Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by her Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such sums were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought; [158632]
(2) how much her Department spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012; [158645]
(3) how much her Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158663]
Mr Duncan: For the period questioned the central finance records of the DFID show the following:
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| £ | ||
| External legal advice(1) | ||
| Between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 | Since 4 September 2012 to 31 May 2013 | |
| (1) Note on figures produced. These figures relate to total legal costs paid to external parties, this includes both costs paid to obtain legal advice and costs paid to obtain legal representation services. It is not possible to split this down to only costs paid for obtaining legal advice without incurring disproportionate cost. In determining external legal advice we have excluded Treasury's Solicitors own charges to Departments as these would fall within the Government Legal Service. Our response therefore reflects costs paid to private sector legal representatives. | ||
DFID's central finance records identify total legal costs, including amounts paid to external parties to obtain legal advice and representation services. It is not possible to split this down into the categories requested, without examining individual files which would incur disproportionate cost.
Palestinians
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what recent assessment her Department has made of the risks and benefits of funding projects in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory; [158758]
(2) what recent discussions her Department has had on funding of development infrastructure in those parts of Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory covered by Palestinian master plans with (a) other Government Departments, (b) international development ministers of other EU member states and (c) the European Commission. [158759]
Mr Duncan: DFID is in frequent dialogue with both other Government Departments, other donors, and the European Commission regarding funding of development infrastructure in those parts of Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories covered by Palestinian master plans. The topic has also been discussed in international fora such as the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.
DFID is currently considering the costs and benefits of additional assistance for vulnerable communities in Area C.
South Sudan
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the current situation in the Yida and Adjoung refugee camps in South Sudan. [158784]
Lynne Featherstone:
UK officials visited both the Yida settlement and the new Adjoung Thok camp in April 2013 to see conditions of these camps first hand. Conditions in Yida camp are difficult, but we judge that the refugees living there are receiving adequate support. Adjoung Camp is better equipped to provide the longer-term support for refugees, and we support the decision of the Government of South Sudan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)to encourage relocation away from Yida and to open the new camp at Adjoung Thok, which UNHCR see as a safer location given its increased distance, particularly by road, from the insecure border region. We support
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UNHCR's focus on the provision of life-saving assistance and protection at Yida, but welcome the fact that the full package of refugee services will be available at Adjoung Thok.
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received on the supply of food in Yida refugee camp in South Sudan. [158785]
Lynne Featherstone: We are working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Yida refugee camp, who lead on the delivery of humanitarian aid. We judge that the UNHCR operation is capable of dealing with the high caseload of over 71,000 refugees, and ensuring proper supply of food, and understand the Word Food Programme has put in place effective preparations for food supplies in Yida refugee camp.
Syria
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to young disabled refugees from Syria in (a) Lebanon, (b) Jordan, (c) Iraq and (d) Turkey. [158717]
Justine Greening: We recognise that the impact of the conflict is felt most by those who are most vulnerable, including young and disabled refugees. The UN-led Regional Response Plan, announced on 7 June, will include an assessment of regional needs. We are working with humanitarian agencies to respond to the most affected Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the work conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in supporting (a) Palestinian refugees who have not been displaced as a result of the conflict in Syria and (b) newly-displaced Palestinian refugees from Syria. [158718]
Justine Greening: Overall United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) continue to deliver high quality basic services to a growing refugee population.
(a) A May 2013 annual review of our support to the UNRWA indicated that UNRWA is on track to deliver key results.
(b) Funding for the Syria appeal remains critically low, but UNRWA has provided cash assistance to more than 215,000 refugees in 2013, as well as supplying food and relief packages, and maintaining regular education, health and social services. The UK is providing £5 million to UNRWA which will allow them to support 350,000 newly displaced Palestinian refugees from Syria.
Justice
Criminal Defence Service
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure the bilingual provision of criminal defence services in Wales. [158113]
Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice aims to treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality so far as is possible and any criminal legal aid contract holder would be required to meet the obligations of the Welsh Language Act.
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Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of time was for the Tribunals Service to administer a First-tier Tribunal-Social security and Child Support appeal in respect of employment and support allowance in Coventry in (a) each quarter in 2012 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [158846]
Mrs Grant: Appeals against decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions on an individual's entitlement to social security and child support are heard by the First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
The following table shows the average time taken from receipt of an appeal to disposal by the tribunal in respect of employment and support allowance (ESA) in the Coventry hearing venues for each quarter from January to December 2012 (the latest period for which figures are available).
| Appeal times (in weeks) from receipt to disposal in Coventry, 2012 | ||||
| January to March | April to June | July to September | October to December | |
| Source: The data are taken from management information | ||||
The appeal waiting time in weeks in Coventry for all appeal types is 33.9 weeks.
The increase in average waiting times for the period October to December 2012 reflects the fact that the number of appeals received in Coventry rose significantly in April to June 2012, as set out in the following table:
| Appeal receipts in Coventry, 2012 | ||||
| January to March | April to June | July to September | October to December | |
From November 2012 some appeals which would previously have been heard at Coventry have been heard at alternative venues in Leamington Spa and Nuneaton, allowing additional sessions to be held. However, it has proved difficult to maintain a high level of additional sessions as fewer appellants than expected have been willing to travel to these venues for their hearings. Despite this appellants from Coventry are routinely offered the alternative of having their hearings at these venues where earlier hearing dates can be given.
From 10 June, there will be four hearing rooms in use on a daily basis at Coventry magistrates court, increasing capacity to allow an additional 20 judicial sessions a week to be heard at this venue. This will reduce the number of appeals waiting to be heard at Coventry and will reduce the average waiting time for an appeal hearing.
The effect of these latest measures on waiting times will not be immediate, especially as the oldest cases, which can take longer to hear, are being targeted first. Older cases are more likely to be complex cases which may have had more than one hearing, for example a first hearing may have been adjourned for further evidence to be gathered. Complex cases also often need a longer
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time slot, reducing the number of cases that can be heard per session. The oldest cases are routinely referred to District Tribunal Judges to enable them to make any appropriate directions which will help progress these cases to hearing. The impact these measures have on waiting times continues to be monitored closely.
The number of appeals received by the SSCS Tribunal nationally has risen significantly, from 229,100 in 2007-08 to 453,719 between January and December 2012 (the latest period for which information has been published). In addition to local initiatives, HMCTS continues to respond strongly at a national level to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS Tribunal and reduce waiting times. Measures in place include ongoing recruitment of additional judges and medically qualified members and the review and continuous improvement of administrative processes both internally and between HMCTS and DWP.
All of this is having a positive effect. The total number of disposals has increased significantly from 279,000 in 2009-10 to 380,000 in 2010-11, and 433,600 appeals in 2011-12 and the average waiting time has fallen nationally from 22.9 weeks in 2011-12 to 17.4 weeks in April to December 2012.
Homicide: Sentencing
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will give consideration to implementing a murder offence of terrorism aggravated murder with the punishment of a mandatory whole life sentence without parole. [158813]
Jeremy Wright: Schedule 21 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 provides guidance to the courts on determining the minimum term for a life sentence for murder. The starting point for a murder committed for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause is a whole life tariff.
Prisoner Escorts
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court cases were delayed because defendants were absent as a result of the failure of GEOAmey to transport prisoners to court in 2012. [158152]
Jeremy Wright: Providing the requested information would involve analysis of data for both court adjournments and prisoner transfer records. This could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what value of fines have been paid under each privately-operated prisoner escort contract in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [158448]
(2) what fines can be levied against each privately-operated prisoner escort contract for (a) late delivery to court of offenders and (b) late delivery of offenders at prison establishments; and if he will make a statement. [158449]
Jeremy Wright:
The Ministry of Justice is unable to disclose the value of Liquidated Damages paid by each contractor during the past 12 months. This information is classed as commercially sensitive, and has not previously
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been published. Contracted Delivery Indicators are part of the Pricing Mechanisms which were redacted when Contracts were uploaded onto Contracts Finder.
1. The contractual remedy for late delivery to court of offenders is by Service Improvement Plans and Service Improvement Notices. The application of Liquidated Damages (fines) is not a contractual option for this Contract Delivery Indicator.
2. Liquidated Damages (fines) can be applied for the late delivery of prisoners to establishments. They are made on the following basis: £150 per hour pro-rata for each 15 minute period prisoners are delivered later than 30 minutes prior to the latest prison reception closing time. This is a cost per van.
£50 per night per prisoner for prisoners that are locked out of prison and lodged overnight in police cells.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions each prison reception in the UK has had to remain open due to the late arrival of offenders from courts in each of the last 12 months. [158454]
Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not record this information centrally. To collate this information would require the examination of daily logs from individual establishments and this would incur disproportionate costs.
Prisoners’ Transfers
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department holds for the transfer of prisoners between prisons in England and Wales; which organisations hold each such contract; what the value is of such contracts; and when each contract will next be renewed. [158166]
Jeremy Wright: A question (154940) was previously asked by the hon. Member on the value of contracts held for transporting prisoners between prisons. The response is provided at the following Hansard link:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130521/text/130521w0004.htm#1305224002334
Prisons: Electronic Equipment
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on (a) televisions, (b) games consoles, (c) subscription television channels and (d) DVD players in privately-run prisons in the financial years (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13. [154945]
Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service does not hold expenditure details on televisions, games consoles or DVD players used in privately run prisons. Invoices from contractors, in respect of the services provided, are based upon contract pricing contained within the appropriate Payment Mechanism Schedule for each individual contract.
Subscription television channels are currently available in some contracted out prisons but not in public sector prisons. The changes we are introducing to the IEP scheme mean that access to subscription television channels is being removed from contracted out prisons.
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Probation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 952-4W, on probation, what the title is of each accredited programme; and who the programme providers are. [156878]
Jeremy Wright: The following table provides the titles of probation accredited programmes and the probation trust providers for each programme.
Interventions are commissioned on a local basis in order to meet the needs of the offender population and are therefore subject to change.
The information provided has been drawn from an administrative data system, and although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
| Programme category and title | Main provider (probation trust) |
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Public Sector: Information
Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend current legislation relating to public sector information re-use and the environmental information regulations. [158822]
Mrs Grant: The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 implement Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the re-use of public sector information. In December 2011 the European Commission proposed a directive to amend 2003/98/EC. This amending directive has now reached the final stages of negotiations in Europe and is likely to be adopted by the end of June 2013. The directive then allows two years from the date of adoption for member states to transpose it into domestic legislation.
The Government have no current plans to amend the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Roads: Accidents
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals for the treatment of bereaved and injured people as a result of road accidents as victims of crime until the contrary is proven. [157716]
Mrs Grant: It is right that victims of crime get the support they need. The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims' Code) requires that any person alleging they are a victim of criminal conduct that falls under the National Crime Recording Standard, or who has had an allegation made on their behalf, is entitled to services under the Code. Where a person has died as a result of criminal conduct, or is unable to receive services as a result of a disability, the victim's family spokesperson is entitled to receive services under the Code. The Government recently consulted on a review of the Victims’ Code. The consultation ran from 29 March until 10 May. We are analysing the responses and intend to publish the Government's response this summer.
In addition, for the three financial years from 1 April 2011, the Ministry of Justice allocated a total of approximately £820,000 funding for services for victims of road crime. These expert services were delivered to victims through organisations such as Brake, the Road Victims Trust, Aftermath Support and RoadPeace.
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Telephone Services
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 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. [157742]
Mrs Grant: The Ministry of Justice does not receive any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) the Department and (b) its agencies operate including (i) any share of call revenue (ii) any reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) any telephony services for free or at a reduced price.
Vetting: Construction
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to ensure that the Information Commissioner's Office is proactively informing individuals who are on the blacklist of construction workers compiled by the Consulting Association. [158002]
Mrs Grant: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent regulatory body responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK.
Any individual can check whether they may have been on the Consulting Association blacklist by contacting the ICO's fast track service helpline on 0303 123 1113 between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. To date 3,652 individuals have contacted the helpline, and copies of personal data held in the files have been provided to 385 individuals.
The ICO has also responded positively to calls upon them to proactively contact people who may not otherwise have been made aware of the issue. For instance, it has worked with a credit reference agency in order to reach such individuals. The ICO is pursuing a matching exercise involving national insurance numbers which they hope will enable them to contact more individuals. The ICO has also provided some information under confidentiality agreements to trade unions who have carried out their own matching exercises. As a result of this individuals are either contacting the ICO directly or the ICO is providing information to them via legal representatives of the union.
Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999
Sir Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to bring into force section 28 of the Youth and Crime Act 1999. [158138]
Mrs Grant: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), today announced the Government's plan to pilot section 28 by the end of the year in three Crown court locations—Liverpool, Leeds and Kingston-upon-Thames. The pilots will run for six months followed by an assessment period with the intention of rolling the measure out more widely if it proves a success.
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Cabinet Office
Charities
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many charity trustees have been removed by the Charity Commission for unacceptable behaviour in each year since 2010. [159121]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Sam Younger, dated 10 June 2013:
I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of charity trustees removed by the Charity Commission for unacceptable behaviour in each year since 2010.
First, may I start by explaining under the current law that any one can become a trustee of a charity, unless they are disqualified by law from acting under an individual's charity governing document or under the Charities Act 2011. Sections 178 - 180 of the Charities Act 2011 prescribe that the following people will commit a criminal offence if they act and they fall into one of a number categories including:
anyone who has an unspent conviction for an offence involving deception or dishonesty
anyone who is an undischarged bankrupt
anyone who has been removed from trusteeship of a charity by the Court or the Commission for misconduct or mismanagement
anyone under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
anyone who has entered into a composition or arrangement with their creditors which includes an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), and is currently on the Insolvency Service Register.
We carry out various checks on individuals to identify where this may be the case.
Aside from this, the Commission has a limited power to remove an individual from their office of trusteeship: this power can only be exercised after a statutory inquiry has been opened and where there is sufficient evidence that a) there has been misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charily b) it is desirable to act to protect the property of the charity or secure its proper application and c) the individual in question has been responsible for, privy to, has contributed to or facilitated the misconduct or mismanagement. In addition, we have to be satisfied, in accordance with our statutory duty to have regard to the principles of best regulatory practice, that it is proportionate and targeted only at a case in which action is needed. Under the legislation, before we can exercise the power, we must issue a notice of intention to remove giving the individual concerned at least one month's prior notice of the removal when they can make representations.
Since 2010, we have not gone past the notice stage to exercise that particular power. We have exercised the power to suspend an individual (which can be a precursor to removal) where there is evidence of misconduct or mismanagement or risk to property the following times:
2009/10—1;
2010/11—1;
2011/12—1;
Sometimes we cannot proceed to use our powers for a number of reasons; including as in one recent case where we issued a notice of intention to remove but before we could remove them the individual was convicted with an offence in connection with the mismanagement in the charity that disqualified them anyway. It may also no longer be necessary because the individual resigns their position during our regulatory engagement with them.
Our website:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/about-charities/register-of-removed-trustees/
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hosts the Register of Removed Trustees that enables others to search for the name of a person against the Register. The Register of Removed Trustees provides details of anyone who has been removed as a trustee by the High Court or the Commission. There are currently 105 people who were removed by the court or the Commission (England and Wales). For each disqualified person, we hold their name, address at the time of removal, the date when the order was made and the name of the charity concerned.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many enforcement visits have been carried out by the Charity Commission in each year since 2010. [159122]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Sam Younger, dated 10 June 2013:
I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of enforcement visits that have been carried out by the Charity Commission in each year since 2010.
In the context of our normal casework and investigations the Commission conducts various forms of visits and meetings with charities and trustees, either visiting premises or asking them to attend our offices to deal with various non compliance issues. These can include carrying out financial books and records inspections. In the past year this has taken place on over 90 occasions.
In addition, we conduct more ‘compliance visits’ as part of targeted, proactive monitoring work. Until December 2011 this was carried out by the Monitoring Unit in the Compliance Division. After the Strategic Review, following budget cuts of a third in real terms between 2009/10 and 2014/15, this work has continued in the Investigations and Enforcement Team. The following refers to the number of ‘compliance visits’ the respective teams have carried out in the last 3 years:
2009/10—14 visits
2010/11—20 visits
2011/12—21 visits
2012/13—25 visits
2013/14—11 visits since April 1
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what checks take place when an organisation applies to register as a charity to ensure that there is a clear public benefit from the activities of that organisation. [159182]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.
Letter from Sam Younger, dated 10 June 2013:
I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the checks that take place when an organisation applies to register as a charity to ensure that there is a clear public benefit from the activities of that organisation.
It is a matter of law whether an organisation is a charity. An organisation must have exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit in order to be registered.
In assessing an application to become a charity we consider:
Whether the purposes stated in the governing document fall within the descriptions of purposes set out in the Charities Act 2011
Whether the information provided by the applicant demonstrates that those purposes are for the public benefit
It is not to be presumed that a purpose of a particular description is for the public benefit (section 4 (2) of the 2011 Act).
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In making our assessment we refer to:
‘Charities and Public Benefit’ and the linked series of public benefit publications
Our published guidance in the RR and CC series
The Decisions of the Commission and relevant case law
Where the expressed purposes of the organisation are not clear or if it is not clear how it will further that purpose for the public benefit we will also consider any relevant actual or proposed activities. In some cases we also liaise with other agencies or Government departments. If we have concerns relating to possible private benefit we request further details.
Determining charitable status of an organisation is in most cases straightforward, but in a minority of cases it may be a complex decision.
If we are unable to determine that the applicant organisation is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit we may reject the application. Last year, 36 organisations' applications were rejected. An organisation which is refused may appeal to the Charity Tribunal. It may also invoke our internal Decision Review procedures.
Conditions of Employment
Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 957-8W, on conditions of employment, how many people were employed on zero hours contracts in each three month period in the last five years. [158940]
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Mr Hurd [holding answer 10 June 2013]: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 957-8W, on conditions of employment, how many people were employed on zero hours contracts in each three month period in the last five years. 158940
Information regarding people working on zero-hours contracts is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Full estimates of the total number of people in employment on such contracts are only available for the October to December quarter each year. The information is not collected in either the January to March or the July to September periods. It is collected in the April to June period but not from all eligible respondents. Consequently figures for April to June would be underestimates that would not be consistent with those for the October to December period each year.
The table provides estimates for the October to December period in each of the last five years.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. An indication of the quality of the estimates provided is given in the table. In addition, there is likely to be a degree of reporting error in these estimates as respondents may fail to identify their type of employment contract correctly.
| People in employment on zero-hours contracts(1) October to December, 2008-12, not seasonally adjusted, UK | ||
| All persons | ||
| Total (thousand) | As a proportion of total employment (percentage) | |
| (1) A zero-hours contract is defined as a contract of employment which does not specify a fixed number of hours per week and has no guaranteed minimum number of hours. 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 and Annual Labour Force Survey | ||
Crimes against the Person
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many crimes against the person per 1,000 adults there were in each of the last 30 years. [159015]
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 (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of crimes against the person per 1,000 adults there were in each of the last 30 years. (159015)
The following table provides the incident rates per 1,000 adults/households for all personal/household crimes in England and Wales, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) in each year for which data are available since the survey first ran in 1981.
The CSEW is a face-to-face victimisation survey in which people resident in households in England and Wales are asked about their experiences of a range of crimes in the 12 months prior to their interview. The survey asks people about offences that have been specifically committed against them, for example: 'theft from the person', and offences that have been targeted at their household, for example: 'burglary'.
Crime incidence rates up to 2011/12 were published by ONS as part of the 'Crime Statistics, period ending March 2012' release, available here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/index.html
Data for 2012/13 are due to be published as part of the 'Crime Statistics, period ending March 2013' release on 18 July 2013.
Crime statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland are collected and published separately, and can be downloaded from:
Scotland:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice
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Northern Ireland:
http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications/northern-ireland-crime-survey-s-r/r--s-bulletin-1-2013-experience-of-crime-findings-from-the-2011-12-northern-ireland-crime-survey.htm
| Table 1: Trends in CSEW incidence rates for personal and household crime from 1981 to 2011/12, England and Wales. Adults aged 16 and over | ||
| Rates per 1,000 adults/households | ||
| Period | All personal crime(2) | All household crime(3) |
| (1) Prior to 2001/02, CSEW estimates relate to crimes experienced in a given calendar year. From 2001/02 onwards the estimates relate to crimes experienced In the last 12 months based on interviews in the given financial year. (2) 'All personal crime' includes: 'Theft from the person'; 'Other theft of personal property'; 'All violence'. (3) 'All household crime' includes; 'Vandalism'; 'Burglary'; 'Vehicle-related theft': 'Bicycle theft'; 'Other household theft'. Source: Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics | ||
Cybercrime
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to improve cyber-security within the critical national infrastructure supply chain; and if he will make a statement. [159060]
Miss Chloe Smith: In the National Cyber Security Strategy we committed to achieving:
"bolstered defences in our critical national infrastructure (CNI) against cyber attack."
Through our investment in CPNI (Centre for Protection for National Infrastructure) and GCHQ as well as lead Government Departments, we are supporting critical national infrastructure companies to identify and address the cyber threats they face, including by improving the cyber security of their supply chains.
Health
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department collects on the average rating of satisfaction with (a) social and (b) family life in each year for which figures are available. [158974]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013:
As the Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the Department holds on the average rating of satisfaction with (a) social and (b) family life in each year for which figures are available (158974). Please see the tables.
For Satisfaction with social life, we obtained UK data for 2003, 2007 and 2011 and EU comparison data for 2011. For Satisfaction with family life, we obtained data for 2003, 2007 and 2011. The data were accessed from the Eurofound survey and can be found at:
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/qualityoflife/eurlife/index.php?template=3&radioindic=61&idDomain=5
The information you are requesting has been used by the Office for National Statistics as part of our Measuring National Well-being Programme.
The Programme was launched in November 2010 and the aim of the programme is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics that helps people to understand and monitor national well-being. More details of the programme can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
| Average rating of satisfaction with social life | |
| Average rating out of 10 | |
| Countries | 2011 |
| Note: Respondents were asked: please tell me how satisfied you are with your social life, using a scale from 1 to 10 where (1) means you are 'very dissatisfied' and (10) means you are 'very satisfied'? | |
| Satisfaction with social life | |||
| 2003(1) | 2007(2) | 2011(3) | |
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| (1) Great Britain coverage only. (2) United Kingdom coverage without sampling in Scottish Highland and Islands or Isles of Scilly. (3) United Kingdom coverage Source: Eurofound, European quality of life survey | |||
| Average rating of satisfaction with family life | ||||
| Average rating out of 10 | ||||
| Countries | 2003 | 2006 | 2007 | 2011 |
| Notes: 1. Respondents were asked: please tell me how satisfied you are with your family life, using a scale from 1 to 10 where (1) means you are 'very dissatisfied' and (10) means you are 'very satisfied'? 2. EU15- EU member states prior to enlargement in 2004 (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). 3. NMS12-12 new member states, 10 of which joined the EU in 2004 (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and the remaining to in 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). 4. EU27—27 EU member states. 5. CC3—3 candidate countries—Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. Source: Eurofound, European quality of life survey | ||||
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the proportion of the people in the UK who rated their anxiety level as medium or low in each year for which figures are available. [158975]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013:
As Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what information his Department holds on the proportion of the people in the UK who rated their anxiety level as medium or low in each year for which figures are available (158975).
The proportion of people in the UK who rated their anxiety level the previous day as medium or low was 60.0 per cent, the figures relate to the period between April 2011 and March 2012.
A medium anxiety level is defined as a rating of 2 to 3 out of 10; a low anxiety level is defined as a rating of 0 to 1 out of 10.
The information you are requesting has been used by the Office for National Statistics as part of our Measuring National Well-being Programme.
The Programme was launched in November 2010 and the aim of the programme is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics that helps people to understand and monitor national well-being. More details of the programme can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the proportion of people in the UK who rated their happiness as medium or high in each year for which figures are available. [158995]
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 of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what information his Department holds on the proportion of people in the UK who rated their happiness as medium or high in each year for which figures are available. (158995).
The proportion of people in the UK who rated their happiness level the previous day as medium or high was 71.0 percent, the figures relate to the period between April 2011 and March 2012.
A medium happiness level is defined as a rating of 7 to 8 out of 10; a high happiness level is defined as a rating of 9 to 10 out of 10.
The information you are requesting has been used by the Office for National Statistics as part of our Measuring National Well-being Programme.
The Programme was launched in November 2010 and the aim of the programme is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics that helps people to understand and monitor national well-being. More details of the programme can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the proportion of people that were somewhat, mostly or completely satisfied with (a) their jobs and (b) the amount of leisure time they had in each year for which figures are available. [159013]
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 the Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the
11 Jun 2013 : Column 297W
Department holds on the proportion of people that were somewhat, mostly or completely satisfied with (a) their jobs and (b) the amount of leisure time they had in each year for which figures are available (159013).
For those who were somewhat, mostly or completely satisfied with their (a) job and (b) amount of leisure time, we have data from 2002/03 to 2010/11. Please see the tables below:
The data for 2009/10 and 2010/11 are taken from the Understanding Society survey and all earlier data has been taken from the British Household Panel Survey, (the predecessor to the Understanding Society survey). The data can be found at:
http://www.esds.ac.uk/longitudinal/access/bhps/L33196.asp
https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/
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The information you are requesting has been used by the Office for National Statistics as part of our Measuring National Well-being Programme. The data we hold for all measures of national well-being can be found in the Domains and Measures spreadsheet which is available here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
The Programme was launched in November 2010 and the aim of the programme is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics that helps people to understand and monitor national well-being. More details of the programme can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
| Percentage who were somewhat, mostly or completely satisfied with their job, United Kingdom | |||||||||
| Satisfaction with job(1) | |||||||||
| Percentages(2) | |||||||||
| Responses | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2003/09 | 2009/10(3,4) | 2010/11(3,4) |
| (1) Responses to “How dissatisfied or satisfied are you with........Your job (if in employment)” (2) The percentages are of those who responded. (3) Responses to earlier waves of the BHPS differ. However, they have always been on a 7 point scale varying from completely (or very) satisfied to completely (or very) dissatisfied. (4) 2009/10 data cannot be compared to previous years as sample size is different from previous survey. Source: British Panel Household Survey/Understanding Society | |||||||||
| Percentage who were somewhat, mostly or completely satisfied with their amount of leisure time, United Kingdom | |||||||||
| Satisfaction with amount of leisure time(1) | |||||||||
| Percentages(2) | |||||||||
| Responses | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006-07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10(3,4) | 2010/11(3,4) |
| (1) Responses to “How dissatisfied or satisfied are you with.........The amount of leisure time you have”. (2) The percentages are of those who responded. (3) Responses to earlier waves of the BHPS differ. However, they have always been on a 7 point scale varying from completely (or very) satisfied to completely (or very) dissatisfied. (4) 2009/10 data cannot be compared to previous years as sample size is different from previous survey. Source: British Panel Household Survey/Understanding Society | |||||||||
Politics and Government
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of UK citizens who had trust in the Government in each year for which figures are available. [159056]
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 the Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the
11 Jun 2013 : Column 299W
Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of UK citizens who had trust in the Government in each year available. (159056).
For those with trust in the (UK) Government, we hold percentages for those who answer 'tend to trust'. Responses are as at spring and autumn each year from 2004 to 2012, please see the following table:
The data have been taken from the Eurobarometer website which is the website for the Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission. The data can be accessed by following the link detailed as follows:
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http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm
The information you are requesting has been used by the Office for National Statistics as part of our Measuring National Well-being Programme.
The Programme was launched in November 2010 and the aim of the programme is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics that helps people to understand and monitor national well-being. More details of the programme can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html
| Percentage of those who have trust in national Government | ||||||
| Trust(1) in national government, the national parliament, and the European Union (percentage 'who tend to trust') | ||||||
| European Union | National Parliament | National Government | ||||
| EU | UK | EU | UK | EU | UK | |
| (1) Respondents were asked if they 'tend to trust' or 'trend to not trust' a range of institutions. Figures are for those who answered 'tend to trust'. Source: Eurobarometer | ||||||
Public Sector: Mutual Societies
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Office has spent on the (a) administration of the Mutuals Taskforce and (b) supporting of new public sector mutuals since the formation of the Mutuals Taskforce. [158336]
Mr Hurd: The Mutuals Taskforce came together in February 2011 to support the creation and development of public service mutual. Officials in Cabinet Office provide a Secretariat function but there is no dedicated funding attached to the operation of the taskforce. Members of the taskforce participate on a pro-bono basis. Travel expenses totalling £1,527 have been reimbursed to the 11 members to support their activities.
In addition, we have established a modest Mutuals Support Programme. To date, the Mutuals Support Programme, which includes the Mutuals Information Service, has awarded £2,303,852 of contracts, with a further £800,000 of support approved.
Public Sector: Procurement
John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answers of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 132W and 133W on public sector: procurement, when he last met the European Commission to discuss the proposed change to Article 19 of the European directive on the procurement of contracts for public works, public supply and public service. [158017]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), visited Brussels on 8 May 2013.
Voluntary Work
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people volunteered in each year for which figures are available. [159011]
Mr Hurd: Official Statistics published by the Cabinet Office on 25 April 2013 (cumulative findings from quarter 2 and 3 of the Community Life Survey—covering the period August 2012 to January 2013) show that the proportion of people undertaking formal or informal volunteering at least once a year now stands at 72%. This is an increase from 65% in 2010-11, with a similarly large increase in the proportion of people volunteering regularly (at least once a month). This reverses the decline in levels of volunteering in recent years. This information is available at:
http://communitylife.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
Prior to the Community Life Survey, data on volunteering were published via the Citizenship Survey which ran between 2001-2011. This information is available here:
http://communitylife.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/explore-the-data.html
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Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Atos will receive from contracts held with his Department in each of the next three years. [159144]
Mr Hoban: We are unable to comment on the forecast expenditure for the Atos contracts because they are subject to change. However, the total contract values are estimated to be as follows:
| Contract name | Start date | End date | Estimated contract value (£) |
|
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service (Lot 1) | |||
|
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service (Lot 3) | |||
Capita
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008. [158476]
Mr Hoban: Since 1 January 2008, the Capita group of companies have held sixteen Department for Work and Pensions contracts. The total value of those contracts is £586,448,589.
Of those sixteen contracts, twelve are still live and they have a total value of £584,508,318.
Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award:
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
In addition, departments publish details of spend in excess of £25,000.