Written Answers to Questions

Monday 2 September 2013

Attorney-General

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Attorney-General how many creditors to the Law Officers' Departments 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. [166366]

The Attorney-General: The information requested is contained in the following tables.

Proceeds of Crime

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the reasons are for the decline in assets recovered from convicted criminals by the Serious Fraud Office between 2011-12 and 2012-13. [166218]

The Attorney-General: The Serious Fraud Office deals with a small number of large value cases each year and so the sums recovered from criminals vary greatly and year on year comparisons are an inaccurate measure of performance.

A single large case can distort the figures. The sums recovered over the past five years are as follows:

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The sums recovered by the Serious Fraud Office from convicted criminals as a result of confiscation orders increased from £3,328,273 in the financial year 2011-12 to £3,874,030 in the last financial year. The SFO also recovers money from those associated with criminal or unlawful conduct and it is this sum that has declined.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many severance packages the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) agreed to in 2012-13; how much each such package was; and for how long each recipient had worked at the SFO. [166212]

The Attorney-General: In 2012-13 three senior civil servants left the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and received severance payments.

A fourth individual who was operating at SCS level on a fixed term contract also left the SFO and received a redundancy payment.

The details of the exit terms for all four individuals were contained in a written ministerial statement dated 4 December 2012, Official Report, column 51WS.

In addition eight junior graded staff left the SFO through a voluntary exit scheme at a total cost of £570,000. Those individuals had between six and 29 years’ service in the SFO and the wider civil service.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office subsidises the connecting costs of any of its employees. [166213]

The Attorney-General: The expiry of the lease on the Serious Fraud Offices in Elm Street required new premises to be found. In December 2011 the current location of Cockspur Street was identified. In March 2012 the then Chief Executive and Executive Board agreed a scheme to pay excess fares for a period of three years from the date of the move in November 2012 to staff who incurred additional travel costs as a result of the transfer. The additional travel cost is the difference in cost between their previous journey to work and the most cost effective and reasonable means of travel to the new workplace. This is subject to tax and national insurance. 38 staff have had a claim for excess fares approved.

The SFO has four investigative staff who are contracted to work at locations outside London. The SFO does not subsidise any of their commuting costs but pays their travel on the occasions when they are required to attend meetings at another location, in line with the SFO's travel and subsistence policy.

Serious Fraud Office: Redundancy and severance arrangements

Nick Smith: To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to the Tenth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2013-14, HC 360 on Serious Fraud Office:

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redundancy and severance arrangements, whether the police will be asked to investigate the unauthorised redundancy and severance payments made by the former director of the Serious Fraud Office. [167086]

The Attorney-General: The director of the Serious Fraud Office is aware of his obligations. If any evidence of potential criminal offences were to come to his attention, he would report them to the appropriate authorities.

Nick Smith: To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to the Tenth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2013-14, HC360 on Serious Fraud Office: redundancy and severance arrangements, what assessment he has made of the unauthorised redundancy and severance payments made by the former director of the Serious Fraud Office in relation to misconduct in public office. [167085]

The Solicitor-General: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) considered the redundancy and severance arrangements. The Attorney-General and I have accepted the conclusions of the PAC report. It will be for the director of the Serious Fraud Office, as accounting officer, to take forward any relevant actions.

The position regarding the redundancy and severance agreements is set out on pages 30-31 of the Serious Fraud Office’s annual accounts for 2011-12 which are available online at:

http://www.sfo.gov.uk/media/223353/annual%20report%20and%20accounts%202011-12.pdf

Nick Smith: To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to the Tenth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2013-14, HC 360 on Serious Fraud Office: redundancy and severance arrangements, what steps he is taking to recover the unauthorised redundancy and severance payments made by the former director of the Serious Fraud Office. [167087]

The Solicitor-General: I refer the hon. Member to the response the Attorney-General gave to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) on 18 July 2013, Official Report, column 787W. The director of the Serious Fraud Office has written to the recipients of the unauthorised ex-gratia payments to request they repay the money. No repayments have been received so far.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Law Officers' Departments provide services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales. [166097]

The Attorney-General: The Law Officers' Departments provide the same services to people resident in Wales as they do to people resident in England.

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Law Officers' Departments have a current Welsh language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011. [166079]

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The Attorney-General: The Law Officers' Departments are not considered to be "public bodies" under the provisions of the Welsh Language Act 1993 (sections 6 and 21) and are consequently not required to publish a Welsh language scheme. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does however have an approved Welsh language scheme. The original scheme was revised in August 2008. The CPS has reported and continues to report on a yearly basis in relation to the operation of the scheme to the Welsh Language Commissioner's office. The scheme was reviewed in June 2013 and can be accessed at:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/wales/assets/uploads/files/CYNLLUN%20IAITH%20GYMRAEG%20-%20WELSH%20LANGUAGE%20SCHEME.pdf

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many questions answered by the Law Officers' Departments included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166695]

(2) if he will make it the Law Officers' Departments' policy to ensure that all answers provided by the Law Officers' Departments containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166719]

The Attorney-General: The Office of the Leader of the House has issued guidance to Departments on publishing statistical data or referring to websites in answers and the Attorney-General's Office aims to follow this guidance. The guidance itself can be found at

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work

Between 17 June and the 17 July 2013, 32 of the written questions answered by the AGO included statistical data tables which were published fully in the Official Report.

Prime Minister

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 444W, on Burma, what the outcomes were and what actions were agreed as a result of his discussions with President Thein Sein on (a) progress on political and economic reform, including the need for responsible trade and investment, (b) the UK's concerns about Kachin and Rakhine states, (c) human rights and (d) the release of remaining political prisoners. [166561]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 109WS.

Lynton Crosby

Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 847W, on Michael Dugher, on how many occasions Mr Lynton Crosby has been registered on the access control records as a visitor to Downing Street since November 2012. [166655]

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The Prime Minister: I meet Lynton Crosby in my capacity as Leader of the Conservative Party.

I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 332W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson).

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many questions answered by No. 10 Downing Street included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166712]

(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by No. 10 Downing Street containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166737]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 445W. Where my answers refer to a hyperlink the relevant page is provided to the Member and a copy is placed in the Library of the House.

I also refer the hon. Member to section 7.32 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work. The full guide can be accessed online at:

www.tinyurl.com/ParliGuide

Readily available information and published sources

7.32 Members are advised that questions must be seeking information that is not readily available elsewhere in the public domain (including in answers to identical or similar questions in a previous session). Increasingly, this is the case as more and more information is available on government websites, though not necessarily in the format requested in the question.

Deputy Prime Minister

Commission on the Consequences of Devolution for the House of Commons

Hywel Williams: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date the Government will respond formally to the McKay Commission; and whether the response will form a package of proposals related to financial powers for Wales. [166018]

Miss Chloe Smith: The Government are considering the McKay Commission's report seriously and constructively and intend to respond in the autumn.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander)’s written ministerial statement on 17 July 2013, Official Report, columns 100-101WS, described further work that will take place before the Government respond to the Silk Commission's report on fiscal powers for the National Assembly for Wales.

The two Commissions were launched separately and have carried out important work in their own right. The reports cover different issues, and the merits of each will be considered in their own right.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Mr Binley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which representatives of the Government attended the most recent Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. [166973]

The Deputy Prime Minister: No representatives of the Government attended the recent Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.

Trident

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which people, service personnel and organisations were consulted during the Trident Alternatives Review. [166592]

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.

The review was led by officials in the Cabinet Office, drawing upon advice from military and civilian experts from within Her Majesty's Government, primarily from the Ministry of Defence and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on an as-required basis. They included experts from policy, intelligence, scientific, capability and cost areas and senior military and civilian staff.

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of (a) the total monetary cost and (b) how many full-time equivalent staff worked on the preparation of the Trident Alternatives Review. [166602]

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish a detailed account of the total costs of the Trident Alternatives Review. [166557]

John Woodcock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of the preparation of the Trident Alternatives Review was. [166599]

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.

The costs of the review were met from within existing departmental budgets. They were limited to: the time spent by officials in the Cabinet Office leading the review, which over the past year consisted of two full-time staff and a senior civil servant; the time spent by experts providing advice on an as-required basis, primarily from the Ministry of Defence and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and to any incidental travel costs associated with attending meetings.

These costs are not centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Wales

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what strategies he has to create apprenticeships in his Department; and what plans he has to promote such strategies. [165901]

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Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office fully supports the Government's apprenticeships strategy, employing two apprentices of its own. Wales Office staff have also recently provided professional support for the civil service wide apprenticeship assessment centres.

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [166383]

Stephen Crabb: None.

Cwm Taf Health Board

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the cost of (a) upgrading Cwm Taf Health Board to the status of university and (b) creating additional Professor or Chair titles at that university; whether he has had discussions with the First Minister on these matters; and if he will make a statement. [166327]

Mr David Jones: I have not received any representations on the costs of (a) upgrading Cwm Taf Health Board to the status of university or (b) creating additional professor or chair titles at that university. This is not a matter that the First Minister has raised during our regular meetings.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement. [165922]

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has not introduced or revoked any regulations in the period described.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166716]

(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166741]

Stephen Crabb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 751W.

Scotland

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [166380]

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David Mundell: No creditors to the Scotland Office 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.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement. [165919]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office is responsible for managing a programme of Orders under the Scotland Act 1998. Generally, these Orders make changes to the law in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or the reserved law of the UK which are outwith the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. Many of these changes are consequential to provisions made in Acts of the Scottish Parliament. The Orders do not in themselves introduce or revoke regulations.

Scottish Youth Parliament

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings he has had with members of the Scottish Youth Parliament; and what matters were discussed. [165830]

David Mundell: Both the Secretary of State and I have met representatives of the Scottish Youth Parliament at events that we have attended in a ministerial capacity.

Scotland Office officials met with a representative of the Scottish Youth Parliament in June 2013 to discuss Scottish involvement in the UK Youth Parliament.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166713]

(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166738]

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 751W.

Northern Ireland

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [166379]

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Mrs Villiers: The number of creditors to my Department owed more than £10,000 which remained unpaid for the periods specified in each of the last three years were as follows:

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the title is of each regulation her Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if she will make a statement. [165918]

Mrs Villiers: My Department has introduced the following regulations since 2010:

My Department has responsibilities chiefly on constitutional, electoral and national security fields; they do not generally concern business regulation.

My Department revoked The Identification and Traceability of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and The Identification and Traceability of Explosives (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2012 by means of the 2013 regulations cited above.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many questions answered by her Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166711]

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(2) if she will make it her policy to ensure that all answers provided by her Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166736]

Mrs Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 750W.

Culture, Media and Sport

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many apprenticeships her Department offered to people aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 21 and (c) 22 to 26 years old in each year since 2010. [165869]

Hugh Robertson: DCMS is fully committed to the apprenticeship scheme and, with The Royal Parks, has agreed to provide at least five apprenticeships every year, going forward.

Apprenticeships created by DCMS:

(a) 2010—15

(b) 2011—9

(c) 2012—6

We do not hold information for our arm's length bodies.

We do not keep information on the ages of individuals who have undertaken apprenticeships with the Department.

The Department is committed to supporting opportunities for young people and the new Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeships scheme, which is currently being piloted, will be available to those who are between 18 and 21 years of age.

Betting Shops

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many betting shops are located in each parliamentary constituency. [166665]

Hugh Robertson: Gambling premises are licensed by local authorities and a breakdown by parliamentary constituency is, therefore, not readily obtainable. However, local authorities are required to make details of their gambling premises register publically available and provide a monthly update to the Gambling Commission. Details of the number of gambling premises, including betting shops, located in each local authority area are made available on the Commission's website

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/find_licensees.aspx

Broadband

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent progress she has made on the super connected cities programme; and if she will make a statement. [166392]

Mr Vaizey: The Super-Connected Cities Programme will improve digital infrastructure capability in the 22 participating cities through support for businesses via a

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broadband connection vouchers scheme, increased wireless connectivity in city centres and a number of other innovative connectivity projects.

All cities have now had plans approved and in early August my Department launched a two-month market test for the connection vouchers scheme in five participating Super-Connected Cities (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and Salford).

The market tests will be reviewed in October with roll-out to the other cities expected to follow soon after. We will continue to work closely with all Super-Connected Cities to ensure that all elements of the programme are delivered by 2015.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the BDUK rural broadband framework contract covers marketing and communications for broadband services; and whether local authorities will have any future role in delivering marketing and communication services. [154686]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 13 May 2013]:The rural broadband framework contract includes options for a range of demand stimulation, marketing and communications activities.

Charities

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish a table listing every charity which receives more than 25% of its funding from her Department.[167261][Official Report, 6 September 2013, Vol. 567, c. 7-8MC.]

Hugh Robertson: The following charities receive more than 25% of their funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport:

Arts Council England

British Film Institute

British Library

British Museum

Churches Conservation Trust

English Heritage

Geffrye Museum

Horniman Museum

Imperial War Museum

National Film and Television School

National Gallery

National Museums Liverpool (National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside)

National Portrait Gallery

Natural History Museum

Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Royal Armouries

Royal Museums Greenwich (National Maritime Museum)

Science Museum Group

Sir John Soane's Museum

Victoria & Albert Museum

Wallace Collection.

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Football League

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will meet representatives of the Football League to discuss whether the owners of Coventry City FC have fulfilled the criteria required by the Football League’s regulations in order to play at another club’s stadium; [166587]

(2) if she will meet representatives of the Football League to discuss potential changes to the Football League’s regulations in order to avoid financial difficulties forcing football clubs to play away from their home town. [166589]

Hugh Robertson: I meet regularly with the Football League to discuss a range of issues. I also met with the hon. Member and the right hon. Member for Coventry North East (Mr Ainsworth) to hear their concerns about the situation faced by Coventry FC, and have raised their specific concerns with the Football League in writing, including the application of their own criteria and regulations in regards to Coventry City FC.

I will let the hon. Member know as soon as I receive an answer.

Gambling: Lotteries

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the costs of recruiting society lottery players on the amount that the society lotteries give to charities; [167042]

(2) what estimate she has made of (a) the money raised for the good causes and (b) the annual percentage difference from society lotteries in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [167034]

Hugh Robertson: The Gambling Commission's industry statistics show that between 2009 and 2012 money raised by society lotteries for good causes increased from £100.57 million in 2009-10 to £103.46 million in 2010-11, £132.05 million in 2011-12 and £151.94 million in 2012-13. Balancing the long-term potential future income to the good cause from introducing a new player against the initial recruitment cost is a matter for the society lotteries concerned. However, for each lottery draw they must ensure that those short-term costs do not cause the overall amount given to the good cause to fall below the statutory minimum of 20% of their ticket sales and that any expenses (including those related to player recruitment) are reasonably incurred.

Legal Costs

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on external lawyers' fees in the last year for which figures are available. [162511]

Hugh Robertson: The Department spent £2,480,812 on external lawyers' fees in the last financial year (2012-13).

Library Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the effect of reductions in funding for local authorities on the provision of library services in England. [166919]

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Mr Vaizey: Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service taking into account local needs and within available resources. My Department monitors and assesses proposals and decisions being made about changes to library services by local authorities across England.

Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with executives from the Science Museum Group regarding the future of the Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester). [159632]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 17 June 2013]: A list of ministerial meetings since May 2010 is available on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Transparency website, which can be found at this web address:

www.transparency.culture.gov.uk

Music: Disability

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with disability groups about young people's experiences regarding watching live music. [166630]

Mr Vaizey: This Government fund Attitude is Everything, via Arts Council England, which improves deaf and disabled people's access to live music by working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry. I met with representatives from this and other organisations in 2012 to discuss improving accessibility at live entertainment venues.

More generally, section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers (those who provide a service to the public or a section of the public), which includes music venues, to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ so that disabled people are not placed at a “substantial disadvantage” compared to non-disabled people.

National Lottery

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value was of sales of National Lottery scratch cards in Northern Ireland in each year between 2009 and 2012; and what the value was of National Lottery ticket sales in Northern Ireland in each such year. [166826]

Hugh Robertson: Sales figures for national lottery games in Northern Ireland are not recorded separately, and when combined with wider regional sales figures, are not available in a directly comparable format for the years requested due to changes in the way that regional sales are recorded. Since 2009, sales figures for national lottery games in Northern Ireland have been recorded in a single sales area with Northern Scotland. Prior to this they were included in the Western Scotland region statistics. National lottery ticket and scratch card sales are combined into a single sales figure. Sales figures for the combined Northern Ireland and Northern Scotland region show total ticket and scratch card sales of £366,733,369 for the year to March 31 2012, £351,521,650

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for a comparable period ending 2011, and £314,956,910 for the period ending 2010 (although the time period is not directly comparable). The Northern Ireland and Western Scotland region showed total ticket sales of £209,233,909 for 2009; no corresponding scratch card sales figures are available.

Publications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years. [154490]

Hugh Robertson: The Department generally uses on-demand services for online access to individual journal articles and subscriptions to journals are only taken out on an exceptional basis. The Department has recorded direct spend in the last five years on subscriptions to academic journals of:

Reed-Elsevier: Nil

Wiley-Blackwell: £907.90 in 2008-09

Springer: £535.23 in 2009-10

Subscriptions to other academic journals are made through the same agents used to supply newspapers and other periodicals. Detailed billing information is not held to identify costs by title/publisher and therefore information on spend with other academic publishers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Sports: Scotland

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the proportion of (a) under-16 year olds, (b) 16 to 25 year olds, (c) 25 to 40 year olds, (d) 40 to 60 year olds and (e) over 60 year olds who take part in recreational sport in (i) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (ii) Renfrewshire and (iii) Scotland. [166679]

Hugh Robertson: This is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Telephone Services

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects Ofcom to publish detailed proposals on simplifying non-geographic numbers; and how she expects the proposals to be implemented by (a) government, (b) other public bodies and (c) other UK businesses and organisations. [155753]

Mr Vaizey: On 15 April 2013, Ofcom set out its detailed policy proposals to simplify non-geographic numbers. Its main proposals included making freephone 080 and 116 numbers free to call from all landline and mobile telephones. Also, revenue sharing ranges, 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers, where a portion of the retail charge is passed back to the receiver of the call, will have a common simplified structure. The proposals are subject to a final consultation on the legal instruments, which will put them into effect, and this process is expected to be completed by July 2013. Following the confirmation of the legal instruments, there will be an

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18 month implementation period. Government, other public bodies and UK businesses and organisations will be required to implement the changes by the end of the 18 months. Ofcom has already started discussions with industry and Government Departments to explain the changes and the impact for them.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to answer Question 160538, tabled on 12 June 2013 for answer on 20 June 2013. [164022]

Mr Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement tabled on 4 July 2013, Official Report, column 60-61WS.

Leader of the House

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many questions answered by his Office included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166710]

(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Office containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166735]

Mr Lansley: My Office has answered no questions which include statistical data in a table format within the period starting on 18 June 2013 and finishing on 18 July 2013.

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering parliamentary questions. The guidance advises that the answer should give the Member the factual information requested (including supplying paper copies of the website pages), with an additional line in the answer indicating that the information is available in the House of Commons Library.

The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work

A copy of the guidance relating to referring to websites has already been placed in the Library and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work later this year.

International Development

Commonwealth

Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to encourage Commonwealth member states that criminalise consensual, private same-sex sexual conduct to repeal such legislation; and if she will make a statement. [166693]

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Mr Duncan: The protection and promotion of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people forms part of the UK's international human rights agenda. DFID works closely with the FCO who lead the UK's work internationally on LGBT rights.

DFID raises human rights issues in dialogue with partner Governments, and supports LGBT groups to raise awareness in communities, to combat violence, harassment and exclusion, and to challenge discriminatory practices and laws. The UK supported the strengthened Commonwealth Charter which opposes all forms of discrimination.

Crown Dependencies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she plans to meet representatives from the Crown dependencies to explore how to develop further the value those territories contribute to the UK economy; [166614]

(2) what plans she has to strengthen the economic relationship between the UK and Jersey. [166615]

Mr Duncan: No Crown dependency qualifies routinely for DFID's support under the International Development Act 2002.

Development Framework: Post 2015

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to engage parliamentarians in developing policy on the Post-2015 Development Framework; and if she will ask the Prime Minister to meet parliamentarians to discuss their role in that process. [166841]

Mr Duncan: DFID welcomes the engagement parliamentarians have had on this agenda, including two Westminster Hall debates this year on Post-2015 and a number of all-party parliamentary group events, as well as the valuable role played by the International Development Committee. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), intends to speak to APPGs after the summer recess and to continue to engage with Parliament over the next two years of negotiations on this important agenda.

G8 Summit

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the likely effects of the outcomes agreed at the G8 Summit in June 2013 on developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [166591]

Mr Duncan: At the Lough Erne summit, leaders discussed how the G8 can support the development of open economies, open governments and open societies by advancing trade, ensuring fairer taxes and promoting greater transparency. The commitments made at the G8 summit will see the G8 working in partnership with developing countries, business and civil society to make progress on these global issues and, in doing so, help developing countries to establish a thriving private sector,

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create jobs and raise the revenues required to control their own future. A range of partners, including developing country governments, made commitments in support of this agenda at the G8 ‘Open for Growth’ event on 15 June.

We have also used our presidency to tackle hunger. The Lough Erne Communiqué endorsed the commitments that were made at the pre-summit ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event, which will prevent at least 1.7 million infant deaths, save an additional 20 million children under-five from stunting, and improve the nutrition of 500 million pregnant women and young children by 2020. Another pre-summit event on Social Impact Investment will help to accelerate the growth of this market, therefore increasing investments targeted at enterprises that benefit the poor as consumers, suppliers, producers or employees.

Montserrat

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent (a) technical assistance her Department has provided and (b) representations her Department has made to the Montserrat Government with regard to that Territory's Conservation and Environmental Management Bill. [166461]

Mr Duncan: Although environmental management is an issue devolved to the Government of Montserrat, DFID takes a keen interest in it. As part of the Strategic Growth Plan for Montserrat, DFID has supported the creation of an appropriate legal and institutional framework for environment management as a key reform priority. DFID will provide further technical support for work on environmental and climate change management under this framework.

I expect the Bill to enact the Conservation and Environment Act, a fundamental milestone in establishing such a framework, to be passed in August.

Nepal: Judicial Reform

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the (a) objectives, (b) project partners, (c) intended beneficiaries and (d) allocated funding from his Department is of the Security and Judicial Reform Project in Nepal; and how his Department plans to measure the impact of that project. [166894]

Mr Duncan: DFID plans to support a new justice and security programme from late 2013. The main objective of the programme will be to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in Nepal to secure better justice. As the project is still in its design phase, the implementing partners have not yet been identified but, these are likely to be a mixture of national justice sector institutions and non-governmental organisations. The intended results are to make the police more responsive to the communities they serve, to support a well-functioning and independent justice system and to tackle sexual and domestic violence. It is envisaged that up to £35 million will be set aside to fund this programme. The impact of the programme will be measured by regular collection of data on the justice system and by measuring the impact on beneficiaries.

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Pakistan: Human Rights

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has attached conditions to UK bilateral aid to Pakistan that would protect the human rights of (a) the Hazaras and (b) other persecuted groups in Quetta. [166933]

Mr Duncan: The UK's aid programme in Pakistan is strictly dependent on securing results and value for money for all our projects, and the Government of Pakistan's own progress on reform at federal and provincial levels. DFID assesses the Government's progress in key areas through the UK's Development Partnership discussions, including protecting the human rights of all Pakistanis. DFID and the FCO also regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels.

Pakistan: Victims of Terrorism

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has allocated funding in its aid budget for supporting victims of terrorism in Quetta, Pakistan. [166932]

Mr Duncan: The UK provides support to Balochistan through the World Bank-administered Multi Donor Trust Fund. This helps restore damaged infrastructure, improve government services and develop livelihoods in conflict affected areas of Pakistan.

Palestinian Healthcare System

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports her Department has received on the work being undertaken by the Hadassah Hospital in support of the Palestinian healthcare system; and if her Department will provide support to extend such medical programmes for the purpose of encouraging peaceful coexistence. [167061]

Mr Duncan: We welcome efforts by Palestinian and Israeli medical professionals to collaborate more closely.

The UK is supporting a project implemented by the Peres Centre and Palestinian Red Crescent Society through the Conflict Pool. This places Palestinian doctors and healthcare professionals in Israeli hospitals for training. Over the course of the project, Conflict Pool funds will support the training of up to 50 doctors in hospitals across Israel.

Hadassah hospital is one of the participating establishments. Since the project began, six doctors have begun work in Hadassah hospital, and more will train at Hadassah hospital in the future.

Syria

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2013, Official Report, column 280W, on Syria, if she will make representations to the United Nations to specifically assess the needs of (a) disabled and (b) young refugees from Syria. [166680]

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Mr Duncan: In the recently revised Regional Response Plan to meet the needs of refugees and others affected by the Syrian crisis in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the UN outlines how the co-ordinated humanitarian response will meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Data are available on registered refugees and those pending registration, allowing humanitarian actors to target the most vulnerable groups including minors and disabled persons, as well as other vulnerable groups including elderly persons and female or child-headed households.

Meeting the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by this crisis continues to be a priority for the UK, both in our humanitarian programme and in the representations we make to the wider international community. The Secretary of State for International Development called for this most recently in her meeting with the heads of UN agencies and during her visit to Lebanon in early July.

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effect of Syrian refugees coming into refugee camps in (a) Lebanon, (b) Jordan, (c) Iraq and (d) Turkey on the resources and needs of long-term refugees already present in these countries. [166681]

Mr Duncan: There are now over 1.8 million refugees in the region including (a) 629,000 in Lebanon, (b) 502,000 in Jordan, (c) 413,000 in Turkey, (d) 161,000 in Iraq and (e) 95,000 in Egypt. Some live in camps close to the border, but the vast majority are living in host communities or rented accommodation. Refugees are crossing the border in an increasingly poor state, often with little more than the clothes on their backs, while refugees who have been present in these countries for a longer period of time are running out of resources and becoming increasingly vulnerable.

The UK has recognised the increasing needs of all those affected by the crisis, including the immediate needs of those refugees who have recently crossed the border, as well as the long-term needs of refugees already present and the increasingly vulnerable communities that are hosting them. That is why, at the G8 summit, the Prime Minister announced that the UK was doubling its funding for the crisis, pledging a further £175 million, and bringing our total funding to date to over £348 million—the largest sum the UK has ever committed to a single humanitarian crisis. Of this new funding, £50 million each will go to Jordan and Lebanon, including funding for longer-term initiatives.

Tibet

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of aid her Department provides to the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan regions in China; and what the main areas of focus are of such programmes. [R] [166629]

Mr Duncan: DFID does not have a bilateral programme in the Tibetan region. It is included within a small number of regional programmes looking at helping people adapt to the effects of changing river flows, such as in the Mount Kailash area.

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Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how many questions answered by her Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month; [166708]

(2) if she will make it her policy to ensure that all answers provided by her Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink. [166733]

Mr Duncan: From 17 June to 17 July DFID answered 10 parliamentary questions that contained statistics in the form of a table. All were fewer than four pages in the Official Report. DFID strives to provide answers that are accurate, clear and concise—this includes providing statistical data in full. In instances where the data requested are of substantial length and are in the public domain DFID will provide Members with a hyperlink.

Home Department

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government regarding introducing minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Wales. [166689]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The alcohol consultation covered England and Wales and received approximately 1,500 responses, including a response from the Welsh Assembly Government. We have considered all of these carefully and published our response and next steps on 17 July 2013.

Armed Forces

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent work her Department has commissioned on armed forces servicemen becoming involved in far right groups while they are still serving or once they have left the military. [167017]

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has not commissioned any work to look at this issue specifically. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has guidance on the appropriate behaviour and activities of serving personnel, including their involvement in the affairs of political organisations, parties or movements, or participation in political marches or demonstrations. The MOD will follow up any misconduct and will assist relevant authorities to investigate any allegations of criminal activity.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a Government working group on armed forces servicemen or former servicemen involved in far right groups. [167018]

Damian Green: There is currently no Government working group looking specifically at this issue.

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Arrest Warrants

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people wanted by UK police have been (a) arrested in other EU member states under an EU arrest warrant, (b) returned to the UK, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted of an offence by a UK court since April 2010. [162403]

Mr Harper [holding answer 2 July 2013]: I have been informed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) that between the financial years 2010-11 and 2012-13, 431 people were arrested in other EU member states, pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the UK. In the same time period, 397 people were surrendered back to the UK pursuant to an EAW.

Information relating to the number of prosecutions and convictions is not held centrally. SOCA, and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for Scotland), are the designated central authority for processing EAWs involving the UK. The involvement of these agencies in the extradition process ends at the point of surrender back to the UK, as the person is then subject to the normal criminal justice system.

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant in 2012-13; and from which EU member states they were extradited. [162566]

Mr Harper [holding answer 1 July 2013]: I have been informed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) that 123 people were extradited to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant in 2012-13.

The countries they were extradited from can be seen in the following table:

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Asylum

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years were from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. [166502]

Mr Harper: The following table shows how many people granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years were from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. Grants consist of asylum, humanitarian protection, discretionary leave and indefinite leave to remain under private and family life rules.

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The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on asylum decisions within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics January to March 2013 is available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

and also from the Library of the House.

British Nationality

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances an individual who holds a permanently unspent criminal conviction is allowed to become a British citizen. [166878]

Mr Harper: When considering applications for British citizenship, criminal convictions form part of the assessment of whether a person is of ‘good character'. Prior to 13 December 2012, these were considered in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Generally, where a conviction was unspent, the application was refused.

For applications made on or after 13 December 2012, the requirements were amended to reflect the exemption of certain immigration and nationality decisions from section 4 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Now they are considered in line with the table outlined as follows.

This represents a tightening of the requirements where a person has been sentenced to a period of imprisonment. We have also reduced the amount of discretion open to caseworkers to grant in spite of a conviction.

However, in exceptional circumstances citizenship may be granted where the application would normally be refused. In particular, where a person has been convicted of an offence which is not recognised as such in the UK (eg proselytising, homosexuality).

Counter-terrorism

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was given to local community groups to promote the Prevent Strategy in each year since 2011. [166755]

James Brokenshire: Since 2011 the Home Office has given £4,531,870 to fund local community groups to implement the Prevent Strategy: £1,788,735 was provided in 2011-12; £1,297,952 in 2012-13; and £1,445,183 has been approved in 2013-14 so far. In many cases this funding was provided to local government to support local community projects.

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Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local community projects received direct Government funding to implement the Prevent Strategy in each year since 2011. [166756]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office provided Government funding to 17 projects in 2011-12, 75 projects in 2012-13 and 52 projects for the current financial year 2013-14. In many cases this funding was provided to local government to support local community projects.

Counter-terrorism: Meetings

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings she and her officials attended with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government to review the Prevent Strategy in each year since 1 January 2011. [166784]

James Brokenshire: The Prevent Oversight Board, which advises ministerial colleagues on the effectiveness of the Prevent strategy and its local implementation, and whose membership includes colleagues from the Department for Communities and Local Government, has met four times since its inception in spring 2012.

More broadly, my ministerial colleagues, officials, and I maintain a close working relationship with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government and have regular meetings about specific issues relating to Prevent. I am unable to give an exact figure for the large number of meetings we have convened and attended.

Crime

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2013, Official Report, columns 688-90W, on crime, if she will publish the equivalent data for 2012-13. [167031]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The presentation of detections data changed for 2012-13 and the data in the following table are not directly comparable with those contained in the previous answer.

For the year ending March 2013 figures, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published headline national crime figures that included centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excluded fraud. Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, the number of offences, detection numbers and rates are shown excluding fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons. The 2011-12 figures excluding fraud are also included in the new table.

Following a public consultation in October 2011, the Home Office announced the cessation of the collection of crime statistics at Basic Command Unit (BCU) with effect from April 2012. Prior to that date, detections data were available at BCU level (which equates to London boroughs in the Metropolitan police force area) but from 2012-13 onwards are only available at police force area level.

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David Anderson

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times she has met David Anderson QC to discuss terrorism since 1 January 2013. [166757]

James Brokenshire: 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.

Employment

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with employers on the minimum wage and illegal immigration. [166682]

Mr Harper: On 9 July a consultation was published on measures to reform the civil penalty scheme to prevent illegal migrant working. Officials are currently engaging with employers on the proposals.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has responsibility for policy and legislation in

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relation to the national minimum wage and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforces this on behalf of BIS. Home Office Immigration Enforcement works closely with HMRC and other Government Departments and agencies, to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to employer breaches of workplace compliance requirements, including the employment of illegal migrant workers and breach of the national minimum wage.

Firearms: Licensing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on public safety of (a) banning the private storage of firearms in domestic dwellings, (b) undertaking annual mental health checks on firearms certificate holders and (c) creating a publicly-available register of individuals with access to firearms; and if she will make a statement. [166422]

Damian Green: Firearms control in the UK is among the toughest in the world. This shows clearly that gun crime will not be tolerated by this Government nor wider society.

The Home Affairs Committee in its report on firearms control, published in December 2010, concluded that the storage of weapons at central locations would not reduce the risk of theft. The Committee also considered that annual health checks on certificate holders would be both resource intensive and disproportionate. The Government support these conclusions.

Our assessment is that a publically-available register of those with access to firearms would compromise public safety and could lead to the theft of legally held weapons.

Homicide and Wounding: Costs

Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the annual costs from homicide and wounding since 2005; and how this figure for 2013 is broken down. [167080]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not estimate the annual costs of homicide or wounding.

The social and economic costs associated with crimes, including homicide and wounding, in 2010 prices, are published in the following location:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unit-costs-of-crime-and-multipliers-revised

Further detail on costs of crime estimates, including more detailed breakdowns of the unit costs, and a methodology for uprating values to the current year, can be found via the following links:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors217.pdf

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100413151441/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr3005.pdf

Crime volumes are published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics.

Table A4 in the latest publication

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcmpercent3A77-314526

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displays police recorded crime volumes of homicides and various categories of violence against the person, while Table A1 displays estimated volumes from the Crime Survey of England and Wales, including the category of wounding.