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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 6 June 2013
Transport
Accident and Emergency Departments: High Speed 2 Railway Line
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect and change in response times that HS2 construction traffic will have on the accident and emergency ambulance routes along the length of the London to Birmingham route of HS2; and if he will make a statement. [158186]
Mr Simon Burns: As part of the Transport Assessment being prepared for the Hybrid Bill by HS2 Ltd, the effects on traffic flow during the construction of HS2 Phase One are being assessed. These effects and proposed mitigation will be reported as part of the Environmental Statement to be submitted with the Hybrid Bill.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's plans are for the implementation of any control measures on carbon emissions proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. [158165]
Mr Simon Burns: At this stage the Government do not have any specific plans on the implementation of control measures for emissions agreed in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Government intend to work through ICAO to secure an ambitious global agreement to address international aviation emissions at this year's General Assembly (24 September-4 October).
It would be premature to develop plans for implementation on the CO2 standard (due to be adopted at the 2016 General Assembly) and on market based measures (due to be discussed at this year's Assembly) given the uncertainty on a number of design elements. The Government are, however, actively involved in the development of these measures and are taking account of the feasibility and practicality of implementation.
Bus Services: Redditch
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the takeover of bus services by the Diamond Bus Company in Redditch; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on bus service quality of restrictions placed by the Office of Fair Trading on that company. [157157]
Norman Baker: This question refers to the completed acquisition by The Diamond Bus Company Limited ('Diamond') of the bus business of FirstGroup plc ('FirstGroup') in Redditch and Kidderminster, which the Office of Fair Trading ('OFT) is reviewing using its merger powers under the Enterprise Act 2002.
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The purpose of an OFT merger investigation such as this is to consider whether the merger might, for example, cause price rises or reduce quality for consumers, as a result of a reduction in competition in the affected areas. The OFT is an independent regulator, and the Department for Transport has therefore made no assessment of the OFT's actions regarding this case.
It is my understanding that there are 'Initial Undertakings' in place, which apply during the lifetime of the OFT investigation and are imposed according to usual OFT practice in cases where mergers have already taken place, for the purposes of ensuring that remedies can be implemented at the end of the investigation, should they be necessary to address any competition concerns.
Beyond that, there are no restrictions imposed on the quality of bus services in Redditch, and the OFT's investigation is not preventing any investment in local bus services or other improvements.
Moreover, the OFT has granted derogations (altering the Initial Undertakings) to allow certain changes to the Diamond and ex-FirstGroup services at the request of Diamond. The derogations, details of which are available on the OFT website, have provided the company with the flexibility it requires to ensure quality of service. In particular, the OFT has allowed Diamond to allocate dedicated buses to routes 57 and 58 (two of the most utilised bus services in Redditch) so as to ensure that the required service timetables and frequencies on such routes can be met.
East Coast Railway Line
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to consult passengers and other key stakeholders on the tendering of the East Coast mainline rail franchise. [158115]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department for Transport (DFT) is engaging with key stakeholders in developing the specification for the InterCity East Coast franchise. A public consultation in respect of the East Coast refranchise was carried out by DFT from June-September 2012. A response to the 2012 consultation will be published later this summer which will set out any refinements of policy from the 2012 consultation. This may include any Brown recommendations which are to be adopted in the franchise.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any new franchisee of the East Coast mainline will be required to make a contribution to the costs of the planned infrastructure upgrade to that line scheduled to take place between 2014 and 2019. [158118]
Mr Simon Burns: The costs of the planned infrastructure upgrade work on the East Coast mainline between 2014 and 2019 will be borne by Network Rail as part of the regulatory Control Period 5 settlement.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any new franchisee of the East Coast mainline will be required to make a contribution to the costs of the rolling stock upgrade scheduled to be delivered by May 2019. [158119]
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Mr Simon Burns: The cost of the provision of the new rolling stock will be borne by the train service provider (Agility Trains). The train operating company will in turn pay the train service provider to use the rolling stock.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost of refranchising the East Coast mainline to date. [158120]
Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport has made an appropriate assessment of the cost of re-franchising the East Coast mainline and produced a project budget from this assessment.
The East Coast project team is currently tracking progress against the project budget.
Since the announcement of the new timetable for rail franchising on 26 March the Department has spent £236,500 (in addition to internal costs) on external advisors providing technical, legal and financial expertise to the East Coast mainline project team.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to monitor the performance of the new franchisee of the East Coast mainline. [158121]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is currently considering appropriate performance measures as part of its development of the specification for the new InterCity East Coast franchise.
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether state-owned companies will be entitled to submit a bid for the East Coast Main Line franchise. [158297]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's rail franchising competitions must be run in accordance with EU and UK law, including obligations to ensure equal treatment and non discrimination. As such, all potential operators, including state owned companies, will be eligible to apply provided they meet the Department's pre-qualification criteria. However, section 25 of the Railways Act 1993 would preclude certain public sector operators (including DOR and East Coast) from bidding to become a franchisee.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans formally to respond to the findings of the National Audit Office report, High Speed 2: a review of early programme preparation, published on 16 May 2013. [157984]
Mr Simon Burns: The National Audit Office report will inform a hearing on the High Speed 2 programme by the Committee for Public Accounts. The Government will formally respond to the Committee following the hearing, outlining any agreed actions in response to the Committee's examination of the programme.
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to avoid the loss of areas of ancient woodland during the construction of High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement. [158298]
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Mr Simon Burns: This Department, and HS2 Ltd, take their obligation to conserve ancient woodlands very seriously. However, a scheme of this magnitude can not be built without some impacts. By careful design of the route and strict controls during construction we are seeking to reduce, as far as practicable, impacts on ancient woodlands. For example, the provision of a tunnel at Long Itchington avoids the ancient wood here and a retained cutting minimises land take at South Cubbington Wood.
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on measures to minimise the impact on ancient woodland of the construction of High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement. [158299]
Mr Simon Burns: Officials liaise on a regular basis with their counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to better understand the implications of the HS2 scheme on the environment and ways to mitigate these effects.
Railways: Fares
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his fares and ticketing review will give to the future of regulated rail fares. [157843]
Norman Baker: The fares and ticketing review is looking at a range of issues around fares regulation.
We expect to publish the findings of the review early this summer.
Railways: Franchises
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department uses to determine which contracts for passenger rail franchises are extended and which are brought forward to refranchise. [158131]
Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport announced the timetable for the future of rail franchising on 26 March. This timetable sees all rail franchises being re-tendered over the next eight years. In setting this timetable we took into consideration the capacity of the market to bid as well as the resourcing burden on the Department in managing the re-franchising processes, while ensuring that no more than 3 to 4 franchises are re-let at the same time in line with the Brown report. The granting of direct awards and contractual extensions are being used to facilitate the delivery of this staggered programme.
Sign Language
Sir Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) public transport employees and (b) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible. [157464]
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Norman Baker: All professional bus and coach drivers are required to hold a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and to carry out 35 hours of periodic training every five years. Although disability awareness training is not compulsory, I have recently written to operators to encourage uptake and it is estimated that approximately 75 per cent of all bus and coach drivers have completed some form of this training.
On the railways, while the Department for Transport requires each licensed operator to have a Disabled Persons Protection Policy and all passenger facing staff and managers to attend disability awareness training which may cover British Sign Language, there is no mandatory requirement for training to do so.
The Driving Standards Agency allows theory test candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing to request the use of British Sign Language (BSL) images or a sign language interpreter at no extra cost. Deaf or hard of hearing candidates making telephone bookings are able to use text relay.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency currently has BSL trained staff in some local offices in addition to a number of BSL videos that have been made available on You Tube for deaf customers.
Telephone Services
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. [157743]
Norman Baker: The telephone services operated by the Department for Transport and its Executive Agencies are competitively tendered to ensure best value for money for fee payers and tax payers, which will include appropriate discounts and cost reductions. These are included within the contract price and are not separately identifiable.
Travel
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's budget for ministerial
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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. [157534]
Norman Baker: The table below sets out the ministerial travel budget for the different modes of transport as requested, for 2013-14. The budgets for 2014-15 and 2015-16 have not yet been agreed.
| Mode of Transport | Budget (£) |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament. [157555]
Norman Baker: Information on Departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published in the annual written Ministerial Statement, details of which can be found within the libraries of both Houses.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
2012/13 will be published in due course.
The table below details expenditure by other modes of transport for each financial year of the current parliament. Prior to 2012, the Department did not record expenditure on private hire vehicles, taxis, rail, aviation and other means separately. As a result, the only figures available for those years are those for expenses incurred for travel within the UK and expenses incurred on overseas travel.
It is important to note that these figures represent spend for the Ministerial cost-centres and so include not just the travel costs of Ministers but also the costs incurred by staff accompanying Ministers, as these are not recorded separately.
| Mode of Transport | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14(1) | Total |
| (1) April and May. | |||||
West Coast Railway Line
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Virgin Trains has paid in premiums to the Government in respect of the West Coast Main Line in each year since the company was awarded the franchise. [158132]
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Norman Baker: The West Coast Main Line franchise award commenced 9th March 1997 and was awarded to Virgin Rail Group trading as West Coast Trains Ltd.
Subsidies / (Premiums) paid since inception is detailed below:
| Virgin West Coast: | £ |
Subsidies are payment by either the Strategic Rail Authority or the Department for Transport to the train operating company while (Premiums) are payments by train operating company to SRA/DfT. The amounts quoted above are inclusive of all payments and receipts.
Attorney-General
Fraud
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the monetary value is of (a) fines and (b) civil recovery orders imposed on (i) individuals and (ii) companies by the courts as a result of Serious Fraud Office investigations which led to convictions in 2012-13. [158325]
The Solicitor-General: No fines were imposed on individuals or companies as a result of Serious Fraud Office investigations that led to convictions in 2012-13.
Two civil recovery orders were obtained by the Serious Fraud Office in 2012-13. The first was against a company in the value of £1,895,435.00 and the second was against the estate of a deceased person in the value of £64,417.22. That person had been prosecuted by the SFO and convicted.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the average prison sentence per conviction was of offenders receiving sentences of imprisonment following a prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office which led to a conviction in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the previous five years. [158326]
The Solicitor-General: The records held by the SFO show that the average sentence of imprisonment per conviction was (a) 78.17 months for 2012-13 and (b) 50.16 months for 2011-12; 36 months for 2010-11; 36.45 months for 2009-10; 35.87 months for 2008-9 and 40.58 months for 2007-8.
These figures above have been calculated using the year the conviction was recorded rather than the year the sentence was imposed where these are different; two
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defendants convicted in 2012-13 have not yet been sentenced. Both immediate and suspended sentences of imprisonment have been included in the figures provided.
Social Networking: Incitement
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Government's approach to tackling abusive or libellous communications sent through social media. [157813]
The Attorney-General: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) on 4 June 2013, Official Report, columns 1378-80).
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti social behaviour orders were issued (a) nationally and (b) in Essex in each of the last five years; and what the rate of breaching of anti social behaviour orders was (i) nationally and (ii) in Essex in each such year. [157712]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued by all courts in England and Wales, and by courts in the Essex police force area in each year between 2007 and 2011 (the latest year for which data are currently available) can be viewed in the table.
ASBOs can be breached more than once and in more than one year. Because of this, current ASBO breach rates are calculated by considering the total number of ASBOs issued in a particular geographical area between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2011, and the total number of such orders which have been breached at least once over the same period of time.
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2011, a total of 57.3 % of the ASBOs issued at all courts in England and Wales were breached at least once during that period of time. Over the same time period, 56.9 % of the ASBOs issued at all courts in the Essex police force area were breached at least once.
ASBO data for 2012 are scheduled for publication in October 2013.
| Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at all courts(1) in England and Wales and the Essex police force area, as reported to the Ministry of Justice(2) by the Court Service, 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011 | |||||
| Area | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| (1) Includes ASBOs issued on application by magistrates courts acting in their civil capacity and county courts, which became available on 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence at the Crown Court and at magistrates courts (acting in their criminal capacity), which became available on 2 December 2002. (2) Prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007, numbers of ASBOs issued were reported to Home Office by the Court Service. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Prepared by Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. | |||||
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Asylum: Self-employed
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to allowing failed asylum seekers who are unable to return to their home country to take up work on a self-employed basis. [157702]
Mr Harper: Asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers are not permitted access to self-employment to avoid asylum being used as a route to circumvent controls on economic migration, and to protect the resident labour market.
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to allowing asylum seekers to take on work on a self-employed basis while they are waiting for a decision on their case. [157703]
Mr Harper: Asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers are not permitted access to self-employment to avoid asylum being used as a route to circumvent controls on economic migration, and to protect the resident labour market.
Asylum: Voluntary Work
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review her Department's guidelines to make it clear that asylum seekers are entitled to volunteer for work with public sector organisations. [158322]
Mr Harper: We are currently reviewing whether to extend access to volunteering for asylum seekers beyond registered charities and voluntary organisations. If any changes to guidance are necessary they will be made in due course.
Electronic Surveillance: Admissibility of Evidence
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish any assessment that her Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned into the use of intercept evidence in criminal trials since the completion of the Privy Council review of intercept as evidence in February 2008. [157145]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 3 June 2013]:A written ministerial statement of 10 December 2009, Official Report, column 31WS, reported the conclusions of the work programme set in train following the Privy Council Review of 2008. A report of further scoping analysis was placed in the House Libraries in March 2010.
As announced by the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 26 January 2011 the Government are reviewing the benefits, costs and risks of enabling the use of intercept material as evidence in criminal trials under the guidance of the cross-party group of Privy Counsellors. We will report back to the House in due course.
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Fingerprints
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for the procurement of the management of the national fingerprint database; and when it will take place. [157808]
Damian Green: The contract for the national fingerprint database for policing (IDENT1) is due to expire on 31 March 2015. A project has been commissioned by the Home Office and the police which will secure short-term continuity of service, to provide operational and maintenance support for the IDENT1 service, by March 2015. This interim arrangement will allow sufficient time to develop the new user and business requirements for a long-term successor service that serves the wider law enforcement community.
Human Trafficking
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the proportion of victims of human trafficking who entered the country by (a) legal means and (b) illegal means; and if she will make a statement. [156451]
Mr Harper: As of 16 May 2013, of the 1,186 trafficking cases referred into the National Referral Mechanism in 2012, 429 have been conclusively identified as victims. Of these 60% are UK or EEA nationals who have freedom of movement and less than 1% are nationals of countries that do not require a visa for general visitor purposes. Assessments of non-EEA entry routes are continuing; however, it is understood that 10% are thought to have entered on a UK visa and in most of the remaining cases the person is suspected of using an alias, entering clandestinely concealed in a commercial or private vehicle or entering on forged or counterfeit identity or travel document.
These data are based on Home Office and Serious Organised Crime Agency management information and as such have not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. They are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Legal Opinion: Treaties
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure requests made under mutual legal assistance treaties are delivered expediently to the United States of America; when such measures were introduced; and if she will make a statement. [158146]
Mr Harper: The current UK-US mutual legal assistance (MLA) treaty entered into force in February 2010. Article 4 of the treaty provides for how MLA requests and related communications are transmitted between the respective central authorities. We are seeking to introduce secure e-mail links between the UK central authority in the Home Office (which is the central authority for all incoming MLA requests for England and Wales and Northern Ireland) and the Office of International Affairs (the central authority for the US) in order to expedite the sending and receiving of MLA requests between the UK and the US.
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Licensed Premises
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol licences have been issued to premises in England and Wales with a rateable value of over (a) £1,000,000 and (b) £2,000,000 in each year since 2007. [157476]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not collect this information. Its alcohol licensing statistics collection covers numbers of premises licences by fee band (based on non-domestic rateable value). The highest of these fee bands includes premises with rateable values of at least £125,001.
The most recent Home Office alcohol licensing statistics are published in ‘Alcohol and Late Night Refreshment Licensing, England and Wales 2011-12', which is published on-line at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-england-and-wales-2011-12
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Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers have had their licences (a) suspended and (b) removed as a result of illegal sales, where the duty and VAT had not been paid, of (i) alcohol and (ii) tobacco in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [157770]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Statistical Bulletin collects the number of licences revoked, but does not indicate why they were revoked. Licences may be revoked following a review by the licensing authority for a number of reasons.
The latest available information shows the number of premises licences, club premises certificates and personal licences surrendered, lapsed, revoked, forfeited, suspended or withdrawn for England and Wales licensing authorities between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2010 and 2011-12. These figures can be seen within the tables.
The Home Office does not deal with tobacco policy. This should be referred to the Department of Health.
| Table 1: Premises licences surrendered, lapsed, suspended by a court, closure notice, England and Wales, 2006-07 to 2009-10 and 2011-12 | ||||
| Financial year | Surrendered(1) | Lapsed(2) | Suspended by a court(3) | Closure notice(4) |
| ‘*’ = Unknown (not collected in 2006-07). (1) Where a Premises Licence is surrendered under Section 28 of the Licensing Act 2003. (2) Where a Premises Licence has lapsed due to the death, incapacity, insolvency etc. of the licence holder, as set out under Section 27 of the Licensing Act 2003. Excludes instances where a Premises Licence was in effect for a limited period, but the period has since expired (e.g. one-off events). (3) Where a Premises Licence is suspended by a court, under Section 147B(1)of the Licensing Act 2003 (as amended by the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006) for the sale or supply of alcohol, following an offence of persistently selling to underage children. (4). Where a premises is prohibited from selling alcohol for 48 hours following a closure notice under S.169A. (5) Based only on the 336 out of 350 licensing authorities who provided data. | ||||
| Table 2: Club premises certificates surrendered, lapsed, withdrawn, England and Wales, 2006-07 to 2009-10 and 2011-12 | |||
| Financial year | Surrendered(1) | Lapsed(2) | Withdrawn(3) |
| (1) Where a Club Premises Certificate is surrendered under Section 81 (3) of the Licensing Act 2003. (2) Where a Club Premises Certificates has lapsed because it had effect for a limited period, but that period has since expired. (3) Where a Club Premises Certificate is withdrawn under Section 90 of the Licensing Act 2003. (4) Based only on the 332 out of 350 licensing authorities who provided data. | |||
| Table 3: Personal licences surrendered, revoked, forfeited, suspended by a court, England and Wales, 2006-07 to 2009-10 and 2011-12 | ||||
| Financial year | Surrendered(1) | Revoked(2) | Forfeited(3) | Suspended by a court(4) |
| (1) Where a Personal Licence: is surrendered under Section 116 of the Licensing Act 2003. (2) Where a Personal Licence is revoked under Section 124 of the Licensing Act 2003. (3) Where a Premises Licence has been forfeited following a court order under Section 129 of the Licensing Act 2003 in the time period specified (and where that order has not been suspended, pending an appeal under Sections 129(4) or 130 of the Licensing Act 2003). (4) Where a Personal Licence is suspended following a court order under Section 129 of the Licensing Act 2003 in the time period specified (and where that order has not been suspended, pending an appeal under Sections 129(4) or 130 of the Licensing Act 2003). (5) Based only on the 336 out of 350 licensing authorities who provided data. | ||||
Members: Correspondence
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the right hon. Member for Warley (Mr Spellar) can expect to receive a reply from her Department to his letter of 18 April regarding the case of Ms. Mangena. [158107]
Mr Harper: The Home Office wrote to the right hon. Member on 4 June 2013.
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Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 17 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) with regard to Mr M Shahidul Alam. [158199]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 4 June 2013.
Offences against Children: Internet
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the incidence of child abuse images on the internet. [158382]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government take very seriously the issue of tackling child abuse images online.
In 2012, 255 individuals were found guilty of the principal offence of possessing prohibited images of children or of possessing indecent photographs. In the same year, 1,315 individuals were found guilty of the principal offence of taking, permitting to be taken, making, distributing or publishing indecent photographs of children. We do not keep information on how many of these cases were internet-related, as the offence being committed is the creation, dissemination and possession of such images, rather than the means by which they are obtained.
Passports
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have for citizens to be able to complete passport applications at post offices in the future in the same way that they can at present for driving licences and biometric residence permits. [157809]
Mr Harper: Her Majesty's Passport Office currently has a commercial arrangement with the Post Office to offer a ‘Check and Send' service. This enables applicants to have their passport application form checked for accuracy by the Post Office and submitted on their behalf. This is a paper based service using printed photographs and original supporting documents.
The Post Office currently offers an electronic application submission for driving licences and biometric residence permits, but at present this does not extend to passport applications.
Her Majesty's Passport Office, like the rest of UK Government, has embraced the digital by default strategy championed by the Cabinet Office. In order to deliver the digital service our customers require we are first launching an online application channel later this year, starting with overseas customers. This will not initially support digital submission of photographs or supporting documents, but we are now in the process of agreeing our digital roadmap that will consider how this might be achieved in the near future, and which will have the potential to be developed into a fully digital service in future.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to review the effectiveness of police and crime commissioners. [158321]
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Damian Green: It is for the public to judge the effectiveness of their directly elected police and crime commissioner (PCC). The next elections for PCCs will be held in May 2016.
Proceeds of Crime
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration the Government have given to implementing a central bank register to facilitate the seizing of proceeds of crime. [158383]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The UK is committed to tackling illicit financial activity, which is a key priority for the UK's G8 presidency. Through this, and the EU, the UK is working to ensure full implementation of the Financial Action Task Force Standards, including ensuring access to information in order to effectively seize the proceeds of crime. The Government are not convinced that a central bank register is necessary in order to achieve this.
Raves
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on whether police forces should routinely breathalyse people departing from illegal raves on farms. [158043]
Damian Green: The police have an unrestricted power to stop vehicles and can carry out a breath test on any driver they reasonably suspect of having alcohol in their body or having committed a moving traffic offence or who has been involved in a road traffic collision. If a person gives a positive breath test, that person is arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
Enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police in each case. Any general policy adopted by an individual police force is a matter for that force's chief officer.
Sexual Offences
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the establishment of a European sexual offenders register. [158219]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The EU has no current plans for a European Sexual Offenders Register. However, public protection is a priority for this Government and the notification requirements for registered sex offenders in our domestic legislation form an invaluable tool in the management of offenders within the community and the assessing of risk of such individuals travelling outside the UK.
The UK is actively involved in a number of areas of work aimed at enhancing the monitoring of serious sexual and violent offenders travelling within the EU. We are leading an EU funded project known as SOMEC —serious offending by mobile European criminals. This two-year, research-based project is evaluating current procedures for law enforcement and offender management, and will publish a concluding report making recommendations for improvements. The project has international partners from the Netherlands, Latvia and Catalonia in Spain.
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The UK is also actively supporting Project Haven, Europol's initiative against travelling sex offenders, launched in November 2010, which aims to disrupt sexual offences against children perpetrated by EU citizens abroad (intra or extra EU).
The UK has one of the most robust systems of managing sexual offenders in the world. We will continue to work with international policing and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for the authorities to tackle serious sexual crimes and to bring perpetrators to justice.
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish in full the data on which table 3.2, Number of sexual offences recorded by the police, 2005-06 to 2011-12 in An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales, published on 10 January 2013, was based. [158393]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The data were an extract from Table A4 in the ONS Bulletin Crime in England and Wales—Quarterly First Release, March 2012. It is not possible to break down the offence codes any further.
The police recorded crime open data published at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
provide a breakdown of the number of crimes by detailed offence codes (including sexual offences) recorded by the police by police force area and by community safety partnership by quarter.
Social Networking: Incitement
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has held with (a) Twitter, (b) Facebook and (c) other social media providers on measures to remove hate speech from their platforms; and what steps (i) her Department and (ii) social media providers have taken as a consequence of those discussions. [157836]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Tackling hate crime is an issue that the Government take very seriously and we already have in place one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to protect communities from hostility, violence and bigotry. These laws apply equally to online material.
If a website publishes illegal content the relevant internet service provider will remove it. If content which is not illegal but which is offensive is published, it may infringe the service provider's “acceptable use policy” and can be removed.
The Government are working with leading social media providers and other industry representatives to improve the response to offensive and criminal online material.
Theft: Agricultural Machinery
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce cross-border crime consisting of the theft of agricultural vehicles and equipment. [158051]
Mr Jeremy Browne:
Tackling the theft of construction and agricultural equipment is primarily a matter for
6 Jun 2013 : Column 1236W
police forces, working with the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU). PANIU is a specialist police unit whose primary aim is to reduce plant and agricultural theft across the United Kingdom. It monitors machinery theft from both the construction and farming industries, researches trends and threats, and helps individual police forces to identify stolen equipment and tackle the criminals responsible.
The National Crime Agency will also ensure that partners across the law enforcement community with a role in countering cross-border theft of agricultural vehicles and equipment benefit from its coordination, tasking and intelligence arrangements, in particular where this links to serious and organised crime, as well as being able to access its specialist capabilities where appropriate.
Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial Group
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 154W, on Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial Group, what the ministerial level or civil service grade is of each attendee from each Department at each of that Group's last five meetings. [158384]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 920-21W.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates he met representatives of (a) Flybe and (b) EasyJet in each of the last 12 months at which the issue of air passenger duty was discussed. [158436]
Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Business: Finance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what grants and investments have been made under the Business Finance Partnership to date; and of these what funds have been (a) allocated and (b) drawn down to date. [158440]
Sajid Javid: Budget 2013 confirmed that the Business Finance Partnership has invested £700 million and raised another £1 billion from the private sector to create five new funds that will lend to mid-sized companies. These funds are now making their first loans to businesses and further aggregate data on these investments will be published in the coming months.
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Additionally, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is investing £87 million through non-traditional channels including peer-to-peer platforms and supply chain finance.
Capital Allowances
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to (a) consult and (b) report on proposals to align the treatment of assets eligible for mineral extraction allowances with that for assets eligible for plant and machinery allowance where profits are not taxed in the UK. [157784]
Mr Gauke: At Budget 2013, the Government announced their plans to consult informally on proposals to align the treatment of assets eligible for mineral extraction allowances with that for assets eligible for plant and machinery allowances, where profits are not taxed in the UK.
The Government will report on their proposals once that consultation, which will begin before the summer recess, is complete.
Capital Allowances: Company Cars
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to consult on proposals to amend first year allowances for businesses purchasing the lowest emissions vehicles. [157786]
Sajid Javid: Budget 2012 announced a number of changes to the first-year allowance (FYA) for low emissions vehicles to ensure that it remains a targeted, robust and fiscally sustainable incentive.
These changes were set out in draft legislation, which was published alongside the Government's autumn statement in December 2012. This was open for technical consultation.
At Budget 2013, the Government announced a further extension of the FYA to 31 March 2018. This extension will be legislated in Finance Bill 2015, following a period of technical consultation on the draft legislation.
The case for extending the FYA beyond 2018, and the appropriate carbon dioxide emissions threshold, will be reviewed at Budget 2016.
Coinage: Forgery
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit £1 coins currently in circulation. [157875]
Sajid Javid: The Royal Mint regularly conducts surveys to estimate the level of counterfeit £1 coins in the UK. A survey undertaken in November 2012 estimated there to be around 40 million counterfeit £1 coins in circulation.
Provisions for various offences connected with the counterfeiting of coins are included in the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. Enforcement of these provisions is a matter for law enforcement agencies, such as the police, Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service.
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Excise Duties: Beer
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what quantity of beer was seized by HM Revenue and Customs due to excise duty not having been paid in each of the last five years. [157767]
Sajid Javid: The total quantity (in litres) of beer seized by HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force over the last five years is tabulated here:
| Total (litres) | |
Financial Services
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will (a) consult and (b) report on loan relationships and on derivative contracts legislation. [157783]
Mr Gauke: Consultation on modernizing the rules governing the taxation of loan relationships and derivative contracts was announced at Budget 2013, with legislation to be included in Finance Bills in 2014 and 2015. A consultation document will be published shortly, and a summary of responses and draft legislation for those measures to be included in Finance Bill 2014 will be published in the autumn. Further formal consultation is expected in 2014.
Gift Aid
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will report on the consultation undertaken to make it easier to claim Gift Aid; and if he will make a statement. [157788]
Sajid Javid: The Government want to see a high rate of Gift Aid claims across all the ways people give to charity. Budget 2013 announced that we would consult on proposals to make it easier to claim Gift Aid on a wide range of digital giving channels. A consultation document will be published shortly setting out the proposals.
Income Tax: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to consult on legislation to require the National Audit Office to report annually to the Scottish Parliament on HM Revenue and Custom's administration of the Scottish rate of income tax. [157796]
Mr Gauke: Legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2014 to require the National Audit Office to report direct to the Scottish Parliament annually on HMRC’s administration of the Scottish rate of income tax. This legislation will be published for comment as part of the usual process for wider consultation on draft Finance Bill clauses in autumn 2013.
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Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Scottish Government regarding support to individuals affected by relief at source tax arrangements to ensure they receive the correct amount of tax relief following the introduction of different tax rates under the Scotland Act 2012. [158180]
Mr Gauke: The Government have made it clear that Scottish taxpayers who contribute directly to pension schemes will continue to receive relief for their contributions at their marginal income tax rate. HMRC have consulted industry representatives on changes to the relief at source process that will be required as a result of the new Scottish rate of income tax in the Scotland Act Pensions Technical Group, on which the Scottish Government is represented.
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps he has taken to ensure that taxpayers in Scotland who are members of pension schemes which operate the relief at source process are not adversely affected by differing rates of income tax in Scotland provided for by the Scotland Act 2012. [158189]
Mr Gauke: HMRC published a Technical Note entitled ‘Clarifying the Scope of the Scottish Rate of Income Tax’ in May 2012, which set out the Government's intention to continue to give tax relief on pensions at individuals' marginal rates to all taxpayers after the Scottish rate of income tax is introduced. Since then, HMRC has continued to discuss this issue with the industry via its Scotland Act Pensions Technical Group to find a method of giving relief which ensures that contributors receive the right amount of relief while minimising costs to HMRC and the industry. The most recent meeting of the group took place in April 2013.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners in Scotland currently pay (a) no income tax, (b) the basic rate of income tax, (c) the higher rate of income tax and (d) the additional rate of income tax. [158441]
Mr Gauke: Estimates of the number of taxpayers in Scotland above state pension age are shown in the following table:
| Thousand | |
| (1) These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) for 2010-11 which provides the latest outturn data available. (2) The “non-higher rate” category covers all liabilities that arise on income taxable up to the basic rate limit. (3) Office for National Statistics, 2010 mid year based population projections, adjusted to financial year estimates. | |
ONS population estimates are mid year point in time whereas taxpayer estimates represent numbers of individuals with tax liabilities arising during the financial year.
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Inheritance Tax
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will report on the consultation on simplifying of inheritance tax charges to which trusts are subjected at 10 yearly intervals and when property is transferred out of the trust. [157789]
Mr Gauke: The initial consultation on the simplification of IHT Trust charges was published on 13 July 2012. A response to this consultation was published as ‘Inheritance Tax: Simplifying Charges on Trusts consultation response document’ on 28 March 2013. These documents can be found by following the links at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/consultations/index.htm
A second, more detailed consultation, setting out options on how periodic and exit charges can be simplified as well as proposals for aligning the payment and filing dates of these charges and the treatment of accumulated income was published on 31 May 2013. The closing date for this consultation is 23 August 2013. This document can be found using the same link above.
The responses will be considered and a response document will be published in due course.
Minimum Wage
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions there were for offences of failure to pay the national minimum wage in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [158316]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 521W.
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average waiting time for customers telephoning HM Revenue and Customs' Self Assessment Helpline was in May 2013. [158173]
Mr Gauke: The average queue time for HM Revenue and Customs’ Self Assessment Helpline in May 2013 was 8 minutes, 42 seconds.
Self-employed Contributions
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on consultation regarding simplifying the administrative process for the self-employed by using self assessment to collect class 2 national insurance contributions alongside income tax and class 4 national insurance contributions. [157795]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is preparing a consultation document and plans to publish it later this year.
Tax Allowances: Business
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what types of tax relief were claimed by each FTSE-100 company in the last financial year; and how much each such company received under each such tax relief. [158185]
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Mr Gauke: Taxpayer confidentiality prevents HMRC from disclosing such details.
Tax Allowances: Pensions
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will report on the consultation on the detail of an individual protection regime for individuals with pension rights above £1.25 million when the standard lifetime allowance is reduced from £1.5 million to £1.25 million. [157791]
Sajid Javid: As announced at Budget 2013, the consultation document on individual protection will be published this spring.
Tax Avoidance
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his G8 counterparts on securing an agreement on tax transparency with a public registry of beneficial ownership and automatic exchange of tax information. [158020]
Mr Gauke: As the Prime Minister wrote in his letter to G8 leaders, the G8 is a unique opportunity to galvanise collective international action on tax transparency. In particular, the UK is committed to using its presidency of the G8 to secure agreement on the development of a new international standard in the automatic exchange of tax information to step up the fight against tax evasion.
The UK is also committed to using its presidency of the G8 to shine a light on company ownership, and we are working through the G8 and the EU to ensure full implementation of the FATF standards on beneficial ownership.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce penalties against legal, accountancy or other companies or advisers who are found to have promoted arrangements the primary purpose of which is to avoid tax rather than to conduct any substantive economic transaction. [158391]
Mr Gauke: The Government announced in the Budget that they will consult on new powers to take tougher action against high risk promoters of tax avoidance schemes, including new information and penalty powers, and the possible use of ‘naming and shaming’. The consultation is expected to begin shortly.
Taxation: Internet
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will require HM Revenue and Customs to define publicly the limits of what an internet company can do in the UK before it is deemed to have a taxable presence. [158390]
Mr Gauke: In order to have a taxable presence in the UK an internet company would need to be either resident in the UK or, if it is not UK resident, it needs to be trading in the UK through a permanent establishment. HMRC already publishes guidance in its International Manual that explains when a non-resident company is taxable in the UK.
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If a business sells to UK customers from overseas rather than through a UK company or branch, it does not have to pay UK corporation tax on the profits arising from those sales.
A permanent establishment will exist where there is a fixed place of business in the UK or where there is an agent in the UK which is not independent from the non-resident company and which habitually binds the company to contracts.
Taxation: Partnerships
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the outcome of the review by the Office of Tax Simplification into ways of simplifying partnerships. [157785]
Mr Gauke: At Budget, the Chancellor announced that the independent Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) would carry out a review of ways to simplify the taxation of partnerships. This review will include an initial scoping exercise to identify which areas are most complex for taxpayers and the OTS aims to publish its initial findings in the autumn.
Taxation: Profit Sharing
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will report on consultation on the recommendation of the Office of Tax Simplification's review of non-tax advantaged share schemes. [157793]
Mr Gauke: The Government's consultation on recommendations made by the Office of Tax Simplification in its review of unapproved share schemes was published on 24 May, and can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200910/Unapproved_share_schemes.pdf
This consultation runs until 16 August. The Government's response will be published in autumn 2013 and any changes arising from this consultation are expected to be implemented in 2014.
Communities and Local Government
Change of Use
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will place in the Library maps of the areas granted exemptions from permitted development rights for change of use from office to residential; [158387]
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of the letters sent to all of the local authorities that applied for exemptions from permitted development rights for change of use from office to residential informing them of the outcome of their application; and if he will tabulate for each application the assessment scores across each criterion. [158389]
Nick Boles: The maps of areas exempt from office to residential change of use permitted development right are available for inspection at the office of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. They are also available to view on the Gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications
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We do not routinely publish the results of local authorities who have made unsuccessful applications to ensure that they are not deterred from participating in similar exercises in the future.
Clothing
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have made a claim for evening dress allowance in each of the last five years; and what the total cost of such claims has been. [155443]
Brandon Lewis: The Department's accounting system has no centrally held records of expenditure of this kind.
Enterprise Zones
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what targets have been set for job creation for each enterprise zone; and how many jobs have been created by each enterprise zone to date; [158437]
(2) what targets have been set for the number of firms located at each enterprise zone; and how many firms are currently located at each enterprise zone; [158438]
(3) what recent discussions he and officials of his Department have had with (a) colleagues in other Departments and (b) local authorities on the delivery of enterprise zones. [158444]
Mr Prisk: DCLG has not set any specific targets for the number of jobs created or firms locating in each enterprise zone. However, since April 2012 nearly 3,000 new jobs have been created since going live, as well as attracting some £229 million in private sector investment.
DCLG is also working closely with other Government Departments and local authorities on the delivery of all enterprise zones to ensure they realise their full potential in the short and long-term.
Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to issue guidance relating to Clause 1 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013. [158388]
Nick Boles: We published our response to the consultation on implementing section 1 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act on 4 June, alongside the criteria that we propose to use for designating or de-designating any local planning authorities whose performance has dropped below an acceptable level. Secondary legislation and guidance on the process for submitting applications directly to the Secretary of State, where applicants in designated areas choose this route, will be published in the autumn.
Housing: North West
Jonathan Reynolds:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new housing starts began in (a) Tameside Metropolitan
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borough and
(b)
Stalybridge and Hyde constituency in 2012-13. [158704]
Mr Prisk: Data for Stalybridge and Hyde constituency are not collected centrally. The constituency falls within the metropolitan borough of Tameside.
Statistics on house building starts by tenure in each local authority are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:
http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
Landlords: Immigration Controls
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he proposes to use to identify high-risk areas where landlords will be required to check on the immigration status of prospective tenants; and whether the proportion of ethnic minorities living in an area will form part of those criteria. [158386]
Mr Prisk: The Government are taking action to stop rogue landlords who cash in from housing illegal immigrants. These measures will send out a strong signal and help reduce unsustainable immigration.
We will avoid burdening the private rented sector with unnecessary red tape and any changes will not adversely affect UK nationals looking to rent.
More information on the proposals will be published for consultation in due course, and the reforms will be subject to scrutiny by Parliament.
Parish Councils
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to respond to the consultation on making it easier to set up new town and parish councils; and if he will make a statement. [157477]
Mr Foster: The Department is currently finalising its response to the consultation on making it easier to set up new town and parish councils and expects to publish the response in due course.
Right to Buy Scheme: Birmingham
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority-owned properties have been purchased through the Government's Right to Buy scheme in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency in each of the last three years. [157681]
Mr Prisk: Data on the sales of local authority properties through the Right to Buy scheme are not available at 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
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The figures show that there were 626 sales through the Right to Buy scheme in Birmingham, the local authority that covers the Hall Green constituency, in the three 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).
Right to Buy sales have doubled in Birmingham 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.
Temporary Accommodation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average length of time people spend in temporary accommodation after being made homeless is. [157076]
Mr Prisk: The Department does not collect precise information on the average length of time spent by homeless households in temporary accommodation, but estimates suggest that the average length of time has fallen, from an average across England of 19 months in 2009-10 to 13 months in 2012-13.
We are investing £470 million in homelessness prevention over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) to help local authorities and voluntary sector partners prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. We have also invested an additional £1.7 million over two years (2012-13 to 2013-14) in a new scheme to support local authorities deliver a ‘Gold Standard' homelessness prevention service to stem future increases in statutory homelessness and rough sleeping. Homelessness is around half the average level it was under the last Administration. Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.
Wind Power: Planning Permission
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will put measures in place to allow local communities to object to onshore wind farms. [156965]
Mr Prisk: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made today.
Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the use of the biomass gasifier technology using pyrolysis, combustion and reduction to enable the combustion of biomass from areas contaminated by radioactive fallout to be used safely. [158016]
Michael Fallon: Emissions from biomass power stations in England are regulated by the Environment Agency. The agency has not received any requests to use radioactively contaminated biomass, and has not, therefore, made any such estimates.
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Energy
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Government plans to review the threshold at which energy suppliers are required to participate in social and environmental programmes. [157865]
Gregory Barker: The Government are keen to ensure a regulatory framework that facilitates competition among current participants, encourages new entrants and allows small suppliers to grow.
The exemptions for small suppliers from certain environmental and social programmes are a key element of the framework which we continue to consider as we look at removing barriers to entry and growth.
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce demand for energy. [158083]
Mr Davey: This Government's November Energy Efficiency Strategy clearly sets out the importance of reducing our energy demand and how the UK has an opportunity to lead the world in improving its energy efficiency. Game changing initiatives such as the Green Deal, Electricity Demand Reduction and the roll-out of smart meters are central to realising this opportunity.
Fracking
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress the Government has made on facilitating exploration of UK shale gas reserves. [158088]
Michael Fallon: We have strengthened the regulatory framework to protect the environment and to ensure that hydraulic fracturing is done properly and safely, but we do want to encourage shale exploration. We have announced fiscal incentives for developers and are working on community benefits for example discounts on residents bills in drilling areas.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 358W, on fracking, what plans he has to commission further studies on the volume of shale gas in place to determine a total UK shale gas resource. [158553]
Michael Fallon: DECC has already commissioned further work by the British Geological Survey to assess the potential shale gas resource in the Weald area in the South of England. Once that study has been carried out, DECC will consider whether further analysis will be needed to assess the potential shale gas resource in other parts of Great Britain.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the UK's new fleet of nuclear power stations will come on line; and if he will make a statement. [158451]
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Michael Fallon: The Government are firmly committed to ensure that the conditions are right for investment in new nuclear power in the UK. It is for energy companies to construct, operate and decommission nuclear power stations. Industry has set out plans to develop around 16GW of new nuclear power stations in the UK, the first of which is expected to come on line in the early 2020s.
Renewable Energy
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with community energy co-operatives and other community energy groups on developing such local initiatives; what assessment he has made of the success of such groups in Germany; and if he has given consideration to the ways in which British communities could twin with German towns and cities where community energy schemes have demonstrated success. [158042]
Michael Fallon: In April, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), met the Community Energy Coalition and the Community Energy Contact Group. DECC officials continue to meet regularly with the Community Energy Contact Group and other key stakeholders.
The Community Energy Strategy, which will be published later in the year, will look at how community projects or initiatives, including co-operatives, focused on energy generation, energy saving and management, collective purchasing and collective switching can realise their potential. In order to inform that strategy, we have launched a Call for Evidence on community energy.
The Call for Evidence is seeking information from both the UK and overseas, including Germany. On the basis of the evidence received, we will consider ways in which our communities may be able to learn from good practice in other countries.
Wind Power
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the level of public support for offshore and onshore wind. [158092]
Michael Fallon: We recognise that many people have real concerns about the siting of onshore wind turbines in their communities and how they are involved in this process: The Government have today announced reforms to change the balance and give local people a stronger say of the siting of onshore wind farms. Where new turbines are agreed we will ensure that they are developed in a way that benefits the local community, such as cheaper bills.
DECC publishes a regular tracker which includes public attitudes to renewable energy. The most recent survey is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/198722/Summary_of_Wave_5_findings_ of_Public_Attitudes_Tracker.pdf
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Wind Power: Planning Permission
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what onshore wind energy generation capacity (a) had been installed, (b) had gained planning consent and (c) was seeking planning permission on 1 June 2013. [R] [158541]
Michael Fallon: This information is publicly available within the monthly extract of the Department’s Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), which tracks all renewable projects through the planning system:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
As of the end of April 2013, the date of the latest REPD update, the figures for installed capacity for onshore wind in the UK were:
| MW | |
Work and Pensions
Absenteeism
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the annual cost to companies in England of workplace absenteeism. [158307]
Esther McVey: DWP does not routinely collect data on the cost of sickness absence or workplace absenteeism, but the 2011 report “Health at Work” by Dame Carol Black and David Frost estimated that sickness absence costs employers in Great Britain £8.9 billion per year.
The Government are currently working on a range of measures that will support people to remain in and return to work, including a new health and work assessment and advisory service which will make occupational health expertise more widely available to those employees and employers who need it most.
Child Poverty
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside and (c) England in the last three years for which information is available. [157350]
Esther McVey:
This information is not available for all the areas requested. The Child Poverty Act 2010 sets four income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020. The targets are based on the proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty (all before housing costs have been taken into account). Estimates of these are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living. The most recent figures showed that 300,000 children
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moved out of relative income poverty. In fact, this was caused by a fall in the median income. For such children, life remained the same: disadvantage continued to limit aspiration and they were no better off.
Information for Wirral and Merseyside is not available as the sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide robust estimates.
Three-year averages are used to report statistics by region and country, as single-year estimates are subject to volatility. The latest figures for relative and absolute low income for England and for the north-west region covering the last three years (up until 2008-09 to 2010-11) and latest figures for combined low income and material deprivation can be found in the latest HBAI publication, available at the following link:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2011/index.php?page=contents
(ISBN 978-1-78153-046-7).
Relevant figures can be found in Table 4.6db (on page 115) for the latest relative low income and combined low income and material deprivation proportions, Table 4.17ts (on page 136) for relative low income for the last three years and Table 4.23ts (on page 142) for absolute low income for the last three years.
Income matters but considering this in isolation fails to properly reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today (as shown in the reduction of children in poverty as median income drops). We want to develop better measures of child poverty which include income but provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty. Our consultation on how best to measure child poverty closed on 15 February. A large volume of responses was received and all of these are being read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured and used to help Ministers decide on the next steps.
Disability Living Allowance
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of applications for disability living allowance were rejected in each of the last (a) six months and (b) five years for which figures are available. [157699]
Esther McVey: The proportion of disability living allowance (DLA) new claim applications that have been rejected are shown in the following tables:
| Table (a): DLA new claims rejected | |
| Percentage rejected | |
| Table (b): DLA new claims rejected | |
| Percentage rejected | |
6 Jun 2013 : Column 1250W
| Source: Department for Work and Pensions—RDA60209 and RDA60205 reports—Disability Living Allowance Management Information Statistics | |
Disability Living Allowance: Children
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend eligibility for the mobility component of the disability living allowance to disabled and life-limited children under the age of three. [157756]
Esther McVey: There are no plans to extend eligibility for the mobility component of disability living allowance to disabled and life-limited children under the age of three.
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will include specialist car seats in the list of essential equipment for disabled children under the age of 12. [157757]
Esther McVey: The social security benefits system does not use a list of essential equipment for disabled people in determining entitlement to benefits.
Disability Living Allowance: Young People
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of applications for disability living allowance for people aged under 18 were rejected in each of the last (a) six months and (b) five years for which figures are available. [157698]
Esther McVey: The information is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Employment Schemes: Young People
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many wage incentives have been taken up under the Youth Contract since April 2012. [158208]
Mr Hoban: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I previously gave to him, question numbers 155473 and 155478 on 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 349W.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people flowing on to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) were in receipt of (a) income-based JSA and (b) contribution-based JSA in the latest period for which figures are available. [158209]
Mr Hoban: In the year to November 2012, DWP generalised matching service (GMS) data suggest that around two thirds of JSA inflows were income-based and around a quarter contribution-based. In a small number of cases people receive both contributory and income-based JSA, and some people receive national insurance credits.
6 Jun 2013 : Column 1251W
Jobseeker’s Allowance: Scotland
Margaret Curran:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of jobseeker's allowance in Scotland have received a sanction on (a)
6 Jun 2013 : Column 1252W
one,
(b)
two,
(c)
three,
(d)
four,
(e)
five and
(f)
more than five occasions in each year since 2010. [158442]
Mr Hoban: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Number(1 )of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) sanctions applied(2) by year of decision(3) and the number of times the claimant has been sanctioned in that year in Scotland Jobcentre Plus Group(7):1 January 2010 to 21 October 2012 | |||
| Year of decision(3) | |||
| Number of times the claimant has been sanctioned in this year | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. ‘—’ denotes nil or negligible. 2. Sanctions applied: The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied(4), Fixed Length(5) and Entitlement Decision(6) referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 3. Year of decision: The year in which the decision to apply a sanction was made. The year 2012 only includes data up to and including 21 October, where these are the latest data available. 4. Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. 5. Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. 6. Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to JSA depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the Jobseeker's agreement (JSAg) is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of JSA will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. 7. Jobcentre Plus Group: Formerly known as Jobcentre Plus Regions. Jobcentre Plus Groups were updated to reflect changes to the hierarchical structure of Jobcentre Plus implemented on 5 April 2011 from 11 regions to seven groups. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. | |||
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the income level is beyond which individuals are no longer eligible for support for mortgage interest; and what the age profile is of recipients of support for mortgage interest. [158210]
Steve Webb: Support with mortgage interest (SMI) is not a stand alone benefit but is a component of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, and income-related employment and support allowance and state pension credit. The level of these benefits depends upon the circumstances of the individual case. For example, whether the claimant is single or has a partner, whether they have children, whether someone has a disability. It also depends upon the amount of the SMI to which they are entitled.
It is not possible therefore to provide a figure for the level of income beyond which individuals are no longer eligible for support for mortgage interest.
In universal credit, an owner-occupier who is in receipt of earned income will not qualify for SMI. However, owner occupiers in universal credit who are not receiving SMI will qualify, where applicable, for the higher earnings disregards that apply to those claimants who have no housing costs.
The SMI caseload by age group is as follows:
| Rounded | |||||||||
| Under 18 | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65 and Over | Total | |
| (1 )Nil or Negligible. (2 )Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide. Notes: 1. Equivalent data for employment and support allowance (ESA) is not available. 2. JSA = jobseeker's allowance; IS = income support; PC = pension credit; ESA = employment and support allowance. 3. Sample data has been weighted to 100% data. 4. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: DWP Quarterly Statistical Enquiry (sample data), November 2012. | |||||||||