Women and Equalities

Working Parents

8. Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to support working parents. [900149]

Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

The Government are taking action to support working parents in a number of areas including through a new system of shared parental leave, giving parents much greater flexibility over how they use their entitlement.

We are also helping parents with the cost of child care and increasing provision of free child care for the less well off.

Mothers

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the cumulative effect of Government policies on new mothers since May 2010. [900141]

Jo Swinson: The Government are taking action to support new mothers in a number of areas including introducing a system of shared parental leave which will allow parents to choose how best to share caring responsibilities, and extending the right to request flexible working. These policies will empower women and give them more choice—something the previous Government talked about a great deal but singularly failed to deliver.

Culture, Media and Sport

Digital Technology

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department is making available for digital inclusion (a) directly and (b) through partner bodies. [167627]

Mr Vaizey: DCMS does not fund any digital inclusion programmes directly. However, BDUK is working to ensure the widest possible availability of superfast broadband and that the whole country will have access to a minimum level of broadband service. The availability of this infrastructure will support the delivery of digital inclusion programmes.

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Paralympic Games 2012

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the London 2012 Paralympics legacy. [167563]

Hugh Robertson: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of issues. The Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Committee (OPLC), the relevant Cabinet committee, has regular discussions about the Paralympic legacy. Both the Minister for Disabled People and I are members of that committee. The Minister for Disabled People co-chairs (with the Deputy Mayor of London) the Paralympic Legacy Advisory Group which has been established to advise Government and the Mayor of London on Paralympic legacy. The group's membership comprises representatives from disabled people's user-led organisations, leading disability charities, Paralympians, broadcasters and business. The Minister for Disabled People reports regularly to the OPLC on the work of the PLAG.

Television: Licensing

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of (a) hotel and (b) bed and breakfast owners who have not paid the correct amount for their television licence in each of the last five years in (i) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (ii) Renfrewshire, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK. [167564]

Mr Vaizey: TV Licensing holds no estimates concerning the number of hotel and bed and breakfast owners that have not paid the correct amount for their TV licences. Licensing requirements are confirmed each year with hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, and regular information campaigns are run to publicise licensing requirements in the hospitality sector.

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward legislative proposals for the election of BBC trustees and the decriminalisation of television licence fee non-payment. [167720]

Mr Vaizey: I have no plans to bring forward legislative proposals for the election of BBC trustees and the decriminalisation of television licence fee non-payment.

UK City of Culture

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the decision to be made on the UK's City of Culture in 2017. [900119]

Mr Vaizey: We expect to announce which city has been selected as UK City of Culture 2017 by the end of this year.

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World War I: Anniversaries

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure a suitable commemoration of the First World War. [900121]

Mr Vaizey: The Government will deliver a four year programme to mark the centenary focused around the themes of remembrance, youth and education. We will lead the nation in appropriate acts of remembrance and support learning, community and cultural projects through a package of over £50 million funded activity.

In Essex, a £65,000 grant has been awarded to a project that will create a touring exhibition, which will reflect the stories from the Essex home front during the First World War. In addition, we will be commemorating Victoria Cross recipients with specially commissioned paving stones, which will be laid in the home towns of all those awarded the Victoria Cross. Essex, as home to Victoria Cross recipients, will be able to commemorate their fallen with a permanent memorial and legacy for the community.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure a suitable commemoration of the First World War. [900127]

Hugh Robertson: The Government will deliver a four year programme to mark the centenary focused around the themes of remembrance, youth and education. We will lead the nation in appropriate acts of remembrance and support learning, community and cultural projects through a package of over £50 million funded activity.

On a local level, Lincolnshire county council has been awarded a grant of £74,800, which will enable people to explore and research the stories behind the names commemorated on their local war memorials and the effects of the conflict on local communities. In addition, we will be commemorating Victoria Cross recipients with specially commissioned paving stones, which will be laid in the home towns of all those awarded the Victoria Cross. Lincolnshire, as home to Victoria Cross recipients, will be able to commemorate their fallen with a permanent memorial and legacy for the community.

Justice

Community Orders

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions an individual has successfully appealed an uncompleted community order suspended in each of the last two years. [167422]

Jeremy Wright: Data relating to the outcome of appeals against community orders are not currently published by the Ministry of Justice. The creation, development and quality assurance of further breakdowns of appeals data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Published information relating to the number of appeals (against decisions of magistrates courts) dealt with in the Crown court, by appeal type and result, England and Wales, can be found in Table 3.25 at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207806/court-stats-ql-main-tables.xls

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Electronic Tagging

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether firms involved in over-charging for electronic tagging services will still be excluded from bidding for further departmental contracts. [166633]

Jeremy Wright: In his statement to the House on this subject on 11 July, the Secretary of State announced an audit of every contract that the Ministry of Justice holds with the companies in question—namely, G4S and Serco. The Department will not be awarding any new contracts to the two companies unless the outcome of this process is satisfactory.

Freedom of Information

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average cost to Government Departments of responding to each Freedom of Information Act 2000 request. [167477]

Mrs Grant: Research published by the Ministry of Justice in 2012 as part of the post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 found that the average cost of an FOI request to Government Departments was estimated to be £184. Further information is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigative-study-to-inform-the-freedom-of-information-act-post-legislative-review--2

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people who have successfully applied for legal aid since the introduction of the Legal Aid Online Information Service; [160569]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on traditional methods of applying for legal aid of the introduction of the Legal Aid Online Information Service; [160570]

(3) how many complaints his Department has received relating to the Legal Aid Online Information Service since its inception. [160571]

Jeremy Wright: Comprehensive information on applications made since 1 April 2013 when legal aid changes came into effect will not be available until the end of the financial year and information on the number of acts of assistance will normally be published by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) in its Annual Report and Statistical Information Pack.

The Online Information Service helps members of the public to check whether they might be eligible to receive legal aid and if so, find an appropriate legal aid provider. For those who are not eligible for legal aid, the service provides people with information on, and access to, alternative sources of help and assistance, to help them resolve their problems.

The online service is not the only route for checking eligibility to legal aid and members of the public cannot use the service to make a legal aid application. Depending on the area of law, they can apply through the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) advice line or a face-to-face provider.

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Methods for applying for legal aid continue to be available through traditional methods and members of the public can use the CLA advice line (telephone and email), post or a face-to-face provider, depending on the area of law.

From the date the online tool was launched on 1 April 2013, we have received eight comments from users about either incorrect solicitor/mediator listings or technical problems, but no formal complaints.

Sir Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) where the providers awarded contracts under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to provide face-to-face legal aid services in the south-west from April 2013 are based; [166146]

(2) which providers awarded contracts by the Legal Services Commission to supply face-to-face legal aid services from April 2013 under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 have not yet opened a permanent office in the procurement area; [166144]

(3) what steps his Department will take to ensure that each organisation awarded a contract to provide face-to-face legal aid services maintains a permanent presence in the procurement area. [166145]

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) splits England and Wales into Procurement Areas and, where necessary, Access Points, in order to ensure services are available locally. There are different Procurement Areas and Access Points for the different categories of law. The tender for face-to-face legal aid services from April 2013 covered the categories of Immigration and Asylum, Housing and Debt, and Family.

As a result of the tender there is at least one provider office in each Procurement Area or Access Point in the south-west in each category of law except for Housing and Debt in Dorset, which the LAA is currently working to resolve and in the interim clients can access advice over the phone and face-to-face services are available in neighbouring areas. A summary of offices per Procurement Area and Access Point in the south-west can be found in the Annex. The full list of providers can be found on the Justice website.

It was a requirement of the tender for face-to-face legal aid services from April 2013 that all providers had an office with a permanent presence in the Procurement Area(s) or Access Point(s) in which they bid by the Contract Start Date (1 April 2013). The LAA confirmed that each organisation successful in the tender met this requirement prior to the issue of contract documentation.

The LAA visits providers throughout the life of a contract to ensure the terms of the contract are being met. Following the tender process, visits have been prioritised to organisations that opened new offices to ensure they meet the LAA's definition of permanent presence. Should an organisation's office be found not to be a permanent presence, the LAA will terminate their contract for that office and, if necessary to maintain access in the Procurement Area or Access Point, take action such as authorising providers in other areas to undertake outreach, undertaking an expressions of interest exercise for the work or running interim tender activity.

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Annex—Summary of provider offices in the South West

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Mental Health Review Tribunal

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many mental health tribunal cases were listed for hearings in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011, (e) 2012 and (f) 2013. [167601]

Mrs Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) administers First-tier Tribunal Mental Health (FtT MH) cases in England. It is not possible to provide information on the number of cases listed for hearing in 2008, and 2009, as HMCTS only began to record the number of mental health tribunal cases listed for hearing from April 2010.

The data shown in the following table are taken from internal management information and record the number of cases listed for hearing from April 2010. The increase

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shown is in line with a rise in the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 over the same period.

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had about the listing of mental health tribunal cases. [167602]

Mrs Grant: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), has not had any recent discussions about the listing of mental health tribunal cases, and neither have I as the Minister responsible for tribunal policy.

Offences Against the Person Act 1861

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions were made under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 where a dog was used as a weapon in each of the last five years. [167218]

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information whether a dog was used as a weapon under Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Parole

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 220W (1) on parole, how many people (a) were eligible to opt into and (b) did opt into the Probation Victim Contract Scheme in each of the last three years; [166261]

(2) on parole, what steps his Department takes to encourage eligible people to opt into the Probation Victim Contract Scheme; [166262]

(3) on prisoners' release, what steps he takes to inform victims of the scheme; [166263]

(4) on prisoners' release, how many people are eligible for the scheme; and how many people have contracted in to date. [166264]

Jeremy Wright: Contact under the statutory probation victim contact scheme (VCS) is for victims of offenders who receive a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or more or a hospital order for a violent or sexual offence. It provides victims with the opportunity to make representations about the offender's licence conditions on release, and also to receive information about key stages of the offender's sentence, such as if they are transferred to an open prison.

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Eligible victims will be referred to probation trusts by joint police and Crown Prosecution Service witness care units after sentence, unless the victim does not want this. Probation trusts are required to contact eligible victims within eight weeks of sentence to offer access to the scheme. Victims who do not wish to opt in immediately are made aware that they can do so at any time during the offender's sentence.

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has produced a leaflet on the VCS for witness care units to provide to eligible victims. NOMS has also worked with the CPS to update guidance to witness care units and remind their staff of the importance of identifying eligible victims and informing them about the VCS. Fresh guidance on the operation of the VCS is currently being produced and will be published in the autumn. Training opportunities for probation staff will also be increased.

Additionally, later this year the Government will publish a revised Victims' Code. This will clearly set out the support to which each victim is entitled throughout their involvement in the criminal justice system and where to go if they are not receiving this help. It will include information about the VCS, including how to opt in, and what information victims should receive about an offender's sentence. The Victims' Code aims to make victims the priority of the system, hold all those in the criminal justice system to account, and give victims a clearer means of redress if they are not given the support they need and deserve.

The Victims' Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, has also recently produced a report and recommendations on the VCS. The Government are considering these recommendations and will respond shortly.

It is important that NOMS ensures victims who are eligible are provided with all the information to help them make an informed choice. However, it would not be appropriate to encourage victims, who have suffered so much, to opt in, as it must be their choice. Some victims, understandably, do not wish to be provided with information about the offender.

Figures about the number of victims who are eligible to receive contact under the VCS or have opted into it are held locally by individual probation trusts and to collect them would incur disproportionate costs.

Paul Flint

Mr Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) for what reasons Paul Flint was transferred to Ford Open Prison; [167532]

(2) what assessment he has made of the efficacy of risk assessments carried out on prisoners before their transfer to Ford Prison; [167559]

(3) how many prisoners absconded from Ford Prison in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date. [167558]

Jeremy Wright: Mr Flint is an indeterminate sentence prisoner (ISP). The decision to transfer ISPs to open conditions is a categorisation decision which is a matter for the Secretary of State, taken by officials under agreed delegated authority from him. The Secretary of State may take this decision after seeking advice from the Parole Board or executively where a prisoner has demonstrated exceptional progress.

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In Mr Flint's case, the Parole Board was satisfied that his risk of serious harm to others was not so high as to require his confinement in a closed prison establishment for the protection of the public and that a period in less secure conditions would provide a staged progression back into the community. Thus, the Parole Board recommended that Mr Flint be transferred to open conditions, and the Secretary of State accepted that recommendation.

Determinate sentenced prisoners are categorised and allocated to HMP Ford following an established risk assessment process. Prisoners may be assessed as suitable for open conditions if they present a low risk of harm to the public, are considered to be trustworthy not to abscond from low security conditions and, for those serving a lengthy prison sentence, are in general within two years of their earliest release date. Prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not moved to open conditions. Those who are later considered to have increased risk whilst in open conditions are moved back to closed conditions. For the majority of prisoners transferred to HMP Ford, this risk assessment process works well. In 2012-13, abscond levels from HMP Ford were the lowest ever recorded.

The number of absconds from HMP Ford is published annually by financial year on the gov.uk website. Details of the number of absconds from 1995/96 to 2012/13 (the most recent period for which data are available) can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of pre-sentence reports have recommended immediate custody for (a) men and (b) women in Crown courts in each of the last three years. [167305]

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is provided in the following table:

Roads: Accidents

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of trends in stress and anxiety caused by accidents as the basis of motor insurance claims; and if he will make a statement. [167122]

Mrs Grant: The Ministry of Justice has received data from the Department for Work and Pensions on the number of registered motor liability claims since 2009 arising from post traumatic stress disorder or psychological trauma. The following table shows that there has been a

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22% increase in this type of claim since 2009-10, which is broadly similar to the increase in the overall number of motor accident claims over the same period (21%). The number of these claims which also included a claim for “whiplash” has risen by 1% over this period, with the total rising by 15%.

The Government are committed to reducing the high cost of motor insurance, and have completed a consultation on measures to address the rising number and costs of whiplash claims. The Government response to the consultation will be published later this year.

Sexual Offences

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has undertaken into any link between being a victim of sexual abuse and subsequent criminal convictions; and if he will make a statement. [167139]

Mrs Grant: The Government take the needs of victims of sexual abuse seriously. We have established the Sexual Violence against Children and Vulnerable People National Group (SVACV), led by the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) to co-ordinate and implement the learning from recent inquiries into historic sexual abuse and current sexual violence prevention issues.

The Department has not undertaken research specifically on the links between being a victim of sexual abuse and subsequent criminal convictions. However, the MOJ Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) study found that one-year reoffending levels were higher for prisoners who had experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse as a child compared with those who had not (58% compared with 50%). These findings are not necessarily indicative of a causal link between being a victim of sexual, physical or emotional abuse during childhood and subsequent criminal convictions.

The full paper on prisoners' childhood and family backgrounds is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217401/prisoners-childhood-family-backgrounds.pdf

Suicide

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the chief coroner in relation to changing the burden of proof in cases of suicide from criminal to civil; and if he will make a statement. [167307]

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Mrs Grant: With my Department of Health colleague, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), I recently met the chief coroner to discuss the suicide standard of proof. The Government are considering how best to proceed on this issue.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Buckingham Palace: Temporary Employment

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has discussed with the Royal Household its policy on temporary staff contracts at Buckingham Palace. [167252]

Jo Swinson: Neither Ministers nor officials at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have had any discussions with the Royal Household on this matter.

Chemical Weapons: Syria

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will investigate whether chemicals exported from the UK to Syria under the standard individual export licences for chemicals used in industrial/commercial purposes issued on 17 and 18 January 2012 have been used in chemical weapons in Syria. [167515]

Michael Fallon: The Government operate one of the most rigorous arms export control regimes in the world, and have been at the forefront of implementing an international sanctions regime on Syria. All export licence applications are considered by the Government on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We will not grant a licence if the export would contravene any of our international legal obligations, including our obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Since the conflict in Syria began, the Government have issued only two licences for chemicals to Syria, for sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride, in January 2012. The exporter and recipient company demonstrated that the chemicals were for a legitimate civilian end use—which was for metal finishing of aluminium profiles used in making aluminium showers and aluminium window frames.

The licences were revoked following a revision to the sanctions regime which came into force on 17 June 2012. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) records show that no goods were exported to Syria under these licences before they were revoked.

Companies: Disclosure of Information

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that companies provide terms and conditions in a font size which is clear and legible for people to read. [167309]

Jo Swinson: The Government have no plans to bring forward legislative proposals on this issue. Many businesses already provide information in accessible formats, and where an individual considers the information provided is not clear and legible, they should request this in an appropriate format from the company.

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Conditions of Employment

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has conducted any research into the number of people on zero-hours contracts separately from that carried out by the Office for National Statistics; and if he will make a statement. [167257]

Jo Swinson: As there is no single legal definition of zero-hours contracts it is possible that a worker's view of whether they are on a zero-hours contract will differ from a business' view. Also different businesses may take a different view of whether they are offering zero- hours contracts.

The Department for Business has not conducted additional research into the number of people on zero- hours contracts, separately from that carried out by the Office of National Statistics. However, as part of the information gathering exercise, we will be considering the research and other information which the Office for National Statistics and other organisations have published on contracts that could fall into the description of zero-hours contracts.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date his Department's investigation into zero-hours contracts began its work. [167808]

Jo Swinson: The review began on 3 June of this year.

Further Education: Capital Investment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the further education capital fund will be restricted to use by further education colleges when that fund is transferred to control by local enterprise partnerships from 2015-16. [167829]

Matthew Hancock: The spending round announced that £330 million of skills capital funding would be placed into the Single Local Growth Fund in 2015-16 to be allocated to LEPs in support of their Strategic Economic Plans. There will be no restriction to use by further education colleges of the funding announced for further education capital as part of the Local Growth Fund. The funding is restricted for use on capital investment.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were studying a (a) two year, (b) three year and (c) four year undergraduate degree course at a UK university in each of the last 10 years. [167803]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The number of full-time first degree enrolments from all domiciles by expected course length and academic year is shown in the table.

Information for the 2012/13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.

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Legal Profession: Payments

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will give consideration to bringing forward proposals to amend the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 to include payments to barristers. [167240]

Michael Fallon: The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 applies to all commercial contracts including those entered into by barristers.

The (New) Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2012 which are set out in Annexe T to the Bar Code of Conduct explicitly state that barristers are entitled to the fixed sum and interest in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 if an invoice remains outstanding more than 30 days from the date of delivery.

Minimum Wage

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to keep the minimum wage in line with inflation. [167766]

Jo Swinson: Our aim is to have a minimum wage that is as high as possible without damaging the employment prospects of low-paid workers.

Minimum wage rates are considered on an annual basis by the independent Low Pay Commission, which then makes recommendations on any changes to Government for consideration.

From October, the adult minimum wage is estimated to be around 27% higher in real terms (compared with CPI) and around 15% higher in real terms (compared with RPI) from its introduction in 1999.

In addition to the minimum wage, the Government are helping all working people on low pay by maximising their take-home pay. That is why we are cutting income tax for the low paid and have taken 2.4 million people out of income tax altogether since 2010.

This means under the new minimum wage rate, from October, an adult on the minimum wage working 28 hours a week will not pay income tax—and someone working 35 hours per week on the minimum wage will see their income tax bill cut by more than half since 2010.

Post Offices: Northern Ireland

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if she will commission a review of rural post offices in Northern Ireland. [167726]

Jo Swinson: No. The Government are fully committed to modernising the post office network, maintaining at least 11,500 branches across the UK and to safeguarding the network's future, with no programme of closures. In 2010 we committed to investing £1.34 billion over five years to 2015 to modernise and sustain the network while maintaining compliance with the access criteria which ensure reasonable access to post office services in both urban and rural areas.

New sub post office operating models, benefitting from Government investment, are now open in 15 out of the 18 parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland, including four in the hon. Gentleman's own constituency.

Postgraduate Education

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve access to postgraduate funding. [167109]

Mr Willetts: The Government continue to provide funding to support postgraduate study of around £710 million per annum through Research Councils for postgraduate research students and through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) towards the costs of postgraduate taught courses and supervision.

In addition, the Government have created a new £75 million Postgraduate Support Fund that will be available in 2014/15 and 2015/16 to understand and address the barriers to entry into postgraduate education.

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BIS and HEFCE jointly announced in July 2013, £25 million in 2014/15 for a Postgraduate Support Scheme (PSS) to pilot collaborative projects between Higher Education Institutions, industry and non-academic organisations to test different ways of financing postgraduate study, attracting students from less advantaged backgrounds, and in areas that support the Government's ambitions for economic growth.

After considering the findings from the PSS, the Government will then reinvest £50 million in 2015/16, from the National Scholarship Programme, to support disadvantaged students' access to postgraduate education.

Regional Growth Fund

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many winning bidders under (a) round one and (b) round two of the Regional Growth Funds have not yet received a final agreed offer; and what the monetary value of each bid is. [167807]

Michael Fallon: There is one bidder from Round 2 with whom we are yet to agree a final position. This award is linked to wider investment decisions by the beneficiary which are not expected before the autumn. Due to commercial sensitivity, details of this bid cannot be disclosed until negotiations have been completed.

Sign Language: Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what effect the 2013 Spending Round will have on his Department's funding of British Sign Language qualifications. [167796]

Matthew Hancock: The Adult Skills Budget (ASB) is used to fund all adult skills provision including British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications for eligible adults. Colleges and providers of BSL qualifications have the freedoms and flexibilities to use the ASB as best fits the needs of their local learners and businesses, including BSL qualifications where there is a local need for these.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will protect his Department's funding of British Sign Language qualifications throughout the time period covered by the 2013 Spending Round. [167797]

Matthew Hancock: In line with all other adult qualifications funding for BSL qualifications is available via the Adult Skills Budget (ASB). The freedoms and flexibilities introduced with this single budget give colleges and providers the independence to use the ASB as best fits the needs of their local learners and businesses.

Vocational Training

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what discussions he has had with Ministers and officials at the Department for Work and Pensions on the effect of that Department's 16-hour rule on his Department's traineeships scheme for people claiming jobseeker's allowance; [167790]

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(2) what assessment he has made of the potential effect the Department for Work and Pension's 16-hour rule on benefit eligibility will have for the take-up of traineeships by 18 to 24-year-olds claiming jobseeker's allowance; [167791]

(3) what instructions he has given to the Skills Funding Agency on clarification of the current restrictions on access to jobseeker's allowance for 18 to 24-year-olds enrolled in his Department's traineeships scheme; [167792]

(4) what representations he has received from training providers about potential ineligibility for financial support for 18 to 24-year-olds enrolled in his Department's traineeships scheme. [167793]

Matthew Hancock: I regularly meet the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), to discuss the interaction with the skills and benefits systems, and my officials work closely with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the development and implementation of programmes such as traineeships. We indicated in our initial discussion paper (January 2013) our intention for traineeships to fit with the benefits system. Following this consultation we have designed traineeships to have the flexibility to enable providers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. This enables training providers to design traineeships so that young people can continue to receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or the new universal credit while taking part in a traineeship, supporting young people to access traineeships.

The benefit rules (including the 16-hour rule) for JSA claimants apply to all provision funded by the Skills Funding Agency, including traineeships. FE providers have experience of designing programmes to fit within these rules. We will be undertaking an evaluation of traineeships during its first year of delivery and will be monitoring the take-up of the programme.

Local JCP have discretion to award training allowances where appropriate to those who would otherwise be eligible to claim JSA.

Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and, where they qualify, will be able to access existing programmes of financial support, including the £180 million Bursary Fund for 16 to 18-year-olds, and Discretionary Learning Support funding for those aged 19 up to 24. This is in addition to being able to claim JSA where applicable.

The Skills Funding Agency's funding rules reflect the principles set out in the Government's Framework for Delivery of traineeships, giving providers the flexibility to design traineeships to meet the needs of employers and young people, including those on JSA.

Treasury

EU Staff: Taxation

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK civil servants working for EU institutions pay income tax at the same level as other UK citizens. [167258]

Mr Lidington: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

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As indicated in my previous answers of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 293W, secondees from member state Governments to the EU Institutions pay tax on their salary as per domestic arrangements. British civil servants seconded to the EU will therefore pay tax on their salary at the same level of other British citizens. Some secondees will be paid living allowances which fall under the EU institutions' tax arrangements.

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether members of the European Parliament representing constituencies in the UK pay income tax at the same level as other UK citizens. [167259]

Mr Lidington: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

As indicated in my previous answer on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 293W, UK tax rules and rates apply to any salary, allowances and pension received as a UK Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Since 2009, the salary of most MEPs has also been subject to an EU-level community tax, which UK MEPs are entitled to offset against their overall UK tax liability.

Financial Institutions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that (a) credit card companies and (b) other financial organisations comply with the rulings and requests of (i) the Financial Ombudsman, (ii) the Office of Fair Trading and (iii) other regulatory bodies when they are representing consumers' complaints. [167831]

Sajid Javid: Independent regulators such as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have statutory powers to ensure compliance with their rules and requirements. In addition, an ombudsman’s direction is enforceable by an injunction in the county or High Court.

The Government have recently undertaken a fundamental reform of the regulatory system for financial services through the Financial Services Act 2012 (“the Act”), which has included the creation of the FAC with stronger powers to protect consumers and a wider range of tools and greater resources to tackle detrimental practices. The Government have also taken powers through the Act to transfer responsibility for regulating consumer credit from the

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OFT to the FCA in order to bring the regulation of all retail financial services under one roof.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Nick de Bois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to the Exchequer at each prevailing rate of stamp duty from residential sales in each year since 1992; and what proportion of total Government revenue this figure represented in each such year. [167110]

Mr Gauke: The revenue collected from stamp duty land tax¹ (SDLT) on residential property transactions is available for each financial year up to and including 2011-12. The breakdown of this revenue by stamp duty consideration band and as a proportion of total Government revenue can be found in the following tables.

Estimates of SDLT yield from residential property for 2012-13 are due to be published on 27 September 2013.

¹ SDLT replaced stamp duty on land transactions on 15 December 2003.

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