Arts: Curriculum
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on arts and creativity in the curriculum; and if she will make a statement. [162034]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), and Ministers hold regular meetings with Ministers from the Department for Education. I jointly Chair, with the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), a regular meeting on Cultural Education, and DCMS and DFE officials have met frequently in the last year to discuss cultural education. Both Departments are working closely together to ensure that we provide a high quality cultural education for every child.
Education
Class Sizes
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many five to seven-year-olds were in classes of more than 30 pupils in January (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; and if he will make a statement. [161857]
Mr Laws: Information on infant class sizes (typically covering pupils who become five to seven during the academic year) was published in table 6a of the publication “Schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2013”(1).
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. Additional children may be admitted in exceptional circumstances—for example, looked-after children or children of UK service personnel. Classes often fall back naturally to 30 over a year or two. We are spending £5 billion by 2015 on creating new school places, more than double the amount spent by the last government in an equivalent time frame. This will help reduce the pressure on infant classes.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 355W
We have also opened 81 free schools and approved some 200 more, providing 130,000 extra places in total once full.
(1) Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013
Curriculum
Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent meetings he has had with pupils groups to discuss changes to education; and what representations he has received from individual pupils regarding the proposed changes to the curriculum. [161982]
Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education visits schools regularly and takes every opportunity to speak with pupils about a range of issues related to education. Since May 2010 he has made 111 visits to schools, not including political or constituency visits.
On the proposed changes to the curriculum specifically, the Department has held two events aimed at gathering views on the new national curriculum with young people, working in partnership with youth organisations. In addition, a number of young people responded to the recent public consultation on the proposed changes, and these responses are currently being considered alongside those of other respondents.
Education
Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that pupils understand the reforms to the education system that are currently underway. [161983]
Elizabeth Truss: It is important that pupils understand the reforms this Government are undertaking to improve the education system. We know that children and young people are most likely to access information about their education from teachers and parents, with whom we communicate regularly.
When appropriate we directly engage young people on our reforms. For example we recently produced a children's version of the Children and Families Bill. We also specifically consulted with young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities on the SEN provisions of the Bill.
Educational Visits
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of paperwork teachers have to complete when taking pupils on educational visits. [161930]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department is committed to reducing unnecessary bureaucracy that can deter schools from taking pupils on valuable visits. We have simplified the Department's health and safety guidance, reducing it from 150 pages to eight pages. It sets out clearly what schools and local authorities must do in law, and encourages both to take a common sense approach to ensuring compliance.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 356W
The Department has produced a ‘one-off' parental consent form, which covers all activities outside the normal school day. The form will only need to be signed once, when a child enrols at the school. Schools will then only need to inform parents in advance of each activity and give them the opportunity to withdraw their child from the activity if they wish, rather than conducting bureaucratic form-filling exercises for every school trips. This will reduce bureaucracy for both parents and teachers.
Foster Care
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent consideration he has given to raising the age in which young people can choose to leave foster care from 18 to 21. [161953]
Mr Timpson: In October 2012, I wrote to all directors of children's services about the importance of supporting care leavers and I urged local authorities to ensure that care leavers are always living in safe, suitable accommodation. The Government's Staying Put policy encourages young people to remain with their former foster carers beyond the age of 18 and allows them to experience a transition from care to independence and adulthood based on need and not age alone.
The Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers Regulations and Guidance 2010 and the Fostering Regulations and Guidance 2011 (Children Act 1989) now require local authorities to have such a policy, and many already extend foster care placements beyond the child's 18th birthday.
The Department for Education has also worked alongside the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC to align and simplify tax rules for Staying Put arrangements to make implementing the policy even easier.
An amendment to the Children and Families Bill was proposed on extending ‘staying put' arrangements. In the debate on 11 June on this amendment, I explained that if no progress is being made in widening this provision I will consider if legislation is required in the future.
Free Schools: Admissions
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of the places created under the free schools programme in the current school year will be primary places; [161950]
(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of school places created under the free schools programme created in areas where there is need for new places by 2015; [161951]
(3) what proportion of primary school places created under the free schools programme to date have been created in areas with a shortage of primary places; [161955]
(4) what proportion of places in schools created under the free schools programme to date are primary school places; [161956]
(5) what proportion of places created by the new free schools announced in May 2013 will be primary places. [161990]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 357W
Mr Timpson: Around 130,000 additional pupil places will be created in total by free schools which are open and in the pipeline.
Approximately 50% of places in open free schools are primary places (this includes primary places in all-through schools). Approximately 89% of open primary free school places are in areas with a shortage of primary places. It is estimated that approximately 64% of places in open free schools are in areas where there is a need for new places by 2015.
Including all-through schools, 42 out of 78 mainstream free schools approved in May 2013 will cater for primary-aged pupils. 72% of all free school approvals and 91% of primary, approvals will go towards meeting basic need. 90% of mainstream free schools approved in May 2013 are in areas of basic need or deprivation. The Government do not have a target for the number of primary places to be provided by the free schools programme.
The Government are addressing the shortage of places left by the last Government through basic need funding. We are spending £5 billion on creating new places over the current spending review period, more than double the amount spent by the previous Government in an equivalent timeframe. By September 2013, we expect 190,000 additional places will have been created, with many more to come.
National Curriculum Tests
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether his Department plans to use the current Key Stage 2 (KS2) curriculum or the draft KS2 curriculum planned for introduction in 2014 to be used as the basis for KS2 assessment tests in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017 and (d) 2018; [161735]
(2) what the earliest date is at which the draft Key Stage 2 (KS2) curriculum planned for introduction in 2014 could be used as the basis for KS2 assessment tests; [161736]
(3) what the latest date is at which the current Key Stage 2 (KS2) curriculum could be used as the basis for KS2 assessment tests. [161737]
Elizabeth Truss: The new national curriculum will be introduced from September 2014. Key stage 2 statutory assessments under the new national curriculum will take place in summer 2016 and in subsequent years. This is the earliest that the Standards and Testing Agency can develop new national curriculum tests. Pupils will have been taught the new curriculum for two years before being assessed under it.
The existing national curriculum will continue to be the basis for statutory end of key stage 2 assessments in summer 2014 and summer 2015.
Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many journeys he has undertaken between his Department's premises and Parliament using the ministerial car pool in the last 12 months. [162015]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 358W
Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not hold a record of the number of journeys undertaken between the Department's premises and Parliament using the ministerial car pool.
Outdoor Education
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve teachers' awareness of the Learning Outside the Classroom badge scheme. [161972]
Elizabeth Truss: The Government do not promote individual schemes. Schools are free to choose how to deliver their curriculum, including the use of initiatives such as the Learning Outside the Classroom badge scheme.
Schools: Standards
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) failed and (b) underperforming (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools there were in each of the last 30 years. [161541]
Elizabeth Truss: We have interpreted ‘failed' schools to mean schools judged as ‘inadequate' by Ofsted. Data from 2005 onwards have been placed in the House Library; no comparable data are available for inspections undertaken before September 2005. To compile this information would incur disproportionate cost. There has been no consistent trend in the number or proportion of schools judged as ‘inadequate' between 2005/06 and 2011/12. Many factors can influence the spread of inspection grades, including modifications to successive frameworks, some of which raised expectations, and moving to more risk based inspection, with weaker schools inspected more frequently than other schools.
We have interpreted ‘underperforming' to mean those schools that failed to meet the national floor targets. The first school-level floor targets used to identify underperforming schools were introduced in 2002 for key stage 2 and key stage 4. Prior to this, targets were set at local education authority and national level. Data from 2000 onwards on the number of schools failing to meet each year's targets have been placed in the House Library. With rising attainment, the criteria for being “above the floor” has increased over the period. The number of schools below the floor has decreased both absolutely and relatively between 2000 and 2012. In 2012, at key stage 4 the toughest threshold to date was introduced, leading to an increase in the number of schools below the floor between 2011 and 2012.
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much funding his Department will make available to support the participation of children and young people in the 2014 reporting round to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child; [161927]
(2) with reference to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, what steps he plans to take to ensure that children and young people's opinions are represented in the Government's report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; [161961]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 359W
(3) with reference to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, what steps he plans to take to ensure that children and young people are represented in the 2014 reporting process of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [161967]
Mr Timpson: The Government are due to submit a report on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the United Kingdom to the United Nations in January 2014. Preparation of the report is under way and will continue over the coming months. I expect the report to include details of various consultations that have taken place with children and young people on a wide range of policy proposals and issues. Some were organised for us by the British Youth Council, to which the Department has allocated £666,000 for 2013-15 in support of youth voice. Other consultations were conducted by or on behalf of individual Government Departments. We do not have a record of their costs.
I would expect children and young people to be involved in the later stages of the reporting process to the UN. We will consider the practical and funding implications of this when we know the UN's timetable.
Vocational Guidance: Engineering
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the level of engagement of engineering firms with careers advice services. [161763]
Matthew Hancock: Schools have a duty to secure careers guidance for pupils in years 9-11, and are expected to work in partnership, as appropriate, with external careers providers and employers. From September this duty will be extended to years 8-13 and to colleges.
The Department ensures that the Government-funded National Careers Service provides information and advice on careers in engineering. This includes details of jobs, careers, the skills and qualifications needed and links to representative bodies. We are looking to expand engagement between employers and the National Careers Service to ensure that young people get information on academic and vocational routes into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers.
In addition, EngineeringUK, through initiatives such as the Big Bang Fair and Tomorrow's Engineers, are raising young people's awareness of the wide variety of engineering courses on offer and the benefits and rewards they can bring. The STEM Ambassadors programme, funded through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, also works to raise awareness among children of the range of careers that science and technical qualifications offer.
Deputy Prime Minister
Privy Council
Mr Sanders: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what dates the Privy Council will meet in July 2013. [162050]
The Deputy Prime Minister: The Privy Council is scheduled to meet on 10 July.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 360W
Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support his Department makes available for small businesses to take on apprentices. [161916]
Michael Fallon: In addition to wider efforts to create more apprenticeship opportunities, the Government have introduced the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE 16-24). This provides grants to support smaller employers taking on young apprentices aged 16-24. Grants of £1,500 per apprentice are available. The grant is available to employers with up to 1,000 employees who have not taken on an apprentice in the previous 12 months, and an employer can claim grants to support up to 10 new apprentices. The availability of this grant has been extended until 31 December 2013.
Flexible Working: Carers
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he (a) has and (b) plans to put in place to improve awareness of the right to request flexible working amongst (i) employers and (ii) employees with caring responsibilities for older or disabled relatives; and if he will make a statement. [161553]
Jo Swinson: This Department has been working with a number of external partners to highlight the benefits of flexible working to both employees and employers. An example of this is our involvement with the Department for Work and Pension's Private Sector Working Group on flexible working, chaired by Working Families, which has been raising awareness of the right to request flexible working. Their newly created strapline ‘Happy to talk Flexible Working' encourages employers to advertise vacancies that operate flexibly and also encourages prospective employee's to discuss their flexible working needs with the employer at interview.
This Department has also been working with Carers UK and Employers for Carers to highlight the benefits of flexible working to carers, and we welcome the work undertaken by groups such as the Agile Future Forum (a group of leading businesses), which highlights the opportunities and benefits that flexible working practices bring to employers.
This Department will continue to work with all the relevant representative bodies to ensure that the extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees is publicised when it comes into force in 2014.
Greenwich University
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Greenwich university was one of the 40 universities contacted by his Department in 2009 under the auspices of the Prevent strategy; and whether his Department received evidence that Greenwich university had conducted an assessment of the risk of radicalisation on its campus. [161586]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 361W
Mr Willetts: Greenwich university has, like most institutions, worked closely with their police Prevent engagement officer over recent years to look at the risks on their campus. The institution is now working with BIS's London Prevent co-ordinator.
We do not publish the list of 40 universities that were contacted in 2009. This information is exempt from publication.
Higher Education: Radicalism
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has allocated to universities in order to deliver the Prevent strategy; and which universities have received such funding. [161593]
Mr Willetts: There is no funding currently allocated directly to universities to deliver activities under the Prevent strategy. We do however fund 10 regional coordinators to support universities and colleges to engage with Prevent. In addition the National Union of Students receives funding to train staff and sabbatical officers in Prevent awareness and to produce guidance on external speakers and room bookings. Universities UK is publishing guidance for universities on speakers and has set up a website for the sector to share knowledge and collect resources together.
Manufacturing Industries: Sports
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department offers British-based sports manufacturers to export their products. [161507]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides trade advice and practical support to UK-based companies wishing to export their products. Advice is provided through a network of professional advisers within the UK and across more than 100 international markets. Support ranges from participation at selected trade fairs, inward and outward missions through to providing bespoke market intelligence.
Is a service for experienced exporters which offers a 12 month programme of strategic support tailored to each company's requirements.
The Export Marketing Research Scheme (EMRS):
Provides independent advice on carrying out marketing research; in addition companies may be eligible for a grant of up to 50% of the cost of conducting that market research.
The Export Communications Review (ECR):
Provides companies with impartial and objective advice on language and cultural issues.
The Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS):
Is a chargeable business tool allowing UK companies to use the services of UKTI's trade teams overseas for bespoke services.
UKTI's Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP):
Provides grant support for eligible SME firms to attend trade shows overseas.
UK companies can register on the UKTI website:
www.ukti.gov.uk
to access information and to receive details of specific business opportunities.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 362W
Sports manufacturers can apply for support for any of the above services in the same way as any other UK based company.
In the current year's TAP programme, UKTI is supporting organised groups of UK businesses at over 17 specialist and general sports trade shows.
Professional Organisations
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the self-regulation of professional bodies; and what assessment he has made of the efficacy of professional insurance schemes. [161629]
Jo Swinson: Government policy towards the self-regulation of professional bodies varies according to the nature of the professional body. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no assessment of the efficacy of professional insurance schemes.
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from those who represent victims of professional negligence on the effectiveness of professional insurance schemes. [161638]
Jo Swinson: Our records show that the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has received no such representations.
Students: Loans
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what work is currently (a) ongoing within his Department and (b) commissioned by his Department on modelling the effect of retrospective changes to the terms of student loans. [162275]
Mr Willetts: The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations set out the terms and conditions of income contingent student loans. As we have no intention to change retrospectively the terms that applied in previous years, no such modelling work is being undertaken or commissioned by this Department.
UK Research Partnership Investment Fund
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England has been awarded to institutions in (a) the North East and (b) the South and London to date. [162033]
Mr Willetts:
The UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (RPIF) is managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with funding allocated via competitive process. Higher education institutions across the UK are able to bid for funding, and all bids are assessed by an independent assessment panel against published criteria. Competition for funding has been strong, and HEFCE has to date provided £137.6 million to institutions based in the South and London. There have been no awards made so far to institutions from the North East. The commitment to
27 Jun 2013 : Column 363W
date from RPIF is £301.4 million, which has leveraged £855 million from business and charities, together delivering a total investment of £1.156 billion in R&D collaborations between universities, businesses and charities.
Justice
Legal Aid Scheme: Cumbria
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms currently deal with legal aid cases in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency, (b) South Lakeland and (c) Cumbria. [160519]
Jeremy Wright: The firms that hold contracts with the Legal Aid Agency may provide services from several offices. The table shows both the number of offices and firms in each area.
The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre 1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided information based on local authority area as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Barrow-in-Furness and the South Lakeland. We have provided information based on procurement area as a reasonable proxy for the county of Cumbria as this encompasses a similar geographical area.
| Area | Type of area | Number of offices | Number of firms |
Please note that the above information is correct as at 10 June 2013.
Legal Costs
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the percentage rate of change in the value of fees paid by the Legal Services Commission to counsel and higher court advocates was pursuant to the Graduated Fee Scheme for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [157991]
Jeremy Wright:
The proportion of total Advocates' Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) spend paid to Higher
27 Jun 2013 : Column 364W
Court Advocates (HCAs) has increased over the last 10 years. In 2003-04 HCAs accounted for 3% of total AGFS spend. In the last financial year (2012-13) HCAs accounted for 21% of total AGFS spend.
| Table 1: Proportion of AGFS spend delivered by barristers and HCAs since 2003-04 | ||
| Percentage spend | ||
| HCA | Barrister | |
Misuse of Drugs Ministerial Group
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times Ministers of his Department have attended the inter-ministerial group on drugs since May 2010. [161578]
Jeremy Wright: Ministers from this Department have attended the inter-ministerial group on drugs on eight occasions since May 2010.
Prisoners on Remand
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women were remanded in custody in each month of the last three years. [161449]
Jeremy Wright: The following tables show the number of male and female prisoners received into prison on remand in England and Wales each month in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The figures provided are a further breakdown of those published in Table 1.2 of the ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' available on the GOV.UK website.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Remand receptions into prison establishments(1) by type of remand and by sex 2010-12 | ||||||
| Untried receptions, by month 2010-12, England and Wales | ||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
27 Jun 2013 : Column 365W
27 Jun 2013 : Column 366W
| Convicted unsentenced receptions, 2010-12, England and Wales | ||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| (1) Excludes police cells. Note: Untried and convicted unsentenced receptions cannot be combined to give total remand receptions as some individuals are counted under both types of remand reception. | ||||||
Prisoners: Public Consultation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners responded to public consultations run by his Department in the last year. [161272]
Jeremy Wright: Central data are not available to confirm how many prisoners responded to public consultations run by the Ministry of Justice in the last year. This information could be obtained only by a manual check with individual policy holders, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Prisoners: Rehabilitation
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of prisoners in England and Wales awaiting placement on sex offender treatment programmes and the number of places available on such courses annually. [161334]
Jeremy Wright: We expect a total of 885 placements to be completed on sex offender treatment programmes in prisons in England and Wales in 2013-14.
The number of prisoners who have been assessed and are on a waiting list for places on these programmes is not centrally available. We are obtaining the information from each prison that runs sex offender treatment programmes and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
Prisoners: Speech and Language Disorders
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of prisoners who have speech and language difficulties; [161501]
(2) how many speech and language therapists currently work within (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutes. [161502]
Jeremy Wright: Central data are not available on the number of offenders in custody with speech and language difficulties or on the number of speech and language therapists currently working in prisons. The information could be collected only by a manual check of local records and this would incur disproportionate cost.
All newly received prisoners who wish to undertake education or training while in custody in England have a detailed assessment by the learning provider of their needs, and needs can also be identified through routine screening. This is a contractual obligation on the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS 4) service providers. In all public sector prisons, learning and skills in prisons is funded by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, provided by learning and skills providers, and co-commissioned between the Skills Funding Agency and NOMS. In Wales, learning and skills in prison is delivered by HMPS staff.
The assessment will identify any additional learning support needs, and the learning provider has access to a dedicated budget to deliver that additional support. Where other needs are identified (for example a learning disability which might require additional detailed assessment), the learning provider will refer appropriately. Examples might include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health support.
Additional support against assessed need will be delivered through personalised programmes, and through the use of specialist staff, adaptations and resources
27 Jun 2013 : Column 367W
where appropriate. This support is expected to last throughout the length of the programme and should be continuously reviewed.
Prison health services may identify prisoners with speech and language difficulties. Annually refreshed prison health needs assessments are commissioned locally for each prison by NHS England, working with Public Health England, may identify these needs at the population level. Routine health screens and health appointments will identify prisoners requiring support.
Health and education in Wales are devolved matters for the Welsh Government. Processes to identify and meet the health needs of prisoners in Wales are broadly similar to those described above and are in general the responsibility of local health boards and NHS Wales.
Tax Evasion
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been referred by the (a) Legal Services Commission and (b) Crown Prosecution Service to HM Revenue and Customs for consideration of prosecution for tax evasion in each of the last three years. [159004]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency (former Legal Services Commission) is not in a position to answer for the Crown Prosecution Service, which is a matter for the Attorney-General.
The Legal Aid Agency has not referred any cases to the HM Revenue and Customs for consideration of tax evasion in the years 2010-13.
The Agency is working together with HM Revenue and Customs to identify ways of sharing data between the two Departments, when fraud is suspected. This is a key element of the Agency's anti fraud strategy and
27 Jun 2013 : Column 368W
programme for 2013-15, and in line with the wider Government strategy on Fighting Fraud and Error through early prevention and detection. The Agency is part of the working group, led by the Cabinet Office, to identify solutions to data sharing barriers and improve joint working.
Verne Prison
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the future of HM Prison The Verne; and if he will make a statement. [161315]
Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service and the Home Office are working together to ensure that there is sufficient prison and detention capacity for foreign national prisoners and immigration detainees.
As part of that, the two organisations are looking at where such offenders are currently held and possible future arrangements. No decisions have been taken about HM Prison The Verne.
Youth Custody
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost was of a place in a (a) secure training centre, (b) local authority children's home and (c) young offender institution in each of the last three financial years. [161445]
Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the average cost of a place in a (a) Secure Training Centre, (b) Secure Children's Home and (c) under-18 Young Offender Institution in each of the last five financial years.
| Average sector bed prices | |||
| To the nearest £000 | |||
| Financial year | Secure Training Centres (STC) | Secure Children's homes (SCH) | Under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOI) |
| Note: All prices shown above are to the nearest thousand; they are based upon Youth Justice Board (YJB) budget allocations for 2012-13. They are prices which the YJB and MOJ pay for those services in young people's secure custodial facilities. They are not intended to represent the total price of providing custody and related services to young people as they exclude other costs associated with custody such as: Education costs in under-18 Young Offender Institutions Secure and custodial transport for young people Service development programmes such as workforce and regime development—e.g. new restraint system; VAT paid by the YJB (on applicable services). Source: Children and Young People's Estate Average Sector Prices (Youth Justice Board) | |||
Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times Atos has breached its contractual targets in its delivery of the work capability assessment to date. [162046]
Mr Hoban: The Department reviews Atos’s performance against the contractual performance targets on a monthly basis and this includes targets in respect of the work capability assessment. Where appropriate any failure has resulted in the Department taking appropriate action. Since the introduction of the work capability assessment the Department has applied performance remedies on 23 occasions.
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been made to Atos regarding the work capability assessment to date; and what the outcomes were of these complaints. [162047]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 369W
Mr Hoban: Since the introduction of work capability assessments in 2008, 14,941 complaints have been made to Atos Healthcare to date.
This represents all complaints relating to the overall service provided by Atos, including arrangements for an appointment, the conducting of the work capability assessment (WCA) and the information contained on a medical report completed by health care professionals.
The outcome or action taken following each complaint investigation is dependent upon the circumstances of each case.
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of his Department's contract with Atos to deliver the work capability assessment is. [162055]
Mr Hoban: The total cost of these services provided under the Medical Services contract amounts to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total number of assessments undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.
Jobcentre Plus
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department assessed the performance of jobcentres in 2012; and how it will assess them in 2013. [161851]
Mr Hoban: Off flow from benefits is used to measure the performance of jobcentres. This measure was used in 2012 and will be used in 2013.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking with the devolved Assemblies to reduce the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants. [161895]
Mr Hoban: Jobcentre Plus works closely with the devolved Administrations in Wales and Scotland to enable unemployed people to access the right support they need to get a job and stay in work. Our policies build effective local partnerships to ensure the right support is in place to meet the needs of employers and those looking for work. At a more strategic level there are regular meetings between DWP, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to work together to share best practice on helping jobseekers to find employment.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons jobseeker's allowance claims have been sanctioned in each month since January 2012. [161985]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on the number of jobseeker's allowance sanction referrals by month and reason for referral, up to 21 October 2012 (the last date of the old regulations), can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
27 Jun 2013 : Column 370W
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203439/tab-tool-guidance.pdf
The statistics on jobseeker's allowance sanctions applied from 22 October 2012 will be published in due course.
Jobseeker’s Allowance: Dunbartonshire
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants registered at (a) Clydebank Jobcentre Plus, (b) Dumbarton Jobcentre Plus and (c) Alexandria Jobcentre Plus have had their benefit sanctioned in each month since September 2012. [161943]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on the number of jobseeker's allowance sanctions and disallowance referrals, where the decision was found against the claimant, in each month from 1 April 2000 to 21 October 2012, by Jobcentre Plus office can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/number-of-jobseekers-allowance-sanctions-and-disallowances-where-a-decision-has-been-made-in-each-month-from-1-april-2000-to-21-october-2012
Statistics from 22 October 2012 will be published in due course.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against jobseeker's allowance sanctions have been successful in West Dunbartonshire constituency since September 2012. [161984]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on how many appeals against jobseeker's allowance sanctions have been successful in West Dunbartonshire constituency from 1 April 2000 to 21 October 2012 (the last date of the old regulations) can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203439/tab-tool-guidance.pdf
Statistics on jobseeker's allowance sanctions from 22 October 2012 are not yet available.
Low Pay
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families in work with children were earning less than the average national weekly income in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England in each year since 2010. [162053]
Esther McVey: Information for South Yorkshire and Barnsley Central constituency is not available as the sample size the Family Resources Survey is not sufficient to provide robust estimates for these areas.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 371W
The information requested for England is shown in the following table.
| Table 1: Number of families with children with incomes below average national weekly income(1) by economic status, Before Housing Costs, England | |||
| Number of families with children where at least one adult is in work with incomes below average national weekly income(1), Before Housing Costs, England | |||
| Million | |||
| Below average national weekly income | |||
| Number of families with children whose family type is: | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| (1) Average income is defined as the median equivalised net household income, where median income divides the population of families, when ranked by income, into two equal sized groups. Equivalisation is the process that makes adjustments to incomes, so that the standard of living of households with different compositions can be compared. Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Families with children are defined as a single adult or a couple living together with dependent children. 3. The number of working families with children who have a household income of less than the national weekly median is calculated on the basis of household income for all families in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the median income divides the population of all families, when ranked by income, into two equal sized groups. 4. The statistics published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) publication are based on the number of people below various thresholds of median household income for all individuals, and are therefore produced on a different basis to the figures provided in the table. 5. Figures have been presented on an Before Housing Cost basis. Housing costs consist of (rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, buildings insurance payments and ground rent and service charges). 6. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 7. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 8. Numbers of families with children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. Source: FRS | |||
Further information can be found in the Household Below Average Income series published at
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai
Work is the best route out of poverty, children in workless households are around three times more likely to be in poverty than those in working families.
New statistics (Households Below Average Income) show that the number of children in workless poor families has reduced by 100,000 children over the past year (a two percentage point reduction). The proportion of children in poverty who are in working families has risen, this is because the proportion of children in workless households has fallen as more families have moved into work.
The evidence consistently shows that the best routes out of poverty are through parents being in work and through a child's educational achievement which can stop a poor child becoming a poor adult. Income matters but it is also about addressing barriers to employment and ensuring that every family has the skills and opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
We are introducing the universal credit which will reduce child poverty through making work pay and providing an effective route out of poverty. Universal credit will improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent
27 Jun 2013 : Column 372W
reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings. Universal credit will also reduce child poverty by re-focusing of entitlements on lower income in-work households and having a simpler system that should lead to a considerable increase in the take-up compared to the current complex system of benefits and tax credits.
We want to develop better measures of child poverty which include, but go beyond income to provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty. Our consultation on how best to measure child poverty closed on 15 February. The complexity of the issue means that we need to take time to ensure we have the best option for measuring child poverty, so that we can ensure we properly tackle the causes. We will publish our response as soon as we can.
New Businesses
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new businesses he expects to have been created as a result of the new enterprise allowance scheme by the end of 2013. [161937]
Mr Hoban: We have made a commitment to support the creation of up to 40,000 new businesses by the end of 2013. Nearly 1,000 new businesses are being established every month because of the New Enterprise Allowance, a trend which suggests around 20,000 have been set up in total.
New Enterprise Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to provide support for unemployed people seeking self-employment after referrals to the current new enterprise allowance scheme ends in September; and if he will make a statement. [161939]
Mr Hoban: We are currently developing the policy for self-employment provision after September. More information on this will be available in due course.
Occupational Pensions
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on communicating to the public the introduction of the Government's workplace pension scheme. [161599]
Steve Webb: To date, we have spent £7,840,308.24 on communications to individuals, and £1,479,380.25 on communications to employers.
Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension is a major Government reform programme. It is a legal requirement and will see 1.3 million employers enrolling up to 10 million eligible workers into a pension scheme.
Our communications campaign aims to raise awareness and understanding of workplace pensions, and ultimately encourage more people to stay enrolled. The campaign is supported by a programme of low cost/no cost activities.
Since the launch of the campaign in September 2012, our tracking shows that the campaign has reached over 87% of all adults who watch commercial TV, and the
27 Jun 2013 : Column 373W
radio advert has reached 67% of the population, who heard it 10 times on average during the launch burst in September/October 2012.
Following the initial burst of campaign activity, awareness of the change in the law had risen to 71% of working age adults, up from 33% prior to the start of the campaign.
Social Security Benefits
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on communicating to the public (a) changes to entitlements made by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and (b) assistance available to those affected by such changes. [161598]
Mr Hoban: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
The Department has also made a wide range of welfare reform information available online at GOV.UK via a series of toolkits. The toolkits have been promoted extensively to stakeholders, many of whom are actively using the content to communicate the changes to people who may be affected.
| Welfare reform publicity costs | |
| Activity | Cost (£000) |
Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many out of work households who are not otherwise exempt from the benefit cap, will still receive benefits in excess of the cap after its introduction. [161721]
Mr Hoban: We estimate that around 4,000 out of work households who would not otherwise be exempt from the benefit cap, will still receive benefits in excess of the cap after its introduction. This is due to the cap initially operating through housing benefit. Until claimants are migrated to universal credit, it remains possible for combinations of other out of work benefits to exceed this level.
This figure is consistent with the ad hoc statistics release of the number of households we estimate to be affected by the benefit cap published in April 2013, which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/196895/Ben_Cap_Updated_Estimate.pdf.pdf
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people have been affected by the benefit cap since its introduction in April 2013; [161823]
(2) what the average loss in income per person has been for people affected by the benefit cap since its introduction in April 2013. [161868]
Mr Hoban: Statistics outlining the number of households affected by the benefit cap will be published shortly. This analysis will be published here:
27 Jun 2013 : Column 374W
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/benefit-cap-statistics
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households likely to be subject to the benefit cap after July 2013. [161824]
Mr Hoban: National implementation of the benefit cap commences 15 July and by the end of September 2013 all appropriate households will have been capped. We estimate around 40,000 households may be subject to the benefit cap in 2013-14. This estimate is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/196895/Ben_Cap_Updated_Estimate.pdf
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there are circumstances under which an out of work household that is not otherwise exempt from the benefit cap would still receive benefits in excess of the cap after its introduction. [161847]
Mr Hoban: The majority of households who currently receive benefits in excess of the cap level will be in receipt of housing benefit and they will have the cap applied in line with the Department's announced timetable for its phased roll-out. We are aware that there may be a small number of households whose income from benefits other than housing benefit exceeds the level of the cap and these will continue to receive benefits over the cap level until their claims migrate to universal credit.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the letter to him of 9 May 2013 from the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority on Department for Work and Pensions statistics, enclosing a letter of the same date to the Trades Union Congress, if he will review the answer of 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 353W, on social security benefits in the light of the contents of both letters. [162018]
Mr Hoban: The Department formally responded to the letter in question on 14 May 2013 and is making every effort to meet the requirements as set out by the UK Statistics Authority:
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports---correspondence/correspondence/robert-devereux-to-andrew-dilnot-140513.pdf
The response dated 16 May 2013 contained accurate information as published by the Department with the required caveats noted. The plan for releasing number of capped cases has also now been published and is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/benefit-cap-statistics
Social Security Benefits: Greater London
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering the benefit cap in the London boroughs of (a) Haringey, (b) Enfield, (c) Croydon and (d) Bromley since April 2013. [161814]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 375W
Mr Hoban: The following table illustrates the administrative funding provided to the four local authorities for phased roll-out and national implementation.
| £ | |||
| 2013-14 | |||
| Project management and set-up costs | New burdens funding | Total | |
The project management and set-up costs were provided to enable the management of phased roll-out and the compilation and analysis of lessons learned.
Unemployment: West Midlands
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures other than the Work programme are in place to tackle unemployment in Birmingham and the West Midlands. [162060]
Mr Hoban: Jobcentre Plus personal advisers offer a comprehensive menu of help including support with jobs search, work experience, skills provision, volunteering, and help to set up their own businesses.
The Youth Contract provides wage incentives for employers who want to recruit an unemployed young person, from Jobcentre Plus or the Work programme, and financial incentives to take on young apprentices.
Where Jobcentre Plus advisers feel that a person would benefit from a short period of activity, they can refer them to a Mandatory Work Activity placement that lasts for four weeks focused on delivering benefit to the local community.
In-work support for 18 to 24-year-olds is offered in Birmingham. This is designed to support those starting work who may have difficulties holding down a position for the first 26 weeks. Support includes a dedicated Aftercare Adviser, access to an In-Work Mentoring Service and Money Management and Debt Counselling.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on the roll-out of universal credit of the announcement by HM Revenue and Customs that small businesses will be permitted to submit PAYE information monthly rather than in real time from October 2013; and if he will make a statement. [161938]
Mr Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my answer of 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1030W.
The universal credit system will assess the payment to be made to a claimant monthly. Earnings used to calculate the universal credit payment will be determined from Real Time Information (RTI) data received in the assessment period and any earnings reported by the claimant.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 376W
In March, HMRC announced a temporary relaxation, until 5 October 2013, of requirements for reporting PAYE data for small firms employing fewer than 50 people. This recognises that those smaller employers who pay employees weekly, or more frequently, but only process their payroll monthly, may need longer to adjust their process to reporting PAYE in real-time.
This relaxation runs for a period of six months, broadly coinciding with the UC Pathfinder, during which we expect the number of employers of UC claimants to be relatively small. We will be utilising RTI data for claimants where this is possible. Where RTI is not available we will have alternative clerical processes to ensure their awards are based on accurate and up-to-date earnings information. Based on our knowledge of employers recruiting in the Pathfinder area, we would not expect the relaxation to have a significant effect. We will, however, be monitoring this closely during the Pathfinder.
HMRC have now announced that the concession will run until the beginning of April 2014 when it will be withdrawn. However, it is not expected that it will have a significant effect on the first months of live UC running.
Universal Credit: Ashton-Under-Lyne
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed universal credit at Ashton-under-Lyne jobcentre since 29 April 2013. [161707]
Mr Hoban: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I provided the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne) on 6 June 2013, Official Report, column 1253W.
The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish Official Statistics on pathfinder areas in autumn 2013.
We expect around 7,000 claims to be processed in pathfinders.
Work Capability Assessment: Appeals
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the decision of the Upper Tier Tribunal in ST v SSWP (2012) UKUT 469 (AAC)-(CE/829/2012), what steps he has taken to ensure that all submissions to tribunals concerning appeals against decisions made following application of the work capability assessment contain all the relevant evidence. [161897]
Mr Hoban: Guidance is available to all DWP employment and support allowance appeal writers telling them to provide relevant evidence to tribunals for appeals against decisions made following a work capability assessment. The relevant guidance can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch06.pdf
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ch04.pdf
27 Jun 2013 : Column 377W
Work Programme: Clwyd
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people in Vale of Clwyd constituency returned to work under the Work programme in each month of that scheme's operation. [161970]
Mr Hoban: The information requested is not available.
Statistics on how many people gained a job outcome under the Work programme in each month from 1 June 2011 to 31 July 2012 can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool#benefit-caseloads
Statistics covering Work programme referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2013 are being published on 27 June 2013.
International Development
Developing Countries: Roads
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has made any estimate of the number of people who (a) are killed and (b) suffer an incapacitating disability as a result of road accidents in developing countries. [161506]
Lynne Featherstone: The World Health Organisation has recently prepared a Global Status Report on Road Safety. That report shows that road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29. 1.24 million people were killed on the roads in 2010. For every road traffic fatality, at least 20 people sustain non-fatal injuries. These deaths and injuries occur predominantly in poor countries and a high proportion of deaths (Africa 38%) are pedestrians. The cost of dealing with the consequences of these road traffic crashes runs to billions of dollars.
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department provides support to any programmes to improve road safety in developing countries. [161512]
Lynne Featherstone: The UK is providing £1.5 million over three years to the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), managed by the World Bank. DFID’s support will contribute to the achievement of the UN Decade of Action goal of reducing road casualties by 50% by 2020. As part of the African Community Access Programme (AFCAP), DFID has also commissioned road safety research. One example is a project with the NGO AMEND which works with schoolchildren and motorbike taxis on road safety in Tanzania. There is also support to road safety in some DFID country programmes. For example in Democratic Republic of Congo, the “Pro-Routes” project to rehabilitate sections of the national highway includes road safety considerations at the engineering design stage.
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has made any assessment of the effect on development of poor road safety. [161513]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 378W
Lynne Featherstone: DFID draws on global research. In December 2012 The Lancet published the “Global Burden of Disease study”. It found that road traffic crashes accounted for nearly a third of the world injury burden. Economically disadvantaged families are hardest hit by both direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as lost wages, that result from road traffic injuries. At the national level, road traffic injuries result in considerable financial costs, particularly to developing economies. Indeed, road traffic injuries are estimated to cost low- and middle-income countries between 1% and 2% of their gross national product, estimated at over US$100 billion a year.
Palestinians
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what processes are in place to ensure that UK aid to the Palestinian Authority is not used to pay salaries to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons convicted of terror offences. [161708]
Mr Duncan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 21 March 2013, Official Report, columns 766-67W.
Sierra Leone
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of child poverty in Kailahun province, Sierra Leone. [161509]
Lynne Featherstone: The most recent assessment of child poverty in Kailahun is contained in the results of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey undertaken by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published in December 2011. In common with other rural districts in Sierra Leone, this shows that children in Kailahun suffer severe levels of poverty and deprivation. Although child survival rates in Kailahun are a little above the overall rate for the country, the district scores second worst against UNICEF's Early Child Development index (which shows the percentage of children developmentally on track with respect to literacy-numeracy, physical wellbeing, social-emotional development, and learning).
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to engage with Central Asian states on transition in Afghanistan. [161330]
Alistair Burt:
We have taken active steps to engage with Central Asian states on transition in Afghanistan to help secure long-term stability and security for the region. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi discussed Afghanistan during her recent visits to Kazakhstan in April 2013, and to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in June 2013. She also represented the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) at the Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process in Almaty, Kazakhstan in April 2013. This conference discussed regional stability and security, with a focus on
27 Jun 2013 : Column 379W
Afghanistan. My noble and right hon. Friend met with her Central Asian counterparts in the margins of this conference to discuss Afghanistan. Our Central Asian embassies actively engage their hosts on transition in Afghanistan, reaffirming the UK's long-term commitment beyond 2014. In addition, we are working with Central Asian Governments on a number of initiatives funded by the tri-departmental Conflict Pool to help them deal with security challenges and we continue to monitor progress.
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the decision of President Karzai to boycott the peace talks in Qatar. [161340]
Alistair Burt: The opening of a Taliban Political Office in Doha for talks with Afghans and the US is a welcome step forward in the Afghan-led peace process. The Taliban have said that they will use the office in Doha to pursue a peaceful, political solution and to meet other Afghans. We hope and expect that meetings with members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council will take place soon.
Arms Trade
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a coherent approach is being taken towards the international sale of arms; and if he will make a statement. [161408]
Alistair Burt: The UK is a co-author and strong supporter of the Arms Trade Treaty that was adopted by an overwhelming majority at the UN General Assembly on 2 April. I signed the treaty for the UK on 3 June, and will shortly table the text in both Houses to initiate our ratification process. The Treaty will save lives, reduce human suffering, and bring consistency to the global trade in conventional arms. It will not stigmatise the legitimate trade in arms. Instead it will protect it, establishing global commitments on national arms export controls and a baseline for robust controls that ensure countries can defend their citizens without undermining human development.
British Overseas Territories
Sir Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that overseas territories sign the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters; and when he expects them to sign this Convention. [161963]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 18 June 2013, Official Report, column 636W.
Iran
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sanctions against Iranian oil and gas companies. [161319]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 380W
Alistair Burt: The EU has taken significant steps to prevent from Iran using its energy revenues to fund its nuclear programme. This includes a ban on the import of Iranian oil and gas, and designation of Iran's key energy companies and their subsidiaries, as well as energy ministries. As a result of EU and other international sanctions, Iranian oil revenues have been cut by more than half from 2011 levels, and access to those revenues is highly constrained. Sanctions have played an important part in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the president-elect of Iran on future relations and the possibility of mutual re-opening of full diplomatic facilities; and if he will make a statement on relations with that country. [161702]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has not had any discussions with President-elect Rouhani.
On the question of UK-Iran relations, and the possibility of re-opening embassies, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Secretary of State gave to the House on 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 626.
Saudi Arabia
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the execution of seven prisoners for armed robbery in that country on 13 March 2013. [161393]
Alistair Burt: I expressed my concern about this case in a public statement I made on 13 March. It can be found on the Government's website at:
http://www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-concerned-at-executions-in-saudi-arabia
Officials have since raised the death penalty with the Saudi Arabian Government.
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on that country's human rights record. [161394]
Alistair Burt: In April, the Deputy Head of Mission at our embassy in Riyadh met the Deputy-Chairman of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. They discussed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Annual Human Rights Report 2012, and some of the concerns highlighted within it. The head of the FCO's Human Rights and Democracy Department visited Saudi Arabia in May. She met His Highness Dr Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Saud al-Kebir, Minister responsible for human rights at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Majlis Ash-Shura's Human Rights Committee, authorised Saudi human rights NGOs, and human rights activists. We hope the Shura's Human Rights Committee will be able to visit Parliament to discuss the work of the Joint Committee on Human Rights in due course.
27 Jun 2013 : Column 381W
USA
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the intelligence agencies informed the Intelligence and Security Committee about Prism; and if he will make a statement. [162014]
27 Jun 2013 : Column 382W
Alistair Burt: I refer to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) to the House on 10 June 2013, Official Report, columns 31-34.