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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 4 June 2013
Communities and Local Government
Buildings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three financial years. [154232]
Brandon Lewis:
Since May 2010, the Department has had considerable success in reducing the cost of its
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estate across the country through the rationalisation of retained office space and targeted building disposals. This has seen the Department surrender six leasehold office properties through a combination of lease breaks and expiries, generating net savings in the period of circa £7 million per annum.
The Department has also successfully sublet surplus space across its leasehold office estate during the same period, reducing the overall property costs by circa £6.5 million per annum. Building on this success, in 2013-14 we have already secured additional savings of £1.5 million by subletting further space in Eland House, Victoria.
Most recently, the Department negotiated the early surrender of Eland House, with DCLG scheduled to relocate to 2 Marsham Street with the Home Office during the summer of 2014, realising annual savings of circa £9 million for DCLG and circa £24 million for Government.
The following table provides information for bodies which are still operating.
However, this table understates the full savings being delivered to the taxpayer, as since 2010, we have significantly reduced the number of departmental quangos. It would entail disproportionate cost to provide a full breakdown of running costs, but I would note that in addition to the savings above, property savings have also been made as a consequence of:
Abolishing the Government office for the regions, including the Government office for London.
Abolishing the Tenant Services Authority and National Tenant Voice.
Abolishing the Standards Board for England.
Abolishing Firebuy.
Abolishing the Audit Commission and outsourcing its audit contracts (ongoing).
Transferring the Fire Service College to the private sector.
Abolishing/localising the Thurrock Development Corporation and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.
More broadly, the DCLG Group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms by 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532,000,000 over this spending review period.
Council Tax Reduction Schemes
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was given by his Department to each English local authority for council tax support budgets in 2011-12. [156073]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Prior to the cessation of council tax benefit from April 2013, the Department for Work and Pensions provided each local authority in England, Scotland and Wales with a contribution towards its costs for administering both housing and council tax benefits. This Administration Subsidy was a combined funding stream and it is not possible to separate out a specific amount purely relating to processing council tax benefits as the majority of such work was done holistically as part of a joint claim with housing benefit.
A table showing a breakdown of the Administration Subsidy provided to each local authority in England in 2011-12 will be placed in the Library.
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Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the average change in income of working families as a result of changes to council tax benefit. [157171]
Brandon Lewis: The impact assessment for the Government’s policy framework for localising council tax support is available on the Department’s website.
The design of local schemes, and the assessment of their impact, is the responsibility of local authorities.
Council Tax: Havering
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken and how much financial support he has given to the London borough of Havering to ensure council tax can stay low. [157088]
Brandon Lewis: This Government have provided funding for a council tax freeze in three successive financial years in England. The following table shows the amounts of council tax freeze grant provided in each financial year for the London borough of Havering.
| Council tax freeze grant funding for Havering: 2011-12 to 2013-14 | |||||
| £ | |||||
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | Total | |
| (1) Calculated as 2.5% of the 2010-11 Band D amount multiplied by the 2011-12 tax base, rounded to the nearest pound. (2) A one-off grant was provided in 2012-13, calculated in the same way as 2011-12. The applied percentage of the 2011-12 Band D amount varied by type of authority; outer London boroughs received a grant of 2.5%. (3) Grants provided in 2013-14 were calculated as 1% of the 2012-13 Band D amount multiplied by the 2013-14 tax base, rounded to the nearest pound. | |||||
Havering residents have also benefited from the funding given to the Greater London Authority to freeze their council tax precept.
Families: Disadvantaged
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many families of gang nominals have been identified in the troubled families programme to date (a) nationally and (b) by local authority; [157616]
(2) what proportion of known families of gang nominals have been identified in the troubled families programme (a) nationally and (b) by local authority. [157620]
Brandon Lewis: We do not specifically gather information at either a national or local authority level relating to the number of known families of gang nominals identified in the troubled families programme.
However, an analysis of family-level monitoring data held by local authorities will form part of the independent evaluation of the national troubled families programme, and will include where available, information about gang nominals. Evaluation reports will be published periodically.
Fire Services: Sign Language
Sir Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment he has made of the equality of access
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available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with the fire service; and if he will make a statement; [157384]
(2) what measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with the (a) fire services and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible. [157581]
Brandon Lewis: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 429W.
Homelessness
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of people who are made homeless are deemed intentionally homeless. [157075]
Mr Prisk: Households that apply to local authorities for assistance under the Housing and Homelessness Acts are owed a main homelessness duty (and so regarded as ‘statutorily homeless’) if a local authority decides that they are eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and within a priority need group. This definition therefore automatically excludes any households that are intentionally homeless.
The Department collects figures from local authorities on the number of households for which decisions were made that were found to be eligible for assistance and within a priority need group, but intentionally homeless. Between 1 October and 31 December 2012, 2,220 such cases were recorded nationally, representing 8% of the 29,060 decisions made.
This information is also available in DCLG Live Table 770, at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
Figures for 1 January to 31 March 2013 will be published on 6 June.
We are investing £470 million in homelessness prevention over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) to help local authorities and voluntary sector partners prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions.
Homelessness is around half the average level it was under the last Administration. Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.
Housing Benefit: Tenants
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage landlords to accept benefit claimants as tenants. [157074]
Mr Prisk: The Government estimate that, at any point in time, around one third of households privately renting are in receipt of housing benefit. This suggests that it continues to be possible for claimants to access the sector. However, private landlords and letting agents operate on a commercial basis and, as for any business, it is reasonable for them to make independent decisions about who they let to.
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The English Housing Survey headline report for 2011-12 indicates that almost two-thirds (64%) of households in the social rented sector were in receipt of housing benefit.
Welfare reform will improve work incentives and help more people move into employment. This is good news for landlords as well as the Government. However, we recognise that the move away from managed payments to landlords for working-age benefits claimants is a challenge, particularly for the social sector. That is why the Government are committed to developing universal credit in a way that protects landlords’ financial position.
Managed payments to landlords will continue where claimants are deemed to be at risk of non-payment or where arrears build beyond a certain level. Once on managed payments, we will recoup arrears on behalf of the landlord from the claimant’s universal credit and will continue to do so even if the claimant moves to a new address.
We are working with DWP to ensure the right safeguards for landlords and tenants are designed into universal credit through learning from the direct payment demonstration projects.
These safeguards will apply in both the private and social sectors.
Housing: Lancashire
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much his Department paid to Rossendale Borough Council in respect of the New Homes Bonus in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date; [156785]
(2) how much his Department paid to Blackburn-with-Darwen Borough Council in respect of the New Homes Bonus in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date; [156786]
(3) how much his Department paid to Lancashire County Council in respect of the New Homes Bonus in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date. [156787]
Mr Prisk: The New Homes Bonus payments to Blackburn-with-Darwen, Rossendale and Lancashire county councils are set out in the following table:
| A | B | C | D | E | |
| Authority | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 (to date) | 2013-14 | Total paid to date (A+B+C) |
New Homes Bonus is being paid in 12 monthly instalments in 2013-14. New Homes Bonus is a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent incentive for local authorities and communities to increase their aspirations for housing growth.
Inflation
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will list the purposes for which his Department uses (a) the retail price index measure of inflation, (b) the consumer price index measure of inflation and (c) any alternative measure of inflation. [155051]
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Brandon Lewis: It would incur disproportionate cost to outline every single measure used and the reasons why. My Department uses the retail prices index, consumer prices index, and other relevant indices (including GDP deflators, average earnings index, producer prices index, and private sector measures such as house price indices). Uses will include the re-rating and revaluing of charges, rates, reliefs, rents; the indexing of contracts, funding arrangements and pay agreements; analysing, forecasting and estimating real-terms changes and trends.
The Department's choice of measure is dependent on a number of factors including:
requirements explicitly specified in legislation,
central Government guidance (for example, HM Treasury's Green Book),
historical availability (the consumer prices index only came into being in 1996, whereas the retail prices index dates from 1947),
differences in the coverage of each measure (for example, the consumer prices index excludes housing costs, such as council tax, mortgage interest payments and major repairs), and
the general fit and appropriateness for the public policy topic.
Further details of the differences between the main measures of inflation are provided in various guidance documents published by the Office for National Statistics:
www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/economy/prices-output-and-productivity/price-indices-and-inflation
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the viability of local enterprise partnerships in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [157249]
Mr Prisk: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters. This Government are committed to creating local growth, whether in urban or rural areas.
Local Government Finance: Remand in Custody
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the possible effects on local authority budgets of the youth remand provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. [157624]
Brandon Lewis: The Ministry of Justice has provided an assessment of potential costs for local authorities, emanating from the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; and these costs will be funded in accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the effects on local authority budgets of the provisions on secure remand in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; and if he will make a statement. [157625]
Brandon Lewis: Ministers meet Cabinet colleagues regularly to discuss a range of issues.
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Non-domestic Rates: Northumberland
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that Northumberland county council is utilising powers under the Localism Act 2011 to provide business rate relief for small businesses in Northumberland. [157277]
Brandon Lewis: We have made it easier for small firms to get the small business rate relief to which they are entitled. Our reforms in the Localism Act 2011 ensure all eligible ratepayers can automatically receive the small business multiplier, and we have removed the legal red tape requiring ratepayers to fill in significant paperwork to claim the relief. The last Administration failed to support simplification to help small firms when they were in office (q.v. 6 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1141-1142).
In turn, we have also doubled the small business rate relief scheme, to help half a million small firms. From October 2010 to April 2014, small firms are receiving 100% rate relief (i.e. pay no business rates at all) on properties up to £6,000 rateable value, and a tapered rate relief from £6,000 to £12,000. An estimated 330,000 small firms are paying no rates at all.
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The Localism Act also gives councils the power to introduce local discounts to business rates. Under the new system of local retention of business rates introduced by the Local Government Finance Act 2012, central Government now funds 50% of the cost of any local discount granted. We would encourage local authorities to make creative and constructive use of these new powers.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [156664]
Brandon Lewis: The following table lists the in-post staff undertaking human resources-related work:
| Staff in post at 31 March | Cost of function (£ million) | |
The breakdown of grades in each period was:
| Date | Director | Deputy Director | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | SEO | HEO | EO | AO |
| (1) The Department conducted a baseline exercise for the 2010-11 reporting year which established there were 54 human resources staff in DCLG. The grade breakdown for these staff is shown above. In addition there were 30 Government office for the regions human resources staff who were subsequently merged into the DCLG human resources function. The salary and grade data for the Government office staff are no longer available as a result of the closure of the Government office for the regions and so are not reflected in the table. Applying an average DCLG median salary for the 30 Government office human resources staff it is estimated that the total cost of the combined 84 human resources staff in 2010-11 was £4.3 million. | ||||||||
To place this in context, total departmental staff costs have fallen from £216 million in 2009-10 to £109 million in 2011-12. Further savings have been made by the abolition of the Government offices for the regions.
Prior to 2010-11, DCLG did not separately cost or record human resources staff in this way and it is therefore not possible to provide comparable data for this period.
My Department plans to make further cost savings and staffing reductions within the HR function through the sharing of services, in collaboration with other Government Departments and Civil Service Human Resources and, by April 2015, the contracting out of transactional human resources services to a new private sector provider.
Spare Rooms
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has considered incentivising and allowing council and housing association tenants to rent spare rooms. [157147]
Mr Prisk: Council and housing association tenants with secure tenancies have a statutory right to take in a lodger. Housing association tenants with assured tenancies will be able to take in a lodger unless restrictions in the tenancy agreement prohibit them from doing so.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has supported the Chartered Institute of Housing to produce a guide for social landlords to help them prepare for the removal of the spare room subsidy. ‘Making it Fit', which was published last June, encourages landlords to provide advice to tenants affected by the measure on a range of options including taking in a lodger to help meet the shortfall in the rent.
Wind Power: Planning Permission
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many objections were made to each of the proposed offshore wind farms included in the Crown Estates Phase 3 programme; and how many of those objections related to the proposed Navitus Bay wind farm. [157378]
Mr Prisk: In 2009, the Crown Estate identified nine areas for Round 3 offshore wind farms. The Planning Inspectorate was not involved in the identification of these areas. Successful developer partners for these sites were announced in January 2010. These developers are required to submit planning applications to the Planning Inspectorate or Marine Scotland to gain planning consent.
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Applications have been made to the Planning Inspectorate for two offshore wind farms which are located within Crown Estates Phase 3 programme sites. These comprise: East Anglia One, accepted for examination on 14 December 2012, and Rampion offshore wind farm, accepted for examination on 25 March 2013.
In addition to these, there are currently five schemes registered at pre-application under the Planning Act 2008. These comprise: Atlantic Array (Bristol Channel), Rhiannon (North of Anglesey), Dogger Bank (East of Teeside), Hornsea (off the Yorkshire coast) and Navitus Bay (south-west of the Isle of Wight). At this stage the Planning Inspectorate provides advice to the developers, local authorities and the public involved in the Planning Act 2008 process. At pre-application any comments on the schemes need to be made directly to the developer.
Once an application has been accepted for examination, anybody interested in a scheme can register with the Planning Inspectorate during the “relevant representation period” and become an “interested party” by making a “relevant representation”. This time period is advertised by the developer. Relevant representations comprise views on the scheme, positive or negative. Once the period for relevant representations has closed, these are published on the project webpage. East Anglia One received 119 relevant representations. Rampion received 212 representations.
In relation to the specific query on Navitus Bay, this application is still at the pre-application stage and the developer is currently undertaking formal consultation on the proposals. The Planning Inspectorate has published all its advice given in response to queries received regarding this project on the Navitus Bay project page of its website:
http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/south-east/navitus-bay-wind-park-formerly-isle-of-wight/?ipcsection=advice
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Advisory Services
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1034W, on business: advisory services, by what date he expects the call for expressions of interest for the Growth Vouchers Scheme to (a) open and (b) close; and what timetable he has set for this process. [157098]
Michael Fallon: A call for expressions of interest was opened on 29 April 2013 and closed on 29 May 2013.
Companies Act 2006
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps (a) he and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to enforce the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 in respect of the declaration of overseas subsidiaries; what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms for the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 on the declaration of overseas subsidiaries; and what steps he is taking to increase transparency in the declaration of overseas subsidiaries and the accessibility of this information. [157100]
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Michael Fallon: The obligations on companies to disclose information about their subsidiaries are set out in sections 409 and 410 of the Companies Act 2006 and associated regulations. The requirements are extensive and clear. Enforcement of these requirements must be proportionate and targeted.
I have asked Companies House if improvements can be made to its enforcement procedures and it will report back to me on this matter. Alongside this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is considering whether any change to the legislation is appropriate.
Employment Schemes: Wirral
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what job initiatives his Department is supporting in Wirral South constituency; and what assessment he has made of the efficiency of such schemes. [157317]
Matthew Hancock: We are supporting jobs in Wirral South by tackling the record deficit to keep interest rates low, tackling barriers to employment, radically reforming education and expanding apprenticeships, which provide individuals of all ages with pathways into employment.
Final data for the 2011/12 academic year show that there were 810 apprenticeship starts in Wirral South parliamentary constituency, up by 7.5% on 2010/11.
£11 million has been allocated to programmes in Wirral from the Regional Growth Fund which will in turn leverage £204 million of private sector investment.
In April 2012 we launched an online tool called “Employing staff for the first time”, helping to make it easier for businesses taking on their first member of staff. The tool currently receives around 12,000 visits a month. Through the Business in You campaign we are supporting and encouraging people to start or grow their businesses and employ more staff, and small and medium-sized enterprises can access support and advice through:
www.gov.uk
the new home for Government services and information online.
A huge number of further measures are taking place to support jobs in Wirral and elsewhere to help Britain compete.
Exports: Government Assistance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 995W, on exports: Government assistance, when he expects an application for approval under EU state aid rules to be submitted in relation to the (a) Export Refinancing Facility and (b) Direct Lending Scheme administered by UK export finance; and what deadlines he has set for this. [157097]
Michael Fallon: The Government are not making applications to the EU Commission for approval under EU state aid rules in respect of the proposed Export Refinancing Facility and the Direct Lending Scheme.
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UK Export Finance will be accepting applications for support under the Direct Lending Scheme from the beginning of September.
New Businesses
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answers of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1040W, and 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 743W, on new businesses, how many pilot spaces for start-ups are currently open to businesses. [157099]
Michael Fallon: The first of the pilot spaces has opened in Wimbledon, and details for the space can be found at:
http://3space.org/properties/london-and-south/london-wimbledon
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office are finalising with our providers preparations for the three other pilot spaces, and we aim to announce the opening of these soon.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Nationals Abroad: Electoral Register
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to (a) enable and (b) encourage UK citizens resident overseas to register and vote in UK elections. [156527]
Miss Chloe Smith: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The Government are committed to doing all they can to maximise voter registration, including among British citizens living overseas. As part of the move to Individual Electoral Registration, to help simplify the registration process we plan to remove the requirement for a person's initial application as an overseas elector to be attested by another British citizen resident abroad.
We are also extending the electoral timetable for UK parliamentary elections from 17 to 25 working days, which will allow postal votes to be issued sooner and so make it easier for postal voters living overseas to return their ballot papers.
The Electoral Commission promotes awareness of UK electoral systems and electoral registration procedures including how to vote, and the Government understand that the Commission will target British citizens living overseas as part of their online advertising campaigns ahead of the next planned elections.
We will continue to explore ways to encourage registration among overseas electors in discussions with the Electoral Commission and other interested parties.
Diplomatic Service
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many honorary consuls there are; and where they are posted. [156374]
Mark Simmonds: There are 231 honorary consul positions in the world and their location by country is set out in the table.
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| Honorary consul locations | Number |
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Ukraine
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his Ukranian counterpart and (b) the Home Office about the effect of Ukranian organised crime on the safety of British citizens and businesses in that country. [157126]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I, along with our officials, regularly raise concerns with our Ukrainian counterparts about the problems faced by British citizens and businesses operating in Ukraine. The British embassy in Kyiv works closely with British businesses to support their activity in Ukraine, and provides advice and assistance to both UK citizens and companies that become victims of crime. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also in regular contact with the Home Office and UK law enforcement agencies to ensure a joined-up cross-Whitehall response to these issues as they arise. In particular, a representative of the UK law enforcement agencies is part of the British embassy in Kyiv and works closely with Ukrainian counterparts in order to mitigate the impact of organised crime on UK citizens and businesses.
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The Secretary of State met the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Leonid Kozhara, on 13 May 2013 and raised a range of issues of particular concern.
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for consular assistance relating to crime have been made by UK citizens at the UK Embassy in Kiev since 1993. [157127]
Mr Lidington: Since 1996 our embassy in Kyiv has dealt with approximately 228 requests for consular assistance relating to crime.
Figures refer to both victims and perpetrators of crime, and include lost and stolen passports.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Merseyside
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the accident and emergency waiting time has been breached in hospitals in (a) Wirral and (b) Merseyside in the last three years for which information is available. [157316]
Anna Soubry: The information is not held in the format requested. The number of times the accident and emergency (A and E) waiting time standard (95% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours) has been missed since November 2010 for each NHS hospital trust in Merseyside is shown in the following table.
Blood: Contamination
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk of (a) HIV, (b) bloodborn hepatitis and (c) vCJD infection as a result of using privately sourced plasma supplies from other countries. [156508]
Anna Soubry: None, as no privately sourced fresh frozen plasma supplies are used by NHS Blood and Transplant(1).
(1 )NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) currently imports approximately 20,000 units of plasma, as fresh frozen plasma (FFP) (the only whole, non-fractionated plasma treatment provided
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by the United Kingdom blood services) per annum from Austria. The Austrian source is public, not privately sourced.
The Austrian health service sources screen the plasma before sending to the UK in accordance with the requirements of the common European blood safety requirements of directive 2002/98/EC. This means that as a minimum Austria test to the same standards as those used in the United Kingdom and this includes tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
On receipt by NHSBT the Austrian plasma also undergoes a pathogen inactivation process before further processing and being made available for issue to hospitals.
Austrian plasma is issued primarily as a potential variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vGD) risk reduction measure for patients born since 1 January 1996 (i.e. after presumed effective measures for BSE control were established in the UK).
Blood: Donors
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects of lifting the 12-month ban on gay men donating blood; and whether he has had discussions with counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this issue. [157623]
Anna Soubry: The blood donor selection criterion relating to men who have had sex with men was amended in November 2011 from permanent deferral to deferral for 12 months following the last relevant contact. This followed a recommendation from the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), which advises all four United Kingdom Health Departments. The change was implemented in England, Wales and Scotland, and remains under consideration in Northern Ireland.
Deferral was set at 12 months to reduce the risk that a donor’s blood might carry an infection that could be transmitted to a transfusion recipient. Donations are routinely tested, but new infections and infections in the late phase of clearance may not be detected. Lifting this 12-month deferral would therefore increase the risk of a donation carrying an infection being released for transfusion.
We are assessing the impact of the change made in 2011, and no further change is currently proposed. SaBTO keeps the donor selection criteria under review and will consider any significant new evidence and advise the UK Health Departments accordingly.
Care Homes
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require the Care Quality Commission to record and collate data on individual registered managers of care companies to which warning notices or enforced deregistration has been applied. [157311]
Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of essential levels of safety and quality of health and adult social care services. As the CQC is independent, it is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements and on what action it takes if a provider is not compliant. The Department does not prescribe how the CQC should collect, collate or record information which it receives.
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The CQC has provided the following information:
Information on all registered managers is collected by the CQC as this is one area against which enforcement action can be taken to deliver improvements in the quality of services.
The reporting of data detailing enforcement against registered managers is currently a manual process. The CQC has a planned programme of developments to its computerised information management system which will allow more systematic recording and reporting of enforcement activity later in 2013.
The CQC is increasingly examining the role of registered managers, the absence and vacancy rates across corporate providers and the impact that this has on the quality of services provided. It is the CQC’s intention to consult over the summer on future development of its approach to regulation. Any changes to its arrangements will be developed through consultation.
Childbirth
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change was in the number of live births between 2001 and 2010. [157848]
Dr Poulter: Between 2001 and 2010, the number of live births in England increased by 21.9%.
Drugs: Students
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the safety assessment of (a) Ritalin and (b) Modafinil in circumstances where they are being used without prescription for the purposes of enhanced academic performance; and if his Department will take steps to (i) inform students of the potential side effects of the use of such drugs and (ii) restrict the availability of such drugs without prescription. [156598]
Norman Lamb: In the United Kingdom, there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products. Under medicines legislation, it is unlawful for medicinal products for human use to be marketed, manufactured, imported from a third country, distributed and sold or supplied in the UK except in accordance with the appropriate licences or exemptions.
Ritalin (‘Methylphenidate’) is a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and listed under Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
Modafinil is a prescription only medicine (POM) and is not controlled under the 1971 Act. As such, it may only be legally sold or supplied to the public through registered pharmacy premises, by or under the supervision of a pharmacist. Additionally, it may only be sold or supplied in response to a prescription from an authorised health care professional (such as a doctor, dentist, or certain trained nurses and pharmacists).
A UK registered pharmacy may have a presence on the internet; however, the requirements of legislation apply equally to both UK internet pharmacies and bricks-and-mortar premises. Modafinil cannot be advertised directly to the public. These legal controls also apply equally to medicines for human use sold or supplied via the internet or e-mail transactions.
These restrictions do not apply to countries outside UK jurisdiction where medicines may be classified and regulated differently.
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department, is responsible for the regulation of medicines on the UK market. The MHRA has serious concerns about the availability of medicines being offered via the internet and issues regular warnings to the public concerning the inherent risks of purchasing medicines online. MHRA advice is that medicines purchased from websites, particularly websites based overseas, cannot be guaranteed to meet set standards of quality, safety and efficacy and advises patients not to purchase medicines in this way.
Neither methylphenidate (ritalin) or modafinil (provigil) are medicinal products authorised for use as cognition enhancers and the available efficacy and safety of these products for this use has not been evaluated by the MHRA.
Aspects of drug education are covered in statutory national curriculum science; for example, the curriculum ensures that pupils learn about ‘the effects of drugs on behaviour, health and life processes'.
This provision can be built on and extended through non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The goal of PSHE is to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to make informed decisions to keep them safe, and teachers have the flexibility to tailor their PSHE programmes to reflect the needs of their pupils.
General Practitioners
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to reduce the ratio of patients to GPs in Essex; [156711]
(2) what plans he has to publish guidelines on a maximum ratio of GPs to patients. [156712]
Dr Poulter: Responsibility for the provision of primary medical services transferred to NHS England from 1 April 2013—this includes ensuring there are an adequate number of general practitioners (GPs) to meet the needs of patients in each area.
The Essex area team is developing its primary care strategy in line with NHS England policy. A key component of the strategy will focus on developing the primary care work force, ensuring that the number of GP training practices is increased and developing a clear succession plan with GP practices where many single handed GPs are nearing retirement age to ensure continuity of care for patients.
We understand that NHS England has no immediate plans to publish guidelines on a maximum ratio of GPs to patients.
Health Services: Older People
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) 75 years old or over and (b) 65 years old or over were readmitted to hospital as an emergency case within 28 days of being discharged in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 in each English hospital trust area; and if he will make a statement. [157273]
Anna Soubry: The Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has advised that information as requested is not available separately for emergency readmissions within 28 days of discharge of adults aged over 65 years.
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The HSCIC has provided the annual number of emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge of adults aged 75 years and over. Information for the years 2011-12 and 2012-13 is not available (2011-12 is expected to be published December 2013, and 2012-13 the year after). Information for the years 2010-11 is available.
Information is not publicly available at the level of national health service trust to protect patient confidentiality, though this information is publicly available at the level of former strategic health authority (SHA). The following table shows emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge from hospital of adults aged 75 years and over, England and SHA, financial year 2010-11.
| Readmissions | |
| Region | Number |
| (1) This category includes readmissions where a postcode could not be assigned. This can include foreign nationals, homeless, or incorrect/out-of-date recordings of postcodes. | |
Immigration
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had on the likely number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years; and what assessment he has made of the potential effects on his Department. [156769]
Anna Soubry: Neither the Department nor wider Government have forecast figures for the numbers of migrants that could arrive from Romania and Bulgaria over the next three years. It is not credible to accurately forecast likely inflows from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions on free movement for workers are lifted, because they are dependent on too many uncertainties to draw robust conclusions.
European Economic Area nationals working, and paying taxes here, are entitled to free national health service hospital treatment.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [156671]
Dr Poulter: The number of officials employed in the Department's human resources function in each of the last five years is as follows:
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| Number | |||||
| Grade | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
| Note: Staff numbers are provided on the basis of full-time equivalents as at 31 March and include fixed-term appointments and staff on loan to the Department. Source: Department of Health Business Management System. | |||||
The total costs for officials in the Department's human resources function in the last five years are as follows:
| Financial year | Costs (£) |
| Source: Department of Health Payroll System. | |
Sunscreens
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reclassify sun care products as pharmaceutical products. [156778]
Norman Lamb: The decision as to whether a product is classified as a medicinal product is made on a case by case basis by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) using the definition of a medicinal product contained in article 1 of directive 2001/83/EC, relevant legal precedent and the MHRA's published guidance. Sun care products which do not fall within the definition of a medicinal product are regulated under the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2008 as amended.
Home Department
Abu Qatada
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department possesses intercept evidence that, if admissible in court, could help bring criminal charges against Abu Qatada. [157143]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 3 June 2013]: It is the established practice of successive Governments to neither confirm nor deny whether intercept evidence is held on any individual.
Alexander Litvinenko
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will make it her policy to initiate a public inquiry into the murder of Alexander Litvinenko; [156993]
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(2) whether the Government hold information not covered by the public interest immunity certificate relating to the inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko which could be used to prosecute the alleged murderer of Mr Litvinenko. [156996]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 3 June 2013]: In the Coroner's ruling on 17 May, Mr. Justice Owen invited submissions from Interested Parties on whether he should write to the Home Secretary to request that a statutory inquiry be established. The Government are carefully considering the ruling.
Animal Experiments
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to table nine of her Department's publication, “Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2011”, if she will provide examples of the other foodstuffs for which animals are used. [157444]
James Brokenshire: Table 9 of the “Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2011” reports scientific procedures (toxicology) by species of animal and toxicological purpose. The majority of the 4,089 procedures recorded under the heading “other foodstuffs” in table 9 were for shellfish toxin testing. We expect the number of procedures for this purpose to reduce from 2012 onwards as a result of the increased availability of non-animal-testing methods.
Asylum: Finance
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse has been of Section 4 support in each of the last five years. [157701]
Mr Harper: Expenditure on Section 4 support for the last five years for which audited accounts are available is shown in the following table.
| £ million | |
Audited accounts for the UK Border Agency for 2012-13 will be available in July and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Entry Clearances
Sir Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a visa will be issued to Ms Sadie Lee Douglas, Ref D1080985/4, whose appeal to be allowed to remain in the United Kingdom was granted on 24 January 2012. [156992]
Mr Harper [holding answer 3 June 2013]: I wrote to my hon. Friend separately on this individual case on 4 June 2013.
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Human Trafficking
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the inter-ministerial team on human trafficking has met in each year since it was established; and which Ministers attended each such meeting. [156388]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 9-10W.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department has in place to monitor the movements of children who were victims of human trafficking. [156389]
Mr Harper: The Government view the trafficking of children as a very serious offence and are fully committed to safeguarding victims of child trafficking. Local authorities have a statutory duty under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in need of protection, including trafficked children.
While the movements of child victims of trafficking are not directly monitored, local authorities have a statutory obligation in place to ensure that all children in need, including those who may have been trafficked, are assessed and appropriate support and services put in place.
The Government have awarded a grant to the Refugee Council and The Children's Society to undertake a joint independent scoping review on the practical care arrangements for trafficked children in care, which will report later this year. The review will look at the experiences of trafficked children in the care system and identify good practice.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress she has made in establishing a rapporteur for human trafficking in the UK. [156454]
Mr Harper: The inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking is the UK’s national rapporteur equivalent mechanism.
Identity and Passport Service
Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Identity and Passport Office has received any complaints regarding the certification of copy birth, marriage, civil partnership or death certificates by Post Office Ltd through its Document Certification service in the last three years. [156869]
Mr Harper: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 915W.
Passports: Hong Kong
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the criteria for issuing UK passports to Hong Kong servicemen has been since 1997; [157048]
(2) whether the number of British passports to be issued to Hong Kong servicemen was capped following the handover of Hong Kong Territory to China in 1997; [157080]
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(3) where and when the decision was taken to issue UK passports to Hong Kong ex-servicemen following the UK handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. [157081]
Mr Harper: Until 31 December 1996, Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) personnel were eligible to apply for British citizenship under the terms of the British Nationality Selection Scheme (BNSS) provided certain criteria were met. Up to 50,000 heads of households, together with their dependents, could be registered under this scheme.
No additional measures were introduced to allow former Hong Kong personnel to acquire British citizenship following Hong Kong's departure from the British Dependent territories in 1997. However, there are a number of provisions within current nationality legislation which may be used by those who wish to become a British citizen and who did not register under the BNSS including:
Registration under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997. Detailed information on this Act can be found at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nisec2gensec/
Registration under section 4(2) or section 4(B) of the British Nationality Act 1981. Further information on the requirements for these categories, and all nationality categories, can be found at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/
There are no limits on the number of people who can register under these provisions.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [156672]
James Brokenshire: The scope of human resources (HR) activities within each Government Department is defined by Civil Service HR, which requires Departments to return information on the size and cost of their HR activities on an annual basis.
The number and cost of civil servants employed in the Home Office's activities is provided in Table 1. The returns on the size and cost of HR activities were only introduced for 2009-10 and information for 2008-09 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. Similarly, information on grade breakdown cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
From 2011-12 Civil Service HR set up a number of HR Expert Services (Civil Service Employee Policy, Civil Service Learning and Civil Service Resourcing (from 1 April 2011) and Civil Service Organisational Development and Design (from 1 April 2012)). The Home Office hosts two of these services on behalf of the civil service—Civil Service Learning and Civil Service Organisational Development and Design. The number and cost of civil servants employed in these services is provided in Tables 2 and 3 respectively.
It should be noted that while the size and cost of the two expert services hosted by the Home Office are
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reported separately in Tables 2 and 3, Table 1 includes the Home Office's contribution to the apportionment of headcount and costs as agreed in the Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule.
Tables 2 and 3 should not, therefore, be aggregated with Table 1 as this would result in double counting for the Department.
| Table 1: Number and cost of civil servants employed in Home Office Department-wide HR activities: 2008-09 to 2012-13 | |||||
| Financial year | |||||
| 2008-09(1) | 2009-10(2) | 2010-11(2) | 2011-12(3) | 2012-13(4) | |
| (1) Annual “Civil Service HR Resource Surveys” were introduced in 2009-10; figures cannot be provided for 2008-09 without incurring disproportionate costs. (2) Figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are taken from “Civil Service HR Resource Surveys”. (3) In 2011-12 there was no “Civil Service HR Resource Survey”. Information has been obtained from “Civil Service HR Quarterly Data Summary” (Quarter 4, 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012) and annualised. (4) Data for the “Civil Service HR Resource Survey” for 2012-13 have recently been commissioned by Civil Service HR and are being data cleansed and analysed; it has not possible to include them in this parliamentary question within the time scales allowed for a response. Periods covered: FTE data are provided as at 31 March for each financial year. Costs data are provided on a financial year basis, covering the period 1 April to 31 March. Organisational coverage: As per “Civil Service Human Resources Quarterly Data Summary Commissioning Notes”, figures include: (1) Home Office headquarters and its executive agencies (the UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau (which left the Department on 3 December 2012)); (2) The departmental apportionment for Shared HR Expert Services (as defined in “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule (various years)”. Each year's funding schedule identifies the component of the invoices that will be made to Departments for Core Civil Service HR Expert Services and the notional FTE that should be added to their HR FTE for benchmarking purposes; and (3) HR work undertaken by Ministry of Justice civil servants who provide a shared service for the Home Office as part of the HR function. Employee coverage: Figures are given on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis and include all permanent employees and those on fixed term contracts who have been employed by the Home Office for over a year and who are engaged on in-scope HR work for at least 50% of their time. In-scope HR work is defined by the Cabinet Office as: (i) HR strategy, planning and commissioning (ii ) Change management and organisation development (iii) Performance and capability management (iv) Reward and recognition (v) Employee relations and engagement (vi) Case work (excluding query answering) (vii) Management Information Services (viii) Policy (ix) Resourcing (x) Generic learning and development (xi) HR information/query answering Figures also include an apportionment for the Shared Expert Services and the HR work done in the Shared Service Centre as directed by the Cabinet Office. Source: Home Office departmental-wide annual “Civil Service HR Resource Surveys” and “Civil Service HR Quarterly Data Summary” (Quarter 4, 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012). | |||||
| Table 2: Number and cost of civil servants employed in Civil Service Learning (a Civil Service-wide HR Expert Services HR Function hosted by the Home Office), 2008-09 to 2012-13 | |||||
| Financial year | |||||
| 2008-09(1) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12(2) | 2012-13(3) | |
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| (1) The Civil Service Learning HR Expert Services HR Function was launched on 1 April 2011 and became fully-operational on 1 April 2012. No information exists for previous years. (2) “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report 2011-12” (3) “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report 2012-13” (4) The cost of HR function includes costs of developing civil service-wide IT infrastructure and e-learning. Periods covered: FTE data are provided as at 31 March for each financial year. Costs data are provided on a financial year basis, covering the period 1 April to 31 March. Organisational coverage: Figures include headcount and costs for Civil Service Learning as per “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report”. Employee coverage: Figures are given on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis. Source: “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report (various years)” | |||||
| Table 3: Number and cost of civil servants employed in Civil Service Organisational Development and Design (a Civil Service-wide HR Expert Services HR Function hosted by the Home Office), 2008-09 to 2012-13 | |||||
| Financial year | |||||
| 2008-09(1) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13(2) | |
| (1) The Civil Service Organisational Development and Design HR Expert Services HR Function was launched in 2012-13. No information exists for previous years. (2) “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report 2012-13”, and “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule 2012/13” (V2.0 8 February 2013), Annex A and Appendix A-4. Periods covered: (1) Costs calculated on a full economic cost basis at a constant price base; (2) Cost shares calculated on the basis of departmental group headcount as published by Office for National Statistics (ONS) in Civil Service Employment Statistics with a taper applied and subject to agreed amendments (See relevant Annex B of each year's “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule”); and (3) Costs exclude attendance on the Capability Building Programme. Organisational coverage: Figures include headcount and costs for Civil Service Organisational Development and Design as per “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule”. Employee coverage: Figures are given on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis using ONS Civil Service Employment Statistics. Sources: “Civil Service HR Expert Services: Annual Report 2012-13 and Civil Service HR Expert Services: Funding Schedule 2012/13 (V2.0 8 February 2013), Annex A and Appendix A-4”. | |||||
Surveillance
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 have resulted in (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions since implementation of that Act. [157153]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 3 June 2013]: Communications data are used in the investigations of 95% of all serious and organised crime. In a recent study conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service, communications data were also used in 95% of prosecutions by their organised crime division between July 2012 and February 2013.
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However, detailed information relating to all prosecutions and convictions involving communications data is not collected centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many requests for communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 there have been for (a) subscriber data, (b) service use data, (c) traffic data and (d) any combination of those data types in each year since 2000; [157154]
(2) how many authorisations to use communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 have been granted in each year since implementation of that Act; [157155]
(3) how many requests there have been for communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in each year since 2000; [157156]
(4) to which offences requests for communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 related in each year since 2000. [157575]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 3 June 2013]: Detailed information about the number of requests made for communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is contained in the Annual Reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Library of the House and the most recent report covering 2011 is available at:
http://www.intelligencecommissioners.com/docs/0496.pdf
Detailed statistics on the types of investigations for which communications data were requested are not available.
Wales
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16. [157536]
Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has set a budget of £84,000 for the Government Car Service in 2013-14. The Department does not set individual budgets for private hire vehicles, taxis, rail and aviation. A general travel budget is allocated for the ministerial private office and this is set at £80,000 in 2013-14.
The Wales Office has not yet set travel budgets for 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [157557]
Stephen Crabb: The following table sets out how much the Department spent on ministerial travel by Government Car Service; private hire vehicles; taxis; rail; aviation; and other means in each year of the current Parliament.
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| £ | |||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| (1 )During 2010-11, departmental cars were reduced from three to one. | |||
2010-11 covers the period from May 2010 to March 2011.
The Wales Office had two Ministers up to September 2012, and three thereafter.
Transport
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the net savings to his Department in the case that the concessionary bus pass was to be withdrawn from those pensioners currently eligible to pay income tax at the (a) higher rate of 40% and (b) additional rate of 45%. [156273]
Norman Baker: Government does not hold information about the rates of income tax that concessionary bus pass holders pay. Therefore I do not have an estimate of the net savings that could be achieved by means testing via individual's income tax rates. However, the cost of the concession is driven by the number of trips made, and the following tables from the National Travel Survey (NTS) show pass uptake and concessionary bus boardings made by six household income groups:
| NTS Table 1: Take-up of older person's concessionary travel pass by household income: England, 2008-10 | |
| Household income: | Take-up rate (%) |
| NTS Table 2: Average number of bus boardings using an older person's concessionary pass by household income: England, 2008-10 | |
| Household income | Bus boardings per pass holder per year |
| Notes: 1. Figures are based on data from three NTS survey years combined (2008, 2009 and 2010). 2. These figures do not take into consideration the concessionary travel changes which took place in April 2010 and all individuals 60+ have been included in the eligibility base for all years. | |
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Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) written and (b) telephone complaints were received by his Department from businesses concerning the performance of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012. [156939]
Stephen Hammond: The information requested on how many complaints were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency specifically from businesses is not held. The total number of recorded complaints from all customers is shown in the following table:
| Written | Telephone | |
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to compensate communities for the loss of assets such as sports clubs as a result of the construction of High Speed 2. [157314]
Mr Simon Burns: If a community facility such as a sports club has to move due to HS2 then the owners/operators of that club will have a claim for compensation that, subject to negotiation of that claim, should allow that facility to relocate to an alternative site in the area. This is what we would normally expect to happen and we would seek to open negotiations on such an arrangement, with the club/facility, at the appropriate time.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing a property bond scheme to facilitate a functioning property market in areas facing blight as a result of the planned High Speed 2 project. [157315]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government have in the past used various modelling assumptions to assess broad HS2 property compensation policy options against each other on a consistent basis. We do not, though, hold estimates of the likely cost of any particular property bond scheme. Property bond schemes for transport projects have never been fully implemented in the UK, so there is no available evidence about the cost of such schemes in practice.
We are currently preparing to consult again on discretionary property compensation schemes to support people affected by the HS2 proposals. We hope to provide further analysis of property bond scheme options in the consultation documents.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the National Audit Office report, “High Speed 2: A review of early programme preparation”, published 16 May 2013, HC 124, what plans he has to re-evaluate the business case for High Speed 2. [157394]
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Mr Simon Burns: The National Audit Office's report focused on an early iteration of the business case for HS2, produced nearly two years ago. The Department is committed to regularly updating the business case, to take account of the latest information and check that the programme is still on track to deliver value for money.