Figures for the number of absconds since 1995 are provided in the Prison Digest contained in the Prison and Probation Trusts Performance Statistics. This can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/163299/prison-performance-digest-2011-12.xls.xls
Reoffenders
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what offences were committed by offenders released on licence and classified as high risk during their licence period between 1997 and 2012. [153943]
Jeremy Wright: The figures cannot be provided. The information held centrally on prison discharges (which is used to identify those released on licence) does not currently include an assessment of risk.
Education
Child Minding
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisations and individuals are part of the Task and Finish Group for developing a childminder agency framework; how those organisations and individuals were chosen; and whether any organisations and individuals were invited to join that group but declined. [154002]
Elizabeth Truss: Our Task and Finish Group is made up of a wide range of representatives from across early education and child care, comprising private nurseries, national representative bodies, local authorities, Ofsted, the voluntary and community sector, children's centres, and childminder networks. These organisations were approached on the basis of their interest and expertise in early education and child care. The group is working with us to consider implementation options for childminder agencies, including possible operating models; to advise on the key requirements to be placed on agencies, with a view to shaping the secondary legislation; to help engage stakeholders and promote sector awareness and engagement in childminder agencies; and to assist in the trialling activity for childminder agencies.
The group's work, and the trials we are planning, will inform the legislation we are seeking to introduce through the Children and Families Bill, and the regulations that will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny in due course.
Children: Day Care
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effects of his More Great Childcare proposals on (a) childcare cost, (b) childcare quality, (c) the number of childcare places and (d) childcare providers. [154003]
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Elizabeth Truss: As set out in “More great child care”, our reforms are intended to: raise the status and quality of the work force; free high quality providers to offer more places; improve the regulatory regime; and give more choice to parents.
These reforms are intended to ensure that high quality providers have the freedom to recruit and retain higher calibre staff, thereby increasing the quality of the provision on offer while enabling providers to bear down on costs to parents.
More high quality providers will be supported and encouraged to enter the market, including through the creation of new child minder agencies. The increase in the availability of affordable, safe and stimulating care will support more families by enabling more parents to work as they choose.
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to publish the analysis of comparative costs and ratios of child care in industrialised countries supplied to his Department by Professor Helen Penn and Professor Eva Lloyd. [154004]
Elizabeth Truss: The report on the costs of child care carried out by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre will be published in due course with other documents relating to the Childcare Commission. A copy of this report will be placed in the Library upon publication.
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effect on female employment of his plans for childcare reforms in More Great Childcare. [154005]
Elizabeth Truss:
As set out in “More great child care”(1), our reforms are intended to raise the status and
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quality of the work force; free high quality providers to offer more places; improve the regulatory regime; and give more choice to parents.
More high quality providers will be supported and encouraged to enter the market, including through the creation of new child minder agencies. The increase in the availability of affordable, safe and stimulating care will support more families by enabling more parents to work as they choose.
(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/170552/More_20Great_20Childcare_20v2.pdf.pdf
Free School Meals
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each free school were eligible for free school meals in each of the last three years. [153917]
Mr Laws: The number of pupils in state-funded schools in England, including the number and proportion of pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals (FSM), is published as part of the annual “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics” report. The latest data are for January 2012 and are available on the Government's website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
FSM data collected in the January 2012 School Census have been published at school level including for the first 24 free schools that opened in September 2011. However, information about one school has been suppressed to protect information about individuals. There were no free schools open when the School Census took place in January 2010 or 2011. A table of data for these 24 free schools is attached.
| Free schools: Number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals(1), January 2012 | |||||
| DfE number | School name | Local authority | Number of pupils(2,3) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(2,3) | % of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals |
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| (1) Based on School Census, January 2012. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. (3) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. (4 )One or two pupils or a percentage based on one or two pupils. | |||||
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children receive free school meals in each (a) free school and (b) local authority area where a free school has been established. [153926]
Mr Laws: The number of pupils in state-funded schools in England, including the number of pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals (FSM), is published as part of the annual Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics’. The latest data are for January 2012 and are available on the Government’s website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
FSM data collected in the January 2012 School Census have been published at school level, including for the first 24 free schools that opened in September 2011. However, information about one school has been suppressed to protect individuals. These 24 schools are located in 22 different local authorities in England. A table of data for these 24 free schools and the relevant local authorities follows:
| Free schools: Number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals(1), January 2012 | |||||
| DFE number | School name | Phase | No. of pupils(2,3) | No. of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(2,3) | % of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals |
| State-funded primary and maintained nursery(4,5) | State-funded secondary(4,6) | |||||||
| DFE number | School name | Local authority | Number on roll | No. of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(2,3) | % of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | No. on roll | No. of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(2,3) | % of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals |
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| (1) Based on School Census, January 2012. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. (3) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (4) Includes middle schools as deemed. (5) Includes primary academies. (6) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. x = one or two pupils or a percentage based on one or two pupils. | ||||||||
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce which families in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for free school meals. [154026]
Mr Laws: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of Monday 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 839W.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons students attending sixth form colleges are not eligible for free school meals but those students who attend schools with a sixth form are. [154033]
Mr Laws: Students attending school sixth forms are entitled to free school meals because they continue to fall within the definition of “school” and “secondary education” in education legislation. Students attending sixth form colleges do not fall within those definitions and are not entitled to free school meals.
This is a long-standing issue, which my ministerial colleagues and I have considered in depth over recent months. While we agree that extending free school meal entitlement to all students in further education is desirable, there are not sufficient funds available in the current economic climate for central Government to make it a legal requirement.
GCE A-level
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) girls and (b) boys of each ethnic group achieved A* to E grades in (i) any and (ii) three or more A-levels in each local authority area in each of the last 15 years. [153928]
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Elizabeth Truss: In January 2010, official statistics covering KS5 attainment by characteristics were reviewed following concerns around the coverage, validity of LA comparisons and the consistency of KS5 characteristics when compared with other key stages. The decision was subsequently taken to discontinue the publication.
However, the Department's publication “Attainment by young people in England measured using matched administrative data: by age 19 in 2012” contains breakdowns for students achieving Level 3 qualifications by ethnicity, for those in the state sector at academic age 15(1).
Table 9 within the above publication gives the percentage of young people qualified to Level 3 by age 19 by ethnicity for the 2005-12 cohorts (where Level 3 equates to achievement of two or more A-levels or equivalent qualifications). Table 11 provides similar information for students who had turned 19 by the end of the 2011/12 academic year by the age they achieved Level 3 and ethnicity.
A-level and equivalent qualification attainment broken down by gender and local authority can be found within the Department's publication “Revised A-level and equivalent examination results in England: academic year 2011 to 20127”(2).
Table 9a within the “Additional Tables 1” link provides GCE A-level and equivalent results of state-funded students aged 16 to 18 by gender, local authority and region for all schools and FE colleges. Table 9b provides the equivalent data for state-funded school students only.
(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/attainment-by-young-people-in-england-measured-using-matched-administrative-data-by-age-19-in-2012
(2)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revised-a-level-and-equivalent-examination-results-in-england-academic-year-2011-to-2012
GCSE
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils of each ethnic group achieved (a) five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics and (b) A* to C grades at GCSE in both English and mathematics but excluding equivalents in each local authority in each of the last 15 years. [153954]
Mr Laws: The Department's Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics in England 2011/12’ includes a breakdown of achievements at GCSE and equivalent for pupils at the end of key stage 4 by ethnicity and local authority. The percentages requested in part (a) for the academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 can be found in Table 3 of the main SFR tables and numbers achieving are given in the publication's underlying data. The publication can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-in-england
Final data for 2011/12 have been made available since this publication in January 2013 and have been placed in the House Libraries. Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The information requested in part (b), the number and percentage of pupils of each ethnic group achieving A* to C grades at GCSE in both English and mathematics
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but excluding equivalents in each local authority has been placed in the House Libraries for 2011/12. Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
GCSE: Disadvantaged
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils of each ethnicity who were eligible for free school meals achieved five A* to C grades including English and mathematics excluding equivalents by (a) local authority and (b) ward in each year for which figures are available. [154819]
Mr Laws: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested. We are currently collating the data and will send it as soon as possible. I will also place a copy of the response in the House Libraries.
Private Finance Initiative
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which private finance initiative projects under his Department have been refinanced in each year since May 2010; what the value is of each such project; what the refinancing gain has been in each such case; and how much of any such gain the relevant Government body received through a (a) lump sum and (b) reduction in the unitary charge. [154714]
Mr Laws: No schools private finance projects in England are known to have been refinanced since May 2010.
The Department for Education does not hold information about refinancing of private finance contracts held by local authorities. This is because there is no obligation for these authorities to inform the Department in the event of refinancing.
Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act. [154530]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department has disseminated guidance issued by Cabinet Office entitled “The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012—advice for commissioners and procurers”(1) and carried out awareness sessions for all procurement staff in the Department and its agencies.
(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/79273/Public_Services_Social_Value_Act_2012_PPN.pdf
Schools: Finance
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what total amount was held in contingency funds by publicly-funded secondary and primary schools in the last year for which figures are available. [154010]
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Mr Laws: We do not collect information on contingency funds. The closest information we have is school balances for maintained schools which includes details of budget surpluses. All schools should have plans in place on how they will use their balances.
The available information on total revenue balances as reported by secondary and primary maintained schools
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in England for the financial year 2011-12 is set out in the following table. This is the latest year for which data are available. Data for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have been included for comparative purposes.
| All schools | Schools in deficit | Schools in surplus | ||||
| Total number of schools | Total revenue balance (£ million) | Number of schools in deficit | Total deficit (£ million) | Number of schools in surplus | Total surplus (£ million) | |
| Note: The total number of schools includes schools which are neither in deficit nor in surplus. Source: Section 251 return by local authorities. | ||||||
The Department does not hold aggregated data on contingency funds or balances held by academies.
Defence
Armed Forces
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much as a proportion of GDP was spent on the armed forces in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [154825]
Mr Philip Hammond: The Ministry of Defence uses NATO's definition for expenditure on Defence. Figures for expenditure (including expenditure from the Treasury Revenue in respect of Afghanistan) as a percentage of UK gross domestic product (GDP) are compiled and published for calendar years. In 2010 the figure was 2.7%; in 2011 it was 2.6%. The figure for 2012 will be published shortly.
Armed Forces: Compensation
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals are in receipt of payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. [153923]
Mr Francois: As at 30 September 2012 (the latest date for which data is available) 14,760 individuals were in receipt of compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Armed Forces: Internet
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take against any individual serving in the armed forces found to have been engaged in internet trolling. [153956]
Mr Francois: Internet trolling could involve online humiliation, intimidation, bullying or abuse of individuals or groups of people. Such behaviour is not tolerated in the armed forces and all reported incidents are thoroughly investigated. Where evidence is found, appropriate administrative or disciplinary action is taken.
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that armed forces' recruitment activities are in accordance with Article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and give priority to potential adult recruits over those who are not yet 18 years of age. [154054]
Mr Francois: The minimum age for entry into the UK armed forces is 16, which reflects the normal minimum school leaving age. The parents of all recruits aged under 18 years are involved from the outset and throughout the recruiting and training process; parental consent must be specifically obtained before an under 18 can undertake any assessment or selection activity and then again before he/she enlists.
In an increasingly competitive employment market, the UK will continue to recruit from the widest available talent pool from the age of 16 in order to sustain the required manning levels for its armed forces. However, we are very aware of the differing needs of every age group and we go to great lengths to ensure that their specific needs are met. The armed forces recognise and value individuals from diverse backgrounds who bring fresh ideas, knowledge, experience and talent.
When the UK endorsed the convention's protocol we also entered an interpretive declaration which stated that ‘the United Kingdom will take all feasible measures to ensure that members of its armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take part in hostilities’. Ministry of Defence policy explicitly states that under 18s are not to deploy on any operations outside of the UK, except where the operation does not involve personnel becoming engaged in, or exposed to, hostilities.
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Armed Forces: Resignations
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers who enlisted (a) aged under 18 years and (b) aged 18 years or above left the Army before completion of their Phase Two training in each financial year since 1999-2000. [154055]
Mr Francois: Information on the number of untrained regular soldiers who enlisted in the Army aged under 18 and 18 and above and who left before completion of their Phase Two training since 2007 is shown in the following table:.
| Age of soldiers on intake/enlistment who left before completion of Phase Two training | ||
| Year of intake (financial year) | Under 18 | 18 and over |
| Notes: 1. The figures are for untrained Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Territorial Army and all other Reserves, but include those personnel that have transferred from the Gurkhas to the Regular Army. 2. Age is on the date of intake. 3.The totals for 2012-13 relate to the period from April 2012 to February 2013. | ||
Information prior to 2007 is not held in the format requested.
Armed Forces: Young People
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits to the infantry were aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 or above at enlistment in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [154051]
Mr Francois: Information on the number of untrained regular soldiers enlisted into the infantry aged 16, 17 and 18 and above since April 2007 is shown in the following table.
| Age on intake/enlistment | |||
| Year of intake (financial year) | 16 | 17 | Over 18 |
| Note: The information is shown in recruiting years, which run from April to March. The figures are for untrained Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Territorial Army and all other Reserves, but include those personnel that have transferred from the Gurkhas to the Regular Army. Age is based on the date of intake.The totals for 2012-13 relate to the period from April 2012 to February 2013. | |||
Information prior to 2007 is not held in the format requested.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) infantry soldiers and (b) non-infantry soldiers were aged 21 years or below in each year since 2001-02. [154052]
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Mr Francois: The numbers of infantry and non-infantry soldiers aged 21 years or below in each year from 2007 are shown in the following table. Figures prior to 2007 are not held in the format requested.
| Infantry—Trained under 22 as percentage of Trained Infantry | Non-infantry—Trained under 22 as a percentage of all Trained Non-Infantry | |
| Notes: 1. Data for April 2013 is not available until 16 May 2013. Data as at 1 March 2013 has been provided. 2. Data is for other ranks only and excludes all Officers and Officer Designates. 3. The figures are for trained Regular Army only and excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, TA and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from the Gurkha Trained Adult Manpower to UK Trained Adult Personnel. | ||
Army: Length of Service
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of service is for a soldier who enlists in the Army (a) aged 18 years or above and (b) below the age of 18 years. [154053]
Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1260-1261W, to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert).
Depleted Uranium
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether alternatives to depleted uranium can be fired to test the propellant charge of CHARM3. [154612]
Mr Dunne: The propellant charge for the CHARM3 Round can be tested by firing variants that do not contain depleted uranium, but which will still inform the overall Life Extension Programme (LEP).
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 846W, and reiterate that the planned CHARM3 LEP does not involve the firing of depleted uranium.
Military Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Quick Reaction Alert flights from RAF Leuchars have required air-to-air refuelling in each of the last five years. [154736]
Mr Robathan: The number of days on which air-to-air refuelling has been launched to support Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft from RAF Coningsby and RAF Leuchars was eight in 2012 and nine in 2013 to date. Information for earlier years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information relating to air-to-air refuelling for aircraft scrambled from RAF Leuchars is not provided separately. Deterrence is a principal function of QRA and QRA is in turn an integral part of the air defence of the UK. The disclosure of information that might compromise
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the QRA deterrent capability, would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it takes to train an RAF pilot to become an unmanned aerial vehicles specific pilot; and how much such training costs. [154577]
Mr Robathan: The conversion of a qualified Royal Air Force pilot to a combat ready Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) pilot takes approximately six months. As with any flying training programme, the length of time taken to complete it can vary depending on factors such as weather, aircraft availability and student performance.
The Reaper RPAS conversion course is provided through a foreign military sales agreement. I am therefore withholding information on the cost of training pilots to fly the Reaper RPAS as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another state.
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long an unmanned aerial vehicle pilot is allowed to fly before being required to take a break. [154578]
Mr Robathan: Supervisory measures are in place to ensure effective management of crew fatigue as well as adequate breaks during missions. The frequency of breaks is dictated by factors such as the nature of the flying task, crew experience and competence. The maximum duty period, as for other RAF pilots, is 12 hours.
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a member of the UK Royal Air Force last flew an (a) US unmanned aerial vehicle and (b) UK unmanned aerial vehicle in Iraq. [154579]
Mr Robathan: The last time a member of the RAF flew a US remotely-piloted aerial vehicle in Iraq was in 2007. There were no RAF remotely-piloted aerial vehicles operating in Iraq. However, the Army last flew UK remotely-piloted aerial vehicles in Iraq in 2009.
Rehman Chishti:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a member of the UK Royal Air Force
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has flown a US
(a)
armed and
(b)
unarmed unmanned aerial vehicle in Iraq to date. [154580]
Mr Robathan: RAF personnel flew unarmed and armed US remotely piloted aerial vehicles in Iraq between 2004 and 2007.
War Pensions
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals are in receipt of payments from the War Pensions Scheme. [153925]
Mr Francois: As at 31 March 2012 (the latest date for which data are available) a total of 161,535 individuals were in receipt of an ongoing pension awarded under the War Pensions Scheme.
Church Commissioners
Minerals: Church of England
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Church of England has had with (a) Government Departments and (b) private sector energy exploration companies on mineral extraction rights on Church land. [154451]
Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners have been carrying out a programme of registering our manorial minerals interest with the Land Registry, prompted by the Land Registration Act 2002. We are on course to register all our interests before the 13 October 2013 deadline.
A document by the Land Registry can be viewed online at:
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/case-studies/church-commissioners-digitise-mapping-database.html
which provides more information about this project.
We currently extract some of our minerals interests across a number of locations within our severed and surface portfolio, typically in accordance with the terms of commercial option and leases to third party minerals extractors. The third parties are responsible for seeking planning approval.
To our knowledge we have had no other direct contact with the Government or other energy exploration companies in relation to our minerals interest. We are however in the process of carrying out a review of our minerals strategy.