Asylum: Children

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues on the handling of children seeking asylum in the UK whose age is disputed. [159901]

Mr Harper: Guidance to Home Office staff is provided in the “Assessing Age” Asylum Instruction which is available on the Home Office website at:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/asylumprocessguidance/specialcases/guidance/assessing-age?view=Binary

In brief, the policy states that, in circumstances in which an asylum applicant claims to be a child but in which the Home Office has doubts about this, the Home Office will refer the individual to social services for a formal age assessment. While the outcome of the assessment is awaited, the individual is given the benefit of the doubt and treated as a child.

The position of the Home Office is that it is committed to safeguarding the welfare of unaccompanied children and must reach a careful decision on an applicant’s age to protect those who are genuine children and prevent abuse of the asylum system and social services system by those who are not.

Asylum: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received about the Azure card. [159819]

Mr Harper: The Azure card is regularly discussed at meetings between Home Office officials and various organisations that have an interest in how failed asylum seekers who are temporarily unable to leave the United Kingdom are supported. The card has also been mentioned in the “Report of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Asylum Support for Children and Young People” published in

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January 2013 and in another report published at the same time by Maternity Action and the Refugee Council called “When Maternity doesn't matter: Dispersing pregnant women seeking asylum”.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin) of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 210W, on inflation, what level of inflation index was used when determining the level of asylum support rates announced by her Department on 6 June 2013. [159938]

Mr Harper: The consumer prices index (CPI) was one of a range of comparators and objective data used to establish whether the rates of asylum support payments were sufficient.

Other evidence considered included: data from the Office for National Statistics on family expenditure and its composition; payments made by the Department for Work and Pensions; existing case-law on the destitution of asylum seekers, and the meaning of essential living needs; and asylum support arrangements in other EU member states.

Asylum: Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum seekers are currently homeless. [159903]

Mr Harper: The information requested is not known. However, any homeless asylum seeker can obtain support from the Home Office under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 during the consideration of their claim. The support is provided in the form of accommodation and a weekly allowance to meet essential living needs.

Bicycles: Theft

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of pedal cycles were recorded in Barrow and Furness constituency in the last three years. [159946]

Mr Jeremy Browne: Statistics are not available for the constituency of Barrow and Furness. The available information relates to offences recorded in the combined Community Safety Partnership areas of Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland and is given in the table.

Bilderberg Group

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of supplying policing for the meeting of the Bilderberg Group in Watford in June 2013; and whether the Cabinet Ministers who attended did so in their official capacity or as private citizens. [159718]

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Damian Green: Hertfordshire Constabulary estimate that the costs of policing this event are in the region of £1.3 million. Against this cost, an offer of £0.5 million funding was received from the event's sponsors. The Home Office is unable to comment on individual Ministers who attended and their role in the conference.

Crime Prevention

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will commission an evaluation of the effectiveness of the DASH risk assessment tool; [159707]

(2) how many police services in England and Wales use the DASH risk assessment tool in cases of domestic violence; [159708]

(3) if she will evaluate the effects of the reducing bureaucracy pilot on assessments of risk in cases of domestic violence in Hampshire; [159709]

(4) whether she plans to roll-out the reducing bureaucracy pilot from Hampshire to other police forces in England and Wales. [159738]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Council accredited the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model to be implemented across all police forces in the UK from March 2009. The majority of forces currently use DASH, although it is for individual forces to decide which risk assessment models to use and the training their officers and staff receive.

The College of Policing has been commissioned to evaluate the impact of pilot projects on the frontline officer response to domestic abuse. The evaluation will focus specifically on the effectiveness of training to improve the quality of officer decision-making in relation to risk identification.

Europol

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government (a) have made and (b) are planning to make representations to the European Commission on the funding of the Europol cybercrime centre. [157820]

James Brokenshire: In the Explanatory Memorandum of 23 April 2012 relating to the proposals for a Europol European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the Government broadly supported the proposals. We set out a number of concerns relating to the detail of the centre and succeeded in addressing these in our negotiations with the Commission. Since then we have been working to ensure that the Commission and the Cybercrime Centre Project Board respect these conclusions as they develop the implementation plans for the centre. In terms of funding, the Government believe that the European Cybercrime Centre should be funded within the existing Europol budget and has made representations in this regard.

Homicide

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of investigating a domestic violence-related homicide in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available. [159736]

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Mr Jeremy Browne: The cost of police activity resulting from a homicide is estimated to be £17,799 in 2010 prices. There is no specific estimate of the cost of police activity that results from a domestic violence-related homicide.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) children, (b) adult males and (c) adult females identified as having undergone human trafficking have been subsequently re-trafficked in each of the last five years. [156946]

Mr Harper: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) does not specifically record whether an individual may have been a victim of re-trafficking.

As of 23 May 2013, less than five individuals have been referred into the NRM, with the same name and date of birth, who received a positive reasonable grounds decision in a first case and a positive reasonable grounds decision in a second case. This may indicate re-trafficking.

In order to maintain the anonymity of those individuals, the precise figure is not given in this response.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 904W, on human trafficking, what measures are in place to check the (a) identity and (b) status of passengers leaving the UK on outbound flights. [159295]

Mr Harper: Persons leaving the United Kingdom are not required routinely to pass through an immigration control on embarkation. Since March 1998, controls have been conducted on a targeted, intelligence-led basis.

Our programme for government sets out our support for e-Borders and our intention to reintroduce exit checks and we are committed to do this by 2015.

e-Borders supports our ability to undertake effective exit checks as passengers leave the UK and we are committed to further enhancing its capabilities.

Human Trafficking Ministerial Group

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which meetings of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking have taken place in the last two years; who was eligible to attend; and who attended each such meeting. [159955]

Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report, columns 300-03W.

Human Trafficking: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the extent of human trafficking in Northern Ireland; and what recent steps she has taken to tackle this issue. [159958]

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Mr Harper: Data on the number of victims of human trafficking in the UK, including Northern Ireland, are published on the Serious Organised Crime Agency website at:

http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc/national-referral-mechanism/statistics

Human trafficking issues relating to Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Mr David Ford MLA. Mr Ford is a member of the UK Government's Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking. The group co-ordinates and influences anti-trafficking activities across the UK.

Police

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the average cost to a police authority of employing a (a) police officer and (b) police community support officer; and what forecast she has made of the equivalent costs in each year from 2013-14 to 2016-17. [159455]

Damian Green: The cost of employing police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) will vary depending on a number of factors including seniority, hours worked, and various regional allowances. While overall officer and PCSO numbers are recorded at force level and published by the Home Office, and projections are made by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), these do not take into account these variables.

However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Police Objective Analysis (POA) 2012-13, available via HMIC's website, calculates that the overall cost of the total salary and overtime of the 131,837 officers in England and Wales is £7,326,520,500. This equates to an average cost per officer of £55,573 per year.

The CIPFA POA 2012-13, calculates that there are 14,411 PCSOs in England and Wales, with an overall cost of £494,534,000. This equates to an average cost of £34,316 per annum per PCSO in England and Wales.

Data to determine equivalent FTE costs in future years are not currently available.

Police Custody: Deaths

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers have been found guilty of gross misconduct in relation to a death in police custody since 2008; [159340]

(2) how many police officers have been dismissed following a finding of gross misconduct in relation to a death in police custody since 2008; [159341]

(3) how many police officers who have retired since 2008 had an allegation of gross misconduct made against them in relation to a death in police custody. [159342]

Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch) on 13 November 2012, Official Report, columns 130-32W.

The Home Office collects data on the number of police officers who have been dismissed, by police force area. The data cannot, however, be broken down to

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identify the number of police officers dismissed for gross misconduct or how many of these dismissals relate to deaths in custody.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of police officers who have been found guilty of gross misconduct or who have had an allegation of gross misconduct made against them.

Police: Mental Patients

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the use of police officers to physically restrain mental health patients; and if she will make a statement. [157403]

Damian Green [holding answer 3 June 2013]: Police officers need to be able to use physical restraint from time to time in order to carry out their duties All police officers are trained to ensure that they do this within the framework of their powers, as set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the Mental Health Act 1983 and other statutory and common law powers. Such powers should be used in a way that best protects the safety of the person being restrained, the officer and members of the public.

Training and guidance on the use of restraint is an operational matter for the College of Policing. Guidance issued in 2010 requires that officers using restraint must reasonably believe that it is necessary to prevent harm to the person who lacks capacity, and that they ensure that the degree, type and period of restraint is proportionate to the likelihood and seriousness of harm. The Department of Health has funded pilot schemes that will see mental health nursing staff accompanying officers to incidents likely to lead to detention under section 136 of the Mental Health Act, with the aim of delivering better outcomes for vulnerable people in such circumstances and a reduction in the use of the section 136 detention power.

UK Border Agency

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the right hon. Member for Warley will receive a reply to her letter to the UK Border Agency of 15 March 2013 regarding the case of Nurul Islam. [159733]

Mr Harper: The Home Office wrote to the right hon. Member on 12 June 2013.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were misplaced by the UK Border Agency in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [159942]

Mr Harper: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

UK Membership of EU

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential consequences of withdrawing from the EU on (a) EU economic migrants residing in the UK and (b) the future of UK citizens working in other EU countries. [158691]

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Mr Harper: The Government are considering the effects of the free movement of EU citizens as part of the Balance of Competences review:

https://www.gov.uk/review-of-the-balance-of-competences

Justice

Legal Aid Scheme

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the potential cost savings to the Government on legal services of placing a ceiling on the amount the Government spend on legal services for themselves, so that they do not pay fees above legal aid rates to a Government-instructed lawyer or expert and does not pay for more hours of legal services than would be allowed in a court's detailed assessment of costs for legal aid clients; and if he will estimate the potential cost savings of prohibiting the pursuing of litigation which does not have a reasonable prospect of success. [159587]

The Attorney-General: I have been asked to reply.

All Governments rely on a wide range of legal services, whether those services are provided for litigation or advice; whether provided in house or through the use of solicitors and barristers in private practice. It would not be possible to carry out the suggested estimation without an examination of the cost of each provision of a legal service. Nor is it the case that the litigation and advice for which legal aid is made available is analogous to the work of Government, which is vastly more varied and complex than that for individuals and corporates. No realistic comparison can be made. Much of the legal advice which Government obtain in the course of our business is given in order to ensure that Government are acting lawfully and within our powers.

The costs of Government litigation and advice are carefully controlled. The use of counsel is restricted to those appointed to the Attorney-General's Panel of Counsel unless I agree that off panel counsel may be used. The hourly rates paid to panel counsel are fixed and have not been raised for over 10 years. Hours claimed are also carefully monitored. Queen's counsel may not be used without my approval, nor can any hourly rate outside a fixed range be agreed without my approval. I am satisfied that the current process balances the need for Governments to have access to the best quality legal support at a cost that provides real value for money.

Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether new applicants for work as prison officers are disqualified as a result of previous convictions. [159871]

Jeremy Wright: Under current NOMS policy previous criminal convictions, including those leading to a prison sentence or formal caution, are not an automatic disbar to employment. Each case is considered on its own merits. In order to ensure informed decisions are made in relation to criminal convictions, the following factors are considered:

the nature and seriousness of the offence;

the length of time since the offence was committed;

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whether a series of offences might indicate habitual criminal tendencies or significant behavioural vulnerabilities;

the relevance of the conviction, for example, the possibility of impetuosity of youth or immaturity and consideration that the individual's circumstances or character may have altered since to the extent that the conviction will not now be significant; and

the nature of the work and its location.

All prison staff are expected to meet high standards of professional and personal conduct. Criminal convictions, receipt of a police caution, reprimands and fixed penalties must always be reported with each case judged on its own merits. This is in line with the filtering of criminal record checks under the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Record Certificates: Relevant Matters (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2013 and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2013 together with both internal conduct and discipline and security vetting policies.

Reoffenders

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders released from prison in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 to date reoffended within (i) one year and (ii) two years of release. [159188]

Jeremy Wright: One-year proven reoffending rates for adult offenders in England and Wales released from prison in 2010 are published in Table 18a of the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin, January to December 2010, which is available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/proven-reoffending-earlier-editions

One-year proven reoffending rates for 2011 to 2013 are not yet available. This is because we allow a one-year follow-up period for reoffending to occur, and a further six-month waiting period for offences to be processed by the courts. One-year proven reoffending rates for 2011 will be published in the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin on 31 October 2013.

Similarly, sufficient time has not yet elapsed for two-year proven reoffending rates to be available for 2010 to 2013.

International Development

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials of her Department are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job title and (b) pay grade is of any such secondee. [159851]

Mr Duncan: DFID currently have no officials seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.

Overseas Aid

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's expenditure was spent on (a) aid and (b) trade development in developing countries in the last year for which figures are available. [159925]

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Mr Duncan: In financial year 2011-12, 96% of total departmental expenditure limit (DEL) was spent on official development assistance (ODA).

In financial year 2010-11, expenditure on Aid for Trade and Trade Facilitation as a proportion of DEL out-turn for 2010-11 was 17%. This includes bilateral expenditure and an imputed share of multilateral expenditure on these sectors.

Imputed multilateral expenditure for 2011-12 is not yet available. Bilateral expenditure on Aid for Trade and Trade Facilitation represents 5% of DEL out-turn for 2011-12.

Further information on the Department's aid spending can be found in the Statistics in Development publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics

Property

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) location and (b) value is of any property her Department owns in Scotland. [160283]

Mr Duncan: DFID owns one building in Scotland, namely our joint headquarters office at Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 8EA. The most recent valuation was carried out in March 2011, when the market value was assessed as £6,200,000.

St Helena

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is providing to the Government of St Helena to ensure that the development of a commercial fishery on the island is done in a sustainable manner. [160135]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID officials are in regular contact with St Helena Government counterparts about the development of sustainable commercial fisheries in St Helena waters. DFID has funded the appointment of a commercial fisheries development manager to lead on ensuring sustainability is built into all aspects of developing this important economic activity. DFID is also funding an international fisheries observer to oversee an exploratory offshore fishing trial.

Sustainable fisheries development is an area of focus for Enterprise St Helena (ESH), the organisation which is steering St Helena's economic development. DFID provides funding for ESH through St Helena's annual budget aid and is considering additional project funding.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the potential long-term effect of chronic water shortages on the sustainable development of St Helena. [160138]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government's assessment is that St Helena has adequate water resources to meet its sustainable development needs including future demand from an increased population. Distribution of water, however, is a greater problem than shortage of water. The mountainous terrain means that there are 11 disparate water systems making it difficult to pump water from

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one system, and from one area of the island to another. The current localised drought, where the northwest reservoirs are seriously affected while the rest of the island has enough water, underscores difficulties in distribution.

All St Helena Government's Directorates incorporate anticipated demand from sustainable development and the advent of air access into their planning. This includes work in the water sector to upgrade and improve the water distribution system so it can better cope with an increased population.

Syria

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the distribution of humanitarian aid to rebel-held areas of Syria; and if she will make a statement. [156601]

Justine Greening: UK aid inside Syria is reaching people in all 14 governorates, including contested areas. Access is severely restricted due to high insecurity and bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Syrian authorities. The UK is calling on all parties to the conflict to allow safe access for humanitarian workers to provide aid for all those in need, including those in contested and opposition held areas.

Tanzania

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much official development assistance her Department has paid to Tanzania in each of the last three years. [159834]

Lynne Featherstone: Official development assistance made to Tanzania through the DFID Tanzania country programme over the last three years is as follows:

Figures for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are actual outturn; 2012-13 are provisional outturn. This does not include support provided via multilateral organisations or through regional programmes.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she has received representations from UK investors in Tanzania regarding (a) the maintenance of law and order at mining properties in the country, (b) safety from violence of personnel working in overseas-owned companies in the country, (c) corruption in government bodies responsible for that country's mining industry, (d) respect for the property rights of foreign-owned companies and (e) the stability of the legal framework affecting foreign-owned investments in that country. [159863]

Lynne Featherstone: The Secretary of State for International Development has received no representations from UK investors in Tanzania regarding problems relating to the mining industry. One representation has

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been received concerning property rights and the effectiveness of the legal framework with regard to foreign investors.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has made to the Government of Tanzania regarding (a) the nationalisation of foreign shareholdings in mining companies in Tanzania, (b) the enforcement of law and order on mining properties and (c) corruption in that country affecting the mining industry. [159864]

Lynne Featherstone: My Department has not made any representations to the Government of Tanzania on these specific issues.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assurances she has sought from the Government of Tanzania, as part of negotiations over international aid regarding (a) the tackling of corruption in that country, (b) the safety from violence of people working in that country for foreign-owned companies, (c) respect for the rights of overseas investors in that country and (d) ensuring a stable legal framework for foreign-owned companies operating in that country. [159875]

Lynne Featherstone: As part of the regular discussions with Government on the provision of aid, the UK and other partners assess governance and the rule of law. DFID and the FCO maintain a robust and regular dialogue with the Government of Tanzania concerning the fight against corruption. Over the past year DFID has led General Budget Support donors in High Level Dialogue meetings on corruption with the Tanzanian Government, chaired by the Minister of Finance. These meetings have pressed the Government for substantive progress on investigation and prosecution of grand corruption cases, changes to legislation that supports anti-corruption measures and improved transparency in the extractive industries.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the contribution that the joint project of her Department's Developing Countries Capacity Building Unit and HM Revenue and Customs with the Tanzania Revenue Authority will make towards improving the environment for foreign investment in Tanzania. [159876]

Justine Greening: We expect the Developing Countries Capacity Unit to further strengthen support for the Tanzania Revenue Authority with greater technical assistance to address reform challenges. This would increase revenue collection and improve the business climate for foreign and domestic investment.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from UK investors regarding the current environment for foreign investment in Tanzania. [159877]

Lynne Featherstone: The Department receives regular updates on economic situations in Tanzania, including from UK investors.

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Women and Equalities

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many officials in the Government Equalities Office are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job titles and (b) pay grade is of each such secondee. [159908]

Maria Miller: No officials from either DCMS or the Government Equalities Office, which as a result of the machinery of government change in September 2012 was brought under my control, are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Colombia

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Colombia on identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the death of José Rogelio Lopez on 11 April 2013; and if he will make a statement. [159560]

Mr Swire: Our embassy in Bogota is aware of the death of José Rogelio Lopez on 11 April, and wrote to the Colombian Attorney General on 11 June to ask for an update on investigations into the case.

Ethiopia

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Governments of Ethiopia and Egypt regarding the Renaissance Dam; and if he will make a statement. [159874]

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the Renaissance Dam with senior Egyptian officials in June. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa discussed the issue with the Government of Ethiopia at a meeting for G8 member countries and China on 11 June. We will support any agreed outcome which is acceptable to the region.

Human Trafficking

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to combat human organ-trafficking; and if he will make a statement. [159303]

Mr Swire: The Government fully support action to combat the commercialisation of organs and the trafficking of people for organ harvesting. In the UK, we have a robust legal framework and regulatory oversight to combat any trafficking in this area. We have signed and ratified the major anti-trafficking instruments such as the UN Palermo Protocol and the Council of Europe convention against trafficking, which taken together represent a comprehensive response to all forms of trafficking, including organ harvesting.

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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) fully support the Declaration of Istanbul, which encourages all countries to draw up legal and professional frameworks to govern organ donation and transplantation activities. We have participated in a number of recent relevant initiatives, such as the development of World Health Organisation Guiding Principles, to ensure that human material removed from deceased and living donors for the purpose of transplantation only takes place according to agreed principles.

The FCO lobbies the governments of those countries we judge to be a priority to sign and implement the international anti-trafficking instruments.

The FCO also supports awareness raising among potential future victims of trafficking in order to prevent them falling into exploitative situations, including situations in which organ harvesting may occur.

Ilois: Resettlement

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the US administration on the possible re-settlement of Chagos islanders who wish to return to their homeland since his commitment to review the policy on re-settlement on 20 December 2012. [160083]

Mark Simmonds: There have been no recent representations from the US administration on the possible re-settlement of the Chagossians.

Kenya

Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent changes he has made to the travel advice offered to British citizens travelling to or working in Kenya. [159841]

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly reviews and updates the travel advice we provide to British nationals travelling and working abroad. The Kenya travel advice was last updated on 10 June 2013 after two grenade attacks in Likoni district, Mombasa and Eastleigh district, Nairobi. There have been 18 other updates to the Kenya travel advice this year.

Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Kenya and the effects of the recent election on the security situation in that country; and if he will make a statement. [159919]

Mark Simmonds: The 4 March elections in Kenya were largely peaceful though there was some localised violence. Our travel advice sets out our latest assessment of the security situation in Kenya.

Kuwait

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Kuwaiti counterpart on Kuwaiti Bidoons. [153905]

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Alistair Burt: I discussed this subject with my opposite number during bilateral talks on 2 June. Our embassy in Kuwait regularly speaks with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this issue.

Libya

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent determination of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court that the case against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is admissible and the Court's restating of Libya's obligation to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the Court. [159334]

Alistair Burt: I have noted the decision reached on 31 May by the Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which rejected the Libyan Government's admissibility challenge to hold the trial of Saif al-Islam Qadhafi in Libya. The Libyan Government formally appealed the decision on 10 June and we await the response of the Appeals Chamber. We will continue to encourage the Libyan authorities to remain engaged with the ICC and maintain their full co-operation.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed during his most recent visit to Tripoli the determination of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court that the case against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is admissible and the Court's restating of Libya's obligation to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the Court. [159335]

Alistair Burt: I did discuss the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reject Libya's admissibility challenge on the Saif al-Islam Qadhafi case with the Libyan Justice Minister during my recent visit to Tripoli. The Minister informed me that Libya intended to appeal the decision, which they formally submitted on 10 June. Our ambassador in Tripoli also regularly raises cooperation with the ICC with Libyan officials.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which states which are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and were present at the recent NPT Preparatory Committee meeting in Geneva raised concerns about (a) the continued possession by the P5 of nuclear weapons, (b) the lack of progress towards nuclear disarmament by the P5 and (c) the current plans of the Government to renew Trident; and what response was made by the UK representative to any such criticisms. [159716]

Alistair Burt: The Chairman's factual summary (UN document: NPT/CONF.2015/PC.II/CRP.2) at the recent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee held in Geneva covers the issues raised by particular member states including the continued possession of nuclear weapons as well as progress on multilateral disarmament. Iran was the only state to issue a statement directly critical of the UK's decision to renew the submarine delivery platform used for its nuclear deterrent (“Trident”).

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The UK has a strong record on nuclear disarmament and has been very transparent about its nuclear capabilities and the limited and discreet role they play in its Defence policy. The Government's policy is to have the minimum credible deterrent. The use of nuclear weapons would be considered only in extreme circumstances of self-defence, including the defence of our NATO allies. The Government announced in 2010 a new, stronger security assurance: that the UK “will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states parties to the NPT”. This assurance, however, does not apply to any state “in material breach” of its non-proliferation obligations.

The UK's statement on disarmament issued at the Preparatory Committee sets out our policy on these issues and the rationale for maintaining the minimum credible deterrent. The statement can be accessed on the UN website:

http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/media/1516491/9_United _Kingdom_Clust_1_24_Apr_P.M..pdf

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held between the UK and US on the renewal and extension of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement on Atomic Energy Matters in the last 12 months; who attended such discussions; where they were held; what matters have been agreed in such discussions to date; and what matters remain to be concluded. [159717]

Alistair Burt: Aspects of the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement on Atomic Energy Matters are time-limited. The next amendment by both the UK and the US governments is due in 2014. Both governments will take forward the amendment in line with their own domestic processes and requirements. UK and US officials routinely share information on their respective processes and requirements to facilitate renewal.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the Government of Israel distinguishes between (a) Israel and (b) Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in statistical data provided as part of its membership of the OECD. [159495]

Alistair Burt: The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) confirmed, following the visit to Israel by members of the OECD Statistics Committee in summer 2011, that it will provide statistics that distinguish pre-1967 Israel and the areas occupied since 1967 when required to do so by the OECD. This confirmed a commitment made by the CBS at the time of the accession review. The impact on Israel's macroeconomic statistics of disaggregated data was assessed to be very small—less than 4% of GDP, and it was agreed that Israel would not need to provide disaggregated statistics for this. The impact was sufficiently larger for social issues, migration and employment, and it was agreed that in these areas, Israel should be asked to continue providing disaggregated statistics for any study carried out in these areas. Israeli statistics were assessed to have been of good quality and in line with international standards. The UK and

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other OECD members will continue to flag up the need for disaggregated statistics for social issues, migration and employment, and any other areas where it is deemed necessary.

We have repeatedly condemned Israel's announcements to expand settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. As well as being illegal under international law, settlements undermine the possibility of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and those working for a sustainable peace.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to discourage UK citizens from buying property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [159496]

Alistair Burt: We make clear in our travel advice for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories that there are risks involved with purchasing property in Israeli settlements, on land that we consider to be occupied under international law; and that any future peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians or Syria could have consequences for properly purchased in settlements. However, we support legitimate investment by British citizens and companies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are supportive of Secretary Kerry's economic programme to develop the Palestinian economy, alongside the political framework, as the basis for a sustainable peace.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is taking steps to discourage UK citizens from buying property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [159982]

Alistair Burt: We make clear in our travel advice

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/the-occupied-palestinian-territories/money

for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories that there are risks involved with purchasing property in Israeli settlements, on land that we consider to be occupied under international law; and that any future peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians or Syria could have consequences for property purchased in settlements. However, we support legitimate investment by British citizens and companies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are supportive of Secretary Kerry's economic programme to develop the Palestinian economy, alongside the political framework, as the basis for a sustainable peace.

Swaziland

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on Swaziland being referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. [159781]

Mark Simmonds: We are aware of the calls by civil society and trade union groups including Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), for the Commonwealth to bring Swaziland under the scrutiny of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group for its failure to adhere to the Harare Declaration. To mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973 state of emergency in Swaziland, ACTSA recently launched a campaign asking the UK to support

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democracy and human rights in Swaziland, and for it to be referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. ACTSA's Campaigns Manager, Mark Beacon, wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 25 March 2013 to highlight these concerns.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits the British high commissioner to Pretoria has made to Swaziland in each of the last five years. [159782]

Mark Simmonds: The British high commissioner to South Africa is also accredited as non-resident British high commissioner in Swaziland and Lesotho. She, or her predecessor, visited Swaziland at least once a year in each of the last five years (most recently in November 2012). The deputy high commissioner to Swaziland (also resident in Pretoria) visits at least three times a year, and other members of staff from the high commission in Pretoria visit for specific functions, including consular issues and scholarship interviews.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions representatives of the Government have had with King Mswati III of Swaziland. [159783]

Mark Simmonds: The British high commissioner met with King Mswati in November 2012, together with other EU ambassadors. They collectively urged the King and Swazi Government to allow political parties to participate in the election due in 2013, in accordance with the wishes expressed by many Swazi people at the Sibaya (traditional council) in August 2012.

Tanzania

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Tanzania regarding (a) the treatment of UK investors in the mining industry, (b) the enforcement of law and order and (c) the level of corruption in that country. [159830]

Mark Simmonds: Our high commissioner in Dar es Salaam regularly raises governance issues affecting British investors, including in the mining industry and other sectors, with the Government of Tanzania. These issues include land rights, taxation, security of investment and corruption. We are committed to working to support the Government of Tanzania's efforts to address these, including through programmes run by the Department for International Development. I also discussed some of these issues during my last visit to Tanzania in March 2013.

Turkey

Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Turkish Government on the tactics used by the police force during the ongoing civil unrest that began on 27 May 2013. [159313]

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Mr Lidington: The British ambassador in Ankara issued a statement on 1 June, expressing concern at the violence, urging the authorities to exercise restraint, and encouraging them to respect the right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly, which is a fundamental human right in any democratic society. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the latest events with Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, on 11 June as part of a broader discussion and said he hoped the protests would be resolved peacefully.

Turkey is a democracy with multi-party elections whose Government have been democratically elected. We welcome statements from the Turkish Government apologising for the disproportionate use of force and recognising that some of the concerns raised by the protestors are legitimate. We hope the issues raised by the protestors are resolved through an inclusive process of constructive engagement and dialogue.

Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for UK foreign policy of the civil unrest that began in Turkey on 27 May 2013. [159314]

Mr Lidington: Turkey remains an important foreign policy partner and NATO ally. We collaborate with the Turkish Government very closely on important foreign policy priorities, including Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan. While we are concerned about the recent violence, we do not expect these events to have implications for our strategic foreign policy co-operation.

We remain fully supportive of Turkey's EU Accession process. Significant results have been achieved, but, as Turkey itself recognises, more needs to be done. We would like to see an acceleration of the accession process to support this.

Defence

Destroyers

18. Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many destroyers the Royal Navy has on deployment at sea at any one time; and what the equivalent figure was in (a) 2003 and (b) 1993. [159652]

Mr Robathan: The number of Royal Navy units at sea will vary on any given day as they could be deployed on operational tasking, conducting trials or operational sea training in preparation for deployment; they could be alongside for pre-or post-deployment leave; or they could be in refit or undergoing maintenance.

On 11 June this year, there were three Royal Navy destroyers deployed at sea. On 11 June 2003, one destroyer was deployed at sea; and on 11 June 1993, there were three destroyers deployed at sea.

Asbestos Contamination: RAF Bases

19. John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which RAF bases asbestos contamination is a health issue. [159653]

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Mr Francois: There are no RAF bases where asbestos contamination is assessed as a health risk as all known asbestos is recorded on the site asbestos register, and managed in accordance with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations.

I am, however, aware of the discovery of asbestos contamination at RAF Woodvale which has led to the cancellation of the Woodvale public rally. The rally was cancelled due to the discovery of asbestos in an area of the station that had previously been made available to the public. The asbestos is being managed in accordance with the regulations and presents no risk to staff at the site.

Joint Strike Fighter

20. Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the F-35B joint strike fighter development programme. [159654]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friends the Members for Salisbury (John Glen) and for South Staffordshire (Gavin Williamson).

Service Housing

22. Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress his Department has made in improving the quality of service housing. [159656]

Mr Francois: In the 2012 Budget, the Chancellor announced £100 million of additional investment in service accommodation in financial year 2013-14. In March 2013, the Defence Secretary announced that the Government would be investing £1.8 billion in the Army basing plan, £l billion of which will be spent on building brand new accommodation and refurbishing existing SFA properties. In 2012-13, the MOD undertook the capital purchase of some 700 new build homes for use as SFA, a further 816 SFA were upgraded to the highest Standard for Condition. Additionally, 3,822 SFA benefited from smaller scale improvements such as new kitchens and bathrooms, and over 12,000 SFA benefited from new or improved loft insulation.

In 2013-14, the MOD plans to upgrade 650 SFA to the highest Standard for Condition.

Helmand Province

23. Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the British Army's stabilisation activities in Helmand; and if he will make a statement. [159657]

Mr Philip Hammond: The British Army's stabilisation activities in Helmand province are primarily conducted by the Military Stabilisation Support Group which has supported the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team's efforts since 2006.

The group is formed from regulars and reservists. Its aim is to develop Afghan capacity to enable the delivery of their own infrastructure, government institutions,

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public services and economic development. This is an invaluable part of the UK's integrated approach to supporting the long-term success of Afghanistan.

Clothing Procurement

24. Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of current clothing procurement for members of the armed forces. [159658]

Mr Dunne: The MOD takes clothing of our service personnel extremely seriously to ensure it is both right for the job and right for them. The range, quality and versatility of the clothing we issue to our troops is far greater than it has ever been and we are continually working to make further improvements.

The Defence Clothing Team spent £80 million on clothing last year. The team manages some 30 major contracts, awarded to either UK or Western European companies. 90% of these companies are UK owned.

Official Development Assistance

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department’s budget was spent on official development assistance in the latest period for which figures are available. [159643]

Dr Murrison: Official development assistance is reported by calendar year and the latest available UK Government figures are for 2011. The Ministry of Defence’s departmental budget is reported by financial year. For financial year 2010-11, the Ministry of Defence spent an estimated 0.015% of its departmental budget on official development assistance.

Compensation Policy

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on his Department’s compensation policy; and if he will make a statement. [159659]

Mr Francois: I have recently engaged on a number of aspects of compensation policy with service and ex-service organisations, Parliament and MPs on behalf of their constituents. I have chaired the Central Advisory Committee on Pensions and Compensation, met the chief executive of Combat Stress and the chairman of the Independent Medical Expert Group and visited the Naval Service Recovery Centre (Hasler Company) in Plymouth.

The matters discussed have included the armed forces independence payment, Ministry of Defence funding for Combat Stress and medical and scientific aspects of the armed forces compensation scheme.

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job title and (b) pay grade is of each such secondee. [160114]

Mr Francois: There are currently no Ministry of Defence officials on secondment to KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst and Young or PWC.

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Afghanistan

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the UK is operating in compliance with the revised COMISAF Tactical Directive, Rev 5.1 in Afghanistan. [159702]

Mr Robathan: All UK forces deployed in Afghanistan comply with ISAF Tactical Directives and in parallel with UK targeting direction. Where ISAF and UK interpretations of targeting direction differ, the more restrictive elements apply. When Commander ISAF issued Tactical Directive 5.1 UK forces immediately applied the new guidance and this and subsequent tactical guidance is reflected in the national Targeting Directive.

All units deploying to Afghanistan are trained in the Law of Armed Conflict and the requirements of the Tactical Directive during their Mission Specific Training. Furthermore compliance is assured through command scrutiny at all levels and access to legal advice is always provided.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex gratia payments his Department has made to Afghan civilians; what the amounts of such payments were; where the civilians concerned are located; and what the nature of the incidents was to which those payments related. [159704]

Mr Robathan: 2,833 ex gratia payments amounting to £3,596,902.00 have been made to Afghan civilians up to 31 May 2013. Payments have been made in respect of deaths, injuries, road traffic incidents, property damage, and crop damage, occurring within Helmand Province and in Kabul. All these payments have been made since 1 April 2008; previously payments were made only if legal liability was admitted.

Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many apprentices are employed by his Department; and how many such apprentices are aged (a) under 19, (b) between 19 and 25, (c) between 26 and 30, (d) between 31 and 60 and (e) over 60. [156856]

Mr Francois [holding answer 3 June 2013]:There are currently 127 apprentices employed by the Ministry of Defence. Their age breakdown is provided in the following table:

This excludes the large number of service personnel who are undertaking apprenticeships as part of their training.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of teenage recruits to the armed forces prematurely ending their service contracts in each of the last five years. [159916]

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Mr Francois: No such estimate has been made. The military recruitment and training cycle is, by its nature, a continuous rolling programme which is designed to accommodate some degree of outflow, including the loss of some personnel who enlist as teenagers but prematurely end their engagements as part of normal business.

Army: Termination of Employment

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army service leavers failed to receive a service leaver's pack from the termination cell within nine months of their date of termination in each of the last three years. [159518]

Mr Francois: The information requested is not held.

Australia and New Zealand

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what trilateral defence engagement the UK has with Australia and New Zealand. [160254]

Mr Robathan: Most defence engagement with Australia and New Zealand is bilateral or multilateral, often as part of either the Five-Eyes (with the US and Canada) or the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (with Malaysia and Singapore).

At the trilateral level, the formal biennial BRITANZ dialogue, held at Chief of Defence Staff level, was last held in New Zealand in February 2013.

Cybercrime

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what progress his Department has made in improving cyber-security within the defence supply chain; and if he will make a statement; [159061]

(2) what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on cyber-security breaches at Qinetiq North America; and if he will make a statement; [159062]

(3) what assessment he has made of the potential risks to UK national security arising from cyber-security breaches at Qinetiq North America; and if he will make a statement. [159063]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes information assurance and cyber security very seriously. We continuously work with our suppliers to counter cyber threats. The MOD/Industry Defence Supplier Forum recently endorsed a joint programme to improve supply chain security including work on: measurements and standards, communications, skills, training, and information sharing.

QinetiQ North America is an independent US company separated from QinetiQ by a proxy agreement. There have been no discussions relating to the specific issue of security breaches at this company between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary Hagel.

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We judge that our cyber strategy and plans are robust and capable of addressing a wide range of threats to our cyber defence. It would be inappropriate to comment further on the detail of the specific measures we take to protect our systems.

Defence Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that surface protection on military (a) land, (b) air vehicles and (c) marine vehicles is appropriate for the modern theatre of war. [160132]

Mr Dunne: The threat to military personnel is constantly evolving and is kept under constant review to ensure that the appropriate force protection measures are put in place. Often, several different types of measure are used to counter any threat providing a layered approach to protection of our personnel. Such measures can include physical protection; adapting tactics, techniques and procedures; effective use of intelligence; and electronic countermeasures.

East Asia

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which East Asian countries the UK has military facilities or personnel; and what change there has been in such deployments in the last 10 years. [159934]

Mr Robathan: The United Kingdom has Defence Attachés in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Posts in the Philippines and Thailand were closed in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The Defence section in China was expanded from two Attaché posts to three in 2006, and there were reductions in Malaysia (from two posts to one in 2007) and Korea (from two posts to one in 2008). In the course of the next 12 months, reflecting the Government's network shift to Asia, we plan to reinstate the post in Thailand and also to establish resident Attaché coverage in Burma and Vietnam.

In support of our commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore we maintain a small Naval facility at Sembawang in Singapore and contribute to the staff of the Integrated Area Defence System Headquarters (HQ IADS) at Butterworth in Malaysia. Staff at Sembawang total one Commander Royal Navy (who also serves as assistant Defence Attaché), one Chief Petty Officer, one Petty Officer and three Ministry of Defence civil servants. This has remained constant for the last 10 years. Our contribution to HQ IADS over the period has remained constant at one Wing Commander, one Squadron Leader, one Lieutenant Commander, one Major and one other rank.

We maintain a garrison in Brunei. From 2003 to 2013 the number of Garrison Support Troops has remained broadly constant, varying between 100 and 130. These figures include seven Flight Army Air Corps, Training Team Brunei and the Theatre Support Troops.

Between 2003 and 2013 the Resident Infantry Battalion garrisoned in Brunei has reduced from a high of about 830 to the current level of 648. Since 2003 there have been four deployments from the garrison to Afghanistan of up to 550 personnel.

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HMS Tireless

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to prevent further leaks of coolant from HMS Tireless; and if he will take steps to ensure that replacement submarines are constructed in such a way as to ensure that such leaks cannot occur. [157693]

Mr Dunne: The defect investigation into the recent leak of a very small quantity of coolant on HMS Tireless and the consequent repairs have both now been completed.

The designs of Naval nuclear reactor plants are informed by lessons from earlier designs, including experience of any in-service defects. Such lessons are applied wherever practicable, including on submarines that are either being built or designed.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulatory permissions have been issued by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator in regards to HMS Tireless since its reactor coolant leak was identified; and if he will place copies of any such permissions in the Library. [159820]

Mr Dunne: The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator has permissioned three activities related to the coolant leak in HMS Tireless:

permission to vent the reactor compartment to atmosphere external to the submarine;

permission to conduct repairs at Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport; and

permission for continued operation of HMS Tireless following completion of repairs.

The documents incorporating these permissions are being redacted and will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as they are available.

Japan and USA

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence engagement the UK has with Japan and the US. [159936]

Dr Murrison: Our relationship with Japan—the third largest economy in the world—is crucial to our prosperity. However, it is also increasingly important to our security; as a like-minded ally Japan shares many of our interests, values and goals. Our security and defence engagement relationship has become stronger and closer in recent years and continues to improve. In Tokyo in April 2012, the Prime Ministers of Japan and the UK issued a joint statement pledging the UK and Japan to work more closely together on defence and security issues, including peace support operations, counter piracy, cyber and collaboration on defence equipment. We have been working on an information sharing agreement that will permit the sharing of classified material and on an agreement that will establish the legal basis for the UK and Japan to collaborate on joint research, production and development of defence equipment.

The Strategic Defence and Security Review made it clear that the USA remains Britain’s most important bilateral ally. Ministry of Defence personnel engage on a daily basis with their US colleagues on defence issues

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that affect our national interests, and take action to ensure that we remain the US’ partner of choice on defence and security matters. The relationship continues to evolve and remains central to the development of important UK capabilities (e.g. Joint Strike Fighter, Carrier Strike, Successor Deterrent) and securing the interoperability and expertise necessary to ensure our armed forces are able to work with their US counterparts bilaterally, in NATO or elsewhere.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department spent in total on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012; [157644]

(2) what the top 20 highest amounts paid by his Department for external legal advice was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; who received each such payment; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought in each case; [158112]

(3) how much his 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; [158148]

(4) what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department has been since 7 May 2010. [158149]

Mr Francois [holding answer 5 June 2013]:The Ministry of Defence delegates authority for expenditure on external legal advice within the Department and it will therefore take time to collate the information.

I will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.

Military Attachés

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the annual average cost to the public purse of a defence attaché is; [160258]

(2) how the UK defence attaché network is funded; and what the annual cost to the public purse of this total network was in the last year for which figures are available. [160259]

Dr Murrison: The defence attaché network is funded out of the Defence Budget. The cost in financial year 2012-13 for 72 Defence Sections was £41.092 million (this figure excludes training and does not include British Defence Staff in the United States).

Military Bases

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 487W, on armed forces: domestic violence, what protocols exist between the police and military police in relation to military bases; and if he will make a statement. [160131]

Mr Francois: A policing protocol between the Ministry of Defence Police, the three service police forces and Home Office police forces was agreed in 2008 to provide for an efficient and effective working relationship between the signatories outlining, where necessary, areas of

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responsibility and accountability. A separate protocol between the Secretary of State for Defence and the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland was agreed in 2009 to provide guidance on the investigation of deaths on land or premises owned, occupied or under the control of the Ministry of Defence.

A number of separate local agreements are in place between the service police forces and Home Office police forces. These cover a range of issues, including the use of police custody facilities by the service police, information sharing and the protective security arrangements in place at military bases. The Ministry of Defence police also has a number of protocols in place with local police forces that cover a range of policing operations.

Military Decorations: World War II

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects veterans to receive the Arctic Convoy Medal. [159413]

Mr Francois: It is anticipated that all entitled veterans who have applied will have received their awards by the end of summer 2013.

Nuclear Submarines

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the economic effects of the UK's submarine building programme. [159626]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is aware that BAE Systems Maritime—Submarines have contracted for a limited study into the economic contribution of the Successor programme. The MOD does not make specific assessments of the economic effects of our programmes. In making investment decisions, we focus on delivering the capability requirement in a manner which provides the best value for money.

However, any decision to discontinue the UK's sovereign submarine-manufacturing capability, or to reduce future submarine orders, would clearly have a substantial impact on the local economy in Barrow, and in other locations in which the supply chain is concentrated.

Nuclear Weapons

Sir Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's (a) hazard assessment and (b) technical justification for public protection advice in the event of an emergency involving the transportation of nuclear weapons was last reviewed; and when the next review is scheduled to take place. [159712]

Mr Dunne: The hazard assessment and technical justification were reviewed in 1992, prior to the weapon entering service in 1993-94. The public protection advice is based on the potential hazards posed and there has been no fundamental change to these since the review. A future review is planned but no date has yet been set.

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Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department's human resources functions was. [156666]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence has provided the Civil Service Next Generation Human Resources (HR) Programme with the following information on the size and cost of its civilian HR function, including its trading funds:

Information on the grades of officials engaged in HR activities is not held centrally in the format requested.

These reductions demonstrate progress towards our goal of delivering better business outcomes at a significantly reduced cost. Figures for 2012-13 are still being collected, although early indications are that they will show a continuing downward trend.

Reserve Forces

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding he has allocated under each budget heading to the Army Reserves in each of the last three years; and how much funding he plans to allocate in each of the next five years. [159281]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 11 June 2013]: As previously announced on 8 November 2012, the Ministry of Defence is investing an additional £1.8 billion over the next 10 years on reserves to increase and develop the trained strength of the reserves and to enhance their capability. It will be spent to increase recruiting and improve retention, to enhance training at all levels, and to provide more and better equipment. This investment has already begun and will enable reserve forces of all three services to play greater roles as integral elements of the whole force.

There are three main areas of spend on Army reserves: manpower, which is based on man training days (MTDs); support and recruitment costs; and the further programme of work to create the conditions for growth of the Army reserve (known as Future Reserves 20).

It is not possible to split out costs for support and recruitment support, which are contained within wider budgets. The funding that can be separately identified for the last three financial years (FY), and the current year, on manpower and Future Reserves 20, is shown in the following table:

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We are currently conducting the planning process to allocate funding for the next financial year. Spending in financial year 2015-16 and beyond is the subject of the current and future spending rounds.

The manpower budget allocation is based upon MTDs.

Future Reserves 20 funding covers work to set the conditions to enlarge the reserves. This includes upgrading the estate, equipment and Terms and Conditions of Service.

Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he and officials in his Department have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme; and what was discussed at such meetings. [159233]

Mr Robathan: Neither I nor Ministry of Defence officials have met the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) as part of the Scotland Analysis programme.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses in each of the last five years; what the total cost was of such claims; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year. [155405]

Mr Francois: The information available on the reimbursement of travel and subsistence to the Ministry of Defence’s civilian staff, including those providing secretariat functions in support of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies, is shown in the following table.

A ranking of subsistence claims could be provided only at disproportionate cost; some claims will cover multiple duty commitments which will be reimbursed as a single payment.

These figures represent the reimbursement of costs incurred, in the UK and overseas, on accommodation (in hotels, service messes and staying with family and friends), meals, public transport (such as buses, taxis and the underground), the use of privately owned vehicles for duty journeys, and incidental expenses.

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Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 527W, on unmanned air vehicles, (1) how many Army personnel have received unmanned aerial systems training; and what proportion of those trained personnel currently operate unmanned aerial systems in (a) the UK, (b) Afghanistan and (c) the Middle East; [R] [159082]

(2) how many Army personnel have been trained since the Army acquired unmanned aerial systems; [R] [159083]

(3) at what intervals training for the operation of unmanned aerial systems is reviewed; [R] [159085]

(4) how many days of training each operator of unmanned aerial systems receives. [R] [159081][Official Report, 10 March 2014, Vol. 577, c. 1MC.]

Mr Robathan: Mini unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilots receive a minimum of 71 days training. Tactical UAS pilots receive a minimum of 91 days training.

Since April 1999, 461 students have passed the UAS ground school course which is the precursor to UAS pilot training. Of these 140 UAS pilots (30% of those trained) are currently based in the UK and are qualified on systems which are flown in UK airspace for training purposes only. Up to 21 UAS pilots (5%) are deployed in the middle east for training purposes only. 48 UAS pilots (10%) are currently deployed in Afghanistan. The remaining 252 (55%) are either no longer in the Army, no longer employed as UAS pilots, or operate Hermes 450 which is not cleared for UK flying.

The Army has a process for evaluating every course for its effectiveness and relevance so that it can respond to changes in operational need.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any disciplinary measures have been brought against army personnel in relation to the operation of unmanned aerial systems. [159698]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 June 2013, Official Report, column 326W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson).

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of any review of tactical and operational policy relating to targeting by unmanned aerial systems undertaken by his Department to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. [159699]

Mr Robathan: The UK policy relating to targeting by unmanned aircraft systems is exactly the same as that for manned aircraft. It is enshrined in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 900 and is entirely compliant with International Humanitarian Law. Due to the security classification of JSP 900 I am unable to place copies in the Library of the House.

Unmanned Marine Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to increase the use of unmanned marine vehicles. [160133]

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Mr Dunne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 849W. An update will be provided to the House of Commons Defence Committee in the summer of 2013 with a further update in the summer of 2014.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what guidance his Department gives on wind turbine applications; [158696]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on the radar at Cletraval, Uist, of small domestic turbines in the machair. [158698]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a consultee only in the planning application process. Local planning authorities (LPA) should consult with the MOD if a proposed turbine is 11 metres to blade tip or taller, and/or has a rotor diameter of two metres or more. On receipt of an application, experts carry out a full assessment of the proposal and respond back to the LPA.

The MOD is willing to engage with applicants and offer guidance to resolve issues where possible; however, it remains the responsibility of developers to put forward mitigation proposals for MOD officials to consider.

There has been a recent increase in the number of turbine applications around the Air Defence Radar at Remote Radar Head Benbecula (Cletraval), and the MOD has become concerned about the cumulative impact of turbines on the radar. A greater number of turbines in one area can increase the risk to air safety, as the radar picture becomes desensitised.

Attorney-General

Bernie Ecclestone

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office is providing any assistance to fraud prosecutors in Germany to assist in the trial of Bernie Ecclestone. [159751]

The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office regularly provides assistance to overseas prosecutors and has an international assistance unit. It would not be appropriate for the SFO to comment on the detail of such matters.

Fraud: Sentencing

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2013, Official Report, column 1227W, on fraud, how many of the prison sentences imposed as a result of Serious Fraud Office prosecutions in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the previous five years were (i) immediate and (ii) suspended. [159750]

The Solicitor-General: The information requested is in the following table. The figures have been calculated using the year the conviction was recorded rather than the year the sentence was imposed where these are different; two offenders convicted in 2012-13 and one offender convicted in 2011-12 have not yet been sentenced.

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Legal Aid Scheme

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions about the effect of the proposed changes to criminal legal aid on the principle of equality of arms in legal proceedings in the courts of England and Wales. [159856]

The Solicitor-General: None, though the Director of Public Prosecutions as a courtesy showed me the Crown Prosecution Service's response to the Ministry of Justice Consultation, ‘Transforming legal aid'.

Offences Against Children

Ann Coffey: To ask the Attorney-General how many finalised defendant prosecutions were prosecuted under charges relating to sexual offences involving a victim under 18 (a) for the last three years for which data are available and (b) for each month since January 2013, by ethnicity. [159529]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of defendant prosecutions where the most serious offence at the time of finalization is categorised as a sexual offence. The following table sets out the number of prosecutions for sexual offences by defendant ethnicity where the victim has been identified as being under 18 years of age.

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The following table shows the monthly breakdown for 2013:

Communities and Local Government

Anti-slavery Day

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to mark Anti-slavery Day on 18 October 2013; and if he will take steps to ensure that ministers and officials in his Department are offered opportunities to be involved in various events organised by his Department, local authorities and non-governmental organisations. [160430]

Mr Foster: We welcome and encourage steps taken by voluntary, community and public sector organisations to commemorate Anti-slavery Day. DCLG Ministers will seek to participate in these commemorations.

Big Society Network

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (a) how much funding his Department allocated to and (b) what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Network in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 to date. [160110]

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Mr Foster: The Department has provided no funding to, or held any contracts with, the Big Society Network.

Energy Performance Certificates

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made on meeting the commitment in the 2011 Carbon Plan to encourage voluntary take-up of display energy certificates in the commercial sector. [159987]

Mr Foster: In December 2012, my Department updated and reiterated guidance on display energy certificates which makes clear that although private organisations do not need to display a certificate they may elect to do so on a voluntary basis. The guidance is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/51164/A_guide_to_display_energy_certificates _and_advisory_reports_for_public_buildings.pdf