Transport

Car Tax

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is of processing a payment for a 12 months tax disc by credit card. [170704]

Mr Goodwill: The cost to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for processing a credit card payment for vehicle excise duty ranges from £1.63 to £5.78 per transaction.

The cost varies depending on the type of card used, the value of the transaction and the method of the transaction, for example whether it is online or face to face.

The agency's £2.50 charge is set to recover the average cost of processing the credit card transactions.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the future of the High Speed 1 rail service to Deal, Kent; and if he will make a statement. [170884]

Stephen Hammond: We are currently finalising the specification of all services that will operate under Direct Awards, including the High Speed 1 rail service to Deal. We plan to announce these specifications early next year.

Large Goods Vehicles

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will review (a) its policy of requiring HGV drivers to avoid areas with bridge restrictions of 7.5 tons and (b) the use of satellite navigation systems on such routes. [170238]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport has no plans to (a) review the policy of requiring heavy goods vehicle drivers to avoid areas with bridge restrictions of 7.5 tonnes or (b) the use of satellite navigation systems on such routes.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 gives powers to highway authorities to apply weight limits on parts of the local road network which they manage, where they deem it to be appropriate. It is a legitimate local policy to ban heavy goods vehicles from using weak bridges, but there are legal considerations related to maintaining access to premises. These may well be relevant to the consideration of area-wide prohibitions.

Neither the Department nor individual local authorities have any direct power over the routing of satellite navigation devices, such devices should always be treated as advisory, and it is for the motorists to determine the best route for their journey. We are aware that some satellite navigation system manufacturers produce special devices for heavy goods vehicles to provide them with routing information appropriate to their vehicle, including warning them about narrow roads and low bridges.

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Recent developments in these specific systems have meant that properly-equipped lorry drivers can now avoid low bridges and narrow lanes, saving time, fuel and money as well as reducing the impact on local communities.

Level Crossings

Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has power to review decisions of (a) Network Rail and (b) the Rail Safety and Standards Board on the permanent closure of level crossings; and if he will make a statement. [170848]

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State has no powers to review the decisions of Network Rail on the permanent closure of level crossings.

The RSSB (formerly the Rail Standards and Safety Board) does not make such decisions but may provide supporting evidence following investigations into specific crossings which will assist Network Rail in making those decisions.

Marchwood Military Port

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for transport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the sale of the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood on commercial activities at the port of Southampton. [170989]

Stephen Hammond: None. It is for the port to make its own commercial assessment of any sale proposal.

Public Transport: Rural Areas

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase access to public transport in rural areas. [170705]

Stephen Hammond: The Government recognise that the provision of public transport in rural areas is a challenge for all of us. We consider local authorities working with the local community and voluntary sector are best placed to identify local solutions and spending priorities. We are reforming the subsidy arrangements for local bus services to allow the authorities control of where the funding provided by Government is spent.

The Government support access to public transport, including that in rural areas, through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). In the June 2013 spending review we confirmed that spending on BSOG will be protected until 2015-16 despite tough economic times.

In ‘Green Light for Better Buses’ (2012) we set out proposals for reforms to improve local bus subsidy arrangements and regulations in England. A key part of these proposals is paying some BSOG directly to local authorities, rather than operators, thus giving communities more control over how money is spent. The change to pay BSOG to local authority for their supported services outside London will come into force from 1 January 2014. The funding will be ring-fenced until the end of 2016-17.

We are supporting access to public transport in rural areas via a number of the successful bids to the £600 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). We have

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provided £20 million to help authorities in rural areas establish more community transport schemes. We also support Community Rail schemes the majority of which serve rural areas.

Railways: Fares

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of rail passengers will be helped by his Department's decision to cap rail fare increases at 6.1 per cent. [171021]

Stephen Hammond: Train operators are not required to submit to the Department a list of fares rises that they would have sought to implement under the flex policy that existed prior to the publication of the Fares and Ticketing Review, so a direct comparison is not available.

We would not expect that the majority of passengers would have seen fares rises more than 2% above the regulated cap notwithstanding this change. However, this policy will provide additional reassurance for all passengers that their fares will not be among those that would have seen the largest rises.

Rescue Services

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposed changes to the Coastguard Service on the operations of local RNLI stations and volunteers; and if he will publish any such assessment. [170960]

Stephen Hammond: The programme to modernise Her Majesty's Coastguard focuses on the co-ordination of civilian maritime search and rescue and the management of the Coastguard Rescue Service. The RNLI, like Coastguard Rescue Teams, independent lifeboats, rescue helicopters and other rescue facilities are not affected by these changes.

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with the RNLI on proposed coastguard station closures. [170962]

Stephen Hammond: Maritime and Coastguard Agency officials have bi-monthly meetings with the RNLI to discuss areas of mutual interest. These meetings include updates on progress of the Coastguard Modernisation Programme.

Rescue Services: Fylde

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of coastguard station coverage along the Fylde coast in respect of the latest mortality figures available for the Fylde coast. [170963]

Stephen Hammond: There are no changes to either the ability of Her Majesty's Coastguard to co-ordinate maritime search and rescue or the coverage or the availability of the Coastguard Rescue Service along the Fylde Coast, or the United Kingdom as a whole.

The availability and coverage of all front line rescue resources including Coastguard Rescue Teams, lifeboats, and rescue helicopters remain unaffected by the modernisation of HM Coastguard.

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Rescue Services: Liverpool

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the coverage by emergency towing vessels of the area served by the Liverpool Coastguard MRCC; and how this has varied in the last two years. [170961]

Stephen Hammond: There has never been a Government-funded emergency towing vessel stationed off the north-west of England.

Ships requiring a towage service in this area have routinely called upon the services of commercially available tugs. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is not aware of any incidences of any failure in delivering the services required when needed.

The number of tugs immediately available to ships tend to vary on a day-to-day basis as dictated by the commercial market. The MCA has no evidence to show that overall availability has decreased in the last two years.

Women and Equalities

Parliamentarians

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps he is taking to increase the number of women elected to Parliament. [900473]

Mrs Grant: The 2010 general election saw a record number of women candidates and there are now more female parliamentarians than at any other time. Following the cross-party 2010 Speaker's Conference Report on Parliamentary Representation, the Government are working with the parties and Parliament to encourage more women to seek election. We have implemented provisions in the Equality Act 2010 which enable political parties to use positive action, should they wish to; extended the ability to use women-only shortlists to 2030, and to reserve seats on electoral shortlists for those with particular under-represented characteristics; and secured commitment from the three main parties to provide greater transparency over candidate selection, through the collection and publication of candidates' diversity data.

Performance Appraisal

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by the Government Equalities Office received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13. [170475]

Mrs Grant: The following table sets out the percentage of GEO employees, within each performance category, who have declared a disability, and the percentage of all other staff in each performance category for the 2012-13 reporting year. The percentage of all other staff includes staff who have either explicitly declared that they do not have a disability, have chosen the ‘prefer not to say’ option, or have not responded to the question at all.

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International Development

Himalayas

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if there are plans financially to support UK-based INGO initiatives that support market-led initiatives for the Great Himalayan Trail. [170385]

Mr Duncan: The Great Himalaya Trail programme's current phase will end in December 2013. The UK will continue supporting the tourism sector under DFID's existing Nepal Market Development Programme. If there are opportunities for implementing market-led initiatives, the UK will certainly call for proposals from all stakeholders including UK-based NGOs through a competitive bidding process.

Pakistan

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment she has made of progress in eradicating polio in Peshawar, Pakistan; and if she will make a statement; [170457]

(2) what assessment she has made of the role that the UK-based Pakistani diaspora in the UK can have in promoting polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan. [170458]

Justine Greening: Pakistan has reported a total of 40 polio cases in 2013, two of these in Peshawar.

We remain committed to working with the Governments of Pakistan, the World Health Organisation, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and others to maintain the progress of recent years and ultimately see the eradication of polio from Pakistan. We urge the Pakistani diaspora to support this work through activity such as Rotary International's 'End Polio Now' campaign.

Palestinians

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effects of the (a) demolition by Egypt of the tunnels into Gaza and (b) reduced access through Rafah on the daily supplies of food, fuel, construction materials and medicines entering Gaza. [170268]

Mr Duncan: The UK Government have long been concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza which has arisen due to the impact of the movement and access restrictions imposed by the Government of Israel. I saw the impact first hand when I visited Gaza in April 2013. DFID continues to engage with the relevant authorities to encourage more steps towards the lifting of the restrictions.

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The recent closure of the tunnels and reduced access through the Rafah Crossing have compounded an already precarious economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UN has reported that fuel is available from Israel but the cost is prohibitively high. Service providers including hospitals and the Gaza Power Plant are facing shortages.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to her Israeli counterparts on increasing the flow of food, fuel and medicines into Gaza from Israel through Kerem Shalom. [170380]

Mr Duncan: We remain deeply concerned about the precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UK Government continue to engage with the Israeli authorities to encourage more steps towards the full lifting of movement and access restrictions on Gaza.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effects of Israel's restrictions on Palestinian fishing boats off Gaza on the (a) income and (b) nutritional status of Palestinians. [170381]

Mr Duncan: Gazan fishermen are currently unable to access the majority of their catch due to the six nautical mile fishing limit imposed by Israel. This is deeply concerning. More than 12,000 individuals earn their living directly from the fishing industry and many others do so from related industries. The UN has reported that long-term access restrictions on agricultural land and fishing areas have resulted in estimated economic losses of over $76 million.

Performance Appraisal

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by her Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13. [170465]

Mr Duncan: DFID currently uses a four box system for performance management purposes. Box one is the highest performance rating which can be awarded. Those in box four are most in need of improvement.

Syria

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the UK is providing to Lebanon and Jordan to cope with the large numbers of refugees from Syria. [170758]

Justine Greening: The UK has allocated or is in the final stages of allocating £153.5 million to support refugees and host communities in Jordan and Lebanon.

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This is providing food for over 130,000 people per month, 44,000 medical consultations and an improved water supply for over 27,000 people.

We are very concerned about the impacts of the refugee crisis on neighbouring countries. They have been extremely generous in hosting Syrian refugees, and we urge them to continue to show that generosity by welcoming those seeking safety from violence and keeping their borders open.

The UK is continuing to lead in the humanitarian response and is calling on the international community to commit more humanitarian funding urgently and to reduce the shortfall in the UN appeal for Syria and to fulfil funding pledges they have made to date.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Buildings

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the number of office relocations made by staff of (a) his Department and (b) his Department's non-departmental public bodies (i) within the original building and (ii) to other buildings in each year since 2009-10; what the cost of (A) removals and (B) refurbishments related to such moves has been; and on how many occasions offices refurbished by his Department in that period have been used by his Department's staff for less than four years before a further move. [169463]

Mr Lidington: The information is as follows:

(a) During the period 2009-13, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Facilities Management Client Unit completed the following number of UK office relocations in London and Hanslope Park:

The FCO's London estate comprises four separate buildings. All of the relocations carried out during this period were within their respective buildings or between buildings on the London estate, at an overall cost of £1,168,276.

For Hanslope Park, there were three internal moves within a building at a cost of £10,371.18 and three moves between buildings at a cost of £51,445.55. This sum includes the relocation of FCO staff working in the Legalisation Unit in Norfolk House to Northgate House, Milton Keynes in February 2013. This move resulted in a rental saving to the FCO of £140,784.

Where the FCO has undertaken refurbishment in relation to these moves, the Department expects to occupy the space for at least four years.

The figures relate only to moves that have taken place in the period that have attracted an additional cost to the FCO. No information has been supplied for the moves that take place as part of the fixed contract cost of the facilities management contract. The FM contract allows for moves of five people or less to be delivered

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within the fixed contract cost. Those moves are a very minor part of the wider contract and so no specific figure for their cost is available.

There have also been 24 relocations in our global estate during the period 2009-13. Refurbishment and removal costs relating to these moves could be identified only at disproportionate cost.

There will have been other smaller relocations in overseas offices which will have been funded by the respective embassy or high commission budget. To gather details on these would also represent disproportionate cost.

(b) During the period 2009-13, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's non-departmental public bodies completed the following office relocations:

British Council

The British Council holds 250 commercial properties in 112 countries, predominantly leaseholds. The majority are offices and centres either for teaching or for the supervision of exams. The property holdings are kept under active review to identify opportunities to secure financial savings, e.g. by exercising lease break opportunities or from lease expiries as these arise. Any decisions on relocation across the commercial estate are determined locally, on a range of criteria that includes business needs, security issues and cost-effectiveness. Data on the number and costs of relocation across the whole global estate could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

In 2012 the British Council undertook a full review of its UK estate to reduce costs in the medium and long-term, leading to relocations of its offices in Belfast and Edinburgh to smaller, more cost-effective premises and the reduction of space in the London and Manchester offices. In London, two floors were let to a subtenant within the government civil estate, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The combined property costs for these four projects were £9.09 million. In total the changes made to the UK estate in 2012 have delivered savings on occupancy costs of £3 million per year

FCO Services

Between 2009-10 and 2012-13 FCO Services undertook 11 relocations for which they were charged, at a cost of £13,000. All of these moves took place at their Hanslope Park Site, in buildings which have been in continuous use by FCO Services throughout that period.

Egypt

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any UK arms have been sent to Egypt (a) directly and (b) via another source since 30 July 2013. [169868]

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

This Department only holds information about licences granted and not about equipment actually supplied, especially where that supply is from or through an overseas country.

As per my answer of 9 September 2013, Official Report, column 638-9W, to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr Godsiff), the Government reviewed all extant licences for military-rated goods for Egypt in light of recent events in that country. As a

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result of that review we suspended all licences for supply of military-rated goods to the Egyptian Army, Air Force, Internal Security Forces and Ministry of the Interior. In total 48 licences were suspended on 28 August 2013. No licences for these end-users have been granted since that date.

172 licences for military-rated goods remain extant for Egypt. We do not have information showing what goods may have been supplied under any of these licences since 30 July 2013.

Gibraltar

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to protect fishing rights in Gibraltar. [170744]

Mr Lidington: In line with the 2006 Gibraltar Constitution, the Government of Gibraltar is responsible for the laws of Gibraltar, including those regulating fishing in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). With regard to unlawful fishing in BGTW by Spanish fishermen, the Government has consistently supported efforts by the Government of Gibraltar to reach a local solution and is confident that they have a credible plan to do so.

I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 5 September 2013, Official Report, column 475W.

Kieron Bryan

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the Russian authorities to allow the family of detained British journalist Kieron Bryan to visit him in detention; and if he will help Mr Bryan's family to obtain the necessary visas. [170969]

Mr Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office consular officials are in close contact with the families of all British nationals who were aboard the Greenpeace vessel the ‘Arctic Sunrise’.

Consular officials in Russia are also discussing family visits with the Russian authorities and seeking answers as soon as possible. Officials will keep Mr Bryan's family updated on the process for visiting him and will provide advice on visa applications.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the Russian authorities to allow detained British journalist Kieron Bryan a telephone call with his family. [171010]

Mr Lidington: Consular officials in Russia have raised the importance of those British nationals detained aboard the Arctic Sunrise being able to make calls to their families. The Russian authorities have clarified the procedures for making a call in the detention facility in Murmansk and we have explained these to Mr Bryan and the other British nationals detained. Consular officials will continue to monitor this closely.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last raised the issue of the detention of British journalist Kieron Bryan; and with whom he raised that issue. [171011]

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Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the detention of six British nationals who were onboard the Greenpeace vessel, the ‘Arctic Sunrise’, with Russia's Foreign Minister on 25 September and subsequently wrote to him on 6 October. In addition, on 3 October, the Secretary of State met Greenpeace executive director, John Sauven. The Secretary of State continues to follow the case very closely. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth officials have also raised this case with Russia's ambassador to the UK on 26 September and we have followed up with officials in Moscow. We will continue to provide full consular assistance and monitor the case closely. Officials are in regular contact with the families of the British nationals detained, including Mr Bryan's.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the detention of British journalist Kieron Bryan. [171012]

Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, discussed the detention of six British nationals who were onboard the Greenpeace vessel, the ‘Arctic Sunrise’, with Russia's Foreign Minister on 25 September and subsequently wrote to him on 6 October. In addition, on 3 October, the Secretary of State met Greenpeace executive director, John Sauven. The Secretary of State continues to follow the case very closely. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth officials have also raised this case with Russia's ambassador to the UK on 26 September and we have followed up with officials in Moscow. We will continue to provide full consular assistance and monitor the case closely. Officials are in regular contact with the families of the British nationals detained, including Mr Bryan's.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Russian authorities regarding the detention of British journalist Kieron Bryan. [171013]

Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the detention of six British nationals who were onboard the Greenpeace vessel, the ‘Arctic Sunrise’, with Russia's Foreign Minister on 25 September and subsequently wrote to him on 6 October. In addition, on 3 October, the Secretary of State met Greenpeace executive director, John Sauven. The Secretary of State continues to follow the case very closely. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth officials have also raised this case with Russia's ambassador to the UK on 26 September and we have followed up with officials in Moscow. We will continue to provide full consular assistance and monitor the case closely. Officials are in regular contact with the families of the British nationals detained, including Mr Bryan's.

Laos

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking with his Laotian counterpart to raise the cases of Seng-Aloun Phengphanti and Thongpaseuth Keuakoun. [170889]

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Mr Swire: On the basis of information received from the Lao authorities during the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in 2012, we believe prisoners Thongpaseuth Keuakoun and Seng-Aloun Phengphanti were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on treason charges. The UK, as part of the EU delegation, raised their cases during the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in February 2013 and expressed concerns. The Lao authorities provided no formal update on their custodial status.

Our recently re-opened embassy in Vientiane continues to raise individual cases with the Laos Government and to urge Laos to adhere to its international human rights commitments.

Libya

Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional measures have been put in place by the EU to tackle illegal immigration from Libya since the fall of the Gadaffi regime. [170211]

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

The political instability and poor security situation in Libya have made it extremely challenging to put in place additional measures to tackle the problem of illegal immigration transiting its territory. Nonetheless, the EU has taken steps to improve cooperation with Libya on migration issues since the fall of the Gadaffi regime, with some success.

In 2012, Libya signed an agreement in principle with the EU authorising European Border Surveillance (EUROSUR) to act on its borders. EUROSUR is an external border surveillance system for the Schengen area, which is planned to become operational in December.

Furthermore, on 19 September 2013, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between the European Commission, southern EU member states and Libya to launch the Seahorse Mediterraneo project. The project envisages the establishment of a satellite-based communication network among the countries involved and the delivery of training to those working in the field of border management in Libya.

It is very clear that cooperation with Libya is vital if tragedies like the one seen in Lampedusa on 3 October are to be prevented. It is hoped that an improvement in the political and security circumstances in Libya will enable increased cooperation, and the implementation of further measures to prevent migrants from embarking on perilous journeys from Libya to the EU.

North Korea

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of (a) prospects for the collapse of the North Korean Government and (b) the potential consequences of the collapse of the North Korean Government; and what plans his Department has produced to respond to any such consequences. [170222]

Mr Swire: North Korea's system of government is opaque. As such, it is difficult to make a comprehensive assessment of the stability of the regime and we can

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never rule out the possibility of sudden, unpredictable events. However, based on the information we have, including observations from our embassy in Pyongyang, we assess that there is little chance of a North Korean Government collapse at present.

Kim Jong Un appears to have consolidated power since taking over leadership of the country from his father Kim Jong il in 2011. There is no evidence of a significant opposition movement to the North Korean Government: North Korea imposes significant restrictions on freedom of speech, association and movement and there are heavy penalties for political dissent.

The consequences of any collapse of the North Korean Government would depend on the cause and nature of the event. The UK maintains consular contingency plans for every country.

Performance Appraisal

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [170460]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes seriously its obligations to collect diversity data as required by the Equality Act 2010. All staff have been asked to provide personal diversity data to be held anonymously, and we continue to encourage increased declaration by staff. However, to date, the record is not complete enough to provide an accurate picture of performance ratings for staff with a disability and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Of the total number of staff appraisals completed in 2012-13 the percentage of the delegated grades receiving each level of performance rating is as follows (rounded to nearest whole number):

The FCO follows Cabinet Office guidance on performance and pay distributions for senior civil servant (SCS) staff. This equates to the following percentage of SCS staff receiving each performance level:

In addition a maximum of 25% of SCS staff may receive a one-off annual performance related payment for exceptional work.

The information above relates to UK-based staff only. Annual appraisal information for locally engaged staff is held at individual overseas posts and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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Syria

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in establishing a substantial and co-ordinated resettlement programme in the UK for Syrian refugees; and what recent discussions he has had with other EU member states on this matter. [169996]

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

The Government share the deep concerns of other EU member states regarding the continuing humanitarian crisis in Syria. But the Government have no current plans to resettle Syrian refugees. We continue to believe that the EU's immediate priority should be to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in partnership with neighbouring countries and UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The UK has now increased its pledge for the Syrian relief effort to £500 million. This represents the UK's largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis.

We continue to discuss the Syrian crisis with our European partners and the Minister for Security reiterated our position at the recent Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 October.

Western Sahara

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Moroccan ambassador the report that the bodies of eight Saharawi, including two children who were extrajudicially executed by the Moroccan armed forces in 1976 have been found and that no information on any of the eight cases was revealed by the Equality and Reconciliation Commission. [170498]

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of this report and the discovery of the remains of persons in the Fadret Leguiaa area. The Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH) issued a statement explaining that the discovery was made after the Equality and Reconciliation Commission's mandated term. We regularly raise human rights issues in our dialogue with the Moroccan authorities at ministerial and official level.

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will (a) raise with the Moroccan ambassador and (b) instruct the UK ambassador in Rabat to investigate the violent break-up of a demonstration by unemployed Saharawi graduates on 31 August 2013 in El Aauin, Western Sahara and allegations of beatings leading to hospitalisation. [170499]

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of reports of a recent demonstration. Former Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), raised Human Rights issues in Western Sahara with the Moroccan ambassador and with my Moroccan counterpart during his trip to Rabat last month. He pressed the need for Morocco to respond to and act upon the reports from the Moroccan National Council of Human Rights (CNDH). I will continue to press these issues.

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Work and Pensions

Disability Living Allowance

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of applications for disability living allowance were rejected in each month from May 2013 to September 2013. [170446]

Mike Penning: The proportion of disability living allowance (DLA) new claim applications that have been rejected are shown in the following table:

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for disability living allowance were rejected in each of the last (a) six months and (b) five years for which figures are available. [170447]

Mike Penning: The proportion of disability living allowance (DLA) new claim applications that have been rejected are shown in the following tables:

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many employment and support allowance claimants receiving a sanction have been issued with a written statement explaining the reason for the sanction since 12 February 2013; [170949]

(2) how many jobseeker's allowance claimants receiving a sanction have been issued with a written statement explaining the reason for the sanction since 12 February 2013. [170951]

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Esther McVey: The Department for Work and Pensions does not collate the data centrally for jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance claimants and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers have received wage incentives provided under the Youth Contract in each month since June 2012. [170945]

Esther McVey: Data on the number of employers receiving wage incentives are not available. First statistics on wage incentives, released on 22 July 2013, showed that from June 2012 up to and including May 2013 employers received payments for 4,690 young people.

Source:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-contract-wage-incentive-payments-experimental-statistics

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the consequence is for entitlement to housing benefit when a claimant loses jobseeker's allowance for a period as a result of a sanction. [170948]

Steve Webb: Housing benefit would be unaffected as long as entitlement to the sanctioned income-based jobseeker's allowance remains. Where a sanction results in cessation of entitlement to the sanctioned benefit (that is, in this case either income-based or contributory-based jobseeker's allowance), housing benefit would need to be reassessed.

Additionally, regulations exist which allow sanctions to be applied to benefit payability. These provisions can affect the amount of housing benefit payable, but not where a Two Strike sanction has been applied to income-based jobseeker's allowance. Further details are at paragraphs 6.230 onwards of the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236955/hbgm-a6-deciding-and-paying-benefit.pdf

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in the London borough of Brent have been affected by the recent changes to the under-occupancy penalty. [170494]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available

Housing Benefit: Young People

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was distributed in the financial year 2012-13 in local housing allowance to persons under the age of 25 in each local authority area in the UK for both (a) local authority or housing association provided housing and (b) privately rented accommodation; and what was the percentage change in such amounts in each case compared with the previous financial year. [170676]

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Steve Webb: The information requested is as follows.

(a) The information is not available for Great Britain. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

(b) Figures for 2012-13 are not yet available, but will be published on the DWP website after the departmental accounts have been published. The information for 2011-12 and the percentage change compared with 2010-11 for Great Britain will be placed in the Library. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

The breakdown of LHA expenditure into those under 25 is estimated based on a combination of statistical data and local authority subsidy returns, as outturn expenditure data are not available at this level.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average length of telephone calls to the 0800 055 6688 Jobcentre Plus telephone line is; [170392]

(2) what proportion of phone calls received by the 0800 055 6688 Jobcentre Plus telephone line came from mobile telephones in each of the last three years. [170424]

Esther McVey: For the period 1 April 2013 to 4 October 2013 the average length of telephone calls to 0800 055 6688 was 13 minutes 21 seconds.

Information on the proportion of calls received from mobile telephones is not recorded by the Department.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the number of sanctions issued features in each Jobcentre Plus adviser's internal review; and if he will make a statement. [170950]

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus uses advisers' personal reviews to monitor performance, to inform these they use a variety of performance data, including sanctions referrals.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve access to ESOL courses for claimants of jobseeker's allowance. [170429]

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus works with local colleges and training providers to ensure courses are available to meet claimant and labour market needs. DWP and BIS are also preparing for the introduction of English language training for claimants with poor spoken English, as announced by the Chancellor in the spending round.

Occupational Pensions: North West

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the preparedness of businesses in (a) the North West and (b) Pendle constituency to automatically enrol their employees in a pension plan between 1 April 2014 and 1 April 2015. [170827]

Steve Webb: The information is not available in the format requested.

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The Pensions Regulator conducts regular research into employer awareness, understanding and activity at a UK level. The latest results (published in August 2013) can be found at:

http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/employer-awareness-workplace-pensions-report-spring-2013.pdf

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the North West and (b) Pendle constituency are not currently contributing to a pension. [170828]

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 Caron Walker to Andrew Stephenson, dated October 2013:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the North West and (b) Pendle constituency are not currently contributing to a pension. (170828).

It is not possible to estimate the number of people not currently contributing to any type of pension. However, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) collects information about workplace pensions in the United Kingdom; that is, pension schemes that are run or facilitated by employers. Using ASHE data, it is not possible to estimate the number of people who do not currently contribute to a workplace pension, though it is possible to estimate the corresponding proportion of jobs. Estimates are available at regional level, but they are not available at the level of parliamentary constituencies.

In April 2012, the latest period for which results are available, the proportion of employee jobs in the North West in which the employee was not a member of a workplace pension scheme was 54 per cent.

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many businesses in (a) the North West and (b) Pendle constituency will have to automatically enrol their employees in a pension plan between 1 April 2014 and 1 April 2015. [170829]

Steve Webb: The information is not available in the format requested.

The Pensions Regulator estimates that there will be in the range of 30,000-40,000 employers across the UK commencing their automatic enrolment duties from 1 April 2014 to 1 April 2015. This is an approximate range; several factors affect these numbers. For example, an employer may bring their staging dates forward from future periods, an employer may cease trading, or an employer who has a number of affiliated employers in their group may choose to stage them all in the same period.

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many businesses in (a) the North West and (b) Pendle constituency have automatically enrolled their employees in a pension plan. [170830]

Steve Webb: The information is not available in the format requested.

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The Pensions Regulator publishes monthly the volume of employers that have registered that they have met their duties along with the volume of employees automatically enrolled. As at 30 August 2013, 2,256 employers have registered with the Pensions Regulator that they have met the duties.

Further information can be found at:

http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/automatic-enrolment-monthly-registration-report-2013.pdf

Social Security Benefits

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what processes are in place to identify households that will potentially be affected by the household benefit cap. [170491]

Esther McVey: Analysis of DWP, HMRC and local authority benefit payment systems is undertaken to identify households potentially affected by the benefit cap. This data are then verified against live benefit systems enabling only appropriate cases to be referred to the local authorities for capping.

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the financial value of volunteering and unpaid care by staff of his Department. [170440]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Work Programme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether individuals who have been affected by the household benefit cap were offered early access to the Work Programme. [170492]

Esther McVey: Employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit, income support (England only) and jobseeker allowance claimants are able to gain early access to the Work programme.

JSA claimants in the 18 to 24 and 25+ claimant groups would normally access the Work programme at nine or 12 months. However, since June 2012 the Department has made early access to the Work programme available to those JSA claimants likely to be affected by the benefit cap. They are able to volunteer for early access to the Work programme after three months of pre-Work programme support from Jobcentre Plus.

Justice

Archaeology: Licensing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many licences were issued to archaeologists to dig in areas where they might find human remains in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those licences in each year subsequently had the terms or conditions of the licence amended. [170787]

Mr Vara: The number of licences granted to exhume buried human remains for archaeological purposes issued in each year since 2006 is set out in the following table. We do not hold data for the earlier years.

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Details of licences where terms or conditions have been amended have only been collected since the beginning of this year and currently stand at 14. In all of these cases the change was to allow the archaeologists more time to conduct their investigations or to deposit the finds in a museum.

Council Tax: Non-payment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost to HM Courts and Tribunals Service is of issuing a summons for non-payment of council tax which (a) results and (b) does not result in a hearing. [170314]

Mr Vara: Where a person fails to pay the council tax after it has been demanded, the local authority may apply to the magistrates court for a liability order which authorises a range of measures for the enforcement of the unpaid charge. The Council Tax Regulations 1992 do not provide for magistrates courts to look into questions concerning liability or amount due. Magistrates courts are required by law to look into a limited range of issues, and the only defences available against the making of a liability order are:

the amount has not been demanded in accordance with the regulations;

the amount demanded was duly paid; and

the complaint for a liability order was made more than six years after the amount became due under the regulations.

As such, the court HM Court Service does not issue summons for non-payment of council tax. Proceedings for liability orders are rarely contested and so do not typically result in a hearing.

Courts

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2013, Official Report, columns 725-6W, on courts: Wales, what progress he has made centrally collating information on the number of litigants in person in civil and family court cases since 1 April 2013. [170496]

Mr Vara: We continue to use the measure of legal representation as a proxy for litigants in person. We have no plans to change this measure. We aim to publish results regarding legal representation in civil and family case next year broken down by region in Court Statistics Quarterly:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/court-statistics-quarterly

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Courts: Buildings

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which court buildings announced for closure since May 2010 (a) have closed and (b) have yet to close. [170303]

Mr Vara: 138 of the 142 courts announced as part of the Court Estate Reform Programme (CERP) in December 2010 have now closed. The remaining courts scheduled to close are Andover magistrates court, Rhyl County Court and Alton magistrates court. Due to changes in workload Bicester magistrates court will no longer close under the Programme.

In addition to the courts announced for closure under the Court Estate Reform Programme the Ministry of Justice has closed and disposed of a number of court buildings as a result of the integration and co-location of courts.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total amount spent on legal aid in each of the last five years was. [170426]

Mr Vara: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Kenilworth and Southam (Jeremy Wright), on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 171W,

National Tactical Response Group

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on which occasions the National Tactical Response Group was called out in each month since January 2013. [169885]

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service's National Tactical Response Group is a specialist national resource to assist both public and private sector establishments in safely managing and resolving serious incidents in prisons.

The following table sets out the occasions from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2013 when the National Tactical Response Group has been called out to public and private sector establishments. This information does not include aborted call outs:

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Personal Injury: Compensation

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on whiplash and the small claims court for personal injury which closed on 8 March 2013. [170631]

Mr Vara: The Government are committed to reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims to help bring down the cost of motor insurance premiums for consumers.

On 16 May 2013, Official Report, columns 48-49WS, my predecessor announced in a written ministerial statement that the Government would defer their response to the 'Reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims' consultation until after the Transport Committee had published its own report and recommendations in this area. The Committee's report was published on 31 July. We are considering its recommendations alongside the responses received to the consultation. The Government will publish their response later this year.

Prisoners' Transfers

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) new arrivals and (b) departures there were at (i) HM Prison Doncaster, (ii) HM Prison Lindholme, (iii) HM Prison Hatfield and (iv) HM Prison Moorland in each month since May 2010; [170947]

(2) how many prisoners have moved from HMP Lindholme to (a) HMP Doncaster, (b) HMP Hatfield and (c) HMP Moorland in each month since May 2010; [170953]

(3) how many prisoners have moved from HMP Moorland to (a) HMP Lindholme, (b) HMP Doncaster and (c) HMP Hatfield in each month since May 2010; [170954]

(4) how many prisoners have moved from HMP Doncaster to (a) HMP Lindholme, (b) HMP Hatfield and (c) HMP Moorland in each month since May 2010; [170955]

(5) how many prisoners moved from HMP Hatfield to (a) HMP Lindholme, (b) HMP Doncaster and (c) HMP Moorland in each month since May 2010. [170956]

Jeremy Wright: I have asked the prisons to provide the requested information and will write to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of foreign national offenders detained beyond the end of their sentence in prisons or immigration centres in each of the last three years in Scotland. [165710]

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

The requested figures are shown in the following table:

Richard III

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much his Department spent on legal advice and representation in relation to the judicial review case before Mr Justice Haddon-Cave concerning the remains of King Richard III (a) up to the point at which the judge issued his judgment in August 2013 and (b) since that date; [170786]

(2) what advice he has sought from (a) English Heritage, (b) the Advisory Panel on the Archaeology of Burials in England and (c) other bodies or experts on (i) whether he has power to amend the terms of the licence issued to the University of Leicester Archaeology Department to dig for the remains of King Richard III and (ii) other related matters; and if he will place in the Library copies of all the advice he has received on this matter. [170780]

Mr Vara: The Ministry of Justice's spend on legal costs up to 15 August was £15,850. Figures for the spend since then are not yet collated.

Under Section 25 of the Burial Act 1857 the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has a wide power to grant exhumation licences and attach and amend any conditions he thinks appropriate. He is not required to consult English Heritage or others on his powers under this legislation.

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 on legitimate businesses who purchase scrap cars with banknotes and coins; and if he will make a statement. [170269]

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

Motor salvage businesses have only been subject to the ban on the use of cash to purchase scrap vehicles since the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 commenced on 1 October 2013. No assessment has been made at this time.

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Business, Innovation and Skills

Central Sussex College

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 128W, on Central Sussex College, what conclusions were drawn from the urgent review of the financial situation of Central Sussex College; and what further steps have since been taken. [170482]

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 14 October 2013]:The Skills Funding Agency has concluded that there is good progress being made to bring the college back to sound financial health. The agency has worked proactively with the college on identifying and resolving the reasons for the poor financial situation which included; poor budget setting, inaccurate financial reporting, weak operation of some key financial controls, poor management of the cost base of the college, shortfalls in income generation, poor leadership and weak governance. These were set against a context of very high borrowings due to new capital build at Haywards Heath.

Alongside new appointments of both the Chair of Governors and the Chair of Audit Committee, the college has undergone a major restructure which has delivered significant savings and has also appointed new internal and external auditors.

The college was inspected in April and was graded as requiring some improvement overall but with some curriculum areas being graded as good or outstanding. Significant improvements have been made to the college's management information system resulting in accurate financial and data management reporting.

A draft Recovery Plan was received in May and reviewed by the Skills Funding Agency and externally by EFA and HEFCE colleagues. The agency accepted the final Recovery Plan in August which should fully take the college to satisfactory financial health as soon as reasonably possible. In order to ensure progress, the agency holds monthly case conferences to review the Recovery Plan and has a presence on Audit Committees and at Governors meetings.

Conditions of Employment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to launch a consultation on measures to regulate the use of zero-hours contracts. [170410]

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Jo Swinson: A consultation which seeks views on zero-hours contracts is planned to be launched later this year.

Dietary Supplements

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any products sold legally as non-harmonised food supplements in other EU member states have been prohibited from sale in the UK despite mutual recognition being cited. [170234]

Michael Fallon: We are not aware of any products sold legally as non-harmonised food supplements in other EU member states that have been prohibited from sale in the UK despite mutual recognition being cited.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what grounds there are for prohibiting products sold lawfully as non-harmonised food supplements in other member states from being sold in the UK under mutual recognition. [170235]

Michael Fallon: The Pharmaceutical Directive (2001/83/EC), which is non-harmonised, permits individual member states to classify products as medicines that may be sold as food supplements in other member states. The Pharmaceutical Directive takes precedence over food legislation. The determination procedure of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) includes a right of review.

Students

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time students at English higher education institutions were living (a) away from home and (b) at home in each of the last 10 years. [171024]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the term-time living arrangements of English domiciled students enrolled in full-time higher education at English HEIs is provided in the table.

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

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Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of English domiciled and English students at higher education institutions were aged (a) under 22, (b) 22 to 25, (c) 26 to 30 and (d) 30 and over in each year since 2001. [171026]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the number and proportion of undergraduate English domiciled students enrolled in full-time higher education at UK HEIs by age is provided in the table. These figures are different to the recent question on 14 October 2013, Official Report, columns 560-61W, as it includes enrolments in other UK institutions as well as English institutions.

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