Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 25 April 2013
House of Commons Commission
Energy
Helen Goodman: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to improve energy efficiency in the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate. [153179]
John Thurso: The Houses, acting as Parliament, have set a target to reduce absolute carbon emissions from energy use by 34% by 2020-21, against an independently validated 2008-09 base year. To meet the long-term targets intermediate annual targets are also set, and in 2012-13 Parliament met its annual target of a 12% reduction in absolute carbon emissions.
Parliament's Education Service: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Percy: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many schools in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber were involved in visits to the Palace of Westminster arranged through the parliamentary Education Service in each year since 2009. [153494]
John Thurso: The number of schools visiting Parliament (a) from the Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) from Yorkshire and the Humber through Parliament's Education Service in each year since 2009 is as follows:
| Brigg and Goole | Yorkshire and the Humber | |
Figures in the table represent the number of different schools visiting Parliament through the Education Service in each calendar year (some of whom booked more than one session).
Attorney-General
Assets
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what (a) assets and (b) liabilities are held by (i) the Law Officers Departments and (ii) its non-departmental public bodies with a value of (A) between £100,000 and £1 million, (B) between £1 million and £10 million, (C) between £10 million and £100 million and (D) over £100 million; what the value is of each item; and what assets are scheduled for disposal. [153623]
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The Solicitor-General: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Cost Effectiveness
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library (a) the Law Officers Departments’ response to HM Treasury’s requests for information on the value of departmental spending in terms of cost-effectiveness per unit cost in advance of the 2010 comprehensive spending review and (b) the data disclosed to HM Treasury on net present value per pound for resource spending. [153604]
The Solicitor-General: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Crown Prosecution Service: Complaints
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether he has appointed an independent assessor of complaints made about the Crown Prosecution Service. [153103]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is in the process of appointing an Independent Assessor of Complaints who will provide independent scrutiny of non-legal complaints from victims and witnesses against the CPS. This appointment supports the CPS's commitment to increasing public assurance and confidence in the service that it provides.
Crown Prosecution Service: Disclosure of Information
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General when the Director of Public Prosecutions will conclude his inquiry into the circumstances and substance of a leaked Crown Prosecution Service memo encouraging lawyers to keep cases in-house on the basis of cost and convenience; and whether the conclusions will be published in full. [153102]
The Solicitor-General: The Director of Public Prosecutions has now concluded his inquiries into the circumstances and substance of a leaked Crown Prosecution Service memo about the allocation of cases to advocates. The results of that inquiry and confirmation of CPS guidance on allocation of cases to advocates is set out in a letter from the Director to the Chairman of the Bar Council.
Crown Prosecution Service: Visits Abroad
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 469W, on visits abroad, for what reasons the Crown Prosecution Service spent £627,871 on foreign travel in 2012-13. [153111]
The Solicitor-General: The £627,871 referred to as expenditure on overseas travel and subsistence by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2012-13 in my answer of 17 April 2013 is broken down as follows:
(a) Liaison prosecutors £205,400. The CPS has liaison staff based in some major capitals assisting in evidence gathering to improve the prosecution of serious crime. They are funded from CPS operational budgets but work on behalf of all the investigative and prosecuting authorities in the UK.
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(b) Overseas capacity building deployments £299,300; these are costs associated with CPS staff based overseas delivering short and long-term assistance to UK law enforcement and security projects. Primarily they work as part of wider Government efforts to build sustainable prosecutorial capacity in source or transit countries for serious crime and terrorism.
(c) International liaison work £83,900; CPS International Division is responsible for the design and delivery of CPS international strategy. This includes the oversight and management of (a) and (b) above and is delivered to improve CPS prosecutions and/or reduce the impact of serious crime on the UK through the development of Rule of Law worldwide. Working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK law enforcement, DFID and others, this work requires international travel to priority jurisdictions as part of Government efforts to prepare, manage and deliver this challenging work.
(d) Live casework meetings with partner prosecuting authorities and conferences £45,500.
(e) Uncategorised £4,500—presumed to relate to casework meetings and conferences, details are not immediately available from central records.
These costs total £638,600. Since 17 April an additional £10,700 has been identified and charged to the CPS 2012-13 accounts, which are due to be published in June.
It is important to note that all of the costs in (b) and some in (c) and (d) are reimbursed to the CPS by other UK Government Departments, overseas governments in two instances (the US and Canada), and multilateral organisations (for example the UN and Eurojust). This work has developed over recent years and the role of the CPS in helping develop the Rule of Law worldwide is now an important part of a joined-up UK approach to justice and security. The work of CPS International Division generates external funding for long-term placements abroad; in 2012-13 the sums raised for CPS work abroad exceeded £l million.
Harassment and Sexual Offences
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Crown Prosecution Service maintains a record of the number of cases of (a) harassment or stalking and (b) indecent exposure that have been referred to it by the police for a charging decision in each of the last five years. [153104]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the offences or category of offences of (a) harassment or stalking and (b) indecent exposure referred for a charging decision. This information could be obtained only by examining all of the files sent to the CPS for charging advice, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Harassment: Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has carried out for harassment and stalking offences in each of the last five years; and what the conviction rates were. [153108]
The Solicitor-General:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the number of prosecutions, or the conviction rate, for harassment and
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stalking offences. This information could only be obtained by examining all of the CPS's files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
The CPS does record the number offences charged, rather than the number of defendants prosecuted, under sections 2 and section 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, which has been used by prosecutors to cover incidents described as harassment or stalking. Data for the last five financial years are summarised as follows:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| (1) New offences which came into force on 25 November 2012. These are Section 2A of Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (Stalking) and Section 4A of Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (Putting people in fear of violence or serious alarm or distress). | |||||
Homicide: Trials
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has assigned a single prosecuting barrister to a murder trial where there have been multiple defendants in each of the last five years. [153106]
The Solicitor-General: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data show that in the financial year 2012-13 a single advocate was instructed for the prosecution in 35 cases where there were multiple defendants sent for trial for the offence of murder. Two or more advocates were instructed in 107 cases involving multiple defendants. These data include cases which resulted in a guilty plea.
The CPS only started to capture this level of information in February 2012. The CPS did not collect this information before February 2012 and to capture the information now for the previous four years would require every murder case over that period to be identified and reviewed which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has assigned a single prosecuting barrister to a murder trial in each of the last five years. [153107]
The Solicitor-General: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data show that in the financial year 2012-13 a single advocate was instructed for the prosecution in 278 cases where a case was sent for trial for the offence of murder. Two or more advocates were instructed in 240 cases. These data include cases which resulted in a guilty plea.
The CPS only started to capture this level of information in February 2012. The CPS did not collect this information before February 2012 and to capture the information now for the previous four years would require every murder case over that period to be identified and reviewed which would incur disproportionate cost.
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Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what criteria are used in (a) the Law Officers Departments and (b) each public body for which he is responsible to determine which officials receive bonus payments. [151125]
The Solicitor-General: For senior civil service (SCS) staff members, the criteria applied by the Law Officers Departments follow Cabinet Office guidelines and include objectives relating to quality, efficiency, people and finance. Any subsequent performance-related pay awards would be based on individuals assessed as high performers. Only 25% of individuals would fall into this category. The CPS also employs a number of senior legal managers who operate at a level of seniority comparable with SCS, but who are in a delegated employment group. These individuals are assessed in a similar fashion to SCS grades. No other CPS staff receive any performance-related payment awards.
In the remaining Law Officers Departments, one-off, non-consolidated performance-related awards are made to individuals below SCS level who have received a high performance rating as part of the annual performance appraisal system. In addition, special performance-related awards are occasionally made to individuals in recognition of exceptional performance on specific tasks.
Procurement
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish details of all (a) the Law Officers Departments’ and (b) its non-departmental public bodies’ existing contractual commitments with a value of (i) between £100,000 and £1 million, (ii) between £1 million and £10 million, (iii) between £10 million and £100 million and (iv) over £100 million; what the (A) duration, (B) value including annual costs to the public purse, (C) expiry date and (D) purpose of each such contract is; and whether each such contract contains (1) renewal clauses and (2) early release clauses. [153642]
The Solicitor-General: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Robbery: Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has carried out for street robbery in each of the last five years; and what the conviction rates were. [153110]
The Solicitor-General: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provide an analysis of the outcome of proceedings, divided into 12 principal offence categories indicating the most serious offence with which the defendant was charged at the time of finalisation. The following table shows, in each of the last five years, the number of prosecutions and conviction rates for defendants whose principal offence was robbery.
| Total prosecutions | Conviction rate (percentage) | |
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The principal offence category of robbery comprises offences of robbery and assault with intent to rob. It is not possible to disaggregate these figures to show the breakdown of individual offences or the location of the robbery, such as a street. This information could only be obtained by examining all of the files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Scotland
Pete Wishart: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what (a) external organisations and (b) individuals the Law Officers Departments engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at such consultations; [153368]
(2) how many members of the Law Officers Departments' staff have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of this work; [153369]
(3) what meetings (a) he and (b) officials in the Law Officers Departments have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at such meetings; [153370]
(4) what work the Law Officers Departments have commissioned by external consultants in relation to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; which consultants were used; and how much any such consultancy has cost. [153371]
The Solicitor-General: The Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible have not engaged with any organisations or individuals outside of Government or commissioned any work from external consultants in relation to the Scotland Analysis programme. The Attorney-General and his officials have not held any meetings with the hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray). One member of staff (and his predecessor) in the Attorney-General's Office has worked on the Scotland Analysis programme as part of a wider portfolio of work on devolution issues. No additional costs have been incurred as a result.
Sexual Offences: Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has carried out for indecent exposure in each of the last five years; and what the conviction rates were. [153109]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the number of prosecutions, or the conviction rate, for indecent exposure offences. This information could only be obtained by examining all of the CPS's files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Offences of indecent exposure are prosecuted under Section 66 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The CPS central management information database does provide a record of the number offences charged under this section in respect of which a prosecution was commenced
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in the magistrates court rather than the number of defendants prosecuted. Data for the last five financial years are summarised as follows:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
In addition indecent exposure can be prosecuted as a public nuisance offence under common law. The number of these offences charged in the last five years is as follows:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
It is not possible to disaggregate figures to show separately the volume and outcome of proceedings for each individual offence on this list. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.
Official Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many officials in (a) the Law Officers Departments and (b) their non-departmental public bodies travelled on (i) domestic and (ii) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year; [152523]
(2) how many officials in (a) the Law Officers Departments and (b) their non-departmental public bodies stayed in hotels in (i) the UK and (ii) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year. [152547]
The Solicitor-General: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Official Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies travelled on (i) domestic and (ii) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year. [152522]
Jo Swinson: Unfortunately, due to the number of years involved, this question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate costs. For information, in June 2010 the Department introduced new control measures on official staff travel. The controls highlighted that all staff travel should be made only where a business need existed and using the most economical methods, with the default choice being standard or economy class travel. These controls continue to be applied now.
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Business: Advisory Services
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 879W, on the growth voucher scheme, by what date he expects the private sector delivery partner to be in place for the growth vouchers scheme. [152949]
Michael Fallon: At Budget 2013 the Government committed £30 million for an SME growth vouchers programme in England to test a variety of approaches to help SMEs overcome barriers to achieving growth.
BIS officials will shortly be calling for expressions of interest to deliver the programme, and establish a firm timeline.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 879W, on the growth voucher scheme, how many firms he expects to use growth vouchers in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15; and what projections or estimates he and officials have made in relation to this. [153254]
Michael Fallon: Further to my earlier answer, the Government has committed to test a variety of approaches to help small and medium-sized enterprises overcome barriers to growth.
We expect up to 25,000 micro businesses and small firms to benefit from growth vouchers over the next two years.
Business: Finance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what date he expects to have allocated the unallocated funding remaining in the small business tranche of the Business Finance Partnership. [153479]
Michael Fallon: We have allocated £87 million of the £100 million available under this tranche of the Business Finance Partnership to a portfolio of lenders who each meet the objectives of this programme, and who are also able to demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer. Based on terms agreed with the successful applicants the £87 million that has been allocated is expected to mobilise more than £240 million of new lending. The remaining funds available under this tranche of the Business Finance Partnership will be reallocated to investments aimed at supporting SMEs but no final decision has been taken on which channels will be used.
Business: Government Assistance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total value of the contract was that his Department put out to tender to deliver a strategic plan creating awareness of the Business in You campaign. [152942]
Michael Fallon: Strategic planning to create awareness for Business in You was managed in-house so no contract was awarded.
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Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2013, Official Report, column 449W, on business: Government assistance, how many firms were supported by the Growth Accelerator scheme in 2012-13. [152950]
Michael Fallon: 5,003 companies were supported by the Growth Accelerator scheme in its first 10 full months of operation to March 2013.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what date he expects funds under the Catalyst Fund for investment in small and medium-sized enterprises to be made available; and what process will be established for allocating those funds. [152994]
Michael Fallon: The Venture Capital (VC) Catalyst Fund is an extension to the Enterprise Capital Fund programme and is one of the first activities of the new business bank. It will bring forward additional investment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by investing in funds that specialise in early stage venture capital and are near to launch. Commitments will be made to funds from June 2013 to March 2015. Guidance for prospective fund managers has been published by Capital for Enterprise Ltd on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which sets out the criteria and competitive process through which funds will be selected. It is available at:
http://www.capitalforenterprise.gov.uk/files/ECF%20VC%20Catalyst%20Fund%20Guidance.pdf
Business: Postal Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from small business owners on the recent increase in Royal Mail postage prices. [153081]
Michael Fallon: The Department has received a small number of letters (circa 25) about concerns of small businesses over the recent increases in some of Royal Mail’s parcel postage prices.
The pricing of its services is the direct operational responsibility of Royal Mail. Where those services are regulated, the company has to work within the regulatory framework put in place by the independent regulator, Ofcom. This sets down parameters for the pricing of universal postal services.
Royal Mail recognises that its price increases will not be welcomed by some small businesses. However, as a commercial business operating in a competitive market, Royal Mail has to ensure that prices for its services reflect the cost of providing them and that it can continue to keep those services reliable and efficient.
Carbon Monoxide
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to commissioning a public information film to raise vital public awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. [152309]
Jo Swinson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him on 8 January 2013, Official Report, column 226W.
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Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what definition of reasonable royalty his Department uses for the licensing of revived copyright under the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as set out in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. [153267]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not currently use any such definitions.
This issue will be considered during the consultation process regarding the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Cost Effectiveness
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will publish details of all (a) his Department's and (b) its non-departmental public bodies' existing contractual commitments with a value of (i) between £100,000 and £1 million, (ii) between £1 million and £10 million, (iii) between £10 million and £100 million and (iv) over £100 million; what the (A) duration, (B) value including annual costs to the public purse, (C) expiry date and (D) purpose of each such contract is; and whether each such contract contains (1) renewal clauses and (2) early release clauses; [153641]
(2) if he will place in the Library (a) his Department's response to HM Treasury's requests for information on the value of departmental spending in terms of cost-effectiveness per unit cost in advance of the 2010 comprehensive spending review and (b) the data disclosed to HM Treasury on net present value per pound for resource spending; [153603]
(3) what (a) assets and (b) liabilities are held by (i) his Department and (ii) its non-departmental public bodies with a value of (A) between £100,000 and £1 million, (B) between £1 million and £10 million, (C) between £10 million and £100 million and (D) over £100 million; what the value is of each item; and what assets are scheduled for disposal. [153622]
Jo Swinson: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Cultural Relations: Australia
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the repatriation of Australian indigenous human remains from UK institutions. [138444]
Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Claims for the repatriation of human remains held in UK collections are for the trustees or governing authorities of the institutions involved to consider and the Government do not intervene. However, in 2005, the Government published, on behalf of the museums sector, “Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums”, which includes advice on dealing with repatriation claims.
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Direct Selling
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department issues to companies which use door-to-door selling on protecting elderly and vulnerable people. [153268]
Jo Swinson: Door-to-door selling is regulated by general consumer protection legislation, including the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 which outlaw misleading and aggressive commercial practices which affect or are likely to affect consumers' decisions, including vulnerable consumers. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), has published detailed and summary guidance for business on the regulations, available from the OFT website.
There are also specific regulations; the Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer's Home or Place of Work etc. Regulations 2008 (the doorstep selling regulations) providing additional protections in respect of consumer vulnerabilities when agreeing contracts in their home. These require the provision of pre-contractual information and allow a seven day period during which the consumer may cancel agreements made in their home. Written guidance for business is available on the
www.gov.uk
website, as is a DVD, “The Seven Day Cooling Off Period”.
EU Grants and Loans
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what date he plans to announce the breakdown of European Regional Development Fund funding for 2014 to 2020 to local enterprise partnership areas; and whether he plans in addition to publish a breakdown by local government region. [153477]
Michael Fallon: A decision on the allocation of Structural Funds within England has not yet been made. The Government hope to be able to announce indicative allocations to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) shortly. The Government have no plans to publish a separate breakdown by local government region.
Exports: Scotland
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Scotland on co-ordination of export strategy between Scottish Development International and UK Trade and Investment. [153057]
Michael Fallon: No direct discussions on export strategy with the First Minister of Scotland have taken place. However, the Minister for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, meets relevant Scottish Government Ministers and senior representatives from Scottish Development International to discuss trade and investment matters, with the aim of better co-ordinating activities and strengthening the already positive relationship that exists between the two organisations.
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Higher Education
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which higher education institutions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Universities and Science has visited since May 2010. [150502]
Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has visited the following universities in England:
University of the Arts, London
University of Cambridge
University of Exeter
Falmouth University
University of Huddersfield
Imperial College London
University of Keele
University of Leicester
University of Liverpool
London School of Contemporary Dance
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
University of Sussex
University of Plymouth
University of York
I have visited the following universities in England:
Anglia Ruskin University
Aston University
University of Bedfordshire
Birkbeck College
Birmingham University
Birmingham City University
University of Bradford
University of Bristol
Buckinghamshire New University
Cambridge University
University of Central Lancashire
University of Chester
The University of Chichester
City University
Courtauld Institute of Art
Coventry University
Cranfield University
Durham University
University of East Anglia
University of East London
Edge Hill University
University of Exeter
University of Gloucestershire
University of Greenwich
University of Hertfordshire
Imperial College London
Institute of Education
University of Keele
University of Kent
King's College London
University of Lancaster
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
University of London
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London Metropolitan University
London School of Economics and Political Science
London South Bank University
University College London
Loughborough University
University of Manchester
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
University of Nottingham
Nottingham Trent University
The Open University
University of Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
University of Portsmouth
Queen Mary, University of London
University of Reading
Royal College of Music
Royal College of Art
Royal Holloway, University of London
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Hallam University
University of Southampton
Southampton Solent University
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
Teesside University
University of Warwick
University of the West of England
The University of Winchester
University of York
Higher Education: Statistics
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) for how many years an individual student at a UK higher education institution appears as enrolled in data the Higher Education Statistics Agency currently collects; [153487]
(2) for the purposes of data gathering by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, what constitutes being a qualifier from a UK higher education institution; and whether this designation includes students across each year of study. [153488]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs).
An enrolment is counted as part of the HESA Standard Registration Population if the person is registered as studying a higher education aim at a UK higher education institution in the reporting period 1 August to 31 July. Our previous answer to PQ151431 on 18 April 2013, Official Report, columns 532-33W, stated that there were 2,496,645 enrolments in the academic year 2011/12—this included students from all domiciles who were active on full-time or part-time courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level at UK HEIs. A student appears in the Standard Registration Population as an enrolment in every year that they are active on their course; hence someone enrolled on a three year course will typically appear in the HESA data in each of the three academic years for which they are studying for their qualification.
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A person is counted within HESA's Qualifier Population if they gained a higher education qualification at any point in the reporting period 1 August to 31 July, regardless of whether this was their original qualification aim. My previous answer to PQ151431 on 18 April 2013, Official Report, columns 532-33W, stated that there were 787,205 qualifiers in the academic year 2011/12—this included students from all domiciles qualifying from full-time and part-time courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level from UK higher education institutions.
For more information on these statistics please refer to the Statistical First Release which was published by HESA on 10 January 2013.
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content& task=view&id=2667<emid=161
Official Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies stayed in hotels in (i) the UK and (ii) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year. [152546]
Jo Swinson: Unfortunately, due to the number of years involved, this question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate costs. For information, in June 2010 the Department introduced new control measures on official staff travel. The controls highlighted that all staff travel including overnight stays should be made only where a business need existed and using the most economical methods. These controls continue to be applied now.
New Businesses
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, OfficialReport, column 743W, on new businesses, how many pilot spaces for start-ups are currently open to businesses. [152953]
Michael Fallon: I regret that it has not proved possible to answer this question before Prorogation, but I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the reply in the Libraries of the House.
New Businesses: Ethnic Groups
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what meetings he had between November 2011 and March 2013 with ministerial colleagues and officials in Government Departments to discuss the Government’s review of barriers faced by some black and ethnic minority entrepreneurs in accessing business finance; [152598]
(2) how many working hours officials from his Department have spent in connection with the Government’s review of barriers faced by some black and ethnic minority entrepreneurs in accessing business finance. [152600]
Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2013, Official Report, column 850W.
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Nuclear Power: Training
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what amount of public funding has been committed to support the (a) National Skills Academy for Nuclear, (b) Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance, (c) Nuclear Training Network and (d) Supply Chain Apprentices for Nuclear; and for what period of time each such commitment has been made. [153670]
Matthew Hancock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Official Hospitality
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursements for working lunches and official entertainment in each of the last five years; and what the total cost was in each such year. [152661]
Jo Swinson: Unfortunately, due to the number of years involved, this question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate costs. For information, in June 2010 the Department introduced new control measures on hospitality and entertainment. Hospitality for internal meetings was withdrawn and guidance for the provision of entertainment for meetings was updated. This limited the provision of entertainment to those events where a business need could be demonstrated and the number of external visitors was higher than the number of departmental staff.
Procurement
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2013, Official Report, columns 123-24W, on procurement, what proportion of contracts were awarded to small and medium-sized businesses (a) directly and (b) through supply chains. [152943]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is not in a position to be able to identify what proportion of procurement contracts were won by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2012-13.
What we can provide are the data which identify the percentage by value of business placed with SMEs. This information is collected across Government and is the current metric used to measure performance against the target of 25% of activity with SMEs.
Between April and December 2012, based on the datasets available, BIS reported that a figure of 36% by value was achieved. This information relates to (a) directly awarded expenditure.
At present, BIS does not routinely collect the data for (b) through supply chains.
Recent work undertaken across Government has started to collect this information. Cabinet Office undertook an exercise to analyse indirect spend with SMEs against the top 100 cross-Government suppliers (66 of the top 100 have now provided those data).
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In relation to BIS, this would add an additional £23 million (across 22 suppliers) to our achievements in this area. As we move forward and commence identification of indirect spend with SMEs, we would anticipate this figure to increase.
This information has been collated from the following entities:
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service,
Culham Centre for Fusion Energy,
Higher Education Funding Council for England,
Intellectual Property Office,
National Measurement Office,
Skills Funding Agency,
Student Loans Company,
UK Trade and Investment Administration,
RCUK and the seven Research Councils,
Insolvency Service.
We do not have and cannot provide data for all other BIS partner organisations and they will need to be approached individually if this level of detail is required. To extract the full information across all partner organisations would involve a significant programme of work which would be disproportionate in cost to collect. The information collated above covers the majority of spend across BIS and partner organisations.
Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. [153120]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has introduced steps to give consideration to and adhere to the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
At the pre-procurement stage for all service contracts above the threshold, BIS considers how the proposed service might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the “relevant area”. BIS also has the opportunity to consider whether and how widely any consultation will be undertaken.
This will be particularly relevant whenever services are delivered directly to citizens.
Any outcomes from these deliberations/consultations will be built into the specification, the evaluation model and the contract to ensure robust delivery of the required outcomes.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 881W, on Regional Growth Fund, if he will list the (a) awards from round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund which are still to receive their final offer and (b) monetary value of those awards. [152940]
Michael Fallon: There are two bids from round 2 yet to receive final offer letters. Due to commercial sensitivity, details of these bids cannot be disclosed until negotiations have been completed.
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Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many winning bidders to the third round of the Regional Growth Fund, by region, have (a) received an agreed offer, (b) received a final offer letter, (c) drawn down funding, (d) not yet received a final offer letter, (e) received a final letter offer but not yet drawn down funds and (f) withdrawn. [152941]
Michael Fallon: I will update the House on contracting progress for rounds 1, 2 and 3 next month, once we have concluded discussions with all applicants.
As set out in my written ministerial statement of 22 January 2013, Official Report, column 3WS, 123 applicants to round 3 received conditional offer letters. The regional breakdown of these offers is set out as follows.
| Region | Conditional Offer Letters |
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2013, OfficialReport, column 881W, on Regional Growth Fund, which contracts of what value have been moved from round 2 onto the round 3 timetable of the Regional Growth Fund to date. [152952]
Michael Fallon: In January 2013, 17 bids from round 2 were notified that they would be granted an extension to 19 April 2013. 11 of these bids have now received final offer letters for a total of £77 million. Four bidders have withdrawn. Details of a further two bids cannot be disclosed until negotiations have been completed.
A full update on rounds 1, 2 and 3 will be provided to the House in a written ministerial statement next month.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many individual awards from round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet received a final agreed offer; and what the monetary value is of each of those awards. [153478]
Michael Fallon: There is one bidder from round 1 with whom we are yet to agree a final position. Due to commercial sensitivity, details of this bid cannot be disclosed until negotiations have been completed.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bids were received for funds under round 4 of the Regional Growth Fund. [153480]
Michael Fallon: A total of 309 round 4 applications were received.
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Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 881W, on Regional Growth Fund, under the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund (a) how many applications for funds have been received, (b) how many inquiries regarding potential applications for funds have been received and (c) how many grants have been made to date. [153481]
Michael Fallon: To date there have been seven applications for exceptional Regional Growth Fund support. Three awards have been made in principle but no final terms have been agreed on these.
Scotland
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) external organisations and (b) individuals his Department engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting. [153287]
Michael Fallon: Work on the Scotland Analysis programme is being carried out across Government by policy experts in relevant areas. There is a small team in the Treasury co-ordinating the programme.
BIS Ministers and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Meetings held or attended by Ministers and senior officials can be found on the BIS website.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many members of his Department's staff have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; and at what cost to the public purse. [153288]
Michael Fallon: Work on the Scotland Analysis programme is being carried out across Government by policy experts in relevant areas. There is a small team in the Treasury co-ordinating the programme. The cost of carrying out the work is being funded from existing departmental budgets in the normal way.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings he or his officials have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting. [153289]
Michael Fallon: There have been no such meetings with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), as part of the UK Government's Scotland Analysis programme. Meetings held or attended by Ministers are routinely published as part of the Department's quarterly transparency returns and can be found on the BIS website.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what work his Department has commissioned by external consultants in relation to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; which consultants were used; and at what cost to the public purse. [153290]
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Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not commissioned external consultants in its work on the Scotland Analysis programme.
Shops
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate (a) the number of independent shops in England and (b) how many such shops have closed in each of the last five years. [153054]
Michael Fallon: There is no agreed definition of “independent”. However, on 23 April 2013 the Office for National Statistics published figures on their website showing the total number of births, deaths and active enterprises in England in the retail sector by employment size band, sole proprietor and partnerships only, (excluding motor vehicles and motor cycles) from 2007 to 2011. This information is summarised as follows:
| Births, death and number of active sole proprietors and partnerships in the retail sector, 2007-11 | |||
| Active | Births | Deaths | |
Street Trading
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of compliance with the European Services Directive on street trading and pedlary on existing legitimate market traders. [153198]
Jo Swinson: This Department has recently consulted on proposals for reform of the street trading and pedlary regimes to ensure compliance with the European Services Directive.
The responses to the consultation are being analysed and the Government's response will include an assessment of the impact of any changes on existing legitimate street traders.
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what resources his Department plans to allocate to enforcing new laws on street trading and pedlary. [153199]
Jo Swinson: This Department has recently consulted on changes to the street trading regime to comply with the European Services Directive.
We are currently analysing the responses so are unable to say at this time what necessary resources, if any, will be allocated to enforce new laws on street trading and pedlary.
A Government response will be issued in the summer.
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what advice his Department has provided to police forces who wish to update their application process for pedlars' certificates. [153238]
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Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has recently consulted on a proposal to repeal the Pedlars Acts to ensure compliance with the European Services Directive. A small number of UK police forces have responded to the consultation.
We are currently analysing the responses and will issue a Government response in due course. BIS has therefore not provided any advice to police forces.
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many and what proportion of applications for pedlars' certificates were refused by each police force in England and Wales in each year from 2000 to 2012; [153248]
(2) what reasons were recorded for the refusal of an application for a pedlar's certificate by each police force in England and Wales in each year from 2008 to 2012. [153253]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has recently consulted on the repeal of the Pedlars Acts to ensure compliance with the European Services Directive. A small number of UK police forces responded to the consultation.
Unfortunately, BIS does not have the requested information and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish his Department's response to its recent consultation on street trading and pedlary laws. [153272]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and intends to publish the Government's response in the summer.
Timber: Russia
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the level of wood chip imports for use in the energy sector was from Russia in 2012. [152693]
Michael Fallon: Data on wood chip imports (values and quantities) are published by HM Revenue and Customs on their website:
www.uktradeinfo.com
In 2012, the UK imported a total of £76,000 of wood chips (SITC 246) from Russia, weighing around 500 tonnes.
UK Trade and Investment
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the capacity of UK Trade and Investment to respond efficiently to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on progress made to assist small business company leads that FSB sends them. [153058]
Michael Fallon:
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has the capacity to respond efficiently to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on progress made to assist small company leads. Owing to an oversight, the leads provided to UKTI following the FSB’s survey last autumn were not sent to UKTI’s regional trade teams. That
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information has now been circulated and the regional trade teams will be following up with the companies which expressed an interest in being contacted by UKTI.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to commission an assessment of the efficiency of UK Trade and Investment by an independent auditor making professional recommendations. [153059]
Michael Fallon: The efficiency and effectiveness of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is already subject to routine independent assessment by the National Audit Office, which also completed a full value for money study of UKTI export services in 2009. The full report is available at the following link.
http://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/uk-trade-investment-trade-support-2/
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK Trade and Investment staff are tasked with specifically supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. [153063]
Michael Fallon: 90% of the businesses using UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) trade services are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): all of UKTI’s front-line staff are tasked with supporting these firms.
University Technical Colleges: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons the recent bid for a university technical college in Peterborough was not successful; and if he will make a statement. [152958]
Elizabeth Truss: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Education.
The University Technical College (UTC) application round was a competitive process. The proposal to establish a UTC in Peterborough was not as strong as other applications, particularly on its education vision, its education plan, and evidence of demand and marketing.
The Peterborough applicants may wish to apply again, and the Department has already announced its commitment to invite further applications for UTCs in due course. An outline of the plans for the next round and a timetable is now available on the Department's website. The How To Apply guidance and application form are expected to be released in May, with a deadline of applications to be sent to the Department in September.
Unmanned Air Vehicles: Exports
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons his Department is allowing the export of components for the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle by Ultra Electronics without an export licence. [153048]
Michael Fallon:
An export licence is required where an item is subject to strategic export controls. The controls apply to items listed in a “control list” (primarily the UK Military List or the EU Dual-Use List); where export of that item to a particular country is restricted
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or prohibited by sanctions in place against that country; or, where export of that item is subject to an “End-Use Control” (these apply to items which are not on any control list but where there are concerns that the items may be intended for use in connection with a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programme, or for a military end-use in a country subject to an arms embargo).
Items that do not fall within any of the above categories are not subject to strategic export control and therefore do not require an export licence, regardless of the ultimate destination or end-use of the item.
Vocational Training
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what funding his Department intends to provide for the delivery of traineeships in the 2013-14 academic year; [153324]
(2) how many traineeship places will be available to people aged (a) 16 to 18 and (b) 19 to 24 in the 2013-14 academic year. [153337]
Matthew Hancock: In the discussion paper that we published in January, we set out our intention that traineeships for eligible 19 to 24-year-olds would be funded using the Adult Skills Budget.
It is our intention that traineeships will be a demand-led programme. Therefore the number of places funded would reflect the number of employers and education and training providers who choose to offer a place and the number of eligible young people who wish to take one.
We received an excellent response to our discussion paper with over 450 responses from employers, providers and other organisations. We are continuing to work through the final details of the traineeships programme and will publish further information shortly.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what qualifications individuals will receive at the completion of their traineeship study programme. [153336]
Matthew Hancock: In the discussion paper which we published in January, we set out our intention that as part of a traineeship, young people would study English and maths where they have not yet achieved GCSE A*-C. We also proposed that education and training providers and employers would have the flexibility to include other relevant education or training, leading to the achievement of academic or vocational qualifications where that helps young people to move successfully into apprenticeships or other work.
The aim of a traineeship would be to support young people to get the practical skills and experience they need to secure an apprenticeship or sustainable job as quickly as possible.
We received an excellent response to our discussion paper with over 450 responses from employers, providers and other organisations. We are continuing to work through the final details of the traineeships programme and will publish further information shortly.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bangladesh
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Bangladesh on recent attacks on ethnic minorities by Islamic extremists in that country. [153244]
Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the recent violence and deaths in Bangladesh, many as a result of force by law enforcement agencies. The promotion of human rights is at the very heart of this Government's foreign policy. We strongly condemn any instances of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups. We continue to raise our concerns over attacks on minorities. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend, Baroness Warsi, raised these issues directly with the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, during her visit to Bangladesh in February.
Our high commissioner in Dhaka also called for the Bangladesh Government to ensure a transparent investigation into the violence is conducted in a meeting with the Dr Dipu Moni, on 7 March. On 13 March Baroness Warsi issued a statement expressing the UK's concerns and urged all sides to exercise restraint, moderation and respect for rule of law.
The British Government respects the right for all citizens to hold their government to account including through legitimate and peaceful protests. But, as Baroness Warsi said during her visit to Bangladeshi in February, we are clear that violence and vandalism have no place in legitimate protests. The economic and social cost of strikes and other forms of disruption is damaging to individuals, business, and the nation. We hope therefore that parties can resolve differences through dialogue and discussion, and that citizens are able to freely raise their concerns or grievances through peaceful means, without fear of retaliation or attack.
British Nationals Abroad: Death
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bodies of UK nationals killed or murdered abroad were repatriated to the UK in the last year; and from which countries they were repatriated. [153211]
Mark Simmonds: Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides a range of support in the cases of UK nationals killed or murdered abroad, information on the nature of the assistance we provide is not recorded in a way that can be easily searched. In the last year (April 2012 to March 2013) the FCO recorded 3,391 deaths that were not natural or suicides. To provide more information on the nature of the assistance provided in all these cases, including those which have involved repatriation, would involve a disproportionate cost.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals were victims of (a) murder and (b) manslaughter overseas in each of the last five years; and from which countries UK nationals killed abroad were repatriated in each such year. [153214]
Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on the total number of UK nationals who are victims of murder and manslaughter overseas, because we can only capture information about those cases that come to our attention.
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The FCO has provided assistance to the following number of murder and manslaughter cases in each of the last five years:
| Number | |
| (1) Up to and including February 2013 | |
To provide more information on the nature of the assistance provided in these cases, including those which have involved repatriation, would involve a disproportionate cost. This is due to the way information is held on our databases.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether public financial support has been given to families of British nationals killed abroad in order to repatriate their bodies to the UK in the last 12 months. [153235]
Mark Simmonds: In the last 12 months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not provided any financial support directly to families of British nationals killed abroad in order to repatriate their bodies to the UK.
The FCO's policy on repatriation is that we do not pay for this service. This is stated in our public guide. Support for British Nationals Abroad.
The FCO does however provide partial funding to specialist external partners for a range of services which we cannot provide. Some of these partners can pay for repatriation. For example, our partner Victim Support Scotland paid £3,000 for the repatriation of a British national during this period.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign nationals killed in the UK were repatriated in each of the last five years; and at what cost to the public purse. [153264]
Mark Simmonds: As this question concerns foreign nationals killed in the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office docs not hold this information.
Cost Effectiveness
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library (a) his Department's response to HM Treasury's requests for information on the value of departmental spending in terms of cost-effectiveness per unit cost in advance of the 2010 comprehensive spending review and (b) the data disclosed to HM Treasury on net present value per pound for resource spending. [153612]
Mr Lidington: It is not possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Iraq
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iraq on their policy of group executions; and whether he has drawn to the attention of that Government the UK policy of opposing judicial executions. [153582]
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Alistair Burt: The Government is deeply concerned by Iraq's continued application of the death penalty, including public group executions, and we have made a number of representations to the Government of Iraq about this. The UK joined an EU demarche to the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad on 27 September 2012, and co-sponsored an event in Baghdad to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty in October 2012. In April 2013, our Ambassador to Iraq joined other EU Heads of Mission as a signatory to an article expressing concern at Iraq's use of the death penalty, which called on the Government of Iraq to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The conclusions of the EU Foreign Affairs Council of 22 April also call on the Government of Iraq to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Nigeria
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent of violence towards Christians in Nigeria. [153257]
Mark Simmonds: We remain deeply concerned by attacks carried out by violent extremists that have caused suffering in communities of all faiths and ethnicities, especially in northern and north eastern Nigeria.
The UK, through the British high commission in Abuja and DFID, continues to work with the Nigerian Government on building their capacity in counter-terrorism as well as to support inter-faith dialogue.
Palestinians
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Israel on securing water supplies to Gaza. [153434]
Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the access to water for Palestinians in the west bank and particularly Gaza, where 90% of drinking water does not meet international standards. We are also concerned about the depletion of the coastal aquifer. The Government’s position was set out by the spokesperson for International Development, the noble Baroness Lady Northover in a debate on this issue in the other place on 3 July 2012, Official Report, columns 644-57.
The UK regularly discusses issues of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current unacceptable situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the west bank and Gaza.
The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the middle east is of great concern to us. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.
Although this issue transcends the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is essential that Israel and the Palestinians discuss this issue and ensure that there is a just solution on shared water resources as part of any final status agreement.
Assets
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) assets and (b) liabilities are held by (i) his Department and (ii) its non- departmental public bodies with a value of (A) between
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£100,000 and £1 million, (B) between £1 million and £10 million, (C) between £10 million and £100 million and (D) over £100 million; what the value is of each item; and what assets are scheduled for disposal. [153631]
Mr Lidington: Information relating to assets and liabilities held by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its non-departmental public bodies is a matter of public record, and appears in the FCO's annual report and accounts. A consolidated Statement of the FCO's Financial Position as at 31 March 2012, including details of assets held for sale, can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32880/annual-report-accounts-2011-12.pdf
Procurement
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish details of all (a) his Department's and (b) its non-departmental public bodies' existing contractual commitments with a value of (i) between £100,000 and £1 million, (ii) between £1 million and £10 million, (iii) between £10 million and £100 million and (iv) over £100 million; what the (A) duration, (B) value including annual costs to the public purse, (C) expiry date and (D) purpose of each such contract is; and whether each such contract contains (1) renewal clauses and (2) early release clauses. [153650]
Mr Lidington: This information is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate costs to obtain. However, links to our contract data base can be found on the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/what-we-spend-and-how-we-spend-it
Scotland
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) external organisations and (b) individuals his Department engaged with as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting. [153299]
Mr Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The FCO is engaging with independent experts including think tanks and academics.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of his Department's staff have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; and at what cost to the public purse. [153300]
Mr Lidington: Work on the Scotland Analysis programme is being carried out across Government by officials in relevant areas. There is a small team in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) which works on devolution-related issues, including the FCO's contribution to the programme. The cost of carrying out the work is being funded from existing departmental budgets in the normal way.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he or his officials have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis programme; and what was discussed at each such meeting. [153301]
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Mr Lidington: There have been no such meetings.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work his Department has commissioned by external consultants in relation to work on the Scotland Analysis programme; which consultants were used; and at what cost to the public purse. [153302]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, together with the Office of the Advocate-General and Cabinet Office, commissioned work from independent legal experts, Professors James Crawford and Alan Boyle. The opinion of Professors Crawford and Boyle on the international law aspects of the debate on Scottish independence was subsequently published in annex A to the first paper in this series and can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scotland-analysis-devolution-and-the-implications-of-scottish-independence
It is not standard practice to disclose the cost of any legal advice obtained.
South Sudan
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request that the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei investigates reported shootings in Abyei, South Sudan, on 16 April 2013 and 20 April 2013, and establishes the identities and affiliations of those responsible. [153388]
Mark Simmonds: We are aware of allegations of two shootings in Abyei in recent days. We have passed these on to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNISFA, both in New York and locally, and are awaiting further information. We would expect the results of any investigation to be covered in reporting to the UN Security Council.
We have consistently called on the Sudanese Government to withdraw security forces from Diffra in accordance with UN Resolution 2046.
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of shootings in Abyei, South Sudan, on 16 April 2013 and 20 April 2013. [153389]
Mark Simmonds: We are aware of allegations of two shootings in Abyei in recent days. We have passed these on to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNISFA, both in New York and locally, and are awaiting further information. We would expect the results of any investigation to be covered in reporting to the UN Security Council.
We have consistently called on the Sudanese Government to withdraw security forces from Diffra in accordance with UN resolution 2046.
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to UN Resolution 2046 (2012), what steps he is taking to encourage the Sudan armed forces to leave Diffra in the Abyei area of South Sudan. [153673]
Mark Simmonds: We are aware of allegations of two shootings in Abyei in recent days. We have passed these on to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNISFA, both in New York and locally, and are awaiting further information. We would expect the results of any investigation to be covered in reporting to the UN Security Council.
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We have consistently called on the Sudanese Government to withdraw security forces from Diffra in accordance with UN Resolution 2046.
Sudan
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UNAMID fulfils its mandate actively to protect civilians in Darfur. [153358]
Mark Simmonds: As acknowledged in a report of 10 April to the UN Security Council by the UN Secretary-General, the UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) could be more effective in carrying out its mandate to protect civilians. Last year's United Nations review of uniformed personnel was timely and welcome, highlighting the changing nature of the conflict in Darfur and outlining a series of recommendations to ensure a more effective and efficient use of uniformed resources to better meet the mission's mandate. A review of civilian personnel is ongoing. We are encouraging the implementation of recommendations from both reviews and will continue to support UNAMID, including through helping troop contributing countries to prepare better to carry out the mission's protection of civilian mandate. Officials have discussed the effectiveness of the mission on a number of occasions over the past few months with the newly appointed Joint Special Representative Mohamed Ibn Chambas. The restrictions on movement imposed by the Government of Sudan are also a significant challenge to the mission's ability to fulfil its mandate, an issue we raise regularly in Security Council consultations as well as with the Government of Sudan. The primary responsibility for protecting civilians remains with the Government of Sudan.
Sudan and South Sudan
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation of Christians in Sudan and South Sudan. [153202]
Mark Simmonds: The constitution of Sudan provides protection for the rights of different religions, but the freedom of worship for Christians has come under pressure since the secession of South Sudan. We have received an increased number of reports in recent months of intimidation and threats to Christians and to church premises both from other groups and from parts of the Sudanese security services. We are aware of reports that the Sudanese Government will no longer grant licenses for building new churches. We are concerned by recent instances of non-Sudanese Christians being asked to leave the country without justification. We have also received reports of churches being deliberately targeted in the conflicts in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, but have not been able to verify these reports.
Embassy Officials in Khartoum, together with European Union colleagues, have met members of the Sudanese Government to raise our concerns, including in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Religious Guidance and Endowments. In particular we have urged them to investigate attacks on Christian individuals and property. We will continue to remind the Government of Sudan of their obligation to respect freedom of religion. I also met recently with Archbishop Daniel Deng Bui of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and South Sudan to discuss these issues.
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We have not received any information to give us cause for concern about the treatment of Christians in South Sudan.
Tibet
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with international organisations about the situation in Tibet. [153413]
Mr Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) of 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 473W, and my answer to the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) of 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 504W.
We continue to work closely with our international partners and multilateral organisations to promote the rights of Tibetan communities, and to encourage the resumption of meaningful dialogue, which we view as the best way of resolving continued tensions in Tibet. We raised Tibet through the EU at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2012. I also issued a statement on 17 December alongside the US, the EU and Canada, which set out our concerns.
Official Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies travelled on (i) domestic and (ii) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year; [152532]
(2) how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies stayed in hotels in (i) the UK and (ii) every other country during the last five years; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest such hotel expenses in each such year. [152556]
Alistair Burt: Value for money is the top priority in our travel and accommodation arrangements. We are committed to ensuring that travel is as cost-effective as possible, particularly in the current climate of reducing departmental budgets. We are continually looking for ways to get better value out of our spend on travel in the context of wider work on reducing overheads and resources devoted to corporate services.
We encourage secure videoconferencing around the FCO network in a further effort to reduce the number of flights needed. However, face to face meetings are a vital part of diplomatic work and this necessarily involves travel. Senior civil servants are expected to undertake a heavy work load of travel to help promote UK interests throughout the world. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot achieve its objectives without overseas travel.
We do not hold the information in the format requested and it would be available only at disproportionate cost.
The following costs are for air, rail and hotel bookings combined made through the FCO travel management company (Hogg Robinson Group plc) and do not include all bookings made through local travel agencies, which would be available only at disproportionate cost.
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| International travel and hotel costs | |
| £ | |
| Domestic travel and hotel costs | |
| £ | |
Since 2011, the FCO has used a single supplier for all domestic travel. Prior to this, officers purchased tickets from their own funds or using their corporate credit cards and were reimbursed for actual costs.
Much of these data are already published and available through the Government procurement card data which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-procurement-card-data
As part of its commitment to openness, the FCO also publishes the business expenses and hospitality of its senior London-based staff. These include travel costs, and are subject to detailed Cabinet Office and internal guidance and regular audit. Details can be found at
http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fco-senior-staff-expenses-and-hospitality
The FCO does not hold data for non-departmental public bodies. We have received the following responses:
Due to the way their costs are recorded, the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, the Foreign Compensation Commission and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are not able to provide these details without disproportionate costs.
Wilton Park were able to provide an overall cost for air, rail and hotel bookings:
| £ | |
The Great Britain China Centre provided the following figures:
| £ | |
FCO Services were able to provide the following breakdowns:
| Domestic travel | |
| £ | |
25 Apr 2013 : Column 1057W
| International travel | |
| £ | |
I will write to my hon. Friend when the data are available for British Council and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Energy and Climate Change
Offcial Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his (a) Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies travelled on (i) domestic and (ii) international flights in each of the last five years; in which class categories; at what total cost; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest airfare charges in each such year. [152530]
Gregory Barker: The Department and its NDPBs are unable to identify the number of officials travelling, split between international and domestic flights and according to class of flight, without incurring the disproportionate cost of retrieving and scrutinising individual invoices from our travel management company. We are not, therefore, able to identify the 20 most expensive individual flights within the cost limit. The tables show total expenditure on flights, split between international and domestic and, where available, by class of flight since DECC was established in October 2008.
Not all NDPBs are able to provide information for earlier years or to distinguish between domestic and internal flights without incurring disproportionate costs. The tables therefore show a total for NDPBs and indicates which NDPBs are included.
| Core DECC domestic air travel | |||||
| £000 | |||||
| Air tickets | |||||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| Core DECC international air travel | |||||
| £000 | |||||
| Air tickets | |||||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
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| NDPBs Air Travel | |||||
| £000 | |||||
| Air tickets | |||||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| n/a = Not available. (1) For NDPBs the 2008-09 and2009-l0 represents data from only the Coal Authority, for the remaining years it represents data from all of the NDPBs | |||||