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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Home Department

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many invoices were processed by her Department in the last financial year for which figures are available. [167657]

James Brokenshire: During 2012-13 the Home Office processed 106,388 invoices.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on centrally-recording details of disciplinary cases affecting (a) her Department and (b) its agencies. [167942]

James Brokenshire: Discipline cases for the Home Office and Her Majesty's Passport Office are recorded by the Home Office Shared Service Centre (SSC), which is operated by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is required to maintain records of all public complaints and conduct cases and provide annual returns to their governing bodies, which are then published in the public domain.

The scope of the MOJ SSC service does not cover the other Home Office Executive agencies, who are responsible for keeping local records.

Domestic Violence

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases of domestic violence have been carried out by people who held or hold a shotgun or firearms certificate from 2010 to 2013; [167986]

(2) how many cases of domestic violence involved a legally-held gun in each year in (a) 2013, (b) 2012, (c) 2011 and (d) 2010. [167989]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The requested information is not available. It is not possible to identify domestic violence cases from the recorded crime figures returned to the Home Office by police forces as these figures are based on counts of crime under the appropriate offence classification (e.g. grievous bodily harm (GBH) and actual bodily harm (ABH)) and there are no details on the offender-victim relationship. There is also no information on involvement of a legally-held gun or whether the violence was carried out by people who held a shotgun or firearms certificate.

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Driving under Influence

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in Scotland on (a) the rate of drink driving in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK and (b) the sharing of best practice to reduce that rate. [167870]

Mr Jeremy Browne: There have been no such discussions. National policy on drink driving is a matter for the Secretary of State for Transport. The Scotland Act 2012 devolved powers to Scottish Ministers to set, by regulation, the drink-driving limit in Scotland which had been previously held exclusively by the Secretary of State for Transport. It is now for the Scottish Ministers to decide whether to raise or lower the existing limit or to keep it the same. Enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police.

Public Bodies: Surveillance

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the surveillance camera code of practice which came into force in August 2013 applies to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by public authorities. [167894]

Damian Green: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles by public authorities for overt surveillance is within the scope of the surveillance code of practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Any covert deployment likely to obtain private information would need to meet the regulatory framework established by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posts in her Department have been relocated from London to each other region in each of the last 10 years. [168278]

James Brokenshire: Information about how many Home Office posts have been relocated from London to each other region in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Transport

Driving: Disqualification

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many disqualification decisions taken in another EU member state have been given effect in the UK under the terms of the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications in each of the last four years. [167747]

Stephen Hammond: Under the 1998 Convention on Driving Disqualifications, signatory countries may recognise and uphold disqualifications awarded to drivers imposed when driving abroad. However as of September 2013, only the UK and the Republic of Ireland actually do so.

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The full table of disqualifications including the offence codes is as follows:

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It should be noted that all drivers have the right to appeal although very few actually do so.

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on which EU member states which have not yet done so intend to adopt the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications. [167748]

Stephen Hammond: The Department is unaware of any plans by any other signatories to the Convention to adopt fully the instrument.

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the UK would be obliged to accept the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU to give preliminary rulings on the interpretation of the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications if the UK remained bound by that Convention after the expiry of the transitional period provided for in Article 10 of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions annexed to the EU treaties. [167749]

Stephen Hammond: On 9 July the Secretary of State for the Home Department announced to the UK Parliament that the Government will opt-out en masse from all pre-Lisbon police and justice measures. This is a decision that flows from the existing treaty and its protocols. The Government also announced that the UK would seek to rejoin 35 measures within scope of the decision. These are set out in Command Paper 8671. The 1998 Convention is not one of these 35 measures and, as such, the UK will not be seeking to rejoin this instrument.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the extra cost of compensation to the owners of the further properties along the route of Phase 1 of High Speed 2 to whom letters have been sent this week informing them that their property will be required for HS2 construction purposes. [168329]

Mr Simon Burns: The land and property cost estimate, which will form part of the estimate of expense, is currently being prepared as part of the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill documentation. It will seek to include appropriate allowances for all the properties affected by the scheme. It will be published when the hybrid Bill is deposited in Parliament later this year.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the revised maps showing the extra properties along the route of Phase 1 of High Speed 2 where owners are this week being informed that their property is in some way required for the construction of High Speed 2. [168334]

Mr Simon Burns: Revised maps will be prepared and published when the HS2 Phase 1 hybrid Bill is deposited in Parliament later this year.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the use of the Pantone Reactor in vehicles and its potential effect on reducing carbon emissions; and if he will make a statement. [168153]

Norman Baker: My Department has made no assessment of the potential automotive applications of the Pantone Reactor.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal helicopter accidents there have been in the offshore oil and gas sector in each year since 1983; and what comparative assessment he has made of the relative

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safety of helicopters working in the Norwegian oil and gas sector over the same period. [168314]

Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is in the following table:

The CAA has made no comparative assessment of the relative safety of helicopters working in the Norwegian oil and gas sector over the same period and considers that the availability of robust data from other states and the small statistical sample sizes would make any comparisons unreliable. However, the CAA works closely with other National Aviation Authorities that oversee offshore helicopter operations to ensure best practice, and has done so in relation to recent incidents involving Super Pumas. Both the UK CAA and its Norwegian equivalent operate within the same EASA regulatory framework and both are committed to sharing information and learning any lessons from one another.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) employers and (b) trade unions on safety in the offshore helicopter sector. [168315]

Mr Simon Burns: The air accidents investigation branch is currently investigating the Super Puma incident which occurred on 23 August 2013. It would be inappropriate for me to comment or discuss the accident while the investigation is ongoing. Therefore the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin) had no recent

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discussions with representatives of employers or trade unions in the offshore helicopter sector following the accident.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the safety of Super Puma model helicopters used to transport workers to and from offshore installations in the North Sea. [168324]

Mr Simon Burns: The investigation of the recent Super Puma helicopter accident has, to date, not identified any evidence of a causal technical failure. Therefore, at this stage, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which has regulatory responsibility for the design of the helicopter, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has responsibility for the safe operation of the UK helicopter fleet, have no evidence to suggest that there is an issue that should lead to the grounding of the Super Puma model. However, both organisations will continue to monitor closely the investigation as it progresses and take what action may be necessary.

Railways: Europe

Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential cost to the UK of EU directives establishing a Single European Railway Area; and if he will make a statement. [168022]

Mr Simon Burns: All domestic legislation transposing European requirements is accompanied by an impact assessment which sets out the benefits and costs to the UK. There are a number of instruments which relate to transposition of the EU directives establishing the Single European Railway Area and the related impact assessments are available from the website:

www.legislation.gov.uk

Roads: North West

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to repair potholes in (a) Rossendale and Darwen constituency and (b) the North West. [168056]

Norman Baker: The respective local highway authorities are responsible for the maintenance of the local road network in (a) Rossendale and Darwen Constituency and (b) the North West.

The Department for Transport is providing over £3.4 billion to local highway authorities in England between 2011 and 2015. This includes additional funding of £200 million allocated to authorities in March 2011 in recognition of the damage caused by the severe winter of 2010-11 and a further £215 million being allocated over the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 as announced in December 2012. The June 2013 spending review announcement commits just under £6 billion to local highway authorities in England from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the revenue support grant for maintaining their local highways. Neither capital nor revenue highways maintenance funding is ring-fenced

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and it is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services they provide.

The Department for Transport is also providing £6 million for the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme. As part of this programme a review was undertaken in respect of potholes and final report was published in April 2012. A follow-up report was recently published and both reports can be found at the following web link:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/hmep/pothole/index.php

In addition the Highways Agency responsible for the management of the motorway and strategic trunk road network work closely with their maintenance contractors to ensure a safe and even road surface for all road users based on a risk assessment process.

Scotland

Death: Weather

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many excess winter deaths occurred in Scotland in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [167968]

David Mundell: The recording of winter deaths in Scotland is a devolved matter. According to the latest figures released by the National Records of Scotland, the seasonal increase in mortality in Scotland in winter 2009-10 was 2,764; in winter 2010-11 was 2,449; and in winter 2011-12 the provisional figure was 1,422.

Work and Pensions

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year for which figures are available. [167656]

Mr Hoban: The number of invoices processed for the Department for the financial year 2012-13 was 665,587 (excluding GPC Government Procurement Card transactions) total including GPC transactions was 677,566.

Child Benefit

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what alternative support is available to families when young people undertaking apprenticeships no longer qualify for child benefit. [168179]

Mr Hoban: We do not provide an alternative to child benefit when a family no longer qualifies for it. Apprentices aged under 19 are paid at least £2.65 per hour (increasing to £2.68 per hour on 1 October). Depending on their income, families may qualify for additional support such as housing benefit or working tax credit. The young adult may qualify for benefits or additional support in their own right, depending on their circumstances.

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Child Poverty

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of additional children who would be living in households receiving below the 60 per cent median equivalised household income if the benefit cap were reduced to £20,000 per annum. [168252]

Esther McVey: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Disposable Income

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average disposable income of (a) people with disabilities and (b) people without disabilities in each of the last 60 months. [167759]

Esther McVey: The information is as follows:

For this analysis, disability is defined as having any long-standing illness, disability or impairment that leads to a substantial difficulty with one or more areas of the individual's life. Everyone classified as disabled under this definition would also be classified as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 (and the Disability Discrimination Act which was in force at the time of the survey).

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However, some individuals classified as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 would not be captured by this definition, as the Family Resources Survey, the source of the Households Below Average Income series, does not fully collect this information.

Employment Agencies

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff working in his Department are employed through agencies using the Swedish Derogation; how many staff receive less than the living wage; and if he will make a statement. [168136]

Mr Hoban: There are no staff working in DWP that are employed through agencies using the Swedish Derogation.

Employment: Disability

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) sick leave and (b) health of staff who have returned to work as a consequence of changes to disability benefit. [167992]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) in what ways the weekly signing requirement for jobseeker's allowance announced in the 2013 Budget differs from the system in place prior to April 2011 when weekly signing was abolished; [168251]

(2) when weekly signing for jobseeker's allowance will begin. [168269]

Mr Hoban: Under the previous system, all jobseekers routinely moved from fortnightly to weekly signing once they had been unemployed for three months. This additional support only lasted for 13 weeks and took no account of the claimants' circumstances or job readiness. The measure announced in the spending review will result in additional support from the outset of the claim which will be targeted at those who need it most. This support will continue until the claimant either finds work or goes onto the Work Programme.

The reforms we have announced, included weekly signing, will have a phased introduction from early 2014, with full implementation by April 2015.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Hitchen and Harpenden of 5 August 2013 on Mrs Pauline Egerton. [167842]

Mr Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith) replied to my right hon. Friend on 30 August 2013.

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Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of reports of difficulties with the new simpler payment system for pensions and disability benefits, in particular of PIN numbers being overheard by bystanders. [168250]

Steve Webb: A robust Identification and Verification (ID&V) process is used for Simple Payment encashment. As well as the ‘Memorable Date' that replaces a PIN, the customer must also provide an approved identification document to be checked by the PayPoint agent. PayPoint outlets offering the Simple Payment service are also required to have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure user privacy and security.

DWP closely monitors the service that customers receive at PayPoint Outlets through our contract with Citibank. The service is working well for the majority of people who need to use it, without the significant fraud issues associated with the cheques it replaced.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of additional households that would be affected by the benefit cap if that cap were reduced to £20,000 per annum. [168253]

Mr Hoban: It is estimated that reducing the cap to £20,000 for couples and lone parents would increase the number of households impacted by an additional 115,000 in 2013-14. The cap level for single households with no children is kept constant at £350 per week.

This estimate is consistent with the data used in a recent ad-hoc publication to estimate the number of households affected by the benefit cap. This can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-potentially-impacted-by-the-benefit-cap-2013-quarter-2

Universal Credit

Mr Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department made of the cost of introducing universal credit by 2010; and what his most recent estimate is of (a) its cost to date and (b) the total cost when universal credit has been fully implemented. [167866]

Mr Hoban: In 2010, the projected costs, for the implementation of universal credit were £2 billion across the SR10 years (2011-12 to 2014-15).

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne), on 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 329W.

Of the £2 billion budget, spend in 2011-12 was 5%, and in 2012-13 16%. Plans continue to be developed to support the gradual roll-out from autumn 2013 within budget.

Mr Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the offices from which universal credit is paid, as of 2 September 2013. [167869]

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Mr Hoban: Ashton-under-Lyne Jobcentre has been accepting claims for universal credit since April. Wigan, Warrington and Oldham Jobcentres have been implementing the claimant commitment since April, and have been taking claims for universal credit since July.

In addition, our universal credit service centres in Bolton and Glasgow have been delivering telephony and processing support since April.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of exempting households with a 21 to 24-year-old in receipt of the standard allowance of universal credit or being assessed for their capability to work from housing costs contributions under universal credit. [168103]

Steve Webb: It has long been a feature of the benefits system that someone living in a claimant's home should be expected to contribute towards the rent. This principle will be carried forward into universal credit, although the system will be both simpler and provide improved work incentives. We are introducing a single flat rate of housing cost contribution which will apply, irrespective of income, to non-dependants aged 21 and over.

While many non-dependants under the age of 21 are currently expected to make a contribution in housing benefits, under universal credit all will be exempt. For those aged 21 and over, a contribution will be expected only where the person is either in work or there is an expectation that they should be working/can return to work. A contribution will not be expected if the person is a carer, is responsible for a young child, or is in receipt of a specified disability benefit.

The cost of removing the housing cost contribution for 21 to 24-year-old non-dependants who are claiming universal credit is estimated to be around £50 million a year. This includes those claimants being assessed for their capability to work who are claiming universal credit.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his contribution of 11 September 2012, Official Report, column 154, when he started holding weekly meetings on the IT development for universal credit. [168261]

Mr Hoban: IT for universal credit has been a standing item in the weekly Ministerial Change Delivery Group (MCDG) meetings since these meetings started in September 2012. Previous to that, and since autumn 2011, fortnightly meetings have been held by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), to follow up IT developments.

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the new rollout plan for universal credit will be published. [168317]

Mr Hoban: Officials continue to work on the development of the plans to successfully deliver universal credit by 2017. Ministers will outline the longer term UC implementation plans in the autumn.

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Communities and Local Government

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year for which figures are available. [167659]

Brandon Lewis: The centralised invoice processing team within the DCLG Finance Shared Service Division processed 10,310 purchase invoices for DCLG in the financial year 2012/13.

Fire Services: Pensions

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will facilitate negotiations between employers and trades unions on pensions in the fire service. [168316]

Brandon Lewis: The pension on offer to firefighters is one of the most generous in the public sector. A firefighter who earns £29,000 and retires at age 60 after a full career will get a £19,000 a year pension, rising to £26,000 with the state pension.

The Government have been discussing reform of the Firefighters' Pension scheme with employers and trades unions for over two years, including meeting the Fire Brigades Union last week, and made significant improvements to the offer over that time.

Discussions on the detail of the reforms will continue as part of implementing the 2015 scheme.

Local Government Finance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what total central Government support to local authorities will be in cash terms in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16. [167838]

Brandon Lewis: We have set out proposals for local government funding for 2014-15 and 2015-16 in the Spending Round and in the current Technical Consultation. Final details of central Government support to local authorities for each year will be set out as usual during the Local Government Finance settlement process.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the 2013 Spending Round figures describing a 2.3 per cent overall reduction in local authority funding includes funding for (a) the NHS, (b) schools and (c) other areas not in the remit of local authorities. [167839]

Brandon Lewis: Detail of the composition of the overall spending figure reduction of 2.3% for local authorities for 2015-16 was set out in the spending review. It is a measure of the resources available for council services. As such, it includes unringfenced central Government grants to local authorities, including Revenue Support Grant, the local share of business rates and the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast of council tax receipts. It also assumes a portion of the health and social care Integration and Transformation Fund will

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be spent on social care services. It does not include ringfenced central Government grants, such as the Public Health Grant or Dedicated Schools Grant.

Waste Disposal: Complaints

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints he has received about bin blight in the last six months. [167442]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 4 September 2013]: The Department does not hold this information. However, since the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), made an announcement on 16 August to tackle bin blight (unsightly bin clutter), the Department has received over 60 letters of enthusiastic support for this stance from members of the public. The Government are to publish new guidance which will require suitable provision to be made for proper waste storage in new homes. This will help avoid bins dominating residential streets or contributing to increased odour and roadside litter. This is part of our wider programme of tackling the failed waste collection policies of the last Administration, and protecting the local amenity and local services of hard-working people.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Employment Agencies

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff working in his Department are employed through agencies using the Swedish Derogation; how many staff receive less than the living wage; and if he will make a statement. [168135]

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills uses two preferred suppliers from a central Government framework for the supply of temporary agency staff. All the temporary agency staff supplied by those suppliers have a direct relationship with the respective agency and not with an umbrella company.

There is no universally agreed definition of the living wage. Therefore we cannot make this assessment.

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of his Department's jobs have been relocated from London to each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years. [168006]

Jo Swinson: BIS was formed through a machinery of government change that occurred in June 2009. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Therefore only information from that date is available. Since 2009 the Department has had to reduce its headcount significantly as part of the Government's savings programme and this has meant net reductions in the number of staff in London and some other offices. However, decisions on the exact

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location of individual posts between the various BIS sites are taken as necessary by management units and there is therefore no central record of the number of posts relocated from London over this period. To obtain this information would result in disproportionate costs.

Energy and Climate Change

Cycling

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development. [168391]

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not provide funding for cycling infrastructure development.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer of 11 July 2013, Official Report, columns 625-26, on energy demand, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) de-rated capacity margin and (b) likelihood of some customer disconnections in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15, (iii) 2015-16, (iv) 2016-17, (v) 2017-18, (vi) 2018-19 and (vii) 2019-20. [167224]

Michael Fallon: We have not published a recent estimate of (a) de-rated capacity margins or (b) the likelihood of customer disconnections for the period in question.

The last published assessment of capacity margins by this Department was in October last year in DECC's response to the 2012 Ofgem Capacity Assessment which was an annex to the 2012 Statutory Security of Supply Report. This also included an estimate of the likelihood of customer disconnections in 2015-16:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65632/7073-statutory-security-of-supply-report.pdf

Since this publication, there have been a number of developments in the market which have affected capacity margins as Ofgem set out in their 2013 Capacity Assessment report. In addition, in June the Government announced that the first Capacity Market auction would be run in 2014 for delivery in 2018-19.

We will publish an up-to-date security of supply forecast later this year in our response to the 2013 Ofgem Capacity Assessment.

Energy: Consumption

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what analysis or research his Department has conducted or commissioned on the relationship between outside temperature and (a) energy expenditure and (b) energy usage among (i) elderly people and (ii) people in fuel poverty. [168148]

Gregory Barker: The Department has not commissioned any research specifically on these relationships. However, it has a number of monitoring projects underway primarily

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for other purposes, and some of these may allow limited analysis of such relationships in a few years time.

Energy: Meters

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department has given to energy companies regarding the provision of information to customers about home visits to install smart meters. [168147]

Gregory Barker: The Government have required energy suppliers to establish a Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice:

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/37-smart-meter-policies/786-smart-meter-installation-code-of-practice-smicop-january-2013.html

The code of practice was approved by Ofgem and came into effect on 1 June 2013. It includes detailed requirements about the arrangement of smart meter installation visits and the information that customers should be given in advance of the visit.

EU Globalisation Fund

Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the UK share of EU financial support under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is. [168019]

Mr Hoban: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

The UK has never applied to use the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and subsequently receives no share of financial support from the fund.

Fracking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what safety assessment has been conducted on the effect on drinking water supplies of a tanker carrying fracking chemicals to a pad being used for the extraction of natural gas using hydraulic fracturing of gases crashing en route and releasing the toxic contents into the water supplies. [167229]

Michael Fallon: On 31 July this year the Environment Agency released its environmental risk assessment of shale gas exploration. This assesses the risk of contamination of groundwater and the measures needed to address that risk. The Environment Agency has also set out what it expects to see from operators, before it will allow any exploration for oil or gas, in its draft technical guidance for onshore oil and gas exploratory operations, which is out for consultation until 23 October.

Movement of any chemicals, including those used in hydraulic fracturing, need to be considered under the UN Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals to determine whether they are classified as dangerous goods for the purpose of transport. If they are deemed to be so, they will be subject to the requirement for safe transport by road as laid down in the European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road (ADR), which is strictly policed.

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Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans are being put in place to manage over the long term or to dispose of the radioactive waste created by hydraulic fracturing. [167232]

Michael Fallon: Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are ubiquitous in the earth's crust but can become concentrated during industrial activities. The radioactivity of any wastes arising from hydraulic fracturing would be low. By law any proposed industrial activity that may result in the accumulation of low level radioactive waste requires permission from the relevant environment agency. Permission is contingent on the development of a waste management plan for all anticipated radioactive waste arisings. The applicant must also secure disposal (transfer) routes through companies that are themselves permitted to receive and dispose of radioactive waste.

A UK strategy is currently under development for the management of NORM waste, including those from shale gas exploration and production. It will complement existing strategies for the nuclear industry and for small producers such as hospitals. While it will compare forecast national waste arisings against treatment and disposal capacity, the primary responsibility to secure adequate waste management capacity rests with industry.

Nuclear Power

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of nuclear generation on the average unit price of electricity over the next 10 years. [168043]

Michael Fallon: The UK currently has around 10 GW of nuclear capacity and much of this is expected to continue operating over the next 10 years. During this time, the average unit price of electricity will continue to be determined by marginal plant; usually gas fired Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, but will also be affected by the emerging generation mix as we transition to a low carbon power supply in a reformed market.

New nuclear has a part to play in decarbonising the power grid in the long-run, and is currently expected to start coming online in the early 2020s. Given the construction time frames, however, new nuclear will have a minimal impact on the average price of electricity over the next 10 years.

Wind Power

Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative analysis his Department has made of the competitiveness and cost-efficiency of the (a) UK and (b) EU wind turbine industries. [168020]

Michael Fallon: Alongside the Onshore Wind Call for Evidence which concluded in June 2013, DECC commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an evidence review of onshore wind electricity generation, focusing on international evidence of government initiatives to support such investment and deployment.

The report was split into two parts. Part 1 compared support levels across 26 countries and regions, while part 2 analysed the differences in support levels and

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costs of onshore wind in the UK compared to five country case studies—Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland and Poland. The full report and external peer review can be found here:

Frontier report

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/205620/international_support_onshore_wind_frontier.pdf

Peer review

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204910/peer_review_international_support_onshore_wind.pdf

Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps is she taking to improve the quality of broadband provision in rural areas; and if she will make a statement. [167927]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 6 September 2013]: A total of £930 million, plus a further £150 million for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, of Government funds have been allocated to support broadband delivery. To date 38 local broadband contracts have now been signed under our rural broadband programme, representing over 95% of the total project funding allocations. 10 projects have already provided their first superfast broadband connections and delivery is now moving ahead across the country.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on the slow speed of broadband in rural communities; and if she will make a statement. [168244]

Mr Vaizey: The Government are delivering a transformation in broadband, with 95% of premises due to have access to superfast broadband by 2017. It is considering with suppliers how to extend that to 99% by 2018. The Government will also ensure universal access to at least 2 Mbps. A total of £780 million of Government funds have been allocated to support rural broadband delivery. Ofcom has reported that in May 2013 average download speeds in rural locations were 9.9 Mbps, up from 4.1 Mbps in May 2011, a 141% increase in two years.

Cultural Heritage

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the level of entrepreneurism in the cultural sector; and what steps she is taking to ensure that funding by her Department of this sector is linked to development of economic growth and jobs. [167800]

Mr Vaizey: Following the recent spending round settlement, Ministers wrote to all publicly-funded arm’s length bodies setting out DCMS's priorities, which include a focus on financial resilience and economic growth. Steps are already being taken to align public funding with support for economic growth and jobs in

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the cultural sector. For example, Arts Council England is investing in the Creative Employment Programme which is putting in £15 million to enable young people gain access to on the job training and skills in the cultural sector; Catalyst is a £100 million sector-wide initiative set up by DCMS, Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund aimed at helping organisations diversify income streams and access funding from private sources; and a partnership between the Arts Council and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is bringing together research and investment to build innovation and resilience across the culture sector and creative industries.

Mobile Phones

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda on proposals to eliminate roaming charges across the European Union; and if she will make a statement. [167131]

Mr Vaizey: We understand from recent public statements by Vice President of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, that the European Commission intends to bring forward a package of regulatory proposals in the telecommunications sector in the near future and that these proposals are likely to include proposals to eliminate roaming charges throughout the European Union.

The UK Government have been a strong supporter of co-ordinated action to reduce roaming charges through a series of regulations which have already resulted in substantial reductions in roaming charges. While Ministers have not had an opportunity to discuss proposals in detail with Vice President Kroes, we support the objective of further reducing roaming charges which will benefit business and retail consumers alike.

Music

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will discuss with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Trailblazers that group's report on access to live music published in June 2013; [168144]

(2) if she will estimate the number of people under the age of 18 years with disabilities who have attended a live music concert in each of the last five years. [168143]

Mr Vaizey: DCMS does not record the numbers of young people with disabilities attending live music events. The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers, including music venues, to make a reasonable adjustment so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another, as factors like the practicability of making the adjustment, the cost of the adjustment and the resources available to the organisation will vary.

We support measures taken by the live music industry to maximise accessibility to such events for disabled people, and welcome UK Music's members' commitment to ensuring that those with disabilities are able to enjoy music and that live music venues take steps to improve access where necessary.

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Television: Licensing

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the BBC Trust what steps the BBC is taking to ensure that hotel and bed and breakfast owners know the rules regarding the paying of their TV licence. [167956]

Mr Vaizey: TV Licensing informs people of the need to buy a TV Licence. TV Licensing issued a reminder on 2 August this year to hotels and guest houses across the UK to make sure they are correctly licensed. Further information on this can be found at:

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/media-centre/news/tv-licensing-reminds-hotel-owners-to-get-licensed-NEWS72/

Women and Equalities

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many posts in the Government Equalities Office have been relocated from London to each other region in each of the last 10 years. [168279]

Mrs Grant: No posts from the GEO have been relocated from London to the other regions in the last 10 years.

Defence

Carbon Emissions

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to meet carbon emission reduction targets. [168306]

Mr Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 4 September 2013, Official Report, column 402W.

Afghanistan

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions UK Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles have launched weapons in Afghanistan since 11 May 2013. [167895]

Mr Robathan: Between 11 May 2013 and 2 September 2013, there were 33 weapon releases from UK Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). All weapon releases were authorised by qualified pilots using the same rules of engagement that our manned aircraft operate by.

A total of 322 missions were flown by UK Reaper RPAS during this period, providing a crucial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consultation has taken place with the Service Chiefs on the future of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme; [167931]

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(2) what recent discussions he has had with the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire about the future of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme; and what the outcomes of those discussions were. [167932]

Dr Murrison: The three Service secretariats were consulted as part of the Houghton review. A Two Star AFPS military champion has been appointed to co-ordinate the Department's support to the scheme.

I had the opportunity to discuss the scheme with the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy), on 8 July 2013 by telephone and informally in the House on 2 September 2013, and have advised him of developments in answer to written parliamentary questions on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 49W.

Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) hon. Members, (b) Members of the House of Lords, (c) Members of the European Parliament and (d) other have been attached to the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme; [167935]

(2) what the gender balance has been of participants in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in the last 25 years; [167936]

(3) what the political balance has been of participants in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in the last 25 years; [167937]

(4) what the ethnic balance has been of participants in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in the last 25 years; [167938]

(5) how much the Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme cost to administer in each of the last 10 years. [167982]

Dr Murrison: This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence and is a matter for the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.

Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department spent on the Houghton report into the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme; [167939]

(2) what consideration has been given to the satisfaction survey conducted as part of the Houghton report in decision-making about the future of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. [167940]

Dr Murrison: The work associated with producing the Houghton report was supported by the Ministry of Defence from within existing staff resources. No separate costs have been identified.

The report was submitted to Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme stakeholders to inform the consideration of future governance options at their meeting on 25 October 2012. This included consultation with stakeholder groups that confirmed continuing support for the objectives of the scheme.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding was allocated for the improvement and maintenance of living accommodation in each category for the (a) RAF, (b) Royal Navy and

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(c)

Army for each financial year from 2009-10; and what funding has been allocated for the next three full financial years. [168326]

Dr Murrison: It will take time to gather this information. I will write to the hon. Member.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding was allocated to the (a) RAF, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army for recruitment purposes in each category of expenditure in each financial year since 2009-10. [168327]

Dr Murrison: Capturing the cost of recruiting across the armed forces is a complex and resource-intensive task. For financial year (FY) 2010-11, when both the recruitment budget and recruitment targets were below normal levels, these calculations were not carried out. The costs for FYs 2009-10 and 2011-12 are set out in the following table. The cost of recruiting in FY 2012-13 will be available in early 2014.

With regards to recruiting into the armed forces running parallel with a redundancy programme, it is vital that all three services continue to recruit in order to maintain the right mix of trained and experienced personnel for the future and to avoid the mistakes of the past that led to critical skill shortages in some roles. As experience has shown, once active recruitment ceases, it takes at least three years of marketing to regain recruiting momentum. In addition, as the armed forces are an organisation that relies on promoting from within, there is a need to ensure that an appropriate number of new recruits are taken on to move up through the system. Maintaining the inflow of new recruits remains a priority because it is essential in ensuring that the armed forces are appropriately manned to meet the future operational demands placed upon it.

Aviation

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministers in his Department have taken charter flights to which destinations and at what cost per flight in each of the last 12 months. [168321]

Dr Murrison: I have interpreted chartered flights to be flights which have been booked exclusively for the use of a Minister.

No Ministers within the Department have taken charter flights in the last 12 months.

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Details of ministerial travel including flight details, costs and destinations can be accessed via our official corporate publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings

Middle East

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which countries in the Middle East the UK has a defence co-operation agreement. [168322]

Dr Murrison: The UK has no legally binding defence co-operation agreements with countries in the middle east. (Normally ‘agreements’ are legally binding documents, which establish rights and obligations under international law. Such agreements must be laid before Parliament and ratified before they enter into force.)

The UK does have a number of non-legally binding arrangements with middle eastern countries, including Defence Co-operation Accords with Bahrain, Qatar and UAE and memoranda of understanding concerning defence co-operation with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Lebanon. Bi-lateral and multi-lateral arrangements, unlike agreements, are not generally published into the public domain because their content is often unsuitable for release or they carry a security classification. Furthermore, details of individual MOUs are not normally released into the public domain without the consent of participating countries.

Military Bases: Germany

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation agreements his Department has agreed with the German government over the withdrawal of UK bases from Germany. [167915]

Mr Robathan: The requirement for resolution of any environmental issues relating to the estate vacated by the British Forces in Germany (BFG) is detailed in the Supplementary Agreement to the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and the Ministry of Defence is committed to adhering to this in consultation with the German authorities.

Negotiations are well under way with the German authorities for the final, one-time settlement of all financial claims arising from the release of accommodation, including those relating to pollution, the treatment of property procured from funds made available to the UK by Germany in the 40s and 50s, and the residual value of sterling-funded investments in the estate.

The final settlement will also take into account any improvements and betterment carried out to the estate since the UK took over control of the estate.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has given written formal notice to the German Government regarding the UK's withdrawal of its armed forces from Germany. [167998]

Mr Robathan [holding answer 6 September 2013]:The Ministry of Defence gave written formal notice to the German Government at the time of the strategic defence and security review on 20 October 2012.

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Military Exercises

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what land in the UK is available to his Department for use in training; and on what occasions each such location has been used for those purposes in the last year. [168319]

Dr Murrison: The Ministry of Defence has some 360,00 hectares of land available for training 365 days a year. Information on usage for each individual area is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pay

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what benefits in kind were received by the (a) Permanent Secretary of his Department, (b) the Chief of the Defence Staff, (c) the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and (d) the Chief of Defence Materiel in 2012-13. [168320]

Dr Murrison: Full details of the taxable benefits-in-kind received by the Permanent Secretary, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chief of Defence Materiel in financial year 2012-13 are set out in the table on page 75 and at paragraph 7.118 on page 76 of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13, a copy of which is available to view in the Vote Office.

The report is also available on the internet at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-annual-report-and-accounts-201213

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's jobs have been relocated from London to each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years. [168010]

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

War Memorials

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what caseload has been held by the Directorate of Manning for (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force regarding the commemoration of British service personnel who died during the First and Second World Wars in each year since 2010. [167914]

Mr Francois: The Army is in the process of introducing new arrangements to deal with such cases more efficiently. As part of this work a review is currently under way to examine in detail the current and historical caseload. This has not yet concluded, but at this stage the Army currently hold 225 outstanding cases, with a further 76 cases under discussion with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 567 cases have been dealt with since 2010.

The Royal Navy currently holds no cases but has dealt with a total of 151 cases since 2010.

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The Royal Air Force currently holds no cases but has dealt with a total of 25 since 2010.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 391W, on bovine tuberculosis, when his Department plans to assess the effect of measures introduced in January 2013 to improve the testing regime and restrict cattle movements on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis. [167901]

Mr Heath [holding answer 6 September 2013]: We already have a wide range of mechanisms in place to monitor the progress of bovine TB in England, including the publication of monthly national and regional statistics on the TB incidence in cattle, annual reports of bovine TB surveillance for England and GB and quarterly field epidemiology reports for the low risk and edge areas of England. The introduction of a simplified TB surveillance testing programme in for cattle herds in England last January has also created a stable monitoring regime that will provide comparable data over several years, which will improve the ability to detect trends.

However, the new surveillance arrangements for cattle are part of a series of additional measures and improvements to the bovine TB eradication programme that my Department has recently introduced and will continue to roll out over the next few months, including risk-based trading and the edge area strategy. Therefore, it will be very difficult to attribute any change in disease incidence to one particular measure.

We are committed to adapting our management of the disease as new data and improved understanding of how the disease is transmitted become available. In the current consultation on the draft strategy for achieving bovine TB-free status in England, we propose to set clear, measureable targets for disease incidence, for which we can be held accountable and measure success against. These targets will take account of the aim to achieve bovine TB-free status in England within 25 years.

Carbon Emissions: Agriculture

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, column 313W on carbon emissions: agriculture, what progress has been made by the joint research programme between the Government and devolved administrations on reducing carbon emissions from agriculture in a cost effective way. [167776]

Mr Heath: DEFRA and the devolved Administration Governments have developed a joint research programme to improve the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from UK agricultural practices. This includes research into farm management practices that can reduce these emissions. The research is progressing well and is scheduled to be completed in March 2015. More information on this research can be found at:

http://www.ghgplatform.org.uk/

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Common Agricultural Policy

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial counterparts in Northern Ireland on the outcome of the most recent Common Agricultural Policy negotiations. [168082]

Mr Heath [holding answer 9 September 2013]: The Secretary of State has worked closely with Ministers from the devolved Administrations to actively seek their views on reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) throughout the negotiation process. The Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was present at the conclusion of the main CAP negotiations in late June. Ministers and senior officials will continue to work closely with their counterparts in the devolved Administrations in accordance with the memoranda of understanding as we enter the final stages of the CAP reform negotiations.

Employment Agencies

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many employment agency staff currently working within (a) his Department and (b) each executive agency and non-departmental public body for which he is responsible have been employed for more than (i) 12 months, (ii) 18 months, (iii) 24 months and (iv) 36 months; [168037]

(2) how many employment agency staff are currently working within (a) his Department and (b) each executive agency or non-departmental public body for which he is responsible. [168038]

Richard Benyon: The following table shows the number of employment agency staff working in core DEFRA, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on 31 July 2013, and a breakdown of their length of employment for agency staff who have been employed for more than 12 months.

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Information on the duration of employment by agency staff is not held by core DEFRA or Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

Livestock: Transport

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy objectives are with respect to the transport of animals over long distances. [168318]

Mr Heath: In line with the relevant legal requirements in Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005, this Government expect that transport of animals over long distances should be limited as far as possible and that the health and welfare of animals during transport should be protected so as to avoid injury or undue suffering. We expect all transporters to abide by both EU and domestic legislation and will not tolerate any welfare breaches of the legislation.

We have made clear in Brussels that this Government support improvements being made to enforcement across the EU of existing rules on the long distance transport of livestock. We have also called on the European Commission to update the rules on welfare during transport where there is sufficient scientific evidence to support a change. This includes reducing the maximum journey time for horses and better protection for the transport of infant livestock.

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many lorries of live farm animals for further fattening or slaughter have left English ports since 1 May 2013; and

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of those shipments how many lorries were inspected by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory Agency both at loading and at the port. [167697]

Mr Heath: Between 1 May 2013 and 5 September 2013, there have been 46 such vehicles. All of these vehicles were inspected by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) on departure. 18 were subject to additional checks by AHVLA inspectors at the port of exit.

Sustainable Development

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements the Prime Minister has put in place for the mainstreaming of sustainable development in all Government Departments. [167733]

Mr Heath: The Government published their Vision for Mainstreaming Sustainable Development in February 2011. This sets out the arrangements for mainstreaming sustainable development across government. A report summarising progress since the publication of the Vision was published by DEFRA in conjunction with the Minister for Government Policy, the right hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr Letwin), this year.

The Vision for Mainstreaming Sustainable Development is available at:

http://sd.defra.gov.uk/documents/mainstreaming-sustainable-development.pdf

The progress report is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200134/pb13914-susdev-progress2013.pdf

Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library of the House.

Attorney-General

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Crown Prosecution Service will review the selection and training of its specialist rape and child abuse advocates following the use of the term predatory by one of its barristers to describe a victim of child abuse. [168050]

The Solicitor-General: The Director of Public Prosecutions has announced that he will be undertaking a review to determine what happened in this case and to decide what action needs to be taken. This might include a revision of the process for selecting and training specialist rape and child sexual abuse advocates from the self-employed Bar.

Female Genital Mutilation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Attorney-General how many convictions for committing female genital mutilation there were in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [168248]

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The Solicitor-General: There have been no prosecutions or convictions in respect of offences relating to female genital mutilation in the last three years.

In September 2012 the Director of Public Prosecutions chaired a roundtable meeting to consider the lack of prosecutions, and to explore why so few cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) are being referred to the CPS for charge and prosecution. The roundtable meeting was drawn from a range of groups including parliamentarians, groups representing the victims of FGM, members from the medical profession, the police and the CPS. A key outcome of the meeting was the publication of an action plan setting out the steps to be taken to strengthen investigation and evidence to support a successful prosecution.

On 5 September 2013 the Director chaired a second roundtable meeting to discuss progress on the FGM action plan. The roundtable, one year on, looked at the progress made on the different elements of the action plan and the Director highlighted that, as a result of work to date, the CPS and the police were now in a much better position to tackle FGM. An updated action plan will be published shortly.

Health

Continuing Care

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appeals for continuing care were outstanding for (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 or more months in England and Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [168177]

Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect information on the numbers of appeals for NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2013, Official Report, columns 667-668W, on equality, where the details of those salary costs are held. [167840]

Dr Poulter: I regret that the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 16 July 2013, Official Report, columns 667-68W, was incomplete. The Department is able to estimate approximate costs for staff directly employed in equality and diversity related functions.

The previous reply also omitted the numbers of staff working in the national health service equality team in 2012-13 which are now added to the table. In addition, the Department spent a total of £2,171,396 from its programme budgets towards equality, diversity and human rights related work in 2010-11. In subsequent years, there was no programme spend.

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