynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of people with suspected venous thromboembolic diseases
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whose diagnostic investigations are completed within 24 hours of first clinical suspicion. [146621]
Dr Poulter: We have made no estimate of the kind described.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to continue the National Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Programme from April 2013. [146635]
Dr Poulter: No, although we expect the programme to continue within the national health service. Responsibility for the programme passes to the NHS Commissioning Board in April 2013. It will continue to be led by the current National Clinical Director for Venous Thromboembolism, Dr Mike Durkin, in his new role of Director of Patient Safety.
Warm Homes Healthy People Fund
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Warm Homes Healthy People fund will be available in 2014-15 for local authorities to access funding for measures to improve carbon monoxide safety. [147018]
Anna Soubry: There is no commitment to provide funding to local authorities from the Warm Homes Healthy People (WHHP) fund in future years, and any decision to do so would be subject to availability of funding and ministerial approval.
However, we are transferring funding to local authorities for public health from April 2013, and it will be for local decision makers to invest in programmes aimed at reducing deaths due to cold weather, including the provision of carbon monoxide alarms, using the driver of the Public Health Outcomes Framework, as appropriate to local needs.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing: Construction
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new starts of affordable housing there were in (a) England and (b) each region of England in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [143467]
Mr Prisk: The numbers of affordable homes started in each local authority district in England (excluding London) in 2010-11 and 2011-12 were reported in the Homes and Communities Agency's Housing Statistics, published on 16 November 2012.
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics
From the 1 April 2012, the Mayor of London has had strategic oversight of housing, regeneration and economic development in London. The numbers of affordable homes started in each London borough in 2010-11 and 2011-12 can be found on the Greater London Authority website.
http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing/affordable-housing/statistics
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These statistics only cover affordable housing that is delivered through the affordable housing programmes of the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority; affordable housing delivered outside these programmes is not included.
EU Grants and Loans: Greater London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 781W, on EU grants and loans, what the outstanding applications from the UK for European Regional Development funding are which relate to London and which have not yet been granted; when he expects these projects to receive funding; and if will make a statement. [147065]
Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 March 2013. Answering this question would incur disproportionate cost as it would involve interrogating a large number of separate projects, whose status and progress through the application process changes daily.
Grants
Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the comparable value of grants given by his Department to someone living in (a) an urban area and (b) a rural area. [146909]
Brandon Lewis: DCLG does not pay grants to individuals.
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2013-14 is fair to all parts of the country—rural and urban. It is the first settlement that reflects an entirely new financial relationship between central and local government, providing incentive for all councils to increase their incomes. We made a number of adjustments to relative needs formulae to reflect the greater cost of providing services in rural areas, and we have introduced a new £8.5 million efficiency support grant for services in sparse areas in 2013-14.
Housing: Taxation
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he proposes that local authorities will be empowered to levy affordable housing levies on self-build developments after April 2014. [146945]
Mr Prisk: A Section 106 planning obligation is sought, negotiated and applied locally by the local planning authority and may include an affordable housing requirement. There are no current Government proposals to change the ability of local planning authorities to seek a Section 106 agreement to help fund affordable housing.
We have introduced reforms to help developers and landowners renegotiate economically unrealistic affordable housing requirements in Section 106 agreements, and to deliver more private and affordable housing than would otherwise be the case.
As the Minister for Planning, my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Nick Boles), outlined in his answer to the hon. Member of 28 January 2013, Official Report, column 583W, the Community
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Infrastructure Levy was a measure introduced under the last Administration, although the Government continues to listen to issues raised by those charging and paying it and has already reformed how it operates.
We are currently reviewing what further steps can be taken to ensure that self-build housing and genuine small-scale development is not being adversely affected by the introduction of the Levy.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities are levying an affordable housing levy on housing developments of fewer than five properties. [146951]
Nick Boles: This information is not centrally held.
A Section 106 planning obligation is sought, negotiated and applied locally by the local planning authority and may include an affordable housing requirement.
We have introduced reforms to help developers and landowners renegotiate economically unrealistic affordable housing requirements in Section 106 agreements, and to deliver more private and affordable housing than would otherwise be the case.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an economic viability assessment will be mandatory for local authorities after April 2014 on (a) the community infrastructure levy and (b) the affordable housing levy. [146998]
Nick Boles: The Community Infrastructure Levy is proposed locally by a local planning authority and already requires economic viability evidence which is subject to public consultation and independent examination prior to any charge being adopted.
Section 106 agreements, which may contain an affordable housing requirement, are subject to negotiation between the local planning authority and the developer or landowner.
We have introduced reforms to help developers and landowners renegotiate economically unrealistic affordable housing requirements in Section 106 agreements, and to deliver more private and affordable housing than would otherwise be the case.
Social Rented Housing
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration his Department has given to allowing councils and other bodies housing pensioners being given incentives to downsize to smaller social housing properties, with particular reference to (a) financial incentives and (b) priority in bidding for smaller properties; and whether such incentives have also be considered for people below pensionable age. [146477]
Mr Prisk: We have made it easier for all social tenants to downsize to more suitable accommodation by increasing mobility, through changes to the housing allocation rules in the Localism Act 2011 and the introduction of a national mutual exchange scheme, “HomeSwap” Direct.
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In addition, statutory social housing allocations guidance for local authorities issued last June advises them of the importance of giving existing social tenants who are under-occupying their accommodation appropriate priority for a transfer.
We have also provided £7.8 million in 2011-13 to help local authorities support under-occupying social tenants who wish to move, as well as funding a team of advisers in the Chartered Institute of Housing to offer expert support to landlords to tackle under-occupation.
Many local authorities and social landlords already operate schemes which provide incentives and assistance to encourage and assist older tenants to move to smaller, more manageable, properties when their current home has outgrown their needs.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 936W, on social rented housing, if he will place in the Library the data he holds for each local authority on the number of new lettings of (a) one bedroomed socially rented housing units and (b) two bedroomed socially rented housing units made to existing tenants in the socially rented sector within the last 12 months. [147115]
Mr Prisk: A table giving the number of new lettings of one and two bedroom general needs social rent properties made to existing social tenants in each local authority district in 2011-12 has been placed in the Library of the House.
The dataset this table, is derived from is incomplete, and is estimated to cover around 78% of total local authority lettings. The table also excludes supported housing and affordable rent lettings.
Leader of the House
Written Questions
Mr Watson: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 649W, on written questions, when he last communicated guidance on the practice of answering parliamentary questions by reference to Government websites to the Office of the Prime Minister. [144675]
Mr Lansley: All parliamentary branches across Whitehall were sent the answer provided to the hon. Gentleman, together with the relevant section of the guidance, on 13 February 2013, by my Office.
Parliamentary branches are regularly reminded of the existence of the guidance, most recently at a meeting of the Parliamentary Clerks Working Group on 8 February 2013.
Prime Minister
Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Children Review
Mr Chope: To ask the Prime Minister when he appointed his adviser on the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood; and what the terms of reference of the appointee are. [147061]
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The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the press notice issued by my office on 20 December 2012 which is available on the No. 10 website. A copy has been placed in both Libraries of the House.
Mass Media
Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 519W, on mass media, what the reasons are for the time taken to publish information relating to meetings; and for what reasons that answer did not follow the practice described by the Leader of the House in the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 649W, on written questions. [146835]
The Prime Minister: Details of meetings with external organisations, including meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives, for the period covering July 2012 have been published.
On the second part of the hon. Member's question, there has been no change in the practice followed by my immediate predecessor.
Attorney-General
Serious Fraud Office
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of officials at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement, (c) left the SFO for alternative employment, (d) been dismissed, (e) taken long-term sick leave and (f) taken administrative leave since May 2010. [144956]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Number | |
| (1) The SFO does not have complete figures for these two categories. The 20 recorded as leaving for alternative employment are those who left and joined other Government Departments, and these are in addition to the 87 who resigned and did not join other Departments. It is not known how many of those 87 were resigning because they were leaving for alternative employment. | |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Chilterns
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Natural Capital Committee has provided advice to the Government on protecting and enhancing the Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and if he will make a statement. [147311]
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Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 30 November 2012, Official Report, column 570W.
Bakery Products: Scotland
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect on people in Scotland of amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 to remove the requirement to add calcium, iron, thiamine and niacin from bread and flour produced in England. [147225]
Mr Heath: DEFRA is currently reviewing national rules relating to bread and flour as they apply to England. We have issued a public consultation seeking views on possible deregulatory options which began on 16 January 2013 and this closes on 13 March 2013. One of the issues covered in the consultation is the impact which changes in flour manufacture might have on consumers of English-made flour who live elsewhere in the UK. The Government will consider any further action it might take in the light of responses received.
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures in the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to update the legal powers and penalties available for offences under this Act. [146517]
Mr Heath: Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, it is an offence to allow a dog to worry livestock. The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding level 3 (£1,000) on the standard scale. This is reinforced by the Animals Act 1971 which states that where a dog causes damage by killing or injuring livestock, the keeper of the dog is liable for the damage. I am aware that the definition of livestock in the 1953 Act does not extend to camelids such as llamas, but there is no evidence to suggest that these animals are subject to significant numbers of dog attacks. Where such an incident occurs, it could be dealt with under existing law such as the Dogs Act 1871, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and in some cases the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and appropriate action taken including having the dog destroyed and the owner prosecuted.
Floods: Insurance
Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what substantive discussions he has had in the last two weeks with the insurance industry with regard to flood risk insurance. [146634]
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what dates (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met with representatives of the insurance industry to discuss flood insurance since 1 January 2013; [146790]
(2) when he expects to make an announcement on the future of flood insurance. [146823]
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Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Members to my previous answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, column 407W.
Fracking
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to monitor decommissioned fracking sites; and what legislative powers are available to rectify water table and soil contamination caused by fracking sites. [146474]
Mr Hayes: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
There are a range of controls in place in the UK to prevent contamination of water resources and soils by hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The relevant environmental agency (for England and Wales—the Environment Agency and for Scotland—the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) must be consulted on all oil and gas drilling proposals to ensure that any operations carried out do not pose unacceptable risks to the environment, including any risk of contamination of local soil or water sources. Furthermore a mineral planning authority may impose planning conditions to ensure that any minerals extraction does not have an unacceptable adverse impact on the natural environment.
Upon decommissioning any well, oil and gas operators are under legal obligations to plug the well, clean up the site and return the site to its original state.
In particular, Schedule 5 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 gives minerals planning authorities the power to impose planning conditions on mineral operators to provide for site restoration and aftercare with their application for minerals extraction (including shale gas). This is to ensure clearance of equipment and for proper restoration of the site once operations have ceased. For sites that are to be returned to agriculture, forestry or amenity purposes, there is an obligation on the mineral operator to look after the site for a maximum period of five years once restoration has been completed.
Operators will also need to consider decommissioning as part of the standard conditions placed on them as part of their environmental permits under the Environmental Permitting regulations 2010. Permit surrender is not possible until sites have been returned to satisfactory conditions.
Assessment of the satisfactory completion of these actions and any necessary further monitoring would be carried out by the planning authority or relevant environment agency as appropriate.
For the longer term, DECC is working with the UK Onshore Operators Group to put in place a robust
11 Mar 2013 : Column 16W
scheme to ensure that abandoned wells remain safe and which satisfies, and can be incorporated within, site restoration and remediation agreements under the planning process.
As regards legislative powers to rectify water table contamination, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), on 26 February 2013, Official Report, column 393W.
Hares
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the recommendations on voluntary measures to ensure appropriate welfare for brown hares will be published. [147013]
Richard Benyon: The good practice guidelines are an industry-led initiative and the timing of the publication is in stakeholders' hands. I have been told that they aim to publish very soon.
Leatherhead Food Research
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contact (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with Leatherhead Food Research since May 2010. [146783]
Mr Heath [holding answer 7 March 2013]:DEFRA maintains regular contact between its officials and employees of Leatherhead Food Research through research projects, participation in workshops, training sessions and engagement via advisory groups. Given this level of engagement, it is not feasible to provide any detailed data on contact within the time scale requested.
Staff
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff his Department employed in each of the past five years; how many such staff were employed in London; how many such staff were employed in other regions of England; how many posts moved from London to these regions; and what steps he is taking to move his staff to regional offices. [145693]
Richard Benyon: The number of staff employed in core DEFRA on 31 March in each of the last five years and broken down by those employed in London and those employed elsewhere, is shown in the following table.
| London | Other regions | Total | ||||
| Date | Full-time equivalent | Head count | Full-time equivalent | Head count | Full-time equivalent | Head count |
11 Mar 2013 : Column 17W
Information on the number of core DEFRA posts that have moved from London to other regions could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost. There are currently no plans to move core DEFRA staff based in London to regional offices.
All figures have been rounded to nearest whole number.
Tobacco
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information he holds on the subsidies which have been paid by the EU for the growing or production of tobacco in each of the last 10 years. [146683]
Mr Heath: The EU tobacco regime was reformed in 2004 so that, among other things, direct payments to farmers linked to the production of tobacco would be phased out over the period 2006 to 2010. The effect can be seen in the following table which is based on EU budget out-turn data for those direct payments:
| € million | |
| (1) Figures for 2011 and 2012 are believed to be in respect of residual payments related to applications under schemes prior to 2011. (2) Figures for 2013 represent the budget allocation. | |
Similar data prior to 2005 is not available.
Turtles: Cayman Islands
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Cayman Islands government to ensure that the Cayman Turtle Farm fulfils its commitment to improve its conditions. [147343]
Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to my written answer given on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 818W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew).
Transport
Air Passenger Duty
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 685W, on air passenger duty, if he will provide a list of meetings he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other Ministers in the Treasury in which air passenger duty was discussed in the last 12 months. [147044]
11 Mar 2013 : Column 18W
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 685W. The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), meets with the Chancellor of the Exchequer as part of his day to day business, during which a wide range of issues are discussed. Decisions on taxation, including air passenger duty, are taken by the Chancellor.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 648W, on air passenger duty, what meetings he has had with representatives of the travel industry, airlines and airports in which air passenger duty was discussed in the last 12 months. [147053]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 685W. The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has had no meetings with representatives of the travel industry, airlines and airports which were called specifically to discuss air passenger duty. The full list of meetings that he and other Ministers have had with aviation stakeholders is available at
www.data.gov.uk
Decisions on taxation, including air passenger duty, are taken by the Chancellor.
Buses
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he estimates all (a) single-deck and (b) double-deck buses will be fully accessible. [146692]
Norman Baker: The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require all new buses and coaches, used to provide local or scheduled services and designed to carry more than 22 passengers, to be accessible to disabled passengers.
All existing buses and coaches used to provide local or scheduled services will have to comply with PSVAR by end dates between 2015 and 2020, depending on vehicle type. The end dates are 1 January 2015 for single deck buses weighing 7.5 tonnes or less, 1 January 2016 for single deck buses weighing more than 7.5 tonnes and 1 January 2017 for double deck buses. The end date for coaches is 2020.
At November 2012, 69% of all buses in Great Britain met the PSVAR requirements.
Crossrail Line
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions his Department has had with Network Rail and Transport for London about extending the proposed route for Crossrail 2 to (a) Harlow and (b) Stansted Airport; [146625]
(2) what role his Department has played in developing the proposed route for Crossrail 2. [146626]
Stephen Hammond:
The Government has made no decision in relation to Crossrail 2, and the scheme is currently unfunded. Under devolution, the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) are responsible for transport
11 Mar 2013 : Column 19W
in London, including the current route options for Crossrail 2. The Department continues to work with Network Rail and the rail industry on its long-term planning process which is considering future rail services to Stansted and other major airports.
Driving Tests
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether new applicants have to be able to read and write to pass the tests necessary to get a driving licence. [147101]
Stephen Hammond: The driving test consists of a theory test of road safety knowledge and hazard perception, and a practical test of driving ability. We recognise that candidates who cannot read or write may find parts of the testing regime challenging. The Driving Standards Agency, therefore, works with special education needs (SEN) stakeholders to review the way we interact with candidates, including those with difficulties reading and writing, and has made adjustments to accommodate them, whilst maintaining the integrity of the test and seeking to ensure the standard of road safety is not adversely affected.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of homes within (a) 10, (b) 50, (c) 100 and (d) 500 metres of the published preferred route of phase two of High Speed 2 in (i) Stafford constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England. [147175]
Mr Simon Burns: We currently estimate that there would be approximately 3,300 dwellings within 100 metres of the surface route and the provisional station and depot construction boundaries on the Manchester and Leeds legs of the route. We do not currently have an estimate for (i) Stafford Constituency or (ii) Staffordshire.
The Department has made no estimate of the number of homes within (a) 10, (b) 50, and (d) 500 metres of the published preferred route of phase two of High Speed 2 in (i) Stafford constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England.
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions were made in his Department's business case for High Speed 2 of available connectivity of mobile voice and data services along the route. [147183]
Mr Simon Burns: The business case for HS2 does not make any assumptions about the available connectivity of mobile voice and data services along the route.
It is too early to make detailed decisions now about the communications technology that will be needed in the late 2020s and beyond.
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what criteria were used by HS2 Limited to determine whether mitigation proposals should be included within the forthcoming High Speed 2 draft environmental impact assessment consultation; and if he will make a statement; [147308]
11 Mar 2013 : Column 20W
(2) what criteria were used by HS2 Limited to assess mitigation proposals for High Speed 2 Phase One; and if he will make a statement. [147309]
Mr Simon Burns: The development of mitigation for HS2 Phase One is an ongoing exercise as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The EIA will identify the likely significant environmental effects of the scheme. Where these effects are adverse, HS2 Ltd's environmental specialists propose approaches to avoid or reduce as far as practicable these effects. The main factor that influences the development of appropriate mitigation for significant effects is value for money for the tax payer incorporating issues such as engineering feasibility, effectiveness of the mitigation, cost and the impact of mitigation on the benefits of the project, such as journey time or regeneration benefits.
Draft information for the environmental statement, which will set out the emerging view of the likely significant environmental effects of the project and mitigation proposals, is due to be consulted upon in spring 2013. Mitigation proposals will continue to be refined in light of the consultation and the developing design before being finalised for deposit of the hybrid Bill by the end of the year.
London Underground
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in assessing the cost effectiveness of Crossrail 2, what estimate he has made of the percentage breakdown of current peak time usage of the London underground between (a) work and school commuting and (b) tourist and leisure travel. [147059]
Stephen Hammond: Under devolution, the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) are responsible for transport in London. The Secretary of State has made no independent assessment of the cost effectiveness of Crossrail 2 or estimates of the usage of the London underground.
TfL produce regular reports on trends across London's transport network. The most recent (Travel in London Report 5) is available on TfL's website.
Mersey Gateway Project
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the use of UK industry and UK-sourced raw materials in the construction of the Mersey Gateway. [147103]
Norman Baker: The Government has made no assessment of the use of UK industry and UK-sourced raw materials in the construction of the Mersey Gateway, the procurement of which is the responsibility of the promoting authority—Halton Borough Council. We would hope that the scheme will be built using the maximum amount of UK labour and raw materials possible.
Motorways: Litter
Andrew Gwynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 694W, on motorways: litter (1) at what grade the hard shoulder lane on the M60
11 Mar 2013 : Column 21W
between the River Tame in Denton and Junction 23 in Audenshaw is currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure it is better kept clear of litter; [146708]
(2) at what grade the M67 Junction 1a slip roads in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146709]
(3) at what grade the M60, M67 and A57 roundabout at Junction 24 in Denton is currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure it is better kept clear of litter; [146710]
(4) at what grade the M67 Junction 1 slip roads in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146711]
(5) at what grade the M67 Junction 2 slip roads in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146712]
(6) at what grade the M67 embankments between Junction 1 and the River Tame in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146713]
(7) at what grade the M67 central reservations between Junction 1 and the River Tame in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146714]
(8) at what grade the hard shoulder lane on the M67 between Junction 1 and the River Tame in Denton is currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure it is better kept clear of litter; [146715]
(9) at what grade the M60 Junction 24 slip roads in Denton are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146716]
(10) at what grade the M60 Junction 23 slip roads in Audenshaw are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146717]
(11) at what grade the M60 embankments between the River Tame in Denton and Junction 23 in Audenshaw are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter; [146718]
(12) at what grade the M60 central reservations between the River Tame in Denton and Junction 23 in Audenshaw are currently ranked; and what steps he is taking to ensure they are better kept clear of litter. [146719]
Stephen Hammond: Under the Code of Practice for Litter and Refuse, the locations along the M60 and M67 motorways, including the A57 circulatory carriageway at Junction 24 of the M60, are currently ranked at grade C (widespread distribution of litter and/or refuse with some minor accumulations).
Work to remove litter from locations along the M60 and M67 has begun:
M60 and M60 embankments between the River Tame and Junction 23
Litter picking started between junctions 23 and 25 on 25 February. So far 60 bags of litter have been picked.
11 Mar 2013 : Column 22W
Litter picking was completed on 26 February where 20 bags of litter were removed from the inner verges of the roundabout. Tameside MBC is responsible for litter picking the remainder of the roundabout.
M67 embankments between Junction 1 and the River Tame
Litter picking is currently under way at this location, with 51 bags of litter removed to date.
M67 central reserve between Junction 1 and the River Tame
Litter picking was completed on 8 February where 65 bags of litter were removed.
M67 hard shoulder between Junction 1 and the River Tame
Litter picking of the hard shoulders of the M67 is planned to commence in approximately two weeks.
Further litter picking on the other M60/M67 locations is currently being scheduled in accordance with timescales set out in the Code of Practice.
Shipping: Registration
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place between Ministers in his Department and their counterparts in the (a) Cabinet Office, (b) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) Treasury on the UK ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention. [147300]
Stephen Hammond: Ministers from all these Departments are engaged in arrangements for the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.
Transport: Yorkshire and the Humber
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 685W, on Brigg, what information his Department holds on expenditure on transport projects in Yorkshire and the Humber in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2005-06, (e) 2004-05, (f) 2003-04, (g) 2002-03, (h) 2001-02 and (i) 2000-01. [146942]
Norman Baker: The information requested is shown in the following table. This includes a split between current and capital expenditure for all years.
| Identifiable transport expenditure in Yorkshire and the Humber, 2000-01 to 2011-12 | |||
| £ millions | |||
| of which: | |||
| Financial year | Total expenditure | Capital | Current |
| Source: HM Treasury, Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (2006 to 2012 editions) | |||
11 Mar 2013 : Column 23W
In order to compile this table it has been necessary to consult several previous editions of the HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA). While the table presents the latest published figure for each year, HM Treasury advises all PESA users that data in previous PESA editions may not be fully consistent with the latest release due to changes in data coverage and classification changes.
West Coast Railway Line
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 14 February 2013, PQ 143634, when he expects to publish his Department's review of the available data and analysis. [147557]
Mr Simon Burns: The publication of the review and analysis of data relating to the West Coast Main Line will be considered once the work has been done. The precise timing is to be determined.
Home Department
Children: Abuse
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people of each age and gender have been arrested for possessing non-photographic visual depictions of child sexual abuse in each of the last three years. [146982]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Data on arrests are reported to the Home Office on the basis of aggregated offence groupings, for example sexual offences. From these centrally reported groupings, it is not possible to separately identify arrests for such a specific offence.
College of Policing
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the College of Policing to be established and begin operations. [146843]
Damian Green: The College of Policing was established and became operational on 1 December 2012.
Crime: Nature Conservation
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the comparable figures for levels of wildlife crime were in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2012-13. [146885]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not have information on the levels of wildlife crime.
Although the Home Office is responsible for police recorded crime statistics, these only consist of indictable and triable-either-way offences and do not include summary offences. The majority of wildlife crimes are summary offences and, as such, fall outside of the scope of the recorded crime statistics.
11 Mar 2013 : Column 24W
Cybercrime
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the financial effect of cybercrime to the (a) economy and (b) consumer. [146813]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 7 March 2013]:I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 January 2013, Official Report, column 418W.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to assess the effect of cybercrime. [146814]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 7 March 2013]: The UK Cyber Security Strategy, published on 25 November 2011, has an objective to tackle cyber crime and make the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business. Improving our understanding of the effects of cyber crime is a key element of the strategy. This includes actions to improve law enforcement capability to understand cyber crime, international cooperation to promote better shared understanding of the threat and the creation of a single reporting mechanism for cyber and cyber-enabled crimes for citizens and small businesses. It also includes the development of closer partnerships with the private sector to improve information sharing on the threats to business.
In the second year of the programme this work is well under way. For example, by April 2013, all police forces will have a single mechanism for reporting fraud and financially-motivated cyber crime to Action Fraud, which will provide a better understanding of the scale and changing nature of the threat and also the effect on victims. The creation of the National Crime Agency and, within it, a new National Cyber Crime Unit will build a stronger intelligence picture of the effects of cyber crime.
Food: Smuggling
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) dairy and (b) meat products from non-EU countries have been confiscated at UK borders in each of the last five years. [145922]
Mr Harper: Data on the seizures of dairy and meat products are published by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in their Annual Review of Controls of Imports of Animal Products:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13600-animal-products.pdf
This report provides the total Products of Animal Origin (POAO) seizures for 2008-09 and 2009-10 and, for 2010-11, the POAO seizures from non-EU countries. Border Force is unable to provide further information on the split between EU and non-EU seizures for 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Extracts of the relevant data you have requested are provided in the following tables:
11 Mar 2013 : Column 25W
11 Mar 2013 : Column 26W
| Total meat and dairy seizures in 2008-09 and 2009-10 (without the breakdown by country regions) | ||||||
| Meat | Dairy | |||||
| Period | Number of times seized | Weight (kg) | Volume (litres) | Number of times seized | Weight (kg) | Volume (litres) |
| Meat and dairy seizures from non EU countries 2010-11 | ||||||
| Meat | Dairy | |||||
| Period | Number of times seized | Weight (kg) | Volume (litres) | Number of times seized | Weight (kg) | Volume (litres) |
| Note: Europe and region “unknown” are excluded from this summary. | ||||||
The data for 2011-12 and 2012-13 have not yet been published by DEFRA although the 2011-12 data are due for publication shortly.
G8: Police
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service in Northern Ireland on support from other police services in Great Britain for the policing of the forthcoming G8 Summit in County Fermanagh; and if she will make a statement. [145718]
Damian Green [holding answer 1 March 2013]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Human Trafficking
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to tackle human trafficking. [146818]
Mr Harper: The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report, published as a Command Paper (CM8421) on 18 October 2012, provides a current and full assessment of the Government’s anti-trafficking efforts across the UK.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to support the victims of human trafficking. [146819]
Mr Harper: The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report, published as a Command Paper (CM8421) on 18 October 2012, provides a current and full assessment of the steps the Government is taking to support trafficking victims across the UK.
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings of the Joint Strategic Group on Human Trafficking have taken place to date; and which non-governmental organisations and Ministers attended each such meeting. [146904]
Mr Harper: The Joint Strategic Group met for the first time on 4 December 2012. The next meeting will take place on 12 March 2013. Ministers do not attend the Joint Strategic Group. The non-governmental organisations who attended the 4 December 2012 meeting are as follows:
Migrant Helpline
NSPCC
Unseen UK
ECPAT UK
Anti-Slavery International
The Salvation Army
TARA
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will hold discussions with international organisations, including the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, to tackle human trafficking internationally. [147335]
Mr Harper: The Government works with national and international partners in the fight against human trafficking. Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of human trafficking were identified in the UK in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [147336]
Mr Harper: Potential victims of human trafficking are formally identified through the National Referral Mechanism. Data published by the UK Human Trafficking Centre show there were:
(a) 710 referrals in 2010,
(b) 946 referrals in 2011, and
(c) 1,186 referrals in 2012.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider introducing tougher sentences on perpetrators of human trafficking. [147337]
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Mr Harper: The Government keeps the sentencing framework under constant review. Human trafficking offences already carry a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.
Immigration
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which non-governmental organisations the Minister for Immigration has met since his appointment; and what the outcomes were of each such meeting. [146902]
Mr Harper: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to limit access to (a) social housing, (b) healthcare, (c) benefits and (d) social care to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals when work restrictions on such nationals are lifted in 2014. [146916]
Mr Harper: A cross-government ministerial group is currently reviewing the arrangements for controlling all foreign nationals' access to benefits and public services.
European nationals do not have unrestricted access to the UK—they must be working, studying or self-sufficient to be exercising their treaty rights under European law. There are already controls in place which limit the ability of economically inactive EEA nationals to access benefits, social housing and social care. The ministerial group is considering the scope for tightening these arrangements further.
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the transitional controls negotiated by the Government in 2007 for immigration by Romanian and Bulgarian nationals. [147220]
Mr Harper: This Government announced in 2011 that the transitional restrictions applied to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals would be extended to the end of 2013. In taking that decision, the Government took account of the Migration Advisory Committee's assessment of the potential impact of lifting the existing restrictions, which is set out in its report of November 2011.
Immigration Controls
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures she has put in place to monitor performance of the UK Border Agency Employer Checking Service; what estimate she has made of the average time taken for the Employer Checking Service to perform a check; what assessment she has made of the ability of the UK Border Agency Employer Checking Service to meet its benchmark standard of five working days; and if she will make a statement. [145720]
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Mr Harper [holding answer 1 March 2013]: Management information is produced, by team, on a daily basis to record the number of outstanding Employer Checking Service (ECS) cases, the number of days it is taking to reach a decision and, if applicable, the number of applications that are currently outside service standards.
These figures are management information. They are provisional and subject to change.
Figures from 1 April 2012 to 28 February 2013 show that the average time it has taken to reach decisions is 5.42 working days. This is calculated as the average in any given period.
100% of all decisions, where the employer receives a response that cannot confirm an entitlement to work, are sampled by the unit manager.
As of 4 March 2013 the ECS team are working within their service standard of five working days.
Olympic Games 2012: Security
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2012, Official Report, column 349W, on Olympic Games 2012: security, which police forces have been reimbursed for costs incurred in providing policing services to cover for G4S at the Olympic Games; how much each force has received; whether any payments are outstanding; and whether any interest has been paid. [142891]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 February 2013]:The costs repaid to police forces for the provision of police officers to undertake Olympic venue security duties in place of G4S are listed as follows. One claim remains, from West Midlands police for £1,116,985, which will be paid this week.
| Police force | Amount paid (£) |
Police: Croydon
Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 599W, on police: Croydon, why the decision to stop collecting police personnel data below force level from March 2011 was made; and if she will make a statement. [147100]
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Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2012, Official Report, columns 695-96W.
Police: Job Satisfaction
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the effect on police morale of the loss of special priority and competency related threshold payments; and if she will make a statement; [146703]
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of police officers in Cheshire who will lose (a) a special priority payment, (b) a competency related threshold payment and (c) both payments under her proposals on police pay. [146705]
Damian Green: The changes to special priority payments (SPP) and competence-related threshold payment (CRTP) are part of a wider programme of reform arising from Tom Winsor's Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions.
These recommendations are about reforming pay and conditions so that pay is retargeted to recognise the hardest-working officers and reward professional skills and continued development, and include the introduction of unsocial hours and on-call allowances.
I, along with other Ministers, maintain regular contact with police forces and officers to monitor the impact of these reforms.
11 Mar 2013 : Column 30W
The proposals to remove SPP and CRTP were discussed in the police negotiating machinery, and we considered its recommendations very carefully. These considerations did not use estimates of the number of officers that would lose the payments in each force. Nationally, the Winsor review identified that 45 % of police officers in the federated ranks were in receipt of the SPP in England and Wales in 2008-09, and 33 % were in receipt of the CRTP. We do not hold information on how many officers will lose both payments.
Road Traffic Offences: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years. [147054]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not centrally collect data on fixed penalty notices issued at constituency level.
Available information relates to the total number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued for motoring offences by police in the Yorkshire and the Humber region between 2006 and 2010, and are given in the following table.
Data for 2011 is scheduled for publication on 18 April 2013.
| Number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences(1) in the Yorkshire and theHumber region, 2006-10 | |||||
| Police force area | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Includes fixed penalty notices issued for endorsable and non-endorsable offences. | |||||
Deputy Prime Minister
Local Government: Tees Valley
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what correspondence he has had with local authorities in the Tees Valley since May 2010; and if he will place copies of any such correspondence in the Library. [147238]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Details of correspondence with local authorities are not normally disclosed.
Voting Rights: Second Homes
Dr Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the refusal of some local authorities to allow second home owners to vote at local authority elections. [147299]
Miss Chloe Smith: Electoral law permits an individual to be registered to vote in an area in which they are resident at an address. It is possible to be resident in more than one area. However it is ultimately a matter for the local electoral registration officer to determine whether an individual is resident at a particular address—and therefore eligible to vote in that area—having taken account of the relevant circumstances of the particular case.
A person registered in more than one place is not permitted to vote twice at a general or European parliamentary election; however they are eligible to vote in local government elections in two (or more) different localities, as in doing so, they are not casting more than one vote in an election to the same body.
Northern Ireland
Political Parties: Finance
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many donors to Northern Irish political parties have made representations to her or her Office raising concerns about their security if anonymity of political donations is lifted in that country; and if she will make a statement. [147284]
Mike Penning: The Government consulted on donations to Northern Ireland political parties in 2010. A number of parties responding to that consultation raised concerns about the security of their donors if the anonymity of political donations were lifted.
No one has raised with us personal concerns as a donor.
Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern
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Ireland on potential threats against individuals if anonymity of political donations is lifted in Northern Ireland. [147285]
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I have regular discussions with the Chief Constable on a range of matters linked to the security situation. However, we have not discussed with him the potential threat to particular individuals if the anonymity of political donations is lifted.
The Government consulted on donations made to political parties in 2010 and the commitments made following that consultation will be taken forward through the draft Bill that we published on 11 February 2013.
Justice
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to comply with the requirements of the Aarhus convention in relation to civil litigation costs. [146764]
Mrs Grant: The Government published its response on Cost Protection for Litigants in Environmental Judicial Review Claims on 28 August 2012. This set out proposals for a cost capping scheme for cases which fall within the Aarhus convention. The Civil Procedure Rules Committee subsequently made rules to give effect to these proposals. These rules will come into effect on 1 April 2013.
Claims Management Services
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to his Department's publication, Claims Management Regulation, The PPI Claims Market: Dealing with malpractice, page 9, paragraph 2, what plans his Department has to name the claims management companies that have had formal warnings issued against them by the Claims Management Regulation Unit for serious breaches of conduct. [147025]
Mrs Grant: There are no plans to publish the names of claims management companies that have been the subject of informal enforcement action such as receiving a warning about their conduct. The Department does however publish the names of claims management companies on the Justice website's Authorised Business Search that have had formal enforcement action taken against them. Such action can range from statutory restrictions being added to their licence to suspension or cancellation of their licence.
Community Orders
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals to automatically include rehabilitative elements as a condition of all community orders made by the courts. [146283]
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Jeremy Wright: Provisions in Schedule 15 to the Crime and Courts Bill will require courts to include a punitive element as part of a community order. However, courts will continue to be required under section 142(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to have regard to the five purposes of sentencing, which include the reform and rehabilitation of offenders. The ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’ consultation set out proposals to open up delivery of community-based offender services to a much more diverse range of providers. The Government is currently considering consultation responses in advance of bringing forward reforms to strengthen the rehabilitative elements of community orders.
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many cases each mentor or supervisor of those serving less than 12 months in custody will be expected to carry at any one time; [147028]
(2) what Criminal Record Bureau checks will be made for mentors who are recruited to supervise prisoners serving less than 12 months on release; [147029]
(3) whether mentors of short-term prisoners will be paid; [147067]
(4) what vetting procedures will be put in place for mentors who are recruited to supervise prisoners serving less than 12 months on release. [147068]
Jeremy Wright: We are committed to opening up rehabilitative services to a range of new providers, who will be paid by results to help offenders turn their lives around. As a part of this we expect to see more use of innovative approaches, such as mentoring, and for offenders to receive targeted support to tackle the root causes of offending.
The Ministry of Justice's consultation on plans for reforming the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community closed on 22 February. We will respond to the consultation and bring forward detailed plans in due course.
Personal Injury: Compensation
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will (a) use and (b) publish a full impact assessment of his proposals to reduce costs through the revised pre-action protocol for low-value personal injury claims in road traffic accidents via the RTA portal; [146758]
(2) if he will publish each item of evidence and background information that informed the current proposals to reduce costs through the revised pre-action protocol for low-value personal injury claims in road traffic accidents via the RTA portal. [146759]
Mrs Grant: On 27 February 2013, the Government published its response to the consultation on fixed recoverable costs in relation to the extension of the Road Traffic Accident Personal Injury scheme, together with an accompanying impact assessment. The response sets out details of the evidence which informed the Government's decisions. Both the response and the impact assessment are available on the Ministry of Justice website and have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Unpaid Fines: West Midlands
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the value was of uncollected fines and orders issued by courts in (a) Dudley North constituency, (b) Dudley metropolitan borough and (c) the west midlands in 2011-12. [144735]
Mrs Grant: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) systems do not identify amounts collected in specific constituency or metropolitan borough areas.
The total value of all outstanding financial impositions accounts (excluding confiscation orders) in the west midlands accounting division at the end of 2011-12 was £36,010,096. This amount relates to all outstanding accounts regardless of when they were imposed and includes accounts which are compliant with their payment terms.
Victim Support Schemes: Human Trafficking
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in February 2013; in which region each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to the scheme. [146789]
Mrs Grant: In February 2013, there were 83 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety, the region in which the victim was encountered is provided rather than the local authority. Details are provided in the following table.
| Nationality | Gender | Region | Referring agency |
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