12 Sep 2013 : Column 793W

Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 12 September 2013

House of Commons Commission

Hiring of House Facilities

7. Kevin Brennan: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to raise increased revenue through the hire of House facilities to corporate clients. [900265]

John Thurso: The House of Commons Commission agreed in July 2012 that proposals should be developed to extend banqueting and events facilities for hire by appropriate third parties when the House is not sitting without the need for sponsorship and attendance by a Member of Parliament, and that such commercial hire of House of Commons facilities should be conducted as a two-year trial under the guidance of the Administration Committee. Bookings will be accepted from October 2013 with the first events from December 2013.

Curtis Green and Derby Gate

8. Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether he plans to gather feedback on the operation of the Curtis Green and Derby Gate entrances and exits. [900266]

John Thurso: Following discussions with Members, the Serjeant at Arms established a review of the vehicle entrance and exit arrangements for Curtis Green and Derby Gate in June 2013. The review involved consultations with a number of Members and staff, and the Metropolitan Police, and it has already made several recommendations to improve access.

Further consultations will be undertaken, including with the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal. It is anticipated that a trial to improve Members' access to the Norman Shaw Buildings will start in the autumn.

Procurement of Eggs

9. Thomas Docherty: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent discussions he has had with the British Egg Council on the procurement of indigenous eggs for all catering purposes in the House of Commons. [900297]

John Thurso: None. However I understand that following representations from the hon. Gentleman and other members of the Administration Committee the Clerk of the House directed that from the return of the House fresh British eggs from vaccinated flocks be used to prepare omelettes and scrambled eggs in ‘to order' outlets. For large-scale production of egg-based dishes, liquid pasteurised egg is used in line with industry best practice; this pasteurised egg will now be sourced from British producers.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 794W

Prime Minister

Cosmetics

Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister how much 10 Downing Street spent on (a) cosmetics and (b) make-up artists for media appearances (i) since May 2010 and (ii) in 2012-13. [168867]

The Prime Minister: No money has been spent.

Film

Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister how many films 10 Downing Street has produced in (a) video, (b) DVD and (c) other digital formats in the last 24 months; and what the title was of each film. [168862]

The Prime Minister: The majority of films created by 10 Downing Street from the past 24 months are available on the No. 10 YouTube page. These can be viewed by title and date online at:

www.youtube.com/number10gov

Films not available on the No. 10 YouTube page include messages from me for: The Police Awards, Free Schools Conference, International Nurses Day 2012, Paralympics Team GB, World Hunger Message, and the National Business Awards.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to his answers of 15 December 2011, Official Report, column 875W, on Ministerial Policy Advisers, and 6 September 2012, Official Report, column 454W, on Ministerial Policy Advisers, when he last published a list of special advisers in post; whether the commitment to publish such a list on a quarterly basis has been adhered to; and when he will next publish an up-to-date list of special advisers in post and their number and costs. [168529]

The Prime Minister: A list of special advisers will be published shortly.

Political Office

Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister how much was contributed from the public purse towards the cost of those Downing Street Political Office staff which are part-funded by the Conservative Party in the most recent year for which figures are available. [168879]

The Prime Minister: Downing Street political office staff are not paid for by the taxpayer.

Press Conferences

Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to hold monthly press conferences in 10 Downing Street. [168852]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 17W.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 795W

Defence

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies financed the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in each of the last five years; and how much was contributed by each. [168902]

Dr Murrison: It is understood that the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) has received financial support from BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Agusta Westland and Capgemini but information on the sums provided is not held by the Ministry of Defence. The future generation of commercial sponsorship will be a matter for the AFPS Board of Trustees.

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parliamentarians have taken part in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in each of the last five years. [168903]

Dr Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2013, Official Report, columns 667-68W, to the hon. Member for Mansfield (Sir Alan Meale).

Armed Forces: Cadets

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new entry officer cadets there were at (a) Dartmouth, (b) Royal Military Support Sandhurst and (c) Cranwell in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012. [168898]

Dr Murrison: The officer training establishments continue to provide our armed forces with junior officers of extremely high quality, enabling the services to look forward with confidence. The figures requested are set out in the following table:

Armed Forces: Pay

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether flying pay is paid (a) at the same rate and (b) to the same criteria across the armed forces. [168573]

Dr Murrison: There are a number of different rates of Recruitment and Retention Payment (RRP) (Flying) which are paid dependent on rank, seniority and specialisation. The criteria applied have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force and therefore vary across the three services and within certain cadres of service personnel. The rates of RRP (Flying) are recommended annually by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) and the current levels can be found at pages 69-70 of the 2013 AFPRB Report, copies of which are available in the Vote Office and at the following link:

http://www.ome.uk.com/afprb_reports.aspx

12 Sep 2013 : Column 796W

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many combat vehicles which were (a) purchased and (b) hired by his Department since 2010 were manufactured in (i) the UK, (ii) another EU member state and (iii) a non-EU country; and how much his Department spent on each such vehicle. [168067]

Mr Dunne [holding answer 9 September 2013]:115 Warthog vehicles including front and rear cab have been purchased by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The base vehicles were manufactured in Singapore by Singapore Technologies Kinetics and UK specific equipment was fitted to the vehicles by Thales in Wales. The approved cost of the procurement programme was approximately £180 million.

While not defined as combat vehicles, the MOD has purchased protected vehicles such as 376 Foxhound and 60 Terrier since the beginning of 2010. Both of these vehicles were designed and manufactured in the UK. The Foxhound has an approved cost of £510 million and 330 vehicles were delivered before 6 September 2013. The Terrier project has an approved cost of £365 million and 24 vehicles have been delivered to date.

No combat vehicles have been hired since 2010.

Defence: Procurement

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the companies which tendered for the GoCo will be the subject of scrutiny and consideration by the Government's cross-departmental review. [168249]

Mr Dunne [holding answer 10 September 2013]: The cross-departmental review is assessing GoCo competition. Each of the bidders involved has already been through a pre-qualification process. As we progress towards a decision between a GoCo and a public sector solution we will continue to scrutinise closely both individual consortia members and the market more widely.

Prosecutions

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many successful prosecutions have been brought under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 in each of the last five years. [168246]

Mr Francois: I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.

RAF Akrotiri

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has invested in RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus in each year since 2010. [167916]

Mr Robathan: Total investment expenditure in RAF Akrotiri is not recorded separately but the estimated expenditure on infrastructure projects at RAF Akrotiri in each full financial year since 2010 is set out in the following table:

12 Sep 2013 : Column 797W

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on medical services at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus in each year since 2010. [167917]

Mr Robathan: Costs for medical services at RAF Akrotiri are spread across several areas and it is not possible to identify all elements separately.

Available details of spending on primary medical services and infrastructure associated with the provision of medical services at RAF Akrotiri in each full financial year since 2010 are shown in the following table:

Running and infrastructure costs are shown in euros and medication costs are shown in pound sterling. It is not possible to convert these costs to one currency as exchange rates will have varied over each financial year. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Infrastructure costs include estimated costs for hard and soft facilities management and project costs. Running costs include military and civilian staff costs, the costs of retained services, such as chiropody, ophthalmic and paediatric services, professional training costs for civilian staff, individual protective equipment, travel costs, stationery costs and vehicle hire costs.

It has not been possible to identify spending on secondary medical services for RAF Akrotiri separately as this is provided for all stations in the sovereign base areas as a whole.

Reserve Forces: Cardiff

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 43W, on reserve forces: Cardiff, what budget has been allocated for HMS Cambria for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [168109]

Mr Robathan: The budget allocation for reserve forces is not broken down at unit level but, the actual expenditure for HMS Cambria for the last five financial years was:

12 Sep 2013 : Column 798W

These figures include total manpower, IT, utilities and infrastructure.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will publish the evaluations undertaken on the noise made by this technology; [R] [168345]

(2) how such noise evaluations are carried out; and if he will make a statement. [R] [168346]

Mr Dunne: Subject to consultation with the copyright holder, I will place a copy of the Watchkeeper Acoustic Trial Report in the Library of the House. No other evaluations have been undertaken.

The methodology of the Watchkeeper Acoustic Trial is set out in the trial report.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will place in the Library a current copy of the Reaper Agreement; and when a new such agreement is expected. [R] [168347]

Mr Robathan: The Reaper agreement comprises a number of arrangements including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the UK and the US and operating procedures developed for the UK Reaper Squadrons, in conjunction with the US Air Force. I will place a copy of the original MOU, which was signed in 2008 by the previous Government, in the Library of the House.

The MOU is being reviewed with the US and will encompass operating procedures put in place since the formation of UK Reaper Force Squadrons. Although no formal timescale has been set, we currently expect agreement in late 2013.

USA

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements and procedures the Government have put in place with that of the US to ensure the legality of any activity undertaken by the United States Visiting Forces based in the UK. [R] [168343]

Mr Robathan: There are a number of long standing agreements and procedures that govern the use of UK bases by the United States Visiting Forces (USVF), and these continue to ensure that the UK Government are fully satisfied as to the propriety of the activities undertaken by the USVF.

Deputy Prime Minister

Trident

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Defence of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 5, on the Trident Alternatives Review and the written answer of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 2 July 2013, Official Report, column 6W, on Trident, if he will provide details of the cost of the Trident Alternatives Review to the public purse in terms of (a) cost and (b) officials' time. [168912]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 799W

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 7W.

Home Department

Absenteeism

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rates of staff (a) absence

12 Sep 2013 : Column 800W

and

(b)

sickness absence in her Department in each of the past five years were; and what the departmental targets were in each case. [168737]

James Brokenshire: The Home Department does not hold information relating to overall rates of staff absence as some staff absences are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The rate of sickness absence in the Home Department in each of the past five years is included in Table 1, together with any sick absence targets.

Accountancy

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on accountants in each year since 2010. [168594]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office accounting systems do not identify spend on accountants separately within its staff costs. The information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Afghan interpreters who have worked for UK armed forces have been declined asylum in the UK; and on what basis their applications were denied. [167388]

Mr Harper [holding answer 4 September 2013]: Information about the previous occupations of asylum applicants and the reasons for refusal of their asylum claims, if that is the outcome, can be provided only by examining individual case records, which would incur disproportionate cost. All asylum claims made in the UK by those who have previously served as interpreters for the UK Government and armed forces in Afghanistan are considered on their individual merits and protection is offered to those who are found to be at real risk of serious harm in Afghanistan.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 801W

Christmas Cards

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her private ministerial office spent on sending Christmas cards in 2012. [168683]

James Brokenshire: The Home Secretary's Christmas card in December 2012 was an e-card. Therefore, there were no mailing costs associated with its distribution. I shall suggest that the Home Secretary considers adding the hon. Member to this year’s list.

Harassment: Social Networking

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to introduce a code of conduct for social media providers on preventing online stalking and harassment. [168887]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government take all forms of stalking and harassment very seriously. The Home Office is committed to working with other Government Departments, the National Policing Leads and Social Media Networks to identify effective practice and improve the response to online harassment and stalking.

Offences against Children

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to publish the Government's response to the Second Report of the Home Affairs Committee, Session 2013-14, on Child sexual exploitation and the response to localised grooming HC 68-I; [168530]

(2) with reference to the Second Report of the Home Affairs Committee, Session 2013-14, on Child sexual exploitation and the response to localised grooming, HC 68-I, what plans she has to strengthen protection for children from grooming and sexual exploitation. [168531]

Damian Green: The Government's response to the Home Affairs Committee's report was published on 10 September2013. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and can be found at the following link:

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm87/8705/8705.asp

Detail of the Government's plans to strengthen protection for children from grooming and sexual exploitation are contained within the response.

Police: EU Nationals

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU citizens, not born in the UK, are employed as police officers in the UK. [168497]

Damian Green: The Home Office does not collect these figures for England and Wales. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved Administrations.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 802W

Police: Pakistan

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the UK has taken to ensure that financial support provided to the Pakistani Anti Narcotics Police does not contribute in any way to Pakistani efforts to impose capital punishment on those arrested for drug offences. [167190]

Mr Jeremy Browne: Her Majesty's Government take human rights very seriously and strongly opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, including for drugs offences. The Government published Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) Guidance in 2011, which provides clear guidance to officials and law enforcement officers to help them identify human rights risks. Under OSJA guidance, where human rights risks are identified, the Government seek to mitigate risks by a range of methods. For instance, we can seek assurances that UK co-operation will not lead to torture or prosecutions that result in the death penalty, and have a clear exit strategy if these assurances are not met. This ensures that any assistance we provide supports our values and is consistent with our international obligations, including on capital punishment.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's expenditure on procurement in the first quarter of 2012-13 was spent with small and medium-sized enterprises. [168854]

James Brokenshire: The proportion of the Home Department’s spend with small and medium-sized enterprises in the first quarter of 2012-13 was 12.74% (£74.1 million) of total spend (3.75% direct, 8.99% indirect).

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted and (d) jailed for offences under (i) section 2A and (ii) section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in Northamptonshire to date; [168839]

(2) how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted and (d) jailed for offences under (i) section 2A and (ii) section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in Surrey to date. [168840]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested on arrests and charges are not collected centrally.

Offences for stalking introduced by sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, as inserted by section 111 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, commenced on 25 November 2012.

The Ministry of Justice advises that between 25 November 2012 and 31 December 2012 there were no convictions (and hence no immediate custodial sentences) for offences under section 2A or 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in Northamptonshire or Surrey police force areas.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 803W

Court proceedings data for this offence for 2013 are scheduled for publication in May 2014.

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales have been trained on the application of sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. [168860]

Damian Green: Stalking is a serious crime and has a huge impact on victims. It is for chief constables in each police force to ensure that officers are effectively trained and kept up to date with the legislation. The Home Office continues to work with the police and other agencies to raise awareness and support training around the stalking offences.

Publishing

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent in each of the last three years on hard copy printing of documents for external audiences. [168629]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office accounting systems do not identify separate expenditure on hard copy printing of documents for external audiences. The information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Satellite Broadcasting

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what subscriptions her Department has for premium satellite television channels; and what the cost of each such subscription was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [168647]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not pay for any premium satellite channels. Any premium channels we do have are fed from the Parliament TV Service in Millbank. The Parliament TV Service carries live and archived coverage of all UK Parliament proceedings taking place in public, including debates and committee meetings of both Houses.

Stalking

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers of each rank have received training on investigating and gathering evidence in relation to complaints of stalking. [168836]

Damian Green: Stalking is a serious crime and has a huge impact on victims. It is for chief constables in each police force to ensure that officers are effectively trained and kept up to date with the legislation. The Home Office continues to work with the police and other agencies to raise awareness and support training around the stalking offences.

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on routine risk assessment for people who have experienced stalking. [168861]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 804W

Mr Jeremy Browne: Stalking, is a horrendous crime and has a huge impact on victims. The police are responsible for carrying out risk assessments including using the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model (DASH) for victims experiencing stalking.

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of stalking have been recorded by the police in England and Wales since 25 November 2012. [168889]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office. Offences of ‘stalking' would be recorded under the offence classification of ‘Harassment' and cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded within that classification.

Television

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many flat screen televisions have been purchased by her Department in the last 24 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of such purchases. [168755]

James Brokenshire: Information on expenditure on television purchases for the last 24 months is not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain.

Cabinet Office

Charitable Donations

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of changes in the levels of financial giving and philanthropy over the last two years. [168353]

Mr Hurd: The Government use the Community Life Survey to track, among other things, trends in giving of money. In 2012-13 almost three quarters (74%) of people reported giving money to charity in the four weeks prior to interview; this represents a slight increase from 2010-11 when 72% donated.

The proportion of people donating to charity had declined between 2005 and 2010-11 (from 79% to 72%), so the latest figures appear to represent a halt of this downward trend.

Figures from HMRC suggest that there has been an increase in the amount donated that has had Gift Aid claimed on it in the past two years from £3,830 million in 2010-11 to a provisional figure of £4,130 million in 2012-13.

I am aware that the right hon. Member is chairing an inquiry on behalf of the Charities Aid Foundation on this and I look forward to reading the final report.

Communities First Fund

Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2013, Official Report, column 538W, on Communities First Fund, if he will place in the Library a breakdown by

12 Sep 2013 : Column 805W

local authority area of how much funding was allocated to the Community First programme in year

(a)

one and

(b)

two; and what proportion of that funding has been spent by local Community First panels. [168479]

Mr Hurd: Funding is allocated to Community First Neighbourhood Match Fund panels by ward. A breakdown of how much was granted by Community First panels in 2011-12 and 2012-13 by ward will be published in due course and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

The Community First programme costs for these years are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13 at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225980/HC_15.pdf

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff (a) directly employed and (b) indirectly employed through other companies by his Department were employed on zero-hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. [168272]

Mr Maude: Unfortunately information covering each of the last 10 years is not readily available. However, I can confirm that since the last general election no staff have been directly employed on zero hour contracts in the Cabinet Office.

In 2008-09 seven individuals and in 2009-10 six individuals were indirectly employed through other companies on zero-hours contracts. In 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 the number of such individuals has been five or fewer. In line with the practice of previous Administrations exact numbers are not usually disclosed to protect individual privacy when the numbers are five or fewer.

Prescription Drugs: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths from prescription drug overdoses there were in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years. [168968]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated September 2013:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths from prescription drug overdoses there were in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years. (168968)

The following table provide the number of deaths where the underlying cause was related to drug poisoning for (i) Pendle parliamentary constituency and (ii) Lancashire county, for deaths registered between 2008 and 2012 (the latest year available).

The drug-related deaths shown in Table 1 involve a broad spectrum of substances, including legal and illegal drugs, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. It is not possible to provide figures on the number of deaths from prescription drug

12 Sep 2013 : Column 806W

overdoses as ONS do not categorise substances in this manner. In addition, some prescription drugs are widely abused (for example morphine and diazepam), and it is not possible to determine from the information provided on the coroner's death certificate whether the drug was prescribed to the individual or obtained illegally.

The number of drug-related deaths registered in England and Wales from 1993 to 2012 are available on the ONS website. Table 6 shows the number of deaths for specific substances, including a wide range of prescription drugs:

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/index.html

Private Sector: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the number of private sector jobs to be created in Yorkshire and the Humber in the next five years. [168884]

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

In their 2012 publication “Working Futures 2010-2020” the UK Commission for Employment and Skills forecast that between 2010 and 2020 the total number of predominantly private sector jobs is estimated to increase by over 100,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber:

http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/evidence-report-41-working-futures-2010-2020.pdf

12 Sep 2013 : Column 807W

Wales

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what requests he has made for Barnett consequentials for Wales arising from the High Speed 2 project. [168467]

Mr David Jones: Any Barnett consequentials will be determined in line with the Statement of Funding Policy in the normal way.

Scotland

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what requests he has made for Barnett consequentials for Scotland arising from the High Speed 2 project. [168468]

David Mundell: Responsibility for public expenditure allocation across the United Kingdom lies with the Treasury. Barnett consequentials for HS2 will be determined in line with the Statement of Funding Policy in the normal way.

Manufacturing Industries: Job Creation

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs created in Scotland since 2010 are in the manufacturing sector. [167969]

David Mundell: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on total workforce jobs broken down by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC 2007). When this coalition Government came into power in 2010 employment was at 2,602,000, with manufacturing employment making up 187,000. The records from June 2013 put employment at 2,643,000, with manufacturing increasing to 202,000. A total increase of 15,000.

That information is available from the Office for National Statistics website, at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/august-2013/statistical-bulletin.html

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many posts in his Department have been relocated from London to each other region in each of the last 10 years. [168283]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has fewer than 60 staff with one office in London, and one in Edinburgh. Over the last 10 years the majority of staff have been based in Edinburgh.

Attorney-General

Abortion

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on the pre-signing of abortion forms. [168430]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 808W

The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General and I have had no specific discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on the pre-signing of abortion forms.

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff (a) directly employed and (b) indirectly employed through other companies by the Law Officers' Departments were employed on zero-hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. [168271]

The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' Departments have not directly employed any staff on zero hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. No records are held on whether or not companies who provided services to the Law Officers' Departments during this time have employed staff under such terms.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Attorney-General what training Crown Prosecutors have received on sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. [168837]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) updated its Legal Guidance on Stalking and Harassment to reflect the new stalking offences prior to commencement of the stalking offences on 25 November 2012. In addition, the CPS has developed an online e-Learning course on cyber stalking which was launched in September 2012 and includes training on the relevant offences and their identification, as well as covering other issues which may arise in the prosecution of stalking cases. The course was refreshed in June 2013, when it became mandatory learning for all prosecutors. The CPS is currently developing further training on the stalking offences, with emphasis on building a strong case, working closely with the police and engaging with victims throughout the legal process.

Serious Fraud Office

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff are currently employed at the Serious Fraud Office. [168357]

The Solicitor-General: At 31 August 2013, the Serious Fraud Office employed the full-time equivalent of 293.3 permanent staff.

Church Commissioners

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many workers were (a) directly employed by the Church Commissioners and (b) indirectly employed by the Church Commissioners through other companies on zero-hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. [168350]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 809W

Sir Tony Baldry: Figures for the number of people directly employed by the Church Commissioners on temporary time sheet employment contracts are given as follows. This is the same system used for any person employed through a temporary staff agency.

The increase in 2009 is the result of putting the casual catering staff and security staff at Lambeth Palace on the payroll.

The Church Commissioners and other national church bodies make every effort to protect and support those who choose to be employed on this basis. This way of working is valued by those who take up these opportunities and many individuals have worked for the Church of England in this way for many years.

Unlike many employers when dealing with staff on ‘time sheet contracts’ the Church has chosen to make special provision to protect their employment rights.

Included in contracts for individuals are entitlements for annual leave, sick pay and sick leave, paid via the submission of timesheets. Where possible temporary staff employed on this basis are booked in advance, except when unexpected short term cover is required. Each individual has the opportunity to refuse the offer of employment if the work is not convenient and this would not prevent any consideration of subsequent offers of employment.

I am not aware that any indirectly employed staff contracted to work with the Church Commissioners are employed on zero-hour contracts.

Education

Absenteeism

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library his Department's statistics for absenteeism in the last three financial years. [168532]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department's statistics for absenteeism in the last three financial years are set out as follows. These figures represent average working days lost.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 810W

Academies

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish details of financial arrangements made by his Department with any former private schools that have converted to academy status since May 2010. [167745]

Mr Timpson [holding answer 5 September 2013]:Since May 2010, we have agreed financial arrangements with 13 former independent schools converting to academy status. Most of these schools received the standard project development grant of £25,000 given to mainstream schools to support them with the costs of conversion, although three received more. All grants agreed since May 2010 are significantly smaller than the level of grants paid to independent schools moving into he state sector prior to May 2010. Between 2007 and 2010, project development grants given to converting independent schools ranged from £620,000 to as high as £1.7 million.

In some cases the Department has also agreed to fund the existing debts of predecessor schools by securing a charge against the assets such as land and buildings. Consistent with the approach under the previous Government, some projects have also been provided with a contribution towards capital funding for the creation of new places.

Children: Day Care

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many unscheduled inspections of childcare providers following complaints were undertaken by Ofsted in each month since August 2008; [168492]

(2) how many childcare providers subject to unscheduled inspections by Ofsted following complaints had their rating revised (a) down, (b) up, (c) from outstanding or good to unsatisfactory and (d) from outstanding or good to satisfactory in each month since August 2008; [168493]

(3) how many complaints Ofsted has received from childcare providers about the quality or result of an unscheduled inspection following a complaint in each month since August 2008; and how many of these complaints were upheld (a) by the initial investigating official, (b) following an internal review and (c) by the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted; [168494]

(4) how many revisions to the rating of childcare providers Ofsted has made following an upheld complaint by a childcare provider subject to an unscheduled inspection in each month since August 2008. [168495]

Elizabeth Truss: These questions are for Ofsted to answer. I have asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his replies will be placed in the House Library.

Child Protection

Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many serious case reviews relating to the safeguarding of children and young people there have been in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such reviews in each such year. [167813]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 811W

Mr Timpson: The number of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) commissioned by Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) and notified to the Department for Education in relation to the safeguarding of children and young people in each of the last five years is as follows:

The Government have established a national panel of independent experts to advise and challenge Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) to initiate and publish high-quality SCRs. This is so lessons can be learned locally and nationally to drive up the quality of child protections services and avoid mistakes being repeated. The panel will initially advise LSCBs on:

any decision made by an LSCB not to initiate an SCR following a serious incident which meets certain agreed criteria

any case where an LSCB has concerns about publication of an SCR report

The costs of carrying out such reviews are not held centrally and, at present, LSCBs are not required to publish precise costs for each SCR they carry out.

Cycling

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development. [168390]

Mr Laws: The Department for Education has not provided any funding for the development of cycling infrastructure.

First Aid: Curriculum

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he gave to including emergency life savings skills in the school curriculum. [168834]

Elizabeth Truss: The Government do not believe that the teaching of emergency life savings skills (ELS) should be a statutory requirement. The aim of this Government is to reduce prescription throughout the education system and, in doing so, to allow teachers and school leaders the flexibility to use their professional judgment to provide what is best in their circumstances.

The new national curriculum that we have published will provide a rigorous basis for teaching, a benchmark for all schools to improve their performance and will give children and parents a better guarantee that every student will acquire the knowledge to succeed in the modem world.

Teachers are free to use their professional judgment to decide whether to teach ELS and should tailor such provision according to the needs of their pupils. To support teaching, schools are free to use professional organisations and resources and we encourage organisations to develop guidance for schools in the areas of their

12 Sep 2013 : Column 812W

expertise. Reputable organisations such as the British Heart Foundation and St John Ambulance already provide resources and training, which schools are free to make use of, and we encourage them to do so when teaching pupils about this topic.

GCSE: English Language

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review Ofqual's decision to remove the Speaking and Listening Assessment from GCSE English and GCSE English Language. [168349]

Elizabeth Truss: The assessment of speaking and listening has not been removed from GCSE English and English Language. Ofqual has stated that speaking and listening will be reported separately on the GCSE certificate alongside the GCSE grade.

The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has no plans to review Ofqual's decision on these arrangements. Ofqual is the independent regulator of qualifications and reports directly to Parliament. It has found that current arrangements for speaking and listening do not produce fair outcomes for students.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to the effect of Ofqual's decision to remove the speaking and listening assessment from GCSE English and GCSE English Language on (a) the amount of teaching time allocated to speaking and listening skills, (b) the development of pupils' oral communication skills and (c) the accountability of teachers to teach speaking and listening skills at Key Stage 4. [168478]

Elizabeth Truss: The assessment of speaking and listening has not been removed from GCSE English and English Language. Students' speaking and listening skills will be reported separately on the GCSE certificate alongside the GCSE grade, giving a more detailed picture of students' achievements than under the previous arrangements.

Ofqual is the independent regulator of qualifications and it has found that current arrangements for speaking and listening do not produce fair outcomes for students.

Ofsted will continue to hold schools to account for their teaching of English, including speaking and listening. The Department for Education will consider making available the results of the separate assessment of speaking and listening through its new Data Portal.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions his Department has had with Ofqual about its decision to remove the Speaking and Listening Assessment from GCSE English and GCSE English Language. [168480]

Elizabeth Truss: The assessment of speaking and listening has not been removed from GCSE English and English Language. Ofqual has said that speaking and listening will be reported separately on the GCSE certificate alongside the GCSE grade.

Ofqual is the independent regulator of qualifications, with a statutory responsibility to secure standards in qualifications. It must be able to do that free from

12 Sep 2013 : Column 813W

political interference. It has found that current arrangements for speaking and listening do not produce fair outcomes for students. Ofqual has kept Ministers informed of its concerns and the action it intends to take.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes his Department intends to make to how sex and relationship education is taught under the PSHE curriculum. [168460]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has considered the role of sex and relationship education (SRE) as part of its review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Experts are best placed to provide schools with up-to-date materials and advice on changing technologies that fit within the framework of our sex and relationship education guidance. This means schools can always access the most current advice and guidance on every emerging issue.

The PSHE Association has recently updated its guidance for schools on developing and improving their SRE policies. The Sex Education Forum also has a range of useful resources to help schools improve their SRE programmes, as do other organisations which seek to raise standards in SRE education.

Property

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's property assets. [168533]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has two freehold property assets:

Castle View House, Runcorn;

Mowden Hall, Darlington.

The DFE review will see the Department reduce the number of sites that it operates by half. Both the Runcorn and Darlington sites will be vacated and sold as part of the review.

All other properties used by the DFE are leasehold and therefore not considered to be assets owned by the Department.

Public Expenditure

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the delegated spending threshold against which spending needs to be authorised by a Minister in his Department. [168469]

Elizabeth Truss: All new policy spending proposals are submitted to Ministers for approval. However, the commitment of expenditure is delegated from HM Treasury to the Permanent Secretary, as Principal Accounting Officer, in the letter of appointment, which states:

"Your Appointment is in accordance with Section 5, subsection 6 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (GRAA) 2000 and carries with it the responsibility for ensuring that resources authorised by Parliament and sums to be paid out of the consolidated Fund, in respect of the Department for Education, are used for the purposes intended by Parliament."

Additionally, since 2010, the Department complies with Efficiency Controls measures as set out by Cabinet Office in their guidance. The Department has also

12 Sep 2013 : Column 814W

implemented internal efficiency controls which require spend above thresholds in specific areas to be approved at ministerial level. Details of such spends are provided in the following table:

The resources authorised by Parliament are already published on the Department's estimate, a link is available:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/197738/dfe_mainsupplyestimates_201314.pdf

A copy will be placed in the House Library.

International Development

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all the governments which attended the Nutrition for Growth event on 8 June 2013 make their promised financial commitments to tackle malnutrition. [168256]

Lynne Featherstone: International donors made new financial commitments at the Nutrition for Growth event of up to £2.7 billion over the period 2013 to 2020. Countries which are members of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement also made financial commitments related to increased allocation of domestic resources. DFID will shortly launch an accountability mechanism to track and report annually on all the Nutrition for Growth commitments.

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what countries and to support which activities her Department will disburse the monetary commitments made by the Nutrition for Growth event on 8 June 2013. [168257]

Lynne Featherstone: Decisions on new bilateral programmes will be taken by DFID country offices. Officials in Whitehall will work closely with its country offices, partner governments, donors and the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement as part of the decision-making process. Geographical location will be dictated by greatest need and potential impact. New financial commitments will support nutrition specific activities, such as promotion of breastfeeding, complementary feeding, management of severe acute malnutrition, vitamin A supplementation and salt iodisation.

Female Genital Mutilation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department about those at risk of female genital mutilation seeking asylum in the UK. [168211]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 815W

Lynne Featherstone: I have had regular discussions with Home Office and other Government Ministers about a range of measures to protect girls from female genital mutilation in the UK and overseas, and to help eradicate this appalling practice.

Palestinians

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2013, Official Report, column 279W, on Palestinians, when her Department will complete its consideration of the costs and benefits of additional assistance for vulnerable communities in Area C. [168475]

Mr Duncan: DFID is committed to helping the poorest Palestinian people, many of whom live within Area C. Extensive discussions are currently under way with relevant authorities, other donors and civil society groups about how we can support the potential development of infrastructure in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. DFID is now assessing the full costs and benefits of additional assistance for vulnerable communities in Area C including how they could form a part of Secretary Kerry's economic track of the Middle East Peace Process discussions.

South Africa

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what consideration determined the timing of her announcement in April 2013 that the UK's bilateral aid programme to South Africa would end in 2015; [168582]

(2) whether representatives of the South African Government expressed concern about her decision to end the UK's bilateral aid programme to South Africa in 2015 before the announcement of the decision on 30 April 2013. [168583]

Justine Greening: There have been on-going discussions with the Government of South Africa on the intention to end bilateral aid over the last year. The communique of the UK-SA Bilateral Forum was agreed yesterday by both Governments and sets out the approach to our future development relationship with South Africa.

Staff

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many posts in her Department have been relocated from London to each other region in each of the last 10 years. [168280]

Mr Duncan: DFID has undertaken three programmes of post relocations from London to our second headquarters site in East Kilbride in Scotland over the last 10 years. Available figures show plans for relocation of 85 posts over the period 2004-06. A further 70 posts were relocated over the period 2010-11. 41 posts were relocated over the period 2012-13. Relocation of individual posts from London to Scotland is also considered on a continuous and case-by-case basis as posts become vacant or are re-structured.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 816W

Syria

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department plans to allocate the additional £52 million of UK aid to Syria. [168481]

Mr Duncan: So far the UK has provided £348 million to assist those most in need as a result of the Syria crisis. The money is being spent through a combination of partners and UN agencies, specifically the World Food Programme and the UN Refugee Agency. This funding has provided food for over 285,000 people a month, water for almost 1 million people and approximately 300,000 medical consultations.

We are currently in discussions with our partners to allocate an additional £52 million based on a continuous assessment of needs. The Secretary of State during her recent visit to the region announced that £10 million of this will be allocated to needs in Jordan. We also intend to increase our emphasis in helping the 1 million children refugees.

Health

Mortuaries

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cadavers were held in public mortuaries for more than one month in each year since 1997; [168192]

(2) what the estimated cost of holding cadavers in public mortuaries was in each year since 1997. [168193]

Anna Soubry: The Department does not collect this information centrally.

NHS England

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what responsibilities were transferred from his Department to NHS England and its predecessor organisations in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date; [168235]

(2) what the annual budget of NHS England and its predecessor organisations was in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; [168241]

(3) what the value of contracts overseen by NHS England and its predecessor organisations has been in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013 to date. [168242]

Anna Soubry: We have taken "predecessor organisations" to mean NHS England as a body and not other organisations that were part of the health and care system before April 2013 i.e. strategic health authorities and primary care trusts.

The NHS Commissioning Board Authority, a special health authority, was set up on 31 October 2011 by the NHS Commissioning Board Authority (Establishment and Constitution) Order 2011. Special health authorities exercise specified functions of the Secretary of State, and this authority's function was to prepare for the establishment and operation of NHS England. The authority was abolished on establishment of NHS England.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 817W

The establishment and functions of NHS England (known in legislation as the National Health Service Commissioning Board) were provided for by the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 (Commencement No.2 and Transitional, Savings and Transitory Provisions) Order 2012 brought into force a number of provisions of the 2012 Act on 1 October 2012, including those which brought about the establishment of NHS England and conferred on it some of its functions in preparation for the new system coming into force on 1 April 2013.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 (Commencement No.4, Transitional, Savings and Transitory Provisions) Order 2013 brought into force further provisions of the 2012 Act, in particular those which provided for most of the remaining functions of NHS England on 1 April 2013. These are largely set out in Part 2 of the 2006 Act and relate to the commissioning of NHS services, responsibility for which was previously held by strategic health authorities and primary care trusts.

The NHS Commissioning Board Authority's budget, from its establishment on 31 October 2011 until the end of that financial year (March 2012) was £7.3 million revenue. The combined budget for the NHS Commissioning Board Authority and NHS England for the 2012-13 financial year was £81.7 million revenue and £7.7 million capital.

NHS England's annual allocation is now set out in the mandate from the Government to NHS England. For 2013-14 this is £95,623 million revenue and £200 million capital.

The value of contracts overseen by NHS England is a matter for that organisation. We understand that NHS England does not hold a central list of the value of contracts overseen by NHS England or its predecessor organisations.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the net value is of the property portfolio owned by NHS England; [168236]

(2) what the net value is of the property portfolio managed by NHS England. [168237]

Anna Soubry: NHS England does not own or manage any properties. As part of the NHS Health and Social Care Act 2012, NHS Property Services Ltd, was established to perform this function.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the annual salary is of the Chief Executive of NHS England; [168238]

(2) what the salaries are of each board member of NHS England. [168239]

Anna Soubry: The following table provides salary details (within £5,000 bands) for NHS England's directors:

12 Sep 2013 : Column 818W

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total number of staff employed by NHS England is. [168240]

Anna Soubry: NHS England advises that it employs 6,187 staff as at 31 July 2013.

NHS: Drugs

Mr Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 721W, on Warfarin, what responsibility NHS England has for the enforcement of the NHS Constitution with regards to patients' legal rights to medicines approved by NICE; [167750]

(2) what action NHS England may take to direct (a) NHS medicines management organisations and (b) Clinical Commissioning Groups to alter prescribing protocols which it judges to be in conflict with the provisions of the NHS constitution as it pertains to patients' legal rights to access to medicines approved by NICE; [167751]

(3) what steps have been taken by NHS England to date against those NHS organisations which may have breached the NHS constitution by publishing prescribing protocols on the use of anticoagulants which restrict patient access to novel oral anticoagulants to a second-line therapy. [167752]

Dr Poulter: The NHS constitution sets out that patients have the right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in the national health service, if their doctor says they are clinically appropriate for them. Both NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a statutory duty to promote the NHS constitution.

NHS England has advised that it will be publishing weblinks to trust formularies as part of the Innovation Scorecard in October 2013, to improve transparency on

12 Sep 2013 : Column 819W

what treatments are available at a local level. This will enable patients, CCGs and local area teams to challenge breaches of the NHS constitution if treatments are not made available at a local level.

Where allegations of non-compliance to NICE guidelines have been made prior to the establishment of NHS England, these were investigated by strategic health authorities and all claims were refuted by trust chief pharmacists and evidence of usage was provided. NHS England also advised that it is not aware of any new allegations on non-compliance to Warfarin.

Communities and Local Government

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are recorded as living in bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation; and how many such families were recorded as living in B&Bs in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012. [156859]

Mr Prisk [holding answer 3 June 2013]:The latest figures on the number of households with dependent children or expectant mothers with no other dependent children recorded as living in bed and breakfast accommodation relate to 31 December 2012 and are included in the following table. The table also gives figures for 31 December 2010 and 31 December 2011.

The figures are the total numbers reported by local authorities as at each date. It is not possible from the information provided to identify individual households and so to track the number of households in bed and breakfast accommodation as at 31 December 2012 that had also been in bed and breakfast accommodation on any particular previous dates.

Figures for 31 March 2012 will be published on 6 June.

The figures for England are also available in DCLG Live Table 775, at

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

The Barnsley Central constituency falls wholly within the area of Barnsley council. The area of Barnsley council also includes parts of the parts of Penistone and Stocksbridge, Wentworth and Dearne, and Barnsley East constituencies.

Homelessness is around half the average rate it was under the last Administration, and remains lower than in 27 of the last 30 years. England has a strong safety net, protected in law, to ensure families always have a roof over their head.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 820W

It is unacceptable and avoidable for families to be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for long periods and legislation remains in place that prohibits the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families unless in an emergency, and then for no more than six weeks.

We called on local housing authorities not to use bed and breakfast accommodation for families as one of the 10 challenges we set them in the recent Ministerial Working Group Report on Homelessness. These challenges form the basis of the Homelessness Gold Standard Challenge—a local peer review scheme supported by nearly £2 million of Government funding.

On 1 August, I announced the seven local authorities that account for almost 50% of families in bed and breakfast over six weeks who we are supporting with nearly £2 million, to test innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the unacceptable numbers of families in bed and breakfast accommodation. Alongside this additional funding, a new working group has been formed which will work closely with local authorities using bed and breakfast to house families to help them tackle this damaging practice.

Betting Shops

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effects of betting shops on local communities. [168342]

Nick Boles: We continue to work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to consider the effect of betting shops. Local authorities have powers to act where there are particular local concerns.

Bookmakers

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times he has met representatives of the bookmakers industry in the last three years. [168352]

Nick Boles: Details of Ministers' meeting with external organisations are routinely published on my Department's website.

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff (a) directly employed and (b) indirectly employed through other companies by his Department were employed on zero-hours contracts in each of the last 10 years. [168273]

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has had two directly employed staff on zero-hour contracts since the Department was established in May 2006. More information is available in my answer of 2 July 2013, Official Report, column 535W.

The Department does not hold the information on indirectly employed staff through other companies.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 821W

Council Housing: Woking

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority properties have been purchased through the Government's right-to-buy scheme in Woking constituency in each of the last five years. [166780]

Mr Prisk: Figures for local authority sales through the right-to-buy scheme are not available at a constituency level, but are available at a local authority level. The two local authorities covered by the Woking constituency are Woking and Guildford.

Woking local authority made 45 sales between 2008-09 and 2012-13, while there were 48 sales in Guildford over the same period. Further information is available in Table 685 on the Department's website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales#right-to-buy-sales

It should be noted that these are sales from local authorities and do not include sales of social housing stock through Preserved Right to Buy made by registered providers (such as housing associations).

Right to Buy sales have increased in both Guildford and Woking since the new discounts were introduced, but there is more to do to inform tenants of their new rights and help them up the ladder of home ownership.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to ensure that all new homes are carbon-zero by 2016. [168910]

Mr Foster: As set out in Budget 2013, the Government remain committed to implementing zero-carbon homes from 2016. A further strengthening of the energy efficiency requirements in Building Regulations was announced in a written ministerial statement on 30 July 2013, Official Report, columns 165-66WS. A consultation seeking views on the next steps to zero-carbon homes including a flexible way to help home builders meet the zero-carbon standard through the use of cost effective ‘Allowable Solutions' was published on 6 August.

Local Government: ICT

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 989W, on local government: ICT, what progress he has made on measures to allow town and parish councils to (a) make online payments and (b) send agendas electronically. [167055]

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 43WS. We are aware of the support for a change in legislation to remove any doubts about councils' ability to send agendas electronically and we are minded to legislate to enable this by April of 2014.

12 Sep 2013 : Column 822W

Treasury

Business: North Yorkshire

Andrew Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many loans have been provided to small and medium-sized enterprises in North Yorkshire as a result of the funding for lending scheme. [168883]

Greg Clark: The funding-for-lending scheme has contributed to a transformation of the bank funding environment and banks are now passing these on to the real economy including to small businesses.

As part of the monitoring of the funding-for-lending scheme, the Bank of England publishes the net lending data of individual banks on a quarterly basis. A regional breakdown is however unavailable. The Bank of England will publish net lending figures by sector once the extension begins.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of his Department to the Treasury Sub-Committee, 3 September 2013, uncorrected transcript, Q63, stating that his Department had not signed a blank cheque for High Speed 2, what upper limit his Department has set for spending on that project; [168375]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport regarding the upper limit HM Treasury has set for spending on High Speed 2; [168376]

(3) whether the current budget for High Speed 2 includes the budget for the compensation package that is currently being reconsulted on; and whether provision has been made for the costs of a potential increase in that compensation package. [168377]

Danny Alexander [holding answer11 September 2013]:The 2013 spending round set a funding envelope for High Speed 2 of £42.6 billion for construction costs (£21.4 billion for Phase 1 and £21.2 billion for Phase 2) and £7.5 billion for rolling stock, including £16.1 billion of contingency, in 2011 prices. This envelope also makes provision for a property consultation package which goes beyond statutory requirements.

The Government expect the railway to be delivered for less than this long-term envelope, and the Secretary of State for Transport has set HS2 Ltd a lower ‘target price' of £17.16 billion to deliver Phase 1. More detail on the Government's long-term capital spending plans is available in “Investing in Britain's Future”:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209279/PU1524_IUK_new_template.pdf

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate has been made of the Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland for the money that (a) has already been spent, (b) is contracted to be spent and (c) will be spent in England on High Speed 2; [168488]

(2) what estimate has been made of the Barnett consequential for Wales from expenditure (a) already spent, (b) currently contracted to be spent and (c) projected to be spent in England on High Speed 2. [168489]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 823W

Danny Alexander: Allocations to the devolved Administrations at spending reviews are made in the form of block grants. It is not possible to identify consequentials for individual spending items within the total grant. Barnett consequentials for HS2 will be determined in line with the Statement of Funding Policy in the normal way.

Public Expenditure

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on total managed expenditure of immigration from Romania and Bulgaria after 2014. [168293]

Danny Alexander: There is no reliable way of estimating future numbers of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants and any potential impact on total managed expenditure. Any such impact will be managed within existing budgets.

Public Expenditure: Scotland

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on shovel-ready projects financed by the additional £395 million provided in the last autumn statement. [168175]

Danny Alexander: As a result of policy decisions taken by the UK Government, the Scottish Government have received £1.6 billion of additional capital funding over the course of the current spending review, including £394 million as a result of autumn statement 2012.

It is for the Scottish Government to determine their own priorities for this spending.

Revenue and Customs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' total yield in each area of its activity (a) was in each year since 2010-11 and (b) is targeted to be in each year between 2013-14 and 2015-16. [168196]

Mr Gauke: The additional revenues collected from compliance activities by HM Revenue and Customs for each year since 2010-11 is as follows;

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many apprentices have been employed by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2010-11; and how many people will be so employed in each year until 2015-16. [168207]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 824W

Mr Gauke: This year HMRC has developed and introduced an approach to externally recruit apprentices. HMRC also participates in the Civil Service Wide Fast Track Apprenticeship scheme which offers an alternative route to further education for 18 to 21 year groups.

Under the last Government, HMRC did not recruit apprentices.

HMRC currently recruit apprentices to undertake the following roles:

(a) Level 2 or level 3 qualification in Business Administration or Customer Service

(b) Level 4—IT higher Apprenticeship

(c) Level 4 Business Administration (Civil Service Fast Track Scheme)

During 2013-14, HMRC plan to employ 207 apprentices:

52 have already been appointed

120 join September/October 2013 on the Civil Service Fast Track scheme

11 join September/October 2013—IT higher apprenticeship programme

24 to be recruited January 2014

During 2014-15 and 2015-16, the IT Profession plan to offer a further 12 places each year to undertake a higher level 4 apprenticeship in IT.

HMRC consider apprenticeships as part of standard business and work force planning processes. The final decisions on numbers will be determined and agreed, as part of the departmental work force plans, and once confirmed HMRC may be able to offer more.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in each area of its activity HM Revenue and Customs expects to retire in each year between 2013-14 and 2015-16. [168208]

Mr Gauke: HMRC does not operate a fixed retirement age policy and does not know when individuals will choose to retire. HMRC uses a statistical model to forecast likely levels of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff retirements based on historic data. The latest forecast for each of HMRC's lines of business is shown in table 1.

These results exclude staff who have reduced their working hours as part of a partial retirement arrangement.

Current plans are for Enforcement and Compliance FTEs to rise to a total of around 28,000 during 2014-15 before reducing again through natural wastage to around 25,700 by end 2015-16 as part of our overall efficiency commitments.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff HM Revenue and Customs expects to make (a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily redundant from each area of its activity in each year from 2013-14 to 2015-16; and how much HM Revenue and Customs has allocated to meet redundancy costs in each such year. [168209]

12 Sep 2013 : Column 825W

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has set no money aside for voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy in 2014-15 and 2015-16. If staff are required to be made voluntarily or compulsorily redundant, HMRC will need to meet the cost out of its existing funds.

Data for 2013-14 is provided as follows:

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff HM Revenue and Customs has made (a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily redundant in each of its areas of activity in each year from 2010-11 to 2012-13; and how much HM Revenue and Customs has spent on redundancy costs in each such year. [168210]

Mr Gauke: The number of staff that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has made voluntarily and compulsorily redundant in each of its lines of business from 2010-11 to 2012-13, together with the amount spent on such redundancy costs, are shown in the following tables.

Under Cabinet Office protocols for managing staff surpluses, all HMRC staff leaving under compulsory redundancy (CR) terms have first been offered and declined voluntary redundancy (VR) terms. To date this approach has ensured that all staff who have left HMRC on CR terms have acquiesced to compulsory redundancy, either because accepting CR over VR terms has not financially disadvantaged them, or they have declined a reasonable alternative redeployment solution in favour of CR terms.

The redundancies have had no effect on the level of service provided by HMRC.