18 Apr 2013 : Column 495W
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 18 April 2013
Health
Anaemia
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of aplastic anaemia there were in each NHS hospital trust in each year since 2002. [151897]
Anna Soubry: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Continuing Care
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many continuing healthcare cases are outstanding which (a) require assessment involving current continuing healthcare patients and (b) involve retrospective cases to review deceased patients. [151864]
Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect information on the numbers of NHS Continuing Healthcare cases awaiting assessment.
Dementia
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the (a) cost effectiveness and (b) effectiveness in comparison with anti-psychotic medication of the use of cognitive stimulation therapy for the treatment of dementia; and if he will make a statement. [151972]
Norman Lamb: We have not made any assessment of. cognitive stimulation therapy. Guidance on treatments and therapies is issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In its guidance on dementia, supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care (2006), NICE identified cognitive stimulation as an area where more research is needed. Cognitive stimulation therapy is one of a number of treatments and therapies available for dementia. Clinicians can, and do, decide which course of treatment to prescribe to individual patients with dementia, based on each individual's specific needs.
Antipsychotic drugs should only be prescribed for people with dementia when appropriate and when other non-pharmacological treatments have been considered. The national audit of antipsychotic prescribing for people with dementia (published in July 2012) showed a 52% reduction in the level of prescribing.
Domestic Violence
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many admissions to hospitals in England and Wales related to incidents of domestic violence and abuse in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; [150553]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 496W
(2) whether clinical commissioning groups have a responsibility to deliver improvements in the recognition of, and response to, victims of domestic violence and abuse; [150554]
(3) what funding is provided by his Department for (a) staff, (b) training and (c) resources to deliver strategies to improve recognition and response to victims of domestic violence and abuse by healthcare providers. [150555]
Anna Soubry: Information on domestic violence is not collected centrally. We are unable to reply for Wales as health is a devolved matter.
Victims of domestic abuse use a variety of national health service services such as general practitioner surgeries and walk-in clinics in primary care as well as accident and emergency departments for treatment of an injury. They do not always disclose to these services that an injury occurred because of domestic abuse.
As members of health and wellbeing boards, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for developing and implementing improvements for victims of domestic violence and abuse as part of their commissioning plans, based on local need. CCGs will agree priorities with their local partners which will be reflected in joint health and wellbeing strategies, based on joint strategic need assessments. CCGs will have due regard for, and seek to comply with, the Public Sector Equality Duty to reduce health inequalities. The Public Sector Duty in the Equality Act 2010 means CCGs will be responsible for assessing the equality implications of their work on people with protected characteristics, which includes the sex of a person. NHS England will assess how well CCGs achieve their commissioning plans in relation to these duties.
Information regarding funding provided by the Department to improve recognition and response to victims of violence is not held centrally. On 1 April 2013, Health Education England (HEE) assumed a key role as the new leadership organisation responsible for ensuring that education, training, and workforce development drives the highest quality public health and patient outcomes. HEE will oversee strategic planning and development of the health and public health workforce, and allocate education and training resources. This is set out in “Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce from Design to Delivery”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library and is available by visiting:
and searching the document title in the publication section.
Fertility
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1155-6W, on fertility, who in the NHS Commissioning Board is responsible for overseeing infertility service provision across England. [151973]
Anna Soubry: NHS England has informed us that oversight of the commissioning of NHS fertility services will be the responsibility of its Medical Directorate headed by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 497W
General Medical Council
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the High Court ruling on Cohen v General Medical Council in 2008, what progress his Department is making in reviewing the General Medical Council's fitness to practise procedures. [151852]
Dr Poulter: The Department is aware of the Cohen case. The Department has not carried out a formal review as a direct result of the case, but the following work in relation to the General Medical Council's fitness to practise procedures is being undertaken.
The Department has commissioned a review of the regulation of health care professionals, by the Law Commission. This programme of work will advise on legislation to modernise the legal framework under which the regulatory bodies operate, and provide flexibility to allow them to discharge their statutory duties efficiently. The Commission has considered relevant case law and the test for impairment of fitness to practise within this. The Law Commission's findings and recommendations are expected to be finalised in early 2014.
In addition, the General Medical Council has consulted on proposals to improve and modernise its fitness to practise adjudication processes, to enhance the independence of adjudication while continuing to protect patients and the public. The Department is currently working with the General Medical Council towards draft legislation for consultation to facilitate changes to achieve these objectives. Relevant case law will also be taken into account within this work.
Housing: Disability
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS was of adapting the homes of people who have difficulties with mobility in the last five years. [151657]
Norman Lamb: Most housing adaptations are funded by local authorities and not the national health service, therefore information on the cost to the NHS is not collected centrally.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and distributed by local authorities (LA), helps people to remain independent in their own homes by providing extra support, devices and adaptations. Adaptations could range from stair lifts and grab rails through to substantial reconfigurations to make homes more accessible. In recognition of the impact of suitable housing on individual wellbeing, the Department of Heath topped up the DFG by £40 million in 2012-13. This was in addition to the £745 million already announced for 2010-11 to 2014-15, bringing the total to £785 million.
Central Government funding and local authority contributions for the DFG since 2008-09 are shown in the following table.
£ million | |||||
2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | Total | |
18 Apr 2013 : Column 498W
Nanotoxicologies
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential use of analytical electron microscopy in studies of orphan diseases which may be a consequence of nanotoxicologies; and what representations his Department has received on the regulation of nanotoxicologies. [150584]
Norman Lamb: The Department has not made any assessment of the potential use of analytical electron microscopy in studies of orphan diseases which may be a consequence of nanotoxicologies.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) believes that current European Union regulations for medicines and medical devices are sufficiently stringent and broad in scope to cover risks associated with nanotechnologies. The MHRA will keep nanotechnology developments under review and will work with the European Commission, European Medicines Agency and the European Medical Devices Expert Working Group to assess the relevant existing regulations with regard to nanotechnologies.
NHS: Disclosure of Information
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1092W, on NHS: disclosure of information, what progress the Department has made in communicating with former employees who may have been party to a compromise agreement that may have included a confidentiality clause. [151856]
Dr Poulter: A letter, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health, was sent to professional regulators and trade unions on 17 April 2013.
The purpose of the letter is to help ensure that as many staff as possible who may have signed a compromise agreement (including agreements reached as a result of judicial mediation) since the introduction of the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) in 1999, receive the message that regardless of what the agreement they signed says, they are still able to make a protected disclosure if they decide to do so.
National health service organisations do not hold up-to-date contact details for ex-employees and so the task of writing to every individual through their former employer is not practicable. By enlisting the support of the professional regulators and trade unions to engage with their registrants and members to reinforce the message in the letter, it should be possible to reach those staff who have signed agreements and then moved either to another NHS organisation or to a job within the wider public or voluntary sector.
Social Services
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) registered managers and (b) employees of Care Quality Commission-registered companies have been served official warning notices in each of the last five years; and how many such people have received later warnings or a dismissal. [150960]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 499W
Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England.
The CQC has regulatory powers in relation to providers of regulated activities and registered managers. Other than registered managers, it does not have any powers in relation to individual employees of registered providers, but is required to work with other bodies if it has concerns about their competence.
The CQC has provided the following information.
The CQC is unable to provide the information in the format requested because its recording system currently does not distinguish between warning notices that are served to providers and those that are provided to registered managers. A manual search of the records would incur disproportionate cost.
The total number of warning notices that the CQC has issued under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 is shown in the following table:
Warning notices | |
Six providers have been served with enforcement measures, excluding warning notices, after being served a warning notice for a particular outcome. These measures included one cancellation of registration and five notices of proposal to impose conditions on the providers' registration to provide services.
Typhoid
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that national supplies of typhoid vaccine are adequate. [151896]
Anna Soubry: Typhoid is rare in this country and is usually associated with travel to countries where sanitation is inadequate.
We understand from manufacturers that vaccine is available to order and that they are continuing to take actions to ensure that supplies are maintained.
Home Department
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the 60 individuals named on the list published by the Commission on Security and Co-operation in Europe, individuals involved in the tax fraud against Hermitage and the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky, published in June 2012 have visited the UK in the last year; and if she will disclose the details of any such visits. [151470][Official Report, 9 July 2013, Vol. 566, c. 1MC.]
Mr Harper: It is long-standing policy not to disclose details of records which may be held in relation to arrivals in the United Kingdom. The Home Office Special Cases Directorate is already aware of the individuals on the list and has taken the necessary measures to prevent them being issued visas for travel to the UK.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 500W
Confiscation Orders
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unenforced confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 relate to assets worth over (a) £100,000 and (b) £1 million. [151486]
Damian Green: Between the coming into force of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and 31 March 2013, confiscation orders not completed are as follows:
(a) Over £100,000—739
(b) Over £1 million—87
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 remain unenforced. [151656]
Damian Green: Between the coming into force of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and 31 March 2012, there were 35,071 confiscation orders issued of which 29,731 were completed and 5,340 were not completed.
Human Trafficking
Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the money confiscated by the police relating to brothels, prostitution, pornography and pimps related to trafficking; and where information on the amount of compensation made available to victims of trafficking is recorded. [151895]
Damian Green: It is not possible to identify the proportion of money confiscated by the police through brothels, prostitution, pornography and pimps related to trafficking.
The Joint Asset Recovery Database contains records of some compensation payments made to victims of trafficking. Only compensation payments made from money recovered under a confiscation order are recorded.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 5 July 2010, Official Report, column 77W, on National Referral Mechanism, whether any record has been kept as to the whereabouts and situation of the 358 individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010. [151933]
Mr Harper: Routine records of the whereabouts and situation of victims referred into the National Referral Mechanism, once they leave Government-funded support, are not held centrally.
Immigration
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will sit on the strategic oversight board overseeing all immigration commands alongside her Department's permanent secretary. [151297]
Mr Harper
[holding answer 17 April 2013]: We are creating a strategic oversight board for all the constituent parts of the immigration system which will be chaired by the Home Office permanent secretary. Membership will include representatives from the new UK Visas and Immigration and Immigration Enforcement and also
18 Apr 2013 : Column 501W
from Border Force, immigration policy, the Identity and Passport Service, operational systems management, and finance and corporate services group.
Julian Assange
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of police actions against Mr Julian Assange has been to date. [151210]
Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is a matter for the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.
Members: Correspondence
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letters of 3 January 2013 and 11 February 2013 from the hon. Member for Cardiff West relating to a constituent, Mr Robert Kay. [151840]
Mr Harper: I replied to the hon. Member on 16 April 2013.
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to her letter of 4 March 2013 to the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, CTS ref B6777/13. [151841]
Mr Harper: The Home Office replied to the hon. Member on 16 April 2013.
Passports: Gender Recognition
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will estimate the cost of allowing a non-gender option on passports. [151697]
Mr Harper: A detailed costing exercise has not been undertaken as the Government will not be seeking to change the current male (M) and female (F) markings on British passports.
Police Cautions
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people issued with a caution had (a) no previous cautions, (b) one to five previous cautions, (c) six to 10 previous cautions, (d) 11 to 20 previous cautions and (e) over 20 previous cautions in each year from 2002 to 2012 (i) in England and Wales and (ii) by each police authority area. [140269]
Jeremy Wright: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
The use of cautions is at its lowest level for more than five years, as is the number of cautions issued to those who have a previous criminal record. However, the public and victims have a right to expect that people who commit serious crimes should be brought before a court. On 3 April 2013 we launched a review into the use of cautions which will focus on the use of cautions for serious offences and persistent offenders.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 502W
Among other things, the review will examine whether there are some offences for which the use of simple cautions is generally inappropriate, the reasons why multiple cautions are given to some criminals and the difference in the use of cautions by police force areas. The review is a significant step to ensuring that cautions are used correctly, in the interests of justice, and command the confidence of the public. The review will be completed by the end of May 2013.
The figures used to answer the PQ are based on counts of caution occasions. An individual may have more than one caution occasion within each year. Where there is more than one offence on the same occasion only the primary offence is counted for which a caution is given. In addition please note that the police force information only relates to the most recent caution and police forces for previous cautions/convictions may differ.
Table 1 (part i) and table 2 (part ii) show the number of previous cautions for offenders committing an offence and receiving a caution in each year from 2002 to June 2012, for England and Wales. I have placed a copy of the tables in the House Library.
Recall of Parliament
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the additional cost of police and security as a result of the recall of Parliament on 10 April 2013. [151777][Official Report, 13 May 2013, Vol. 563, c. 3-4MC.]
Damian Green: This information is not collected centrally. The cost of security services on the parliamentary estate is a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspections of the accommodation provided for workers on the seasonal agricultural workers scheme took place in 2012. [151502]
Mr Harper: In 2012, the Home Office undertook 64 inspections of seasonal agricultural workers scheme (SAWS) farms with accommodation. The Home Office's monitoring of operators includes visiting farms that employ SAWS workers to monitor work and accommodation conditions.
Employers must provide accommodation for workers under SAWS but workers do not have to accept it and can find their own accommodation if they choose to do so.
UK Border Agency
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK Border Agency and its operations. [151485]
Mr Harper:
On 26 March the Secretary of State for the Home Department announced that the UK Border Agency would be replaced by two new operational commands sitting within the Home Office. UK Visas and Immigration will be a high-volume service that makes high-quality decisions about who comes here,
18 Apr 2013 : Column 503W
with a culture of customer satisfaction for business travellers and visitors who want to come here legally. Immigration Enforcement will have law enforcement at its heart and get tough on those who break our immigration laws. Together with the creation of a new strategic oversight board to ensure all component parts of the system are working together effectively, this reorganisation will maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of our immigration system with each command having strong leadership and a distinct culture and focus.
Visits Abroad
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's budget was for overseas travel for officials and Ministers in 2012-13. [151360]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not allocate budgets to this level of detail and therefore does not hold this information.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Burma
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with his Burmese counterpart the issue of withdrawal by the Burmese Army from ethnic states of Burma. [151406]
Mr Swire: We continue to emphasise to all sides involved in Burma's ethnic conflicts that only comprehensive political negotiation will lead to a sustainable peace across Burma. The role of the military in that process is an important part of those discussions. We acknowledge the progress the Burmese Government have made in signing 10 ceasefire agreements with ethnic armed groups. We continue to encourage the Burmese authorities and the Kachin Independence Organisation to move towards securing the last outstanding ceasefire agreement in Kachin state.
As part of our support to the peace process, we are working with experts with experience of inter-communal trust- and peace-building in Northern Ireland to support the peace process in Burma and to encourage Burma's own reconciliation efforts. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, met with a delegation of Burmese Ministers, including the lead negotiator for the peace process for the Government, Aung Min, on 15 April to discuss the peace process and how the UK can best support it.
Fossil Fuels: Subsidies
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss fossil fuel subsidy reform at (a) G8 and (b) G20 meetings in 2013. [151566]
Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
The UK continues to support global efforts to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. G20 Finance Ministers reaffirmed their long-standing commitment to phase out “inefficient
18 Apr 2013 : Column 504W
fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption” at the February 2013 Finance Ministers' meeting. This work is currently being taken forward at expert level through theG20 Energy Sustainability working group, which will feed back on progress to Ministers.
Sri Lanka
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the BBC World Service's decision to suspend broadcasts in Sri Lanka; and what discussions he has had with the Government of Sri Lanka about interference with that service. [151213]
Alistair Burt: The British Government are aware of the BBC's decision to suspend broadcasts on the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). According to the BBC statement made on 26 March, this decision followed
“continued interruption and interference of BBC Tamil programming on SLBC”.
We are concerned at reports of interference with programming, and consider the provision of impartial news to be very important as do many people who listened to the service.
We continue to have serious concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka, including in regards to freedom of opinion and expression, and in light of recent attacks on a number of journalists. During Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review in November 2012, we recommended that Sri Lanka should ensure that
“all citizens are able to freely express their opinions and beliefs without fear of reprisal or retribution, and to invite the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to visit”.
The recommendation was rejected by the Sri Lankan Government.
Officials at our high commission in Colombo regularly make representations to the Sri Lankan Government about our human rights concerns in Sri Lanka, including on freedom of expression. The UK co-sponsored the Sri Lanka resolution passed in the Human Rights Council on 21 March, and we welcome its adoption with the support of a majority of Council members. We look to the Sri Lankan Government to implement the recommendations contained in the resolution and comply with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which include the protection of the safety of journalists.
Tibet
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) EU, (b) UN and (c) US counterparts about Tibet and promotion of dialogue with the Chinese authorities. [151278]
Mr Swire: We regularly discuss a range of human rights issues, including Tibet, at official levels with the EU, UN and US. We raised the issue of Tibet through the EU at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2012 and we will continue to raise our concerns about the situation in Tibet through multilateral fora and by working with our like-minded partners.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 505W
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of China regarding self-immolations in Tibet; and what reports he has received on the criminalisation of self-immolations and the arrest of relatives and friends on charges of incitement. [151279]
Mr Swire: We regularly raise our concerns about self-immolations in Tibet with the Chinese authorities.
I made a statement on 17 December 2012 where I urged both sides to exercise restraint and called for the resumption of meaningful dialogue:
http://tinyurl.com/amc4gjw
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), responded to a question in the House of Commons on 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 817, on the issue of Tibet.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials raised their concerns over self-immolations with the Chinese embassy on 12 April 2013. The annual FCO Human Rights Report, published on Monday 15 April, outlines our concerns regarding the situation in Tibet.
We receive regular reports on the situation in Tibet from non-governmental organisations. We are concerned about reports referring to the criminalisation of self-immolations and we are seeking further information about this issue.
We will continue to raise our concerns with the Chinese authorities, including at the next UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been made to China for (a) British officials and (b) non-governmental organisations to visit Tibet in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what response was received. [151280]
Mr Swire: In 2012 we made two official requests to visit the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) both of which were refused by the Chinese authorities.
However, during the last 12 months, British diplomats have made regular visits to Tibetan areas of China outside the TAR. We do not keep records of non-governmental organisations who have requested access to travel to Tibet.
Visits Abroad
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what details of (a) itineraries, (b) costs and (c) other aspects of overseas visits in support of trade and investment by Ministers in his Department are published (i) routinely and (ii) on request. [150611]
Mr Swire: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have a varied programme when they travel overseas, with trade and investment a priority on all bilateral visits.
Details of all overseas visits undertaken by Ministers are published on a quarterly basis on the GOV.UK website.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 506W
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-quarterly-returns-hospitality-gifts-overseas-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations
Transport
Aviation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse attributable to delayed commercial passenger flights in each of the last five years. [152010]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department for Transport has made no estimate of the cost to the public purse attributable to delayed commercial passenger flights in each of the last five years.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how many hours commercial passenger flights were delayed in each of the last five years. [152011]
Mr Simon Burns: The Civil Aviation Authority collects and publishes data on delays at 10 UK airports. Estimates of the total number of hours by which commercial passenger flights were delayed in the last five years, based on the CAA punctuality statistics, are given in the following table.
Estimated number of hours by which commercial passenger flights were delayed at the 10 UK airports for which data are available, 2008-12 | |||||
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
Dementia
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has a dementia strategy. [151834]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no specific strategy for dementia. However, the Department recognises the importance of helping people live well with dementia.
The Accessibility Action Plan identifies the importance of working with transport operators on staff training and best practice regarding support for disabled passengers, for example travel training schemes, including those with dementia.
The plan can be found at the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessibility-action-plan
18 Apr 2013 : Column 507W
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the most recent research commissioned by his Department into the value of time used for transport appraisals and High Speed 2 (HS2) business time savings; which research body produced that research and under what remit; and whether he proposes that the findings of that research will be incorporated into the assessment of HS2 to be deposited with the hybrid Bill. [151934]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has commissioned the Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds and its associated subcontractors to undertake research into the business value of time used for transport appraisals. The remit of this research project is to investigate the feasibility of different approaches to valuing business travel time savings.
The Department plans to publish the output of this research and where relevant the findings will be incorporated into the next iteration of the HS2 Economic Case.
Highways Agency: Cumbria
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff the Highways Agency employs at its sites in Cumbria; and what proportion of those are paid at or above the relevant level of the living wage. [152033]
Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency has 17 staff based in Cumbria. They are all paid more than the living wage threshold.
Motorcycles
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of roadworthiness problems to motorcycle accidents. [151815]
Stephen Hammond: While no specific assessment has been made, 1% of all motorcycles involved in accidents in GB in 2011 had at least one vehicle defect recorded as a contributory factor.
Perry Barr Station
Mr Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any central Government funding has been allocated to the improvement or redevelopment of Perry Barr railway station; and whether his Department has received any applications for such funding. [151301]
Norman Baker: No central Government funding has been allocated to the improvement or redevelopment of Perry Barr railway station. Nor has any application for such funding been made to the Department for Transport.
Railways
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the devolution of responsibility for regional rail services; and if he will make a statement. [151018]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 508W
Mr Simon Burns: The Government remain committed to seeking to implement an appropriate form of rail decentralisation in those parts of England where it is sensible to do so. The Department for Transport is continuing informal discussions with those bodies who submitted expressions of interest in response to the consultation carried out on rail decentralisation in 2012.
Railways: Bus Services
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of passenger rail journeys involved (a) planned and (b) unplanned bus replacement services for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [150916]
Norman Baker: This information requested is not held by the Department for Transport. The Office of Rail Regulation has published the total number of rail replacement bus service hours for the years 2009-10 to 2011-12, which are as follows:
2009-10: 154531
2010-11: 129662
2011-12: 121901
I continue to encourage train operators to reduce wherever practicable the use of buses in place of rail services. I announced last year that we intend removing - from October 2013 - the entitlement for those operating rail replacement bus services to claim Bus Service Operator Grant, to ensure that such services are no longer subsidised by the taxpayer.
Railways: Franchises
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train operating companies have taken legal action against his Department following the cancellation of rail franchise competitions. [151010]
Mr Simon Burns: Following the decision to cancel the Great Western franchise competition in January 2013, each of the four shortlisted bidders commenced legal proceedings to recover their bid costs. However, these proceedings have since been dismissed by consent with no order as to costs.
Legal proceedings were brought by one of the shortlisted bidders on the Intercity West Coast refranchising competition prior to the decision to cancel that competition in October 2012. Once the competition under challenge was cancelled, these proceedings became irrelevant. However, the proceedings remain stayed while the parties reach agreement as to costs.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department of each cancelled rail franchise competition. [151019]
Mr Simon Burns: The most recent estimate of costs for the two cancelled rail franchising competitions are:
West Coast: £3.725 million;
Great Western: £1.397 million.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his Department's press notice published on 25 March 2013, whether the
18 Apr 2013 : Column 509W
statement that a full franchise timetable has not previously been published is correct. [151051]
Mr Simon Burns: The press notice refers to publishing a “detailed transparent timetable”. Although a high level timetable has previously been published at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4020/rail-franchising-timetable.pdf
the 26 March 2013 announcement provided detailed dates for every franchise competition (namely publication of OJEU notice, ITT and contract award dates) in addition to the start date for each franchise as part of the Prior Information Notice.
Railways: Greater London
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on devolution of the remaining former Network South East rail services to Transport for London. [151016]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government are currently in discussion with the Mayor of London and Transport for London regarding the Mayor's proposals to take over responsibility for the inner suburban parts of the Southeastern and Greater Anglia (West Anglia) franchises. A decision on whether to proceed with further devolution is expected later in the spring.
Railways: Standards
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of delayed passenger rail services in each of the last five years. [152009]
Norman Baker: Any such costs are not identifiable from the financial information held by the Department. We do however regard as important good performance by the rail industry in terms of punctuality and reliability.
Shipping: Training
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the workboat industry of the lack of an internationally recognised Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping certificate of competency for officers on workboats under 500 gross tonnage issued by the UK. [152200]
Stephen Hammond: Further to my answer of 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 576W, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has prepared an Impact Assessment which is currently progressing through the required regulatory procedures.
Wales
Domestic Visits
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 668W, on domestic visits, which constituencies in Wales he has not visited since taking up his post. [149923]
Stephen Crabb: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 15 April 2013, Official Report, columns 22-4WS.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 510W
Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria are used in (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible to determine which officials receive bonus payments. [151142]
Stephen Crabb: The key criterion for senior civil servants to be paid a bonus is that their performance must have exceeded agreed delivery objectives during the previous performance year. In the Wales Office, these objectives are set in order to deliver the Wales Office Business Plan.
The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Our permanent staff are employees of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), with other staff members on loan from the Welsh Government or other Government Departments. MOJ staff below the senior civil service can be paid in-year and end-of-year non-consolidated performance related payments to award exceptional performance, as set out in the MOJ's performance management system and Reward and Recognition policy. The policy states that exceptional performance should further the aims and objectives of the Department or should meet an exceptional shorter term operational challenge.
Those members of staff on loan to the Wales Office from the Welsh Government or other Government Departments are subject to the bonus policies and criteria of their home Department.
Recruitment
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on advertising job vacancies in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009. [151087]
Stephen Crabb: In 2006, the Wales Office spent £3,950 on advertising job vacancies.
The Wales Office spent nothing on advertising job vacancies in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days of work were carried out by officials in his Department on average in each of the last five years; and what the total salary cost was of officials in each year. [151116]
Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Our permanent staff are employees of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), with other staff members on loan from the Welsh Government or other Government Departments.
The Wales Office became a separate Government Department on 1 April 2011. Prior to this it was part of the MOJ, and formed part of the MOJ figures.
The average total number of days that should be worked by each member of staff in the Wales Office is 225. This takes into account weekends, bank holidays and privilege days, and assumes 25 days of annual leave.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 511W
We calculate the total number of days worked by Wales Office staff in 2011-12 as 14,490, and the total salary cost as £3,002,000.
Data for 2012-13 are not yet available. Information on staff numbers and costs will be published in the 2012-13 Wales Office Annual Report. Copies of the report will be laid in the Library of the House when published.
Scotland
Computers
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers and (c) tablet devices his Department has purchased in the last two years. [151345]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not purchased any (a) desktop computers or (c) tablet devices in the last two years.
The Scotland Office did not purchase any (b) laptop computers in 2011. In 2012, to assist with business continuity and to allow for more flexible working, the Scotland Office replaced 15 out-of-date desktop computers and one out-of-date laptop computer with 16 laptop computers.
Dementia
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has a dementia strategy. [151833]
David Mundell: All Scotland Office staff are on secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice, who remain their employers. All staff in the Office are covered by their parent bodies' health strategies. Staff also have access to an independent health care provider.
Devolution
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Government will give consideration to negotiating a stronger devolution settlement with the Scottish Government; and which (a) fiscal and (b) other economic powers the Government would consider devolving as part of such a settlement. [151667]
David Mundell: The Scotland Act 2012 delivers the greatest transfer of financial powers in 300 years from Westminster to Holyrood. The measures include the creation of a Scottish rate of income tax, devolution of stamp duty land tax and landfill tax and increased borrowing powers for the Scottish Government. The Scotland Act 2012 also created a power to devolve further tax raising powers to the Scottish Parliament in the future, if the criteria set out in the Command Paper No 7973 published alongside the Scotland Bill at introduction are met. Implementation of the Scotland Act 2012 will continue to 2016 when the new Scottish rate of income tax is introduced. The Government will report annually on the implementation of the Act.
Mr Liddell-Grainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland from which sources the Government are taking evidence to inform their view on the best (a) fiscal and (b) other economic options for Scotland;
18 Apr 2013 : Column 512W
when he intends that this evidence will be placed in the public domain; and when he intends to publish the (i) fiscal and (ii) other economic parts of the Scotland Analysis series. [151669]
Michael Moore: The Scotland Office, HM Treasury and several other UK Government Departments are drawing on a variety of sources and consulting expert stakeholders as part of the Scotland analysis programme. Papers in the Scotland analysis series will be published throughout 2013 and 2014.
Government Procurement Card
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the Freedom of Information request responded to by his Department on 23 January 2013 and published on 3 April 2013, on Government Procurement Cards, what the purpose was of the stay at the Holiday Inn, Milton Keynes in July 2011. [151299]
David Mundell: The purpose of the stay at the Holiday Inn Milton Keynes in July 2011 was for the special adviser to the Secretary of State to accompany the Secretary of State on official business at the British Grand Prix from early on Sunday 10 July.
Public Expenditure
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of (a) the criteria by which the future financial settlement and constitutional arrangements for Scotland should be determined and (b) the desirability or otherwise of replacing the funding arrangement determined by the Barnett Formula by a needs-based allocation of Government finances. [151650]
David Mundell: The Government are committed to devolving powers to the most appropriate level within a strong United Kingdom. The Scotland Act 2012 delivers the greatest transfer of financial powers from Westminster to Holyrood in 300 years. The Act delivers the recommendations of the Calman Commission which were based on evidence and consensus. Implementation of the Act will continue to 2016 when the new Scottish rate of income tax is introduced. The Government will report annually on the implementation of the Act.
The Government's position on the Barnett Formula is clear: at this time the priority must be to reduce the deficit and any change to the current system of funding must await the stabilisation of the public finances.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days of work were carried out by officials in his Department on average in each of the last five years; andwhat the total salary cost was of officials in each year. [151113]
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on an assignment, secondment or loan agreement from other Government bodies but principally from the Scottish
18 Apr 2013 : Column 513W
Government or the Ministry of Justice, Consequently, staff working in the Scotland Office have different terms and conditions, depending on their parent bodies. The information is not available in the form requested.
Salary costs are published in the Annual Reports of the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General, copies of which are held in the House Library.
Transport
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to improve transport links between Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. [150901]
David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers are in close and regular contact with the Department for Transport regarding those transport routes for which the UK Government have responsibility.
Visits Abroad
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's budget was for overseas travel for officials and Ministers in 2012-13. [151364]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not set a specific budget for overseas travel for officials and Ministers.
Prime Minister
Short Money
Jim Shannon: To ask the Prime Minister if he will cease the provision of Short money to hon. Members and members of the House of Lords who refuse to take their seats. [150900]
Mr Lansley: I have been asked to reply.
“Short money” as provided for Opposition parties in the House of Commons under the terms of the resolution of the House first introduced in 1975, is not available to parties whose Members have not taken the Oath. “Representative money” as provided for under the terms of the House resolution of 8 February 2006 is provided. Such provision is a matter for the House itself to determine. The payment of allowances to Peers is a matter for the House of Lords.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Allowances
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance is given to senior officials in each of the arm's length bodies of his Department who have their home address as their main place of employment, on the use of travel and subsistence expenses for visiting offices of those bodies. [149328]
Richard Benyon:
Guidance provided to senior staff who are home based by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), Environment Agency (EA), Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Natural England (NE) confirms that they are entitled
18 Apr 2013 : Column 514W
to claim travel and subsistence expenses for visiting offices of their organisation and that evidence is required to support any expenditure incurred. Whether expenses paid to an individual who is home-based are taxable or not must be considered on a case by case basis depending on the duties performed.
Ivory
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his priorities for the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland are on tackling elephant poaching and the illegal sale of ivory. [150412]
Richard Benyon: The UK is committed to tackling the illegal trade in ivory and elephant poaching, most notably through wide-ranging action being taken under the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES). At a recent Conference of Parties to CITES, a package of measures was agreed to combat illegal ivory trade, including the development of national ivory action plans for countries that are significantly implicated in illegal trade and the establishment of an Ivory Enforcement Task Force. The UK strongly supports these initiatives and will continue to play an active role in strengthening the advice, assistance and tools provided to help elephant range states enforce CITES controls and combat illegal wildlife trade.
In addition to the concerted action taking place through CITES, we continue to raise these matters through a variety of international forums.
Phenylbutazone
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the names and addresses of each of the owners of the 12 phenylbutazone contaminated horses believed to have entered the human food chain since 1 January 2012. [148515]
Mr Heath: The information requested has been withheld under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act as the information constitutes personal data relating to third parties which they would not expect to be made public.
Disclosure of this information is also likely to breach the first data protection principle in schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act, which relates to the fair and lawful processing of personal data.
Summaries of the outcomes of follow-up inspections into non-compliant results under the UK's statutory residues surveillance programme, operated under Council Directive 96/23/EC, are published in papers considered by the independent Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC). These can be seen at:
http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/vrc/reports/surveillance.html
These are available in the Library of the House, as mentioned in the answer I gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 530W.
These inspections revealed a number of different reasons for the presence of phenylbutazone in the carcases, including lack of awareness of the rules by some owners, not being able to trace ownership sufficiently far back to establish who may have administered phenylbutazone, and veterinary error in
18 Apr 2013 : Column 515W
not signing the horse out of the food chain after administration. There have also been cases where the non-compliance has arisen through that horse having unintended access to feed containing phenylbutazone prescribed for another horse. Inspections have not revealed deliberate or sufficiently serious shortcomings to consider prosecutions. Those interviewed have been reminded of the rules that require horses treated with phenylbutazone to be signed out of the food chain.
The chief veterinary officer and the Food Standards Agency CEO wrote a joint letter to the Veterinary Record reminding veterinarians of their responsibilities in this area, which can be viewed at:
www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/letter-from-defra-and-fsa-ref-horse-passports
and has been placed in the Library of the House.
Summaries of the results of follow-up inspections of non-compliant results from the Food Standards Agency's 100% testing programme, introduced from 30 January 2013, will also be considered by the VRC and published. Information from these inspections added to previous ones will provide more evidence on the most common reasons for these horses being presented for human consumption which can help target information campaigns to owners and their veterinarians.
Recruitment
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on advertising job vacancies in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009. [151084]
Richard Benyon: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days of work were carried out by officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on average in each of the last five years; and what the total salary cost was of officials in each year. [151106]
Richard Benyon: All civil and public servants employed by core DEFRA, its executive agencies and the majority of NDPBs (except those listed here) are expected, on average, to attend for 220.5 working days per year.
Public servants employed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are expected, on average, to attend for 221.5 working days per year.
Public servants employed by the Environment Agency are expected, on average, to attend for 222 working days per year.
The total salary costs for core DEFRA, executive agencies and NDPBs are shown on page 113 of the annual report and accounts which can be viewed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012--6
The costs in the annual accounts will also include additional work carried out through overtime costs.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 516W
Timber: EU Law
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to make UK companies aware of the implementation of the EU Illegal Timber (Due Diligence) Regulation. [151214]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA officials have engaged closely with UK companies and trade organisations throughout the development of the EU timber regulation and its implementation in the UK, raising awareness through regular stakeholder meetings and consultation. The National Measurement Office is responsible for enforcing the EU timber regulation in the UK and a key part of its remit is to raise awareness in the industry. To date the National Measurement Office has:
Set up a website and provided updates to the 2,700 individuals and companies that have signed up to its mailing list;
Worked with journalists to ensure the right message is put out in key trade publications;
Established and maintained regular contact with trade and business associations;
Organised, attended and presented at sector-specific seminars;
Attended trade shows and numerous meetings with individual companies and wider working groups;
Answered phone and e-mail enquiries from hundreds of individuals, companies and organisations.
Stakeholder engagement and awareness raising activities are a priority for the National Measurement Office over the next 12 months. It will be exploring all possible avenues for making UK industry aware of the EU timber regulation, and supporting UK companies in meeting their obligations.
International Development
Burma
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department provides to those affected by land confiscation in Burma. [151149]
Mr Duncan: DFID is working with civil society organisations to help establish procedures for access to legal aid over land disputes. DFID is also working through the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund with United Nations Habitat to pilot mapping technology, linked to the registration and digitisation of land ownership records, and to help formulate a prioritised land reform agenda including land tenure, development and administration.
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the proportion of people made homeless by Cyclone Nargis in Burma who have now been rehoused. [151248]
Mr Duncan:
DFID does not hold recent data on this issue. The fourth and final report prepared by the Tripartite Core Group in July 2010 assessed the status of repairs to dwellings for households who continued to live in the same compound as before Cyclone Nargis.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 517W
Of those households reviewed that were living in the same compound, 63% of shelters were fully repaired; 13% were almost fully repaired; 21% were partially repaired and 4% were not repaired.
Recruitment
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what amount her Department spent on advertising job vacancies in each year from 2005 to 2009. [150682]
Mr Duncan: In 2009 DFID upgraded the financial management system used to record all expenditure. Between 2005 and 2007 the financial management system did not record advertising expenditure as a specific item. The totals for 2008 and 2009 were £143,500 and £133,500.
Syria
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department will take steps to address lack of access to medicines, vaccines and other aspects of health care in the south-western parts of Aleppo city in Syria. [151317]
Justine Greening: The UK continues to support the provision of medical services and supplies inside Syria, including contested and opposition-held areas, although due to the nature of the security situation we are unable to name our partners or the geographical area in which they work. Our funding has provided over 147,000 medical consultations. We will continue to monitor the need for greater access to medicines, vaccines and other health care supplies in Aleppo.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports she has received on the provision of assistance to Lebanese families hosting Syrian refugees; and what steps her Department is taking to improve infrastructure in places in Lebanon where there is a high concentration of refugees to help them integrate into their host communities. [151319]
Justine Greening: The UK is providing £19,436,818 to Lebanon for support with the Syrian refugee response. UK-funded humanitarian partners are also delivering clean water, undertaking upgrades to sanitation infrastructure and providing schooling among Lebanese host communities. This support is benefiting thousands of Syrian refugees and Lebanese people alike. The UK has also funded British technical assistance to the Lebanese Government to support their work in responding to the humanitarian situation hosting Syrian and Palestinian refugees from Syria and Lebanese returnees.
Treasury
Computers
Mr Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers and (c) tablet devices his Department has purchased in the last two years. [151347]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 518W
Sajid Javid: HM Treasury receives its IT services under a contract signed in 2009. The contract is for five years duration and provides a fully managed shared ICT service, called off from the “Public Sector Flex” framework agreement.
The managed service includes the provision and maintenance of desktop computers and laptop computers necessary for the Flex service. In addition the Department has purchased seven specialist desktop computers.
Staff can be provided with a tablet device when there is an appropriate business need. The Department has purchased two tablet devices for departmental use.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2013, Official Report, column 100W, on excise duties: alcoholic drinks, (1) if he will provide a breakdown of the types of alcohol duty repaid under the drawback duty regime in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011; and what estimate his Department has made of the level of drawback duty regime fraud in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011; [151853]
(2) what methodology his Department uses to estimate the level of drawback duty regime fraud. [151854]
Sajid Javid: The drawback paid by alcohol tax type for the requested periods is as follows:
£ million | |
The most recent estimate of the level of drawback-related fraud available is 2009. In 2009 HMRC estimated the level to be approximately £25 million per annum. HMRC has a number of policies, and undertakes enforcement and compliance activity, to tackle drawback-related fraud.
The methodology for estimating the level of drawback related fraud was published in HMRC's Impact Assessment on “withdrawing warehousing for
18 Apr 2013 : Column 519W
export for claimants of drawback” dated 22 April 2009 published alongside the Budget that year. It is available at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2009/110
Financial Services: Cyprus
Dr McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of any UK financial assistance to Cyprus. [150947]
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of any UK financial assistance to Cyprus. [150139]
Greg Clark: Cyprus has officially requested financial assistance from euro area member states through the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Cyprus reached agreement with the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank on the key elements of a €10 billion financial assistance programme on 25 March 2013.
As part of that programme, the IMF has reached staff level agreement for a €1 billion Extended Fund Facility agreement with Cyprus. As a member of the IMF, the UK will be involved in any IMF contribution to the programme. The decision to provide IMF funding still has to be agreed by the IMF Board, on which the UK has a seat. The UK lends to the IMF as an institution and not to particular programmes; therefore it is not possible to provide an exact estimate of the UK's contribution to individual IMF programmes.
The programme has yet to be formally approved by the euro area-only ESM. The UK is not a member of the ESM and therefore has no exposure to financial assistance provided by it, either directly or indirectly through the EU budget.
Gift Aid: Kilmarnock
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many charities registered in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency applied for Gift Aid in each of the last five years; and how much Gift Aid was received by such charities in each of those years. [151789]
Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs does not separately identify Gift Aid claims by regions of the UK.
Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.1 on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/charity.htm
In 2011-12 a total of £1,076 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.
Inheritance Tax
Pamela Nash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from inheritance tax in (a) each Government office region, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last 30 financial years. [151847]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 520W
Mr Gauke: The number of estates paying inheritance tax left on death in 2009-10 by Government Office Region (GOR) is published in National Statistics Table 12.10, available from the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/inheritance/table12-10.pdf
For the 2008-09 “year of death”, the numbers are given in the following table:
Area codes | Region | IHT (£ million) |
This information is not available by region (GOR) for earlier years.
Data for future years will be published to the publication schedule which is available from the HMRC website at
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/updates/annual-plan.pdf
For Scotland, receipts of inheritance tax since 1998 are published in the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland publications and are available on the Scottish Government's website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/GERS/Publications
For Northern Ireland, the data are also published in its Net Fiscal Balance Report, available at :
http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/northern-ireland-net-fiscal-balance-report-09-10-10-11.pdf
This holds IHT receipts data going back to 2002/03 (table 4.3).
Note that in both the Scottish and NI publications the year refers to the year of receipt rather than the year of death. This means that the data will not match that from table 12.10 in the National Statistics. For years prior to those appearing in these reports the published receipts, net of repayments are as follows:
£ million | ||
Receipts | ||
Scotland | Northern Ireland | |
18 Apr 2013 : Column 521W
Separate data for England and Wales and information for earlier years are not available.
Minimum Wage
John Woodcock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions were brought against companies in each sector of the economy for breaches of minimum wage legislation in each of the last three years. [152032]
Mr Gauke: There have been two prosecutions in the last three years. Further details are in the following table:
Date | Employer | Standard Industry Classification |
Kenneth Nnaemeka Ikerunanwa (trading as Widescope Security Services) |
Mobile Phones
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to his Department; how much was paid under the contract in the last year for which figures are available; how many individual services are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; when the contract will next be renewed; and for how long. [151709]
Sajid Javid: Vodafone Corporate Ltd provides mobile telephony services to HM Treasury. The spend in the financial year 2012-13 was £225,000 (excluding VAT). The contract covers mobile, 3G and Blackberry services. The contract was awarded in January 2009 and will expire in April 2015. Plans to replace the current contract will be finalised in 2014.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1177W, whether there will be a maximum number of concurrent mortgages that can be covered by the proposed mortgage indemnity guarantee or mortgage subsidy schemes for individuals residing together in the same household at the time of application. [151960]
Sajid Javid:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1177W.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 522W
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will review the date at which cars become exempt from vehicle excise duty to ensure that classic cars are not lost as a result of falling outside the 40-year age requirement. [151308]
Sajid Javid: Budget 2013 announced that the Government will extend the cut-off date from which classic vehicles are exempt from vehicle excise duty (VED) by one year. From 1 April 2014 a vehicle manufactured before 1 January 1974 will be exempt from paying VED.
The Government keep all taxes under review.
Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used in (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible to determine which officials receive bonus payments. [151141]
Sajid Javid: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 600W, which set out the criteria for bonus payments at HM Treasury and its agencies.
Revenue and Customs
John Woodcock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in the HM Revenue and Customs national minimum wage team monitoring the north-west in each of the last five years. [152031]
Mr Gauke: The following table contains the number of staff based in the north-west at the end of March for each year requested:
Financial year | Number of staff |
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days of work were carried out by officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on average in each of the last five years; and what the total salary cost was of officials in each year. [151115]
Sajid Javid: The number of days worked by officials in the HM Treasury and its agencies could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Total salary costs for the Treasury Group are published annually in departmental annual report and accounts which are available on the following website,
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/dep_perf_reports_index.htm
and for 2011-12 the salary figures appear in Chapter 9, Section 6, Table 6.1.
18 Apr 2013 : Column 523W
Salary figures for the last five years are available as follows:
HMT Group permanent staff salary costs | |
£000 | |
The increase in total salary costs between 2010-11 to 2011-12 can largely be attributed to the Treasury Group expanding to include staff from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Money Advice Service.
Figures for 2012-13 will be published in due course.
Tax Allowances
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to provide support for families through the tax system. [151842]
Sajid Javid: This Government have increased the income tax personal allowance to £10,000, helping 25 million people, and by April 2014 will have taken a total of 2.7 million low-paid individuals out of tax altogether.
The Government have cut fuel duty. It now costs £7 less for a typical motorist to fill their tank, and it will cost £10 less by the end of the Parliament. The Government have also made funding available to help local authorities in England freeze their council tax for a third year in a row.
Additionally, at Budget 2013 the Government announced a new tax-free child care scheme to support working families. The new scheme will be phased in from autumn 2015, providing 20% of working families' child care costs, up to £1,200 per child each year. In the first year the scheme will be available to children under five, but will build up over time to include children under 12.
Taxation: Bingo
Mr Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on taxation of bingo. [151175]
Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
Mr Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent estimate he has made of the rate of gross profit tax levied on (a) bingo clubs and (b) bookmakers; and for what reasons the two rates are different; [151473]
(2) what recent consideration he has given to reducing the rate of bingo duty to 15%. [151475]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 524W
Sajid Javid: The rates of both general betting duty and bingo duty were set by the previous Government. Bingo duty is charged at 20% of gross profits and general betting duty is charged at 15% of gross profits. At Budget 2013 the Government left rates unchanged.
All taxes, including general betting duty and bingo duty, are kept under review.
Telephone Services
Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 602W, on telephone services, whether a UK landline number beginning with 01, 02 or 03 is publicly available as an alternative to the 0845 number in use by his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible. [151631]
Sajid Javid: The answer of 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 602W, on telephone services, stated that, while HM Treasury used 020 as the advertised number, the UK Debt Management Office (DMO), an executive agency of HM Treasury, had 10 0845 contact numbers on its website. The DMO has recently updated its website to provide an 02 number for all 10 contact points within the agency for which telephone numbers are provided. For the six contact points listed on the “contact us” page of the website, non-geographic 0845 numbers continue to be provided alongside the geographic (02) alternatives, because of the key business continuity advantage of continuous access to 0845 numbers in the event of an interruption to geographic telephone numbers.
Tonnage Tax
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) its predecessor Departments worked on administration of the tonnage tax scheme in each year since 2000-01. [151508]
Sajid Javid: In 2012-13 we estimate that HMRC had 5.5 staff units employed on tonnage tax administration. We do not hold this information for earlier years.
Welfare Tax Credits
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people employed on zero hours contracts received an incorrect payment of tax credits in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [151400]
Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on the type of work contract an individual claiming tax credits is under. It is the actual average hours worked that are material to entitlement. This information is therefore unavailable.
Defence
16 Air Assault Brigade
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of those trained parachutists currently serving within 16 Air Assault Brigade are classified as in-date. [151920]
18 Apr 2013 : Column 525W
Mr Robathan: The most recent figures show that 88% of trained parachutists currently serving within 16 Air Assault Brigade are classified as in-date.
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland in 2011-12. [145626]
Mr Francois: This information is not held in the format requested. A breakdown of visits by geographical area is being compiled, but will take some time. I will write to the hon. Member once the information has been collated.
Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Cathy Jamieson:
Further to my response to your Parliamentary Question of 7 March (Official Report, column 1127W) I promised to write to you with further details to your question about the breakdown, by UK Country, of the number of Armed Forces visits to schools and colleges in 2011-12. It is not possible to break this down by type of teaching establishment, but the number of visits have been broken down by Service and UK Country is detailed in the following table:
Country | Number of visits by the Royal Navy | Number of visits by the Army | Number of visits by the Royal Air Force |
These visits can comprise presentations, citizenship talks, meetings with staff, participation in career events, practice interviews and activities with the students. Activities with students can comprise science and maths challenges, and other indoor or outdoor exercises.
The Armed Forces do not visit schools for recruitment purposes and would only ever visit a school after being invited by a teacher to support school activities. Similar contributions to schools are made by the Police, Fire, Ambulance and other emergency services. The Armed Forces get numerous requests from schools each year and the three Services take these opportunities to explain to children their role to protect the nation and pass on valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork and citizenship.
Armed Forces: Sexual Harassment
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to address the findings of assessments of experiences of equality and diversity conducted in 3 Division in 2012 with respect to sexual harassment; and if he will make a statement. [151474]
Mr Francois: The British Army is committed to being fair and free from harassment, with a culture that supports diversity, where commanders at every level lead by example, and where all personnel feel valued and able to realise their full potential.
The Army is making tangible progress in delivering a more inclusive environment through a programme of initiatives that reflect best practice gleaned from the public and private sector. These include:
18 Apr 2013 : Column 526W
Improved interactive, scenario-based training, delivered by professional experts from outside the Army who are prepared to challenge their attitudes and perception. The training was doubled in 2012, and the Army is doubling this training again this year.
The introduction of a confidential Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination helpline in 2011, which enables our people to raise any concerns about their treatment directly with a dedicated team outside the chain of command.
Increased use of mediation to tackle and resolve concerns as early as possible.
The expansion of employee support networks.
Improved leadership and engagement from commanding officers based on greater understanding and awareness of their soldiers' perceptions.
This approach is kept under constant review and is informed by feedback from a wide range of sources, both internal and external, including representations from the chain of command.
All commanding officers are also made fully aware of their responsibility to protect others from the differing forms of harassment, physical and mental intimidation and discrimination.
All those who are found to fall short of the Army's high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act are dealt with administratively (up to and including dismissal) or through the disciplinary process, as applicable.