| Table 3: Number of people aged 16 years and over in full-time or part-time employment(1), resident in Clwyd South constituency | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Employed | ||
| 12 months ending: | Full-time | Part-time |
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1178W
| (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to full-time or part-time employment according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey |
Government Departments: Marketing
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much each Government Department spent on advertising and marketing in each year between 2009 and 2013; and what assessment the Government have made of the effect of that spending. [157949]
Mr Maude: My Department's Efficiency and Reform group recently announced that they had helped Departments make savings of £378 million in 2012-13 from spend on proactive communications, including marketing and advertising, compared with a 2009-10 baseline. These savings are part of our wide-ranging approach aimed at driving out waste from Whitehall. Had this programme begun at the Administration of which the right hon. Member was a part millions of pounds more could have been saved.
It is for Departments and arm's length bodies to monitor and report on the effectiveness of their spend on advertising and marketing. The Cabinet Office has issued best practice evaluation guidance and our Capability Review Programme is helping identify areas of strength and areas where improvement is needed within department communication functions.
Suicide
Ms Abbott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men under the age of 25 years committed suicide in (a) 2013 to date, (b) 2012 and (c) each of the preceding eight years. [158291]
Mr Hurd: 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 Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many men under the age of 25 years committed suicide in (a) 2013 to date, (b) 2012 and (c) each of the preceding eight years. [158291]
Table 1 provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, for males aged 15 to 24, in England and Wales, for deaths registered between 2004 and 2011 (the latest year available).
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1179W
ONS defines suicide as deaths from intentional self-harm (ICD-10 codes X60-X84) and deaths from 'injury or poisoning undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted' (Y10-Y34). It is likely that most of the latter deaths at ages 15 and over are cases where the harm was self-inflicted, but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. However, this cannot be assumed in children aged under 15 due to the possibility that these deaths were caused by unverifiable abuse, neglect or accidents. So the national statistics suicide definition only includes deaths of people aged 15 and over.
Figures for suicides in the United Kingdom, England, Wales and regions of England are published annually on the ONS website and are available from 1981 onwards. The latest statistical bulletin also includes analysis of the impact of registration delays on UK suicide statistics:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-29400
| Table 1. Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, for males aged 15 to 24, England and Wales, deaths registered between 2004 and 2011(1, 2, 3, 4) | |
| Registration year | Suicides |
| (1) Suicide is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 (Intentional self-harm) and Y10-Y34 (Events of undetermined intent), excluding Y33.9 where the coroner's verdict was pending for the year 2004-06. From 2007 onwards, deaths which were previously coded to Y33.9 are coded to U50.9 and automatically excluded from the suicide definition. (2) Figures are for males aged between 15 and 24 years of age. (3) Deaths of non-residents are included in figures for England and Wales. (4) Figures are for suicides registered, rather than suicides occurring between 2004 and 2011. Due to the length of time it takes to hold an inquest, it can take months for a suicide to be registered in England and Wales. Further information is available on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/suicides-in-the-united-kingdom/index.html | |
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Unemployment: Coastal Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which council ward has the highest rate of unemployment in each of the principal seaside towns in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland. [157704]
Mr Hurd: 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 Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for Cabinet Office what council ward is with the highest rate of unemployment in each of the principal seaside towns in (a) England, (b) Wales and (C) Scotland. (157704).
Although not a standard ONS geography, the concept of principal seaside towns in Great Britain was covered in the report "The Seaside Economy", by Beatty and Fothergill (Sheffield Hallam University, June 2003 (updated June 2010)) and has been referred to in parliamentary debate and used for other parliamentary questions on a number of occasions since.
Estimates of unemployment are not produced for council wards in the principal seaside towns of England, Scotland and Wales. Instead we have provided the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the 2001 Census wards of the Local Authorities associated with each of these towns.
These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance resident in Census Wards, April 2013 | ||||
| Principal seaside town | Local authority | 2001 census ward | Number | Rate (percentage)(1) |
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| (1) Population denominator used to calculate percentages is based on 2001 Census population estimates of people aged 16 to 64 for wards in England and Wales and mid-year 2010 population estimates of people aged 16 to 64 for wards in Scotland. | ||||
Defence
Afghanistan and Iraq
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of British forces fatalities in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq since 2002 enlisted in the armed forces as junior entry recruits. [158025]
Mr Francois: Between 1 April 2007 and 2 June 2013, 392 UK armed forces personnel died as a result of operations in Afghanistan. Of these, 45 or 11 % were under 18 years of age at the time of joining the armed forces.
Between 1 April 2007 and 22 May 2011 (the cessation of operations in Iraq), 45 UK armed forces personnel died as a result of operations in Iraq. Of these, two or 4% were under 18 years of age at the time of joining the armed forces.
The information requested is not readily available for the period before 1 April 2007. The figures quoted above are for tri-Service regular and reservist personnel, and are for all causes of death; hostile action, accidents, natural causes, assaults, coroner confirmed suicides or open verdicts and cause not yet known.
Armed Forces: Coroners
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British forces personnel killed on operations died within (a) one month, (b) two months and (c) six months of turning 18 years of age. [158067]
Dr Murrison: The death of any member of the armed forces, regardless of their age, is tragic. Between 7 October 2001 (the start of operations in Afghanistan) and 2 June 2013, 622 UK armed forces personnel have died as a result of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. The following table provides a breakdown of the time that had elapsed from their 18th birthday to the date of their death.
| Time since turning 18 years old | Number of deaths | Cause of death |
| Note: Figures are for tri-service regular and reservist personnel. | ||
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Armed Forces: Health Services
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of cybernetic technologies in the rehabilitation process for wounded service personnel. [157053]
Mr Francois: The term cybernetics is generally defined as the science of communication and control in animal and machine, which could refer to a variety of different issues. As such, the Ministry of Defence does not have a specific policy relating to cybernetic technologies, although cybernetics is applied in a number of areas relating to the rehabilitation of wounded service personnel. This includes artificial intelligence systems used in decision making and predicting injury rates in recruits, human interface with external systems, biofeedback systems, the use of microprocessors to control systems such as prosthetic limbs and telemetry in supporting equipment applied to patients.
The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court continually examines new technology for its application to our patients.
Armed Forces: Offences Against Children
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answers of 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1128W and 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1129W, on armed forces: sexual offences, how many allegations made (a) by and (b) against service personnel were referred to local authorities for investigation under child protection legislation; which local authorities were notified; and if he will make a statement. [155259]
Mr Robathan: The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), who has responsibility for defence personnel, welfare and veterans, will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Madeleine Moon:
In his response to your Parliamentary Question of 20 May (Official Report, column 490w) the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan) promised that I would write to you.
When you received the original response, officials were examining the question to see if the information was held and retrievable. It is now apparent that the information that you have requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Any direct engagement with local authorities would normally be recorded in an investigation case file diary. These documents would have to be retrieved and examined manually. However, for the reasons described below, they may not contain the information you seek.
Policies in place, for both the UK and overseas, give direction and guidance to the Service Police and the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) in cases of this sensitive nature. The provisions of section 46 of the Children Act 1989 (police protection) and sections 11 and 28 of the Children Act 2004 (safeguarding and promoting welfare in England and Wales) do not apply, as a matter of law, to the Service Police. However Service Police investigative doctrine follows the spirit of the legislation, and makes it clear that when a child is identified as being at risk, the appropriate authorities should be informed.
In Germany and elsewhere overseas, Service Police investigators are able to draw on the expertise of the Joint Response Team
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(JRT) if required. The JRT is a specialist Royal Military Police capability for investigating offences involving children and vulnerable witnesses and it works hand-in-hand with Social Services and other organisations to ensure a multi-agency level of support afforded to victims and their families. In the UK, local authorities are informed via Home Office Police Forces (HOPF), which have direct and routine access to Local Safeguarding Children Boards. This type of engagement takes place as a matter of routine and is referred to in Home Office Circular 028/2008 (a protocol set up in 2008 between the HOPF and the MDP & Service Police). In practice, this means that the more serious the offence, the greater the likelihood is that jurisdiction will be retained by the civilian force.
The MDP are unable to establish from their crime recording system whether the offences that they have recorded had been referred to the Child Protection Units of HOPF. However, in accordance with Home Office Circular 028/2008 - where a child is a victim of abuse of any kind, this would be reported to the local HOPF for referral to their Child Protection Unit, again effectively handing the case across to the HOPF.
I am confident that this policy is applied diligently by our police forces.
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to ensure that armed forces recruitment accords with Article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by giving priority to potential adult recruits over those who are not yet 18 years of age. [158065]
Dr Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), who has responsbility for defence personnel, welfare and veterans, on 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 98W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson).
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the minimum recruitment age for the Territorial Army and the regular forces will be equalised as part of the Army 2020 reform of personnel structures. [158066]
Dr Murrison: There are currently no plans to align the minimum age of entry for Territorial and Regular Army personnel.
The minimum age of entry is 16 years for regular soldiers and 18 years for Territorial Army soldiers. Due to the nature of Territorial Army (TA) service, it is difficult to provide the same level of protection to young TA soldiers as is the case for regular soldiers under the age of 18. The minimum age of entry for the TA is therefore higher.
Armed Forces: Training
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits to the Army are expected to undertake phase one training at AFC Harrogate in 2013-14. [157762]
Mr Francois: 1,440 new entrants are planned to undertake Phase 1 training at the Army Foundation College, Harrogate in recruiting year 2013-14.
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Army: Recruitment
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are for the Army recruitment campaign being run by Capita; and what target age range has been set for recruitment advertisements. [158064]
Dr Murrison: The Army's new 'Step Up' recruitment campaign, which is being run in conjunction with Capita, commenced on 20 May 2013 and will run for six weeks.
The aim of the recruitment campaign is to attract approximately 10,000 potential recruits, with a primary focus on regular infantry soldiers. The core target audience for the 'Step Up' campaign is men and women between the ages of 16-24. The campaign asks them to 'Step up' and consider a career in the Army.
Defence: Procurement
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to promote social enterprise within the defence supply chain. [158135]
Mr Dunne: It is both EU procurement law and Ministry of Defence commercial policy that we treat all our suppliers, including social enterprises, in a fair and impartial manner. We do, however, have policy and contract terms in place, which encourage contractors to consider supported enterprises (where at least 50% of the work force is disabled) for their supply chain.
Insolvency
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1269-70W, on insolvency, for what reasons Proweld Engineering Services Limited was not included in that list. [157920]
Mr Dunne: Proweld Engineering Solutions Ltd was not on the original list because although there is a contract between the company and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the contract is solely used by United States Visiting Forces (USVF) and is entirely funded by the United States Government.
At the time of your original parliamentary question I was not aware of any claim against the liquidators of Proweld Engineering Solutions Ltd. It now appears that there will be a Claim in Default against contract DEUSFSTM/13448 totalling £77,705.85 which has been lodged with the liquidator, Begbies Traynor, in the hope of recovery or reduction of the debt through dividend payments from the liquidation.
In order to provide transparency and a robust audit trail, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, who nominally own the contract, intend to comply with the usual write-off process under Joint Service Publication 462. However the loss will not be added to any MOD Loss Register and Defence Business Services Finance will not contact HM Revenue and Customs to investigate the possibility of recovering the debt through Crown Set-Off, as the debt lies with the United States Government.
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Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many F-35B Lightning 11 aircraft his Department ordered in the first batch for delivery. [157885]
Mr Dunne: Aircraft within the F-35 programme are ordered annually. To date, the Ministry of Defence has procured three aircraft spread over two annual contracts. We intend to order the fourth F-35B aircraft in the next annual production contract later this year.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total projected fleet size is for the F-35B Lightning II aircraft; when those aircraft are expected to enter service; and what the estimated unit cost is for the whole fleet. [157887]
Mr Dunne: The final fleet size for the F-35B will not be determined before the next Strategic Defence and Security Review at the earliest.
The F-35B is expected to enter service with an initial operating capability from land in 2016, and an initial operating capability from sea in 2018.
Unit costs for the whole F-35 fleet cannot be estimated until the total fleet size is determined.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects F-35B Lightning II aircraft to take part in the carrier sea trials in 2017. [157888]
Mr Dunne: F-35B trials from the Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier are scheduled to take place in 2018. This follows the first F-35B Squadron undergoing training in the US from 2016.
Sign Language
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users. [157927]
Mr Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 2 June 2013, Official Report, column 994W, to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Sir Malcolm Bruce).
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [157522]
Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not set a specific budget for ministerial travel. All Defence Ministers must travel in the most cost-effective way possible; for example, they do not travel first class by air.
The Defence Ministers do not use the Government Car Service. For security reasons, the Metropolitan Police Service provide a car for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The Junior Defence Ministers share a central car pool with other senior departmental staff working in the Ministry of Defence main building.
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Transport
Aviation
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to his Department was of staffing and administration of activities supporting the aviation industry in each year of the current Parliament. [157387]
Mr Simon Burns: Aviation directorate staffing costs for the current Parliament are:
(a) 2011-12 cost £3.518 million
(b) 2012-13 cost £3.483 million
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his proposed budget for staffing and administration of activities supporting the aviation industry is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157390]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is as follows:
(a) 2013-14 £3.090 million
(b) 2014-15 £3.162 million
(c) Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way; it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of these discussions.
British Transport Police
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the budget of the British Transport Police in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157370]
Mr Simon Burns: The budget for the British Transport Police is set by the British Transport Police Authority. The core budgets for the three years, as set out in the authority's medium term financial plan, are:
(a) £202.4 million,
(b) £207.6 million, and
(c) £214.7 million.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the cost of the British Transport police has been in each of the last 10 years; [157426]
(2) how much the private transport sector including (a) rail companies and (b) bus companies contributed to the costs of the British Transport police in each of the last 10 years. [157427]
Mr Simon Burns: The costs of policing the national railway network, including the London Underground network are as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Total cost(1) | Contribution from rail companies(2) | |
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| (1) Figures exclude additional funding for one-off events such as the Olympics and policing the riots in 2011, and the cost of providing enhanced police services on request. (2) Figures exclude the costs of enhanced police services. | ||
The British Transport police do not provide policing of bus services.
Bus Service Operators Grant
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much his Department has spent on administration of the Bus Service Operator's Grant in each year of the current Parliament; [157355]
(2) what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure on (a) staffing and (b) administering the Bus Service Operator's Grant in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16; [157356]
(3) what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure on (a) staffing and (b) administering the Better Bus Area Fund in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16; [157357]
(4) how many staff of his Department work on the administration of the Bus Service Operator's Grant; [157358]
(5) how many staff of his Department work on the administration of the Better Bus Area Fund. [157359]
Norman Baker: Currently one employee of the Department works full time on the administration of the Better Bus Area (BBA) fund, details of which were published in February 2013. Beyond that, the BBA fund is administered as part of the Bus Service Operator's Grant scheme (BSOG). The overall cost to the Department of administering the BBA scheme in 2013/14 will depend upon the number of bids we receive from local authorities to become BBAs, the deadline for submission of which is 21 June 2013. At this stage, we do not expect there to be significant further expenditure on administering the BBA scheme in 2014/15 or 2015/16.
Currently 10 members of the Department's staff work on the administration of BSOG, of which 3 work part-time.
Administration costs for future years are expected to be broadly similar to those for 2012/13, but will depend upon final decisions on reforming the BSOG regime. An announcement on the reforms will be made in the near future. Expenditure on administering BSOG from 2010/11 to 2012/13 was as follows:
| Expenditure (£000—cash prices) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures represent the staffing costs of administering BSOG and are rounded to the nearest £10,000. 2. The figure for 2010-11 includes the cost of employing two inspectors, whose role was to visit and check the validity of bus operators' BSOG claims. From 2011-12 onwards this work was taken over by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency at an annual cost of £100,000 as part of an increased emphasis on enforcement, and is excluded from the figures in the above table. | |
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Civil Aviation Authority
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the Government will be required to contribute financially towards the running costs of the Civil Aviation Authority in any year of the current Parliament. [157369]
Mr Simon Burns: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) obtains the funding it requires to cover its running costs from the fees and charges which it levies on the aviation industry for the range of services which it provides. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is currently undertaking a classification review of the CAA, which will report soon. The review is focused on whether the CAA's charges should properly be regarded as taxes. Should the ONS find that some or all of the CAA's charges should be reclassified as taxes and that, as a result, the greater part of the CAA's income is derived from taxation, the CAA itself would be reclassified as part of central Government for accounting purposes. We would not however expect the outcome of this review to affect the charging structure which CAA has in place.
The Department will continue to make payments to the CAA for specific projects which it has asked them to undertake as agreed under section 16 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982.
Directly Operated Railways
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated expenditure of Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries on headquarters and other office costs is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157326]
Mr Simon Burns: Directly Operated Railways (DOR) currently share their office accommodation with another subsidiary company of the Department who in turn lease their space from another part of the Crown Estate. It is expected that DOR's share of the rent and rates for the space that they occupy will be in the order of £90,000 per annum.
Separate figures are not available for their operating subsidiary—The East Coast Main Line Company Ltd as their office estate is spread across the operational business.
Historic costs and revenues associated with the DOR group of companies is published annually in their report and accounts which is available at
www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the estimated expenditure of Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries on administration is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; [157327]
(2) what budget he has allocated to Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157328]
Mr Simon Burns:
Directly Operated Railways Ltd (DOR) has estimated that the costs associated with their core activities for 2013-14 will be in the order of £1 million. These costs will be met through a management
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1190W
charge to their subsidiary company (The East Coast Main Line Company Ltd) and utilisation of a loan facility from the Department. No separate figures are available for administration or for future years. Additional costs may be incurred by DOR in connection with their work for the Department in supporting the rail franchising programme. Figures are not available but these costs will be met by the Department under specific and separate contractual arrangements with the company.
Costs and budgets for DOR's operating subsidiary are not available as they are commercially sensitive. Historic figures for the DOR group are published annually in their report and accounts which is available at:
www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many members of staff at Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries are paid over £100,000 per annum; [157329]
(2) how many members of staff are employed at Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries, by salary bands of £10,000. [157397]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested on number of employees and salary bands for the Directly Operated Railways and its subsidiaries which include the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd is set out in the table:
| Basic salary bands of £10,000 | Employee numbers |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much has been spent by Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries in each year of the current parliament to date; [157492]
(2) how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date; [157493]
(3) how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on administration in each year of its operation to date; [157494]
(4) how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on staffing in each year of its operation to date. [157495]
Mr Simon Burns: Details of income and expenditure associated with the activities of the company are published in their annual report and accounts. These are available at:
www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk
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Driving: Licensing
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what income was received by the public purse from the application fees for new driving licences in each year of the current Parliament; [157366]
(2) what revenue has accrued to the public purse from the renewal and replacement of driving licences in each year of the current Parliament. [157468]
Stephen Hammond: It is not possible to split the income from all the drivers’ fees into different categories. The total drivers income received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for the last three financial years was:
| Financial year | £ million |
The figures for 2012-13 are subject to year-end audit.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely level of revenue from application fees for new driving licences in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157367]
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Stephen Hammond: Based upon current volumes and applying existing fees, the total income from driver licensing transactions is expected to be in the region of £125 million to £130 million for each of the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. This total estimates £50 million for first applications for driving licences, £50 million for driving licence renewals and £20 million for duplicate driving licences. A number of other minor driver transactions make up the balance.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the Government plans to increase the application fee for a new driving licence; [157389]
(2) whether the Government plans to increase the application fee for a renewal or replacement of a driving license. [157466]
Stephen Hammond: There are no current plans to increase fees for driving licences. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency reviews fees regularly, taking into account transaction volumes and anticipated efficiency gains.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the fee was for an application for (a) renewal and (b) replacement of a driving licence in each of the last 10 years. [157465]
Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the fees for all driving licences since 2001
| £ | |||||
| From | |||||
| Licence type | 15 November 2001 | 1 March 2004 | 1 May 2007 | 1 April 2008 | 6 April 2009 |
|
Full valid EC/EEA or other non GB licence (inc Channel Islands and Isle of Man) if previous full GB licence held | |||||
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5 Jun 2013 : Column 1194W
| (1) Since February 2006 (2) If First provisional before 1 March 2004—£9.00 If First provisional after 1 March 2004—Free From 16 May 2008. | |||||
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of likely revenue to the public purse from renewal and replacement of driving licences in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157467]
Stephen Hammond: Based upon current volumes and applying existing fees, the total income from driver licensing transactions is expected to be in the region of £125 million to £130 million for each of the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. While it is not possible to split renewals and replacements this total estimates £50 million for first applications for driving licences, £50 million for driving licence renewals and £20 million for duplicate driving licences. A number of other minor driver transactions make up the balance.
East Coast Railway Line
Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost has been to Directly Operated Railways of the process of preparing the East Coast rail franchise for privatisation. [157959]
Mr Simon Burns: Directly Operated Railways are supporting and assisting the Department in preparing the East Coast business for a return to the private sector as part of their normal day to day operations. The stabilisation and growth of the business that DOR have managed since 2009 has always been focused on returning East Coast to the private sector. As such, it is not possible to separately identify specific additional costs associated with re-franchising.
Fares: North West
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the change in price in (a) rail fares and (b) bus fares in (i) Wirral, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West in the last three years for which information is available. [157346]
Norman Baker: Rail and bus fare data are not available at the level of disaggregation requested.
For rail fares, the Office of Rail Regulation ('ORR') publishes an index showing the average change in price of all rail fares from 2004.
This table can be found on ORR's website at:
http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/html/html/7cff3127-a5cc-4173-ac78-016db2339811
The Department for Transport also publishes an annual index of local bus fares from 1995 onwards.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35990/bus0405.xls
Government Car Service
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the budget for the Government Car Service in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157364]
Stephen Hammond: The agreed budget for the Government Car Service is as follows:
(a) 2013-14: £1,714,580
(b) 2014-15: £1,552,065
The above includes the cost of the estate to the amounts of:
(a) 2013-14: £1,091,580
(b) 2014-15: £1,105,065.
The Department does not yet have an agreed budget position for 2015-16 as it is currently considering the evidence base for all spending.
The Chancellor will announce the outcome of the spending review on 26 June.
Great Western Railway Line
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the electrification project of the Great Western Mainline. [157301]
Mr Simon Burns: Electrification of the Great Western Main Line will deliver cleaner, greener and faster trains between London, Oxford, Newbury, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea by 2018. The most recent benefit cost ratio of 2 is for electrification and the new Inter City Express trains.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the study of the potential capacity benefits for the existing rail network from the creation of HS2. [157857]
Mr Simon Burns:
Network Rail is carrying out a study to advise the Government on options for the future use of the existing rail network after Phase Two of High Speed 2 has been constructed and is operational. The terms of reference for this study are outlined at Annex D of the January 2013 Command Paper, which set out the Government's initial preferences for Phase Two of HS2. The results of this study are intended to be published alongside the public consultation on HS2 Phase Two later this year. This work follows on from the
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study published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus in January 2012 in relation to released capacity from HS2 Phase One and will include consultation with local, regional and industry stakeholders.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff at High Speed 2 Ltd are paid over £100,000 per annum. [157351]
Mr Simon Burns: As of 30 April 2013, there are four employees of HS2 Ltd whose pay falls into a salary band over £100,000.
There are a further five employees of HS2 Ltd whose pay exceeds £100,000 if their allowance in lieu of benefits is included.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what High Speed 2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for administration is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157352]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's estimated administration budget for 2013-14 is £5.9 million and for 2014-15 is £6.4 million.
The administration budget for 2015-16 is being determined in the current spending round.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what High Speed 2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157353]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs for the years specified are as follows:
| Total (£ million) | |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budget he has allocated to High Speed 2 Ltd for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [157354]
Mr Simon Burns: The total budget allocated to HS2 Ltd for 2013-14 is £247.6 million and for 2014-15 is £270.1 million. The budget for 2015-16 is yet to be determined.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff are employed at HS2 Ltd, by salary bands of £10,000. [157463]
Mr Simon Burns: The number of staff employed by HS2 Ltd on salary bands of £10,000 is shown in the following table:
| Salary band | Number of staff(1) |
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| (1) Effective as of 30 April 2013 | |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by HS2 Ltd in each year of the current Parliament to date. [157487]
Mr Simon Burns: The actual spend by HS2 Ltd in the years specified is as follows:
| £ million | |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date. [157488]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's actual spend on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date are as follows:
| Total (£ million) | |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on administration in each year of its operation to date. [157489]
Mr Simon Burns: Until 2011-12, the administration budget for HS2 Ltd was part of the Department's wider rail administration budget. It is not possible to separately identify HS2 Ltd's administration costs for this period. The administration spend for 2011 -12 and 2012-13 is set out in the table:
| £ million | |
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Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on staffing in each year of its operation to date. [157490]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's spend on staffing in each year of its operation to date are as follows:
| Total (£ million) | |
Mobility Scooters: Accidents
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving mobility scooters occurred in each police force area in the first quarter of 2013. [157449]
Norman Baker: The most recent review of the collection of road casualty statistics (STATS19) added a requirement for police forces to record whether a mobility vehicle had been involved in an accident on the public highway. Individual police forces are able to choose when to implement the review requirements. This allows them to modify their procedures and data systems in the most cost-effective way. As the system updates have not been completed across all forces, data on the involvement of mobility vehicles in accidents are not available yet. I expect more comprehensive data to become available once all police forces have implemented the changes.
Light Dues
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what income was received from light dues in each of the last 10 years; [157362]
(2) what the level of light dues was in each of the last 10 years. [157363]
Stephen Hammond: The following table gives the light dues receipts collected in the UK and Republic of Ireland and paid in to the General Lighthouse Fund in each of the last 10 years:
| Financial year | Light dues receipts (£ million) |
| (1) Estimated. |
The following table sets out the level of light dues charged in the UK since 2003-04. In 2012-13 light dues levels were 35% lower in real terms than they were in 2003-04.
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1198W
| Light dues levels between 2003-04 and 2012-13 | |
| Financial year | Pence per net registered ton |
| (1) Between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010. (2) Between 1 April 2009 and 30 June 2009. | |
The Republic of Ireland charges its light dues in Euros at a broadly equivalent rate to those of the UK.
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value is of the contract extension to September 2014 agreed between his Department and c2c Rail Ltd for rail passenger services on the Essex Thameside line. [157601][Official Report, 25 June 2013, Vol. 565, c. 4MC.]
Mr Simon Burns: Contracted subsidy for the interim franchise agreement is c.£2.4 million. A profit share mechanism is in place, which will capture any outperformance in revenue, thereby lowering subsidy requirement. Subsidy and premium payments are published regularly on the Office of Rail Regulation website.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total public subsidy paid to c2c Rail Ltd for the Essex Thameside passenger rail franchise was in each year of the current contract to date. [157605]
Norman Baker: The premium/subsidy data between 1996/97 and 2005/06 is based on the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) publication of Franchise Net Payments. The data for 2006/07 and 2007/08 has been extracted from the Train Operating Companies (TOC) management accounts, and has not been verified. The 2008/09 to 2011/12 data is based on the record of payments by the Department.
| Financial Year | (Premium)/subsidy (£ million) |
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| Notes: 1. Brackets indicate a premium. 2. Unbracketed numbers indicate a subsidy. 3. All figures have been rounded. | |
M6: Heysham
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what progress has been made on the M6 Heysham Link; and if he will make a statement; [157615]
(2) what steps the Government are taking to ensure maximum economic benefit from the M6 Heysham Link. [157618]
Mr Simon Burns: On 19 March 2013 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made an order under the Planning Act 2008 granting Lancashire County Council development consent for completion of the M6 to Heysham Link Road. On 29 April, ‘Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe’ applied to the High Court for permission to proceed with a claim for judicial review and asked the Court to quash the order on the grounds that the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully. The Secretary of State is defending the claim.
If the High Court upholds the decision to make the order, it would then be for the County Council, as promoter of the scheme, in conjunction with the relevant district councils and local business groups, to secure maximum economic benefit from its construction and operation.
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the recent financial management of Merseyside Passenger Authority. [157124]
Norman Baker: The conduct and operation of Merseytravel is, primarily, a matter for its Integrated Transport Authority members and the five sponsoring local authorities on Merseyside. I understand that there are investigations underway into some investment decisions taken by Merseytravel and that the District Auditor is fully involved. The results of these will be included in the Authority's Annual Governance Statement, which is due to be published in September.
Midland Main Railway Line
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the electrification project of the Midland Mainline between Sheffield and Bedford. [157300]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Government have committed to funding electrification of the Midland Main Line which will deliver cleaner, greener and faster trains between London, Corby, Nottingham and Sheffield. Electrification of this route has a sufficiently strong case that there is no net cost to Government. It will boost economic growth, improve connectivity and reduce the cost of running the railway to the Department.
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1200W
Where a scheme leads to a saving to Government overtime, the BCR is a potentially misleading indicator, and the Department does not use them in these circumstances. Instead such a scheme is described as 'financially positive' and would usually be expected to represent 'high' value for money.
Mossley Station
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include reconstruction of Mossley railway station, to make it compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in Control Period 5, 2014 to 2019. [157501]
Norman Baker: I will be working with the industry over the next year to identify stations for inclusion in the Access for All programme in Control Period 5. To ensure value for money, stations will be selected based on annual footfall, weighted by the incidence of disability in the area and taking into account the views of the train operators and local authorities. The availability of any match funding for a project will also be taken into account.
Whilst I cannot guarantee that Mossley railway station will be included in the programme it will be considered along with other currently inaccessible stations across the country.
Oxford-Hereford Railway Line
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the dual track project on the North Cotswold rail line. [157298]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is currently working with Network Rail to update the benefit cost ratio for doubling the North Cotswold line to take account of possible line speed improvements and changes to service patterns.
Railways: Franchises
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to begin negotiations with Transpennine and Northern Rail on their direct award contracts. [157613]
Mr Simon Burns: The Northern franchise terminates at 2 am on 1 April 2014 and preliminary discussions with Northern Rail are under way. The TransPennine franchise does not terminate until 2 am on 1 April 2015 and preliminary discussions with First TransPennine Express are expected to commence later this year.
Railways: West Midlands
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for electrification of the rail line between Rugeley and Walsall in the West Midlands. [157295]
Mr Simon Burns: The cost benefit ratio for Rugeley-Walsall is still being developed as the value and use of the route is affected by the timing and nature of wider strategic network changes.
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Railways: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for electrification of the rail line between Micklefield and Selby in Yorkshire. [157296]
Mr Simon Burns: The business case for electrification between Micklefield and Selby is included within the wider case for North Trans Pennine electrification which currently demonstrates a benefit cost ratio of 1.92.
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the UK sustainable biodiesel industry on the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation; [157651]
(2) in what ways his Department plans to engage with the UK biodiesel and renewable fuels industry as part of the review into the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation; [157652]
(3) what the timetable is for his Department's review into the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. [157653]
Norman Baker: Officials are in regular contact with UK suppliers of biodiesel, including through stakeholder workshops run by the Department's RTFO Unit which administers the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).
We amended the RTFO in December 2011 to provide extra support to waste-derived biofuels through the award of two Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) per litre of waste-derived biofuel.
Later this year we will assess the available data and other evidence regarding the impact of these, and other changes made to the RTFO, in a post implementation review.
As part of that exercise we will shortly be asking suppliers for input to inform the review, including on the effects of double counting. We expect to publish a draft version of the review in the autumn.
Shipping: Conditions of Employment
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the time taken to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention on the reputation of the Scottish and UK maritime industry abroad. [157270]
Stephen Hammond: The UK intends to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 by 20 August 2013, when the convention comes into force internationally.
The potential impacts of UK ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, or of non-ratification, are discussed in the impact assessments produced at public consultation on each of the implementing statutory instruments, copies of which are available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website:
www.dft.gov.uk/mca
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1202W
and will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament when the regulations are laid.
Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the electoral registration rate is in each of the 100 (a) most deprived wards and (b) least deprived wards in England. [157395]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics advises that it does not have the information available to identify the 100 most and 100 least deprived areas at ward level in the UK.
Electoral Register: Fraud
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many successful prosecutions for electoral registration fraud there were in each region in each of the last four years. [157396]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government do not collect or hold these data, but these statistics can be found in the Electoral Commission's Report ‘Analysis of cases of alleged electoral fraud' at:
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/155336/Analysis-of-cases-of-alleged-electoral-fraud-in-2012.pdf
Work and Pensions
Child Maintenance
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how child maintenance arrears will be collected by the statutory collection service. [157861]
Steve Webb: The Child Maintenance Service will, over the longer term, be responsible for collecting arrears of child maintenance that have accumulated on 1993 and 2003 child maintenance scheme cases, once these have closed to new applicants, as well as collecting ongoing maintenance and any new arrears that arise on the 2012 scheme.
We will continue to use the full range of collection powers available and will continue to monitor compliance rates, and if there are additional powers that could be deployed to ensure effective prevention, management and collection of arrears, we shall seek Parliament's approval to bring them into effect.
Furthermore, once charging is introduced for 2012 scheme cases, if a paying parent fails to make their maintenance payments in full and on time, and if, therefore, any enforcement measures are required to collect arrears they accrue, this will mean that that parent will also be required to pay enforcement charges in addition to their maintenance liability and any collection charges to which they are subject.
Details of our strategy for addressing child maintenance arrears were published on 31 January in ‘Preparing for the future, tackling the past: Child Maintenance – Arrears
5 Jun 2013 : Column 1203W
and Compliance Strategy 2012-17’, available on the Department's website at the following link:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/cm-arrears-and-compliance-strategy-2012-2017.pdf
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much is owed to parents in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Cannock Chase constituency in unpaid Child Support Agency claims. [158133]
Steve Webb: The following table shows, as of March 2013, how much is owed in arrears to parents in Staffordshire and Cannock Chase constituency.
| £ | ||
| Area | Total arrears owed to Secretary of State or parent/person with care | Of which, arrears owed to parent/person with care |
| Notes: 1. Staffordshire has been calculated by adding up the totals for Cannock Chase East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth local authorities. 2. Figures sourced from Agency's internal debt book, The Agency debt book over reports debt by approximately 4%. 3. Outstanding debt value allocated to a parliamentary constituency or local authority by matching the parent with care's residential postcode to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. 4. Figures rounded to nearest £1,000 5. Figures exclude cases managed off system. | ||
Employment Schemes
Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long (a) Working Links and (b) Igneus have held contracts with his Department. [157953]
Mr Hoban: Working Links have held contracts with the Department since April 2000 and Ingeus since 2002.
Employment Schemes: Disability
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people in Glasgow Central constituency have taken part in mandatory work activity in each of the last 12 months. [157634]
Mr Hoban: Mandatory work activity is only available to jobseeker's allowance claimants. Rounded to the nearest 10, there were 20 disabled people in Glasgow Central constituency who started mandatory work activity between March 2012 and February 2013.
Source:
Mandatory Programmes Official Statistics—May 2013