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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Culture, Media and Sport

Arts

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1116W, on Arts, on which projects relating to the creative industries and the arts the eight full-time members of her Department's staff working in this area are deployed; and how many staff hours are allocated to each such project. [156153]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 20 May 2013]: The Department operates a flexible resourcing approach which enables us to maximise our resources and respond to existing and emerging strategic priorities. The number of staff hours spent on a particular project is not recorded, as departmental performance is judged by our meeting the commitments and milestones set out in the DCMS Business Plan.

Broadband

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been allocated for the delivery of the named super connected cities, announced in November 2012 by city; how much has been spent to date by city; and what the expected future spend is by year and by city. [163623]

Mr Vaizey: DCMS Ministers approved revised plans for the 22 super connected cities at the end of June, with outline allocations across the cities amounting up to the full programme budget of £150 million. All the projects we have approved in principle are subject to further detailed assessments, with work under way to establish confirmed grant agreements by the autumn.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in (a) her Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses in each of the last five years; what the total cost was of such claims; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year. [155404]

Hugh Robertson: The table sets out how much the Department for Culture, Media and Sport officials have claimed for travel and subsistence expenses in the last five years, the number of individual officials who claimed T & S in those years and the total value of the 20 highest claims in each year.

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Women and Equalities

Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by the Government Equalities Office in each of the last three financial years. [154233]

Mrs Grant: The information requested has been provided in the following table:

Civil Partnerships

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities (1) what progress she has made on her review of extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples; and when she plans to publish the conclusions of that review; [164319]

(2) if she will publish the terms of reference of the review into extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples. [164320]

Mrs Grant: The terms of reference and timetable for the review of civil partnerships were published on 13 June and have been placed in the House Libraries and on the Department's website. We are currently conducting policy analysis and gathering evidence to inform a document for full public consultation in the autumn. We anticipate that the review will conclude and the report be published by winter 2014.

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what consultation has been carried out by her Department with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland on the provisions of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill as far as they relate to Northern Ireland; what representations she has received from the Commission on this matter; and if she will make a statement. [163606]

Mrs Grant: Marriage law is a transferred matter for Northern Ireland. We have not received any direct representations from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. However, I understand that the Commission made two representations to the Department of Finance and Personnel in respect of the recent legislative consent motion arising from schedule 2 to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many apprentices are employed by his Department; and how many of those apprentices are aged (a) under 19, (b) 19 to 25, (c) 26 to 30, (d) 31 to 59 and (e) over 60. [162864]

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA employ 25 permanent members of staff who are currently studying for internal apprenticeship qualifications. They are aged between 26 and 59 years old. A further breakdown by age group cannot be given as it would potentially allow individuals to be identified.

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque. [162632]

Richard Benyon: The average cost to core DEFRA of processing the payment of an invoice is £6.80. These figures are based on April and May 2013.

Of the payments made in April and May 2013, 99% were paid electronically and 1% were paid by cheque.

Similar questions were asked in the previous two years. The basis for answering the question has been changed this year to make it more comprehensive and transparent. The previous answers have therefore been restated in the following table to enable an accurate comparison to be made between years.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Milk

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents have been reported to his Department of milk infected by tuberculosis (TB) since May 2010; and for what reasons his Department bans the sale of milk known to be infected by TB. [163633]

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Mr Heath: We are unaware of any incidents being reported of milk being infected by TB. The TB status of herds is assessed by live animal testing and I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has responsibility for food safety and hygiene matters, that the EU Food Hygiene Regulations state that milk from individual animals showing positive reaction to the TB test must not be used for human consumption. This restriction contributes to a series of controls which aim to minimise the food safety risk. In rare undetected TB cases, organisms of the bacterium that causes TB can be excreted in milk but are killed by pasteurisation.

Common Agricultural Policy

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the UK's allocation from the EU CAP budget (a) will be in each of the next five years and (b) was in each of the last five years; [163776]

(2) what arguments he used to justify an increase in the UK's share of the EU CAP Budget. [163777]

Mr Heath [holding answer 8 July 2013]: Table 1 shows the UK's CAP allocation and share of the EU CAP budget over the 2010-13 EU financial years (the last four years of the current financial perspective). Data to calculate comparable numbers prior to the 2010 financial year have not been published by the EU Commission.

Data on the UK's allocation and share of the CAP budget over 2014-18 financial years (the first five years of the new Multiannual Financial Framework) are shown in table 2. The allocation of the CAP budget between member states has not yet been finalised for this period, so figures for 2014-18 are indicative at this time.

The UK's share of the CAP budget decreased over 2010-13, as did that of other EU15 member states, as a result of the progressive introduction of CAP payments in new member states. The UK's share is projected to be stable over 2014-18: it would show a slight increase, but for the introduction of payments in Croatia, and the continued phasing in of payments in Bulgaria and Romania.

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Farms: Crime

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) the prevalence of crimes on farms and (b) the effects of such crime on farms and farmers. [163262]

Richard Benyon [holding answer 4 July 2013]: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), does not have any current plans to meet with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), to discuss this matter.

Rural crime is primarily a matter for local police forces. Police and Crime Commissioners have been elected to focus police resources on the issues that matter most to the public.

Schemes such as Farm Watch, Countryside Watch, and Horse Watch show how police working with their communities can help to deal with rural crime.

There are many good examples of local police working well with local farming and landowning interests to focus resources on crime prevention and detection.

Food: Labelling

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress he has made on implementing the Coalition Agreement commitment to introduce honesty in food labelling so that consumers can be confident about where their food comes from and its environmental effect. [163180]

Mr Heath: Honesty and transparency in food labelling is a priority for this Government. We have supported the food industry principles on country of origin information so that consumers are not confused as to the true origin of food. Origin labelling for fresh and frozen meat is also a requirement in the Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) 1169/2011.

Furthermore, we have pressed the European Commission to deliver its report into the origin labelling of meat products earlier than planned so that we can make decisions based on a full analysis of the real costs and benefits that will be passed on to consumers.

A major environmental impact of food is that too much of it is wasted. To address this, we clarified date labelling guidance in 2011 to make date labels clearer so that the people can more readily understand and be confident about how long food is safe to eat. Retailers are also issuing clearer advice about how to store food.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which aspects of the European Parliament's ENVI Committee vote on the F-Gas Regulation held on 19 June 2013 he (a) supports, (b) remains neutral on and (c) opposes; and if he will make a statement. [162484]

Richard Benyon [holding answer 1 July 2013]: The outcome of the European Parliament's ENVI Committee vote on the F-Gas regulation will be considered in the context of ongoing discussions in European Environment

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Council Working Party meetings on the European Commission's proposal for the further regulation of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). There is some way to go in these discussions to determine the final shape of a possible new regulation and we are yet to determine the detail of how a number of key elements of the proposal are intended to operate together. Therefore it is not possible at this stage to be precise about the potential merit of each of the ENVI Committee proposals for amendment of the Commission's proposal.

In broad terms, the Government support further action on F-gases, in particular hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), to combat rising global emissions. In principle, we support a phase down in availability of HFCs as one potential measure. However, many aspects of how such a phase down could operate are still under debate and the rate at which such a phase down could be achieved depends on a number of other complementary measures in the Commission's proposal.

In particular there are a range of proposals for restricting the use of F-gases in specified circumstances which are still under discussion. We believe that such restrictions must be considered carefully on a case-by-case basis. This must take into account the availability and technical feasibility of alternatives to F-gases or the equipment in which they are used, as well as the financial and environmental costs and benefits of replacing them across the range of applications concerned.

Any new regulation should not create unnecessary administrative burdens or place unnecessary burdens on UK business, but should facilitate the move from the use of high global warming potential F-gases to more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Internal Drainage Boards: Arun

Mr Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members of the Internal Drainage Board of Arun District Council are. [162826]

Richard Benyon: There is no Internal Drainage Board for the Arun District.

There are two internal drainage districts overlapping the Arun District, which are managed by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency engages closely with local authorities and landowners in carrying out this work. Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, which include representation from local authorities, are able to make recommendations to the Environment Agency Board which oversees the internal drainage districts.

Legal Costs

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on external lawyers' fees in the last year for which figures are available. [162515]

Richard Benyon: In 2012-13, core DEFRA spent £692,668 on external lawyers' fees. Payments to the Treasury Solicitors Department (TSol), Parliamentary Counsel and Agency lawyers are not included. Some payments relating to DEFRA arm’s length bodies may be included.

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In compliance with the Government's Transparency Agenda, DEFRA publishes information on all payments over £25,000 at:

www.data.gov.uk/dataset/financial-transactions-data-defra

National Parks

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) rangers, (b) planners, (c) archaeologists, (d) sustainable development advisers and (e) education

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officers were employed in each national park in England in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [163534]

Richard Benyon [holding answer 5 July 2013]: The numbers of rangers, planners, archaeologists, sustainable development advisers and education officers employed in each national park authority in England in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13 are set out in the following table:

Nature Conservation: Crime

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) the National Wildlife Crime Unit, (b) the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit and (c) other wildlife law enforcement bodies have the necessary resources to tackle wildlife crime effectively. [163400]

Richard Benyon [holding answer 5 July 2013]: DEFRA is providing £136,000 to support the work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit and £34,000 towards a wildlife crime internet research project in 2013-14. No decisions have been made about funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2014 but we are in ongoing discussions with interested parties on this matter.

Overall funding for individual police forces and other statutory enforcement agencies such as the Border Force is a matter for the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Home Office and the devolved Administrations on specialist policing support for tackling wildlife crime. [163639]

Richard Benyon: The issue of specialist policing support to tackle wildlife crime was most recently discussed at a sub-group of the UK Wildlife Crime Tasking and Coordinating Group on 20 June. Discussions are continuing in the normal course of business.

Operating Costs

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what specific costs were incurred under his Department's operating costs in each of the last three years. [163378]

Richard Benyon: DEFRA's detailed operating costs are available in the Resource Accounts for 2009-10 and in the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the periods 2010-11 and 2011-12. The ARA for 2012-13 is expected to be laid before Parliament prior to recess and published shortly thereafter.

DEFRA Resource Accounts 2009-10

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/reports/documents/resource-accounts2009-2010.pdf

DEFRA Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11 and 2011-12

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs/about#expenditure-data

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months. [162650]

Richard Benyon: This information is not held centrally. However, most newspapers, periodicals and trade publications are ordered through the core DEFRA library service.

Based on our current records the spend by this service on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the 12-month period ending 31 May 2013 was £21,900.

Rural Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list all parliamentary constituencies ranked in order of rurality. [163737]

Richard Benyon: This information is publicly available from the Office of National Statistics. I have placed a copy of this information for England in the House Library.

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Social Networking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list all Twitter accounts for which officials of his Department (a) have had and (b) currently have responsibility for (i) monitoring and (ii) updating. [163551]

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA has the following official Twitter accounts in use:

@DefraGovUK

@DefraRural

@ DefraFood

@DefraWater

@ DefraNature

@DefraFisheries

@DefraWaste

@DefraClimate

@ DefraRegs

@DefraUKAir

@DefraStats

@DefraSusDev—Sustainable Development

@DefraChiefScien—DEFRA's Chief Scientist

@ChiefVetUK—DEFRA's Chief Vet

@BHillDefra—Bronwyn Hill—Permanent Secretary

DEFRA has the following official Twitter accounts that are no longer in use:

@DefraCivilSoc

@defra3rdsector

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2012-13; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2013-14. [162668]

Richard Benyon: The vacancy rate in core DEFRA for 2012-13 was 24% on average.

For business planning purposes to ensure that resources are aligned to delivery of our strategic objectives DEFRA uses a turnover rate. For 2013-14 this rate is 2.5%.

Water Supply: Essex

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the water leakage levels in (a) Harlow and (b) Essex were in each year since 2008. [162889]

Richard Benyon: Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage sector in England and Wales, collects leakage figures by water company area and not by local area.

The Essex region is supplied by three water companies, Anglian Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, and Affinity Water. Their leakage rates since 2008 have been:

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Water Supply: Lead

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce the concentration of lead in drinking water to the safe levels defined by the World Health Organisation. [162886]

Richard Benyon: New drinking water regulations were introduced in the UK in 2004 which set the standard for lead at 10 micrograms per litre (the World Health Organisation's guide value) with effect from 25 December 2013. In advance of this date, water companies have been required by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) to introduce water treatment wherever there is a likelihood of failure of the lead standard. Reports published by the DWI show that this action has substantially reduced consumer exposure to lead in drinking water. Water companies will continue to monitor for lead at consumers' taps and when levels above the standard are found, they will give written advice to the premises owner about the need to replace old lead pipes.

Defence

Air Force: Military Bases

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for RAF Barford St John over the next (a) 12 months and (b) two years. [163749]

Dr Murrison: RAF Barford St John is made available to the United States Visiting Forces. The Ministry of Defence is not currently aware of any changes to US plans for the Base over the next two years.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to Spending Round 2013, Cm 8639, what changes to allowances of civilian staff will take place; and what estimate he has made of the amount saved through this measure. [162504]

Mr Philip Hammond: The Department's spending round settlement assumes a saving of £30 million in 2015-16 from civilian allowances. The Department is undertaking a review of civilian allowances to identify where these savings can best be made.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which Government Departments contribute to the Deployed Military Activity Pool; [164333]

(2) what criteria governs the spending of funds from the Deployed Military Activity Pool; [164334]

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(3) when the Deployed Military Activity Pool was established; [164335]

(4) who administers the Deployed Military Activity Pool. [164336]

Dr Murrison: The Deployed Military Activity Pool (DMAP) was established in financial year (FY) 2012-13 as an additional funding mechanism to offer greater flexibility in the early stages of military operations. It is funded and administered jointly by the Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury (HMT) within the broader governance structure of the new Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, which is being established following the conclusion of Spending Round 2013. The funding of the DMAP is split 50/50 with HMT and allows us to carry out early preparations ahead of any formal operations.

Departmental Responsibilities

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what functions of his Department will be transferred to the Cabinet Office as a result of Spending Review 2013. [164337]

Mr Philip Hammond: The Ministry of Defence agreed, as part of the 2013 spending round, to pass responsibility for some of the procurement of non-military goods and services, and information and communications technology (ICT), to the Government Procurement Service.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cost of relocating 71 (IR) Squadron to RAF Wittering; and if he will make a statement. [163829]

Dr Murrison: The costs of relocating 71 Inspection and Repair (IR) Squadron from Ministry of Defence St Athan to RAF Wittering are currently assessed at around £820,000. This will move the Squadron closer to the combat and large aircraft units which are their major customers and bring about operational and efficiency benefits.

Pensions

Mr Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consultation process he plans as part of the review of the pension ages of the Ministry of Defence Police and the Defence Fire and Rescue Service; when he plans to complete such a review; and if he will place the terms of reference for the review in the Library; [164228]

(2) if the review of the pension ages of the Ministry of Defence Police and the Defence Fire and Rescue Service will consider (a) early retirement, (b) the effect on capability of officers and (c) the effect on the health and wellbeing of officers of a rising retirement age; [164234]

(3) what assessment he has made of the number of officers likely to take early retirement if the pension age of (a) the Ministry of Defence Police and (b) the Defence Fire and Rescue Service were (i) 60, (ii) 65 and (iii) 67 years old. [164235]

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Mr Francois: In line with the terms set out in the Public Sector Pensions Act 2013, terms of reference for the review are currently being finalised together with timescales for the work and details of the consultation process. Once this is complete, a copy of the terms of reference will be placed in the Library of the House. I can confirm that the review will consider those aspects referred to by the hon. Member.

No assessment has yet been made of the likely retirement numbers. However, such an assessment will form part of the review and will be informed by work commissioned from the Government Actuary's Department.

Public Expenditure

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reductions will be made in the (a) resource and (b) capital spending of his Department in 2015-16 as a result of the Spending Review 2013. [164227]

Mr Philip Hammond: The Ministry of Defence's spending settlement for financial year (FY) 2015-16 is detailed in the HM Treasury Spending Round 2013 document (Cm 8639, dated June 2013), which can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209036/spending-round-2013-complete.pdf

This includes a comparison of resource and capital budgets between FY 2014-15 and FY 2015-16.

Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what change will be made to the capacity and function of the current B Squadron Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry base at Dawley Bank in Telford. [163967]

Dr Murrison: No changes to the capacity and function of the base are planned.

Social Networking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all Twitter accounts for which officials of his Department (a) have had and (b) currently have responsibility for (i) monitoring and (ii) updating. [163548]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not monitor a set list of third party Twitter accounts, but will monitor Twitter for matters which relate to the work of the Department and the armed forces. The MOD’s Directorate of Media and Communication monitors Twitter as part of its social media engagement and to inform the Department’s wider communications activities.

The MOD does not record details of private Twitter accounts held by its employees for use in a personal capacity.

The following is a list of Twitter accounts used by the armed forces and the MOD which have been registered for official use:

Ministry of Defence

@DefenceHQ

@ArmedForces_Day

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@SoldierUK

@UKForcesAfghan

@DefenceImages

@HQARRC

@defencemedia

@SPVAmod

@MODGibraltar

@Prism_Dstl

@SaBRE_Support

The following four MOD accounts are no longer regularly updated, but are still open Twitter accounts:

@DefenceHQMeta

@defencefocus

@UKMilOps

@MODPressOffice

Royal Navy

@RoyalNavy

@BOA1943

@RNjobs

Army

@britisharmy

@armyjobs

@theironfist

@2_yorks

@YORKS_REGT

@combatphot

@theroyalwelsh

@engineersband

@RIFLESband

@Minden_Band

@TheRLCBand

@RGBandandDrums

@RABand1762

@remeband

@PARA_Band

@agc_band

@MercianRegiment

@ColdstreamBand

@WelshGuardsBand

@AAC_Band

@kingsdivband

@ArmyLGBT

@demstrgregt

@cateringsupport

@243procoy

@Si_Army_Phot

@202FdHosp

@ArmyWestMids

@aaclynxdisplay

@ArtilleryRoyal

Royal Air Force

@royalairforceuk

@7644Sqn

@rafredarrows

@11GpBunker

@RAFBenson

@RAFBrizeNorton

@RAFCareers

@Chf_Eng_Air

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@ChinookDisplay

@RAFCROWales

@rafcricket

@RAFFalcons

@RAF_Gib

@RAFInternalComm

@RAFLeuchars

@RAF_Lossiemouth

@LossieStnCdr

@RAFBBMF

@TeamMerlin2013

@StnCdrOdiham

@RAFOfficer

@RAF_Pres_Team

@PMDAIRONLINE

@RAFRugbyUnion

@RAFTyphoonTeam

@RAFRSQNLDR

@RAFReserves

UK Hydrographic Office

@AdmiraltyOnline

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

@Prism_Dstl

The above is an account approved by DSTL for the employee support network for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in DSTL; it shares information relevant for that group, as well as linking with other LGBT groups across Defence, and more widely across Government.

DPBAC

The following account is used by the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee (DPBAC) exclusively for monitoring purposes. DPBAC is funded by the MOD but is an independent body that oversees a voluntary code which operates between the UK Government Departments which have responsibilities for national security and the media. DPBAC uses the Defence Advisory Notice System to prevent inadvertent public disclosure of information that would compromise national security.

@DNoticeSec

Veterans: World War II

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of World War Two veterans in (a) Halton constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK. [163495]

Mr Francois: This information is not held in the format requested. However, it has been estimated that there are some 4.6 million veterans in the UK. This figure includes veterans from every generation including World War Two.

Energy and Climate Change

Energy Company Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the seller rating function on the eco-brokerage is going live. [164231]

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Gregory Barker: DECC is currently developing proposals for a ratings function, for discussion with brokerage participants.

The brokerage system, launched this year, operates on the basis of forward contracts (three, six, 12 months). It is important that any ratings function, if it is to be robust and objective, can reflect the actual track record of delivery, as well as allow new companies to compete fairly where there is no track record of delivery.

Fuel Poverty

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of his Department's progress towards eradicating fuel poverty for all households in England by 2016; and if he will make a statement. [163596]

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to tackling fuel poverty and ensuring that so far as reasonably practicable no household in England lives in fuel poverty by 2016. The Department recently published its Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics report, which showed that in 2011 the number of households found to be living in fuel poverty in England was 3.2 million, compared with 3.5 million in 2010. This is still an unacceptably high number of people living in cold, damp unhealthy conditions. Nevertheless, after a sustained period of year-on-year growth in the number of fuel poor households, the Government are making progress. It is clear that our determined focus on improving home energy efficiency is proving effective in tackling fuel poverty.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the effects of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 on levels of fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [163858]

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), Ministers and officials have regular contact with counterparts from other Government Departments on a range of issues, including fuel poverty.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recommendations his Department has received from the Behavioural Insights Team based in the Cabinet Office on better incentivising domestic and non-domestic retrofit. [163396]

Gregory Barker [holding answer 5 July 2013]: The Department's customer insight team has collaborated with the behavioural insights team on a range of projects around energy use over the past two years and findings have been used to inform development of the Green Deal programme and consumer take-up. The Department continues to work in partnership with the behavioural insights team on trials and have informal discussions with them on potential ways to reduce domestic energy consumption using behavioural insights.

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Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will confirm the criteria under which households are entitled to claim Green Deal cashback vouchers. [164222]

Gregory Barker: The full Green Deal cashback scheme terms and conditions, including eligibility criteria, can be found at:

https://gdcashback.decc.gov.uk/Content/Downloads/GreenDealCashbackSchemeApplicantTermsAndConditions-v1.pdf

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2013, Official Report, column 618W, on the Green Deal Scheme, in which (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority are each of the households who have had measures installed under the Energy Company Obligation to date. [164223]

Gregory Barker: The next quarterly publication is planned for publication on 19 September 2013 and will contain geographic breakdowns of measures installed under the energy company obligation.

Power Stations

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many power stations have been mothballed in each of the last 20 years; [163243]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of the potential generating capacity of mothballed power stations in Great Britain. [163242]

Michael Fallon: Government do not hold information on mothballed power stations. National Grid has provided the following information, but has only been able to provide data as far back as winter 2007-08 in the time available.

In addition to these power stations that are currently fully mothballed, there are also a number of power stations where some units are mothballed. It is very difficult to give a precise volume of additional capacity that could be available from these sources because this would be a commercial decision for plant owners.

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Warm Front Scheme: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how much his Department spent on the Warm Front Scheme in York local authority area in each year since the inception of that scheme; [163884]

(2) how many (a) single-pensioner households in York and (b) two-pensioner households in York have received Warm Front assistance in each year since the

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inception of that scheme; and what the average spend was on each of those households. [163874]

Gregory Barker: The annual spend, number of households assisted and average spend per household, split by one pensioner and two pensioner households, in the York local authority area under the Warm Front scheme is provided in the following table. Data are only available from 2005.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the operation of (a) section 1 and (b) section 2 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Act; and what responses he gave to such representations. [163581]

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), receives representations and meets stakeholders regularly to discuss a range of issues relating to fuel poverty. For example, both the Secretary of State and I attended the main annual meeting of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group in April.

Last year, the Government consulted on changing the framework for measuring fuel poverty. As part of that consultation, we asked for views on whether the proposed change in the fuel poverty definition had any implications for the legislative framework as set out in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. We received a number of responses to that consultation and are still considering our position.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in HM Treasury on the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [163595]

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), Ministers and officials have regular contact with counterparts from HM Treasury on a range of issues, including fuel poverty.

For example, as part of the recent spending review there were discussions on the continuation of the Warm Home Discount. The Government have subsequently announced that this scheme will be extended to 2015-16 at an increased budget of £320 million.

Attorney-General

Crown Court Sentencing: Referrals

Glyn Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how many representations he has received requesting that sentence given in a Crown Court be considered for referral to the Court of Appeal for review because it may be unduly lenient in the last 12 months; and on how many occasions he has referred a sentence to the Court of Appeal for such a review. [163823]

The Attorney-General: My office publishes unduly lenient sentence statistics annually and has recently released the statistics for 2012, when I was asked to review a record 435 sentences. Of those, 344 fell within the scope of the ULS scheme and were received before expiry of the statutory time limit. Every one of those 344 sentences was considered personally by the Solicitor-General or myself.

We referred 88 sentences to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient, 82 of which were heard by the Court. The Court granted leave to refer 73 of these and 62 sentences were increased.

Human Trafficking

Mr Bone: To ask the Attorney-General if he will undertake a review of whether any victims of human trafficking have been prosecuted for offences that relate to their trafficking. [164322]

The Attorney-General: At this stage, I have no plans to undertake a formal review of cases whereby victims of human trafficking have already been prosecuted for offences that relate to their trafficking offences. Following recent cases in the Court of Appeal in which victims of trafficking were prosecuted and convicted, having been

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advised to plead guilty by their legal representative, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is considering new guidelines for prosecutors, which are to be shared with the police and other law enforcement agencies and the Law Society to ensure a more joined-up approach in these cases.

The CPS has issued comprehensive legal guidance to advise prosecutors of the steps they should take in cases where the police have arrested potential victims of trafficking who have committed criminal offences and referred them for charge. If information suggests that they have been trafficked, prosecutors are advised to make full inquiries and consider whether the case against them should be discontinued. In addition, guidance, published in 2011 by the Child Exploitation On-line Protection Centre (CEOP), advises that police should be alert to the possibility that any person, adult or child, identified in a cannabis farm could be a victim of trafficking and the steps that they should take.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Attorney-General what advice he has given to ministerial colleagues on the release of private correspondence between hon. Members and their constituents which have been forwarded by hon. Members to Ministers following a subsequent request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [164236]

The Solicitor-General: As a matter of convention, neither the substance of the Law Officers' advice, nor the fact that they have been consulted, is disclosed outside Government other than in exceptional circumstances. I see no reason to depart from that convention in this case.

Both the Ministry of Justice and the Information Commissioner's Office have provided public guidance which deals with the release, under the FOI Act, of private correspondence between hon. Members and their constituents. That guidance is available on their websites.

Police: Wales

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General at what date the Crown Prosecution Service plans to publish the report by Her Majesty's Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service into the collapse of the prosecution of alleged police corruption surrounding the investigation of the murder of Lynette White. [164195]

The Solicitor-General: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 27 June 2013, Official Report, columns 351-52W.

Transport

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department plans to conduct any studies on aircraft cabin air contamination. [164253]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department's research programme into aircraft cabin air has been concluded and four

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published reports commissioned by the Department have been sent to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) for their consideration.

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the independent Committee on Toxicity has reached any formal conclusions on the reports submitted by his Department about aircraft cabin air contamination. [164254]

Mr Simon Burns: The Committee on Toxicity (COT) have yet to consider the reports. The Department of Health has consulted with the COT secretariat and determined that COT is intending to review the Aircraft Cabin Air Sampling Studies at the COT meeting on 17 September 2013.

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations his Department has received from scientific journals about (a) its report in collaboration with Cranfield University entitled Aircraft Cabin Air Sampling Study: Part 1 of the Final Report, published in March 2011 and (b) other reports by his Department on the subject of aircraft cabin air contamination. [164340]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department has received criticisms from a small number of individuals and organisations. The Committee on Toxicity are in possession of independent peer reviews of all the draft reports commissioned, to inform their considerations.

Bus Services: Concessions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on concessionary bus travel for pensioners (a) in England and (b) in the City of York in each year since 2004-05. [163881]

Norman Baker: Prior to 2008 concessionary travel funding 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 cover England-wide travel and the Department for Transport provided local authorities with a one-off payment of £31 million for the re-issue of concessionary travel passes. The Department also provided a portion of funding through a special grant to local authorities until 31 March 2011 for the increased cost of the extension to the scheme. The special grant funding was:

Details of the overall special grant allocations covering the period concerned can be found at:

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0708/hc02/0256/0256.pdf

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and

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0910/hc03/0306/0306.pdf

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.

Bus Services: West Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local bus services in West Sussex are not reduced. [164343]

Norman Baker: Decisions about the provision of local bus services are a matter for bus operators and local authorities who are best placed to identify the transport needs in their area.

Nevertheless, as I know well from my own constituency, buses are a lifeline for many people in rural areas - providing access to jobs, schools, health care and social activities.

On 5 July, Official Report, columns 74-76WS, I announced the arrangements for reforming the existing system of local bus subsidy in England.

Under the new arrangements we will be devolving around half of the BSOG budget to local authorities in order to give them more say over how this funding should be spent to benefit passengers in their area. Devolution in London will start in October this year, with that outside London following in January 2014.

The Government also announced in last month's Spending Review that we would be protecting existing spending on buses for 2015/16.

We continue to invest in local bus infrastructure and technology through the Better Bus Area Fund and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. And we have also recognised the importance of community transport organisations in local areas with £20 million of additional funding - around £175,000 of which went to West Sussex County Council.

Motor Vehicles: Noise

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what timescale his Department is working to regarding the implementation of the proposal for a European regulation on the sound level of motor vehicles into UK law; [162852]

(2) what consultation his Department plans to undertake regarding the proposal for a European regulation on the sound level of motor vehicles. [162853]

Norman Baker: Negotiations on the proposed European regulation on vehicle noise are ongoing but there are currently no firm dates for its entry into force or application. Once negotiations are complete and dates agreed the Department will draw up plans to ensure the UK meets its obligations under EU law.

The Department has consulted with interested parties throughout the negotiations and will follow the Government's principles on consultation before any changes are made to national legislation.

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Railways

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on increasing the provision of rail services via Open Access train operating company providers on (a) the East Coast Mainline and (b) other rail routes; and if he will make a statement. [163624]

Mr Simon Burns: The latest statement of Government policy on open access passenger operations can be found in the Command Paper ‘Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First’ published in March 2012.

Railways: Crewe

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the franchise agreement for services from Crewe to London via Kidsgrove operated by London Midland. [164357]

Norman Baker: Franchise service level commitments, including those for London Midland, are published on the Department's website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207553/service-level-commitment-2.pdf

In relation to southbound services from Crewe, London Midland's franchise agreement specifies calls at Kidsgrove at hourly intervals between a given ‘early’ and ‘late’ train, with one additional service on weekdays between 1815 and 1845.

Sunday services have a different requirement, with five trains per day specified, running at two-hourly intervals, and with one additional service running between Crewe and Stafford between 1030 and 1100.

Railways: South East

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the Terms of Reference for the South Coast Railway Study; and what progress has been made on that project since 9 May 2013. [164127]

Mr Simon Burns: The London-South Coast rail corridor capacity study is being progressed by Network Rail under the terms of reference of its Long Term Planning Process which are available on its website. Work on the corridor study, which was announced by the Department on 9 May, is ongoing. Network Rail has also published online a draft Market Study for the London and South East region for consultation and is seeking the views of interested parties by 25 July 2013.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library details of the grants which his Department has given to each local authority for purposes of road maintenance in each of the last three years. [164315]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport provides funding to local authorities in England (outside London) through the highways maintenance transport capital block grant. This grant is allocated to each authority using section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. The funding is allocated by formula and an explanatory note setting out this is available from the Department for Transport website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-capital-block-funding

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I have placed in the House library a table setting out how much each local highway authority has been allocated for highways maintenance funding in the last three years.

Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding, allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant for maintaining their local highways. Neither revenue nor capital highways maintenance block funding is ring-fenced and it is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services that they provide.

The Department is funding local highways maintenance projects in Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sheffield, Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hounslow through the private finance initiative. I have placed a table in the House Library setting out the funding we have allocated to these authorities in each of the last three years.

In addition the Department has also funded specific larger maintenance schemes costing more than £5 million from its local major funding programme.

The funding for road maintenance in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective administrations.

Shipping: Training

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he holds on the average total cost of qualifying as a deck or engine officer. [163840]

Stephen Hammond: The average cost of training through to certification varies depending on the colleges attended, the company providing the onboard training and the qualification route followed. This information is not held centrally.

However, the Government currently fund training up to £12.3 million annually. Companies receive approximately £17,000 per trainee, and the indications are that this covers between 25% and 30% of the total training cost.

Shoreham Airport

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the possible sale of the freehold of Shoreham Airport. [164316]

Mr Simon Burns: None, this is a commercial matter for the airport's owner.

Tonnage Tax

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport over what period the next end of period adjustment for shipping company groups elected to the Tonnage Tax scheme 2013-14 will take place. [163985]

Stephen Hammond: The tonnage tax training requirement is monitored on the basis of training commitment years, which run from October to September, rather than on a financial year basis. Companies and groups which have elected to the tonnage tax are required to provide end of period adjustment returns in respect of three four-month periods during each year: October to January; February to May; and June to September. The returns are due within 30 days of the end of each Period, so the next return, in respect of the period from June to September 2013, will be due in October 2013, The first return for

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2013-14, in respect of the period from October 2013 to January 2014, will therefore be due in February 2014.

Youth Work

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department allocated for youth work in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [164086]

Norman Baker: Most spending decisions on youth services are made at a local level as local authorities are in the best position to assess local needs and priorities.

Local authorities' planned and actual expenditure on youth services, where it is segregated from other services, is published at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/financeandfunding/section251

The Department for Transport has made no funding allocations specific to youth work.

Scotland

Vending Machines

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vending machines in his Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. [164271]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have any vending machines in its premises.

Wales

Third Sector

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he plans to publish the consensual narrative outlining a vision for the future contribution of civil society to the wellbeing of Wales referred to in the terms of reference for the Wales Office Big Society Advisory Forum. [164230]

Stephen Crabb: There was no commitment to publish a narrative in the terms of reference. The UK Government are taking forward a number of actions to support the objectives of the Big Society such as cutting red tape for charities, encouraging social action in communities with the National Citizen Service and getting more resources into the VCSE sector with innovative social investment initiatives such as Big Society capital and social investment bonds.

Northern Ireland

Social Networking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list all Twitter accounts for which officials of her Department (a) have had and (b) currently have responsibility for (i) monitoring and (ii) updating. [163557]

Mrs Villiers: Officials in the Northern Ireland Office press office currently have responsibility for monitoring and updating one Twitter account:

@NIOpressoffice

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Vending Machines

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vending machines in her Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. [164273]

Mrs Villiers: There are two vending machines in Stormont House in Belfast. Staff in the London office, which is shared with other Government Departments, have access to vending machines provided by the landlord. While the vending machines contain mainly confectionery items, lower calorie and higher nutritional value items are also available to purchase over the counter at both locations.

Youth Work

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding her Department allocated for youth work in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement. [164084]

Mrs Villiers: My Department did not allocate funding for youth work in 2010-11, 2011-12 or 2012-13.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

African Union

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the future work programme of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel. [163638]

Mark Simmonds: The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel has played a positive role in facilitating agreement between Sudan and South Sudan on the majority of disputes between them. We continue to work closely with it and support its mediation efforts, including through the UN Security Council. The panel's mandate is due to expire at the end of July 2013. We understand that the African Union Peace and Security Council will meet later this month to agree whether this should be extended, to oversee implementation of those agreements already reached, and to pursue resolution of all outstanding issues.

Burma

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the use of Swedish-made weapons against ethnic minorities in Kachin State, Burma. [163488]

Mr Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 January 2013, Official Report, column 552W, to the hon. Member for Leicester South (Jonathan Ashworth).

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether draft laws in Burma which are being drafted with the assistance of the Government are being treated as state secrets by the Government of Burma; and what the reasons are for such a practice. [163499]

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Mr Swire: While Burmese laws in the initial drafting stages may not be publicly available, we have not received reports that any draft legislation in Burma is being treated as state secrets by the Burmese authorities.

We continue to support the Burmese Government in their reform agenda as the country continues its transition to democracy. This includes an offer to provide technical assistance on drafting new legislation, building on the UK-Burmese parliamentary exchanges that have already taken place.

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Government have relating to the involvement of the (a) Arakan Liberation Party and (b) Rakhine National Development Party in inciting, organising and carrying out attacks against ethnic Rohingya in Burma. [163658]

Mr Swire: A number of reports have circulated in the media about who may have been behind the violence targeting Rohingya communities in Burma including, but not limited to, these two groups.

Further independent investigative work to fully establish the facts would be required for an informed assessment. If serious crimes have been committed including inciting, organising or carrying out attacks, those who have perpetrated them must be held accountable for their actions. This should be done through a clear and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards, as we have repeatedly made clear to the Burmese Government.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the deployment of the new Intervention Brigade in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and what discussions he has held with the (a) UN Secretary-General and (b) UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region on this matter. [163939]

Mark Simmonds: The Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), under the same mandate as the rest of MONUSCO (UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo) is in the process of deploying to the region. The UK fully supports the work of the whole of MONUSCO. We remain confident that MONUSCO's presence, and that of the FIB within it, contributes positively to peace and security in eastern DRC. We will continue to monitor the situation, and MONUSCO's operations, through the UN Security Council and our representatives in the DRC. I and my officials have been in contact with Mary Robinson, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, on a number of occasions, in the UK and in the region, to discuss the situation in eastern DRC and to assure her of the UK's full support for her work.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region and (b) his foreign counterparts on the implementation of the peace, security and co-operation framework for Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. [163964]

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Mark Simmonds: I welcome and support the appointment of Mary Robinson as the UN Special Envoy the Great Lakes region. I met her in May to discuss the peace, security and co-operation framework for the Great Lakes (PSCF) and since then senior officials have continued to engage with her regularly. We are working closely with her and partners in the region on supporting the implementation of the PSCF.

The UK continues to have regular discussions on the PSCF with a range of key international partners, on the ground in Kigali, Kinshasa and Kampala, as well as at the UN, the African Union, the EU and elsewhere.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework. [164056]

Mark Simmonds: I remain deeply concerned about the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the continued reports of violence there.

The first meeting of the regional oversight body of the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework (PSCF) was chaired by the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon at the end of May. I welcome the progress made so far by the DRC in starting to develop its reform plans. The UK continues to press all signatories to work together to implement their PSCF commitments in full. This is an important step towards building lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

Dominican Republic

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of British citizens residing permanently in the Dominican Republic. [163628]

Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) estimates that approximately 300 British citizens reside permanently in the Dominican Republic. However, British citizens are not obliged to register with the embassy, so the actual figure is unknown.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of judicial processes in the Dominican Republic; and if he will make a statement. [163629]

Mr Swire: The Dominican Republic justice system has a broad legal base and working judicial institutions. The British Government have faith in the political will and competence of the senior officials responsible for the Dominican justice system, namely the Attorney General and the President of the Supreme Court. As with many of our international partners, and as part of our efforts toward building global prosperity and security, the British Government have an open and frank dialogue with the Government of the Dominican Republic on issues related to the justice system, including the need to improve efficiency, increase transparency and tackle corruption.

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Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Government have intervened to make representations on behalf of British citizens detained in the Dominican Republic in the last 10 years. [163630]

Mr Swire: In the last 10 years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made a number of representations on behalf of two British citizens detained in the Dominican Republic.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are currently detained following conviction in the Dominican Republic; and what the average length of sentence is. [163631]

Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is aware of 12 British citizens currently detained in the Dominican Republic following conviction. The length of sentence varies from six to 15 years. There are a further two British citizens who have been released on bail.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are currently detained awaiting trial in the Dominican Republic. [163632]

Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is aware of one British citizen currently detained and awaiting trial in the Dominican Republic.

G8: County Fermanagh

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the compliance commitments made in the June 2013 G8 Summit communiqué will be monitored. [163169]

Mr Swire: We are fully committed to monitoring the implementation of all the commitments made at Lough Erne, and plan to discuss with our G8 colleagues how to achieve this. Since 2010, the G8 has monitored its development commitments through an annual accountability exercise. The Lough Erne development commitments will be monitored through this process. The 2013 Lough Erne Accountability Report was published on 7 June. A copy can be found in the Library and at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lough-erne-accountability-report

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what official souvenirs were given to attendees at the conclusion of the G8 Summit at Lough Erne; and what the cost of those souvenirs was. [163607]

Mark Simmonds: Gifts from the host to Leaders and other attendees are a traditional part of the G8 summit.

The Government took the opportunity to promote UK businesses—small and large—to international audiences. This included a number of items produced in close proximity to the summit venue, showcasing local Northern Irish talent. The majority of gifts were provided free of charge by the companies involved.

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Leaders' gifts included a Mulberry overnight bag, a bottle of 12-year-old Bushmills whiskey, a copy of the ‘Scenic Ireland, Ulster’ book, a personalised leather journal, a wash bag with an image of the Giant's Causeway, a selection of Space NK products, a CD of the best selling British album in each G8 country, a USB stick of up-and-coming British artists, a Co Couture box of chocolates and a Phil Shaw print. These were all provided free of charge.

In addition, the Leaders received a wooden pen at a cost of £15 each and a wooden photo frame at a cost of £90.

Gambia

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of The Gambia between June 2011 and September 2012 on the imprisonment of Dr Amadou Janneh. [163938]

Mark Simmonds: Our high commissioner in Banjul regularly raises human rights concerns with the Government of The Gambia, both bilaterally as UK representative and in a second capacity as acting local Presidency of the European Union (EU).

During the trial and subsequent imprisonment of Dr Janneh—who holds dual US and Gambian citizenship—our high commissioner remained in close contact with the US embassy in Banjul in their discussions with the Gambian Government and the US's monitoring of Dr Janneh's welfare.

Kenya

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Kenya in relation to seeking a resolution over Kenyan public sector pensions. [163477]

Mark Simmonds: In recent years we have raised this issue with Kenyan Government officials on a number of occasions, including three times in 2013. British high commission staff in Nairobi asked the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about public sector pensions on 2 July 2013 and are awaiting a response.