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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 29 August 2013
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Experiments
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the rise in the use of cats and dogs for experimental purposes; and if he will make a statement. [165624]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The number of animals likely to be used in any given year is dependent on many factors, including investment in research and development, strategic decisions by funding bodies, global economic trends and scientific innovation.
Cats, dogs, non-human primates and horses are given special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and may only be used if no other species is suitable or it is not practicable to obtain animals of any other species that are suitable for the purposes of the relevant programme of work. The licensing system under the 1986 Act is demand-led and we have no control over the number of project licence applications we receive and the species required.
The 2012 statistics, published on 16 July 2013, show that dogs, cats and non-human primates combined accounted for 0.2 % of all procedures. The total scientific procedures using dogs for 2011 were 4,552 and 4,843 for 2012, representing an increase of 6%. The totals for cats in 2011 were 235 and in 2012 they were 247, representing an increase of 5%. These percentage increases represent relatively small changes in the number of procedures for a range of differing purposes.
Environment Protection: British Overseas Territories
Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times Ministers of his Department have met their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development to discuss environmental stewardship in the Overseas Territories in 2013. [166432]
Richard Benyon: The last formal meeting in which Ministers discussed environmental stewardship in the Overseas Territories was at the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in December 2012. The JMC is an annual event which brings together Territory leaders and UK Government Ministers to discuss key issues and identify priority actions for the Overseas Territories. The last JMC meeting included an important session on ‘Cherishing the Environment and Creating Green Growth’. Ministers also regularly meet at informal events, including with representatives of Overseas Territories.
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In addition to ministerial-level contact, DEFRA officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development about biodiversity issues in the Overseas Territories. This ensures that the three Departments work together in a coherent way to deliver their respective responsibilities for the Overseas Territories.
Flood Control
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, columns 271-2W, on flood control, if he will list each recorded breach of flood defences in each of the last 30 years. [166077]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency does not hold any central records of flood defence breaches prior to 2007. It is improving the recording mechanism for breaches and other failures that will make information more readily available in the future. Incidents are listed here for 2007 and 2012; there were no such incidents between 2008 and 2011.
In the 2007 floods there were four sites where flood defence failure led to the earlier onset of flooding. The same level of flooding would have occurred even if the assets had not failed. These breaches were at:
Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Auckley, South Yorkshire.
In the 2012 floods the breaches were at the following sites. No properties were flooded as a result of these breaches.
Winterton, North Lincolnshire
N Kelsey, Lincolnshire
Cheshire Lines, Cheshire
Langleys Broad Ditch, Lancashire
New Reed Brook, Lancashire
Upper Swale, Yorkshire
Cheddar, Somerset
Poole, Dorset
Frodingham, Lincolnshire.
Forests
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hectares of woodland have been brought into active management since 2002; and what proportion of such woodland was commercial coniferous forestry. [165851]
Mr Heath [holding answer 18 July 2013]: The current methodology used by the Forestry Commission to assess the area of woodland in England in active management can only provide figures back to March 2008. This means it is unable to compare directly today's actively managed area with that in 2002. Between March 2008 and March 2013 there was a net increase in actively managed woodland of 58,178 hectares.
Commercial coniferous forestry is not a recognised designation used by the Forestry Commission in its performance indicators for England or the National Forest Inventory. However, just over 22% of this net
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total increase in actively managed woodland was conifer woodland. It is reasonable to assume that conifer woodland in active management is used for commercial purposes.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of new forest cover up to 2060 will be commercial coniferous stands. [165852]
Mr Heath [holding answer 18 July 2013]: In January 2013 DEFRA's Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement included a commitment to “Work with the sector to find new ways of encouraging landowners to plant more trees where it best suits them and their local conditions”. It is therefore primarily up to the landowner to define the nature of woodland planted and the management objective. However, we would expect a significant proportion of conifer woodland to be included in new planting in England over the next few decades.
Livestock: Transport
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many checks the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency have undertaken in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to date to ensure that drivers of vehicles transporting live animals to continental Europe comply with Article 17(2) of Regulation 1/2005 in holding a certificate of competence; and how many cases of non-compliance have been found in each such year. [165929]
Mr Heath: With regards to the number of checks undertaken specifically by Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in relation to the holding of certificates of competence under Article 17(2) of Council Regulation EC 1/2005, the records held on the enforcement database do not differentiate between different forms of documentary check. This database is shared between AHVLA and local authorities and so the data could not be easily interrogated to obtain a satisfactory breakdown. However, AHVLA records do show that in 2012 AHVLA served six statutory notices as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence at the time of inspection, and in 2013 to date one notice has been served as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of the inspections undertaken by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on each lorry that transports live animals to continental Europe from Dover is; and for what reasons this cost is not passed on to the transporters under the cost sharing initiative. [165930]
Mr Heath: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) does not hold records of the cost of inspections relating to animal welfare legislation on an individual vehicle basis. Inspections on these same consignments, for the purpose of animal health certification, undertaken by private veterinarians appointed by AHVLA, are paid for directly by the owners of the animals.
As regards to the introduction of any further charges, DEFRA officials are still considering the case for the introduction of a limited range of charges in relation to welfare in transport controls. The outcome is likely to
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be determined by possible changes to the scope of Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules. This legislation is currently subject to renegotiation as part of a package of measures to rationalise EU Animal Health and Welfare legislation. This includes those provisions directly relating to charging for official controls, such as inspections. It is too early to predict what changes are likely to be adopted at the EU level upon conclusion of negotiations, but the Government will wish to ensure that where charging is justified, it is proportionate, non-discriminatory in nature and applied as transparently as possible.
Overseas Aid
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which projects administered by his Department were UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) attributable; what the total value of his Department's contribution to UK ODA was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012; and what the value of that contribution will be in 2013. [162210]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 1 July 2013]: Core DEFRA administers two programmes—(part of) the UK's International Climate Fund, and the Darwin Initiative—that contribute to the total of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure:
| £ million | ||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 (forecast) | |
Staff
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months. [162614]
Richard Benyon: In the period 1 June 2012 to 31 May 2013 (the last 12 months for which data are available), core DEFRA spent:
(a) £71,315 on recruitment agency fees for recruitment to civil service and Public Appointments posts. The breakdown by month is as follows:
| Month(1) | Spend (£) |
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| (1) Date shown relates to the date the invoice was paid. | |
(b) £12,600 on career transition services for staff at risk of redundancy. The breakdown by month is as follows:
| Month(1) | Spend (£) |
| (1) Date shown relates to the date the invoice was paid. | |
(c) £1,246,266 on staff training(2)
(2) The figures given for staff training are for the total spend recorded against training account codes in the Department's financial management system for the whole year. This expenditure could be for a variety of reasons from actual training courses to booking course venues. We have given a total for the year as the monthly breakdown indicates a negative figure for April 2013 due to accounting policies.
Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales. [166105]
Richard Benyon: A number of DEFRA's network bodies provide services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.
Home Department
Airwave Service
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 389W, on airwave service, whether the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme has made a decision as to the technology basis of the new solution. [166148]
James Brokenshire: The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme will evaluate the technology options during tender evaluation, and the Full Business Case will recommend a preferred solution. The Full Business Case will not be approved before March 2015.
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Arrest Warrants
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the potential scope of the extradition of nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden from those countries if the UK opted out of the European Arrest Warrant Framework. [160176]
Mr Harper [holding answer 17 June 2013]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), set out in her ministerial statement on 9 July 2013 , Official Report, columns 177-93 that the Government will opt out of all of the pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures, and then negotiate with the Commission and other member states to opt back into those individual measures which it is in our national interest to rejoin, including the European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Parliament has voted on this position, and agreed to opt out of pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures.
In reaching its decision the Government considered how the EAW contributed to public safety and security, whether practical co-operation is underpinned by it, and whether there would be a detrimental impact on such co-operation if it were pursued by other means. We also considered the impact of each measure on our civil rights and traditional liberties. As part of this decision, the impact on the extradition of nationals of EU countries was considered. The European Convention on Extradition (1957) governed extradition relations between the UK and other EU member states prior to the adoption of the EAW. Under the ECE some member states did not extradite their own nationals to the UK and may not do so again in the future.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Statement of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 177, on the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, if she will take steps to ensure that the police are required to inform a person of the existence of a European Arrest Warrant against them. [166011]
Mr Harper: There is no obligation to notify the person of the existence of a warrant ahead of their arrest. It is a matter of longstanding policy and practice that the United Kingdom will neither confirm nor deny that it has received, is to make or has made an extradition request, until the subject of the request has been arrested. This is because if a person wanted for extradition learnt of the request in advance of their arrest, they would be able to take action to evade justice.
Asylum
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers are still in the UK. [166208]
Mr Harper:
The asylum work in progress (WIP) number is published on an annual basis, providing a breakdown of the status of these cases. This includes figures on the number of main applicants whose cases are subject to removal action (i.e. failed asylum seekers).
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At the end of June 2012, a total of 23,497
(1,2)cases in the WIP were subject to removal action. A copy of the full publication can be found at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/further-key-data/
(1) The figure quoted has been derived from management information and is therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
(2) While some cases in the “subject to removal action” category await imminent removal, for many there will be significant barriers to removals which we are still working to overcome. Such barriers include difficulties in obtaining documents from national governments; dealing with last minute legal challenges; and logistical and practical challenges in removing families in a humane and dignified fashion.
The asylum work in progress publication will be updated at the beginning of September 2013, providing figures on the WIP as at the end of June 2013.
Billing
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many creditors to her Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years. [166376]
James Brokenshire: The details of how many of the Home Department's creditors remained unpaid for the quoted time periods can be found in the following table:
| Financial year | Payments owing 30-44 days | Payments owing 45-59 days | Payments owing 60-74 days | Payments owing 75-90 days | Payments owing 90+ days |
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's total spending has been spent on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre in each year since its inception; and what proportion of her Department's budget is forecast to be spent on CEOP in each of the next three years. [163315]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 4 July 2013]: Since 2006 the Government have provided funding for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) of:
| £ million | |
From April 2013 to October 2013 CEOP has a budget of £3.2 million. From October 2013 CEOP will form a
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command within the National Crime Agency (NCA). The budget for the NCA will be announced in due course.
CEOP obtains additional funding from industry and charities.
Children: Detention Centres
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will investigate the child protection issues raised by the detention of children in adult immigration removal centres. [166073]
Mr Harper: It is Home Office policy not to detain under 18s in adult immigration removal centres other than in the specific event of their having been stopped at the border as part of a family group because enquiries are necessary as to whether the family can be safely admitted or, if not, pending a flight home. In these circumstances, families stay together in accommodation specially designed for families and separate from the other detainees. There are occasions when evidence emerges to indicate that a person who has been detained in other circumstances and as an adult is under 18. In those circumstances, the individual will be released from detention as soon as the local authority can make appropriate arrangements for them in the community. If the case meets the criteria for an age dispute case as set out in the following published criteria, the individual will be the subject of a formal local authority age assessment and will be treated as under 18 pending the outcome of the assessment.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/detention-services-orders/age-dispute.pdf?view=Binary
Crime: EU Countries
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which other EU countries those accused of criminal activities (a) need to and (b) do not need to be physically present before being charged by that country's legal authorities. [164897]
Mr Harper [holding answer 12 July 2013]: The position varies across EU member states and, in some situations, depends upon the seriousness and complexity of the crime. According to the information received from member states, the following table sets out which of them requires the physical presence of the requested person in order for decisions to charge that person to be taken.
Overall, the reforms we are proposing will introduce much needed safeguards for persons subject to a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in the UK. In addition to the provisions relating to decisions to charge and try, the Extradition Act 2003 will be amended to allow for the temporary transfer of the person to the issuing state. We also propose to make provision for the person to speak with the authorities in that state while he or she remains in the UK (e.g. by video link). We will work to ensure the European Investigation Order is agreed as quickly as possible in order that this may be used as an alternative to the EAW in appropriate circumstances.
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| Member state | Presence required for the decision to charge to be made | Presence required for the decision to try to be made |
Criminal Investigation
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many employees of the Border Force are currently under criminal investigation; [164525]
(2) how many employees of her Department are currently under criminal investigation. [164526]
Mr Harper: From the information sources available, there are currently nine employees of the Home Department under criminal investigation. None of these employees are from Border Force.
Domestic Visits
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times she has visited (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland and (c) Wales since her appointment; and if she will make a statement. [165304]
James Brokenshire:
Home Office Ministers have regular visits and meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous
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Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such visits.
Driving Offences
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme in preventing reoffending; and how many drivers have opted for these courses rather than accept penalty points on their driving licence in each of the last three years; [166332]
(2) how many National Driver Offender Retraining Schemes are operating in the UK; and which police forces do not run any such scheme. [166333]
Damian Green: The National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS)is a police controlled and operated scheme that currently comprises six courses that cover speeding, careless driving/riding and other driving behaviours or attitudes. It is a matter for individual chief officers of police whether to make one or more of these courses available. All police forces within the UK run at least one of these courses. The number of drivers that opted for these courses rather than accept penalty points is not known, but NDORS management advise that course attendance in 2010 was 467,601, in 2011, 793,689 and in 2012, 963,657.
The Department for Transport has been assisting the police in evaluating how educational and training courses adapt driver behaviour to prevent reoffending and is currently working with the police to develop a recidivism evaluation of each NDORS course.
Entry Clearances
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what revenue was raised from applications for visas to the UK from each individual country where the UK has visa application centres in each of the last three years; and what the total amount so raised was in each of those years; [164279]
(2) what revenue was raised from applications for visas to the UK from each of the 10 principal countries ranked by revenue generated in each of the last three years. [164308]
Mr Harper: This information is not published by country, but is published by geographical region, from 2011-12 onwards. Therefore, a table is provided detailing income by region for the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13, and is ranked according to 2012-13 income:
| Income by region—overseas visas | ||
| Million | ||
| 2012-13 | 2011-12 | |
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Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have overstayed their visa in each of the last three years. [166209]
Mr Harper: The requested figures on the number of people who have overstayed their visa in each of the last three years are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Entry Clearances: China
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on making it easier for tourists from China to visit the UK. [165757]
Mr Harper [holding answer 16 July 2013]: We continue to look for ways to enhance the visa service to further encourage Chinese tourism and investment to the UK. Since December 2012 we have:
simplified the document requirements for business and tourists
shortened application forms for certain tourists
expanded access to our premium services
produced new guidance in simplified Mandarin
launched a “business network” of staff to support key businesses through the visa application process
launched an improved website
introduced Passport Pass Back, allowing visitors wanting to apply for another visa at the same time to retain their passports
launched a VIP Mobile Biometric service for senior executives whereby we go to the applicant's office to take their biometrics
introduced Prime Time, extended opening hours in six of our applications centres, for those who need the convenience of an appointment outside of usual business hours.
Entry Clearances: Married People
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will amend regulations to take into account contracts guaranteeing future income of returning UK citizens in spousal visa applications where overseas income has been insufficient to meet the new income threshold. [165845]
Mr Harper [holding answer 17 July 2013]: The family Immigration Rules allow a British Citizen returning to the UK to rely on a confirmed job offer or signed contract of employment here in sponsoring their spouse’s visa application, where the sponsor can evidence that they have been earning overseas the level of income concerned. We have no current plans to change this requirement.
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the likely effect of the new income threshold for spousal visas on UK citizens studying abroad who marry overseas’ citizens. [165846]
Mr Harper [holding answer 17 July 2013]: A British Citizen studying overseas who does not have the income or savings required to sponsor their spouse to come to the UK under the family Immigration Rules may return to work in the UK. Once they have been earning the required level of income for six months with the same employer, they may be able to sponsor their spouse to join them here.
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Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of how many people remain in the UK on expired student visas. [162079]
Mr Harper: The requested figures on the number of people who remain in the UK on expired student visas is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by her Department (a) in total and (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by her Department for this purpose. [165457]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office spent the sums set out in the following table in discharging its statutory responsibilities as an employer and provider of goods and services under equality legislation.
The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity is 15.
| Total annual spend (£) | Total annual staff costs (£) | |
Europol
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has visited Europol since May 2010. [158385]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 6 June 2013]: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings, and of overseas travel, are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Government.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212353/Home_Office_Ministers_Jan-_March_13.pdf
Europol and Eurojust
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the value of the UK's membership of (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust. [156393]
James Brokenshire:
The Government has sought input from law enforcement, the devolved Administrations and other partners of the value to the UK of our membership of Europol and Eurojust as part of its consideration of which EU police and criminal justice
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measures adopted before 1 December 2009 (a category that includes both organisations) we should seek to rejoin when we opt out of those measures as a whole in December 2014.
The Government will seek to rejoin measures that combat cross-border crime and keep our country safe. Command Paper 8671 contains a set of 35 measures, including both Europol and Eurojust as they are currently constituted, that the Government believes it would be in the national interest to seek to rejoin.
The Government have not opted in to the new Europol proposal because of concerns over powers to direct national police and mandatory data sharing, including of sensitive law enforcement intelligence related to national security. However, we will opt in to the proposal once it has been adopted if these concerns are met in the negotiations.
The coalition agreement makes clear that the UK will not participate in the Commission's recently published proposal for a European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the UK's membership of the antecedents to (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust. [156394]
James Brokenshire: The body that preceded Europol in supporting law enforcement cooperation in the EU was the Europol Drugs Unit. This was established in June 1993 and was replaced by Europol in July 1999. The body that preceded Eurojust in supporting judicial cooperation in the EU was known as Pro-Eurojust. This was formed in December 2000 and was replaced by Eurojust in February 2002. We have not received any recent representations about the UK’s membership of these now superseded bodies.
Illegal Immigrants
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration enforcement raids were carried out in each year since 2008. [164528]
Mr Harper: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Enforcement visits | |
Immigration
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency cases are outstanding; and what proportion of cases since May 2012 have taken longer than six months to process. [164650]
Mr Harper [holding answer 11 July 2013]: The Home Office’s quarterly written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee includes a description of work in hand and is published by the Committee.
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Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department put in place to control immigration from other EU member states in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2012. [166151]
Mr Harper: The rights of European Union nationals to live and work in other member states, and to be accompanied by their family members who do not hold a European Union nationality, are set out in the 2004 Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) by which the UK is bound. The directive was implemented in the UK through the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.
Free movement rights are not unconditional: after three months, those exercising rights must prove that they are a worker, student, self-employed or self-sufficient, such that they do not burden social welfare systems. The Home Office has strict checks in place to ensure that EU nationals who apply for registration documentation meet the requirements set out in the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006. EU nationals who do not meet one of these requirements will not have a right to reside in the UK.
The Inter-Ministerial Group on Migrants' Access to Benefits and Public Services aims to ensure the UK's offer to legal migrants on benefits and services is fair but does not act as an inappropriate incentive to migrate and that rules preventing illegal migrant access are effectively enforced.
The Government do not tolerate abuse of free movement. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has consistently raised her concerns about fraud and abuse of free movement at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, and we are working to curb such abuse both domestically, and together with our European partners. The Government is also examining the scope and consequences of the free movement of people across the EU as part of the Review of Balance of Competences.
Immigration: Married People
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many spousal visas were granted in each year since 2008. [165663]
Mr Harper: The latest published figures for partner visas issued under the family route are given in the following table:
| Entry clearance visas issued to those entering as partners1 through the Family route, 2008 to 2012 | |
| Visas issued | |
| Notes: 1. Includes visas issued for a probationary period and for immediate settlement. From July 2012, it also includes ‘post flight’ partners joining those who have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection but who have yet to apply for or be granted settlement. 2. It is not possible from the published statistics to distinguish between those granted visas under the old family rules and those granted visas under new family rules implemented since 9 July 2012. Source: Table be_04. Immigration Statistics, January to March 2013 | |
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The latest Home Office immigration statistics, including those for entry clearance visas, are published in the release Immigration Statistics January to March 2013, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations about the ending of a relationship with someone who has permission to enter or remain in the UK as a partner of a British citizen her Department received in each year from 2008 to date. [165722]
Mr Harper: A complete set of data of all types of representations regarding the ending of relationships between British citizens and their partners with limited leave to enter or remain are not held centrally. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [158661]
James Brokenshire: The Home Department's spend on external legal advice for financial years (FY) 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and the first quarter of 2013-14 is set out in the following table:
| External legal advice | |
| Financial year | Spend (£) |
| (1) This data is for the first quarter of financial year 2013-14 | |
Members: Correspondence
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the longest period of time the Minister for Immigration has taken to respond to a letter from an hon. Member since May 2010; [164172]
(2) what the average length of time the Minister for Immigration has taken to respond to letters from hon. Members is. [164173]
Mr Harper: Since May 2010, 217 working days has been the longest time taken for an Immigration Minister to reply to a hon. Member.
For letters already sent, on average it has taken 36 working days for the current Minister for Immigration to respond to hon. Members.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Slough of 18 March 2013 regarding the answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 23-4W, on entry clearances. [166166]
Mr Harper: I wrote to the hon. Member on 24 July 2013.
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Northcote House
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department used the facilities at Northcote House, Sunningdale Park, Berkshire in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement. [164824]
James Brokenshire: Following a review of learning and development across Government the National School of Government, which delivered training on the Sunningdale Park site, closed in March 2012. Data on which individuals may have used the site were not retained.
Offences against Children: Lancashire
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support her Department has offered to the victims of organised grooming and sexual exploitation of children in Lancashire. [166337]
Damian Green: In Lancashire, the Home Office has provided £20,000 per year from 2011-12 until 2014-15 to part fund an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) post that is attached to the SAFE Centre (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) based at Royal Preston Hospital. This centre has a children's wing where support as well as medical examination is provided from the outset. The ISVA post provides support and advocacy to victims or rape and sexual violence and the signposting to counselling services as required on a case by case basis by the victim.
Police
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the division of responsibilities between the Metropolitan and City police forces on cyber crime and fraud; and what assessment she has made of work on building capacity in other police force areas. [166222]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 18 July 2013]: The National Cyber Crime Unit within the new National Crime Agency will be the national lead on cyber crime. Responsibilities previously undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service Police Central e-Crime Unit are being transferred into the National Cyber Crime Unit which is already operating in shadow form ahead of the National Crime Agency becoming fully operational October 2013.
The City of London police will continue to act as the national police lead on fraud, and will work closely with the new Economic Crime Command in the National Crime Agency which will coordinate and direct activity to tackle fraud, bribery and corruption across all the agencies involved in tackling economic crime.
The creation of the National Crime Agency will strengthen the national capability to tackle serous and organised crime, including on cyber crime and fraud. To support this stronger national capability and provide specialist support to local forces the Home Office is providing £26 million to improve regional policing capabilities in England and Wales, including on fraud and cyber.
Funding from the National Cyber Security Programme is also being used to deliver cyber training for police forces.
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Private Sector
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what proportion of her Department's budget has been spent in payment to companies in the private sector in each of the last five years. [160740]
James Brokenshire: The details of the Home Department's total spend with, and what proportion of the Department's budget has been spent in payment to, companies in the private sector, in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 , can be found in the following table. To provide the data for 2008-09 and 2009-10 would incur disproportionate cost.
| Spend with private companies (£000) | Proportion of Home Department's budget has been spent in payment to companies (%) | |
Procurement
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey and (e) Capita for services undertaken on behalf of her Department by each such contractor in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13. [166280]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 18 July 2013]: In respect of the Home Department's expenditure with Capita and Serco in the given period I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answers given on 19 June 2013, Official Report, columns 686-87W and 4 July 2013, Official Report, column 788W, respectively. The Home Department's expenditure with G4S, GEO Amey and Sodexo can be found in the following table:
| Expenditure (£ million) | |||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
Recovery Orders
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the guidance her Department provides to police officers on the use of statutory recovery orders. [166059]
Damian Green [holding answer 18 July 2013]: There is a provision in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 which empowers the police in certain defined circumstances to remove and recover vehicles. This work is carried out by contracted recovery operators. The Home Office has not issued any guidance on the use of these powers, which is an operational matter for the police.
Sex Establishments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have resolved to use powers to regulate lapdancing clubs under the Police and Crime Act 2009. [163402]
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Mr Jeremy Browne [holding answer 5 July 2013]: This information is not held centrally.
South Yorkshire Police
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has held with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Independent Police Complaints Commission regarding an investigation into the role of South Yorkshire Police at Orgreave coke works during the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. [165625]
Damian Green: There are complex jurisdictional issues associated with referrals from South Yorkshire Police in relation to events at Orgreave Coking Plant in 1984 and the subsequent court cases. These referrals are currently under assessment by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
UK Border Agency
Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff in each pay grade (a) joined and (b) left that organisation in each of the last 12 months. [166135]
Mr Harper: The UK Border Agency was abolished on 1 April 2013. At that point all employees were reintegrated into the wider Home Office. For the 12 months previously (the 2012-13 financial year), the joiners and leavers by grade are set out in the following table. A breakdown by each month could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| The number of UK Border Agency employees in each pay grade who (a) joined and (b) left that organisation in 2012-13 | |||
| Headcount | |||
| Grade equivalency | (a) Number of employees who joined | (b) Number of employees who left | |
| Extract dates: 1 July 2012, 1 October 2012, 1 January 2013 and 1 April 2013—quarterly data was combined to create one set of data to cover the financial year. Source: Bespoke database on internal churn, with data taken from Data View—the Home Office's single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data. Period covered: 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. Organisational coverage: Figures include those who joined the UK Border Agency from within the Home Office (from core Home Office (including Border Force) and the Executive Agencies; HM Passport Office and the National Fraud Authority) and who left the UK Border Agency to move to another area of the Home Office. They also include those who moved into and out of the UK Border Agency due to restructuring, as well as those who moved on an individual basis when changing roles, Employee coverage: Figures given are headcount for civil servants who were current employees at the extract dates. Redaction: In accordance with the Data Protection Act figures less than 10 have been redacted and replaced with ** to avoid the identification of individuals. | |||
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Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales. [166108]
James Brokenshire: It is important that in the non-devolved areas sufficient support should be given to the Welsh language, and the Government are committed to ensuring this is done.
The Home Office leads on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in Wales and the rest of the UK.
Further details of the services the Home Office provides, can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/about
Welsh Language
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011. [166090]
James Brokenshire: This Government are fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
It is important that in the non-devolved areas sufficient support should be given to the Welsh language, and the Government are committed to ensuring this is done.
Since September 2009, the Home Office has adopted a Welsh Language scheme. The measures set out in the policy document form the basis of an annual report sent to the Welsh Language Commissioner where the Home Office provides evidence to ensure compliance with the agreed measures for the scheme. This was last reviewed in July 2013 as part of the Home Office's Welsh Language Scheme report for 2012-13 and was sent to the Welsh Language Commissioner.
Health
Arthritis
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department has taken to support families of people suffering from osteoarthritis; [166330]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people with osteoarthritis have access to physiotherapy, exercise facilities and weight management services. [166335]
Norman Lamb:
Through our Mandate to the NHS, we have asked NHS England to make measurable progress towards making our health service among the best in Europe at supporting people with ongoing health problems, such as osteoarthritis, to live healthily and independentlywith much better control over the care
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they receive. The NHS Outcomes Framework contains the indicators that will be used to hold NHS England to account for making progress.
One of NHS England's objectives is to ensure the NHS becomes dramatically better at involving patients and their carers, and empowering them to manage and make decisions about their own care and treatment. Achieving this objective would mean that by 2015; the 5 million carers who look after friends and family members will routinely have access to information and advice about the support available, including respite care.
It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in partnership with local stakeholders, including local government and the public to assess the needs of their local population and to commission services accordingly. CCGs will work closely with public health colleagues in this assessment to address local needs within the health community including physiotherapy.
Local authorities are now responsible for commissioning weight management services. Public Health England will work with and support local authorities to tackle obesity and is currently developing its work programme to do this. The programme will include support to local authorities to commission weight management services in England.
Arthritis: Lancashire
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in East Lancashire with osteoarthritis were able to access joint replacement surgery within 18 weeks in each of the last three years. [166338]
Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of weeks waited for finished admission episodes with a joint replacement as the main operative procedure for patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis resident in the former East Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCX) area from 2009-10 to 2011-12 is shown in the following table:
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
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| Notes: 1. To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with '*' (an asterix). Where it was still possible to identify figures from the total, additional figures have been replaced with '*'. 2. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. 3. The first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedures. 4. The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. 5. ICD-10 codes used to identify osteoarthritis are: M15.- Polyarthrosis M16.- Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of hip) M17.- Gonarthrosis (arthrosis of knee) M18.- Arthrosis of first carpometacarpal joint M19.- Other arthrosis 6. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Source: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care—Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) | |||
Billing
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many creditors to his Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years. [166375]
Dr Poulter: The requested information is not routinely collected by the Department. The payment target set for all Government Departments is to pay at least 80% of all invoices received within five days, regardless of the size of the creditor organisation or the value of the invoice. Payment performance is also monitored against targets of 10 days (the previous target set by Cabinet Office) and 30 days, which are the payment terms stated in all the Department's commercial contracts.
The Department's performance against each of the above targets for the last three full financial years is given in the following table:
| Percentage | |||
| Days | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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Cancer: Drugs
Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in each strategic health authority area who have received treatment as a consequence of the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund. [166472]
Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 18 June 2013, Official Report, column 656W.
Strategic health authorities no longer exist. NHS England took responsibility for the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2013 and information on the number of patients funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund for 2013-14 is not yet available. NHS England is currently considering what information will be made available routinely and how it will be made available.
NHS England has advised that it has collected data on the use of the Cancer Drugs Fund for the first quarter of 2013-14 and it expects this to be made available shortly. Thereafter, data will be published quarterly.
Health Services: Lancashire
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in East Lancashire with a long-term condition were offered a personalised care plan in each of the last three years. [166331]
Norman Lamb: The information requested is not centrally held.
Responsibility for the treatment of long-term conditions passed to NHS England in April 2013. One of the objectives in the Government's Mandate to NHS England is for the national health service to better empower patients to manage and make decisions about their own care and treatment. Achieving this objective would mean that by 2015 everyone with a long-term condition will be offered a personalised care plan that reflects their preferences and agreed decisions.
Health: Restaurants
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will put in place plans for a franchisee responsibility deal to allow franchisee-owned quick service restaurants to commit to improving UK health. [166389]
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a franchise responsibility deal to allow franchisee-owner quick service restaurants to commit to introduce healthier food; and if he will make a statement. [166609]
Anna Soubry: The responsibility deal currently has a number of partners that operate on a franchise basis, including Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut, and their commitments cover all franchisees.
Additionally local franchise-owners can choose to sign up as local partners to the national responsibility deal. In April, the Department launched a local toolkit that includes a number of simple actions that local food/catering businesses can take to provide healthier
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offerings for their customers. Further information on the toolkit and becoming a local partner is available at:
https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/local-partners/
Hospitals: Greater London
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Bromley had annual financial deficits in the last financial year for which data is available; and if he will make a statement. [166578]
Dr Poulter: The Department routinely collects financial information from national health service trusts, but this information does not distinguish between individual hospitals within that trust.
South London Healthcare NHS Trust includes (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Bromley, (d) Beckenham Beacon Hospital, and (e) Orpington Hospital.
The financial position of South London Healthcare NHS Trust is shown in the following table.
| Operating deficit (£000) | |
Maternity Services
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with groups representing (a) new mothers, (b) midwives, (c) doctors and (d) other maternity ward staff on the admission of sales representatives to NHS maternity wards; [166344]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in Scotland on the admission of sales representatives on NHS maternity wards. [166345]
Dr Poulter: None. I wrote to all national health service trusts, NHS foundation trusts and heads of midwifery in England asking them to review their practices for allowing representatives from private companies on maternity wards and to assure themselves that they are maintaining women's dignity and respect shortly after the birth of a baby when they can be tired and vulnerable. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
It is for individual trusts to make decisions about the admission of sales representatives to NHS maternity wards.
Mental Health Services
Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 437W, on mental health services, what information his Department collects on NHS (a) spending on and (b) referrals to counsellors and psychotherapists. [166622]
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Norman Lamb: The Department collects information on overall spend on psychological therapy services in England.
From 2004-05 until 2011-12 the spend on psychological therapy services was as follows:
| £ million | |
| Source: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) three year report, November 2012 | |
The number of referrals to IAPT services each year since October 2008 were as follows:
| Number of referrals | |
| Source: IAPT Minimum Dataset | |
Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2013, Official Report, column 343W on Jackie Holt, what involvement Ms Tina Long had in negotiating the proposed secondment of Ms Jackie Holt from Morecambe bay NHS trust into Warrington and Halton NHS Trust; and whether his Department was consulted about the proposed secondment. [166474]
Dr Poulter: NHS England advises that Tina Long, the Director of Nursing and Quality at the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Area Team was not involved in negotiations about seconding Jackie Holt, the Executive Chief Nurse at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. The Department has no involvement in employment decisions of this nature.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what powers he has to intervene to ensure that NHS commissioners comply with the requirement to fund treatments covered by the multiple sclerosis risk-sharing scheme; [166075]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on the effectiveness of treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) of (a) MS nurses, (b) specialist treatment centres and (c) other specialist services delivered by the MS risk-sharing scheme since its inception in 2002. [166076]
Norman Lamb:
Under the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Group (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, NHS commissioners are required to fund the four multiple
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sclerosis treatments covered by the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Risk Sharing Scheme for patients meeting published clinical criteria.
The development of the United Kingdom-wide network of over 70 MS specialist treatment centres together with an increase in the number of MS specialist nurses has helped to improve the care and support available to MS patients.
NHS
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he has available for dissolving an NHS trust; which NHS trusts have been so dissolved; and if he will make a statement. [166574]
Anna Soubry: Paragraph 28 of schedule 4 to the National Health Service Act 2006 gives the Secretary of State power to dissolve an NHS trust on the application of the NHS trust concerned, or if the Secretary of State considers it appropriate in the interests of the health service. This power came into force in November 2006.
The following table gives details of the NHS trusts dissolved using this power.
| NHS Trust | |
|
The Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust | |
NHS Foundation Trusts
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the Competition Commission's preliminary conclusions on the proposed merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch foundation trust and the Poole Hospital foundation trust; and if he will make a statement; [166545]
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(2) what his policy is on possible mergers of NHS foundation hospital trusts. [166546]
Anna Soubry: The Government's policy is that all mergers involving national health service organisations must be in the interests of patients.
The Competition Commission's review of the merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an independent statutory process. We have noted the preliminary conclusions that were published on 11 July 2013. We now expect the Commission to carefully consider the benefits of the merger, taking views from stakeholders, before reaching a final decision.
NHS: Drugs
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on interpretation of the performance of different NHS foundation trusts in the take-up of medicines at a local level as revealed in the innovation scorecard. [166544]
Dr Poulter: The Innovation Scorecard presents data showing which local health services are providing which National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended medicines and technologies. The Department does not issue any guidance on the use or interpretation of the Innovation Scorecard data.
The Innovation Scorecard is part of the Innovation Health and Wealth programme being led by NHS England. It is designed to provide patients and the public with information on the treatments available within their local hospitals and NHS services, and guidance on its interpretation is a matter for NHS England. The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes guidance alongside the Innovation Scorecard Data.
NHS: Procurement
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of NHS contracts have been won by commercial contractors; and if he will make a statement; [166404]
(2) what proportion of NHS contracts concluded in the last three months have been won by commercial contractors. [166405]
Dr Poulter: NHS England does not hold a central record of contracts that have been awarded to private sector ("commercial") organisations.
NHS: Public Appointments
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which NHS trusts he has appointed a trust special administrator to exercise the functions of the chairman and directors of an NHS trust under the National Health Service Act 2006 since he took office; what the reasons were for each such appointment; and if he will make a statement. [166573]
Anna Soubry: The Trust Special Administrator's regime for a national health service trust, as set out under Chapter 5A of the NHS Act 2006, is triggered by the Secretary of State.
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The former Secretary of State appointed a Trust Special Administrator to South London Healthcare NHS Trust in July 2012. Details about the appointment were set in a written ministerial statement of 12 July 2012, Official Report, columns 47-49WS.
Rickets
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in incidences of rickets between 2010-11 and 2011-12. [166124]
Anna Soubry: Although hospital episode statistics data show an apparent increase in the incidence of rickets between 2010-11 and 2011-12, these data are based on the recorded admission figures and may overestimate the incidence for a number of reasons. These include counting individuals who have been admitted to hospital more than once in a year with a diagnosis of rickets. However, we have not made a detailed assessment of the reasons for the apparent recorded increase in admission episodes of rickets.
There are a number of causes of rickets including a lack of vitamin D and/or calcium. The Government continue to promote and recommend that young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women take a daily supplement of vitamin D, to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
Royal Bolton Hospital
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born per bed, per day in the labour unit at Royal Bolton Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many midwives were on duty on each such day. [166465]
Dr Poulter: This information is not collected centrally.
We have written to David Wakefield, Chair of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, informing him of the hon. Member's inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales. [166107]
Anna Soubry: Responsibility for Health and Social Care has been devolved since the Government of Wales Act 1998. So the vast majority of health and social care services utilised by people resident in Wales are overseen by the Welsh Assembly Government.
On some occasions Welsh residents need to access health care in England, perhaps because it is a specialist service only available in England. From April 2011 to March 2012 there were 57,477(1) inpatient finished admission episodes(2) of Welsh residents in English hospitals.
Some services are provided regardless of residence, such as the issuing of European Health Insurance Cards, which is done by the NHS Business Authority for both England and Wales.
(1 )Hospital episode statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.
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(2 )A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
Welsh Language
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011. [166089]
Dr Poulter: This Government are fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
As health is a devolved responsibility and Department of Health publications do not normally impact on Wales, there is not a policy of routinely translating documents into Welsh. If there was demand for publications to be available in Welsh this would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effect of a reduction in air passenger duty on connectivity to and from UK airports; [166306]
(2) what consideration his Department has given to the removal of air passenger duty for domestic air travel; and if he will make a statement. [166307]
Sajid Javid: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and considers their effects in the round. Air passenger duty (APD) is a relatively efficient and non-regressive tax, which makes an important contribution to the public finances.
It would not be possible under EU law to have different rates of APD on intra-UK flights than on flights from UK to other EU destinations.
The UK currently has excellent connectivity. London's five airports serve more destinations worldwide than any other city in Europe, and the UK has the third largest aviation network in the world. The Government have set up the Airports Commission to provide an assessment of how to meet the UK's international connectivity needs and maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub.
Consultants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) he and (b) officials in his Department spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before Select Committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [164678]
Sajid Javid: I can confirm that neither the Chancellor nor any Civil Servants within his Department have incurred any expenditure in relation to external assistance to prepare for appearances before Select Committees and contact with the media during 2011-12 and 2012-13.
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Economic Situation: Jersey
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recent report by Capital Economics entitled Jersey's value to Britain. [166613]
Sajid Javid: The Government acknowledge the report by Capital Economics, and recognises the contribution of Jersey to the UK economy.