Illegal Immigrants

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of illegal immigrants in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Renfrewshire, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in each of the last five years. [166683]

Mr Harper: Government estimates on the illegal migrant population at local or national level are not available. Given the clandestine nature of illegal migrants, any estimation is extremely difficult and there would be considerable uncertainty around any estimates.

Legal Costs

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on external lawyers' fees in the last year for which figures are available. [162518]

James Brokenshire: In financial year 2012-13 the Home Department spent £16,584,000 on external lawyers' fees.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects that a reply will be sent to the letters dated 24 April 2013 and 4 June 2013 from the hon. Member for Harrow West to the UK Border Agency regarding Mr Hiren Patel of Harrow. [166774]

Mr Harper: UK Visas and Immigration wrote to the hon. Member on 18 July 2013.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister of State for Immigration dated 18 June 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Paul Mendy. [166967]

Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 24 July 2013.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister of State for Immigration dated 10 June 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Adeel Farrukh. [166970]

Mr Harper: I replied to the right hon. Member on 24 July 2013.

Passports

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to (a) shut down and (b) raise awareness of websites which purport to offer passport renewal services on behalf of the Passport Office. [162963]

2 Sep 2013 : Column 29W

Mr Harper: Her Majesty's Passport Office monitor the claims made by private companies which charge for services that cannot guarantee the issuing of a passport and can result in the customer paying additional and unnecessary fees. Where a company may be in breach of the law, the case would be referred as appropriate to the Advertising Standards Authority or Phonepayplus or to the relevant trading standards authority.

We have asked the Advertising Standards Authority to request websites that are operating within the law to make clearer and more prominent that they are not acting on behalf of HM Passport Office; that the issue of a passport cannot be guaranteed; and that the passport fee is payable only when submitting an application to HM Passport Office.

Phonepayplus has also been informed of our concern about websites that may result in the person paying unnecessary and costly fees.

The website www.gov.uk is the only provider of the British passport and passport applicants should use the official government website.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will bring forward proposals to bring into line the rules restricting people convicted of an imprisonable offence standing for election to the post of police and crime commissioner with the rules for other public offices. [166818]

Damian Green: A person is disqualified from standing for election as a Police and Crime Commissioner if they have at any time been convicted of an imprisonable offence, regardless of whether they were sent to prison for that offence. This high standard was set because Police and Crime Commissioners will hold police forces, whose duty is to uphold the law, to account. We will consider whether any changes to rules on disqualification are needed before the next elections for Police and Crime Commissioners in 2016.

Police: Cardiff

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Oral Answer of 15 July 2013, Official Report, column 766, on resourcing for South Wales police, when the last occasion was that funding for policing in Cardiff was reviewed. [166351]

Damian Green: In February 2012, the Chief Constable of South Wales police submitted a formal request for additional funding to reflect the fact that the force is responsible for policing the capital city of Wales. The request and accompanying report was carefully considered, but the Policing Minister concluded that Cardiff did not face the same challenges and responsibilities as those that come with policing London. The Policing Minister set out his decision not to provide additional funding in a letter to the chief constable in May 2012.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the (a) Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales and (b) Chief Constable of South Wales to discuss funding for policing in Cardiff. [166398]

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Damian Green: 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 are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Cabinet Office website.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of additional pressures placed on policing in Cardiff as a result of (a) the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and (b) other major sporting events in the last year. [166492]

Damian Green: The safety and security operation for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was a success. Additional funding was provided to the police, including to the former South Wales Police Authority, to ensure that they were able to take on additional responsibilities without affecting core services. No specific assessment has been made of the impact of any other major sporting event in Cardiff in the last year.

Police: Finance

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Oral Answer of 15 July 2013, Official Report, column 766, on resourcing for South Wales police, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of funding for policing in (a) Cardiff, (b) Belfast, (c) Edinburgh and (d) London. [166352]

Damian Green: The Home Secretary is responsible for policing in England and Wales only. It is therefore not possible to comment on funding for policing in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Policing London comes with many additional yet specific responsibilities. Such responsibilities are not present to the same extent in Cardiff.

Stop and Search

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stop and search actions have led to arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 in each month since January 2010. [166795]

Damian Green: Data on arrests resulting from stops and searches held by the Home Office cannot identify the legislation under which each arrest was made. However data on searches made under the now repealed section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 do include data on ‘terrorism-related’ resultant arrests, broken down by quarter (monthly data are not reported to the Home Office).

Available data show that between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 (latest available) there was one terrorism-related arrest resulting from 23,994 searches under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, in the January to March 2010 quarter.

Treaties

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) mutual legal assistance treaty requests and (b) mutual legal assistance treaty

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requests for communications data were made to the US in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [166911]

Mr Harper: Mutual legal assistance (MLA) can be used to obtain communication data for evidential purposes. The following table shows (a) the number of MLA requests the UK Central Authority (UKCA) in the Home Office (the central authority for all MLA requests for England and Wales and Northern Ireland) sent to the US in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 calendar years, and (b) the number of those requests which included a request for internet or telephone data:

This information has been provided from local management information and has not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

UK Border Agency

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid out by UK Border Agency in adverse legal fees in immigration cases related to incorrect or contested National Referral Mechanism decisions in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [166925]

Mr Harper: The Home Office holds overall figures for legal expenditure, but there are not held in a format that separately records costs relating to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Details of the former Agency's total litigation expenditure are contained in its annual Resource Accounts at:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/annual-reports-accounts/

USA

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last spoke to the US Secretary of Homeland Security. [154839]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 May 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 ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Cabinet Office website which is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-oct-2012-to-dec-2012

2 Sep 2013 : Column 32W

Work Permits: Shipping

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether UK work permit legislation applies to non-EEA seafarers offered work on a vessel registered under a flag of convenience working on routes between ports in the UK and Ireland. [166922]

Mr Harper: UK work permit legislation does not apply to non-European Economic Area crew members of vessels working routes between UK ports and ports in the Republic of Ireland, irrespective of the flags under which the vessels are operating.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many questions answered by her Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month. [166707]

Mr Harper: The Home Department’s answers to parliamentary questions are a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to question 161181 tabled on 18 June 2013 for answer on 20 June 2013; and what the reasons are for the time taken to answer. [166642]

James Brokenshire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 696W.

Women and Equalities

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what proportion of all food procured for the Government Equalities Office was sourced from (a) British producers, (b) small and medium-sized enterprises and (c) producers which met British buying standards in the latest period for which figures are available. [164767]

Mrs Grant: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which includes the Government Equalities Office, does not procure any food.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the title is of each regulation the Government Equalities Office (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if she will make a statement. [165913]

Mrs Grant: The following list sets out the title of each statutory instrument made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of the requested years. The machinery of Government change brought the Government Equalities Office (GEO) under control of the Secretary

2 Sep 2013 : Column 33W

of State for Culture, Media and Sport in September 2012. This list also covers the period when GEO was under the control of the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

None of these statutory instruments has been revoked in its entirety. There may be amendments and revocations in force to the provisions contained within them but there is no central record of what provisions may have been modified and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

2010

Apportionment of Money in the National Lottery Distribution Fund Order 2010

Audiovisual Media Services (Codification) Regulations 2010

Audiovisual Media Services (Product Placement) Regulations 2010

Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2010

Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2010

Communications Act 2003 (Disclosure of Information) Order 2010

Community Radio (Amendment) Order 2010

Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) (Amendment) Order 2010

Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2010/1966

Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Qualifying Compromise Contract Specified Person) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Obtaining Information) Order 2010/2194

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 4, Savings, Consequential, Transitional, Transitory and Incidental Provisions and Revocation) Order 2010

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 4, Savings, Consequential, Transitional, Transitory and Incidental Provisions and Revocation) Order 2010 (Amendment) Order 2010

Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2010

Gambling Act 2005 (Operating Licence Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2010

Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2010

Legislative Reform (Licensing) (Interim Authority Notices etc) Order 2010

Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and permitted temporary activities) (Forms and notices) (Amendment) Regulations 2010

National Lottery (Annual Licence Fees) Regulations 2010

National Lottery Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2010

Olympics, Paralympics and London Olympics Association Rights (Infringement Proceedings) Regulations 2010

Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) (No. 2) etc. Regulations 2010

Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) etc. Regulations 2010

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2010

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 3) Order 2010

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2010

Welsh Language (Gambling and Licensing Forms) Regulations 2010

2011

Categories of Gaming Machine (Amendment) Regulations 2011

2 Sep 2013 : Column 34W

Code of Practice for Electronic Programme Guides (Addition of Programme Services) Order 2011

Communications Act 2003 (Maximum Penalty for Contravention of Information Requirements) Order 2011

Digital Economy Act 2010 (Appointed Day No. 1) Order 2011

Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007 (Prescription of Information) (Amendment) Order 2011

Electronic Communications (Universal Service) (Amendment) Order 2011

Electronic Communications and Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 2011

Equality Act 2010 Codes of Practice (Services, Public Functions and Associations, Employment, and Equal Pay) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 7) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Public Authorities and Consequential and Supplementary Amendments) Order 2011

Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011

Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2011

Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Machines in Adult Gaming Centres and Bingo Premises) Order 2011

Grants to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2011

Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 (Appointed Day) Order 2011

Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2011

Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2011

London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Advertising and Trading) (England) Regulations 2011

Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Media Ownership (Radio and Cross-media) Order 2011

Multiplex Licence (Broadcasting of Programmes in Gaelic) (Revocation) Order 2011

National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (Amendment of Section 23) Order 2011

Natural History Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 2011

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2011

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 3) Order 2011

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 4) Order 2011

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 5) Order 2011

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2011

Sports Grounds Safety Authority Act 2011 (Commencement) Order 2011

Transfer of Functions (Big Lottery Fund) Order 2011 [Order in Council]

Wireless Telegraphy (Fixed Penalty) Regulations 2011

2012

Broadcasting (Local Digital Television Programme Services and Independent Productions) (Amendment) Order 2012

Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Overseas Relationships) Order 2012

Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Dissolution) Order 2012

Digital Economy Act 2010 (Appointed Day No. 2) Order 2012

Digital Economy Act 2010 (Appointed Day No. 3) Order 2012

Digital Economy Act 2010 (Transitional Provision) Regulations 2012

Equality Act 2010 (Age Exceptions) Order 2012

Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Order 2012

2 Sep 2013 : Column 35W

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 9) Order 2012

Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No. 10) Order 2012

Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2012

Gambling (Licence Fees) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2012

Gambling (Operating Licence and Single-Machine Permit Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Gambling Act 2005 (Amendment of Schedule 6) Order 2012

Licensing Act 2003 (Personal licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Live Music Act 2012 (Commencement) Order 2012

Local Digital Television Programme Services Order 2012

Protection of Wrecks (Designation) (England) (No 2) Order 2012

Protection of Wrecks (Designation) (England) Order 2012

Public Lending Right Scheme 1982 (Commencement of Variation) (No. 2) Order 2012

Public Lending Right Scheme 1982 (Commencement of Variation) Order 2012

Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012

Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2012

Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2012

Video Recordings (Labelling) Regulations 2012

Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Apparatus) (The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) Regulations 2012

Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) Order 2012

2013

Authorisation of Frequency Use for the Provision of Mobile Satellite Services (European Union) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2013

Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations 2013

Licensing Act 2003 (Descriptions of Entertainment) (Amendment) Order 2013

Mobile Roaming (European Communities) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

New Parks for People (England) Joint Scheme (Authorisation) Order 2013

Olympic Lottery Distributor (Dissolution) Order 2013

Protection of Wrecks (Designation) (England) Order 2013

Defence

Transport to Work

18. Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of environmentally friendly and cost-effective forms of transport by service personnel travelling to work. [900058]

Mr Francois: Although service personnel are free to choose whatever method of travel to work they see fit, the Department has various policies in place to encourage environmentally friendly and cost effective travel. These include travel warrants for use on public transport, the provision of free departmental transport and home to duty allowance for using a bicycle.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 36W

Education and Training

20. Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to maintain the education and training of the armed forces. [900060]

Mr Mark Francois: The outstanding reputation of our armed forces is due in no small part to the standard of training they receive. This training prepares personnel for their operational role and therefore lies at the core of what we do. We remain one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK, and offer training and education opportunities that develop our people within their armed forces career, and make them highly employable when they choose to make the transition to civilian life.

Territorial Army

21. Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve the effectiveness of the Territorial Army; and if he will make a statement. [900061]

Mr Robathan: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), announced on 3 July 2013, Official Report, columns 49-53WS, the Government's commitment to our reservists, including those serving in the Army. He confirmed our clear intent to deliver a challenging and rewarding experience for the Reserves, combined with an enhanced remuneration and support package.

The Territorial Army is to be renamed “the Army Reserve” to better reflect their future role as part of an integrated whole force and we are growing their trained strength from 19,000 to 30,000 as we implement the Army 2020 construct. In so doing, the Army Reserve will be restructured and rebalanced to enable it to deliver the roles required of it in the future and increase the capability of the integrated force.

This is a generational opportunity to revitalise the Reserves. The new offer to potential reservists and employers is in place, and the conditions are now set for a sustained recruitment campaign to build the numbers we need. In support of this, we are investing £1.8 billion in equipping our Reserves with access to modem equipment and better training.

Training and Equipment: Reservists

22. Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the £1.8 billion of announced funding for training and equipment of reservists will be spent. [900062]

Mr Robathan: Reserves make an essential contribution to national security. In future their contribution to our defence capability will increase as they become an integrated part of the whole force required for almost all operations, both at home and abroad. The additional £1.8 billion will be used to increase and develop the trained strength of the reserves and to enhance their capability. It will be spent to increase recruiting and improve retention, to enhance training at all levels, and to provide more and better equipment. This investment has already begun

2 Sep 2013 : Column 37W

and will enable the Reserve Forces of all three services to play greater roles as integral elements of the whole force.

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

23. Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the future of the armed forces parliamentary scheme; and if he will make a statement. [900063]

Dr Murrison: The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme has offered parliamentarians a valuable insight into the work and lives of our Armed Forces for more than 25 years, and the charitable governance framework recently agreed with the scheme's stakeholders provides the basis to ensure its long-term sustainability in today's world in which the public rightly demands full transparency and accountability for all organisations interfacing with Parliament, especially those with commercial funding arrangements. I pay tribute to Sir Neil Thorne, the scheme's author and director, congratulate my hon. Friend for becoming Chairman of the new scheme, and assure him that the Ministry of Defence will work with the new Board of Trustees to ensure the scheme's continued success.

Post-conflict Peace Building

24. John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training his Department provides to enable service and ex-service personnel to assist in post-conflict peace building with (a) injured and (b) other former combatants. [900064]

Mr Francois: Primary responsibility for stabilisation across Government rests with the Stabilisation Unit, an integrated civil-military tri-departmental unit funded by the MOD, the FCO and DFID. The Stabilisation Unit is also responsible for managing the Civilian Stabilisation Group, a database of deployable civilian experts and civil servants, which includes ex-service personnel in a range of specialisations. Responsibility for training personnel who will participate in post-conflict stabilisation activities rests primarily with the Stabilisation Unit. I am unaware of any training that exists specifically along the lines of the hon. Member's question.

Armoured Regiments

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the future order of battle of the armoured regiments; and if he will make a statement. [900055]

Mr Robathan: Under the Army 2020 structure, six armoured regiments will form an integral part of the three Reaction Force Brigades and will come under the command of the 3rd (UK) Division based in Bulford as follows:

Household Cavalry Regiment (Windsor)

The Royal Dragoon Guards (Catterick)

The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own & Royal Irish) (Tidworth)

The Royal Lancers (Catterick)

The King's Royal Hussars (Tidworth)

The Royal Tank Regiment (Tidworth)

2 Sep 2013 : Column 38W

Armoured regiments will also have a role to play in the Adaptable Force Brigades and will continue to provide a valuable and powerful capability for the Army of the future under the command of 1st (UK) Division based in York. The three armoured regiments assigned to the Adaptable Force are:

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (Swanton Morley)

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (Leuchars)

The Light Dragoons (Catterick)

Middle East

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the UK's power projection capabilities in the middle east. [900057]

Mr Robathan: The UK remains capable of power projection in the middle east, using a variety of capabilities.

Troop Numbers: Afghanistan

Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in drawing down the number of UK troops in Afghanistan to around 5,200 by the end of 2013. [900059]

Mr Robathan: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman).

Armed Forces: Injuries

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 26 June 2013, on Spending Review, what proportion of the money accrued through the implementation of fines relating to the Libor interest rate fixing scandal will be used for injured personnel. [162525]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 1 July 2013]: The LIBOR funding announced in the 2013 Spending Round is in addition to the £35 million in LIBOR fines already being used to support the Armed Forces Covenant. How this new funding will be allocated between different elements of the covenant has yet to be determined. Proposals will be submitted to the Ministry of Defence's Armed Forces Covenant Team for consideration and agreement by the Covenant Reference Group, which reports to the Minister for Government Policy, my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Mr Letwin).

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former members of the armed forces who have seen active service have been diagnosed with (a) traumatic brain injury and (b) post concussion syndrome. [166163]

Mr Francois [holding answer 18 July 2013]: The information is not held in the format requested. The Clinical Commissioning Groups, run by general practitioners, are responsible for the local health care of veterans once they have left service, but there is limited data on NHS treatment of veterans.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 39W

The Ministry of Defence statistics on serving personnel show that the number of those who have seen active service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and have suffered an injury that was classified as a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) between 1 January 2003 and 30 June 2013 was 686. This includes all levels of TBI—mild, moderate and severe—and this also covers post concussion syndrome. As of 1 June 2013, 285 of those service personnel were no longer serving.

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [166370]

Mr Dunne: The number of invoices for over £10,000 remaining unpaid by the Ministry of Defence after more than 30 days is shown in the table. The delays in settling invoices are normally due to the incorrect presentation of bills.

The Department is a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code and in each of the past three financial years has achieved 100% payment, or close to 100% payment, of correctly submitted invoices within 30 days. In 2012-13, 92% of correctly submitted invoices were paid within five days.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) current and (b) future armaments in the UK inventory will be able to be used in the Joint Strike Fighter's (i) internal weapons bays and (ii) external pylons. [166271]

Mr Dunne: The current weapons within the UK inventory that will be able to be used on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are a combination of internal and external loads consisting of:

Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM);

Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM);

Paveway IV.

Future integration of weapons from the UK inventory is subject to negotiation and agreement with the F-35 programme.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of the Joint Strike Fighter 35B to land vertically with a full armaments load. [166273]

Mr Dunne: The F-35B is currently within the development test phase of the overall programme, and as such the ability to land vertically with a full payload

2 Sep 2013 : Column 40W

is under assessment. Ship-borne Rolling Vertical Landing is also being developed as an additional manoeuvre to maximise the number of unexpended weapons that the F-35B is able to recover to the Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first Rivet Joint aircraft will enter service. [166268]

Mr Dunne: The first Rivet Joint aircraft is planned to enter service in 2014.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate (a) the unit cost per Rivet Joint aircraft and (b) the cost of training the aircraft crew in Nebraska. [166269]

Mr Dunne: The unit cost of a Rivet Joint aircraft is approximately £180 million. The cost of training Rivet Joint air and ground crew is some £18 million over the financial years 2010-11 to 2013-14.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the pilots of the Rivet Joint aircraft will be qualified to refuel the aircraft via a flying boom while airborne. [166270]

Mr Dunne: Yes.

Nuclear Submarines

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 719W on HMS Tireless, on how many occasions radioactive emissions were vented to the atmosphere from nuclear powered submarines at Devonport Dockyard in each of the last five years; what quantity of radioactivity and which radionuclides were emitted in such fashion in each of the last three years; what the permitted levels of discharge are under such circumstances; and which regulatory agency sets such limits. [162431]

Mr Dunne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Substantive answer from Philip Dunne to Paul Flynn:

I undertook to write to you in answer to your parliamentary question of 2 July 2013, Official Report, column 602W, about radioactive emissions that were vented to the atmosphere from nuclear powered submarines at Devonport Dockyard.

Due to the nature of the maintenance work conducted within the dockyard, the reactor compartment of each submarine undergoing maintenance is considered to be an aerial discharge point (a location where venting into the atmosphere outside the submarine may take place) when relevant work is being conducted.

The quantity of radioactivity discharged is monitored, but the discharge is treated as continuous and is not accounted for as individual discharges. These are accounted for in terms of “collective days”, each of which is a day where there is a discharge into the atmosphere from one submarine. Discharges from multiple submarines on one calendar day would therefore be recorded as multiple collective days.

The total number of collective days in the last five years is as follows:

2 Sep 2013 : Column 41W

There are no specific limits for discharges into the atmosphere from submarines, but annual limits for discharges into the atmosphere from the dockyard as a whole are set by the Environment Agency. These are shown in the following table, measured in Megabecquerels (MBq), the standard unit for measuring radioactivity:

The total quantities of radioactivity discharged to the atmosphere from submarines in the dockyard in the last three years are as follows:

The figure for 2012 comprises 0.02 MBq of routine discharges and 5.26 MBq of discharges resulting from testing of a new reactor core, which is why the figure is higher than for previous years.

I should like to add that the discharge from HMS Tireless is not included in the tables above, as this took place at Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport, not the dockyard. This was the only such discharge at the Naval Base in the last five years; the quantity of radioactivity released has been confirmed as being less than the 50 MBq limit set by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator.

Consistent with my answer on the coolant leak of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 153W, I am withholding details of the radiological inventory of discharges as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

RAF Lyneham

Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to demolish the chapel of rest of the former RAF Lyneham; [166607]

(2) what will happen to the fittings and accoutrements of the chapel of rest at former RAF Lyneham. [166608]

Mr Francois: The site upon which the Chapel of Rest at Lyneham sits has been designated for new single living accommodation in support of the new Ministry of Defence Technical Training College.

The chapel itself was a temporary structure while a new facility was being built at RAF Brize Norton. As such it is unconsecrated and deliberately has no fittings or accoutrements other than a commemorative plaque. The plaque will be placed in the new garden of remembrance at the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum at Lyneham.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 42W

Reserve Forces

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits were attached to each of the (a) 35 Territorial Army centres and (b) three Naval Reserve centres identified for closure in each of the last five years; how many new recruits enlisted at each such centre in each such year; and if he will make a statement. [164735]

Dr Murrison: The requested information will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member.

Substantive answer from Dr Murrison to Mrs Moon:

I undertook to write to you in answer to your parliamentary question on 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 420W, about the numbers of recruits attached to closing Reserve centres.

The roles and capabilities that our reservists will provide as part of the Future Force 2020 will be different from today and, as a consequence, the way in which we organise and train them will also have to change. This will impact on the force structure and the basing lay-down of our reserve forces.

As announced on 3 July 2013, the Army has taken the opportunity to review its basing lay-down for reserve units to reflect this structural change, optimise recruitment, and facilitate effective integration and training between paired regular and reserve units. As a result, 35 Territorial Army Centres (TACs) will be vacated.

Information on the number of Army reserve personnel recruits attached to, and new recruits enlisted at, each of these centres in each of the last five years is not held in the format requested. However, information on the approximate personnel strength for each of the centres is provided as follows:

2 Sep 2013 : Column 43W

On the subject of the three Naval Reserve establishments, I can confirm that they are not closing, but relocating to other nearby sites. Individuals currently attending these establishments will be transferring to the new locations and will not be lost to the strength.

I hope this information is helpful.

Reserve Forces: Cardiff

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 420W, on reserve forces: Cardiff, whether the HMS Cambria facility will remain at its current location bordering Sully and Barry. [166357]

Mr Robathan: HMS Cambria is currently planned to remain in its present location until 2016 when it will move to a new site in Cardiff. A naval presence will however remain in Barry for the foreseeable future, although it is too early to define what this will be.

Reserve Forces: Wales

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each reserve force base of each service in Wales; how many reservists attend each such base regularly; and if he will make a statement. [164519]

Mr Robathan: Detailed in the following tables are the names of each reserve force base in Wales, the total number of reservists at each base or group of bases and the number of reservists which attend each base or group of bases regularly. Regular attendance figures have been determined by the number of reserve personnel who were eligible to receive their bounty within the 12 months previous to 1 April 2013.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 44W

Security

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many security passes issued on Ministry of Defence sites have been given to those directly employed by his Department. [166446]

Mr Francois: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many security passes issued for access to sites owned by the Ministry of Defence have been given to those not directly employed by his Department since May 2010. [166528]

Mr Francois: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Shipbuilding

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2013, Official Report, column 505W, on shipbuilding, whether information regarding the future size and skills mix of the workforce would be information required by the proposed Single Source Regulations Office as part of the annual reporting process by companies. [R] [166510]

Mr Dunne: As part of the new single source procurement framework, suppliers will be required to provide a number of reports to the Ministry of Defence and the Single Source Regulations Office. This will include information on manpower, split by equipment project, at key industrial facilities used on qualifying single source contracts; and direct and indirect manpower at each business unit where single source procurement is a significant element of that unit's business activity.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 45W

Strategic Sealift Service

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the decision to sell two of the roll-on-roll-off vessels procured under the Strategic Sealift Service private finance initiative in 2002; [166238]

(2) on what date the decision was made to sell two of the roll-on-roll-off vessels procured under the Strategic Sealift Service private finance initiative in 2002; and what recent discussions of this decision he has had with representatives of Foreland Shipping; [166240]

(3) what the total procurement cost is for the two charter vessels procured under the Strategic Sealift Service private finance initiative in 2002 which his Department proposes to sell; [166241]

(4) what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the sale of the two charter vessels procured under the Strategic Sealift Service private finance initiative in 2002; and for what period funds for maintenance of these vessels have been budgeted. [166242]

Mr Dunne: The movement of cargo by sea is primarily provided through the private finance initiative (PFI) strategic sealift service. The review of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) strategic sealift requirement, in autumn 2011, concluded that better value for money would be achieved if the number of vessels contracted as part of this PFI was reduced from six to four. This reduction became effective on 27 April 2012 following detailed discussions between MOD officials and representatives of Foreland Shipping.

All six vessels are owned by Foreland Shipping under the PFI agreement. They were not purchased or maintained by the MOD.

Any remuneration between the MOD and Foreland Shipping as a result of the change made to the PFI

2 Sep 2013 : Column 46W

agreement has yet to be determined. This is dependent, in part, on the sale of the two redundant vessels. The MOD will receive a percentage of the sale receipts from Foreland Shipping.

Overall the MOD is expected to accrue significant savings over the remaining period of the PFI agreement as a result of the decision to reduce the number of contracted vessels.

Type 26 Frigates

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the Type 26 Frigates in Clyde shipyards over the next five years. [166132]

Mr Dunne: The Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme is currently in its Assessment Phase. As is the standard practice with equipment projects, the build programme will not be set until the main investment decision has been taken, expected around the middle of this decade.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month. [166699]

Mr Francois: 80.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [166724]

Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Leader of the House of Commons, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), on 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 649W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson).

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 2 September 2013

Defence

Afghanistan

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Afghan interpreters have applied for asylum in the UK under the current intimidation policy. [166358]

Mr Robathan: The right to claim asylum is unrelated to our Intimidation Policy. Intimidation claims are considered on a case by case basis. In the most extreme cases there is the possibility of resettlement in the UK.

Any asylum claim made in the UK will be considered on its individual merits and protection offered to those who are at genuine risk of serious harm in their country of origin. The Government do not record previous occupations when processing asylum claims and as a result, we do not hold statistics on how many Afghan interpreters have applied for asylum while in the UK.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Afghan interpreters who have worked with the Army in the last 10 years would be eligible for asylum in the UK should his Department's policy change to include those who have worked for the Army for 30 months prior to December 2012; [166359]

(2) how many Afghan interpreters who have worked with the Army since December 2012 will qualify for asylum in the UK; [166360]

(3) how many Afghan interpreters who worked with the Army between November 2001 and December 2012 will not qualify for asylum in the UK. [166427]

Mr Robathan: Under the refugee convention, asylum cannot be applied for while individuals remain in their country of origin. Any asylum claim made in the UK will be considered on its individual merits and protection will be offered to those who are found to be at genuine risk of serious harm in their country of origin. It is therefore not possible to accurately estimate how many Afghans who have previously worked for the UK armed forces might apply for asylum in the UK in the future, and subsequently be found in need of protection.

The scheme announced by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 4 June 2013, Official Report, column 88WS is not about asylum. It is a generous redundancy scheme for local staff employed in Afghanistan. Qualification for this scheme is limited to those staff who were in post, working directly for Her Majesty's Government, on 19 December 2012 (when the Prime Minister announced the drawdown of UK forces), and who have served more than 12 months when they are made redundant. Of these, we estimate around 600 individuals in the most dangerous and

2 Sep 2013 : Column 48W

challenging jobs, including in posts alongside the Army, will be eligible for resettlement to the UK. However, information on local staff is not held in a format that would allow reliable estimates of the numbers who might be eligible if the criteria included alternative or additional criteria of a qualifying period of 30 months’ service, or service that ended before 19 December 2012: The scheme has been put in place to support these individuals who lose their employment as a result of UK drawdown in Afghanistan and the Government recognise that this does not include staff who left employment before this date.

Separately, our existing intimidation policy will remain in place for all local staff regardless of the nature, date and duration of their employment. This is designed to assist any who find that their immediate safety or that of their family is under real threat as a result of their service. Intimidation is considered on an individual basis and in the most extreme cases there is the possibility of resettlement in the UK.

Neither the redundancy scheme nor the intimidation policy affect an individual's right to claim asylum.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used in the current intimidation policy for Afghan interpreters working with the Army to enable them to relocate within Afghanistan. [166361]

Mr Robathan: Our Intimidation Policy covers all locally employed staff, including interpreters, regardless of the nature, date and duration of their employment. The policy is designed to assist those locally employed staff whose safety or that of their family is under real threat as a direct result of their service. Intimidation is considered on an individual basis. In the most serious, and extreme cases, there is the possibility of resettlement within Afghanistan or to the UK.

Claims of intimidation are investigated by a locally employed staff welfare team which works with embassy security staff and other agencies, as appropriate, to establish how best to protect staff. In exceptional cases, where the relevant welfare team judges there to be a significant and imminent threat to the safety of the LE staff member and/or their family that can not be resolved through any other means, the welfare team will relocate the individual and their family within Afghanistan. If they want to relocate outside Afghanistan they are free to do so, but any financial support from HMG will be based on the cost of relocation within Afghanistan.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from 51 Squadron will be deployed to Afghanistan to support US operations using the Rivet Joint aircraft. [166801]

Mr Robathan: No personnel from 51 Squadron will be deployed to Afghanistan to support US operations using the Rivet Joint aircraft. However, 51 Squadron personnel routinely deploy and fly missions on US Rivet Joint aircraft in support of Operation HERRICK as part of an ongoing co-operative engagement programme with the US.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 49W

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when each Minister in his Department has met the Chairman of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme since May 2010; and what issues were discussed at each such meeting; [166913]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in informing hon. and right hon. Members of both Houses of the work of Armed Forces. [166914]

Dr Murrison: The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) has offered parliamentarians a useful insight into the work and lives of our armed forces for more than 25 years, and the governance framework recently agreed with AFPS stakeholders (Mr Speaker, the Lord Speaker, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Commercial Sponsors) provides the basis to ensure the scheme's long-term sustainability.

The former Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Sir Nick Harvey), and I have facilitated the review of the governance, transparency and accountability of the scheme and have addressed the delivery of the improvements identified. This included meetings or telephone calls with the AFPS Chairman on the following occasions:

Minister of State for the Armed Forces

30 November 2010

10 May 2012

Minister for International Security Strategy

23 October 2012

25 October 2012

1 February 2013

6 February 2013

7 February 2013

25 March 2013

14 May 2013

6 June 2013

5 July 2013

11 July 2013

My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) and my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald Howarth), dined with the AFPS Chairman on 15 June 2010 and 28 September 2011, respectively.

In addition, Ministry of Defence Ministers have regularly attended events intended to promote the AFPS and mark its success, including graduation dinners, annual reunion receptions, and briefings for new recruits.

Armed Forces: Carbon Emissions

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the armed forces are being required to undertake any measures to reduce carbon emissions. [166927]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (including the armed forces) is working towards reducing its carbon emissions. We are on track to meet the Greening Government Target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by March 2015.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 50W

Armed Forces: Deployment

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) rank and (b) job title is of the posts held by UK officers on exchange with the US at Combined Air Operations Centre. [R] [166497]

Mr Robathan: There are 10 UK officers on exchange with the United States in the Combined Air Operations Centre in Al Udeid. These consist of a range of grades from junior officers up to a single Air Commodore position. These roles support the command and control of coalition air operations, principally over Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf.

I am withholding the actual number of personnel at each rank as releasing the small numbers involved may divulge personal information.

Armed Forces: Lone Parents

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many single parents in each branch of the armed forces have been promoted in each of the last three years; [166886]

(2) how many members of the armed forces are single parents. [166887]

Mr Francois: The armed forces aim to support service personnel in meeting their parental responsibilities, whether they are single or not. However, the information is not held in the format requested.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, column 266W, on armed forces: sexual offences, what sanctions against a perpetrator are available to a commanding officer following the conclusion of an investigation of an offence under sections 3, 66, 67 and 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and if he will make a statement. [167030]

Mr Francois: None. Once a charge is laid under any section of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 a Commanding Officer has no authority to deal with it summarily, the defendant would face a court martial.

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, column 266W, on armed forces: sexual offences, what guidance is given to a commanding officer on the conduct of investigations of an offence under sections 3, 66, 67 and 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and if he will make a statement. [167057]

Mr Francois: Commanding Officers have access to several avenues of counsel when conducting investigations into any offence under the law, civil or military, including those offences under sections 3, 66, 67 and 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. In the first instance guidance is provided in Annex F to Volume 1, Chapter 6 of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 830, The Manual of Service Law, when read in conjunction with Chapter 11. A copy of the JSP is available in the Library of the House and may also be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-services-publication-jsp-830-manual-of-service-law-msl

2 Sep 2013 : Column 51W

BAE Systems

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the (a) number of payments and (b) cost to the public purse of key industrial capability notices issued to BAE systems under the terms of the 2009 Terms of Business Agreement; [166804]

(2) on how many occasions BAE systems has written to his Department to notify it of a (a) key industrial capability trigger event and (b) key industrial capability notice under the terms of the 2009 Terms of Business Agreement since June 2012. [166805]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), gave on 24 May 2012, Official Report, column 828W.

Defence: Procurement

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the invitation to negotiate for his proposed Government Owned Contractor Operated model. [R] [166822]

Mr Dunne: The invitation to negotiate for the Materiel Strategy programme will be published in due course, at a time when it will not prejudice the commercial process.

Gibraltar

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of UK service personnel based in Gibraltar who have accounts with Barclays Bank. [166885]

Mr Francois: There are 60 UK service personnel based in Gibraltar who have bank accounts with Barclays Bank, but not with a branch of Barclays Gibraltar. However, there are some 24 members of the Gibraltar Regiment who are account holders with Barclays Gibraltar.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the main gate decision will be taken for the Crowsnest project; and what recent estimate he has made of its total cost. [166770]

Mr Dunne: The main investment decision for Crowsnest is scheduled for late 2017, though we are investigating whether we can accelerate the project. As this decision has not yet been taken it would be inappropriate to provide a firm estimate of total cost.

Military Intelligence

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Project Crossbow operates from UK bases in the US. [R] [166555]

Mr Robathan: No.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 52W

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights over the UK have been conducted under the Open Skies treaty, by nation conducting each flight, since 2002. [166929]

Mr Robathan: Since 2002 a total of 40 missions have taken place over the UK. There were 24 quota missions conducted by: Russia—20; Ukraine—three; and Sweden—one. There were 16 training flights conducted by: Benelux (joint with Estonia); Estonia (joint with Benelux); Georgia—three (one joint with Sweden); Sweden—three (one joint with Georgia); USA—three; Latvia; Lithuania; Romania; Slovenia; and Yugoslavia.

NATO

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy continues to offer a frigate or destroyer to NATO Immediate Reaction Force activation. [167047]

Mr Robathan: The Royal Navy maintains a strong relationship with NATO, including through the NATO Maritime Headquarters, based in the United Kingdom, which is permanently commanded by a Royal Navy Vice-Admiral.

The Royal Navy continues to offer a frigate or destroyer to the NATO Immediate Reaction Force.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which NATO member states have sent maritime patrol aircraft to (a) RAF Lossiemouth and (b) RAF Leuchars since December 2012; which aircraft were sent; and what the purpose was of their visit. [166802]

Mr Robathan: The United States, Canada, France and Norway have sent maritime patrol aircraft to RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars since December 2012 as part of joint exercises. The aircraft sent include P-3C Orion, CP-140 Aurora, and Atlantique 2.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests the UK has made to other NATO member states to provide maritime patrol aircraft to patrol UK waters in order to detect submarines since March 2010. [166803]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence cannot disclose the total number of requests for Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) as the release of this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

However, NATO and other allies’ MPA have participated in nine separate training exercises since March 2010. These include the Joint Warrior series of maritime focussed exercises that are held twice yearly and two other UK led anti-submarine warfare exercises held in November 2010 and June 2013 respectively.

Patrol Craft

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent consideration he has given to the building of two new offshore patrol vessels. [166800]

2 Sep 2013 : Column 53W

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 February 2013, Official Report, column 833W, to my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis).

Reserve Forces: Cardiff

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what budget is allocated for the (a) Royal Naval Reserve HMS Cambria and (b) proposed additional reserve unit in Cardiff; and if he will make a statement; [167058]

(2) how many sites are being considered for the proposed additional reserve unit in Cardiff; whether the site will be (a) rented and (b) purchased; and what budget has been allocated for a site to be (i) rented and (ii) purchased. [167074]

Mr Robathan: The Navy Command Maritime Reserves team is scoping potential options for a new Royal Naval Reserve site in Cardiff. The details of the site occupancy arrangements will not be known until an option is chosen.

I am withholding information on the budgets involved in this scoping study, as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Reserve Forces: Pay

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cap he will set on the level of reservist award in non-specialist roles. [166888]

Mr Francois: The independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body makes recommendations about pay and allowances. It will continue to do so, taking account, as now, of the overall reservists' remuneration package. The recent White Paper on Reserves (Reserves in the Future Force 2020: Valuable and Valued Cm 8655) outlined the intent for the cap to be reviewed; this work is ongoing.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation his Department has made of the level of sound emitted by unmanned aerial vehicles and the effect such sounds have on communities living in areas where they are used. [R] [166498]

Mr Dunne: The noise emitted by unmanned aerial vehicles has been evaluated where necessary to ensure compliance with environmental, health and safety legislation. No other assessments have been made.

It is Ministry of Defence policy to mitigate, as far as is reasonably practicable, the effects of environmental noise that its activities produce. Unmanned aerial vehicles are intrinsically less noisy than most types of military aircraft.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2013, Official Report, column 327W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will place a copy of the Reaper Agreement in the Library. [R] [166500]

2 Sep 2013 : Column 54W

Mr Robathan: The Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and US is currently being reviewed. Once this has been completed I will consider placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Veterans: Suicide

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of armed forces veterans who have committed suicide in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [166553]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold information on the number of suicide and open verdict deaths amongst all veterans, but data have been compiled and analysed for veterans of two campaigns, the Falklands Campaign and the 1991 Gulf Conflict.

In the last five years (2008 to 2012), there were 10 suicide and open verdict deaths among Falklands veterans. There would have been an estimated 19 suicide and open verdict deaths among Falklands veterans if they had experienced the age and gender specific mortality rates of the UK general population.

In the same period, there were 32 suicide and open verdict deaths among 1991 Gulf Conflict veterans and 30 in the Era comparison cohort (a similar sized group of veterans that did not deploy to the Gulf). There would have been an estimated 49 suicide and open verdict deaths among the Gulf Conflict veterans, and 48 in the Era cohort, if they had experienced the age and gender specific mortality rates of the UK general population.

The MOD is currently undertaking a study on veterans of Operations Telic in Iraq and Herrick in Afghanistan. This will monitor the causes of death (including suicide) of all serving members of the armed forces from 2003 (the start of operations in Iraq) until the end of operations in Afghanistan. The intention is to run the study for the lifetime of the cohort; the population will therefore include both serving and discharged personnel.

Defence Statistics expect to publish the initial results of the study towards the end of 2014, dependent on the time required to process and analyse the data.

Communities and Local Government

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues on the valuation of rural exception site land in the Green Belt. [166593]

Nick Boles: We have issued no guidance on valuing rural exception sites. However, our policies on planning for housing, Green Belt, and the function of rural exception sites are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many apprentices are currently employed by his Department; and how many such apprentices are aged (a) under 19, (b) 19 to 25, (c) 26 to 30, (d) 31 to 59 and (e) 60 years and over. [167021]

2 Sep 2013 : Column 55W

Brandon Lewis: There are currently 10 apprentices employed by the Department. Two apprentices are aged under 19 and eight apprentices are aged 19 to 25.

Building Regulations: Electrical Safety

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential effects of third party certification under the revision of Part P of the Building Regulations on the ability of non-registered electricians to perform work. [166765]

Mr Foster: Third-party certification will allow DIYers and non-registered electricians to employ a qualified third-party electrical inspector (rather than a building control body) to certify that electrical installation work complies with the Building Regulations. We estimate that the effect will be to reduce the average cost of certification from around £250 to £150. The Part P impact assessment is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-part-p-electrical-safety-in-dwellings

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider restricting the use of the third-party certification option under the revision of Part P of the Building Regulations to those carrying out work not-for-trade for the purposes of preventing electricians from being encouraged to leave Part P competent persons schemes. [166769]

Mr Foster: The Government have no plans to restrict the use of third-party certification to only those carrying out work not-for-trade. We do not believe that third-party certification will reduce the incentive for electricians to register with competent person self-certification schemes, since the ability to self-certify will, on a project by project basis, be less costly than employing a third party.

Council Tax: Arrears

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) England are in council tax arrears. [167015]

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

Fires: Warehouses

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2013, Official Report, column 59W, on fires: warehouses, at which warehouse each such fire took place. [167044]

Brandon Lewis: I am arranging for this information to be placed in the Library of the House.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 56W

Floods: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2013, Official Report, columns 335-6W, on floods: finance, how much funding will have been paid out to each local authority between 1 January and 31 July 2013 under the Bellwin scheme as a result of flooding. [166821]

Brandon Lewis: Bellwin provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help them meet uninsurable costs they incur when responding to a major emergency in their area. The level of funding over time is causally linked to the scale of flooding. It operates by local authorities retrospectively claiming spending back.

The following table sets out the Bellwin payments relating to flooding that have been made to each local authority between 1 January and 31 July 2013.

Payments may not necessarily be in the same financial or calendar year as the incidents occurred.

Gambling

Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for his Department has had meetings with Derek Webb of the Fairer Gambling Trust. [166647]

Brandon Lewis: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-communities-and-local-government&publication_type=transparency-data

Islamophobia Working Group

Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress the Islamophobia Working Group has made; and if he will make a statement. [166810]

Mr Foster: The Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group is playing an important role in advising Government on what more could be done by us and others to prevent and tackle anti-Muslim hatred. It has decided to focus initially on promoting more accurate and balanced reporting in the British media; exploring how hate on the internet can be tackled; supporting Tell MAMA's community outreach work; strengthening the commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica; highlighting the role that Muslim soldiers played in World War One and improving our understanding of anti-Muslim hatred.

2 Sep 2013 : Column 57W

Local Government Services

Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what legal responsibility he has if a local authority declares itself unable to meet its statutory obligations; [166418]

(2) what powers he has to act if a local authority declares that it is unable to fulfil its statutory functions. [166419]

Brandon Lewis: Where a local authority fails to meet its legal obligations or fulfil its statutory duties, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government may use his powers of intervention which can be exercised in different ways depending on the circumstances.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people of each income group have used Help to Buy to date. [R] [166508]

Mr Prisk: Our aim is to help people achieve their aspiration to live in a home that gives them security to plan for their future. The Help to Buy equity loan scheme will help up to 74,000 households into home ownership with investment of over £3.5 billion. My Department will be publishing take up of the scheme, in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The scheme is, however, proving to be extremely popular, with house builders reporting nearly 7,000 reservations in the first three months.

Planning Permission

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what time limits are set for decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate. [166796]

Nick Boles: The Planning Inspectorate determines planning and enforcement appeals under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and national infrastructure applications under the Planning Act 2008. It also holds examinations into local plans and determines a number of other appeals, including various environmental appeals, under other legislation.

Planning and enforcement appeals represent the bulk of its casework. The Planning Guarantee requires Section 78 appeals under the Town and Country Planning Act to be determined within 26 weeks. Householder Appeals Service are measured against an 80% target within eight weeks, with Bespoke appeals (inquiries for more complex appeals) being 100% with a timetable agreed with the parties.

Enforcement Appeals are exempt from the Planning Guarantee but have the following targets:

Written Representations Appeals—80% within 32 weeks

Hearings—80% within 33 weeks

Local Inquiries—80% within 43 weeks

100% of plan examinations are to be issued within a bespoke timetable agreed with the local planning authority.

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Decisions on major infrastructure applications are to be made within a strict timetable set out under the 2008 Act. Acceptance of applications takes 28 days, examination six months and recommendation (to the relevant Secretary of State) three months. The Secretary of State has a further three months in which to issue a decision.

The Planning Inspectorate's most recent annual report shows continued effective performance against its performance measures. For example, all appeals and called in planning applications subject to a bespoke timetable were issued in accordance with that timetable. 93% of planning appeals decided by Inspectors met the Planning Guarantee, and 80% of Householder appeals met their eight week target. Performance on enforcement appeals also exceeded their 80% performance measure for all procedures. The Planning Inspectorate will be working to further increase its performance on the Planning Guarantee.

Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when the Government will announce the findings of its further work to understand the implications of decentralisation of planning fees; [167065]

(2) what progress his Department has made on its commitment to consider whether the scope of fee chargeable applications should be widened to potentially include allowing local authorities to charge for services on a cost recovery basis which do not currently require a fee as set out in the Proposals for changes to planning application fees in England—Summary of responses; [167076]

(3) what progress his Department has made in respect of its work with the Local Government Association to further understand the implications of the decentralisation of planning fees across all authorities as set out in his Department's document on Proposals for changes to planning application fees in England—Summary of responses. [167077]

Nick Boles: We recognise the work which the Local Government Association has undertaken through the Planning Benchmark on locally set planning application fees. This has been very valuable but the benchmark also identified a number of anomalies in the costing of the development management service, which in turn, could have unintended consequences for applicants. We continue to work with the Planning Advisory Service to understand better the costs of local planning services, but I would not want to give a misleading impression of any further, specific policy commitment at this point in time.

Radicalism

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on tackling far right extremism and groups such as the English Defence League. [167009]

Mr Foster: Our approach to integration is set out in ‘Creating the Conditions for Integration', with five themes guiding our work: the need to speak out against all forms of intolerance and ‘extremism; the need to

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emphasise the common ground between people and communities, and their responsibility towards each other; encouraging people to feel empowered and to participate in their communities; and increasing social mobility and opportunities for everyone to get on in society.

Local councils and police forces know their communities best and we trust them to put in place suitable local measures to counter the influence and minimise the impact of English Defence League activity. We provide advice and support where it is requested but the principal way we help local partners is to support them to share their experience and build networks. In July 2012 we provided £200,000 of funding to Luton borough council and Blackburn with Darwen borough council for them to jointly establish and lead a national Special Interest Group to help local areas share their experiences of what works well in tackling the English Defence League locally. Membership of the Special Interest Group is open to all local authorities in England.

In February 2012 we provided £200,000 for Show Racism the Red Card to give 9,400 young people in England the skills they need to reject groups like the English Defence League. As of September 2013, 6,000 young people will have been reached by the project by way of school workshops across England. In 2012 we also provided Searchlight Educational Trust with £66,000 to support their campaign to give communities in areas experiencing high levels of activity the tools they need to outflank the League's divisive messages and create positive, shared local identities.

In response to the murder of Lee Rigby, the Prime Minister set up a new cross-Government task force on tackling extremism and radicalisation. The taskforce is considering how to tackle all forms of extremism. As the Prime Minister explained when he visited the Jamia Mosque in Manchester recently, this includes exploring what more Government should do to support communities to tackle anti-Muslim hatred and extremists like the English Defence League.