Poultry Meat

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2013, Official Report, column 472W, on poultry meat: food poisoning, what proportion of the Campylobacter and Salmonella found in fresh chicken at retail was antibiotic-resistant. [169927]

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency published the report of a United Kingdom survey of Campylobacter and Salmonella contamination of fresh chicken at retail (B18025) in October 2009.

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This survey found that 87% of Campylobacter and 41% of Salmonella isolates tested were resistant to at least one antibiotic drug.

Primary Care Trusts: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date his Department was informed of a likely underspend in budgets of Merseyside primary care trusts in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [170519]

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Dr Poulter: Prior to 2013-14, all primary care trusts (PCTs) were required to submit plans at the beginning of every financial year. Within these plans, the PCTs in the Merseyside area all forecast an underspend, during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, against their revenue spending controls, the Revenue Resource Limits (RRLs).

At each quarter during the financial year, PCTs were required to provide updated forecasts against their plans. The following table shows the forecast and final underspends against RRLs reported by Merseyside PCTs, at each reporting stage in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice. [170352]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not hold the information requested centrally. Information was sought from the individual non-departmental public bodies about how many staff were made redundant and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice. This is given in the following tables.

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice. [170370]

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Dr Poulter: Details of the number of civil servants who were made redundant and the number who received payments in lieu of notice for the periods requested are shown in the following table:

Self-harm: Children

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported incidents of self-harm there

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have been in young people under the age of 18 across

(a)

England,

(b)

Essex and

(c)

Harlow in each of the last three years. [170002]

Norman Lamb: The following table shows the most recent available data as requested for each of the three years, for young people under the age of 18 across England, Essex and Harlow. It should be noted that these are data from all Essex primary care trusts (PCTs) and Harlow is included in the West Essex PCT.

We are unable to provide a specific breakdown of data for Harlow, as the lowest level of geographic information available for the three years requested is at PCT level.

It should also be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.

Shingles: Vaccination

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the provision of shingles vaccinations to patients aged 71 to 78. [170156]

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended a universal herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme for adults aged 70 years up to and including 79 years. Zostavax® vaccine is the only market authorised shingles vaccine available in the United Kingdom.

In 2013-14, supplies of the vaccine have been secured sufficient for the routine vaccination of adults aged 70 and for those aged 79 years on a ‘catch-up’ basis. This is a standard approach to the introduction of a new vaccination programme where initial supplies of vaccine are limited. It allows vaccination of the optimum number of people and ensures we are able to use national health service resources to provide the greatest benefit from the amount of vaccine available.

It is not possible to extend provision to patients aged 71 and 78 years in the current 2013-14 vaccination season. There will be a progressive programme to vaccinate all those in the recommended age groups. This will mean that in the longer term all of those aged between 70 and 79 will be able to receive the vaccine. How quickly that can be achieved is dependent in part on the availability of shingles vaccine in coming years .

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefit to public health of extending the provision of shingles vaccinations to those aged 71 to 78. [170157]

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation reviewed the medical, epidemiological, and economic evidence, as well as vaccine safety and efficacy data relevant to a herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme, and recommended that a universal herpes zoster vaccination programme for adults aged from 70 up to and including 79 years be introduced, provided that a licensed vaccine was available at a cost-effective price. Zostavax® vaccine is the only market authorised shingles vaccine available in the United Kingdom.

A routine herpes zoster vaccination programme for those aged 70 began in England on 1 September 2013. A catch-up programme for the vaccination of those aged 71 to 79 years will also be undertaken, with those aged 79 to be offered the vaccine this year. Those aged 71 to 78 will be offered vaccination in future years, dependent upon vaccine availability.

Smoking

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the smoke-free homes and cars campaign in spring 2013. [169869]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) spent £1.2 million on advertising for the smoke free homes and cars campaign in June 2013. This is PHE advertising spend only.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department plans to measure the effectiveness of the recent smoke-free homes and cars campaign. [169870]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England will be evaluating the 2013 smoke free homes and cars campaign through:

pre and post-campaign tracking research surveys with the target audience to measure awareness and attitude and behaviour changes; and

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analysis of other response data such as web traffic, orders of the smoke free kit, and online responses to the advertising and social media (e.g. Facebook) activity.

Tobacco: Packaging

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of plain packaging for tobacco products on reducing smoking levels among young people in England. [170102]

Jane Ellison: The Department published a consultation-stage impact assessment alongside the “Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products” in April 2012. This set out information on the likely costs and benefits if standardised packaging were to be introduced and invited respondents to submit additional relevant information.

The Government have decided to wait before making a final decision on standardised packaging. This allows time to benefit from the experience of Australia, where they introduced standardised packaging in December 2012. The policy remains under active consideration.

Education

Bus Services: Concessions

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will extend eligibility for free bus travel for school students aged over 16, following the implementation of the increased compulsory participation age. [170254]

Mr Laws: The responsibility for post-16 transport support lies with local authorities. The authorities are under a duty to publish a post-16 transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access further education. This applies to all students of sixth-form age, whether they attend a school sixth form or another establishment.

The level of support provided is for local authorities to decide and the arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised travel. However, local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on the needs of their population, the local transport infrastructure, and the resources they have available.

As well as any support provided by local authorities, young people in many areas also receive discounts from bus operators, which are determined by the operators themselves. Some schools and colleges also provide direct support for their students, for example through school or college buses, and financially disadvantaged students can also apply for assistance through the 16-19 Bursary Fund via their school or college.

Local authorities and providers are encouraged to work together to ensure that transport support provided by authorities, alongside the Bursary Fund, are used effectively together to help meet post-16 students' transport costs.

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Carbon Emissions

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available. [169855]

Elizabeth Truss: In 2011-12, the Department for Education spent £835 on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework. This offset 1,228 tonnes of carbon emissions from business-related air and rail travel.

In addition, the Department has reduced its annual carbon emissions from energy and travel by 6,597 tonnes, or 29%, since 2009-10, saving the tax payer £6.7 million per year.

Children: Mental Health

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what responsibilities a school has if it believes a pupil is suffering from mental health issues. [170000]

Mr Timpson: Good schools take action to boost pupils' mental health resilience and intervene early to set those at risk of more serious problems back on track. When children need more specialist support, schools refer pupils to specialist medical services such as children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) or work with partners to access the clinical expertise they need.

We are consulting on a new special educational needs (SEN) code of practice which includes changes to the identified areas of SEN to promote early identification of underlying mental health issues that might lead to pupils having SEN. This will enable better provision of support, for example through targeted access to CAMHS or other support services.

Child Poverty

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how poverty among five, six and seven-year- olds will be measured and recorded following the announcement that every child in this age group will now qualify for free school meals. [170247]

Mr Laws: Child poverty is measured against four targets as outlined in the Child Poverty Act 2010 (relative income, absolute income, low income with material deprivation and persistent poverty). Figures on the number and proportion of children in poverty are published in the Household Below Average Income (HBAI) statistical release by the Department for Work and Pensions. The HBAI publication includes figures on the proportion of children who are in poverty where the youngest child in the family is aged 0 and four, five and 10, 11 and 15 and 16 and 19. The recent announcement that all infant pupils will be entitled to receive free school meals from September 2014 will not change the way poverty is measured and recorded in the HBAI publication.

We are considering the possible implications of universal free school meals on how the Department uses free school meal registration data as a measure of deprivation in all school funding, including the pupil premium. We will set out our proposals in due course.

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Children: Self-harm

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision there is for supporting school-age children who are found to be self-harming. [170001]

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.

The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is there to support children of school age who are found to be self-harming.

Children's mental health is a priority for this Government. That is why we are investing £54 million over the four-year period 2011-15 in the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme to drive service transformation in CAMHS—giving children and young people improved access to the best mental health care by embedding evidence-based practice and making sure whole services use session-by-session outcome monitoring.

The Department is now funding the development of interactive e-learning programmes via an ePortal, intended for professionals and to be delivered in 2014. It will extend the skills and knowledge of national health service clinicians, staff working in universal settings, such as teachers, social workers, and counsellors and supervisors working in a range of educational and youth settings. This will also explore whether e-therapy options can be delivered to children and young people, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy.

Cost-effectiveness

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to share back-office services with other Government Departments; and if he will make a statement. [170553]

Elizabeth Truss: The Cabinet Office is creating two independent shared service centres (ISSC) to bring together back-office functions across Government. The Department for Education is working with the Cabinet Office to ensure that the future ISSC2 will meet our needs and enable further savings and process improvements.

Disclosure of Information

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department’s (a) policy is on and (b) process is for informing teachers and head teachers of policy announcements before such announcements are published elsewhere; and in what circumstances such a policy would be set aside. [170707]

Mr Laws: The Department is committed to constructive engagement with teachers and head teachers.

For some essential information, there is direct communication with all schools in advance of any wider publication. At the start of each term, the Department produces a package of communications designed for schools, containing information for schools to act on, or new information which it would be useful for them to know.

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In other cases, there would be consultation in advance of a wider announcement; often through a formal and extensive process. There are also regular meetings between officials, Ministers and a wide range of stakeholders who represent teachers and head teachers about the potential impact of education policy on their members.

Education: Armed Forces

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the current education curriculum at AFC Harrogate (namely functional skills at Level 1 in English and mathematics and a level 2 IT certificate) meets the requirements for compulsory education of 16 to 18-year-olds. [170523]

Mr Laws: From the start of the 2013/14 academic year, young people will be required to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17. Young people can participate through full-time education, an apprenticeship, or work and volunteering combined with part-time education or training.

Serving in the armed forces provides relevant training for young people and provides an excellent career route. As the terms of service and training within the armed forces vary, we have made provision so that a serving member of the armed forces who is participating in the training given to new members, such as those studying at AFC Harrogate, will automatically be treated as meeting their duty to participate without any requirement to deliver specific subjects or programmes.

For the purposes of these regulations, "armed forces" means the naval, military or air forces of the Crown, but not the reserve forces.

Free School Meals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions his Department has had on legally obliging sixth forms to provide free school meals to eligible students. [170139]

Mr Laws: Under current legislation, school sixth forms are obliged to provide free school meals to students who meet the free school meal entitlement criteria. There is currently no similar duty in relation to college students.

On 18 September, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that, from September 2014, the Government will extend entitlement to free meals to disadvantaged students in further education and sixth-form colleges.

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements are being made to facilitate the registration of those entitled to free school meals in order to ensure that schools are entitled to the pupil premium; and if he will make a statement. [170142]

Mr Laws: Free school meal registration is the responsibility of schools and local authorities. The Department's Eligibility Checking Service, which was first introduced in 2009 and is now used by the majority of local authorities, has made it much easier and quicker

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to check which families are entitled to free school meals for their children. National free school meals take-up has increased by 80,000 between 2010 and 2013.

The pupil premium is allocated to schools on the basis of the number of pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years. This information is collected through the School Census in January.

We recently announced that all infant pupils will be entitled to receive free school meals from September 2014. Pupil premium funding for 2014-15 will not be affected by this change as the allocations are informed by School Census data collected in January 2014.

Free Schools: Health Services

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) health checks and (b) nursing care must be provided at free schools. [169953]

Mr Timpson: Since April 2013, local authorities have held statutory responsibility for commissioning public health services for children. Health checks and nursing care for pupils are not dependent on the type of school a child attends. Pupils in free schools will have the same access to health care programmes including immunisation, screening programmes and vision and hearing checks as pupils in other schools.

GCSE

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of mid-course changes to GCSE qualifications on (a) schools and (b) students taking such examinations in the current academic year. [170253]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has made no mid-course changes to GCSE courses in the current academic year.

Changes were announced on 29 September 2013 to the way those qualifications will be counted in school performance measures. This is to address the significant rise in early entry to GCSEs in recent years. Evidence from the Department's analysis and Ofsted surveys shows that extensive early entry is not in students' best interests and we are concerned that the current level of early entry threatens the integrity of the examinations system. In these circumstances it is right that we act quickly. Schools that have been using early entry appropriately should have no need to change their plans.

In August the qualifications regulator, Ofqual, announced changes to the way in which the assessment of speaking and listening is reported for GCSE in both English and English language. These changes will take effect from summer 2014. The regulator made this decision, following consultation, having reviewed evidence that current assessment arrangements do not produce fair outcomes for all students. Ofqual, which is independent of the Department, concluded that changing the reporting of speaking and listening mid-course was the best way to safeguard standards.

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Languages: Education

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that any gains in modern language learning at primary level result in increased uptake at secondary level; [170633]

(2) what policies he is implementing to strengthen modern language provision and uptake at secondary and tertiary level. [170668]

Elizabeth Truss: A foreign language will be compulsory for all 7 to 11-year-olds in maintained schools from September 2014. Secondary schools should work collaboratively with their primary feeder schools to decide together which languages should be offered.

The introduction of the English baccalaureate performance measure—which includes a modern or ancient language—is already making a real difference to the number of entries for languages at GCSE, which increased by 16% between 2012 and 2013. We expect these increases to feed through into A-level and in turn increase take-up in higher education.

Learning Disability

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were assessed as having profound and multiple learning difficulties in (a) the UK, (b) North West England, (c) Cheshire, (d) Merseyside and (e) the Wirral in the latest year for which figures are available. [170419]

Mr Timpson: Information on children assessed as having profound and multiple learning difficulties is captured as part of assessments for Special educational needs (SEN) and if applicable, is recorded as the child's primary need for those with a statement of SEN or at School Action Plus. Information on the number of pupils in England, the North West and each local authority within the North West region with profound and multiple learning difficulties is included in the table.

Data for Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral local authorities and these have been totalled in the table to provide a separate figure for Merseyside.

Full information on pupils with SEN can be found in the ‘Special Educational Needs in England, January 2013’ Statistical First Release¹.

¹ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational -needs-in-england-january-2013

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Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the median cost of providing education for a child with profound and multiple learning difficulties in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the range of such costs was. [170506]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect data on the cost of educating pupils with special needs. However, there is published information about the costs of special schools. Local authorities report expenditure through the annual section 251 return. Pupil numbers are available from the schools census. Using these two datasets, it is possible to calculate the minimum, maximum and median spend per pupil in maintained special schools by local authority.

The latest available out-turn data from section 251 and the census numbers used to calculate the above per pupil spend relates to the 2011-12 financial year. Data for 2012-13 will be published in January 2014.

Music: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what progress he has made on ensuring that all young people have the chance to learn an instrument and receive top quality music education; [170567]

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(2) what his plans are for the funding of music hubs beyond 2015. [170568]

(3) what assessment he has made of the implementation of the National Music Plan. [170570]

Elizabeth Truss: In November 2011 we published the National Plan for Music Education and announced that, from 2012, music education would be provided by a new national network of music education hubs to drive excellence in music education across England.

Since September 2012, 123 hubs have been working to deliver four core roles. These are: to ensure that every child aged five to 18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument (other than voice) through whole-class ensemble teaching; to provide opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform from an early stage; to ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people; and to develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil sings regularly and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area.

Hubs can also choose to deliver "extension" roles such as staff training, instrument loan services, or large scale performance opportunities with professional musicians.

The hubs are managed by the Arts Council England, which collects data from hubs annually to inform an assessment of impact. The first data, covering 2012/13 will be published in the spring of 2014.

We have also confirmed music as a statutory subject for all children between the ages of five and 14 in the revised national curriculum. The revised programmes of study for music have an increased focus on the need for activities to be undertaken ‘musically' with reference to learning to play a musical instrument and an increased focus on singing.

No decisions have yet been made on funding hubs beyond 2015.

Until recently, the implementation of the National Plan for Music Education (NPME) was overseen by the NPME Monitoring Board, which I jointly chaired with the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries. It will now be overseen by a new Cultural Education Board, which we will continue to chair alongside a new joint chair, Darren Henley, whose reviews of music and cultural education underpin activity in this area. The new Board meets for the first time at the end of this month.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has provided for music education for each pupil in each financial year since 2010. [170569]

Elizabeth Truss: Funding for music education programmes is not allocated on a per-pupil basis.

National Curriculum Tests

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests (1) how many papers were sent to schools in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [169919]

(2) how many papers were printed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [169920]

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Elizabeth Truss: Test paper quantities are based on the information that schools provide during the test orders and pupil registration windows. In 2012, 1,091,044 test packs were printed and collated, with 1,035,289 dispatched to schools. In 2013, 955,032 test packs were printed and collated, with 925,967 dispatched to schools.

The amount of contingency applied has been refined over the years. The number of surplus test papers has been reduced from 167,966 in 2009 to 29,065 in 2013. From a manufacturing cost and time perspective, it is more efficient to over-manufacture than to go back to printing should the initial volumes not meet the number of pupils registered.

Additional packs are printed as a contingency specifically for KS1 and KS2 L3-5 tests. KS2 L6 test papers are manufactured against the numbers from pupil registration, with contingencies specifically for those pupils only, so there is no surplus stock of L6 papers.

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests, how many of the schools which made a formal complaint were successful. [169921]

Elizabeth Truss: None of the schools who made a formal complaint had a legitimate reason for missing the level 6 pupil registration deadline in 2013; therefore there were no successful appeals against the Standards and Testing Agency's decisions.

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests, what happens when schools report exceptional circumstances (a) on and (b) after the deadline. [169922]

Elizabeth Truss: Schools that reported exceptional circumstances on or after the deadline were considered for late registration on a case-by-case basis by the Standards and Testing Agency.

Performance Appraisal

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end-of-year performance assessment for 2012-13. [170504]

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is set out in the following tables. Two tables are provided because different performance management arrangements exist for senior civil servants (SCS) and staff below SCS level.

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Pre-school Education

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the shortfall in (a) supply of and (b) demand for two-year-old nursery places available in (i) Huddersfield, (ii) Kirklees, (iii) Yorkshire and (iv) England. [169980]

Elizabeth Truss: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to secure sufficient places for two-year-olds under the programme introduced this September. There is no evidence that there is a shortfall in the supply of places.

The Department has previously published estimates of the number of children who will be eligible under each phase of the programme of early learning for two-year-olds by local authority for September 2013. We do not have estimates by parliamentary constituency and so cannot provide the figure for Huddersfield. The total number of children we expect to be able to access places for: (i) Kirklees is 1,118, (ii) the Yorkshire and Humber region is 13,667, and (iii) England as a whole is 130,000.

Pre-school Education: Inspections

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that Prospects is a suitable provider of early years education inspections and can deliver value for money; [169967]

(2) what steps he has taken to ensure that Tribal Group (a) is a suitable provider of early years education inspections and (b) can deliver value for money; [169978]

(3) what steps his Department is taking to ensure the quality, consistency and efficacy of the inspections processes for early years education providers. [169981]

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

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice. [170348]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not hold this information centrally. Those non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) still in existence have provided the Department with their figures, shown in the table. For those NDPBs that have now closed we have used previously provided data where available.

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14 Oct 2013 : Column 610W

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice. [170366]

Elizabeth Truss: Since 2010, the Department has not made any staff compulsorily redundant but has agreed voluntary early releases. These releases contribute to making a reduction in the Department's admin budget of 50% in real terms, saving £176 million a year by March 2015.

Schools: Sports

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage children to take part in school sports. [169715]

Mr Timpson: We want to ensure that all children have the chance to enjoy sport in school and to compete against their peers. In March 2013 we committed cross-Government funding of £150 million per year for each of the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools.

PE is, and will remain, compulsory at all four key stages of the national curriculum. The new programme of study published in September 2013 places a greater emphasis on competitive sport, while also exemplifying a range of team and individual sports and other activities, including dance. These will appeal to a broad range of pupils.

We are also supporting the cross-Government School Games Programme and applaud its impact on competitive sport in schools and on encouraging more young people to participate in sport.

Schools: Standards

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve the standards of the poorest performing schools. [170105]

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Mr Laws: The Department supports the poorest performing schools, including those judged by Ofsted to be inadequate, to become sponsored academies with a high-quality sponsor who can turn performance around rapidly. Ofsted has implemented a more rigorous inspection framework, with performance data forming part of information to target inspections on the weakest schools.

We have issued statutory guidance to local authorities (LAs), which makes very clear our expectations that LAs should take swift and robust action when maintained schools are not good enough. This includes our expectation that poorly performing schools should be matched with a strong sponsor. Local authorities should consider imposing interim executive boards to replace failing governing bodies and issuing warning notices to set out the action required to improve standards. The guidance can be found at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00192418/scc

Schools: Swimming

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department spent on promoting safe swimming in schools in each of the last three years; [169847]

(2) what his policy is on schools providing pupils with information about swimming safely. [169848]

Mr Timpson: Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.

There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-Government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

Schools: Transport

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to provide free travel for students up to the end of their school careers. [169744]

Mr Laws: For children of compulsory school age (five to 16), local authorities are under a duty to make suitable travel arrangements where they consider it necessary to secure a child's attendance at school.

They must provide free transport in prescribed circumstances, including for children who are unable to walk to school because of issues related to their special educational needs or disability. Local authorities also have discretion to provide transport beyond the statutory requirements for which a charge can be made.

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For post-16 children, local authorities are under a duty to publish a post-16 transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access further education in schools, colleges or other establishments. The level of support provided is for local authorities to decide and the arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised travel—but local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on the resources available and the needs of their community.

In addition to local authority support, young people can often receive discounts from bus operators; these are determined by the operators themselves. Some schools and colleges also provide direct support through school college buses, and financially disadvantaged students can also apply for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund via their school or college.

Local authorities are encouraged to work together with providers to ensure the bursary fund is used to effectively support post-16 students' transport costs.

Sixth-form Colleges

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to ensure that students in sixth-form colleges receive the same benefits and entitlements as students pursuing A level courses in FE colleges and 11 to 18 schools. [170237]

Mr Laws: The only entitlement that is currently different between different types of 16 to 19 institutions is the entitlement to a free meal for disadvantaged students in schools and academies, which does not at present extend to disadvantaged students in other 16 to 19 institutions.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 18 September that disadvantaged students at sixth-form colleges and further education colleges will also be eligible for free school meals from September 2014. We will announce more details about the implementation of this commitment after the autumn statement.

The White Paper “The Importance of Teaching”, published on 24 November 2010, set out the Government's commitment to end the disparity in funding for 16 to 18-year-olds so that from the. academic year 2015/16, schools and colleges will be funded at the same level as one another for like-for-like provision. We moved schools on to the same national funding rate as colleges in the academic year 2011/12 and put in place transitional protection for four years, to give schools time to adapt to the new funding regime. The transitional protection will cease at the end of 2014/15 and funding for institutions offering similar provision to similar students will then be the same.

Standards and Testing Agency

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 699W, on Standards and Testing Agency, on how many occasions he has met officials of the Standards and Testing Agency; and what the date of the most recent meeting was. [169924]

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has met officials from the Standards

14 Oct 2013 : Column 613W

and Testing Agency (STA) on many different occasions. The last officially recorded meeting in his office took place on 14 May 2013. However, officials from the Standards and Testing Agency are often present at other meetings held by the Secretary of State,

Teachers: Training

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the number of hours of annual safeguarding training received each year on average by (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) post-16 teaching staff in England. [169975]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not hold this information.

The Government has issued statutory guidance to help schools and further education colleges understand their responsibilities, including the appropriate training of staff. The current guidance is being revised and updated and will be published shortly.

Treasury

Aggregates Levy

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what annual total tonnage of aggregates exempt from the aggregates levy was registered or claimed in each year from 2002 to 2012. [170541]

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes a tax bulletin for the aggregates levy on a quarterly basis. These can be found at the following link:

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDuty Bulletins.aspx

The figures provided show tonnages declared by those companies registered for the aggregates levy. Companies which do not commercially exploit any material on which the levy is due are not obliged to complete aggregates levy returns. As such, the figures provided only reflect the annual tonnage of exempted material commercially exploited by those companies registered for the aggregates levy.

Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual total tonnage of aggregates on which the aggregates levy was paid was in Northern Ireland in each year from 2002 to 2012. [170542]

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not record the amount of aggregates levy paid by quarries in different areas of the UK. Quarries operating in Northern Ireland could form part of a larger company which pays tax elsewhere in the UK. It is therefore not possible to ascertain the exact tonnage of aggregates on which the aggregates levy was paid in Northern Ireland.

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Air Passenger Duty

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written answer of 29 August 2013, Official Report, column 988W, on Air Passenger Duty, if he will introduce an official definition of aviation hub. [170256]

Nicky Morgan: The Government have set up the independent Airports Commission to examine the question of how best to maintain the UK's international hub connectivity. The Commission's fourth discussion paper examines airport operational models, including that of a hub.

The discussion paper and stakeholder responses are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications? departments%5B%5D=airports-commission

Child Trust Fund

Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has developed plans that will allow the transfer or conversion of funds in child trust funds into junior ISAs; [169839]

(2) when he will publish the results of the consultation on transferring child trust fund accounts into junior ISAs. [169840]

Nicky Morgan: A summary of responses document will be published shortly which will outline how the Government intend to proceed in response to the consultation.

Companies: Ownership

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered extending the public register for company owners to the British Overseas Territories. [170103]

Mr Gauke: UK legislation is generally not extended to the Overseas Territories without the consent of their governments. The Overseas Territories are separate jurisdictions with their own Constitutions under which most are responsible for fiscal matters. They have already developed policies in respect of beneficial ownership and anti-money laundering. Each of the Overseas Territories with a financial services industry has published action plans to set out the steps they will take to deliver much greater clarity about who really owns, controls, and benefits from companies, and to ensure that this information is available to tax authorities and law enforcement authorities.

The UK has published a consultation on corporate transparency following the publication of its action plan on beneficial ownership; the Overseas Territories will also be consulting on their plans. We will continue to work with them on the implementation of their commitments.

Conditions of Employment

Andy Sawford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) median and (b) inter-quartile range of hourly pay for employees on zero-hours contracts is. [169906]

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Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

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

Letter from Director, Head of Operations:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the a) median and b) inter-quartile range of hourly pay for employees on zero-hours contracts is. 169906

The requested information is not available. Estimates of people in employment on zero hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey but the sample size prevents the provision of the additional detail requested.

Co-operative Bank

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will assess the potential effects of the Co-operative Bank's capital action plan on 13 per cent perpetual subordinated bondholders; [169725]

(2) if he will assess the effects of decisions taken by the Prudential Regulation Authority on the value of the Co-operative Bank's 13 per cent perpetual subordinated bondholders. [169726]

Sajid Javid: The Co-op Bank has made clear that the 13% subordinated bonds are included in its liability management exercise (LME). Co-op has not yet published the detail of its offer to these investors. Some information is available from the Co-op website at:

www.co-operative.coop/corporate/Press/Press-releases/Headline-news/Update-on-capital-position

The value of bonds held by investors in financial institutions is liable to change, and can do so for a variety of reasons. The PRA is independent of Government, and it acts in accordance with its statutory objectives. This question has therefore been passed to the PRA, who will reply to the hon. Lady directly by letter. A copy of the letter will be laid in the Library of the House.

Currencies

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to lay before Parliament an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, as amended, to regulate the use and issuance of virtual currencies, where monetary value is represented other than as a claim on an issuer. [170198]

Sajid Javid: The Government have no plans to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 to regulate the use and issuance of virtual currencies.

Debts Written Off: Developing Countries

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions the Government attach to countries receiving debt relief. [169966]

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Sajid Javid: Under the primary debt relief mechanism for low income countries, the Heavily indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, countries must meet the following conditions in order to qualify for debt relief:

be identified as low income, based on eligibility to borrow from the World Bank's International Development Agency and from the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust;

face an unsustainable debt burden that requires a HIPC debt treatment;

have established a track record of reform and sound policies through IMF and World Bank supported programmes; and

agree and implement a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Multilateral discussions on debt relief take place at the Paris Club. For non-HIPCs there are no set conditions for countries to receive debt relief, but Paris Club agreements typically require evidence of sound economic and, where appropriate, poverty reduction policies.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what countries are currently receiving debt-relief from the UK as part of the (a) Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and (b) Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. [169968]

Sajid Javid: Information on the countries that have received debt relief from the UK and other creditors under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative is available on the IMF website at:

http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/hipc.htm

The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) covers debts owed to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and African Development Bank rather than bilateral debts owed to individual countries like the UK. Information on the countries that have benefited from MDRI is also available on the IMF website at:

http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/mdri.htm

Financial Services

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that when individuals working in the financial sector are found guilty of malpractice, they are personally liable for any fine levied. [170609]

Sajid Javid: The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 already provides that any individual on whom a financial penalty is imposed by a regulator under that Act is personally liable for the amount of the penalty.

Financial Services: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether consideration has been given to introducing a protected minimum balance in the use of continuous payment authorities as is in force for bank arrestments in Scotland under the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007. [170476]

Sajid Javid: Whether to introduce a protected minimum balance in the use of continuous payment authorities (CPAs) is a decision for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to take. The FCA will have the power to introduce

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such a rule from 1 April 2014 when responsibility for consumer credit regulation will transfer from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the FCA.

Following the transfer of consumer credit regulation to the FCA, existing OFT guidance which prevents lenders using a CPA where it would leave the customer without a subsistence balance (i.e. sufficient funds to meet priority debts and essential living expenses) will be turned into a binding FCA rule which is particularly important given the introduction of universal credit.

Alongside this, CPAs will be limited to two attempts on any loan (which includes where a firm refinances a loan); no further CPA attempts will be permitted on subsequent days; and CPA part payment will be banned, i.e. a lender can only take payment if the whole owed sum is in the account.

Fracking

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses to his Department's consultation on harnessing the potential of the UK's natural resources: a fiscal regime of shale gas, were submitted by the closing date of 13 September 2013. [169656]

Nicky Morgan: HM Treasury published a consultation document with proposals for a fiscal regime for shale gas on 19 July. The consultation closed on 13 September. The Government received a range of responses which are now being reviewed. The final policy announcement will be made in the autumn and any necessary legislation will be introduced through Finance Bill 2014.

14 Oct 2013 : Column 618W

Gift Aid: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Gift Aid system will be affected by the introduction of a variable rate of income tax in Scotland as mandated in the Scotland Act 2012. [169846]

Mr Gauke: Following discussions with charities' representatives, the Government have decided that once the Scottish rate of income tax is introduced, the Government will continue to repay tax to charities at the UK basic rate of income tax under the Gift Aid scheme. This will apply to donations from all UK taxpayers (including Scottish taxpayers). More details can be found in the HMRC Technical Note entitled ‘Clarifying the Scope of the Scottish Rate of Income Tax’ published in May 2012.

Import Duties

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from import taxes levied on goods imported into the UK from (a) Sudan, (b) Bangladesh, (c) Nigeria, (d) Pakistan, (e) India, (f) Afghanistan, (g) Tanzania and (h) Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last three years. [169558]

Nicky Morgan: The following table contains details of the total revenue accrued to the Exchequer from duties collected on goods imported to the UK from the Sudan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2010.

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14 Oct 2013 : Column 620W

Income Tax

Mr Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were taken out of the tax income system in each year between 2010-11 and 2013-14 as a result of the cumulative effect of the Government's increases in the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years; and if he will estimate what revenue was foregone by the Treasury as a result of these increases each year between 2010-11 and 2013-14. [170658]

Mr Gauke: The Government increased the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years between 2010-11 and 2013-14, as shown in table 1:

By April 2013, the cumulative effect of the Government's increases in the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years (born after 5 April 1948 since 2013-14 tax year) since 2010-11 had taken 2.4 million people out of the income tax system.

42% were removed by the 2011-12 increase, 10% by the 2012-13 increase and 47% from the 2013-14 increase.

The estimated cost of these measures published at Budget is available in table 2.2 of the Budgets 2013, 2011 and 2012.

Lloyds Banking Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fees were paid to banks advising on the sale of Government shares in Lloyds Banking Group. [170479]

Sajid Javid: UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI) is responsible for managing the Government's shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group. Consistent with its mandate, UKFI was responsible for devising and executing the recent share sale. The Chancellor took the final decision to proceed with the sale.

UKFI appointed a number of banks to assist in selling the shares. These included three “Bookrunners”, who were responsible for placing shares with investors; a privatisation strategy adviser whose role was to complement UKFl's expertise in devising strategies for realising value for the Government's shareholdings in the banks; and an independent capital markets adviser.

Banking fees on transactions like this, including those executed by other Governments, are typically a percentage of the total size of the transaction, which in this instance could have amounted to several million pounds in fees being paid. However, for this sale the total fees paid to these institutions amounted to only £5, which is £1 each for the Bookrunners, the privatisation strategy adviser and the independent capital markets adviser, so was a very good deal for the taxpayer.

In addition, as part of the legal contracts with the Bookrunners, UKFI negotiated a sharing arrangement whereby HM Treasury received over £1.1 million from the commissions that the Bookrunners earned from buyers of the shares.

Minimum Wage

Mr Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the minimum wage by £1,000 each year on (a) pay as you earn contributions, (b) employer's National Insurance contributions, (c) employee's National Insurance contributions and (d) tax credits. [170572]

Mr Gauke: The Treasury has made no such assessment.

The national minimum wage is specifically set at the highest possible rate that will not damage employment prospects. If it is set too high then fewer people will be in work, and these effects would most likely be hardest felt by the young and those who are further from the labour market.

The Low Pay Commission reviews the national minimum wage rates and recommends rate uplifts to Government on the basis of independent judgment and advice.

In addition to the minimum wage, the Government are helping all working people on low pay by maximising their take-home pay. That is why the Government are cutting income tax and will have taken 2.7 million people out of income tax altogether by 2014-15.

Mortgages: First Time Buyers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new mortgages for first-time buyers were issued in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months. [170747]

Sajid Javid: The Government do not collect or publish data on mortgage lending to first-time buyers. A number of organisations including the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Council of Mortgage Lenders collect data on mortgages, which it makes available publicly.

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Mortgages: Government Assistance

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure equal regional allocations of funds available through the Help to Buy Scheme. [170182]

Sajid Javid: The Government are committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government want current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way their parents were able to.

Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are, trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.

Budget 2013 announced the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households.

The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee is available on mortgages on homes across the UK. The Government have made £12 billion of guarantees available, which is sufficient to support £130 billion of high loan-to-value mortgages.

Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including the regions lenders offer mortgages to, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to limit the number of Help to Buy guarantees which are used to purchase property mortgages between £500,000 and £600,000 in value. [170183]

Sajid Javid: On 8 October 2013, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister announced that borrowers can start benefitting from the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme and published the final scheme rules.

The Government are committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government want current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way their parents were able to. Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.

The scheme rules set out that for a mortgage to be considered eligible it must, among other criteria, be on a property in the UK with purchase value of £600,000 or less.

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Help to Buy scheme will be available for mortgages on empty or boarded up properties. [170184]

Sajid Javid: The Government are committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government want current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way

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their parents were able to. Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.

Budget 2013 announced the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households.

The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme rules do not prevent lenders from using the guarantee to support mortgages on empty or boarded up properties, provided these meet the scheme's eligibility criteria.

Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including the types of properties lenders offer mortgages against, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to ring-fence mortgage guarantee scheme money for properties with local occupancy restrictions. [170483]

Sajid Javid: The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee is available on mortgages on homes across the UK. The Government have made £12 billion of guarantees available, which is sufficient to support £130 billion of high loan-to-value mortgages.

Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including for properties with local occupancy restrictions, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

National Insurance Contributions

Andy Sawford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the likely level of revenue not accrued from National Insurance contributions from (a) employers and (b) employees from employers restricting workers to hours below a full working week. [169908]

Mr Gauke: I am unable to give such an estimate, since this could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Oil: Exploration

Mr Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of royalty income from petroleum exploration and development licences in the UK in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [170581]

Nicky Morgan: Royalty on oil and gas production was abolished from 31 December 2002. The Exchequer did not collect any royalty income on this production in 2012-13 and will not receive any in 2013-14.

PAYE

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current total amount of tax taken through PAYE is on salaries up to (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000 and (c) £20,000 respectively. [169984]

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Mr Gauke: Returns from employers indicate that total PAYE income tax liabilities in respect of the 2011-12 tax year were:

(a) £2.3 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £10,000

(b) £7.1 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £15,000

(c) £15.5 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £20,000.

These amounts exclude the employee-and employer Class 1 national insurance contributions that are also collected through PAYE.

Personal Savings: Competition

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of competitiveness of savings products. [170416]

Mr Gauke: The FCA is responsible for keeping competition in the markets it regulates under review. It has announced that it will be conducting a market study of competition in the savings market looking into a range of issues including the effects of 'teaser rates' and inertia in the market.

The study was announced in September this year. More details can be found in their press release:

http://www.fca.org.uk/news/fca-to-carry-out-market-study-into-cash-savings

Productivity

Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made, aside from labour productivity, of the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity; [169989]

(2) what metrics, aside from labour productivity, are currently used by his Department to assess the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity; [169990]

(3) whether his Department compares, aside from labour productivity, the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity with other countries in the (i) G8, (ii) G20 and (iii) EU. [169988]

Nicky Morgan: The Treasury uses a range of metrics to assess productivity and profitability in the UK economy.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes estimates of profitability on a quarterly basis. Their most recent publication shows the profitability of UK firms rising from their post-crisis lows. The latest release is available here:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pnfc2/profitability-of-uk-companies/q2-2013/stb-profitability-of-uk-companies-q2-2013.html

The ONS also has an extensive programme of work on productivity. Besides labour productivity, the ONS produce estimates of “multi-factor productivity” (also known as total factor productivity). The latest estimates relate to 2010 and show multi-factor productivity recovering, following falls during the recession. The latest release is available here:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/multi-factor-productivity--experimental-/indicative-estimates-to-2010/art-indicative-estimates-to-2010.html

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A range of sources can be drawn on to make international comparisons of productivity, including datasets produced by the OECD, Eurostat and the Conference Board.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice; [170358]

(2) how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice. [170377]

Nicky Morgan: Details of HM Treasury redundancies for 2010-11 were published in its Annual Report and Accounts (HC 984), page 88. No figures were available for non-departmental staff in this year.

There were no payments in lieu of notice paid in that year.

No departmental or non-departmental staff have been made compulsorily redundant in the last two years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Revenue and Customs: Livingston

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timescale for the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office at Pentland House in Livingston and the consequent redeployment of staff is. [170131]

Mr Gauke: The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Pentland House in Livingston will close by the end of March 2014. HMRC staff located there have been advised that their moves to other HMRC offices in Livingston, Bathgate and Edinburgh are likely to commence in January 2014.