Transport: Cross Border Cooperation
Alison McGovern:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken
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to encourage work between local enterprise partnerships, local transport boards and transport authorities on cross-border transport issues. [164431]
Michael Fallon: The Government encourage all local enterprise partnerships and local transport bodies to co-operate on issues that cross their borders where it makes sense to do so.
Young People: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate the UK Statistics Authority has made of the number of young people aged 16 to 24 in York in (a) training, (b) employment and (c) education in each year since 1995-96. [163899]
Matthew Hancock: The tables show the number (Table 1) and proportion (Table 2) of people aged 16 to 24(1) in employment, education and training in York from 2000 to 2012. These estimates are from the Annual Population Survey. Due to the structure of the questions on the survey we are unable to identify education and training separately. Estimates prior to 2000 are not available. Given the small sample sizes, care should be taken in interpreting these data.
(1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December).
| Table 1: Number of 16 to 24-year-olds in employment, education and training in York local authority | ||||
| In employment | In education or training | Not in employment, education or training (NEET) | Population | |
| (1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December). (2 )These estimates are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, the predecessor to the Annual Population Survey. This covers the period from March in the given year to the following year. | ||||
| Table 2: Proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds in employment, education and training in York local authority | |||
| Percentage | |||
| In employment | In education or training | Not in employment, education or training (NEET) | |
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| (1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December). (2 )These estimates are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, the predecessor to the Annual Population Survey. This covers the period from March in the given year to the following year. | |||
Quarterly estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) derived from the Labour Force Survey are published by the Department for Education. The latest publication can be found online at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-statistics-quarterly-brief-quarter-1-2013
Given the small sample sizes, it is not possible to use the annual population survey to provide figures for young people at age 16, 17 and 18. Instead Table 3 as follows uses information provided by local authorities to show the number and proportion of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education and full-time education, employment or training at the end of December 2012 who were resident in York and Yorkshire and the Humber. These data are not available for young people aged 19 and above. Figures for Yorkshire and the Humber exclude the East Riding of Yorkshire, which did not provide data.
| Table 3: Proportion of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education and full-time education, training and employment—December 2012 | ||||||
| Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 | ||||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
The figures do not include young people undertaking part-time education, taking a gap year at age 18 or those whose current activity is not known to the local authority. Estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment and training in each local authority are made available on the Department for Education's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/neet/a0064101/16-to-18-year-olds-not-in-education,-employment-or-training
Tables 1 and 2:
(a) This uses academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
(b) These estimates are subject to sampling variability and should therefore be viewed in conjunction with the Confidence Interval (CI), given at 95%. This indicates how accurate the estimate is. For example, a CI of +/-7.4 percentage points (%pt) means that the true value is between 7.4%pt above the estimate and 7.4%pt below the estimate.
Treasury
Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax: High Speed 2 Railway Line
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he proposes it will be necessary for capital gains tax to be paid on compulsorily purchased land as a result of High Speed 2; [164644]
(2) whether he proposes it will be necessary for inheritance tax to be paid on agricultural land which is to be compulsorily purchased as a result of High Speed 2. [164647]
Danny Alexander: The Government will apply the existing rules relating to capital gains tax and inheritance tax to proceeds arising from land compulsory purchased as a result of High Speed 2. If the land is sold during the lifetime of the land owner, no IHT is due at that time.
Details of the existing rules can be found online at:
Capital gains tax for individuals:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cgt/index.htm
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/hs292.pdf
Chargeable gains for companies:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ct/managing/company-tax-return/returns/chargeable-gain.htm
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/index.htm
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/how-to-value-estate/land.htm
Fuels: Tax Evasion
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2013, Official Report, column 669W, on Revenue and Customs Northern Ireland, whether he has visited Northern Ireland to discuss fuel laundering and related criminal activities. [164786]
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Sajid Javid: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has previously visited Northern Ireland, including most recently the G8 summit in Lough Erne.
As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to release details of all such meetings.
Infrastructure
Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the expected spending profile over time of the total infrastructure plans published in investing in Britain's future disaggregating (a) roads, (b) rail, (c) energy, (d) science and innovation, (e) housing, (f) digital communications, (g) local growth measures and (h) other sectors. [164572]
Danny Alexander: A financial year breakdown of road and rail schemes is included on page eight of “Investing in Britain's Future”.
Energy announcements made in the spending round are based on private sector investment. This will be supported by the Levy Control Framework, details of which can be found in “Electricity Market Reform: Delivering UK Investment”.
The Government have also committed £7 billion for science over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, £3.3 billion for affordable housing over the financial years 2015-16 to 2017-19, £0.25 billion additional for digital communications (broadband) over 2015-16 and 2016-17, at least £2 billion p.a. for the Single Local Growth Fund for the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, £21 billion for schools over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, and £2.3 billion for flood defences over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21.
Long-Term Unemployed People
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of creating a full-time job for six months paid at the minimum wage for all people aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for over two years in 2015-16 according to (a) his Department's claimant count forecasts and (b) independent labour organisation unemployment forecasts. [164423]
Mr Gauke: The Treasury has made no such estimate.
The UK labour market is showing some signs of recovery with more people in work than under any previous Government.
To support long-term and vulnerable jobseekers, the Government launched the Work Programme in June 2011. The Work Programme is moving an increasing number of people off benefit and into work and keeping them in employment. Since June 2011, the Work Programme has supported over 1.2 million long-term unemployed, of which 335,000 are young people (18-24).
Newspaper Press: Internet
Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on how much income is generated from online newspaper downloads to tablets and other mobile devices. [164652]
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Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs holds no information on how much income is generated from online newspaper downloads to tablets and other mobile devices.
Public Sector Debt
Sir Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all property and other chattels that have been bequeathed to the nation over the last decade for the purpose of reducing the national debt where the sale has been overseen by the Treasury Solicitor and from which the proceeds have been handed over to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt; and if, for each item bequeathed, he will give (a) a description and (b) how much was raised and handed over. [162792][Official Report, 13 September 2013, Vol. 567, c. 16MC.]
Sajid Javid: A search of the Department's records has disclosed one case in which the Treasury Solicitor oversaw the realisation of property, with proceeds handed over to the Commissioners. That was a bequest which was realised in 2011 with the sale of property in Cambridgeshire. £45,900 was realised from the sale of the property.
The Treasury Solicitor will generally only become involved in bequests where it is executor. Generally, in cases where a bequest is made for the reduction of the national debt, HM Treasury will ask the executors of the will to realise the property themselves before transferring funds to the Commissioners. Over the last decade, sales of those properties have included property in Leicester (sold for £452,000), Leeds (£275,000), East Sussex (£240,000) and Merseyside (£143,000). Those bequests also included some chattels with a total value of £11,995, but further information on chattels would require a detailed search of paper files, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Revenue and Customs
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the public consultation by HM Revenue and Customs on plans to introduce face-to-face and telephone support for tax and entitlement rights was advertised. [164285]
Mr Gauke: The consultation document on ‘Supporting customers who need extra help—a new approach' was published on 14 March 2013 on the UK Government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-customers-who-need-extra-help-a-new-approach
HMRC also advertised the consultation to our customers through leaflets in our Inquiry Centres.
All MPs were sent an ‘Issue Brief’ detailing the changes HMRC is planning on 14 March. The document includes plans to implement the new service, the consultation process, start and end dates plus a description of the pilot in the north east.
The issue briefing was also sent to over 100 stakeholder organisations with an interest in HMRC's work, including professional bodies, employer groups and several charities.
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Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the public consultation by HM Revenue and Customs on plans to introduce face-to-face and telephone support for tax and entitlement rights began; and when it will close. [164286]
Mr Gauke: The consultation document on “Supporting customers who need extra help—a new approach” ran between 14 March 2013 and 24 May 2013 when it closed.
Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services
Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the proportion of callers to HM Revenue and Customs contact centres who require the enhanced level of support the Needs Enhanced Support model seeks to provide; and what the annual cost will be of providing such support. [164004]
Mr Gauke: HMRC expects around 1.5 million customers to need an enhanced level of support. Based on published research, HMRC estimates that many of those customers use alternative sources of help, such as using voluntary and community sector organisations independent of HMRC, for advice. Of the total population of callers to HMRC contact centres, HMRC believes that 1.3% will require enhanced support under the proposed new model of additional help by phone and only some of those will go on to require a face-to-face meeting with an adviser. The current Needs Enhanced Support (NES) pilot will help to test this assumption.
Annual running costs have been estimated at £22 million based upon pre-pilot assumptions. These figures will be reviewed using the insight we gain from the pilot.
Defence
Defence Support Group
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2013, Official Report, column 1117W, on defence support group, for what reasons agency workers were recruited from 2011; and if he will make a statement. [164546]
Mr Dunne: As has been the case under previous Administrations, in order to maintain flexibility and agility, the defence support group makes use of agency staff to meet the changing priorities, time scales and peaks and troughs of the emerging requirements of its customers and when the business requires the skills and expertise that are unavailable from within the existing permanent workforce.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2013, Official Report, column 1117W, on defence support group and the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, columns 151-2W, on defence support group, how many agency workers are employed at (a) Ashchurch, (b) Bovington and (c) Donnington; and if he will make a statement. [164547]
Mr Dunne: The numbers of agency staff employed at the defence support group are currently as follows:
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| Number | |
Military Bands
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention that the expansion of the Army Reserve will include the formation of new military bands; and if he will make a statement. [164783]
Mr Robathan: There are no plans to change the number of Army Reserve bands, which continue to provide vital morale-raising support to our troops.
The Future Army Music 2020 (FAM 2020) study is under way but it is not due to look at Army Reserve bands until 2014.
Military Bases: Caernarfon
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on the local economy of the decision to close Caernarfon barracks. [164355]
Mr Dunne: The decision for the Army Reserve to vacate this site was driven by the Army's need to consolidate a Platoon of D Company, 3rd Battalion the Royal Welsh at Caernarfon with its Company Headquarters in Colwyn Bay 29 miles away.
Planning will now take place with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association to assess the future of the site, including how to meet the enduring requirements of any cadet or lodger units.
The impact of this move on the local economy is unlikely to be significant given the small number of users affected.
NATO: Military Exercises
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK assets and personnel will take part in Iceland Fighter Meet 2014. [165094]
Territorial Army
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Statement of 3 July 2013, Official Report, columns 923-5, on reserve forces, what estimate he has made of the cost of closing each of the (a) 35 Territorial Army centres and (b) three Naval Reserve centres identified for closure; [164734]
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects will be saved by the closure of the Territorial Army base in Bishop Auckland. [164595]
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Dr Murrison: The requirement to reshape our reserve forces footprint has been driven primarily by the changed structure of the Army Reserve and by the need to optimise recruitment and to facilitate effective training in the future.
Further work is being undertaken better to define how those sites to be vacated by the Army Reserve will be managed in the future.
Overall, we expect to invest around £80 million in improvements and expansion across the Army Reserve estate, as part of a £120 million overall investment in the reserve estate.
Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many premise licence holders have been fined the maximum possible amount for selling alcohol to an underage person in the last five years. [155780]
Mrs Grant: In the last five years (2008 to 2012) in England and Wales, no offender has been sentenced to the maximum penalty for selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 years, or for allowing the sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years, for which the maximum penalty is the same.
Further, no offender in the time period specified above in England and Wales has been sentenced for the offence of ‘persistently selling alcohol to children’. The average fine imposed for this offence has increased significantly since 2010.
Employment Tribunals Service
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse in 2015-16 of removing fees for employment tribunals. [164448]
Mrs Grant: The Government plan to implement fees into employment tribunals at the end of July 2013 and so have no plans to remove them. Expected income from the introduction of fees into employment tribunals is approximately £10 million a year.
Human Trafficking
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much is given to individual shelters to fund shelters for each victim of human trafficking for each 24-hour period in such shelters. [164364]
Mrs Grant: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 26 June 2013, Official Report, column 290W.
Knives: Crime
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the maximum custody sentence for possession of a knife in each of the last three years. [154601]
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Jeremy Wright: Unlawful possession of a knife or offensive weapon is a serious criminal offence which carries a maximum four-year custodial sentence.
This Government introduced the new offences of threatening someone with a knife in a public place or a school, which came into force on 3 December 2012. These offences carry a minimum prison sentence of at least six months for adults and a four-month Detention and Training Order for juveniles. The proportion of those found guilty for carrying a knife who are sent to prison has increased since 2010.
The Government are also considering whether there is a case for further changes to be made to the sentencing framework for knife possession as part of the knife sentencing review.
Within the sentencing framework, it is for judges and magistrates to decide the appropriate sentence in individual cases, taking account of the harm the offence caused and the culpability of the offender. Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 there is an obligation on courts, when sentencing for offences to follow the guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.
Available information on the number of offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence of four years, for knife possession offences, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2011, can be viewed in the table.
Court proceedings data for 2012 are planned for publication later in May 2013.
| Offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence, for knife possession offences, England and Wales, 2009-11(1,2) | ||||
| Offence description | Sentenced | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3. (4) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice. | ||||
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Prison Service: Stress
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of work-related stress were reported by prison staff in the last year. [161274]
Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not hold information on the number of instances of work-related stress reported by prison staff.
NOMS aims to prevent stress arising among staff wherever possible and has adopted the Health and Safety Executive's Stress Management Standards on which to base its policy, guidance and stress management framework. The principles of this approach include preventive measures (including conducting risk assessments, stress-related training for managers and staff, competency assessments) and reactive measures (for example, early intervention by managers in cases of stress-related sickness absence).
Should stress arise, there are several support measures available to prison staff to assist their recovery. These include access to comprehensive occupational health services, critical incident debriefing and counselling.
Prisoners: Older People
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2013, Official Report, column 792W, on prisoners: older people, (1) how many prisoners are in receipt of £3.25 per week, by category of their crime; [163098]
(2) how many prisoners are over pension age. [163099]
Jeremy Wright: Information is not held centrally on the number of older prisoners who are in receipt of £3.25 per week.
As at 31 March 2013 there were 82 females aged 60 and over and 1,808 males aged 65 and over in prison establishments in England and Wales.
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.
Prisons: Discipline
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 715W, on prisons: employment, if he will list the range of punishments used in prisons. [163096]
Jeremy Wright: Prisoners who commit offences against the Prison or Young Offender Institution Rules are dealt with through an internal disciplinary system known as adjudications. If found guilty they may receive any of the punishments allowed under the rules. Adjudications are governed by formal procedures published in Prison Service Instruction 47/2011 (which is available on the Ministry of Justice website) and which details the punishments available to adjudicating governors.
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Prisons: Overcrowding
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were held in a cell, cubicle or room where the number of occupants exceeded its uncrowded capacity on 31 March 2013 in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [161446]
Jeremy Wright: The Government are committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody and continue to meet this commitment. All cells are safe, decent and secure.
Crowding occurs when cells are modified to hold more prisoners than they were originally designed for in order to manage the population. It is not a reflection of the quality of the accommodation.
Table 1 following shows the number and rate of offenders held in a cell designed for one prisoner but occupied by two in each establishment for the 10 years leading up to and including 2011-12. Please note that figures have been rounded to one decimal place. Furthermore, data are not yet available for 2012-13. Rates of overcrowding are currently scheduled to be published on 25 July 2013.
| Table 1: Year-to-date, overcrowding for each financial year from 2002-03 to 2011-12 for establishments in England and Wales | |||
| Average population | Number of prisoners in overcrowded accommodation | Overcrowded (percentage) | |
Data have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the level of detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.
Reoffenders
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders currently in prisons have previously served a prison sentence. [161426]
Jeremy Wright: Data on the criminal histories of offenders currently in prison are not held centrally in the same database and to answer this question would require a matching process between two different databases, which due to its size and complexity would incur disproportionate cost.
However, information is available on the criminal histories of offenders in prison as at 30 June 2012.
Of the 73,435 prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence as at 30 June 2012, 71,172 were successfully matched to the PNC database. Information held within the PNC shows that 61.4% of these matched prisoners had received a previous immediate custodial sentence, prior to that which they were currently serving.
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For further details on the criminal histories of offenders, my hon. Friend can access the Ministry of Justice “Annual tables—Offender management caseload statistics 2012 tables” publication from the web address listed as follows. Tables A1.28 and A1.29 from the ‘Population table' provide more detailed information on the numbers of previous convictions or cautions for the prison population as of 30 June 2012.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly--2
Robbery: Sentencing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 455W, on robbery: sentencing Table 2, what the offences committed by those who had previously received a non-custodial sentence for robbery were. [155527]
Jeremy Wright:
Robbery is a serious crime and this is reflected in the immediate custody rate for adults in 2011 which was 84.3%. Juvenile offenders receive a lower custody rate reflecting the sentencing guidelines for youths, which direct courts to take into account the age, maturity and culpability of the individual offender (as well as a tendency for under 18s to commit less serious robbery crimes not involving harm). Courts
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must also have regard to the welfare of the young offender and the principal aim of the youth justice system—the prevention of offending.
The following table shows the subsequent offences, by offence group, committed by adult and juvenile offenders, up to the end of September 2012, after having received a non-custodial sentence for a robbery offence between 2009 and 2011.
It should be noted that those offenders receiving a non-custodial sentence for robbery in 2009 will have had up to two years longer to be convicted of another offence than those receiving a non-custodial sentence in 2011. Therefore, no attempt should be made to compare the figures over the three years presented. The data presented in this table are not directly comparable with the data presented in the original answer, as this question asks for a count of offences committed by a group of offenders, and the original question asked for the count of offenders.
For adults, provisions in the Crime and Courts Act 2013 will require courts to include a punitive element in every community order, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and will enable courts to impose electronically monitored tracking of the offender's location. Tougher, more rehabilitative community punishments will help stop offenders in their tracks earlier to prevent them committing more crime.
| Table 1: Number of subsequent offences, by offence group, committed by adult and juvenile offenders, up to the end of September 2012, after having received a non-custodial sentence for a robbery offence between 2009 and 2011, England and Wales | ||||
| Year robbery committed and number of subsequent offences committed | ||||
| Age group | Offence group | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Source: Ministry of Justice | ||||
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These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large-scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Communities and Local Government
Empty Property
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes containing two bedrooms or more that are under local authority or housing association control in the north of England are empty. [164220]
Mr Foster: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to him on 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 189W.
Housing: Construction
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department made of the potential costs to local councils of changes to permitted developments for householders. [163946]
Nick Boles [holding answer 8 July 2013]:I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Roberta Blackman-Woods) on 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 415W.
Planning Permission: Urban Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made following the Portas review on running a high-profile campaign to get people involved in neighbourhood plans. [163665]
Mr Prisk: Neighbourhood planning is gathering momentum. As of the beginning of July, over 550 communities have taken up the right to make a legally binding neighbourhood plan for their area, and more are joining them each week. The first neighbourhood plan is now in force in Upper Eden, Cumbria, where 90% of those voting said yes to the plan. Exeter St James and Thame both said a resounding ‘yes' to their plans at referendums in May.
A £9.5 million, two-year support programme delivered by Locality and Planning Aid England supports neighbourhood plans, including those addressing high streets. It offers grant payments of up to £7,000 per neighbourhood area and practical, hands-on support, tailored to meet the needs of neighbourhoods and focused on progressing plan-making. Details of all support available and case studies are available at:
www.mycommunityrights.org.uk
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Transport
A1: Nottinghamshire
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects construction of the Elkesley flyover on the A1 to begin. [164592]
Stephen Hammond: The tender process for the A1 Elkesley junctions improvement works contract is nearing completion and is programmed to be awarded in September/October this year. At this stage it is not possible to be more specific on an actual start of works date. I will be writing to local Members when the contract is awarded.
Cross Country Trains
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what payments Cross Country has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Cross Country has received from public funds in each such year; [164582]
(2) what payments the Southern train operating company has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Southern has received from public funds in each such year; [164584]
(3) what payments South Eastern has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments South Eastern has received from public funds in each such year; [164585]
(4) what payments Northern Rail has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Northern Rail has received from public funds in each such year. [164586]
Norman Baker: Information on the net annual payments between Government and Train Operating Companies is published annually by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)on their data portal. This is available on the ORR's website at:
http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk
Figures for First Scotrail and Arriva Trains Wales are supplied by the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government respectively as those bodies are responsible for the management and funding on those franchises.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the original estimate was of the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link single bore tunnel from Old Oak Common to Primrose Hill; and what the most recent estimate is. [164749]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd advises that the original January 2012 estimate for the cost of the single bore tunnel was £330 million. Its current estimate for the tunnel is £290 million. The revised estimate reflects a more detailed understanding of the design and cost of the tunnelling.
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Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the original estimate was of the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link works above ground from the Primrose Hill portal to connect with High Speed 1; and what the most recent estimate is. [164750]
Mr Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd advises that the original January 2012 estimate for the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link works above ground from the Primrose Hill portal to connect with High Speed 1 was £170 million. Its current estimate for the works above ground is £300 million.
The increased cost for the current estimate of the surface element is driven by a more detailed understanding of the implications of the route, such as the need to widen structures on the route.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the January 2012 proposals for High Speed 2 at Euston. [164751]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report,columns 281-2W, to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle).
Offshore Industry: Safety
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) staff and (b) resources the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has allocated for work on the safety regime for the offshore oil and gas industry for each year to 2015-16. [164714]
Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not allocate staff or resources to work on the safety regime for the offshore oil and gas industry. This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.
The MCA develops policies for the safety of ships that service the oil and gas industry. It also co-ordinates a 24-hour maritime search and rescue service, and manages pollution prevention and response activities. For matters concerning emergency response, two members of MCA staff are based in Aberdeen Maritime and Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), dedicated to working with the offshore oil and gas and renewables industry during 2013-14.
Culture, Media and Sport
Coventry City Football Club
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the cost to the local economy of Coventry City Football Club playing outside Coventry instead of at the Ricoh Arena. [164468]
Hugh Robertson: I do not, as a matter of course, assess the economic impact of specific football clubs, but recognise their importance to local communities and economies.
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Devolution
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library any concordats which her Department or the public bodies for which she is responsible have with the devolved Administrations. [163147]
Hugh Robertson: The Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements, agreed in September 2012, set out principles which underlie the relationship between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These documents are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, in addition, has agreed bilateral concordat(s) for handling of procedural, practical or policy matters with counterparts in the devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales. Copies of the documents will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
We will check whether public bodies have concordats with the devolved Administrations and these, or links to them, will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, in due course.
Sports: Finance
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of her Department's budget is allocated to grassroots sports in England. [164685]
Hugh Robertson: The proportion of DCMS budget allocated to grassroots and community sport in England is 6%.
Cabinet Office
Cabinet Committees
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how it is decided which Ministers sit on each Cabinet Committee or Sub-Committee; [164907]
(2) what consideration is given to the respective numbers of Ministers who are members of (a) the Conservative party and (b) the Liberal Democrat party when deciding how many such hon. Members sit on each Cabinet Committee or Sub-Committee. [164908]
Mr Letwin: The appointment of members of Cabinet Committees is by the Prime Minister with the agreement of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister consider the number of Ministers who are members of each party when making appointments to Cabinet Committees and Sub-Committees.
Marriage
Andrew Griffiths:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) White, (b) White British, (c) Irish, (d) Travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy/Roma, (f) any other White background, (g) White and Black Caribbean, (h) Black
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Caribbean,
(i)
White and Black African,
(j)
White and Asian,
(k)
any other mixed background,
(l)
Asian,
(m)
Pakistani,
(n)
Bangladeshi,
(o)
any other Asian background,
(p)
Black,
(q)
any other Black background,
(r)
Chinese and
(s)
any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996. [164601]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated July 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) White, (b) White British, (c) Irish, (d) Travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy/Roma, (f) any other White background, (g) White and Black Caribbean, (h) Black Caribbean, (i) White and Black African, (j) White and Asian, (k) any other mixed background, (l) Asian, (m) Pakistani, (n) Bangladeshi, (o) any
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other Asian background, (p) Black, (q) any other Black background, (r) Chinese and (s) any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996. (164601)
The ethnicity and marital status of the population of England and Wales can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are available for 1996 to 2012 using this source but the ethnicity question asked of respondents has differed during this time, changing between 2000 and 2001, and again between 2010 and 2011. Therefore the results shown are not necessarily the same as those asked in the question but are the closest available.
Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide estimates of the number and percentage of people aged 16 or over who were married, by ethnicity, in years 1996-2000, 2001-2010 and 2011-2012 respectively. The percentage of people married in each ethnic group will partly be affected by the age structure of those in that ethnic group.
Those whose ethnicity was missing were excluded from this analysis. This ranged from 5% of cases to less than 0.1%. As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty particularly for smaller ethnic groups.
| Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 1996-2012, England and Wales | |||||
| Number | |||||
| Table 1: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 1996-2000, England and Wales | |||||
| Ethnicity | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| Percentage | |||||
| Ethnicity | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
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| Number | |||||
| Table 2: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 2001-10, England and Wales | |||||
| Ethnicity | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| Number | |||||
| Ethnicity | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage | ||||||||||
| Ethnicity | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
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| Number | ||
| Table 3: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 2011-12, England and Wales | ||
| Ethnicity | 2011 | 2012 |