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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 18 June 2013
House of Commons Commission
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by the House of Commons Commission were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such payments were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought. [158622]
John Thurso: The following expenditure has been incurred for external legal advice:
| 20 highest amounts paid in 2010 | ||
| Reason | Recipient | £ |
| 20 highest amounts paid in 2011 | ||
| Reason | Recipient | £ |
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| 20 highest amounts paid in 2012 | ||
| Reason | Recipient | £ |
| (1 )These items include VAT. | ||
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Commission spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158644]
John Thurso: Between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012, £5,400 (including VAT) has been spent on legal advice from Queen's counsel to a House Department in a property matter. No expenditure has been incurred since 4 September 2012.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Commission spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158662]
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John Thurso: The House of Commons Commission and House Departments spent the following amounts on external legal advice:
7 May 2010 to 4 September 2012
Parliamentary Estates Directorate—£158,325 (incl VAT)(1)
Other House Departments—£124,460 (excl VAT)
Parliamentary Estates Directorate and PICT—£26,868 (incl VAT)(1)
Other House Departments—£13,526 (excl VAT)
(1) The proportion attributable to VAT cannot be disaggregated without disproportionate cost.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by the House of Commons Commission since 7 May 2010 was. [158679]
John Thurso: The highest day rate paid for external legal advice by the House of Commons Commission was £1,500.
Electoral Commission Committee
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission has spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158706]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that its spend on external legal advice was:
(a) £200,000 between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012; and,
(b) £32,500 since 4 September 2012.
The majority of this spend was on contentious or litigious local government boundary review and party and election finance regulatory matters. In 2011 and 2012 there was no need for legal advice expenditure on boundary matters because the Local Government Boundary Committee had become a separate organisation.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission has spent on external legal advice from Queen's counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158709]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that its spend on external legal advice from Queen's counsel was:
(a) £62,000 between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012; and,
(b) £7,000 since 4 September 2012.
Most of this spend was on local government boundary review, and party and election finance regulatory matters that have been contentious or litigious. In 2011 and 2012 there was no need for legal advice expenditure on boundary matters because the Local Government Boundary Committee had become a separate organisation.
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Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by the Electoral Commission since 7 May 2010 has been. [158712]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that while in agreeing fees for external legal work it will, where relevant, actively consider and negotiate on hour and day rates, it only has accounting need to retain records of external legal costs on a total paid basis.
The Commission seeks to ensure value for money for external legal advice by using legal work rates in framework agreements that have been subject to public procurement requirements; Treasury Solicitor rates; counsel fees equivalent to government negotiated rates; or as negotiated on a specific case-by-case basis. Fixed or upper limit fees are used in addition to day or hourly rates.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by the Electoral Commission in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 were; to whom such payments were made; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought. [158716]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that a copy of its records for the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice in 2010, 2011 and 2012, to whom and for what reasons the legal advice was sought, has been placed, because of its length, in the House of Commons Library.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
External Bodies
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what powers the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has to reclaim monies owed to hon. Members by external bodies. [158954]
Mr Charles Walker [holding answer 10 June 2013]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 June 2013:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for information relating to IPSA's powers.
IPSA's powers are set out in the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 (as amended) and the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. IPSA does not have any powers to reclaim monies owed to MPs by third parties.
Telephone Inquiries
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reasons IPSA staff are not available to answer telephone calls from hon. Members and their staff before 1pm; and if he will make a statement. [158837]
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Mr Charles Walker [holding answer 10 June 2013]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 June 2013:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for information about our phone lines.
Before January 2011 our phone lines were open from 8am to 6pm. Many MPs had said to us that they felt that they had to wait too long when calling our information line. In the light of this feedback, we decided to switch to a different model, where our phone lines are open for a shorter period but they are staffed more intensively during that period.
The approach reflects both the feedback we have received from MPs but also our own data, which show that when the phone lines were open all day, more MPs and their staff chose to call us in the afternoon.
The change allowed us to improve the service we offer by being able to have more people focused on answering telephone calls. The average waiting time for a caller during December 2010 was over two minutes, but after we made the change to the opening hours from 10th January 2011, the average waiting time the following month was less than 20 seconds.
MPs and their staff who need to speak to us before 1pm should email us at:
info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk
with the subject line ‘Please call me’, a contact phone number and a brief explanation of the query. We will respond as soon as possible.
Wales
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department 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. [159913]
Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has no personnel seconded to an accountancy firm.
GCSE
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the potential effects on (a) university and college applications and (b) grade comparability between English and Welsh qualifications of the Government's planned reforms to GCSEs in England; [159785]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on future employer acceptance of GCSE qualifications gained in Wales following the Government's planned reforms to GCSEs in England; [159786]
(3) what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government to encourage them to adopt the Government's planned reforms to GCSEs in England. [159787]
Mr David Jones: Wales Office Ministers have regular discussions with Welsh Government Ministers on a variety of subjects which affect Wales, including the planned reform of GCSEs.
It is important that students in Wales are not disadvantaged by any decisions that are made about qualifications, and I want to ensure that we can work
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together with the Welsh Government in the future to bolster confidence in all the examinations that young people take.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether schools in Wales will be permitted to teach the new GCSEs following the implementation of the Government's planned reforms to GCSEs in England. [159788]
Mr David Jones: I am keen to ensure that students in Wales are not disadvantaged by any decisions that are made about qualifications, and as such the UK Government would like the new GCSE qualifications to be available to all schools in Wales. It is, however, a decision for the Welsh Government whether they are implemented in Welsh state schools.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the introduction of a grade comparator for the purposes of comparing GCSE grades between England and Wales following the implementation of the Government's planned reforms to GCSEs in England. [159789]
Mr David Jones: Matters relating to the standards of qualifications in England and Wales and the extent to which they are comparable are for the regulators. I understand that Ofqual has regular discussions with the Welsh regulator to consider matters such as these.
Scotland
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials in his Department 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. [159911]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have any personnel who have been seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.
Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff were suspended from his Department on full pay in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what costs were incurred as a result of such suspensions. [160423]
David Mundell: No staff were suspended from the Scotland Office in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 or (c) 2012-13, and consequently no costs were incurred.
Defence
Afghanistan
Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in reducing the UK's military base footprint in Afghanistan. [159655]
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Mr Philip Hammond: At the height of ISAF involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan UK forces operated 137 bases; today, that number is 13, with the remainder either closed or handed over to Afghan forces, and we expect this to reduce to four or five by the end of the year. This decreasing UK presence, in line with security transition, has meant that as of 30 April, we have already been able to redeploy 568 vehicles and major equipments and 949 twenty foot equivalent units of material from Afghanistan. We have also reduced the number of UK personnel from 9,500 at the peak in 2009 to the end of 2012, to 7,900 as of the end of May.
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to support the government of Afghanistan in mitigating, tracking, investigating and ensuring accountability for civilian casualties. [159701]
Mr Robathan: Protecting Afghan civilians is one of ISAF and the UK's top priorities. There are strict procedures, frequently updated in light of experience, intended to both minimise the risk of casualties occurring and to investigate any incidents that do happen.
As part of our train, advise and assist role in Afghanistan, we encourage the Afghan National Security Forces to operate within the bounds of International Humanitarian Law, including with respect to mitigating and ensuring accountability for civilian casualties.
ISAF
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to publish promptly International Security Assistance Force findings on civilian casualties. [159700]
Mr Robathan: ISAF publishes information on civilian casualties on its website:
http://www.isaf.nato.int/
As the Afghan National Security Forces have assumed responsibility for security across Afghanistan, it has also assumed responsibility for tracking and mitigating civilian casualties and the Afghan Government Media and Information Centre regularly publishes updates of civilian casualty investigations on its website:
http://www.gmic.gov.af/english/index.php
In addition, the United Nations has published its own report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan in February 2013. This report is available on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) website at:
http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid= 12254&ctl=Details&mid=15756&ItemID=36932& language=en-US
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials of 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 any such secondee. [159849]
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Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA does not have any personnel currently seconded to the big four accountancy firms.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Shropshire
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what written representations he has received from farmers in Shropshire calling for the introduction of a limited badger cull in that county. [159198]
Mr Heath [holding answer 11 June 2013]: It is not possible to identify farmers in Shropshire calling for the introduction of a limited badger cull in that county from all of the written representations we have received on this issue.
The two badger control pilots in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset will go ahead this year. We are aware of stakeholders in other areas of the country, including Shropshire, who would like a badger cull to be introduced in their county. Providing the pilots are successful, they will get the opportunity to do so from next year.
British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have visited a British Overseas Territory in an official capacity since May 2010; [156093]
(2) how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have visited a UK Overseas Territory since May 2010. [158366]
Richard Benyon: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Ministerial visits overseas since May 2010 can be found at the following webpage, which is updated quarterly in accordance with the civil service's commitment to transparency:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs/series/ministers-hospitality-gifts-meetings-overseas-travel
(b) There have been no visits to British Overseas Territories by the current Permanent Secretary, her predecessor and the Directors General now in post. Data regarding previous post holders are not held.
Dairy Farming
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the average income of a dairy farmer in England in each year since 2005. [160463]
Mr Heath: An estimate of farm business income for dairy farms in England is displayed in the following table:
| £ | ||
| At current prices | In real terms (2012-13 prices) | |
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| (1) Farm type classification changed from ‘standard gross margins’ (SGM) typology to standard outputs (SO) typology. (2) Provisional forecast made in January 2013. Source: Farm Business Survey | ||
For sole traders and partnerships, farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings. For corporate businesses it represents the financial return on the shareholders capital invested in the farm business. Single farm payment and other subsidies are included. The estimate represents specialist dairy farms, although some income shown above will come from non-dairy enterprises on the farm business. Incomes received by dairy farmers from sources external to the farm business are not included. Prior to 2008-09, directors' remuneration was not deducted in the calculation of farm business income.
Domestic Waste: Recycling
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of household waste was recycled in each year for which figures are available. [159058]
Richard Benyon: The proportion of household waste that has been collected or sent for recycling in England since 1996 is as follows:
| Percentage (rounded) | |
As waste is a devolved matter, data for Wales can be obtained from the Welsh Government.
Floods: Greater London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2013, Official Report, column 1285W, on floods: Greater London, what estimate he has made of the number of such properties in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011; and if he will make a statement. [159799]
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Richard Benyon: Estimates of the numbers of properties at risk of flooding from river or the sea in Greater London were made in February 2010 and October 2011.
The Environment Agency defines significant risk as a one in 75, or greater, chance of flooding in any year. The estimated number of properties at significant risk from river or the sea decreased from 37,561 in February 2010 to 28,584 in October 2011. The estimate in the total number of properties in Greater London at risk of flooding from river or the sea in the event of a flood with one in 1,000 probability of occurring in any one year increased from 505,165 to 521,129 between February 2010 and October 2011.
Care should be taken in comparing these figures. The increase in the total number of properties at risk is not the result of the deterioration of flood defences, which would only move properties from one level of risk to another. Changes are due to a combination of more accurate modelling, new data and new properties built in areas of risk between February 2010 and October 2011.
The estimated number of properties at risk from surface water flooding was 1.3 million in both years.
Food: Festivals and Special Occasions
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 792W on food: festivals and special occasions, which body provided the funding for such festivals in each year between 2010 and 2012. [159400]
Mr Heath: A total of 25 food festival projects have been supported by DEFRA during the last three years. The breakdown of bodies providing this funding for each year is as follows:
| 2010 | ||
| Body | Festival | Funding (£) |
| 2011 | ||
| Body | Festival | Funding (£) |
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| 2012 | ||
| Body | Festival | Funding (£) |
| Note: Some projects are funded over more than one year. | ||
Transport
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department 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. [159912]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not have any officials currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.
Aviation: Freight
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the expansion of air cargo in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [160337]
Mr Simon Burns: Since taking up his position, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has had a number of discussions about the air cargo industry, the most recent of which was with Sir Howard Davies with regard to his work at the Airports Commission. The independent commission will examine how best the UK can maintain its international connectivity, which is expected to include the needs of air cargo.
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We will continue to support the development of air freight, while striking the right balance between a thriving aviation industry and minimising impacts on the environment and local communities.
Electric Vehicles
Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on the introduction of public charging points for electric vehicles. [159768]
Norman Baker: Officials from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) are in regular contact with local authorities to offer advice and support on the installation of plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure. In particular, a workshop was held in November 2012, hosted jointly by OLEV and the Society of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Traders, which shared knowledge and experience gained from the Plugged-in Places programme on how to go about procuring and installing chargepoints. We will be publishing the key lessons learned from the PIP programme this summer and will hold further workshops with local authorities on specific topics relevant to them shortly after this publication.
In addition to this, since February this year local authorities in England have been able to apply for grant funding for plug-in vehicle chargepoints for three purposes: to install chargepoints on their own estate, to install rapid chargepoints, and to install on-street chargepoints on residential streets with no off-street parking. For each of these grant funds there is a guidance document on the website of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
If any local authorities would like to discuss plug-in vehicle chargepoints, they should contact OLEV directly at
olev.enquiries@olev.gsi.gov.uk
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the period of consultation on the draft Environmental Statement on High Speed 2. [160362]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government consider that eight weeks is a reasonable time frame for those affected by the scheme to respond to the consultation.
There has been extensive formal public consultation on HS2 since it was first announced in 2010. In addition, HS2 Ltd have been working very hard with local communities and businesses over the past year to make sure they have an understanding of the anticipated effects in their area. This means that consultees should be in good position to respond to this consultation within eight weeks.
Level Crossings
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to instruct Network Rail to reverse a decision to confirm the permanent closure of a level crossing; and if he will make a statement. [160312]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State has no powers to instruct Network Rail to reverse decisions to permanently close level crossings.
Level Crossings: Enfield
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the decision of Network Rail to permanently close the Lincoln Road level crossing in Enfield; and if he will make a statement. [160310]
Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has not received any representations regarding the closure of the Lincoln Road level crossing in Enfield.
The decision to close the level crossing permanently was taken by Network Rail, in its role as safety duty holder, following a risk assessment.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what monitoring his Department will undertake of the number of staff departures from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency during the re-grading process of staff in that body; [159725]
(2) when he intends the staff re-grading process at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to be complete; [159726]
(3) what progress his Department is making on the re-grading of Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff. [159729]
Stephen Hammond: The HM Coastguard Modernisation Programme does not re-grade existing coastguard jobs filled by incumbent coastguard officers. This programme will replace existing coastguard jobs with very different, higher quality and much more demanding roles.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) expects soon to finalise proposals for terms and conditions for these new jobs and to undertake negotiations with trade unions as part of the planned process to deliver the new HM Coastguard structure in line with the blueprint the Government published in November 2011.
Throughout this process the MCA will closely monitor and manage any consequential turnover in staffing.
Oil
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) his ministerial colleagues and (b) climate scientists on the potential implications of the exploitation of (i) tar sands and (ii) other unconventional fossil fuels which have potential to be used for transport for the UK's international commitment to keep global temperatures below a two degree centigrade rise; if he will make it his policy to support the classification of oil from tar sands as highly polluting under the European Commission Fuel Quality Directive; and if he will make a statement. [160041]
Norman Baker:
Department for Transport Ministers and officials have met with various interested parties,
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including climate scientists, industry representatives, environmental organisations and other Government Departments, to discuss the Fuel Quality Directive.
The Government takes the environmental implications of exploiting high carbon intensity crudes very seriously, and we regard the Fuel Quality Directive as a key tool in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The UK Government is seeking a solution that effectively addresses the carbon emissions from all highly polluting crudes. Given that the overwhelming supply of crudes to the EU come from conventional sources, it would be irresponsible environmentally to concentrate solely on unconventional fuels as some advocate.
Property
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) location and (b) value is of any property his Department owns in Scotland. [160286]
Norman Baker: Information about the property owned by the Department for Transport in Scotland is published on the data.gov.uk website:
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims
Information on the value of property is not centrally recorded and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Railways
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the rate of growth in the number of rail passengers travelling into major UK cities over the last (a) 10 and (b) 20 years. [160089]
Mr Simon Burns: No robust estimate of the rate of growth in the number of rail passengers travelling into major UK cities over the last (a) 10 and (b) 20 years is readily available.
Railways: Franchises
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a model invitation to tender ahead of issuing further such invitations for future rail franchise competitions. [160311]
Mr Simon Burns: There are currently no plans to place a model Invitation to Tender (ITT) in the Library. The Department is currently reviewing the ITT template in the light of recommendations made in the Brown Review.
This is an ongoing activity and will be addressed through each franchise competition. All ITTs will be made available on the DFT website and the Government's Website:
www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with Passenger Focus to discuss how to incorporate passenger satisfaction into future invitations to tender for rail franchises. [160313]
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Mr Simon Burns: This issue was discussed at ministerial meetings with Passenger Focus on 19 March and 17 April. The director of Rail Franchising attended and addressed a Passenger Focus seminar on 5 June on the subject of the passenger voice in rail franchising. Officials working within the rail franchising directorate have held regular meetings with Passenger Focus on passenger satisfaction in franchising competitions. Twelve such meetings have been held since March 2013.
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what form passenger satisfaction assessments will take in future evaluations of rail franchise bids. [160315]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department will set out its overall policy in its response to the Brown review of rail franchising which will be published this summer. The Department is currently developing the detailed evaluation criteria for the next franchise competitions, and these will be published as the franchise programme progresses.
Railways: Royal Mail
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) platforms, (b) trackside facilities and (c) rail buildings are owned by Royal Mail as part of the railway network. [159124]
Mr Simon Burns: The Royal Mail will hold the information requested. However, Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national network, advises that the Royal Mail has four rail terminals which are connected to the national network.
Railways: Sanitation
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with train operating companies in respect of the provision of adequate toilet facilities; [160219]
(2) what information his Department collects on the provision of toilet facilities or working toilet facilities by rail franchise; [160220]
(3) what sanctions are available to his Department against train operating companies who do not provide adequate toilet facilities; and what sanctions have been employed against train operating companies in the last five years; [160222]
(4) whether it is a requirement in franchise agreements for train operators to have working toilets on all of their services; [160224]
(5) whether there is a requirement in franchise agreements for train operators for a minimum level of working toilet provision on train services before a train enters service; [160225]
(6) whether there are different requirements for toilet provision in train franchises in respect of (a) commuter, (b) intercity and (c) regional services; [160226]
(7) which body is responsible for monitoring whether train operators provide adequate and working toilet facilities; and what methodology is used for any such monitoring. [160227]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Department for Transport does not place any specific requirements on train operators with regard to the provision of toilets on trains. The rolling stock operated by individual train operators is a detailed operational matter for them. They must decide what rolling stock is deployed on particular routes and services.
There are standards relating to the accessibility of toilets, but there are no legal requirements for toilet facilities to be provided on trains.
As the Department places no specific requirements upon train operators in regard to toilet facilities, there is no Department for Transport body therefore responsible for monitoring of those facilities, and the Department does not collect information on toilet facilities, or working toilet facilities, by franchise.
Although there are no contractual obligations or specific requirements to do so, such available facilities are however monitored through the National Passengers Survey (NPS) undertaken by Passenger Focus, or from a franchise's own Service Quality Management System (SQMS), if that is included in its Franchise Agreement and has questions relating to toilet facilities.
Department officials monitor the results of the NPS and SQMS with franchisees, with a view to driving up the quality of services provided to passengers.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department collects on concerns raised on the adequacy of toilet facilities provided by train operators. [160221]
Mr Simon Burns: We do not specifically collect such information but we do log and monitor all correspondence that is received by the Department, including correspondence regarding toilet facilities. Individual train operators also collect information about concerns raised in this regard which we could as a Department ask for on an individual operator basis.
Railways: Worcester
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on reducing journey times between (a) Worcester and London and (b) Worcester and Birmingham. [159828]
Mr Simon Burns: A number of representations seeking reductions in journey time have been received, notably on the Worcester to London route. The Government has provided £300 million funding to Network Rail for passenger journey improvements across the network for the period from 2014 to 2019.
Rescue Services
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many coastguard watches have been understaffed; and at which stations in the last 12 months. [159727]
Stephen Hammond:
Officials at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have been asked to compile the requested data. The process involves reconciling a number of different data sources to provide the detailed information requested in a helpful form. This will take approximately
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two weeks because the agency needs to gather detailed information from each individual Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centre and that is made more complicated by ongoing industrial action by the PCS Union until 8 October 2012 and then again from 10 June 2013. I will write to the hon. Member with the information and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.
Shipping: Crew
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age was of UK seafarer (a) ratings and (b) officers in (i) the most recent period for which figures are available and (ii) each year since 2000-01. [159687]
Stephen Hammond: In 2012 (i) the average age for (a) UK ratings was 41-years-old and the average age of (b) UK officers was 43-years-old. The 2012 statistics showed that the majority of UK officers were over 40 years (62%).
The table shows the average age of UK officers and ratings for 2009 to 2012. (ii) Data on the average age of UK seafarers are available only from 2009 onwards.
| Average age of UK officers and ratings (years) | ||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Source: DFT UK Seafarer Statistics publication. | ||||
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that statistics profiling the demographics of UK seafarers are published as part of his Department's annual publication of seafarer statistics for 2013. [159689]
Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport published statistics regarding UK seafarers for 2012 on 31 January 2013. The annual publication can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seafarer-statistics-2012
This statistical release provided estimates for the number of UK seafarers active at sea, including demographic analysis of age, gender and nationality. Detailed demographic data can be found in the tables at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sfr02-seafarers-by-age
The Department for Transport has committed to produce the annual publication of seafarer statistics for 2013 in early 2014. This publication will continue to include demographic analysis, dependent on the availability of appropriate quality data for the sector.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the UK Chamber of Shipping on the demographic profile of UK seafarers; and if he will make a statement. [159690]
Stephen Hammond: We have had no recent discussions with the Chamber of Shipping on this matter.
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Travel: Concessions
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount of funding provided by Government departments to fund the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme in each year since 2006. [160090]
Norman Baker: In 2006/07 and 2007/08, the statutory minimum concession in England provided free off-peak bus travel within the pass holder's local authority area. Funding at that time was provided exclusively through the Department for Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) Formula Grant. This block grant was unhypothecated so it is not possible to identify how much funding was allocated to a local authority for a particular service such as concessionary travel.
In 2008, the statutory minimum was extended to England-wide travel and the Department provided local authorities with a one-off payment of £31 million for the re-issue of concessionary travel passes with the new mandatory England design. The Department for Transport also provided a portion of funding through a Special Grant to local authorities until 31 March 2011 for the increase cost of the extension to the scheme. The Special Grant funding was:
£212 million in 2008/09;
£217 million in 2009/10; and
£223 million in 2010/11.
Since April 2011 all funding for the statutory England-wide travel concession has been provided through DCLG's Formula Grant. The overall amount of Formula Grant funding available for local government from 2011/12 was set out in the Spending Review.
UK Chamber of Shipping
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings with representatives of the UK Chamber of Shipping (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had since September 2012. [159688]
Stephen Hammond: Department for Transport (DFT) Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives of the UK Chamber of Shipping as part of the policy development and delivery process.
The DFT publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-and-special-adviser-meetings-data-for-department-for-transport
Home Department
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in 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 each such secondee. [160116]
James Brokenshire: According to our records, the Home Office currently has no officials seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.
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Arrest Warrants
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many UK citizens subject to a European Arrest Warrant have been held in prisons and subsequently found not guilty in other EU member states in each of the last three years; [160245]
(2) how many citizens of other EU member states have been held in UK prisons under the European Arrest Warrant and subsequently found not guilty in each of the last three years. [160247]
Mr Harper [holding answer 17 June 2013]: This information is not held centrally. The Serious Organised Agency (SOCA), and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for Scotland), are the designated central authority for processing European Arrest Warrants (EAWs). involving the UK. The involvement of these agencies in the extradition process ends at the point of surrender, as the person is then subject to the criminal justice system in the UK or relevant EU member state.
Asylum
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance management systems her Department has for monitoring the administration of asylum decision making. [159831]
Mr Harper: Asylum casework performance is published every year against 15 key performance indicators (KPIs)—see following link. These cover a wide variety of factors, including asylum decision making. Specifically:
Asylum intake
Work in Progress (WiP) cases
Intake
Asylum support costs
Productivity
Asylum unit cost
Initial decisions in 30 days
Cases concluded in six months
Cases concluded in 12 months
Cases concluded in 35 months
Cases removed in 12 months
Decision quality
Appeal representation rate
Appeal win rate
Asylum grant rate
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/further-key-data/
Overall, the published statistics show a system in good health, with the majority of KPIs either exceeding or matching the previous year's figures. In terms of decision making:
Initial decision quality rose from 88% in 2010-11 to 89% in 2011-12.
30 day initial decision rates decreased from 59% in 2010-11 to 47% in 2011-12. However, this was largely due to a focus on removals and longer-term conclusions (both 12 and 26 month conclusion rates rose considerably) and we are confident this trend will be reversed when the 2012-13 figures are published in August 2013.
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Going forward, the Asylum Casework Directorate is implementing several changes to simplify and standardise the asylum system—allowing for better, earlier identification of the claimant, including the most vulnerable, and enabling appropriate consideration by the correct team who specialise in their case type. This specialisation will then enable the development of country and subject expertise by decision-makers, and result in faster, higher- quality decisions.
Asylum: Finance
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the findings of her Department's review of asylum support rates. [160316]
Mr Harper: The Government published the findings of its review of asylum support rates in a written ministerial statement on 6 June 2013, Official Report, column 119WS.
There are no plans to publish a formal report.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many points of entry to the UK there are for foreign vehicles; how many such points of entry have automatic number plate recognition cameras; and what use is made of those cameras for registering foreign vehicles entering the country. [158197]
Mr Harper [holding answer 6 June 2013]:There are 50 points of entry at 29 ports in the UK for foreign vehicles, with another port/point due to open in July 2013. This excludes the land border with the Republic of Ireland. All official points of entry have the capability to deploy the technology to read number plates, including foreign plates, whether through fixed or mobile cameras.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is a tool to monitor inbound and outbound traffic which is already in use by law enforcement agencies at locations across the UK and at the juxtaposed controls in northern France.
These ANPR systems are used for purposes of national security and the prevention and detection of crime. Law enforcement agencies and the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency do not use port-based ANPR cameras for registering foreign vehicles entering the UK.
Crime Prevention
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police officers in England and Wales are trained in the use of the Dash risk assessment tool. [159737]
Mr Jeremy Browne [holding answer 17 June 2013]: The Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH) learning programme was released in December 2009. The programme was made available to all forces in England and Wales via the National Centre for Applied Learning Techniques Managed Learning Environment, to which over 250,000 police officers and staff have access.
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Dog Control Orders
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with local authorities regarding the repeal of dog control orders. [160473]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of individuals and organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these are published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-reports-of-ministers-meetings-with-outside-interest-groups
We have consulted extensively on our antisocial behaviour reforms, and local authorities have played a crucial role in shaping the Bill, including working with Home Office officials to develop the Public Spaces Protection Order which will replace dog control orders.
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly on the use of dog control notices. [160501]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with a wide range of partners including the devolved Administrations, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Electronic Surveillance
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of whether the logging of port address translation data relating to mobile telephone internet use and internet protocol address resolution is both technically and economically viable. [160058]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 17 June 2013]: Her Majesty's Gracious Speech on 8 May stated that:
'In relation to the problem of matching internet protocol addresses, my Government will bring forward proposals to enable the protection of the public and the investigation of crime in cyberspace.'
The Government are looking closely at this issue, and consulting communications service providers and technical experts in order to ensure that our proposed solution will be both technically and economically viable. We will bring forward proposals in due course.
Electronic Surveillance: USA
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she first became aware of the US Prism programme. [159574]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 June 2013]: It is a long-standing practice of successive Governments not to comment on matters of security and intelligence.
Entry Clearances
Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many current applicants for Home Office travel documents have been waiting (a) less than three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six
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to nine months,
(d)
nine to 12 months and
(e)
more than 12 months from the date of application for their document to be issued. [159315]
Mr Harper [holding answer 12 June 2013]:Since February 2012 all travel document applicants have been required to hold, or simultaneously apply, for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) to confirm their immigration status in the UK. Where an applicant already holds a BRP they need not apply for another. Such applications for BRPs may experience delays if they are rejected, for instance if required information is missing or the wrong fee paid. Rejected in this context means that the application is kept open and the applicant asked to provide the missing information and then reconsidered.
The current service standard for travel document applications is 98% in 70 days from the date the applicant confirms their status by enrolling their biometrics, or from the date of travel document application where the applicant does not need to enrol their biometrics because they already have a valid Biometric Residence Permit. The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Table 1: Travel document applications awaiting decision, as of 10 June 2013 | |
| Length of time decision pending | Number of applications |
| Notes: 1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to travel document applications raised (ie received) that are pending a decision and are being dealt with by specific travel document teams. 3. The age of cases is calculated based on the length of time between the application raised date and 10 June 2013, when the data was generated. | |
Procurement
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ensure that all major contractors to her Department abide by the corporate social responsibility standards. [159387]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office's Commercial Policies and Procedures manual outlines, for Home Office staff, mandatory guidance on building corporate social responsibility (CSR) into procurement procedures, to ensure resulting contracts are in line with Government procurement policy. In relation to sustainability, the Home Office has implemented a plan to deliver on the Greening Government Commitments (GGC), supplying quarterly information and contributing to an annual report on progress.
Additionally, the Department's service terms and conditions applying to all contracts for services reflect CSR requirements, and these are reviewed to reflect the latest thinking. The Home Office also invites its most significant suppliers to self-assess their environmental, social and economic policies and procedures. The Department then works with these suppliers to mitigate risk and realise opportunities.
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The Home Office has also implemented the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 via the issue of the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Information Note, ‘The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012—advice for commissioners and procurers’. The Act requires contracting authorities to consider the following at the pre-procurement stage:
how proposed procurement might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant area;
how conducting a procurement process might act with a view to securing that improvement; and
whether to undertake a consultation on these matters.
Public Spaces Protection Orders
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department plans to publish on the making of public spaces protection orders as outlined in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill. [160120]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We plan to produce guidance for frontline professionals on all aspects of our antisocial behaviour reforms, including the public spaces protection order. We are currently working with the police, local authorities and other interested bodies to ensure this will be comprehensive and effective.
UK Border Agency
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 12W, on the UK Border Agency, if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply from the interim director general, UK Visas and Immigration, to his letter of 28 March 2013, reference H1162268. [158310]
Mr Harper [holding answer 6 June 2013]: The Interim Director General of the UK Visas and Immigration wrote to the hon. Member on 6 June 2013.
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to customers who incurred additional personal expenditure as a direct result of maladministration by the UK Border Agency in each of the last three years. [159795]
Mr Harper [holding answer 17 June 2013]: The Home Office does not record payment data in a format which would allow the question to be answered without incurring disproportionate costs.
Attorney-General
AgustaWestland
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office is assisting overseas prosecutors in any investigations into corruption concerning AgustaWestland. [159752]
The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office regularly provides assistance to overseas prosecutors through the SFO's International Assistance Unit. It would not be appropriate for the SFO to comment on the detail of such matters.
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Alternatives to Prosecution
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecutions, in what circumstances the Crown Prosecution Service issues a final warning rather than a charge to an offender whose case is (a) rape-flagged and (b) domestic violence-flagged. [159814]
The Solicitor-General: Final warnings were replaced by youth cautions in April 2013. Final warnings were only authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for serious offences, such as rape, in exceptional circumstances.
Domestic violence-flagged offences include a range of incidents, such as sibling fights, theft or damage and a final warning would have been available for a common assault on a family member for a first or second offence.
When considering a final warning each case was considered on its own facts and merits and all circumstances of the case were taken into consideration, including the views of the victim as well as the age, background and any vulnerability of the defendant. A significant number of final warnings involved defendants who were under 16 years of age.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecutions, how many of those (a) cautioned, (b) reprimanded and (c) who received a final warning for (i) domestic violence-flagged and (ii) rape-flagged offences in the last three years have subsequently reoffended. [159815]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of prosecutions where a defendant had previously been cautioned, reprimanded or issued with a final warning. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution, how many previous warnings from the Crown Prosecution Service each of the recipients of final warnings for rape in 2012-13 had previously received. [159817]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of whether recipients of final warnings for rape had previously received a final warning. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise at disproportionate cost.
Decisions to prosecute or to recommend an out-of court disposal are made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. CPS prosecutors will take into account a number of factors including whether a suspect has previous criminal convictions and/or out-of-court disposals before making a charging decision.
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Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecutions, how many previous warnings from the Crown Prosecution Service each of the recipients of final warnings for domestic violence had received. [159818]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of whether recipients of final warnings for cases flagged as domestic violence had previously received a final warning. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise at disproportionate cost.
Decisions to prosecute or to recommend an out-of-court disposal are made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. CPS prosecutors will take into account a number of factors including whether a suspect has previous criminal convictions and/or out-of-court disposals before making a charging decision.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has recommended an out-of-court disposal for an offence under (a) section 44, (b) section 45 and (c) section 46 of the Serious Crime Act 2007; and how many such offences were of a terrorist nature in each of the last five years. [159761]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of offences under the Serious Crime Act 2007 where an out-of-court disposal was recommended. This information could only be obtained by examining files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution, how many of the out-of-court disposals issued from the Crown Prosecution Service were given to perpetrators who had previously received a caution for a similar offence. [159816]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of out-of-court disposals issued to perpetrators who had previously received a caution for a similar offence. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Child Abuse
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has taken no further action regarding allegations of child abuse involving multiple suspects referred to it by the police for a charging decision. [159813]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of suspects in cases of child abuse through a database monitoring flag identifying cases where a victim is under 18 years of age.
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The table shows, in each of the last five years, the number of child abuse flagged cases in which the CPS decided to take no further action, at the pre-charge decision stage. The CPS case management system is a defendant based system. No central record is kept of pre-charge decisions involving multiple suspects.
Child abuse includes physical, emotional and sexual criminal offences, as well as neglect, of a child. Such cases would normally include:
parental assault where reasonable chastisement is not a defence;
sexual offences;
child homicides;
child cruelty, including neglect;
child prostitution;
harassment;
abandonment of a child;
forced marriage involving an under 18-year-old;
child pornography;
trafficked children;
familial abduction; and
historical child abuse where victim is now an adult.
| No further action | NFA (percentage) | Total pre-charge decisions | |
Crown Prosecution Service
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of whether the new Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) policy on right of review will affect the right of victims to seek a judicial review of a decision by the CPS. [159756]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) policy on victims' right to review (VRR) will not affect the right of victims to seek a judicial review of a decision by the CPS. The VRR scheme provides the opportunity for victims to give effect to their right to seek a review of a CPS decision not to charge in accordance with the principles laid down in the case of Killick (R v. Christopher Killick [2011] EWCA Crim 1608).
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the projected annual cost is to the Crown Prosecution Service of bringing in the victims' right to review. [159758]
The Solicitor-General: The anticipated additional cost to the Crown Prosecution Service of the victims' right to review in 2013-14 is £660,000.
Fraud: Prosecutions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many corporate prosecutions the Serious Fraud Office undertook in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the five preceding years. [159754]
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The Solicitor-General: The information is as follows:
| Prosecutions started | Prosecutions completed | Total on going corporate prosecutions | |
If a company is to be prosecuted, it is usually necessary in SFO cases to demonstrate that the controlling minds of a company were knowing participants in the criminality being alleged. It is therefore far more common to prosecute individuals rather than corporates.
Legal Aid Scheme and Judicial Review
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what his response is to the open letter from Treasury Counsel on the Government's plans to reform legal aid and judicial review; [160192]
(2) whether he plans to discuss with the Secretary of State for Justice the open letter he received from
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Treasury Counsel on the Government's plans to reform legal aid and the right to seek judicial review. [160193]
The Attorney-General: I welcome participation by the Bar on the consultation on legal aid which was recently carried out by the Ministry of Justice. I am grateful to all who have taken time to write to me and provide me with the particular insights of those who carry out Government work though membership of the Panels.
I regularly discuss these policy areas with the Secretary of State for Justice and will continue to do so.
Offences against Children: Internet
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted cases of the downloading and viewing of indecent images of children in each of the last five years; and how many such prosecutions were successful. [159762]
The Solicitor-General: Offence based records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts.
The following table shows the number of charged offences relating to indecent images of children.
| Legislation and Section | Offence | 2008/-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
|
Publishing an advertisement likely to suggest that the advertiser distributes or shows indecent photographs of children. | ||||||
The offence-based records contain no indication of the final prosecution outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation.
It is not possible to identify finalised cases which contained an offence of making an indecent image of a child from central records. To identify these cases would require a manual exercise to review individual files and this would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has recommended out-of-court disposal for cases of the downloading and viewing of indecent images of children in each of the last five years. [159763]
The Solicitor-General: Offence based records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identity the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced. CPS records do not identity the number of defendants prosecuted for specific offences. Rather, they show the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts.
Offence-based data are not captured in respect of pre-charge decisions made by CPS prosecutors, including pre-charge decisions where an out-of-court disposal is advised. To obtain these data would require a manual exercise to review individual files and this would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has taken no further action on allegations of downloading and viewing indecent images of children that have been referred to it by the police for a charging decision in each of the last five years. [159764]
The Solicitor-General: Offence based records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced. CPS records do not identify the number of defendants prosecuted for specific offences. Rather, they show the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts.
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Offence-based data are not captured for pre-charge decisions made by CPS prosecutors, including pre-charge decisions where the CPS decides to take no further action. To identify cases where a pre-charge decision has been made on allegations of making indecent images of children would require a manual exercise to review individual files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the police have referred to the Crown Prosecution Service a charging decision of suspected cases of the downloading and viewing of indecent images of children in each of the last five years. [159765]
The Solicitor-General: Offence based records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify cases involving indecent images of children by the number of relevant offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts. Offence- based data are not held for pre-charge decisions made by CPS prosecutors. To identify cases referred to the CPS by the police which involve allegations of making indecent images of children would require a manual exercise to review individual files which would attract a disproportionate cost.