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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 5 June 2013
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Ascension Island
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote accountability and good governance on Ascension Island. [157056]
Mark Simmonds: The British Government promote good governance and accountability in all of the Overseas Territories. Considerable effort continues to be put into encouraging active participation in politics on Ascension Island. In 2011-12, a stipend for councillors was introduced to encourage high calibre candidates, and this year money will be spent on professional training for new councillors. Representatives from the Ascension Island Council are also invited to the annual Joint Ministerial Council hosted in London, where there have been a number of seminars on improving good governance and accountability.
British Indian Ocean Territory
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trespassers have been evicted from the British Indian Ocean Territory in the last two years. [157060]
Mark Simmonds: In the last two years, the British Indian Ocean Territory Authorities have discovered only one case of trespassing. This was a yacht moored in the territory without a valid permit. The yacht was instructed to leave.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase public access to the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands). [157061]
Mark Simmonds: We have no objective of increasing public access to the British Indian Ocean Territory. It is not a tourist destination. Access to Diego Garcia is limited to those needing to visit for official purposes. Mooring permits are issued to yachts in safe passage.
An increasing number of scientific expeditions have been visiting the British Indian Ocean Territory to carry out research and conservation work.
Since 2006, the British Government has been organising visits for Chagossians to the three main islands to enable them to re-visit their birth places and hold ceremonies at the graveyards of relatives. The most recent visit took place in October 2012.
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the subject of the British Indian Ocean Territory. [157062]
Mark Simmonds: I have not discussed the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) recently with my US counterpart. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and State Department officials have regular discussions about all bilateral matters including the British Indian Ocean Territory. The most recent BIOT Pol-Mil annual talks were held in London in October 2012.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civilian permits his Department has issued allowing access to the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands) in each of the last five years. [157063]
Mark Simmonds: The British Indian Ocean Territory Administration has issued 25 permits in 2013, 42 permits in 2012, 39 permits in 2011, 106 permits in 2010 and 78 permits in 2009. Permits are issued for yachts in safe passage and for any visitors to the territory.
In accordance with our legislation, contractor personnel are deemed to be in possession of a permit if their name is included in a list which is accepted by the principal immigration officer.
Burma
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Burma has not been included in his Department's Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. [156812]
Mr Swire: The Government regularly lobby the Burmese Government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence against women in conflict areas. Through international non-governmental organisations, the UK gives support to legal assistance centres in Burmese refugee camps in Thailand and to trauma care in camps in Kachin State in Burma, both of which deal with rape cases. We also work closely with the UN in Rakhine State to strengthen work to prevent and respond to sexual violence there.
The Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) has identified countries, in consultation with the UN and other partners, where the UK Team of Experts can add most value. In January 2013, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced initial deployments to countries including Bosnia, Libya. South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and to the Syria Border. A number of other countries are now engaging in PSVI at both a practical and political level, taking into account existing national and international efforts. Over the summer, the British embassy in Rangoon will be scoping options to expand the initiative to Burma.
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers in his Department who recently met the Burmese Immigration Minister, Khin Yi, raised with him his investigation into the citizenship of Rohingya MP Shwe Maung. [156813]
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Mr Swire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and my Noble Friend Baroness Warsi met Aung Min, Minister for the Burmese President's office, and Khin Yi, Minister for Rakhme State, in meetings on 15 and 16 April. The circumstances of specific individuals were not discussed. However, Ministers made clear our concerns about the need for the urgent coordination of humanitarian aid to Rakhine State and a resolution to the Rohingya's citizenship status which is consistent with helping the Rohingya achieve their human rights.
British officials in Rangoon, as well as visiting UK Ministers, are in regular and close contact with leaders of the Rohingya community in Burma.
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of grants provided by the British Embassy in Rangoon in the last three years were spent on projects which promote human rights. [156872]
Mr Swire: Overall 62% of project funding provided by the British embassy in Rangoon in the last three years was spent on projects which promote human rights, amounting to over £828,000. These projects have included training for civil society advocacy groups and human rights defenders, workshops to raise awareness of new labour rights, a visit to Burma by the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association, and building the capacity of disabled people's organisations.
Through our bilateral project fund, we have also assisted in delivering—via implementing partners—technical support over the last two years to the Ministry of Social Welfare to fulfil Burmese Government's obligations under the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, to which Burma is a signatory.
Caribbean
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Caribbean counterparts on air passenger duty. [157055]
Mark Simmonds: As the Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for the Independent Caribbean and Caribbean Overseas Territories, I have regular discussions on air passenger duty with my Caribbean counterparts.
Colombia
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to discuss (a) the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, (b) the assistance the UK team of experts could offer to Colombia on this issue and (c) the involvement of women in all stages of the peace process with the President of Colombia during his visit to the UK. [157866]
Mr Swire:
We look forward to welcoming President Santos to the United Kingdom. Following the successful G8 Foreign Ministers' discussion of the issue, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is determined to develop further the Initiative and build an even broader coalition of
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countries demanding an end to sexual violence in conflict. Colombia's recent experience is invaluable in this regard.
I met Constitutional Court Judge Luis Ernesto Vargas Silva in April and discussed with him the issue of sexual violence in Colombia. Members of the Commission for Peace of the Colombian Congress have recently requested advice from the UK Team of Experts in ensuring sexual violence is incorporated in their peace and reconciliation processes. We are currently considering that request. In the meantime, officials are looking into how the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) objectives can be incorporated into our existing human rights work in Colombia.
In 2012, President Santos launched Colombia's National Public Policy for Gender Equality. The British Government will provide support to the Colombian Government to promote women's rights and address discrimination wherever possible.
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to meet President Santos of Colombia during his visit to the UK in June 2013; and if he will propose to President Santos that he should invite the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, Baroness Amos, to Colombia to discuss with the Colombian Government the current humanitarian situation in that country. [157989]
Mr Swire: I look forward to welcoming President Santos to the United Kingdom. I plan to meet with him and discuss a range of subjects, including human rights, our growing trade links and the peace process. However, I do not have any plans to suggest that President Santos invite Baroness Amos to Colombia to discuss the current humanitarian situation.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. [157994]
Mark Simmonds: UN peacekeepers were first deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through UNSCR 1279 of 30 November 1999. Like its predecessor, MONUC the current force (the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission—MONUSCO), has a primary objective to protect civilians. UNSCR 2098 of 28 March 2013 saw an extension of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping operation in DRC, with the new element of an Intervention Brigade charged with helping to stabilise the region through neutralizing armed groups and contributing to reducing the threat posed by them. The Intervention Brigade, under the same mandate as the rest of MONUSCO, is in the process of deploying to the region. Britain fully supports the work of the whole of MONUSCO. We remain confident that MONUSCO's presence contributes positively to peace and security in eastern DRC. We will continue to monitor the situation, and MONUSCO’s operations, through the UN Security Council and via our representatives on the ground in DRC.
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Falkland Islands
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to highlight the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands in the European Parliament. [157057]
Mr Swire: Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not a matter for the European Union. However, our Representation to the European Union engages with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Falklands issues in order to build awareness of the rights and wishes of the Islanders. It has organised meetings for Members of the Falklands Legislative Assembly with MEPs in Brussels, most recently in April this year, and briefed British MEPs on the decisive Falklands referendum in March.
Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which EU countries he has received reports of clinics declining to treat UK citizens who held valid European Health Insurance cards. [157954]
Mark Simmonds: We are not aware of any countries where treatment has been declined. We know of several cases in Spain where the European Health Insurance Card has not been accepted as payment and patients have had to find alternative payment methods including travel insurance. There have been isolated cases elsewhere in the EU including Cyprus and Bulgaria. This information is not held centrally, however, and to gather the information from all EU countries would incur a disproportionate cost.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints he has received in each of the last three years from UK citizens whose European Health Insurance cards have not been accepted by clinics in the EU. [157955]
Mark Simmonds: We do not hold this information centrally; and to gather the information from all our missions EU countries would incur a disproportionate cost.
Iceland
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the formation of a new Government in Iceland, and its announcement that it has terminated the accession process of Iceland to the EU; what assessment he has made of the implications of these developments for UK foreign policy; and if he will make a statement. [158350]
Mr Lidington:
The Government have followed with interest the formation of Iceland's new governing coalition between the Progressive and Independence parties, and maintain regular contact with the Icelandic Government in particular through our embassy in Reykjavik. The new Government have announced that Iceland's EU accession negotiations, which the previous Government
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put on hold ahead of the 27 April elections, will remain suspended until an assessment of the process has been discussed in the Icelandic Parliament and any decision to recommence put to a public referendum.
The UK will continue to engage positively with Iceland, to further strengthen our good bilateral relationship.
Immigration
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had on the potential number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years. [156770]
Mr Swire: There is no reliable way of estimating future numbers of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants as it is impossible to take into account all of the factors that could influence the situation.
India
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the Indian Government regarding the trial of Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar. [156706]
Mr Swire: I raised Mr Bhullar's case when I met the Indian High Commissioner, Dr J. Bhagwati, on 30 April. The British high commission in New Delhi has in parallel raised this issue with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The UK will continue to monitor this case closely, as we will in all cases where the death penalty has been given as a sentence.
Kenya
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect on bilateral relations with Kenya of the result of the Kenyan presidential election. [156960]
Mark Simmonds: The UK and Kenya have a substantial shared agenda, which includes regional security, prosperity, and development. The appointment of a new Kenyan Government committed to upholding their international obligations provides an opportunity to work together to build on this agenda.
Middle East
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent reports he has received on progress on transferring planning control for the west bank from the Israeli Government to the Palestinian Authority as agreed under the Oslo accords; [157946]
(2) what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the transfer of planning control of the west bank to the Palestinian Authority. [157947]
Alistair Burt:
The British Government regularly raise concerns regarding the Israeli building and planning regime in Area C with the Israeli Government, including during recent visits by my right hon. Friend the Secretary
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of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the National Security Adviser, and during meetings between UK officials and the Israeli NSC in March and April 2013. The UK has also called publicly on Israel to take steps towards the transfer of authority over Area C to the Palestinian Authority, including at the UN Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in New York in September 2012.
Palestinian development in Area C is essential for a sustainable Palestinian economy, yet only 1% of Area C is zoned for Palestinian construction. The UK will therefore continue to press Israel to ease the current restrictive permitting regime and to transfer control of Area C to the PA as per the Oslo accords.
Occupied Territories
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many building projects in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been funded by the UK Government or by any other EU member state. [158063]
Alistair Burt: The UK does not currently fund construction projects. However, with funding from the tri-departmental Conflict Prevention Programme, the UK has supported long-term planning for Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem and the west bank. The UK has contributed £300,000 to the Palestinian Authority's Community Resilience Development Fund for Area C and East Jerusalem which is administered by UN Development Programme. Approved projects will in some instances support rehabilitation of existing infrastructure that do not require Israeli building permits.
The UK provides humanitarian assistance through core support to the UN and EU systems and the Humanitarian Relief Fund. Some of this funding will be used to provide emergency shelter in Area C following demolitions and displacement. The UK is currently considering what further support can be provided to assist vulnerable communities in Area C.
We do not have up to date information on the number of projects being funded by other EU member states.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [156670]
Alistair Burt: We have interpreted the question to mean how many staff were employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Resources Directorate in each of the last five years, and the total salary and employer related costs and associated administrative costs of the core human resources (HR) functions.
The methodology used to determine the number of staff engaged in the full range of HR functions and services has changed during the past year to reflect Cabinet Office guidelines. We are therefore unable to
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provide exact comparative figures prior to 2011. The figures show the number of staff working in core HR policy units only.
| Number | |||
| Grade | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
| Note: Figures as at 31 March. These figures do not include FCO Services or Wilton Park, executive agencies of the FCO, staff working for the UK Border Agency, locally engaged staff employed overseas or staff employed by the FCO's arm’s length bodies. | |||
The associated total average salary and employer related costs for each of the last three years were: £7,351,476, £7,523,821, and £7,361,482 respectively.
As at 31 March 2013 there were 157 staff engaged in HR core activities in the FCO in the UK. This represents a reduction of 10% from 31 March 2011. The FCO is committed to further reductions in the size and cost of its HR function by 2015 in line with the Civil Service Reform programme.
The FCO HR Directorate supports a global operation. At any given moment approximately 40% of our UK based workforce will be based overseas. We are therefore required to provide a unique range of services for our staff and in some cases for their accompanying dependents (for example, access to language training, health care services and overseas allowances). We also provide policy guidance, administrative and logistical support for staff from other Government Departments who are deployed overseas. As a consequence the size of the FCO HR Directorate and the comparative total cost will be higher than most other Whitehall Departments.
Due to the nature of the FCO structure, many of the associated administrative costs that are general to the office are accounted for within the HR Budget. We are unable to separate these costs without incurring disproportionate costs.
Peru
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Peruvian Government about criminal charges being brought against (a) indigenous people protesting against the acquisition of their land and (b) indigenous leaders in the Curva del Diablo case. [156876]
Mr Swire: The British embassy in Lima is in regular dialogue with the Peruvian Government on human rights issues, including indigenous rights.
With regards to the indigenous leaders in the Curva del Diablo case, we understand this matter is currently before the Peruvian courts. It would be inappropriate for the UK to make representations in this on-going judicial proceeding. Our embassy will monitor this case as it progresses through the Peruvian justice system.
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Pitcairn Islands
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made on the proposed Pitcairn Islands Marine Protected Area. [157054]
Mark Simmonds: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 641W.
We are working with the Pitcairn Island Council and interested partner organisations to explore and develop the various options for marine protection around Pitcairn. This is a complex issue requiring thorough analysis of a range of environmental and economic issues before a decision can be taken.
St Lucia
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many homicides of British nationals have occurred in St Lucia in the last 10 years; and what steps his Department takes to assist families of victims of such homicides to engage with the St Lucian authorities and criminal justice system. [157821]
Mark Simmonds: During the last 10 years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is aware of five homicide incidents involving British nationals in St Lucia.
In all homicide cases involving the death of a British national overseas. FCO consular officials attempt to make contact with the victim's family and next of kin. We provide support and information about the practicalities of dealing with death overseas, including local procedures. We can provide details on local lawyers and check with the local police to ensure families are updated on any ongoing investigations.
We liaise closely with the non-governmental organisation, Victim Support National Homicide Service. Victim Support ensures families get the practical support they need to deal with the added trauma of a death overseas.
Telephone Services
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price. [157738]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no telephone lines which generate financial or non-financial benefits.
The FCO does not maintain centrally details of telephone services for its agencies. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Thailand
Paul Blomfield:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have raised with the Government of Thailand
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the possible jailing of British citizen Andy Hall due to his activities protecting migrant workers in Thailand. [156879]
Mr Swire: On 5 May 2013; staff at our embassy in Bangkok raised with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs the importance of Mr Hall receiving an independent trial in Thailand. On 20 May 2013, during my visit to Thailand, I raised this case with Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. Embassy officials in Bangkok will continue to monitor the case and raise it with the Thai authorities where appropriate.
Home Department
Animal Experiments
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess whether the risk-based inspection programme utilised by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit is fit-for-purpose; and if she will make a statement. [157834]
James Brokenshire: The risk-based inspection programme utilised by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit is kept under regular review. We believe it is fit for purpose.
The risk status for each establishment is reviewed after every inspection visit noting whether there has been any significant change in their compliance with the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The three possible outcomes—increased, decreased or unchanged risk profile—are considered along with any recommended changes to control measures; to the frequency of inspections; or to particular aspects of work at that establishment. Inspectors regularly discuss the risk profile with key individuals at the establishment, particularly the establishment licence holder. Inspectors also provide advice to those working under the 1986 Act and encourage best practice with respect to the 3Rs—replacement, refinement and reduction of the use of animals.
Drugs: Corby
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug-related arrests have been made in Corby constituency in each of the last five years. [158048]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available centrally.
Arrests in Corby constituency cannot be separately identified as the data reported to the Home Office are broken down by police force area level only.
Arrests data for England and Wales are collected by the Home Office and published on an annual basis in the National Statistics series ‘Police Powers and Procedures’. The latest release is available in the Library of the House and from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112
Data currently available are based on aggregated offence categories including the category ‘drug offences’, however this category only includes arrests relating specifically to the possession, importation and supply
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of illegal drugs. Drugs may also have been a factor in arrests for other recorded offences but it is not possible to separately identify these.
Immigrants: Detainees
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for bail were made by people held in immigration detention in each of the last five years. [156774]
Mr Harper [holding answer 3 June 2013]: We are only able to provide data on the number of applications for bail made by people held in immigration detention between January 2010 and December 2012.
The data are shown in the following table. To provide data prior to January 2010 would incur disproportionate cost.
| Table 1: Bail applications made while in immigration detention, 2010 to 2012 | |
| Total | |
| Notes: 1. All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to cases where the bail application was made in the same period of detention. 3. Data relate to main applicants and dependants. | |
Immigration
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of settlement applications made in the third quarter of 2012 was from (a) women and (b) men; and what the average length of time to process such applications was in each case. [157144]
Mr Harper [holding answer 3 June 2013]: 31,899 in-country applications for settlement in the United Kingdom were received in the third quarter of 2012, of which 50% were from women and 50% from men. The average processing time for decided settlement applications received in that period was 155 days.
Notes:
1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
2. Figures relate to main applicants only.
3. Figures relate to postal and premium (PEO) applications.
4. Figures relate to settlement applications raised (received) between 1 July and 30 September 2012.
5. Processing time is based on the average number of calendar days between raised and despatched date.
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those in-country immigration applications which had not been processed in the third quarter of 2012 were made by women. [157577]
Mr Harper
[holding answer 3 June 2013]: The Home Office is not able to report on historical work in progress cases by applicants' sex. While a current snapshot of
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work in progress data can be generated, it is not possible to disaggregate by main applicants and dependants. Consequently it would not be possible to provide the requested data on in-country applications made by women without incurring disproportionate costs.
Roads: Accidents
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to include road traffic accident locations in the publication of crime maps. [157714]
Damian Green: Data on road traffic collisions is recorded by police forces and collected centrally by the Department for Transport (DFT).
DFT make the data publicly available through data.gov.uk; the full 2012 dataset will be available at the end of June 2013.
Developers and third party users can use the data to create their own online maps, apps and websites and some of these have already been created and are available on data.gov.uk/apps. For this reason, there are no plans to publish on police.uk.
Sexual Offences: Victims
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to provide support for victims identified under (a) Operation Pallial, (b) Operation Yewtree, (c) Operation Fernbridge and (d) the investigations into Stuart Hall; how much funding her Department has provided for supporting victims identified in each investigation; and with which agencies she has been in contact with regard to support for victims. [155228]
Damian Green [holding answer 4 June 2013]: The police ensure that all of the victims in these investigations are offered appropriate advice and support where required from a range of organisations that specialise in this area. This includes the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and Victim Support.
In relation to the funding of support for victims of sexual violence, the Ministry of Justice has improved funding for rape support provision across England and Wales. Rape support centres provide independent, specialist support to victims of both recent and historic sexual violence. Previously, funding for such centres was short-term and piecemeal, leading to the closure of a number of centres and the loss of vital support for victims. As a result, rape support centres are on a secure financial footing for the first time, with 78 centres around the country receiving total grant funding of nearly £4 million a year from 2011 to 2014.
Sign Language
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users. [157934]
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James Brokenshire: The Home Office, police and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which we sponsor are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. For the Home Office, a number of offices in Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) have already achieved the RNID "Louder than Words" accreditation, which required the training of staff to communicate with customers and to provide communication support whenever requested, which would include British Sign Language interpreters.
Surveillance
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which public authorities have requested access to communications data and had their request (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [157656]
(2) which public authorities have presented a case justifying their acquisition of communications data which have been subsequently considered insufficient by her Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [157657]
James Brokenshire: In order to be able to have access to communications data a public authority must be designated by an Order made under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The last occasion on which such an Order was approved by Parliament was the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) Order 2010.
More recently, the Government have asked all those bodies that presently have access to communications data to submit a case for continued access, in the context of developing our proposals for the investigation of crime in cyberspace. Ministers are considering these cases.
Terrorism
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 have been examined or detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since the Act came into force; and what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average period of detention has been. [157635]
James Brokenshire: Information about how many people under the age of 18 have been examined under schedule 7 is not collected centrally. The statutory code of practice for examining officers contains guidance on the examination of people under the age of 18 and other vulnerable people:
http://tna.europarchive.org/20100419081706/http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/legislation/terrorism-act-2000/Code-of-Practice-for-Examin1.pdf?view=Binary
I will place a copy of the statutory code of practice for examining officers in the House Library.
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nature was of those terrorism-related convictions arising from prosecutions under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since 2010. [157636]
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James Brokenshire: Offences under schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 are described in paragraph 18 of the schedule. These include wilfully failing to comply with a duty imposed under schedule 7 or wilfully obstructing, or seeking to frustrate, a search or examination. We do not hold information detailing the nature of other terrorism-related convictions arising from arrests at ports.
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2010; [157637]
(2) how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2011; [157638]
(3) how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2012. [157639]
James Brokenshire: The number of persons arrested for offences under paragraph 18 of Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 and the outcome of arrests, including convictions, for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 was included in Home Office Statistical Bulletin (HOSB 11/12) published on 13 September 2012.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1112/
Information collated by the Association of Chief Police Officers indicates that, as a result of Schedule 7 examinations, there were 31 terrorism-related arrests at ports in 2010-11 and 24 terrorism-related arrests at ports in 2011-12
Tickets: Fraud
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle the fraudulent sales of online tickets to concerts and sporting events. [157766]
James Brokenshire: The report, produced by Operation Podium, on tackling ticket crime during the London Olympics has made a considerable contribution to the understanding of the ways in which this crime is perpetrated and can be addressed. The Government are currently considering how the lessons learned from this major event can be used to further strengthen the work on tackling ticket fraud more generally.
Northern Ireland
Economy: EU Support
11. Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effect of European Union support on Northern Ireland's economy. [157246]
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Mrs Villiers: I want to see the EU play a positive role in Northern Ireland's economy which is one of the reasons why I believe we should reform and renegotiate the UK's relationship with Europe to focus it on economic links and the single market. It is also essential that the EU does not impose unnecessary or disproportionate regulatory burdens on businesses in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK.
Organised Crime
12. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of co-operation between the UK and Irish Governments on tackling organised crime. [157247]
Mike Penning: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given earlier to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Jim Sheridan).
Attorney-General
Conditions of Employment
Pamela Nash: To ask the Attorney-General how many people in the Law Officers' Departments are employed on zero hours contracts. [158070]
Crown Prosecution Service
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the powers of the new independent assessor of complaints about the Crown Prosecution Service will be; and at what stage of the complaints process that assessor will become involved. [157617]
The Solicitor-General: The new Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC) for the Crown Prosecution Service has responsibility for investigating complaints from members of the public in respect of the quality of service provided by the CPS and its adherence to its published complaints procedure. The decision of the IAC in the determination of complaints will be final and the IAC is empowered to make recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions on any aspect of the complaints process. The IAC review will take place at stage three of the CPS complaints procedure.
Police: Wales
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General when he plans to publish the report of Her Majesty's Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service into the collapse of the prosecution of police officers charged with corruption relating to the investigation into the death of Lynette White. [157559]
The Attorney-General:
Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) about the prosecution referred to, and the DPP is considering what is appropriate for publication and will seek to do so in due course. Both
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the Chief Inspector and the DPP are keeping me updated on progress, and I understand that the DPP will also be writing to you directly in relation to this case.
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what the Law Officers' Departments' 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; [157518]
(2) how much the Law Officers' Departments 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. [157539]
The Solicitor-General: The AGO budget forecast for the Government Car Service in 2013-14 is £94,000. With the exception of this service, which is only used by Ministers, other travel forecasts (air, trains, taxis etc) are for predicted costs across the whole office. We do not have a separate ministerial budget for ministerial travel costs. We do not yet have any forecast figures for 2014-15 and 2015-16.
The Government Car Service costs are as shown in the TSol departmental resource accounts:
2012-13: £73,472
2011-12: £116,017
2010-11: £124,901.
Other travel costs for the Attorney-General's Office as published in the TSol departmental resource accounts (taxis, rail, air etc) are for the whole office and include ministerial costs. It is not possible to break down expenditure to show ministerial travel costs without incurring a disproportionate cost.
The AGO website does record ministers overseas travel costs. These are:
2012-13: £10,164
2011-12: £11,492
2010-11: £1,297 (paid by FCO).
Justice
Administration of Justice
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the level of public understanding of the legal framework around courts and sentencing. [157117]
Mrs Grant: The Government are committed to bringing about greater understanding of sentencing. Recently we brought in changes, as part of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, stating that courts must explain, in ordinary language, the reasons why certain sentences are given.
The Ministry of Justice launched the ‘You be the Judge’ website in March 2010. The website gives the opportunity for members of public to put themselves in the judging seat, and pass sentence in eight different scenarios including burglary, murder and vandalism among others.
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On 24 May 2013, the Ministry of Justice published a report, commissioned in early 2013, which analysed the 74,000 complete user experiences of ‘You be the Judge’ to look at the sentences passed by the public and how their views changed. The main findings show that more than 80% of the public would give criminals a sentence that is more lenient or the same as a judge when presented with the full facts of a crime. Also more than two-thirds (69%) of users who started their experience with the view that sentencing was ‘too lenient’, ended the process with the view that it was ‘right’.
Courts
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the courts system was of trials rendered ineffective because of court administration errors in each year since 2007. [156287]
Mrs Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) maintains no central record of the number of trials that were ineffective because of court administration errors. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by undertaking a manual exercise of reviewing individual case files at a disproportionate cost. Court data are held by HMCTS on the number of ineffective trials due to ‘court administration reasons’, which covers a range of reasons for trials not going ahead on the day that are attributable neither to the prosecution nor the defence, but it does not record a category of ‘court administration errors’.
Driving Offences: Fines
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was raised from fines for driving whilst uninsured in each of the last 10 years. [157433]
Mrs Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service systems do not identify amounts collected for specific offences and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.
Human Trafficking
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) legal support, (b) medical aid, (c) counselling and (d) education and training made available to those who have undergone human trafficking. [156945]
Mrs Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
I am satisfied that The Salvation Army, as prime contractor, is successfully delivering tailored support to victims, taking into account their individual needs. This has made a real difference in helping them re-build their lives after their terrible ordeal at the hands of their traffickers. Where required, the support includes access to the services to which the honourable member refers.
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the (a) physical and
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(b)
mental health of persons who have undergone human trafficking at the end of the stipulated period of rest and reflection. [156948]
Mrs Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
Based on the victim's individual needs, The Salvation Army will ensure that an individual is provided with the appropriate health services to aid their immediate recovery from the trauma of being trafficked. Services offered to victims under the contract include facilitating access to mental health services, emergency medical treatment, housing, substance misuse and sexual health services. The Salvation Army will also ensure that victims are able to continue access these support services once they have received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision.
Human Trafficking: Compensation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) written and (b) oral advice his Department gives to those who have experienced human trafficking on the right to compensation. [157026]
Mrs Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support and assistance to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
When they enter the service provided by The Salvation Army, victims will be informed in a language they understand of their right to submit an application for an award under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. They may also be advised of their right to pursue a claim for damages in the civil courts.
The Government have recently issued a leaflet which offers help and advice for people who think they may be victims of trafficking. The document explains to victims that they can obtain advice from their legal adviser or from a Citizen's Advice Bureau about any compensation they may be able to claim.
Legal Costs
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total level of costs awarded against defendants was in (a) magistrates courts and (b) the Crown courts in 2011-12; and what proportion of those costs have been recovered. [157649]
Mrs Grant: The total amount of costs imposed in the 2011-12 financial year are set out in the following table along with details of how much of that had been collected by the end of April 2013:
| £ | |
|
Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 collected by end of April 2013 | |
|
Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 cancelled by end of April 2013 | |
|
Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 outstanding by end of April 2013 |
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The amounts quoted include costs imposed in the magistrates and Crown courts and it is not possible to separate these amounts. The amounts cancelled could be either legal cancellations or administrative cancellations and the amount outstanding can include amounts which are not yet due to be paid or the balance on accounts that are being paid by instalments.
When an offender is ordered to pay costs and they are allowed to pay by instalments, the costs are allocated third after any compensation order and the victim surcharge.
Scotland
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met (a) the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) any other Scottish Government Minister; and what was discussed at any such meeting. [155679]
Mrs Grant: The Secretary of State has not had any meetings with Ministers in the Scottish Government since taking up his post in September 2012. However, he regularly corresponds with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on issues of mutual interest areas, and officials work closely with their counterparts in the Scottish Government and the other devolved Administrations.
Health
Childbirth
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many home births there were in each local health authority area in England in each of the last five years; and in each case what proportion this formed of the total number of births for that authority area. [157846]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Health asking how many homebirths there were in each local health authority area in England in each of the last five years; and in each case what proportion this formed of the total number of births for that authority area. [157846]
The latest year for which figures are available is 2011. The tables show the number and percentage of women giving birth at home in each local authority and in each strategic health authority in England for 2007 to 2011. Figures can only be provided by local authority and strategic health authority for England due to disproportionate costs of producing for other health geographies.
A copy of the tables has been placed in the Library of the House.
Fertility
Richard Burden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the report commissioned by his Department and published by the Infertility Network UK to (a) revise the criteria on existing children when
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determining eligibility for fertility treatment and
(b)
standardise funding for fertility treatment across clinical commissioning groups. [R] [157978]
Anna Soubry: The Department funded Infertility Network UK, the leading infertility patient support group, to produce advice for NHS Commissioners about standardising eligibility criteria for fertility services. This report is signposted in the “Commissioning fertility services factsheet”, published by NHS England (formerly the NHS Commissioning Board) in February 2013 to support all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in commissioning fertility services. This fact sheet is designed to share key knowledge and understanding as well as highlighting the recent changes such as the updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline.
The Department has an expectation that CCGs should make progress to implement the recommendations of the NICE Fertility Guideline, including the offer of three cycles of in vitro fertilisation for eligible couples.
Lung Diseases
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address inequalities in regional health outcomes for interstitial lung disease. [157658]
Anna Soubry: Reducing mortality and improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease is a key priority for this Government. It is specifically covered in both the Public Health and NHS Outcome Frameworks. NHS England will work to improve the quality of NHS services, and will be held to account through the Mandate.
NHS England has appointed Professor Mike Morgan as National Clinical Director for respiratory disease as one of its senior appointments.
Tackling health inequalities will drive the work of NHS England. Inequalities in interstitial lung disease (ILD) care is one of the areas being considered in the specialised commissioning process and the treatment of ILD will be conducted from specialised centres.
NHS: Conditions of Employment
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will develop an NHS staff outcomes framework to drive improvements in the care and support provided for staff by the NHS as an employer; and if he will make a statement. [158058]
Dr Poulter: We have no current plans to develop an NHS staff outcomes framework in addition to those in place for the national health service, public health and adult social care. NHS trusts who are responsible for their staff health and wellbeing, can access up to date advice and guidance to help them plan their staff health and wellbeing improvement strategies from the “Health, Work and Wellbeing” pages on the NHS Employers website at:
www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/Pages/Home-Healthy.aspx
This advice and guidance is based on five high impact changes (developing local evidence-based improvement plans; with strong visible leadership; supported by improved
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management capability; with access to better, local, high-quality accredited occupational health services; where staff are encouraged and enabled to take more responsibility for their health) which were developed following the 2009 Boorman review “NHS Health and Wellbeing”. The impetus to improve NHS staff health and wellbeing was enhanced in April when Ministers and NHS leaders signed a commitment “Healthier Staff, Higher Quality Care” to improve the health and wellbeing of staff who work in health care and we have commissioned work to develop good practice guidance on staff engagement.
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will consider establishing a dedicated workstream under the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programme aimed at improving staff health and wellbeing; and if he will make a statement.
Dr Poulter: Responsibility for Quality, Innovation, Productivity and has passed to NHS England. National health service organisations, who are responsible for the health and well-being of their staff, continue to be supported by NHS Employers through a programme of work monitored under its contract with the Department. This programme includes: the identification, production, promotion and mobilisation of good practice; supporting over 100 trusts to develop improvement plans for reducing sickness absence and improving staff health and well-being; developing performance in parts of the NHS with particular challenges (e.g. mental health trusts), supporting the development of occupational health services and developing good practice guidance for staff engagement.
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance for service providers his Department and the NHS Commissioning Board plan to publish on (a) improving staff health and wellbeing and (b) providing NHS staff with access to physiotherapy services. [158060]
Dr Poulter: In respect of improving staff health and well-being, although the principle responsibility lies with individual employers, under its contract with the Department, NHS Employers regularly updates its extensive guidance on improving staff health and well-being which will, in due course, include advice and guidance on staff engagement. The guidance is based on five high impact changes (developing local evidence-based improvement plans; with strong visible leadership; supported by improved management capability; with access to better, local, high-quality accredited occupational health services; where staff are encouraged and enabled to take more responsibility for their health) which were developed following the 2009 Boorman review of ‘NHS Health and Wellbeing’. NHS Employers guidance can be found at:
www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/Pages/Home-Healthy.aspx
The Department has no current plans to issue further guidance on providing NHS staff with access to physiotherapy following last year's publication by NHS Employers of ‘Rapid Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation for NHS staff’ which included case studies
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highlighting how trusts have improved access to treatment and rehabilitation for their staff including better access to physiotherapy.
NHS England inform us that it is not within its remit to publish guidance for service providers.
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department had with the NHS Commissioning Board on including staff health and wellbeing in the Board's guidance, Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013-14; and for what reasons staff health and wellbeing was not included in that guidance. [158061]
Dr Poulter: The Government's priorities for the national health service are set out in the Mandate to NHS England, which includes reference to the importance of staff health and well-being. ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14’ sets out the planning framework for NHS commissioners and is a matter for NHS England. The Department has had no discussions with NHS England on including staff health and well-being in ‘Everyone Counts...’.
NHS England inform us that ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14’ focuses on improving outcomes and delivering the rights and pledges under the NHS Constitution within available resources. In doing so it sets out the expectations that all NHS organisations follow the values set out in the NHS constitution and also within Compassion in Practice, the Chief Nursing Officer's new vision and strategy. This has six areas of action which include improving staff experience.
Social Services: North West
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in the care sector employed on zero-hours contracts in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside and (c) the north-west. [157348]
Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
Skills for Care, the partner in sector, skills council for social care, has provided the following data following estimates from the National Minimum Dataset for Social Care:
| Estimated total number of workers on zero hour contracts | |
| Area | Total |
| Source: Skills for Care: Estimated number of jobs 2011 and NMDS-SC April 2013 | |
Energy and Climate Change
Fracking
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish proposals to ensure that local communities benefit from shale gas projects. [157781]
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Michael Fallon: As we committed in the Budget, the Government will develop proposals by summer 2013 to ensure that local communities will benefit from shale gas projects in their area.
International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the role of the International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group is; and what progress it has made on its objectives. [157974]
Gregory Barker: DECC's International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group (ICCEE) is responsible for progressing international action to combat climate change with the EU and worldwide, taking measures to reduce carbon in the UK and improving our energy efficiency.
I will place a fuller answer in the Libraries of the House.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the £3.53 million budget supporting the International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group has been spent on to date. [157975]
Gregory Barker: The International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency's research and development budget totalled £3.53 million over the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13. This was spent on a variety of socio-economic projects to gather evidence to support the development of DECC programmes and the Energy Efficiency Strategy.
This budget is coordinated by the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office and supports research and development across the ICCEE Business Group and related areas in the wider Department.
Plutonium
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the change in the risk of (a) plutonium and (b) other nuclear explosive material being obtained by unauthorised groups if the current UK plutonium stockpile were to be converted into MOX fuel and exported. [157851]
Michael Fallon: A final decision on the future management of the UK's plutonium has not been taken. However, MOX, plutonium and other nuclear materials are, and will continue to be, managed with the upmost consideration of security and safety risks in line with stringent international treaties and domestic legislation. Risks change over time and assessments are carried out regularly to inform the approach to security.
Culture, Media and Sport
Conditions of Employment
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in her Department are employed on zero hours contracts. [156816]
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Hugh Robertson: DCMS does not have any officials employed on zero hours contracts.
Women and Equalities
Enfield
Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much funding the Government Equalities Office has allocated to the London Borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years. [154073]
Mrs Grant: The Government Equalities Office does not allocate funds to local authorities.
Communities and Local Government
Council Tax Benefits
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the treatment of child benefit in calculating entitlement to council tax support. [158355]
Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has published guidance to ensure that local authorities understand their existing responsibilities in relation to vulnerable groups and child poverty in designing and implementing council tax support schemes. It is for local authorities to decide how child benefit is treated within local schemes.
The guidance document “Localising Council Tax Support: Vulnerable people—key local authority duties” is available on the Gov.uk website.
Evictions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been evicted in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of such people have had children. [157077]
Mr Prisk: The Department does not collect information on total evictions across all tenures. However numbers of evictions from local authority owned dwellings for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are published in the two most recent statistical releases at
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/local-authority-housing-data
Information is not available on family composition.
Families: Disadvantaged
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the work of the Troubled Families Unit since its creation. [157659]
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Brandon Lewis: An independent evaluation of the Troubled Families programme has been commissioned and was announced in March. Further information is available on our website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/study-to-assess-impact-of-troubled-families-work
In addition, my Department regularly publishes progress information on the Troubled Families programme including the cumulative totals of families identified and families being worked with.
The latest information covering the period up to March 2013 was published in May on our website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-march-2013-and-families-turned-round-at-january-2013
Fire Services
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the letter from the Fire Minister to the Regulatory Reform Committee, whether he intends in this (a) Parliament and (b) Session to bring forward primary or secondary legislation to amend sections 44 and 45 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act to permit fire authorities to contract out the full provision of fire and rescue services. [158054]
Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 1215-17.
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought. [157268]
Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Details of all expenditure over £250 (or £500 prior to May 2012) are published, each month, on the Department's website at:
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/dclg-spending-over-250
Legal advice is coded under “Legal Consultancy” and “Legal Fees”.
I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 483W, which outlines the nature of government litigation and my Department's quasi-judicial functions.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [157280]
Brandon Lewis
[holding answer 3 June 2013]: Departmental spending on external legal services between 2010-11 and 2012-13 averaged £2.4 million a year. This
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compares with £3.5 million in 2008-09 and £4.8 million in 2009-10. The spend includes litigation fees paid to the Treasury Solicitor's Department, counsel and solicitors' fees for legal advice and payments to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
However, figures for external legal spending between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and from 4 September 2012 to May/June 2013 are not directly comparative. This is because, since April 2013, DCLG legal advisers are a division of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, and my Department now pays a fixed fee for day-to-day legal support to the Treasury Solicitor's Department, rather than the service being treated as in-house expenditure.
Local Government: Energy
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support has been allocated to local authorities in each year since 2010 to assist them in complying with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. [157973]
Mr Foster: The Department has not allocated staff resources or funding for local authorities to meet their obligations under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, other than the advice and assistance that is usually provided to other organisations and members of the public. Council's statutory functions are financed by central Government grant and locally retained revenues.
The Department has issued clear guidance on Energy Performance Certificates and the regulatory requirements to support local authorities and others to comply with the requirements of the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which came into effect in January 2013. This is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-our-buildings
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of compliance by local authorities with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. [157976]
Mr Foster: There is no specific requirement on DCLG to assess local authority compliance with the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Where data are available DCLG assesses overall compliance with the directive using information that is easily accessible and which ensures minimal cost to the taxpayer.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how local authority compliance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is monitored. [157977]
Mr Foster: There is no specific requirement on DCLG to monitor local authority compliance with the requirements of the energy performance of buildings directive. Where data are available DCLG monitors overall compliance with the directive using information that is easily accessible and which ensures minimal cost to the taxpayer.
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Right to Buy Scheme
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority and housing association properties have been sold through the Right to Buy scheme in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) England in each of the last three years. [157961]
Mr Prisk: The statistics are collected by local authorities and therefore data on sales are not available at a constituency level. Figures are available at local authority level and can be found in Tables 691 (quarterly data) and 685 (annual data) at these places:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/199104/Table_691.xls
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200525/Table_685__version_2_.xls
The figures show that there were 75 sales through the Right to Buy scheme in the East Riding of Yorkshire local authority in the years between 2010-11 and 2012-13. It should be noted that these are sales from local authorities and do not include sales of social housing stock through Preserved Right to Buy made by Registered Providers (such as Housing Associations) as these data are not available at a local authority level.
Right to Buy sales have trebled in the East Riding since the new discounts were introduced, but there is more to do to inform tenants of their new rights and help them up the ladder of home ownership.
Following the abolition of regional government by the Coalition, DCLG no longer publishes statistics at a regional level and does not believe that the old regions provide a coherent or meaningful framework for assessing public policy. Instead, our published statistics relate, where relevant, to other local geographies which are more aligned with public policy.
Figures for local authority and Registered Provider sales through the Right to Buy (or Preserved Buy) scheme at the England level are available on the Department's website in Table 678 here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/199070/Table_678.xls
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Government plans to issue a response to the document, Follow-Up Research: Apprentices' Pay, Training and Working Hours, (Appendix to BIS Research Paper 64, URN BIS/13/532). [157474]
Matthew Hancock: It is not standard practice to issue a formal Government response to commissioned research projects such as this.
The findings were used to inform the recent Richard review so that we can continue to raise the quality of apprenticeships and better meet the needs of employers.
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the sectoral breakdown of apprenticeships is in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) the UK. [157965]
Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by parliamentary constituency, region and sector subject area are published in a Supplementary Table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR):
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/65659B53-3E92-4E0E-AB62-E106C41B5277/0/Mar2012_Apprenticeships_SSA_Geography_Starts.xls
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/
Apprentices: Females
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of women employed as apprentices in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside, (c) the North West and (d) England in the last three years for which information is available. [157349]
Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts by Gender in: Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral local education authorities; the North West region; and England. Final data are shown for the 2009/10 to 2011/12 academic years. We publish apprenticeship starts at region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography, therefore data for Merseyside is not presented.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by geography and gender, 2009/10 to 2011/12 | |||||||||
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | |||||||
| Geography | Female | Male | Total | Female | Male | Total | Female | Male | Total |
| Notes: 1. Figures for local education authority and region are rounded to the nearest 10, England total figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||||||||
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Arms Trade: Syria
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what reports he has received on the role of Hazel UK Ltd in selling arms from companies based in Eastern Europe to Syria. [156938]
Michael Fallon: I have received no such reports
Buildings
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK. [157472]
Jo Swinson: The following table shows how many staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's other sites across the UK. To note these figures are at 30 April 2013 and are based on staff on payroll, including UKTI and contingent workers.
| Building | Location | Number of staff |
| (1 )Staff out of the Department but still on BIS payroll | ||
I have asked chief executives of the Executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from Tim Moss, dated 22 May 2013:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 May 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 1547472.
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The number of full time equivalent staff at each of the four sites Companies House maintains is as follows.
| Full-time equivalent staff | |
Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated May 2013:
The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies other sites across the UK.
The Insolvency Service has no staff based at One Victoria Street.
Details of the number of staff, in each of the Insolvency Service's sites, are provided in the table below. Figures are based on the assigned home location held on the HR system.
| Insolvency service site | Number of staff at site | |
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1149W
|
Staff not included in the above figures due to being currently on career break or special leave without pay | ||
Letter from John Alty, dated 5 June 2013:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21st May 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office has 3 sites and staff numbers in each are as follows:
Abbey Orchard Street, London - 50
Concept House, Newport - 931
Nine Mile Point, Nr. Newport -11
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 22 May 2013:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) about staff numbers.
As at the end of April 2013, NMO had 70 employees and also 3 temporary staff from employment agencies. These were ail based at NMO in Teddington. For future reference, data about NMO staff numbers are updated and published each month in the 'Transparency' section of the NMO website under the following weblink:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/nmo/about/transparency
Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 29 May 2013:
Further to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK. (157472)
For question (a) there are 161 (FTE) Skills Funding Agency Staff based at One Victoria Street.
For question (b) these are the following figures (FTE) for Skills Funding Agency Staff based across all of its other UK sites.
Birmingham 78, Bristol 33, Chatham 26, Coventry 414, Fareham 37, Gateshead 67, Histon 49, Leeds 74, Liverpool 41, Manchester 76, Nottingham 49, Plymouth 25, Reading 42, Sheffield 14.
Please note that these figures are as at 30th April 2013.
Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 24 May 2013:
As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, "how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK".
Ordnance Survey has no staff based at One Victoria Street. The numbers of staff based at each of our other offices across Great Britain is as follows:
| Region | Offices (staff numbers in brackets) | Total |
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1150W
|
Barnstaple (1), Bristol (3), Exeter (4), Poole (3), Truro (1) | ||
The total of office-based staff is 908. A further 230 staff are classed as full or partial homeworkers.
I hope this information is helpful.
Letter from David Parker, dated 23 May 2013:
Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK.
The UK Space Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It has seven members of staff based at One Victoria Street, thirty-seven members of staff based at Polaris House, Swindon and three based at the Electron Building, Harwell.
Letter from John Hirst, dated 28 May 2013:
I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, UIN 157472, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The following tables show how many staff are located at each site where the Met Office has a presence in the UK.
| Main offices | |
| Number | |