Overseas Aid
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much finance the Government have provided to Israeli settlements (a) directly and (b) indirectly through procurement, tax benefits or participation in bilateral programmes since 2005. [157595]
Alistair Burt: The Government's position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. No UK public funds have gone in direct support of settlements. Due to the complexity and cost to the taxpayer, we have not made an assessment of possible indirect finance through the cited mechanisms since 2005.
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Scotland
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998. [156229]
David Mundell: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Scotland Office.
The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 to the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by the Scotland Act 2012).
Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
Financial and economic matters
Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
The regulation of air weapons.
Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
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The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.
Shaker Aamer
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he or other representatives of the UK Government have discussed with their US counterparts the case of Shaker Aamer. [156687]
Alistair Burt: The UK Government are committed to using our best endeavours to secure Mr Aamer's release and return to the UK. Ministers and senior officials continue to raise Mr Aamer's case with their US counterparts. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised Mr Aamer's case numerous times with Secretary Clinton, and went on to raise Mr Aamer's case with her successor, John Kerry, in May. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised Mr Aamer's case with his US counterpart during a recent visit to Washington. I raised Mr Aamer's case with US Deputy Secretary of State Burns in April. Senior official level discussions continue with the US Administration.
Sudan
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what engagement he is having with his foreign counterparts to help find a solution to the ongoing conflict within Sudan. [156492]
Mark Simmonds: We co-ordinate closely on policy with our Sudan Troika partners, the US and Norway. Sudan is also a regular topic of dialogue with EU partners; China, Qatar, Turkey and a wide range of African countries among others. The conflicts in Sudan are regularly discussed in the UN Security Council.
We are fully supporting the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel led by former President Mbeki to encourage the Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to agree a cessation of hostilities in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states. We are also working closely with Qatar on follow-up to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.
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Syria
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received requesting assistance in negotiating the safe release of two Greek Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Syria in April 2013; and if he will make a statement. [157032]
Alistair Burt: We are very concerned about this kidnapping, which highlights the seriousness of the situation in Syria. I have publicly condemned the kidnapping, as have prominent religious leaders, and urge whoever is holding the bishops to release them immediately. Our officials are in direct contact with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch's office regarding this case.
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament. [157547]
Mr Lidington: Details of ministerial overseas travel are published quarterly in line with the Ministerial Code. The most recent FCO returns can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/minister-data
Earlier returns can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-set-of-quarterly-returns-by-ministers-special-advisers-and-the-permanent-under-secretary
Departmental spend on the Government Car Service for ministerial travel is published in an annual written ministerial statement by the Department for Transport. Figures for 2010-11 were published on 16 January 2012, Official Report, columns 30-31WS, and for 2011-12 on 20 December 2012, Official Report, columns 126-128WS. Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
Additionally, in 2010-11, the FCO spent £76,936 through FCO Services on the London Car Service. In 2011-12 this spend was £148,850 and in 2012-13 £144,698. The FCO moved from using only the Government Car Service to using the London Car Service (run by FCO Services) in September 2010.
Taxis are only used for ministerial travel in exceptional circumstances, where the Government Car Service or London Car Service is not available. To collate information on spend would incur disproportionate cost.
Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
UK Membership of EU
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Prime Minister's top priorities are for reforming the UK's relationship with the EU. [157266]
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Mr Lidington: As the Prime Minister said in January, the Government believe the EU needs to become more competitive, more flexible and more democratic. We are actively working with other EU member states and the EU institutions to enhance Europe's competitiveness through strengthening the single market, cutting the cost of EU regulation on business and concluding free trade agreements with our major trading partners around the world. We are determined to see arrangements put in place that allow those partners who have chosen to join the Euro to move towards closer fiscal integration while at the same time respecting the interests of the member states who are outside the single currency. We are promoting ideas about a stronger role for national Parliaments in the EU.
In addition, as my hon. Friend will know, the Prime Minister has secured the first ever agreement to a real terms cut in a Multiannual Financial Framework and has also won agreement to end the United Kingdom's liability for future Euro-zone bail-outs under the European Financial Stability Mechanism.
Western Sahara
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the answer of 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1019W, on Morocco, if he will make representations to the United Nations on the establishment of an independent international human rights monitoring role with responsibility to report to the UN Security Council in occupied Western Sahara and in the refugee camps near Tindouf. [157446]
Alistair Burt: The UN Security Council Resolution 2099 on the UN Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) included an emphasis on human rights, encouraging Morocco and the Polisario to continue in their respective efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We continue to emphasise the importance of full respect for human rights in discussions at the UN Security Council.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Aerospace Industry: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on the development of the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland. [156242]
Michael Fallon: BIS Ministers engaged with counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive as part of the development of the Aerospace Industrial Strategy, which was published on 18 March 2013. Officials in the Department talk frequently to Invest Northern Ireland about the development of the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland.
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Business: Government Assistance
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a company's record of tax avoidance is taken into account when awarding business development grants. [156974]
Michael Fallon: Under the HMT Green Book framework taxes are considered to be "transfer payments" (ie payments that may change the distribution of income or wealth, but do not give rise to direct economic costs and benefits) and therefore taxes do not normally form part of the criteria for the assessment of applications for business support.
Company Finance
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK companies (a) do not turn over a profit as a result of only being able to pay the interest on their debts and (b) would be unable to meet debt repayments if interest rates rise. [157330]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not made an estimate of the number of companies not making a profit as a result of only being able to pay the interest on their debts or the number of companies that would be unable to meet their debt repayments if interest rates rise. The Bank of England, in its February 2013 Inflation Report, does report the number of loss-making companies in the UK as about 30% of the total company population (2010 data). However, the report does not include an estimate of the proportion of these loss-making companies that have debts and would have been profit-making if they were not paying interest on those debts.
Copyright
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the penalties for removing or altering electronic rights management information from copyrighted works. [156595]
Jo Swinson: The general law already provides adequate criminal penalties for copyright infringement irrespective of whether electronic rights management information has been removed from the copyright works. For example, section 107 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 already provides a criminal offence where, under section 107(2A), a person communicates a copyright work to the public, knowing or having reason to believe that he is infringing copyright and the act was either done in the course of a business or it prejudicially affects the owner of the copyright. Criminal proceedings may also be brought under the Fraud Act 2006, where a person strips metadata and falsely claims to be the copyright owner in order to make a gain for himself (Section 2 Fraud by false representation).
Education: Prisons
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 84W, on prisons: education, what he meant by learning aims. [156720]
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Matthew Hancock: The Learning Aims Reference Application (LARA) holds information on learning aims recognised by the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency, both funded and unfunded:
https://gateway.imservices.org.uk/sites/LARA/Pages/Welcome.aspx
A learning aim is a generic term which includes qualifications, courses and learning events. It is defined as a single element of learning. A record is returned for each learning aim that a learner is studying. For certain types of programme, a record is returned to describe the overall learning programme being followed and the separate components that comprise the programme.
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of difficulties arising in Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation; and whether he considers that changes to (a) corporate governance regulations and (b) stock exchange listing requirements are needed in the light of any such assessment he has made. [157120]
Jo Swinson: The UK's system of corporate governance is globally respected, and plays a key role in attracting global companies to list on UK markets. It is important that companies and their advisors are held to account for their actions where these run counter to the interests of their investors.
In this context, I welcome the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the reported issues at Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation. I have asked BIS officials to liaise with the SFO and to offer assistance to them if required. I also welcome the UK Listing Authority's consultation on new rules aimed at providing greater protection for independent shareholders and ensuring UK-listed companies continue to operate according to the highest standards of corporate governance.
Exports: Government Assistance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether the Export Refinancing Facility is yet in place; [155979]
(2) with reference to his Autumn Statement 2012, whether the direct lending facility for exporters has been put in place to date as planned. [155980]
Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member for Streatham (Mr Umunna) on 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 995W.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote voluntary mentoring and tutoring charities aimed at widening access to universities. [156723]
Mr Willetts: The coalition Government have been very clear about the importance of widening participation and improving fair access in higher education—all those with the ability should have access to higher education irrespective of family income.
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To help make progress in the numbers of young people entering higher education from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in particular to the most selective universities, the Government are establishing a new framework, with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for new annual access agreements under which universities plan to spend over £670 million in 2016/17 on measures to widen participation.
Voluntary mentoring and tutoring are two of a number of widening participation activities. It is for institutions to choose, from those which they know work and have agreed with the independent Director of Fair Access, which activities aimed at widening access they wish to undertake. Universities focus their outreach and other activities where they will have the most impact for their institution.
To make sure that we are doing everything possible to widen participation and promote fair access, BIS Ministers asked the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to develop a shared strategy for promoting access which maximises the impact of all the spending by Government, HEFCE and institutions. HEFCE and OFFA are due to deliver the strategy in autumn 2013.
ICT
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [156418]
Jo Swinson: During the financial year period 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, the number of items considered lost or stolen is listed as follows. It is not possible to differentiate between lost or stolen items. All IT items issued by the Department are encrypted and once reported as stolen or lost are disabled to ensure no data are compromised.
| Type | Lost/stolen | |
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Local Enterprise Partnerships: Greater London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the London local enterprise partnership in (a) 2010,-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [157004]
Michael Fallon: The Government does not carry out formal assessments of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs). Local enterprise partnerships are first and foremost accountable to their local community and local businesses. The London enterprise panel is an advisory panel to the Mayor of London, and its membership is drawn from London's business community and local authorities.
Patents
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many patents have been granted in each year between 2007 and 2012. [157285]
Jo Swinson: Patents are granted by different national and regional authorities worldwide. For patents having effect in the United Kingdom, I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 20 May 2013, Official Report, columns 631-32W. Worldwide patent figures are available from the World Intellectual Property Organisation and published on its website at:
http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/wipi/index.html
A summary of the relevant data is given in the following table:
| Calendar year | Worldwide patent grants |
| Source: WIPO Statistics Database, October 2012 | |
Patent data for 2012 are not yet available.
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Pay
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013. [156752]
Jo Swinson: The total number of employees who earned more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013 is shown in the following table.
| Number of BIS Employees | |
The table covers core BIS employees only. The figures have been based on basic salaries and allowances for staff as at 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2013.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department's human resources functions was. [156661]
Jo Swinson: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Therefore we only have access to data from this date.
The following table shows the number of staff employed in human resources functions in each of the last four years by grade and the total costs associated with these staff.
| Grade | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
Post Office
Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Post Office Ltd holds a licence to copy or to certify copy certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death. [156832]
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Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd operates commercially at an arm's-length from its shareholder, the Government. Issues relating to licences that the company holds are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, chief executive of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Postage Stamps
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he will take to ensure that the profile of Her Majesty the Queen will remain on postage stamps after privatisation. [157050]
Jo Swinson: The Government included an additional safeguard in the Postal Services Act 2011 to ensure that the Queen's head remains on stamps regardless of who owns the company in the future.
Postal Services: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Scottish independence on the Royal Mail universal service obligation. [157416]
Jo Swinson: The Government's position is clear on Scottish independence: Scotland is stronger as part of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is stronger with Scotland in it.
Parliament has guaranteed, through the Postal Services Act 2011, the future of the universal postal service throughout the UK—a six days a week, uniform priced service. This goes beyond requirements set down by European law and guarantees the high standard that the people of the UK have come to expect from their postal service.
The steps taken by the Government to establish a new regulatory framework under Ofcom and to support Royal Mail, coupled with securing future access to private capital for the business, are the best way to safeguard the future of the “one price goes anywhere” universal service in the United Kingdom.
If Scotland were to become independent, the six days a week, uniform priced service guaranteed under the Postal Services Act 2011 would no longer apply in Scotland. The framework for and provision of postal services would be a matter for the Government of an independent Scottish state to decide and implement.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Scottish independence on the valuation price of Royal Mail during the privatisation process. [157418]
Michael Fallon: No decisions have been made on the type of sale and the Government are not speculating on value. We will sell shares in Royal Mail at a commercial price that represents value for money for the tax payer and the value will be dependent on a number of factors, notably the company's ongoing financial performance, its future prospects and the level of investor interest.
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Public Sector: Procurement
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will measure the effect of the proposed wording of Article 17 of the new EU Public Procurement Directive on (a) reserved contracts for supported employment workplaces and (b) employment opportunities for disabled people. [156507]
Michael Fallon: The Cabinet Office is leading on this Government's active involvement in negotiations with the European Commission on the EU procurement rules in their entirety and will also lead on their UK transposition. Transposition activities will include the generation of cross-Government and departmental policies and, where appropriate, the mechanisms through which the effect of those policies can be monitored, on this and other changes, in readiness for the as-yet-to-be determined UK implementation date.
Refrigeration: Job Creation
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the potential for new jobs in UK companies which manufacture natural refrigeration equipment by adopting a European ban on the use of hydrofluorocarbons in commercial refrigeration equipment. [156577]
Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Natural refrigerants are among a number of alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in commercial refrigeration equipment. Restrictions on HFCs in commercial refrigeration equipment would provide market opportunities for manufacturers of natural refrigeration equipment. However, the potential for new jobs depends on a wide range of factors which cannot yet be fully assessed. These include the timing of restrictions, the availability and technical feasibility of alternatives and the environmental and financial benefits of those alternatives across the range of refrigeration systems.
Regional Growth Fund
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, on the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), what the total value was of all bids submitted for Round 4 of the RGF. [157482]
Michael Fallon: The total value of bids submitted for Round 4 is £1.9 billion. Announcement on selected bids will be made in the summer.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, on the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), what the total value is of those bids approved from Rounds 1 and 2 of the RGF which are still awaiting approved final offers; and what the reasons are for the time taken in approval. [157483]
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Michael Fallon: From the first two rounds of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), bids valued at £26.74 million are still awaiting approved final offers. The delay relates to the time taken by bidders to conclude investment decisions.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 May 2013, Official Report, on the Regional Growth Fund, what proportion of the total bids by number for round 4 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) come from small business consortia; when he expects the remaining RGF awards for round 3 to be finalised; and what the total value is of those outstanding awards. [157508]
Michael Fallon: Round 4 of the Regional Growth Fund was open for projects and programmes only, and therefore no bids were received from small business consortia. However, 77 programmes have stated in their application that the principal beneficiaries of those programmes will be SMEs.
8% (10 individual awards) of RGF Round 3 awards are yet to be finalised. The total value of these outstanding awards is £142 million. We expect these awards to be finalised or withdrawn within the next three months.
Regional Planning and Development
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proposals he has for measures to promote local economies. [156951]
Michael Fallon: Local economies are supported by a range of Government initiatives such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Enterprise Zones, City Deals, Regional Growth Fund and the Growing Places Fund.
As regards our proposals for the future, on 18 March 2013 the Government published a full response to my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine's report “No Stone Unturned”. My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine made a powerful case for increased devolution of economic powers from central Government, in particular for a transfer of funding and responsibilities to LEPs, and for a stronger voice and role for the private sector in promoting growth.
The Government believe that local businesses and local communities are best placed to determine their priorities for local economic growth, including any marketing activity. We have accepted either in full or in part 81 recommendations. This includes the Single Local Growth Fund about which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), will announce more at the spending round in June 2013.
Sign Language: Qualifications
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what specific funding his Department has made available for British Sign Language qualifications; how much funding is available; and how the funding is allocated. [156917]
Matthew Hancock:
Funding for British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications is provided to Colleges and other training providers through the Adult Skills Budget.
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Where someone needs British Sign Language skills to help gain employment and is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment support allowance (Work Related Activity Group) then this training can be fully funded. Colleges and training providers also have discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wide range of benefits where the training is designed to help them enter employment. For those outside of these entitlements they may be asked to contribute fully or partially to the cost of their learning.
Colleges and training providers are responsible for using their funding to make provision to meet their local community needs. Full details can be found in the Skills Funding Statement published in December 2012.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which of the 19 British Sign Language qualifications on the Qualifications Credit Framework the Government fund. [156918]
Matthew Hancock: There are now 14 British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications on the Qualifications Credit Framework. Five BSL aims have been recently categorised by Ofqual as ‘ceased' but continuing learners will have been funded to complete their programme of learning on these ‘ceased' aims. The Government make public funding available for the 14 qualifications in 2012/13.
Students: Drugs
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of pupils in (a) further and (b) higher education who use exam-performance enhancing drugs such as Ritalin and Modafinil; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such drugs on overall attainment. [156597]
Mr Willetts: We have made no such assessment. As independent and autonomous institutions, further and higher education institutions are responsible for all matters relating to student conduct, including monitoring performance and attainment levels. Higher education is an adult environment. However, it is a long-established principle that universities have a duty of care to their students. This is also true for further education colleges where the age range of students is wider. As such, both types of institution will determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer appropriate support.
Technology Strategy Board
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of Technology Strategy Board programmes have been allocated to each region in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [156742]
Mr Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board's spend in financial years 2010/11 and 2011/12 by region was as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Region | Spend 2010/11 | Spend 2011/12 |
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Third Sector: EU Grants and Loans
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of European Union Social Business funding available for social enterprises and third sector organisations in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; and if he will make a statement. [156991]
Michael Fallon: For the 2013/14 financial year the information is not available.
The breakdown of EU funding for the 2014-20 programming period, including the two financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16, has yet to be decided. However, under the draft regulations at least 20% of the value of European Social Fund allocation will need to be dedicated to promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.
UK Trade & Investment: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions representatives from UK Trade & Investment have met Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive in each of the last three years. [156241]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) representatives have met Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on the following occasions:
31 January 2011—The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.
27 February 2012—Nick Baird, UKTI chief executive, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.
23 October 2012—The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, met Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as part of his visit to Northern Ireland.
Unfair Practices: Oil
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what methods exist to recover profits attributable to anti-competitive practices from UK-registered oil companies. [157030]
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Jo Swinson: The Competition Act 1998 and Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contain prohibitions of certain anti-competitive agreements such as cartels and of the abuse of a dominant position in a market. The Office of Fair Trading and the European Commission have the power to impose fines when a prohibition has been infringed. In addition, persons who suffer loss as a result of an infringement are entitled to seek damages to recover their loss. In January 2013 the Government announced proposals to make it easier for businesses and consumers to obtain redress for such losses.
International Development
Biofuels
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about the effect of current European biofuels mandates on food prices; and what steps she is taking in response to such effects. [156584]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government are aware of the issues associated with biofuels, including potential social, environmental and food security impacts. We believe that food production must remain the primary goal of agriculture and production of biomass for bioenergy must not undermine food security in developing countries. The Government's analysis concludes that biofuels have had a minor impact on global food prices compared to other more important factors such as energy prices and weather conditions.
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the potential link between global hunger and the use of crops for biofuels. [157324]
Justine Greening: The Government believe that food production must remain the primary goal of agriculture and production of biomass for bioenergy must not undermine food security in developing countries. The Government’s analysis concludes that biofuels have had a minor impact on global food prices compared to other more important factors such as energy prices and weather conditions.
Developing Countries: Agriculture
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to seek agreement from Governments attending the 2013 G8 Summit to finance country agriculture plans identified in the G8's 2012 accountability report. [156725]
Lynne Featherstone: The G8 Summit will focus on generating growth, jobs and prosperity for the long term. To achieve this the UK G8 focuses on open economies, open Governments and open societies to support free trade, tackle tax evasion and encourage greater transparency and accountability.
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The UK Government are hosting the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event on 8 June, which will include a focus on the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, launched under the United States' G8 presidency last year. The New Alliance aims to accelerate responsible investment in African agriculture in support of partner countries’ agriculture investment plans. We are expecting further African countries to launch New Alliance co-operation frameworks on 8 June, which will include mutual commitments by Governments, the private sector and donors to promote responsible investment in agriculture.
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to increase investment in smallholder agriculture in the last three years. [156867]
Lynne Featherstone: In the last three years, DFID has spent approximately £500 million per year on food security, excluding humanitarian response. This includes programmes which provide support to smallholder agriculture in many countries, through a wide range of partners. For example, DFID is supporting land tenure in Rwanda, which will provide four million poor men and women with title to the land they farm, and supporting a Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi to help 1.5 million poor farmers increase their agricultural productivity.
DFID also works with the private sector through Challenge Funds which help bring smallholder producers into agricultural value chains. For example, a company supported by this Challenge Fund in Zimbabwe will offer 35,000 small holders access to a secure grain store which will maintain the quality of their crops. DFID is also taking steps to help smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change. A grant of up to £150 million in being provided to the International Fund for Agriculture Development for its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme. This will support climate adapted agricultural practices that will benefit up to six million smallholder farmers.
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take at this year’s G8 summit to secure greater public investment in smallholder agriculture in developing countries. [157393]
Justine Greening: The G8 summit will focus on generating growth, jobs and prosperity for the long term. To achieve this, the UK G8 focuses on open economies, open Governments and open societies to support free trade, tackle tax evasion and encourage greater transparency and accountability.
The UK Government are hosting the “Nutrition for Growth” event on 8 June, which will include a focus on the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, launched under the United States’ G8 presidency last year. The New Alliance aims to accelerate responsible investment in African agriculture in support of partner countries’ agriculture investment plans. We are expecting further African countries to launch New Alliance co-operation frameworks on 8 June. These will include mutual commitments by Governments, the private sector and donors to promote responsible investment in agriculture and inclusive business models which connect smallholders to markets in a sustainable way.
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Developing Countries: Business
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the role of corporate transparency in the post-2015 development framework. [157318]
Justine Greening: The High Level Panel's (HLP) report calls for a "transparency revolution" by Governments and companies, as a basis for poverty eradication and inclusive growth. This means tackling tax evasion and aggressive avoidance, hidden ownership of assets, and corruption, as well as promoting accountability to citizens and shareholders. The HLP recommends a target in the new goal framework on using and publishing economic, social and environmental accounts in all Governments and major companies.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what steps she plans to take in order to promote corporate transparency as part of the post-2015 development framework; [157319]
(2) what discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or other Ministers in that Department regarding corporate reporting and the post-2015 development framework. [157320]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett) on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 521W.
Developing Countries: Disability
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the role of the High-Level Panel on the Sustainable Development Goals in redressing any exclusion of disabled people from development programmes. [156491]
Lynne Featherstone: One of the High-Level Panel's core messages is “leave no one Behind”. In a major change from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), its report recommends that goals and targets will only be ‘achieved’ if they are met for all groups—this means people with disabilities as well as groups defined by ethnicity, gender, income, and other factors. Data on progress towards all goals should be disaggregated by these groups.
The report also addresses a key lesson of the MDGs regarding disabilities by stating that all children “regardless of circumstance” should have access to primary and secondary education, and achieve standards of learning. The Prime Minister worked hard on the panel to ensure disabilities were properly addressed.
Developing Countries: Economic Growth
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of Britain's aid budget is allocated to projects targeted towards economic growth and economic development. [156306]
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Justine Greening: In 2012-13, 7.5% of the bilateral aid budget (£615 million) was spent on Wealth Creation projects. In addition, we estimate that about the same share again is spent by multilaterals, including the World Bank and regional development banks, on Wealth Creation.
The figures do not include the indirect contribution that other interventions make to economic growth and economic development.
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the UK 0.7 per cent aid commitments are allocated towards projects which support economic growth. [156309]
Justine Greening: Operational planning processes for programmes directly and indirectly focused on economic development and growth are ongoing, and we continue to monitor results on a regular basis.
Developing Countries: Health Services
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department is supporting the training and support of community health workers in countries with a high burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality. [156566]
Lynne Featherstone: There is increasing evidence that community health workers are an essential part of a skilled health work force and can be especially critical in countries with a high burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality. The Department for International Development focuses its work in high burden countries, and supports those that have elected to include community health workers within their health care system.
For example, in Zambia DFID is supporting the Government to expand their community health assistant programme in which health assistants take on tasks, previously done by nurses, such as treatment of pneumonia and malaria. In Pakistan, with DFID support, nearly 100,000 Lady Health Workers provide outreach preventive and curative services to around 80 million people, with a positive impact on family planning, antenatal care, breast feeding and vaccination.
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion her Department spent annually on improving maternal, newborn and child health over the last three years. [156567]
Lynne Featherstone: The UK Statistics for International Development (SID) 2007-08 to 2011-12 were published in May 2013. These are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics
SID does not disaggregate maternal, newborn and child health expenditure. However, 22% of DFID's bilateral programme was classified under the ‘Health’ sector (£929 million).
Total bilateral spending under health, including spending to improve maternal, newborn and child health for the periods requested, is as follows:
2009-10: £683 million
2010-11: £830 million
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2011-12: £929 million.
At the Muskoka 2010 G8 Summit, the G8 partners launched the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH). An agreed methodology for tracking donor support to MNCH has been agreed and the UK results were reported in the 2012 G8 Accountability Report available at:
http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/summit/2012campdavid/g8-cdar.html
The report noted that the G8 is on track to meet its commitment based on self-reported annual targets over baseline budgets and progress against those targets to date. A revised 2013 report will be released in the coming months.
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's priority countries are categorised as having a health worker shortage. [156572]
Lynne Featherstone: There are 57 countries identified as having a critical shortage of health workers, with a doctor, nurse or midwife density of less than 2.3 per 1,000 population. The following countries with a critical shortage overlap with DFID's priority countries:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Burma
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ethiopia
Ghana
India
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mozambique
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe.
As a new country, South Sudan was not included in the original list of crisis countries, but qualifies both as a DFID priority country and as a country with a critical shortage.
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries her Department has supported to remove out-of-pocket payments for health. [156573]
Lynne Featherstone:
Out-of-pocket payments made at the time that health services are used, whether in the public or the private sector, act as a major barrier to access for poor people, especially women and children. Many countries around the world have committed to
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move towards universal health coverage (UHC), which the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines as all people having access to the health services they need without the risk of financial hardship associated with direct out-of-pocket payments. The UK has a long track record of supporting countries to replace out-of-pocket payments with more equitable and efficient means of financing health care and has used a range of mechanisms to do so.
The UK has provided direct bilateral support to several countries as they removed out-of-pocket payments, including Uganda, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Nepal, and is designing new support to Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique. The UK also funds the Department of Health Systems and Financing at WHO, which is supporting more than 20 countries to develop more equitable health financing systems. Through the Health Results Innovation Trust Fund at the World Bank the UK is helping countries such as Zimbabwe, Yemen and Burkina Faso to replace out-of-pocket payments by patients with performance-based payment of health facilities by Government.
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's priority countries charge out-of-pocket payments for health services. [156793]
Lynne Featherstone: In all countries, including all of DFID's priority countries, some people are required to make out-of-pocket payments to cover some or all of the cost of their health care. In public health systems people may face either official out-of-pocket payments (such as user fees charged at government health facilities in many low-income countries) or unofficial fees charged by health workers to supplement their incomes or to cover the cost of medicines and supplies that are not otherwise available. Non-state providers of services such as mission facilities or private practitioners usually charge fees to some or all patients.
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effects of the global shortage of health workers on the achievement of the objectives set out in her Department's Framework for Results on Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health. [157578]
Lynne Featherstone: The shortage of health workers, globally, affects many of the poorest countries particularly hard. Recognising this, the UK invests in health worker management and retention and especially both pre-service and in-service skills training. The last review of the UK's Health Portfolio published in 2010 demonstrated that 25% of health spending is directed towards human resources. The UK has signed the World Health Organisation Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Workers.
The UK's Framework for Results on Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health committed the UK to increase, by 2 million, the number of births attended by trained and skilled birth attendants and to save 50,000 maternal lives and 250,000 newborn lives. These results will require skilled health workers who are trained, deployed where most needed and able to deliver the care that women and babies need. These results will not be
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achieved without additional investments in training and deploying appropriately skilled health workers. The UK supports a number of training programmes including, for example, the Making it Happen programme, which plans to train 17,000 health workers in 11 countries by 2015. The first phase of this programme (2009 to 2011) saw a 50% reduction in maternal death rates and a 15% reduction in the proportion of babies who were stillborn at participating health facilities.
Developing Countries: Land
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government will be seeking agreement at the G8 Summit for binding principles of land disclosure, pre-deal transparency, and free, prior and informed consent of affected communities on international land deals. [156730]
Justine Greening: In 2012, the G8 welcomed the successful conclusion of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests by the Committee on World Food Security.
This year, the UK is pushing for further action by the G8 and its partners to support the national implementation of the voluntary guidelines.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have to establish a new multilateral Land Transparency Initiative to address international land grabs at the 2013 G8 Summit meeting. [156731]
Justine Greening: The Prime Minister has outlined an ambitious agenda for the UK's G8 presidency, aimed at advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting transparency. We will use the G8 presidency to promote responsible and productive land-based investments through greater transparency.
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals her Department is putting forward in this year’s G8 meetings to protect communities’ right to know about and decide on international land deals that affect their homes and livelihood. [157392]
Justine Greening: The Prime Minister has outlined an ambitious agenda for the UK’s G8 presidency, aimed at advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting transparency. We will use the G8 presidency to promote responsible and productive land-based investments through greater transparency.
In 2012, the G8 welcomed the successful conclusion of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests by the Committee on World Food Security. This year, the UK is pushing for further action by the G8 and its partners to support the national implementation of the voluntary guidelines. The guidelines ensure adequate protection of communities’ tenure rights and involvement in deals affecting them.
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Developing Countries: Maternal Mortality
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of international maternal mortality rates; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce those rates. [156795]
Lynne Featherstone: Globally, an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010, a decline of 47% from levels in 1990.
The UK has committed to: save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015; and support at least 2 million safe deliveries, ensuring long lasting improvements in quality maternity services, particularly for the poorest 40%. To achieve this, the UK Government are putting women and children at the heart of our development efforts. All DFID focus countries have a country-level or regional programme to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health. They aim to prevent the three delays which cause maternal and child deaths: the delay in decision to seek care; the delay in reaching care; and the delay in receiving care. The UK is also committed to work to empower women and girls to make healthy reproductive choices; remove barriers to accessing services; expand the supply of quality services; and improve accountability for results.
Developing Countries: Natural Disasters
Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the relationship is between the Hyogo Framework for Action 2 and the post-Millennium Development Goal process. [157580]
Justine Greening: The global post-2015 development framework and the successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action are important international frameworks. The UK supports the inclusion of disaster resilience within the next global development framework in order to ensure that disaster risk management is an integral part of future development efforts. The UK will also have a role in shaping and negotiating the successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action to ensure it strengthens global commitments and implementation in this area. It will be important that the two frameworks are closely aligned.
Developing Countries: Neonatal Mortality
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce rates of neonatal mortality in developing countries. [156794]
Lynne Featherstone:
The UK strongly supports the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, "Every Woman Every Child" (EWEC), to reduce maternal deaths and improve child mortality with the aim of saving the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015. As part of this strategy, the UK has committed to save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015;
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and support at least 2 million safe deliveries, ensuring long lasting improvements in quality maternity services, particularly for the poorest 40%.
To achieve this, the UK Government are putting women and children at the heart of our development efforts. All DFID focus countries have a country-level or regional programme to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health. They aim to prevent the three delays which cause maternal and child deaths; the delay in decision to seek care, the delay in reaching care; and delay in receiving care. The UK is also working to empower women and girls to make healthy reproductive choices; remove barriers to accessing services; expand the supply of quality services; and improve accountability for results.
International Assistance
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions Ministers have had with the ONE organisation on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. [156307]
Lynne Featherstone: The Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has met ONE, alongside other non-governmental organisations, to discuss developing a replacement framework for the Millennium Development Goals, and the IF campaign. Other DFID Ministers have not had discussions with ONE.
Nigeria
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the Nigerian authorities in connection with the need to ensure civilian safety during the recent military offensive in the north-east region of that country. [157288]
Lynne Featherstone: Protecting human rights is essential for maintaining the support of the population in the face of terrorism and religious extremism. We have raised the issue with the Nigerian authorises at the highest levels.
I was on a visit to Nigeria when the State of Emergency was declared in three states in the north of the country. In a meeting with Nigerian Vice-President Sambo I
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took the opportunity to emphasise the need for human rights to be respected. During the discussion the Vice President assured me that the armed forces deployed under the State of Emergency had clear rules of engagement to protect human rights. The UK Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to ensure that those rules of engagement are effective in protecting civilians.
Overseas Aid
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about the suitability of using part of her Department's budget for peacekeeping and military purposes. [156602]
Justine Greening: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, including through my membership of the National Security Council, about my Department's role alongside others in how best to tackle conflict and instability around the world, in accordance with the existing international rules on overseas development assistance spending.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much bilateral assistance is programmed to be delivered through multilateral agencies in 2013-14. [156741]
Justine Greening: These figures will be published in Statistics in International Development in autumn 2014.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in her Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of her Department's human resources functions was. [156673]
Mr Duncan: The number of human resources officials within DFID, by grade and the total cost of the HR function for each of the last five years, is shown in the following table.
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| (1) These figures include both salary and non salary costs (i.e. costs of such as legal costs, training costs, recruitment costs and policy/operational delivery etc.). | |||||
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Scotland
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the legislation her Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998. [156232]
David Mundell: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Scotland Office.
The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012, which enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 to the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
Financial and economic matters
Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
The regulation of air weapons.
Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
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The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.
St Helena
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the airport at St Helena will be completed; and if she will make a statement. [157570]
Mr Duncan: Work on the St Helena airport continues to proceed well. The contractual completion date for the airport remains February 2016.
Sudan
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the implications of the current security situation in Darfur on (a) the delivery of aid, (b) access for humanitarian agencies and (c) the performance of UNAMID in that region. [156493]
Lynne Featherstone: I continue to be concerned about the security situation in Darfur, which is deteriorating. The UK continues to press the Government of Sudan, rebel movements and tribal leaders to work for peace as well as lobbying for access through our bilateral relations and in the UN Security Council. The lack of access in Darfur is seriously impacting the ability of agencies to deliver aid. As acknowledged in a report of 10 April to the UN Security Council by the UN Secretary General, the United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur could be more effective in carrying out its mandate to protect civilians. 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.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received of the recent Darfur Donor Conference in Doha. [156494]
Lynne Featherstone:
Senior UK officials attended the Darfur Donor Conference in Doha on 7 to 8 April. The conference was a welcome opportunity to refocus international attention on the continuing insecurity and
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under-development in Darfur. We were pleased to see the overwhelming support among international partners for building real peace in Darfur. At the Conference the UK welcomed the re-commitment the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement made to meet their obligations under the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. My officials took the opportunity to remind the Government of Sudan of the need to improve the operating environment for development to be effective. Development partners need access to design, implement and monitor programmes.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states; and what representations she has made to the Government of Sudan to ensure access for humanitarian agencies in that region. [156509]
Lynne Featherstone: We are deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Government of Sudan in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and the impact this is having on civilians. The ongoing violence and restrictions on access make assessing the humanitarian need difficult. However discussions with UN agencies and non-governmental organisations and the condition of new refugee arrivals in Ethiopia and South Sudan point to an increasingly urgent situation. We continue to urge both parties to agree a cessation of hostilities. Once access is granted, we will move quickly to understand what help is needed, and ensure that independent humanitarian agencies can start to provide the assistance required.
Turks and Caicos Islands
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial support her Department has provided to the British Overseas Territory, Turks and Caicos Islands, in the last 12 months. [157046]
Mr Duncan:
DFID has not provided any direct financial assistance to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government over the last 12 months. A commercial bank loan facility of US$260 million is supported by
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the UK Government until 2016. DFID also provided technical assistance to improve the TCI Government's management of their finances.
Home Department
Arrest Warrants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many requests have been made by other European countries for use of the European Arrest Warrant in each year for which data are available; and which 10 countries have made the largest number of requests over this period; [156458]
(2) how many times the UK European Arrest Warrant has been used by the UK in each year for which data are available. [156459]
Mr Harper: The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) scheme is managed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), although policy oversight is the responsibility of Home Office Ministers. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement of 16 April which informed the House of an error SOCA had identified in the capture and reporting of information on the number of outgoing EAW (Part 3) requests that have been executed since 2009-10. HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC) was asked to review SOCA's processes and to report back to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), by mid-May. The report has been submitted; amended data will be supplied to Parliament shortly.
Asylum
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from (a) men and (b) women for section 95 support and section 4 support have been (i) received and (ii) accepted in the last five years for which figures are available. [156977]
Mr Harper: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The figures are taken from management information and have not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
| Section 95 applications | ||||||
| Female applications | Male applications | Total | ||||
| Financial year | Received | Accepted | Received | Accepted | Received | Accepted |
| Section 4 applications | ||||||
| Female applications | Male applications | Total | ||||
| Financial year | Received | Accepted | Received | Accepted | Received | Accepted |
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Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of decisions on (a) asylum cases waiting more than six months for a decision in the year to September 2012, (b) asylum cases concluded within a year in the third quarter of 2012, (c) settlement applications made by asylum seekers in the third quarter of 2012, (d) asylum cases being worked on in the third quarter of 2012 and (e) asylum cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2012 were applications made by women. [157290]
Mr Harper: The information is as follows:
(a) Of the asylum cases waiting more than six months for an initial decision at the end of September 2012, 28% of those applications had been made by women.
(b) From a cohort of asylum applications made in 2011 Q3, of the applications concluded within one year (i.e. concluded by the end of 2012 Q3), 25% had been made by women.
(c) In response to point c, there were a total of 2,650 decisions on settlement applications made by asylum seekers between July and September 2012. Of these, 1,017 applications (38%) were made by women.
(d) Of the asylum cases being worked on (pending an initial decision or pending further review) at the end of the third quarter of 2012, 29% of those asylum applications had been made by women.
(e) Of the asylum cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2012, 30% of those asylum applications had been made by women.
Figures for (a),(b),(d) and (e) refer to main applicants only, and exclude dependants.
Figures for (c) refer to main applicants and dependants.
The figures for (a), (d) and (e) are an unpublished subset of published National Statistics asylum applications pending information available in Table as.0l.q (Asylum data tables Volume 1) of Immigration Statistics. Figures relate to the number of cases pending at the end of the reference period. The latest release Immigration Statistics October to December 2012 is available in the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/
The figure for (b) is calculated from the "Percentage of asylum applications concluded in one year" (management information) figures, published on the former UKBA website on:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-asylum-application/
Figures for (c) are from unpublished management information and relate to settlement applications raised (i.e. received) between 1 July and 30 September 2012.
Figures from management information have not been quality assured to the same level as National Statistics.
Bellerbys College
Dame Tessa Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the letter of 21 August 2012 from the right hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood to the Department for Education, which was referred to the UK Border
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Agency regarding allegations of widespread falsification of examination results at Bellerbys College, when she plans to provide the right hon. Member with an update on the ongoing investigation; who has responsibility for any such investigation; and what steps she plans to take following the report of that investigation. [156525]
Mr Harper: I will write separately to the right hon. Member about this question.
British Nationality
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many British citizens have had citizenship revoked (a) in total, (b) for reasons not conducive to the public good and (c) for fraud, false representation or concealment of facts on a citizenship application in each year since 2000; [157019]
(2) what factors she takes into account when considering whether to remove British citizenship for reasons not conducive to public good; [157020]
(3) how many British citizens who have had their citizenship revoked since 1 January 2000 had been British citizens for (a) less than one year, (b) between one and 10 years and (c) more than 10 years; [157021]
(4) how many people have had British citizenship revoked for reasons relating to (a) terrorism and (b) Islamic extremism since 2000; [157022]
(5) how many British citizens have had citizenship revoked since 1 January 2000; what other nationalities each held; and how many initially acquired British citizenship by each available route; [157023]
(6) how many (a) men and (b) women have had British citizenship revoked in each year since 2000; [157024]
(7) how many people who have had British citizenship revoked in each year since 2000 were aged (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 34, (c) between 35 and 54 and (d) 55 years of age and over on the date of revocation. [157025]
Mr Harper: Since 2000, 24 individuals have had their British citizenship revoked in the following years:
| Number | |
Of the 24, 20 were deprived on conducive grounds alone; two on both conducive and fraudulent grounds and two because of fraud, false representation or concealment of facts.
The Secretary of State may deprive an individual when it is ‘Conducive to the Public Good', on the grounds of involvement in terrorism, espionage, serious organised crime, war crimes or unacceptable behaviours. She shall not deprive a person of their British citizenship on ‘conducive' grounds if it would render the individual stateless.
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For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and so it is not appropriate to indicate why individuals have been deprived for the specific reasons set out in the question.
Of the 24 individuals that have had their citizenship revoked—two had British citizenship for less than one year; 13 had held citizenship between 1-10 years; nine had held citizenship for more than 10 years.
The 24 individuals’ other nationalities were: Russian, Somalian, Yemeni, Australian, Pakistani, Afghan, Albanian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Sudanese, Vietnamese, Iranian, Iraqi and Nigerian. These individuals had either held British citizenship from birth or acquired it by application.
The 24 revocation cases are made up of both male and female individuals, all of whom were over the age of 18. For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases and so it is not appropriate to indicate specifically the number of male and female cases or the ages of those deprived as set out in my hon. Friend’s question.
This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
Community Orders
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many community resolutions have been used by each police force in each of the last five years; [156788]
(2) what the 10 most frequent offences are for which community resolutions have been used as an out-of-court disposal in the latest period for which figures are available. [156790]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office. Police forces have been able to submit community resolution data since 2011-12. However, such disposals are included in the group of non-sanction detections and cannot be separately identified from other disposals in that group.