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School Meals

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of secondary school pupils are entitled to school meals in (a) Greater London, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Birmingham and the West Midlands. [170670]

Mr Laws: The number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals

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in state-funded secondary schools in England, Greater London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands is shown in the following table. This information can also be found in table 8b of the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2013’ Statistical First Release

.

¹https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013

Teachers

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average (a) age of and (b) full-time equivalent salary paid to (i) classroom teachers and (ii) head teachers in (A) inner London, (B) outer London and (C) England excluding London is. [170666]

Mr Laws: The following table provides information on the average age and full-time equivalent average salary paid to publicly funded classroom and head teachers in inner London, outer London and England excluding London in November 2012, which is the latest information available.

Published figures show little change in the average salary of teachers and headteachers between November 2010 and 2012.

Teachers: Equality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason gender identity was included in the February draft of the National Curriculum Framework document as a characteristic obligating teachers in their duties under equal opportunities legislation, but was not included in the July draft of that document. [170204]

Elizabeth Truss: The inclusion statement in the draft national curriculum framework document that was published for consultation in July did not include the phrase ‘gender identity' due to a drafting error. The text was corrected before the final version of the national

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curriculum framework document was published on 11 September. The inclusion section now states that teachers should take account of their duties under equal opportunities legislation that covers race, disability, sex, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment. The new national curriculum will be taught in maintained schools from September 2014.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of (a) teachers and (b) officials in his Department who work with children have received training on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; [171066]

(2) what steps he has taken to ensure adequate and systematic training of (a) teachers and (b) officials in his Department who work with children on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [171085]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not hold information about the proportion of teachers who have received training on the UN convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Teachers who work in schools that have been accredited under the Rights Respecting Schools Award run by UNICEF or who are responsible for citizenship or Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) lessons can also access the many online materials that are available to improve their understanding of the UNCRC.

The Department has taken a number of steps to raise awareness of the UNCRC among its officials, including several detailed training sessions for those involved in developing new policy or legislation. We do not keep a record of the proportion of staff involved in this ongoing work.

Energy and Climate Change

Coal: Concessions

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department will adopt the Concessionary Fuel beneficiaries liability; and if he will make a statement. [168504]

Michael Fallon: A range of concessionary fuel entitlements currently exist. DECC is responsible for the National Concessionary Fuel Scheme (NCFS) for the former employees of the British Coal Corporation (BCC) at the time of privatisation. This Scheme is completely separate from the arrangements operated by private coal mining companies that inherited obligations at privatisation or set up their own arrangements. DECC has no legal obligations in relation to these company specific arrangements.

DECC's obligations under the NCFS are governed by collective agreements established between BCC and the mining unions in the 1980s. Following the privatisation of BCC in 1994, Government assumed liability for the provision of concessionary fuel (or cash in lieu) to former employees of BCC (and their widows) who met the necessary criteria under these arrangements. DECC currently services over 69,000 beneficiaries. It is envisaged

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that the arrangements will last until 2050, with an estimated remaining cost to the taxpayer of some £450 million.

Fracking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of flooding on the environmental safety of fracking; and what assessment he has made of the relevance for hydraulic fracturing to exploit shale gas in the UK of the serious flooding of fracking sites in Colorado in September 2013. [170606]

Michael Fallon: Any development that is planned near a main river or a flood defence will require flood defence consent from the Environment Agency. It is a statutory consultee in the planning process and can object to any development that it considers to be at high risk of flooding. Similar processes apply in other parts of the UK.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has found no evidence of pollutants from oil and gas spills in rivers and streams affected by the flooding. The Environment Agency has made no assessment of the relevance of flooding of shale gas sites in Colorado in September 2013.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the £200 million of Government funding allocated to the Green Deal in November 2011 has been spent to date. [170480]

Gregory Barker [holding answer 14 October 2013]:While announced in November 2011, the bulk of the £200 million was budgeted for spend in 2013-14 rather than 2012-13. As of the end of September, £31.4 million had been spent and we have already announced that at least another £20 million will be directed to the Green Deal Communities scheme. I expect the total to be significantly above £51.4 million by the end of March 2014, but I am also focused on ensuring that we deliver value for money in the way we incentivise consumers to act under the Green Deal and the energy company obligation (ECO).

So far, over 71,000 Green Deal assessments have taken place, with surveys demonstrating that more than 80% of the households have been spurred into action, and nearly 195,000 energy efficiency measures have been installed in homes under ECO. We are also building value by channelling funds through local authorities and communities to demonstrate what can be achieved on a street-by-street basis. We have consulted on adjustments to the cashback scheme and plan to implement changes shortly, in order to provide a substantial extra boost to delivery.

Sellafield

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), (ii) Sellafield Ltd and (iii) Nuclear Management Partners

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on liability indemnification for the extension of the top tier management contract for Sellafield announced by NDA on 4 October. [170620]

Michael Fallon: No discussions have taken place regarding this issue, as the existing contractual arrangements are still applicable.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what inspection and enforcement measures his Department has put in place to ensure that wind farm developers abide by development regulations. [170265]

Michael Fallon: Development consent requirements for onshore wind farms are generally the responsibility of the local planning authority to discharge, monitor and enforce. In exceptional cases, the Secretary of State may be responsible for discharging certain conditions, for instance, some requirements in respect of aviation radar.

In respect of offshore wind farms, the Secretary of State is responsible for discharging and enforcing development consent requirements alongside other marine regulators who are responsible for the requirements contained in other relevant licences and permits.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the maximum penalties set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. [170860]

George Eustice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 was reviewed in 2010 and no recommendation was made to amend the maximum penalties for animal welfare offences.

Dogs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the number of dogs illegally entering the country each year. [170852]

George Eustice: The number of dogs seized and quarantined by trading standards or the police after illegally entering Great Britain in the last five financial years is shown in the following table.

The most commonly stated reasons for seizure and quarantine were:

the dog was too young for a valid rabies vaccination;

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the dog was not prepared for travel correctly (ie the dog was vaccinated prior to microchipping);

the pet travel documents were missing or incomplete, or there was a discrepancy in the documents provided;

the dog was not microchipped or the microchip could not be read;

there was no rabies vaccination or there was a break in the rabies vaccination record.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the use of captive bolt gun and the legislation allowing its use against dogs. [169835]

George Eustice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal and this includes the manner in which an animal may be put down. The recommended way of euthanising a dog is for a veterinary surgeon to administer an overdose of barbiturates. Other methods of euthanasia must be available in cases where emergency action is needed. If used correctly, captive bolt guns may avoid unnecessary suffering but they are not a recommended method of euthanising dogs. Anyone using an alternative method that causes the animal unnecessary suffering runs the risk of prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Incinerators

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effects of falling levels of general domestic waste caused by increased recycling and composting on plans to build new incinerators. [170205]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA keeps under review the progress towards meeting targets for diverting waste from landfill set under the EU landfill directive. Our most recent assessment of infrastructure capacity likely to be required in England to make the necessary contribution to the UK target for 2020 is available on the Gov.UK website (‘Forecasting 2020 waste arisings and treatment capacity’).

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure transparency to councillors and the public and accountability in the awarding of private finance initiative contracts to operate incinerators. [170206]

Dan Rogerson: It is for local authorities that are considering letting such contracts to ensure that councillors and the public are informed as necessary of the process and terms on which they propose to enter into contracts for waste infrastructure.

DEFRA manages the approval process for waste PFI supported projects. For these, we require that local authorities make available their business cases and contracts on the appropriate media outlet (usually the local authority's web site).

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Pets

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of dogs and cats in England; and if he will make a statement. [170899]

George Eustice: There is no official record or estimate of the number of cats and dogs in this country, but figures provided by other organisations such as the Pet Food Manufacturers Association and the RSPCA put the number at between 8 and 10 million of both cats and dogs.

Plants

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve honeysuckle habitats in the UK. [170740]

George Eustice: Native honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) is a woodland climber and is also found in hedgerows. It is especially important as a source of pollen, nectar and berries for a range of insects and birds and a useful nesting site for birds in woodland. Steps to improve these habitats include the management of ancient semi-natural woodland and hedgerows through Environmental Stewardship.

Deer control also plays a role in improving conditions for honeysuckle as deer like to eat honeysuckle. The Government help facilitate deer management through the provision of advice and guidance for those impacted by or wishing to manage deer. Natural England, in association with the Deer Initiative, provides this via its deer website:

www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/species/deer.aspx

Conservation of biodiversity is a devolved matter so action in other parts of the UK is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Procurement

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department makes of the (a) payment of minimum wage, (b) payment of living wage and (c) use of zero hours contracts when tendering for public procurement contracts. [169319]

Dan Rogerson: When tendering for public procurement contracts, core DEFRA makes assessments against a number of evaluation criteria including their approach to corporate social responsibility.

The payment of the national minimum wage is a core requirement of the contract under which core DEFRA obtains its clerical and administrative temporary staff. Core DEFRA places many service-based contracts, such as facilities management. All the employees of the contractors delivering these services to core DEFRA earn the national minimum wage or above, but not all earn the living wage.

Core DEFRA does not place zero-hours contracts, but there are contractors and subcontractors who source

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some of their work force on this basis. Core DEFRA does not currently typically use this as a criterion in evaluating tenders.

Trees: Diseases

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many trees were killed by (a) acute oak decline, (b) Asian longhorn beetle, (c) chalara dieback of ash, (d) chestnut blight and (e) dothistroma needle blight in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [170556]

(2) how many trees were killed by (a) great spruce bark beetle, dendroctonus micans, (b) horse chestnut leaf miner, cameraria ohridella, (c) oak pinhole borer, platypus cylindrus, (d) oak processionary moth, thaumetopoea processionea, and (e) phytophthora alni in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [170557]

Dan Rogerson: Individual tree deaths that could be directly attributed to the pests and pathogens listed are not recorded by DEFRA or the Forestry Commission.

Many trees that have been affected by pests and diseases will be felled long before they finally die and it is often the case that trees that do die have been affected by a combination of factors over a long period. For example, a tree that suffers repeated defoliation may succumb to other environmental factors. This means that it would be very difficult to attribute the death to a single factor.

In some cases many more trees can be felled as a result of the control measures than as a result of the pest or disease. For example, for the control of Asian longhorn beetle in Kent, which appears to have been successful, 2,166 host trees were removed but only 66 were found to be infested.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of how many trees were killed by (a) Phytophthora austrocedrae, (b) Phytophthora kernoviae, (c) Phytophthora lateralis, (d) Phytophthora ramorum and (e) Pine tree lappet moth (Dendrolimus pini) for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [170722]

George Eustice: No monitoring of individual tree deaths that could be directly attributed to the pests and pathogens listed is carried out by DEFRA or the Forestry Commission.

Many trees that have been affected by pests and diseases will be felled long before they finally die and it is often the case that trees that do die have been affected by a combination of factors over a long period. For example, a tree that suffers repeated defoliation may succumb to other environmental factors. This means that it would be very difficult to attribute the death to a single factor. Additionally, in some cases many more trees can be felled as a result of control measures than as a result of the pest or disease.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cayman Islands

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has offered the Government of the Cayman Islands with passage of the draft National Conservation Bill since 22 May 2013. [170834]

Mark Simmonds: At the 2012 Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), the UK and Territory Governments agreed to work together on a range of priority actions to protect the environment. We understand that, consistent with this, the National Conservation Bill (NCB) is due to establish a legal framework for environmental impact assessments, ensuring they are integrated into the national decision making processes. We have offered Territory leaders advice and support on environmental governance issues, recognising that this is a devolved responsibility of the Cayman Islands.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the recent decision by the Dutch Supreme Court to hold the Dutch government to account for the actions of its peacekeepers in Srebrenica, what assessment he has made of the implications of that decision for the readiness of UK allies to support UN missions. [170766]

Mark Simmonds: The Dutch Supreme Court ruled that that any read across to other UN Missions would be limited because of the unique circumstances. Any future assessment would depend on the nature of the individual Troop Contributing Country and its relationship with the UN, but also on events on the ground. We assess, however, that this ruling is unlikely to impact significantly on the thinking of our allies vis-à-vis their support for UN peacekeeping. The UK remains committed to ensuring that the UN delivers effective and efficient peacekeeping, and are supportive of those countries who wish to provide peacekeepers to UN Missions.

Cayman Islands

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Government of the Cayman Islands since 22 May 2013 with regard to the unspent money collected for the Environment Protection Fund. [170675]

Mark Simmonds: In September, UK Ministers agreed the Cayman Islands Budget, which included provisions for the Environment Protection Fund (EPF). The Cayman Islands Government is proposing a National Conservation Bill which will enshrine the EPF into law for the first time—setting out its purpose of buying and managing protected areas, protected species and their critical habitat.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss the National Conservation Bill and the Environment Protection Fund with the Government of the Cayman Islands. [170677]

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Mark Simmonds: At the 2012 Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), the UK and Territory Governments agreed to work together on a range of priority actions to protect the environment. We understand that, consistent with this, the National Conservation Bill (NCB) is due to establish a legal framework for environmental impact assessments, ensuring they are integrated into the national decision making processes. We have offered Territory leaders advice and support on environmental governance issues. I will be visiting Cayman Islands in early November, as well as having bilateral talks with the Cayman Islands' Premier at the 2013 JMC in late November. Environmental issues will likely be discussed at both of these events.

China

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese government on the persecution of Christians in China. [170745]

Mr Swire: We strongly support freedom of religion for all, including in China. The prohibition of some religious groups, and the legal restrictions and harassment aimed at others, undermines freedom of religious belief in China. We raised freedom of religion in the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2012 and in our Annual Foreign and Commonwealth Office Report on Human Rights and Democracy, which we last published on 15 April 2013, and in the quarterly updates to that.

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills regarding human rights in Colombia and the trade agreement between the EU and Colombia. [171072]

Mr Swire: Both the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), take the issue of human rights in Colombia seriously and agree that the promotion of the UK's prosperity and the promotion and protection of human rights are mutually supportive priorities at the heart of the UK's foreign policy. Regular contact takes place between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and BIS at official level, as well as between UK and EU officials, on this subject.

The UK is fully engaged on a range of human rights issues in Colombia. We firmly believe that trade agreements are important for economic growth and prosperity in developing countries, and contribute significantly to improved stability and prosperity, creating an environment where human rights are more likely to be respected.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the agenda is of the next EU-Colombia human rights dialogue; and what assistance he will be offering to the Government of Colombia to secure progress on these issues over the coming months. [171074]

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Mr Swire: The eighth EU-Colombia human rights dialogue took place on 17 June 2013. The next dialogue will take place in Bogota in the first half of next year, and the purpose is to raise issues of mutual concern and explore how we can work more effectively together on human rights issues. The agenda is likely to be agreed nearer to the date, but we expect ongoing discussions between the EU and Colombia to focus on a range of issues, building on the last dialogue, including the military criminal justice system, application of human rights and international humanitarian law standards and protection of vulnerable population segments within Colombian society. The UK has discussed all of these issues in its wide ranging conversations with the Colombian Government and civil society on human rights.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances has he received from the Colombian President about the involvement of (a) trades unions and (b) civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the trade agreement between the EU and Colombia. [171075]

Mr Swire: We have not received assurances from the Colombian President regarding the involvement of trade unions and civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the trade agreement between the EU and Colombia. However, Colombia has produced an action plan setting 54 goals for the government to meet in relation to the trade agreement. The action plan shows the breadth of human rights issues on which the Colombian government is working and provides for a monitoring mechanism once the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) enters into force.

We will continue our wider human rights work with unions and employer organisations to strengthen labour relations in Colombia.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Colombian President on the clauses relating to (a) human rights and (b) labour standards in the Trade Agreement between that country and the EU; and what assurances has he received on (i) human rights improvements and (ii) international labour standards in advance of the UK's ratification of the Agreement. [171076]

Mr Swire: We have not had discussions with the Colombian President on the clauses relating to human rights and labour standards in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but we do raise broader human rights issues with the Colombian Government on a regular basis, including when the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), last met President Santos in June.

The UK pushed hard for a legally binding human rights clause in the text of this agreement, which is consistent with our policy to have a frank dialogue with Colombia and Peru on human rights. The FTA aims to raise human rights, labour and environmental standards in Colombia. As well as a clause allowing for revision of the FTA if any party is not complying with its human rights commitments, Colombia also produced an action plan setting 54 goals for the Government to meet. The

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action plan shows the breadth of human rights issues on which the Colombian Government is working and provides for a monitoring mechanism once the FTA enters into force.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department considers appropriate measures as referenced in Article 8, paragraph 3, of the Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia; under what circumstances he would consider invoking these; and what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about the use of this clause. [171088]

Mr Swire: Appropriate measures under Article 8 paragraph 3 of the agreement would comprise a range of carefully thought through levels of response to an established infringement of Article 1 by another party to the agreement. The Department concurs with the Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht, that such measures would be proportionate to the severity of the breach and could include the termination, or partial or total suspension of the agreement. The clause provides an avenue for measures to be taken in response to developments if necessary, without being too prescriptive in advance as to what those developments or measures might be. Discussions have taken place between UK, EU and European Commission officials within a number of working groups on this subject.

Israel

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 295W, on Israel, what assessment he has made of whether all bilateral programmes between the UK and Israel are compliant with EU law and international law. [170775]

Hugh Robertson: The British Government ensure they act in accordance with our international law obligations at the very outset of entering into bilateral programmes with other countries.

Tibet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on Tibet. [170742]

Mr Swire: We regularly express our concerns in public and privately to the Chinese Government about a wide range of human rights issues, including Tibet. We raised our concerns about human rights issues in Tibet directly with the Chinese Government in July and we will continue to do so. Tibet will form part of our discussions at the next UK-China Human Rights Dialogue. We are seeking to agree dates for the next Dialogue with the Chinese Government.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to raise the persecution of Tibetan monks with the Chinese government. [170743]

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Mr Swire: We strongly support freedom of religion for all, including in China. The prohibition of some religious groups, and the legal restrictions and harassment aimed at others, undermines freedom of religious belief in China. We raised freedom of religion in the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2012 and in our Annual Foreign and Commonwealth Office Report on Human Rights and Democracy, which we last published on 15 April 2013, and in the quarterly updates to that.

Yemen

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of US drone attacks on the security situation in Yemen. [R] [170712]

Hugh Robertson: Drone strikes against terrorist targets in Yemen are a matter for the Yemeni and US Governments. We expect all concerned to act in accordance with international law and take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties when conducting operations.

Health

Cocoa: Cadmium

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the Food Standards Agency's ability to monitor cadmium in imported cocoa. [170595]

Jane Ellison: Maximum levels (MLs) for chocolate and cocoa products are in the final stage of being established in food safety legislation. The European Commission has proposed amending Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 to set MLs for cadmium in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder, with a five year transition period. The MLs will apply from 1 January 2019.

Where MLs are not set for a foodstuff, the commodity must still comply with article 14 of Commission Regulation No. 178/2002 requiring that food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. Therefore, enforcement action may still be taken on the basis of a risk assessment carried out by the Food Standards Agency, as a result of official control sampling and testing. Cocoa products imported into the United Kingdom are subject to such official controls.

Colorectal Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with medical authorities on trends in the incidence of bowel cancer in the UK. [170755]

Jane Ellison: No specific discussions have been had with the medical authorities on trends in incidence of bowel cancer in the United Kingdom. We know that bowel cancer incidence rates have increased overall in the UK since the 1970s, especially in men. Although rates fell at the end of the 1990s, they rose in the 2000s following the introduction of bowel cancer screening, which resulted in the identification of more bowel cancers.

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In January 2011 we published ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’. Backed by over £750 million over four years, the strategy set out an ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through earlier diagnosis of cancer and improved access to treatment for all cancers.

Diabetes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with diabetes retinopathy in England and Wales in each of the last three years. [170759]

Jane Ellison: This information is not held centrally in the format requested.

9,051 people with diabetes in England and Wales who were included in the 2009-10 National Diabetes Audit experienced retinopathy treatment between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011. The actual number of people who were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy in England and Wales in 2010-11 will be higher than this figure.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the NHS has made of the potential of cool laser treatment for the treatment of diabetes-related blindness. [170760]

Jane Ellison: No specific assessment of cool laser treatment has been made for the treatment of diabetes-related blindness. The treatment is still in an experimental stage and therefore there is currently insufficient evidence to support its usage.

Email

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will carry out an internal investigation into which officials in his Department released confidential emails to the hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Stephen Barclay). [170605]

Norman Lamb: The Department understands that this parliamentary question relates to the release of emails sent or received by the then chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during the month of January 2010. These emails were released by the CQC in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request.

Internal processes were not properly observed on this occasion by the Department and the CQC. Internal investigations have revealed that this was a genuine oversight on behalf of officials, but nonetheless unacceptable.

The Permanent Secretary has taken immediate steps within the Department to ensure that officials who might deal with FoI requests are aware of, and act in accordance with, established processes. The Permanent Secretary has written to the chief executives of all departmental agencies and non-departmental public bodies to raise awareness of processes.

NHS Property Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish the rent rolls for each property held under NHS Property Services Ltd; [171034]

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(2) what (a) criteria and (b) processes were used in the recruitment of the (i) executive and (ii) non-executive members of NHS Property Services Ltd; [171043]

(3) what properties are held by NHS Property Services Ltd; and what the estimated total value of these properties is; [171044]

(4) what the (a) salary and (b) pension arrangements is of each (i) executive and (ii) non-executive director of NHS Property Services Ltd; [171045]

(5) how much NHS Property Services Ltd has spent on external consultants in the last year; what consultancies have been so used; and for how long and at what cost each such contract was; [171046]

(6) what expenditure from the NHS Property Services Ltd capital allocation has been used to pay for revenue funding for NHS Property Services Ltd to date. [171071]

Dr Poulter: In order to procure expert advice to support the establishment of the company, NHS Property Services Limited (NHS PS) has engaged with the following consultants:

KPMG Limited Liability Partnership, at a cost of £125,830 financial year 2013-14 to date, for advice on tax and accounting. This support is ongoing;

Gallagher Employee Benefits, at a cost of £24,000, for work in November and December 2012 to assist the design of a defined contribution pension scheme;

Deloitte Limited Liability Partnership, at a cost of £52,907 for work in July and August 2013 to support the identification and delivery of efficiencies;

Metrosexual Health Limited at a cost of £5,175 to support job banding and evaluation. This support is ongoing; and

Mills and Reeve Limited Liability Partnership, at a cost of £48,654 for work during March and April 2013 to support contractual agreements for the delivery of services locally and nationally.

NHS PS is going through the process of determining the rent that will be charged to all its tenants in the 4,000 assets inherited from primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) on 1 April 2013. In consequence rent rolls for each property are not yet available.

In respect of the executive team, the Director of Finance was appointed as a temporary secondment from Community Health Partnerships, the Department of Health owned company which manages NHS LIFT estate in primary and community care. The Chief Executive was appointed from the NHS through a fair and appropriate recruitment process.

The Department followed a full and transparent recruitment process on behalf of NHS PS to appoint the non-executive directors (NEDs). An executive search firm was used as part of the process.

NHS PS, a limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health, was created to take that part of the PCT estate which did not transfer to NHS providers on 1 April 2013.

On that date, around 4,000 properties previously owned by PCTs and SHAs were inherited by NHS PS, at a value of just over £3 billion. The property portfolio transferred to NHS PS includes care homes, community centres, general practitioner surgeries, health centres, support buildings, offices and land.

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Details of the sites and buildings that are owned or managed by NHS PS are available at:

https://nhsps.micadipr.net/portals/default2.asp

Details of the salaries of the executive and NEDs are as follows :

All executive directors are part of the NHS pension scheme, apart from one director who belongs to the company pension scheme.

NHS PS, at the instruction of the Department, used cash allocated to it for capital purposes to provide short-term financing for its revenue expenditure. The Department subsequently made a further investment which returned the amount of cash available for capital purposes to its original level.

NHS: Apprenticeships

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2013, Official Report, columns 428-9W, on NHS: apprenticeships, which Department had budgetary responsibility for NHS apprenticeships in 2011-12 and 2012-13. [170833]

Dr Poulter: The Department of Health held budget responsibility for national health service apprenticeships in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Although there was no centralised funding for this policy in both 2011-12 and 2012-13 the Department had invested £25 million in 2009-10 and £10 million in 2010-11.

Organs: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of organ donors. [170753]

Jane Ellison: We have a number of initiatives to encourage people to add their name to the organ donor register (ODR). Much of this work is led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in conjunction with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors. For example, people may sign up to the ODR when they register with a new general practitioner, when applying for a new passport, when applying for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and when applying for a Boots advantage card. We have established

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a prompted choice scheme, working in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which requires people applying for a driving licence online to consider organ donation.

NHSBT have worked with stakeholders to develop a United Kingdom strategy ‘Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020’ to further increase donation and transplantation. The report was published in July 2013 and builds on work undertaken to increase deceased donation rates by 50% between 2008 and 2013. They also run multi-media campaigns, education programmes in schools and community engagement programmes to raise awareness of organ donation and promote registration on the ODR.

We have also set up the National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people on bone marrow and whole organ registers, and to increase donation rates in those communities.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the six most frequent organ donations in the UK were in each of the last five years; and how many such operations were carried out. [170756]

Jane Ellison: The information requested is shown in the following table.

Patients: Safety

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress the Government have made in improving patient safety in the NHS. [170902]

Dr Poulter: NHS England is responsible for patient safety in the national health service.

The Government will hold NHS England to account via delivery of Domain 5 of the NHS Outcomes Framework, “Treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting them from avoidable harm”.

NHS England is working to improve the collection and accessibility of key safety data, including the voluntary collection, the NHS Safety Thermometer, which are based on patient assessments carried out by health care professionals in respects of four types of patient harm—pressure ulcers, falls, urinary tract infections in patients with catheters and new venous thromboembolisms.

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In September 2013, almost 193,000 patient assessments were returned compared with just over 166,500 submitted in September 2012. Just under half (47%) of these assessments were from acute hospital wards, while the remainder were from other care settings.

The data show that 179,626 (93.1%) of patients assessed received harm-free care in September 2013, compared to 152,701 (91.7%) in September 2012. Moreover, submission of NHS Safety Thermometer data has increased markedly, with 735 organisations reporting in September 2013 (502 organisations in September 2012).

Earlier this year, the Government created the position of chief inspector of hospitals, general practice and adult social care. Professor Sir Mike Richards has begun a thorough process of inspection that will give an expert peer-reviewed insight into all aspects of how each of our NHS trusts operate.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is putting in place a number of changes to improve the way it inspects the quality and safety of hospitals. It is moving towards a more specialised inspection model, with inspectors specialising in particular areas of care, a greater focus on culture and leadership, and teams that include clinical and other experts, and people with experience of care.

Alongside this, the Department and the CQC are working together to develop new fundamental standards of care. These will be common-sense statements that describe the basic requirements that care providers should always meet, and outline the outcomes that patients or care-service users should always expect. All care providers registered with the CQC will be legally required to meet them.

Primary Health Care

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether NHS practitioners are made aware of the potential uses of self-monitoring technology in healthcare; [170901]

(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that patients have access to monitoring and self-management opportunities for long-term conditions. [170903]

Jane Ellison: Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services lies with NHS England.

It is for individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission treatment and services for patients on medications which require monitoring, as they are best placed to identify what is needed in their local areas. It is the responsibility of NHS England to support CCGs and ensure that they are safely and effectively discharging their commissioning responsibilities, and are making progress in delivering outcomes. This support may include providing supportive commissioning resources, tools or guidance.

Sepsis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the number of deaths from sepsis in England and Wales. [170749]

Dr Poulter: The Government are taking steps to prevent avoidable deaths from sepsis. These include setting objectives in the NHS Mandate requiring the

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national health service to provide a high quality of patient care and ensuring that the NHS Outcomes Framework for 2013-14 includes patient safety outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold the NHS to account for improvements in health outcomes.

We are also collaborating with Dr Ron Daniels, who was instrumental in developing the “Sepsis Six” protocols for treating sepsis. He has been meeting with the NHS England Surgical Services Patient Safety Expert Group, the NHS England Children and Young People Patient Safety Expert Group, and the Royal College of Physicians Safety Board. He is also liaising with a number of National Clinical Directors and the Patient Safety Domain team of NHS England to agree potential next steps and possible project activities as part of their work programme on deterioration.

Skin Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had on new treatment methods for skin cancer in the UK. [170750]

Jane Ellison: Since 1 April NHS England has been responsible for improving outcomes for skin cancer patients in England. NHS England has established a Specialised Dermatology Clinical Reference Group that has published a service specification for adult skin cancer services. The specification outlines a number of interventions suitable for the treatment of skin cancer and can be found on the NHS England website at:

www.england.nhs.uk/resources/spec-comm-resources/npc-crg/group-a/a12/

The Department has had no specific discussions on new treatment methods for skin cancer in the United Kingdom. Skin cancer treatments in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are a matter for the devolved Administrations of those countries.

Smoking: Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to prevent young people taking up smoking. [170761]

Jane Ellison: Reducing the uptake of smoking by children is a public health priority for the Government because the Department estimates that, each year in England, over 300,000 children under 16 years old try smoking for the first time.

The Government's comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to reduce tobacco use in England, set out in ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’ (March 2011), includes a specific national ambition to reduce smoking rates among 15-year-olds in England to 12% or less by the end of 2015.

A range of action is being taken by the Government to reduce smoking rates, in particular the numbers of young people starting to smoke. We need to influence the adult world in which children grow up to stop the perpetuation of smoking from one generation to the next. The Tobacco Control Plan includes encouragement for communities across England to reshape social norms, so that tobacco becomes less desirable, less acceptable and less accessible.

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The Government have stopped tobacco sales from vending machines, once an easily accessible and often unsupervised source of tobacco for children. Eye-catching displays of cigarettes, which can promote smoking by young people, have been covered in supermarkets and other large stores since April 2012 and will be covered in small shops in April 2015. A number of national marketing campaigns have been run to support smokers to quit. The Government have also continued to follow a policy of using tax to maintain the high price of tobacco products at levels that impact on smoking prevalence and have continued to tackle the availability of illicit tobacco.

The most recent information on young people's smoking rates is available in ‘Smoking Drinking and Drug use among young people in England in 2012’. The report shows a continued downwards trend in smoking by young people and that 10% of 15-year-olds in 2012 were regular smokers.

Sunbeds

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association on side effects of the use of sun beds. [170757]

Jane Ellison: There have been no recent discussions with the British Medical Association on the side effects from the use of sunbeds.

However, information for the public on the risk of skin damage and skin cancer from sunbed use is available from the Cancer Research UK website.

Home Department

101 Calls

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls the police 101 service has received in each month from its launch to date. [170428]

Damian Green: The introduction of the 101 number is a significant step forward in the Government's ambition to reconnect the police and public. 101 gives the public an easy and memorable number, helping to improve the reporting of crime as well as support the police to efficiently and effectively tackle crime and disorder.

The total number of calls received by police from the 101 service is given in the table. 101 was launched in September 2010 and rolled out nationally in England and Wales in January 2012; Scotland joined the 101 service in April 2013.

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Animal Experiments

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were used in medical experimentation in 2012; what steps she is taking to reduce the use of animals in medical experimentation; and if she will make a statement. [170632]

James Brokenshire: During 2012, 495,694 animals were used in applied studies for human medicine or dentistry.

In 2010, the Government made a commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research in “Coalition: our programme for Government”. The Coalition Commitment is not concerned with just baseline numbers, but encompasses the replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) more broadly, putting them at the heart of a science-led approach. We will publish a Delivery Plan this autumn that will set out how the Government are supporting and encouraging these advances and the programmes and policies through which the

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Government will continue to deliver their commitment. The consequence will be accelerated take-up of the 3Rs—both domestically and internationally set on the tenets of good science, good animal welfare and good for the UK and economic growth.

The number of animals likely to be used in any given year is dependent on many factors, including investment in research and development, strategic decisions by funding bodies, global economic trends and scientific innovation. Although progress is being made with alternative methods, increased funding of scientific research has the potential to increase both animal and non-animal work. The increased animal use in recent years reflects new research trends, increased investment, and changes in regulatory requirements and does not mean that efforts to advance the 3Rs are failing.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the increase in the number of canines used in animal experimentation during 2012; what steps she is taking to reduce the number of canines used in animal experimentation in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [170635]

James Brokenshire: Cats, dogs, non-human primates and horses are given special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and may be used only if no other species is suitable or it is not practicable to obtain animals of any other species that are suitable for the purposes of the relevant programme of work.

Dogs are primarily used in pharmaceutical research and development, or in pharmaceutical safety and efficacy evaluations. They are also used when no other species is suitable in the evaluation of cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory problems in humans. Such work contributes to advances in human health care. Dogs are also used in the development of veterinary medicines and techniques and the numbers used reflect activity in the sector.

The number of animals likely to be used in any given year is dependent on many factors, including investment in research and development, strategic decisions by funding bodies, global economic trends and scientific innovation. Although progress is being made with alternative methods, increased funding of scientific research has the potential to increase both animal and non-animal work. The increased animal use in recent years reflects new research trends, increased investment, and changes in regulatory requirements and does not mean that efforts to advance the replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) are failing.

In 2010, the Government made a commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research in “Coalition: our programme for Government”. The Coalition Commitment is not concerned with just baseline numbers, but encompasses the 3Rs more broadly, putting them at the heart of a science-led approach. We will publish a Delivery Plan this autumn that will set out how the Government are supporting and encouraging these advances and the programmes and policies through which the Government will continue to deliver their commitment. The consequence will be accelerated take-up of the 3R's—both domestically and internationally set on the tenets of good science, good animal welfare and good for the UK and economic growth.

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Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the increase in the number of felines used in animal experimentation during 2012; what steps she is taking to reduce the number of felines used in animal experimentation in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [170636]

James Brokenshire: Cats, dogs, non-human primates and horses are given special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and may be used only if no other species is suitable or it is not practicable to obtain animals of any other species that are suitable for the purposes of the relevant programme of work.

Cats are primarily used in the development of veterinary medicines and techniques, and in neurological research. Much of the veterinary research is for the benefit of cats. The increase from 2011 to 2012 was 12 (247 during 2012 compared with 235 in 2011.) The number of cats used did increase significantly for use in veterinary research with a reduction in both procedures and cats used in basic research.

The number of animals likely to be used in any given year is dependent on many factors, including investment in research and development, strategic decisions by funding bodies, global economic trends and scientific innovation. Although progress is being made with alternative methods, increased funding of scientific research has the potential to increase both animal and non-animal work. The increased animal use in recent years reflects new research trends, increased investment, and changes in regulatory requirements and does not mean that efforts to advance the replacement, refinement and reduction (3Rs) are failing.

In 2010, the Government made a commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research in ‘Coalition: our programme for Government’. The coalition commitment is not concerned with just baseline numbers, but encompasses the 3Rs more broadly, putting them at the heart of a science-led approach. We will publish a Delivery Plan this autumn that will set out how the Government are supporting and encouraging these advances and the programmes and policies through which the Government will continue to deliver their commitment. The consequence will be accelerated take up of the 3Rs—both domestically and internationally set on the tenets of good science, good animal welfare and good for the UK and economic growth.

Animal Experiments: Scotland

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were recorded

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in Scotland in 2012; and how many such infringements led to a prosecution. [170622]

James Brokenshire: There were four infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland recorded in 2012 in which action was completed by the Secretary of State. None of these infringements led to a prosecution.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2012 were performed in (a) public health laboratories, (b) universities and medical schools, (c) NHS hospitals, (d) Government departments, (e) other public bodies, (f) non-profit-making organisations and (g) commercial organisations. [170624]

James Brokenshire: During 2012, 92.5% of regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were performed at universities and medical schools, 5% at other public bodies, 2% at commercial organisations and one half of 1% at Government Departments and non-profit-making organisations.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in Scotland were designated as a (a) supplying establishment, (b) breeding establishment and (c) scientific procedure under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at the end of 2012. [170625]

James Brokenshire: As at 31 December 2012 in Scotland there were 10 supplying, 15 breeding and 26 user establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. An establishment can be a user, breeder and supplier.

Antisocial Behaviour: Greater Manchester

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued to people in Manchester in each year since their introduction. [170225]

Norman Baker: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from l April 1999. The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in Greater Manchester in each year since 1 April 1999 to 2011 (the latest year for which data are currently available) can be viewed in the following table. ASBO data covering the period to the end of 2012 are planned for publication on 31 October 2013.

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DNA: Databases

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what DNA databases are currently held by the Government; what the function is of each; how many people are included on each; where each database is held; for how long each database has been open; and where each such database will be held after the Government's reforms of national policing are complete. [170291]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 10 October 2013]: The Government currently hold five databases containing electronic DNA profile information. Details below reflect the position as it stood on 30 September 2013.

The national DNA database (NDNAD) holds DNA profiles taken from individuals and crime scenes. It is used for purposes related to the prevention or detection of crime, the investigation of an offence or the conduct of a prosecution; in the interests of national security; for the purposes of a terrorist investigation; and for purposes related to the identification of a deceased person or of the person to whom material relates. It was set up in April 1995 and currently holds 6,074,866 DNA profiles.

The missing persons DNA database holds DNA profiles obtained from the belongings of people who have gone missing, or from their close relatives (who will have similar DNA), as well as profiles taken from the bodies of unidentified people. It matches missing people (sometimes via their relatives) to unidentified bodies, and can also eliminate a missing person if an unidentified body is found matching their description. It was set up in April 2010 and currently holds 895 DNA profiles.

The vulnerable persons DNA database holds DNA profiles of people who are at risk of harm (for instance due to child sexual exploitation or honour-based violence) and who have asked for their profile to be added. If the person subsequently goes missing, their profile can be checked against the main NDNAD to see if they match to any material such as blood or an unidentified body found at a crime scene, helping the police to investigate their disappearance. It was set up in March 2011 and currently holds 1,967 DNA profiles.

The police elimination database holds DNA profiles for police officers and staff. These profiles are used for elimination purposes in criminal casework. It was set up in August 2000 and currently holds 127,100 profiles.

These four databases are run by the Home Office, having been transferred from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) on its closure.

The counter-terrorism (CT) DNA database holds profiles retained specifically for the purposes of national security. It was established in July 2006 and is managed and maintained by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on behalf of UK CT policing. Due to the sensitive nature of the CT DNA database it is not possible to confirm the number of profiles held.

Drugs: Misuse

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Government's drugs strategy in achieving its overarching aims of (a) reducing illicit and other harmful drug use and (b) increasing the numbers recovering from dependence. [170836]

Norman Baker [holding answer 15 October 2013]: We are currently developing our approach to evaluating the 2010 Drug Strategy and this will include an assessment of its effectiveness and value for money in achieving its overarching aims.

We currently monitor trends on drug use using the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and trends on the numbers recovering from dependence using the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). The 2012-13 CSEW shows drug use is now at its lowest level since measurement began in 1996 and the 2011-12 NDTMS shows increasing numbers are leaving treatment free of dependency.

Further information on the 2012-13 CSEW can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-2012-to-2013-csew/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-2012-to-2013-crime-survey-for-england-and-wales

Further information on the 2011-12 NDTMS can be found at:

http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/statisticsfromndtms201112vol1thenumbersfinal.pdf

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next review of the Government's drug strategy ‘Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting People to Live a Drug Free Life’, will be conducted; and whether the terms of reference will be the same as those used in previous reviews. [170837]

Norman Baker [holding answer 15 October 2013]: The first annual review of the Government’s Drug Strategy ‘Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting People to Live a Drug Free Life’ was published on 17 May 2012. The second drug strategy annual review has been conducted, using the same terms of reference as those used in the first review. We are aiming to publish the document in the near future.

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Knives: Amnesties

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knife amnesties were held in each police authority area in each year since 2010. [170566]

Norman Baker [holding answer 14 October 2013]:The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. This information is held by the individual police forces.

Knives: Crime

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing stop and search powers for reducing knife crime in night clubs and other late night establishments. [170588]

Norman Baker [holding answer 14 October 2013]: There has been no formal Home Office assessment into the adequacy of existing stop and search powers for reducing knife crime in night clubs and other late night establishments.

Licensed premises, such as nightclubs, employ Security Industry Authority licensed door supervisors who may refuse entry to individuals whom they consider pose a risk.

Under section 1 of the Police And Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers have the power to stop and search a person who is reasonably suspected of carrying an offensive weapon.

Performance Appraisal

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [170466]

James Brokenshire: For the period 2012-13, of those staff who made a positive statement about their disability status:

12.9% of disabled staff were in the top category, 75.0% were in the middle and 12.1% were in the lower.

21.4% of non-disabled staff were in the top category, 72.1% were in the middle and 6.5% were in the lower.

Police: Political Activities

Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on participation by police officers in political campaigning. [900470]

Damian Green [holding answer 15 October 2013]: Participation by police officers in political campaigning is prohibited by law. Schedule 1 to the Police Regulations 2003 states:

“A member of a police force shall at all times abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of his duties or which is likely to give rise to the impression amongst members of the public that it may so interfere... A member of a police force shall in particular... not take any active part in politics”.

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Failure to abide by these regulations may give rise to misconduct proceedings under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012. Further, it is a criminal offence under section 100 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 for a police officer to canvass in a parliamentary or local election. There is similar legislation applicable to European Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, and local referendums.

Security Guards

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement of 5 September 2013, Official Report, column 30WS, on regulatory regime: private security industry, what discussions she is having with the security industry on these proposals; and if she expects to bring legislative proposals in this area before May 2014. [170286]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 10 October 2013]: The Government are planning to lay secondary legislation for the regulation of businesses in the private security industry during this parliamentary session, which will end in spring 2014. The Government are working closely with the Security Industry Authority and those in the industry to help prepare these reforms.

International Development

Afghanistan

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how much in total has been spent to date on the Bost Airfield and Agricultural Business Park in Afghanistan; and what the original budget was for both those projects; [169290]

(2) whether the Bost Airfield and Agricultural Business Park received funding through (a) the Helmand Growth Fund and (b) other budgets held by her Department; and what the (i) monetary value and (ii) cost headings were of that funding. [169243]

Justine Greening: As part of a programme approved under the previous Government in 2009, DFID spent a total of £8.42 million on the Bost Airfield and Agricultural Business Park in Afghanistan. This was funded partly through the Helmand Growth Programme and partly through other budgets.

Since 2010, Ministers have assessed that this programme did not represent value for taxpayers’ money and work on the Agricultural Business Park programme has been discontinued.

Burma

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will promote the rational use of antibiotics in obstetrics in Burma's health system. [170697]

Mr Duncan: DFID programmes, including in Burma, follow international guidelines for antibiotic use. Guidelines for antibiotic use in maternal health services follow international best practice.

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she is providing to Burma to ensure that family planning and reproductive health services are being offered to all communities. [170699]

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Mr Duncan: The UK supports the Three Millennium Development Goal Trust Fund in Burma and has allocated £80 million over four financial years (2012 to 2016) in support of the fund. 70% of this is allocated to support access to essential health services for maternal and child health as well as sexual and reproductive health rights and family planning. The fund operates across the whole country, with a particular focus on seven vulnerable states and divisions.

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she is providing to Burma to develop its health system. [R] [170700]

Mr Duncan: The UK supports the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund—the major health trust fund in Burma. So far the UK has allocated £80 million over four financial years (2012 to 2016) in support of the fund. One of its objectives is to help the Burmese Ministry of Health provide more equitable, affordable and quality health services to the most vulnerable populations within Burma.

Developing Countries: Health Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure the dissemination and training of health personnel in essential medicine treatment guidelines and supervision in projects supported by her Department. [170698]

Mr Duncan: The World Health Organisation advises national Governments on essential drug lists in the countries in which DFID works. In addition it provides support for the development of guidelines on the use of essential medicines and generic drugs. DFID emphasises the importance of the appropriate use of medicines and management of prescribing practice in its policy dialogue with Ministries of Health.

Justice

Bail

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people granted bail committed offences while on bail; and what offences were committed in each month since May 2010. [166031]

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Jeremy Wright: The proportion of people being bailed has remained stable over the past five years, The total number of offences committed by those granted bail has reduced by 23% from around 173,000 in 2007 to around 132,000 in 2012.

The court always has to make an assessment of the risks involved on releasing the defendant on bail to the public or the administration of justice, and it is the courts that are best placed to weigh up all the relevant factors. We expect the police and courts to take extreme care when making a decision to grant bail and the overwhelming majority of people bailed do not reoffend while on bail. Where a person does commit an offence while on bail, this must be treated as an aggravating factor when sentencing for that offence.

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given on 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 300W:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130206/text/130206w0004.htm#130206116004317

As there has been some time between this question and the one referred to above, there are an additional nine months of data available which are given in Tables 2 and 3.

Table 1 shows the number of offenders in each year who have committed an offence while on bail between May 2005 and the end of March 2013. Please note that the last year ends in March in line with published data and therefore only includes 11 months.

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Due to the differences between the way offences committed on bail and the number of people given bail are counted, along with issues around dates, it is not possible to directly compare the figures. It is therefore not possible to gain an accurate proportion of those who are given bail by the police or courts who then go on to commit an offence while on bail.

There are known issues with PNC data on offences committed while on bail. In particular, the recording of information on whether or not the offence was committed while the offender was on bail is known to be incomplete. This is because the police have available to them a number of ways of recording the bail status of an offender of which the ‘offence committed on bail’ field on the PNC is one. For operational purposes, police forces make differing use of these various sources and as a result figures derived purely from the PNC do not provide a complete picture of these offences, and therefore change over time. These data may not represent real changes in offending while on bail.

Carbon Emissions

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available. [169862]

Mr Vara: The Ministry of Justice participates in the Department for Energy and Climate Change-administered Government Carbon Offsetting Framework (GCOF) scheme, which offsets carbon emissions related to

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departmental business travel. In the latest year for which figures are available (2011-12), the Ministry of Justice spent £389.74 on offsetting costs under the GCOF scheme compared with £1,431 in 2010-11. Although CO2 emissions have remained fairly steady, the cost of carbon offsetting has significantly reduced and fallen from £12.00 to £0.68 per tonne over the past three years.

Convention on the Protection of the European Communities’ Financial Interests

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many convictions were handed down in the UK in each of the last five years for acts the UK is required to criminalise under the First Protocol to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests; and what the sentence was for each of these convictions; [171027]

(2) how many convictions were handed down in the UK in each of the last five years for acts the UK is required to criminalise under the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests; what the sentence was for each of these convictions; and how much money the offence related to in each case; [171028]

(3) how many convictions were handed down in the UK in each of the last five years for acts the UK is required to criminalise under the Second Protocol to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests; and what the sentence or penalty was for each of these convictions. [170998]

Nicky Morgan: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.

The UK is compliant with all the requirements of the Convention, First Protocol and Second Protocol on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests via the Theft Act 1968, Criminal Justice Act 1993, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Fraud Act 2006, and the Bribery Act of 2010. The Government have no plans to repeal this legislation and cooperation will continue as it does under current practice.

The Government do not hold data relating specifically to the protection of the European Communities' financial interests. However, the Commission's estimates of irregularities reported as fraudulent in its latest Fight Against Fraud report can be found here:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/reports/communities-reports/index_en.htm

and the European Anti-Fraud Office Report:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/about-us/reports/olaf-report/

both published online annually.