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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 18 October 2013

Attorney-General

Video Games: Young People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Attorney-General how many shops have been prosecuted for selling PEGI rated video games to underage customers since July 2012. [170079]

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify separately prosecutions for selling PEGI rated video games from other prosecutions under the Video Recordings Act 1984. Also, within the Court Proceedings Database, all businesses, public bodies and any other non person defendants are recorded under a single group "Other defendants". It is therefore not possible to identify separately prosecutions brought against shops or cinemas.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an estimate of how many employers in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) England that hire apprentices have paid tuition fees for NVQ3 and above qualifications. [171426]

Matthew Hancock: This information is not available.

Business: Training

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average contribution was by (a) employers and (b) HEFCE to each student place created on the Workforce Development Programme in each year from 2008-09. [171424]

Mr Willetts: The following table shows the average contribution by employers and HEFCE to each full-time equivalent student place created under the Workforce Development Scheme in each of the years of its operation, for which data are available. HEFCE only collected data on employer contributions for four years of the scheme's operation.

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Conditions of Employment

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, columns 512-3W, on conditions of employment, when the findings of his Department's investigation of the use of zero-hours contracts will be reported to the House. [171512]

Jo Swinson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Streatham (Mr Umunna) on 6 September 2013, Official Report, column 535W.

The summer review on zero hours was a fact-finding exercise officials undertook to understand and explore zero hours contracts. As this was not a call for evidence nor a consultation, stakeholders did not submit written evidence.

As a result of that review, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills announced on 16 September that a consultation on zero hours contract will take place this year. The details are being finalised and it will be published in November and run for 12 weeks.

Conditions of Employment: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the Scottish Government on zero-hours contracts; and if he will place any correspondence so received in the Library. [171410]

Jo Swinson: We have not received any representations to date from the Scottish Government on this issue.

Further Education: Student Numbers

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many English domiciled students were studying a (a) two, (b) three, (c) four year and (d) other undergraduate degree course at an English further education college in each of the last 10 years; [171409]

(2) how many students were studying a (a) two, (b) three, (c) four year and (d) other undergraduate degree course at a UK further education college in each of the last 10 years. [171416]

Mr Willetts: Information on expected course lengths for students enrolled at English Further Education Colleges (FECs) is not available, however estimates of the number

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of English domiciled students studying full-time first degrees at Further Education Colleges (FEC) in England since 2006/07 have been provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and are included in the table.

Information on Higher Education provision in Further Education elsewhere in the UK is available from the respective administrations.

Graduates: Debts

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the proportion of graduate debt which would be paid in full under current policy, if the debt per graduate was (a) £5,000, (b) £10,000, (c) £15,000, (d) £20,000, (e) £25,000, (f) £30,000, (g) £35,000 and (h) £40,000. [171443]

Mr Willetts: Estimates have been prepared using the Department's publicly available loan repayment model which can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplified-student-loan-repayment-model

Under the post-2012 loan system, the proportions of graduate debt which it is estimated will be repaid under the total debt amounts per student given in the question are (a) 88%, (b) 84%, (c) 81%, (d) 79%, (e) 76%, (f) 73%, (g) 70% and (h) 67%.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many English-domiciled students were studying a (a) two, (b) three, (c) four year and (d) other undergraduate degree course at an English university in each of the last 10 years. [171415]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The number of English-domiciled full-time first degree enrolments in English universities by expected course length and academic year is shown in the following table.

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

Minimum Wage: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the Scottish Government regarding the minimum wage; and if he will place any correspondence so received in the Library. [171411]

Jo Swinson: I have not received any representations from the Scottish Government regarding the minimum wage.

Royal Mail

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what interest accrued to the public purse from monies taken from retail investors that were unsuccessful in their applications for Royal Mail shares. [171436]

Michael Fallon: As stated in the prospectus, refund monies will be refunded without interest. Any interest accrued will come from these funds being held in a bank account on Government’s behalf.

Advertising: The Guardian

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on advertising with (a)The Guardian newspaper, (b)The Guardian website and (c)The Guardian Media Group in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13. [171545]

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Jo Swinson: The information being sought by the hon. Member is being researched. We will place the information in the Libraries of the House as soon as possible.

Cabinet Office

Childbirth

Andrew George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the age profile of women giving birth in England has been in each year since 2001. [171839]

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

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Letter from Glen Watson, dated October 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what the age profile of women giving birth in England has been in each year since 2001 [171839].

ONS is responsible for publishing statistics on the numbers of births registered in England and Wales. Figures on the number of live births to mothers usually resident in England are published annually in Births by Area of Usual Residence of Mother available on the ONS website at:

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/births-by-area-of-usual-residence-of-mother--england-and-wales/index.html

The following table provides the number of live births to mothers usually resident in England, by age of the mother for 2001-2012.

Conditions of Employment

Katy Clark: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the rail industry who are employed on zero-hours contracts; [171220]

(2) what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the shipping industry who are employed on zero-hours contracts. [171223]

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated October 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:

(i) What recent estimate has been made of the number of workers in the rail industry who are employed on zero hours contracts. (171220); and

(ii) What recent estimate has been made of the number of workers in the shipping industry who are employed on zero hours contracts. (171223)

The requested information is not available. Information regarding people working on zero hours contracts is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). However, full estimates of the total number of people in employment on such contracts are not available from this source. This is, in part, due to reporting error as respondents may fail to identify their type of employment contract correctly. This prevents reliable estimates being produced for individual industry sectors.

Dementia

Liz Kendall: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) Dementia Friends and (b) Dementia Champions have been recruited since the publication of the Prime Minister's Dementia Challenge in March 2012. [171541]

Mr Hurd: Dementia Friends Campaign was launched by the Prime Minister in March 2013. The Alzheimer's Society has responsibility for delivering the Campaign in England. In the first seven months of the campaign they have reported that 25, 200 Dementia Friends and 1,760 Dementia Champions have been recruited.

Government Departments: Billing

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department takes to ensure that Government Departments comply with Cabinet Office advice on payments to firms in construction supply chains in respect of small firms; whether his Department

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is aware of any large or main contractor withholding payment for periods longer than those set out in Cabinet Office advice; and if he will make a statement. [170975]

Mr Hurd: Central Government policy is to pay undisputed invoices within five days and to pass 30 day payment terms down the supply chain as a condition of contract. We have tasked Departments to manage their contracts to ensure prime contractors pay sub-contractors within 30 days.

In construction, central Government has led the way in the use of Project Bank Accounts, and these are now becoming the norm. Using Project Bank Accounts, due payments tend to get from the Government client to Tier 3 of the supply chain within three or four days.

We are encouraging SMEs to use the ‘Mystery Shopper’ service to report instances of late payment so we can investigate. To date we have had four such complaints, of which two resulted in payment being made and two related to payments that were disputed rather than late.

Life Insurance

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK who have life insurance policies. [171421]

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated October 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK who have life insurance policies. (171421)

The Office for National Statistics does not produce estimates for the number of people who have life insurance policies. However, you may be interested in the 2013 Association of British Insurers Report, which includes an estimate for the proportion of UK households who had whole of life or fixed term life assurance:

https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/2013/industry%20data/UK%20Insurance%20Key%20Facts%202013.ashx

(see paragraph 1 on page 11).

Trident

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the oral contribution by the Deputy Prime Minister of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 5, on the Trident Alternatives Review, if he will provide details of the cost of the Trident Alternatives Review to the public purse in terms of (a) cost and (b) officials' time. [171399]

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 6W.

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Communities and Local Government

Bricks

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of UK-produced bricks to housing construction sites; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that there is no shortage of supply from British brick manufacturers. [170976]

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

Government are aware of industry reports assessing the current situation regarding the supply of UK-produced bricks to housing construction sites. The Construction Leadership Council will keep the position under review, but UK bricks must be price-competitive.

Housing: Construction

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been approved under the custom build investment fund in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) south Yorkshire and (c) England to date. [171061]

Kris Hopkins: The £30 million Custom Build Homes fund will run until 2015.

So far, 14 schemes outside London worth £18.4 million are being taken forward (either under contract, in the contracting process or in the due diligence process). This includes a bid at Gawber in Barnsley,

In London, the scheme is administered by the Greater London Authority which holds the information on the take-up.

Parking

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department gives local authorities on the provision of parking for (a) district nurses, (b) midwives and (c) other visiting health professionals. [170585]

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued no specific policy or guidance on the provision of parking for district nurses, midwives and other visiting health professionals.

The Government recognise the importance of good affordable parking and is committed to putting an end to excessive parking charges and unfair parking fines which push up the cost of living and local economy. We have already taken action to increase the number of parking spaces and withdrawn guidance that encourages councils to set parking fees to discourage the use of cars.

Councils have a key role in promoting local economic growth and local jobs and we are currently looking at what more can be done to reform parking rules to help with the cost of living and support local shops.

More information can be found in my Department's press notice of 27 September 2013 at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-parking-reform-proposals-to-support-local-shops-and-high-streets

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Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many businesses in the (a) Metropolitan Borough of Tameside and (b) Metropolitan Borough of Stockport she expects to receive investment to improve broadband speeds. [171228]

Mrs Grant: The Government's Broadband programme is delivering a transformation in broadband with over 10,000 new homes and businesses getting superfast broadband availability every week.

Ofcom's Infrastructure Report update in 2012 stated that superfast broadband availability was 96.2% in the Manchester conurbation, compared with 65% for the UK as a whole at that time. Ofcom is likely to update its local estimates for counties and unitary authorities in the near future. The trend is for an increase in coverage over time and therefore when next reported these figures are likely to be higher than reported in 2012. Take up figures for businesses in Metropolitan boroughs of Tameside and Stockport are not currently available as a tender for broadband is under way.

The Government allocated £10.83 million to support roll-out of broadband in Lancashire. The project is in delivery and is aiming to complete by 2015.

Leisure

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) sports clubs and (b) community centres are in receipt of Government funding in (i) Ribble Valley, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK. [171419]

Mrs Grant: As part of the £1 billion Youth and Community Strategy, Sport England has provided funding to the following community sports clubs:

As sport is a devolved matter, community funding in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the relevant Sports Council.

Defence

Disclosure of Information

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the files currently held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Act 1958 have been (a) assessed and (b) released to the National Archives.[171580]

Mr Francois: All Ministry of Defence (MOD) records held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Acts have been assessed for ongoing business or potential historical value. More than one third of the files at

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Swadlincote have been selected for transfer to The National Archives. These are largely military service records, which The National Archives has identified as being required for permanent preservation. Around 50,000 inter-war RAF service records held at Swadlincote, which are due to be transferred, are currently being digitised and are in the process of being accepted by The National Archives.

Public Expenditure

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department plans to use the £1.8 billion underspend in its 2012-13 budget. [171180]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 17 October 2013]: The funding carried forward from financial years 2012-13 to 2013-14 and 2014-15 will be used to fund a range of military capabilities, including bringing Urgent Operational Requirements from Afghanistan into the core programme, Future Force 2020 priorities such as bringing Crowsnest into service earlier than previously planned, and the significant investment we are making in cyber.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for which categories of expenditure the £1.8 billion underspend in his Department's 2012-13 budget had originally been allocated. [171181]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 17 October 2013]: The breakdown of the Department's underspend in financial year 2012-13 is available in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts for that year, which can be found at:

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

This was published in July 2013.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in HM Treasury regarding the £1.8 billion underspend in its 2012-13 budget. [171182]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 17 October 2013]: Ministry of Defence (MOD) Ministers and officials have frequent and regular contact with counterparts in HM Treasury on a wide range of topics, including the Department's in-year financial position. In June 2013, MOD announced that in recognition of improved financial discipline in MOD, HM Treasury had agreed the flexibility to allow us to carry forward £1.8 billion of unused funding from the financial year 2012-13 into 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to Baroness Stern of 12 March 2013, Official Report, HL column WA47, on armed forces: unmanned aerial vehicles, in which fora the Developments, Concepts and Doctrine Centre have engaged in the ethics of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations; and whether any subsequent legal reviews of UAS have been undertaken by his Department. [R] [170714]

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Mr Francois: The Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) staff have participated in the following fora at which the ethics of UAS usage were discussed:

Discussions with Professor Sir Mike Aaronson, Director of the Centre for International Intervention, Surrey University et al at the DCDC.

Westminster Conference: ‘Use of Force, Drones and Jus Cogens Norms in International Law’ at Westminster Cathedral.

Discussion with and input to the work of the Joint Public Issues Team paper ‘Drones: Ethical Dilemmas in the Application of Military Force’.

Participation at a European Universities Institute seminar in Florence on Autonomous Systems, although the seminar also substantially referenced the ethics of UAS operations.

Participation at the Defence Security and Equipment International UAV symposium (an event organised by Clarion). Participation included the panel session on the ethics of UAV use. DCDC Air Commodore presented at the symposium.

Participation in two Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conferences which featured a small amount of discussion about ethics.

A NATO Multi-National Capability Development Campaign workshop on autonomous systems at which legal and ethical issues were discussed.

Legal reviews of UK use of armed UAS (Reaper and Predator) have been conducted by DCDC Legal Branch in accordance with Article 36 (Additional Protocol 1) with use being deemed permissible subject to the existing Laws of Armed Conflict. The detailed reports are considered as being subject to Legal Professional Privilege and are not releasable. These reviews were not conducted as a consequence of discussions on UAS ethics elsewhere but as part of our routine compliance with international law.

Deputy Prime Minister

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to answer question number 168911 tabled on 9 September 2013 on the Local Growth Committee. [171400]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 744W.

Education

Education Maintenance Allowance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 18 March 2013, Official Report, columns 444-5W on educational maintenance allowance, if he will publish the interim report referred to in that answer. [171398]

Elizabeth Truss: The interim report, which presents findings of the first year of the independent evaluation of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, was published on 16 May¹.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-16-to-19-bursary-fund-year-1-report

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National College for Teaching and Leadership

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many members of the senior leadershp team have left the former National College for School Leadership since it became an exclusive agency of his Department in April 2012. [171573]

Elizabeth Truss: 14 senior civil servants, who were members of the senior management team of the National College for School Leadership, left the former National College for School Leadership between 1 April 2012 and 17 October 2013.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what process was followed in the appointment of the Chief Executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership. [171574]

Elizabeth Truss: As Chief Executive of the Teaching Agency, Charlie Taylor was appointed to lead the new body when the Agency was merged with the National College for School Leadership on 2 April 2013 as an expansion of his existing duties. The former Chief Executive of the National College for School Leadership had left his post in October 2012 and was not replaced.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many members of the senior leadership team of the National College for Teaching and Leadership were previously members of the senior leadership team of the National College for School Leadership. [171575]

Elizabeth Truss: Three members of the senior leadership team of the National College for Teaching and Leadership were previously members of the senior leadership team of the National College for School Leadership.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people attended the annual conference of the National College for Teaching and Leadership and its predecessor, the National College for School Leadership in each year since 2010. [171576]

Elizabeth Truss: The conference was attended by 1,750 delegates in 2010, over 1,650 delegates in 2011 and over 1,610 delegates in each of 2012 and 2013.

Energy and Climate Change

Electric Cables: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what plans his Department has for the (a) route and (b) method of a North-South Interconnector in Wales; [171232]

(2) what plans his Department has for a North-South Interconnector in Wales; [171234]

(3) what the projected cost of a North-South Interconnector in Wales is. [171235]

Michael Fallon: The planning and development of the transmission network in England and Wales is a matter for National Grid. Details on its major projects

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are contained in the Transmission Owner Major Projects Update which is updated on a quarterly basis:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/electricity-networks-strategy-group

Further detail on these and other projects is available from National Grid's annual Electricity Ten Year Statement:

www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/DF56DC3B-13D7-4B19-9DFB-6E1B971C43F6/57770/10761_NG_Electricity_Ten_YearStatement_LR.pdf

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with (a) Ofgem and (b) the National Grid on a North-South Interconnector in Wales. [171233]

Michael Fallon: The Department receives regular updates from all three Transmission Owners on their major projects through the DECC/Ofgem chaired Electricity Networks Strategy Group. I have regular discussions with Ofgem and National Grid across a range of energy matters, but this project has not been discussed.

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Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received from the Welsh Government on a North-South Interconnector in Wales. [171236]

Michael Fallon: I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government across a range of energy matters, but have not received any representations from the Welsh Government about this project.

Energy: Billing

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average rise in energy bills has been for households in (a) Merseyside and (b) England in each of the last five years. [171511]

Michael Fallon: The following tables show the trend in average household energy bills since 2007, split by method of payment, for (a) Merseyside and (b) England and Wales.

These energy bills assume an annual electricity consumption of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas, and are in cash terms.

The data are taken from DECC's statistical publication, Quarterly Energy Prices. Average bills are published at Public Electricity Supply region and at national level, but England and Wales are combined.

Energy: Scotland

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met representatives of the six largest energy providers in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [171391]

Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the Departmental website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/ministers-meeting-with-external-organisations

Energy: Weather

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the size of the potential margin between generating capacity and electricity demand if there is a blocking high pressure weather system with little wind and freezing temperatures in the period December 2013 to January 2014. [171159]

Michael Fallon: National Grid, in their Winter Outlook 2013-14 report, have stated:

“Our peak weather corrected electricity demand forecast for this winter is 54.8 GW; this is our demand forecast should the weather be the same as long term average weather conditions. In any winter, however, there are milder spells and colder spells which drive fluctuations in demand around the weather corrected demand forecast. We forecast the peak Average Cold Spell (ACS) electricity demand to be 56.3 GW this winter.”

“For this winter, taking the latest data into account, our central forecast of electricity margin against peak (ACS) demand is 5%, broadly in line with the level published in Ofgem's Capacity Adequacy analysis in June. If, however, we have average weather throughout the winter, our central forecast of margin is 8%.”

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Fracking

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that shale gas extraction sites will not adversely affect individuals' ability to secure a mortgage on nearby property. [171049]

Michael Fallon: There is no reason to expect that any activities undertaken to extract shale gas will have any adverse effect on individuals' ability to secure a mortgage on properties nearby. There has been no evidence of any such effect in the UK to date in over half a century of oil and gas exploration and production. Extraction will be subject to the same robust safety and environmental regime, supplemented by new controls against seismic risks. The impacts of shale gas extraction on local areas will of course be fully considered through the planning process before any such project can proceed.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what weight his Department gave to the National Grid's Call for Evidence 2012 and his Department's Electricity Generation Costs Report 2013 in setting the draft offshore wind strike price; and if he will publish in full his Department's analysis of factors underlying that decision. [171169]

Michael Fallon: As detailed in ‘Annex B: Strike Price methodology’¹ of the ‘Consultation on the draft Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan’ there are a range of factors to consider in setting a strike price. These include:

technology specific factors such as capital and operating costs, financing costs and any build constraints;

market conditions such as wholesale prices and the discount which generators face when signing a power purchase agreement (PPA); and

policy considerations such as the specific contract design, choices about technology mix and meeting the ambition for renewable electricity.

The methodology for setting strike prices is designed to provide an equivalent level of support to that received under the renewables obligation for the period when developers can choose between the renewable obligation and contracts for difference. After this period, strike prices are set to reflect both expectations of falling technology costs over time and the financial constraints imposed by the levy control framework.

The data used for technology specific factors the draft Delivery Plan Consultation including capital and operating costs and financing costs is detailed in Annex 3 of DECC's electricity generation costs 2013² report. Page 7-9 of this report details the data used for all technologies. For offshore wind this draws from the Government response to the banding review (GRBR). When modelling future cost reductions for offshore wind evidence from the Crown Estate Study (the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Pathways Study) and the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force report was also included. This is explained in more detail in annex 2 of DECC's electricity generation costs 2013.

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DECC is currently considering responses and evidence received as part of the draft delivery plan consultation and this evidence may be used to inform final decisions on strike prices.

¹Note:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223652/emr_consultation_annex_b.pdf

²Note:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223940/DECC_Electricity_Generation_Costs_for_publication_-_24_07_13.pdf

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the evidential basis was for his Department's setting of the draft strike prices; and if he will publish in full the modelling his Department used for setting those prices. [171170]

Michael Fallon: The evidence base included several detailed reports on technology costs by specialist consultancies, evidence submitted by industry on their costs from several calls for evidence, and modelling by National Grid using an investment and dispatch model of the GB electricity system.

The Government have also appointed an independent Panel of Technical Experts which provides independent scrutiny of National Grid's analysis. All the evidence and the modelling, including the panel's report on the draft delivery plan, is published on the Government website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-draft-electricity-market-reform-delivery

Winter Fuel Payments

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of people eligible for winter fuel payments in each region of the UK. [171205]

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

The information requested is not available.

Over 95% of winter fuel payments are made automatically, without the need to claim, based on information held in DWP records. The remaining 5%, primarily men who have reached women's state pension age and who are not getting a DWP-administered benefit, need to make a claim if they want to get a winter fuel payment. It is not possible to give the exact number of eligible people, but we have no reason to estimate that eligibility is materially different from the number of payments made.

Information on the number of winter fuel payments paid is in the document ‘Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2012-13 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender (All)’. We expect a similar number of payments to be made in future years. This information is available on the internet at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/winter-fuel-payments-caseload-and-household-figures

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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish (a) a risk assessment of, (b) all advice from officials on and (c) advice from the chief scientist and the chief veterinary officer on extending the length of the badger cull. [171355]

George Eustice: Copies of the following documents have been placed in the Library of the House:

advice from the chief veterinary officer (CVO) to the Secretary of State on the case for extending the culls in both Somerset and Gloucester;

a letter from a DEFRA official to Natural England summarising DEFRA’s position on extending the culls; and

advice from DEFRA's chief scientific adviser to the Secretary of State on the estimated population of badgers within the pilot cull areas

The CVO advice contains an assessment of the disease control benefits and risks of an extension. Assessment of the operational risks of badger control activities continues to be the responsibility of the licensees.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the prevalence of illegal dog breeding in England; and if he will review current breeding laws. [170861]

George Eustice: We have made no assessment of the level of undetected illegal dog breeding. Anyone who carries on a business of breeding dogs should have a licence, irrespective of the number of litters they produce in a year. We plan to write to local authorities to clarify the existing legal provisions relating to dog breeding.

Advertising: The Guardian

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on advertising with (a) The Guardian newspaper, (b) The Guardian website and (c) The Guardian Media Group in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13. [171553]

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA has not incurred any direct spend on advertising with The Guardian newspaper, The Guardian website or The Guardian Media Group in the years specified.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

British Council

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the arrangements governing the British Council's ability to compete for private-sector education contracts to ensure that British private-sector education providers abroad are able to compete on a level playing field. [171461]

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Mr Swire: I announced on 16 July 2013, Official Report, column 81Ws, that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is conducting a Triennial Review of the British Council. The outcome of the Review is due to be published in early 2014.

Competition questions relating to British Council income generating activity form part of the Review. The Review Team has spoken to a wide range of interested parties in the UK and overseas, including other British education providers. A month-long online public consultation received several hundred responses, some from private sector companies.

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with President Santos of Colombia on the potential effect of a free trade agreement between Colombia and the EU on poverty and inequality levels in that country. [171425]

Mr Swire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not discussed with President Santos the potential effect of a Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the EU on poverty and inequality levels in that country. However, we firmly believe that trade agreements are important for economic growth, prosperity and political stability in developing countries, and contribute significantly to overall development, creating an environment where human rights are more likely to be respected.

Common Customs Tariffs

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts to ensure that EU tariffs better reflect disparities in environmental regulations from non-EU countries. [170942]

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

BIS Ministers have not been involved in discussions with their EU counterparts about EU tariffs and disparities in environmental regulations with non-EU countries.

Kieron Bryan

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which officials in his Department have visited Kieron Bryan during his detention; and when and for how long each such visit was. [171397]

Mr Lidington: British consular officials visited Kieron Bryan on 24. September and again on 3, 9 and 11 October. During each visit, which varied in length, they were able to discuss welfare issues with Mr Bryan and follow up on these with the relevant Russian authorities, as well as pass messages to and from family members. Consular officials intend to visit Mr Bryan again later this week.

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Morocco

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Morocco on behalf of British investors in the Paradise Golf and Beach Resort project near Asilah. [171396]

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of this case. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is unable to intervene directly or provide legal advice in private matters such as these. We have corresponded directly with some of the individuals involved in response to their letters. The ambassador in Morocco has raised this issue with senior members of the Moroccan Government, encouraging them to do all they can to find a satisfactory resolution. We will continue to raise this with the Moroccan Government at appropriate opportunities.

Sri Lanka

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart regarding access to counselling for people suffering from trauma following the civil war in that country. [171506]

Mr Swire: Our officials have raised this issue with the Sri Lankan authorities, and discussed provision for counselling for those suffering from trauma with local non-governmental organisations in Sri Lanka. Despite our representations, we are yet to see the Sri Lankan authorities make progress in this area.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Sri Lanka regarding the scope and remit of the Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances. [171507]

Mr Swire: Our high commissioner in Colombo has discussed this with the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Foreign Minister and Special Envoy on Human Rights, underlining the need for an independent and thorough investigation. The UK also contributed to the EU delegation to Sri Lanka statement of 30 August calling for the Commission to conduct its investigations in a credible and transparent manner consistent with international standards and we shall raise this at the forthcoming CHOGM.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of religious freedom in Sri Lanka; and what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government regarding protection for religious minorities in that country. [171508]

Mr Swire: Our concerns about religious freedom in Sri Lanka surrounding religious freedom in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights and Democracy Report for 2012 and it's subsequent quarterly updates.

Attacks on minority religious sites and continued campaigns against Christians and Muslim remain a serious concern.

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Our high commissioner to Colombo has raised these matters with members of the Government of Sri Lanka. We have urged the Sri Lankan Government to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice and we shall raise these issues at the forthcoming CHOGM.

The European Union Delegation, in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Sri Lanka, also issued a statement on 13 August calling for

"the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of worship to be protected by the Sri Lankan government, and for the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure justice through speedy, impartial trials and enable all Sri Lankans to exercise their human rights freely."

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka following her visit to Sri Lanka in August 2013; and with which other Commonwealth Governments he has discussed that report. [171509]

Mr Swire: We welcomed the oral update of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Navi Pillay, to the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council following her visit to Sri Lanka in August, and share many of her concerns. We look forward with interest to the submission of the full written report during the March 2014 session of the UN Human Rights Council.

We regularly raise the issues broached by Navi Pillay with other Commonwealth states.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission he plans to discuss with the Sri Lankan Government during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November 2013. [171510]

Mr Swire: We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to fully implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's (LLRC) report. Although progress has been made in some areas, such as demining, the resettlement of internally displaced people and infrastructure development, much more work is needed to deliver reconciliation in Sri Lanka. The British delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will see the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka and deliver a clear message that Sri Lanka needs to make concrete progress on reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

Health

Ambulance Services: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make an assessment of the effect on ambulance response times of the decision by the North West Ambulance Service to close fleet care workshops in Cheshire and Merseyside; and if he will make a statement; [171441]

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(2) if he will make an assessment of the effect on patient care of the decision by the North West Ambulance Service to close fleet care workshops in Cheshire and Merseyside; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library. [171442]

Dr Poulter: This is a matter for the local national health service. The hon. Member may wish to approach the chief executive of Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group if she has concerns about the impact the proposed changes may have on ambulance response times and patient care.

Cancer

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications NICE has recommended for cancer treatment through either single or multiple technology appraisals in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013; [171091]

(2) if he will publish the final calculated cost per quality adjusted life year of each (a) pharmacological treatment and (b) associated indications which NICE (i) has and (ii) has not recommended for cancer treatments; and which such treatments and indications have been recommended for cancer treatment under the end of life criteria in (A) 2011, (B) 2012 and (C) 2013; [171093]

(3) what the determined population size is for each pharmacological treatment and associated indications which NICE has recommended for cancer treatment in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; [171095]

(4) what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications NICE has recommended for cancer treatment under the end of life criteria in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013; [171096]

(5) what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications NICE has not recommended for cancer treatment in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013. [171103]

Dr Poulter: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that between January 2011 and September 2013, 40 recommendations were made to the national health service relating to cancer technologies. Of these decisions, 22 did not recommend the technology as a cost-effective use of NHS resources. Two appraisals were terminated in the absence of an evidence submission from the manufacturer (terminated appraisal). The remaining 16 decisions either recommended the use of the technology in line with its marketing authorisation or routine clinical practice (‘yes’ recommendation), or under specific circumstances (‘optimised’ recommendation).

Details of all NICE recommendations for cancer treatments between January 2011 and September 2013 and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio have been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Drugs

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the Cancer Drugs Fund on patients in (a) the Eastern Region and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [171445]

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Dr Poulter: Information on patients funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund is not collected by region.

Information on the number of patients who have had cancer drugs funded by East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for the period October 2010 to end March 2013 is shown in the following table.

Information on the number of patients in England who have had treatment funded to end March 2013 is shown in the following table.

NHS England took responsibility for the fund from April 2013 and is collecting data on the use of the fund from four regional teams. We are advised that between 1 April and end of June 2013, 1,253 patients in the Midlands and East area were funded.

Diabetes

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide guidance to GPs on tendering test strips to (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes. [171460]

Jane Ellison: Responsibility for diabetes sits with NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

Strips to test blood sugar levels are available for people with diabetes as part of routine national health service care. The clinical indications for the use of such strips are outlined in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, available to all clinicians working in the NHS.

NHS England is aware that for a minority of people with diabetes, access to test strips has been limited when in fact access is clinically indicated.

The National Clinical Director (NCD) for Diabetes, Professor Jonathan Valabhji, has liaised at NHS England with the Domain Directors for both Long Term Conditions

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and Patient Safety, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and the Pharmacy and Medicines Professional Leadership Group. Discussions have reflected the fact that this is more of a problem within some CCGs than others, and therefore the NCD has undertaken as a first step to look at the data on prescribing variance of test strips, to those with diabetes across England so that ultimately the specific CCGs where this is a problem can be approached.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will publish its response to the sustaining services, ensuring fairness consultation landed in July 2013. [171276]

Jane Ellison: The Department intends to publish its response to ‘Sustaining services, ensuring fairness: A consultation on migrant access and their financial contribution to NHS provision in England’ around the end of October.

Health Services: Greater London

Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the original cost estimates were for the proposals of the Trust Special Administrator for the reconfiguration of services in south east London; what his Department's current estimate is of the costs of reconfiguration to 2018; and from which budgets any difference between these two figures will be met. [171578]

Dr Poulter: The costs related to the dissolution of South London Healthcare NHS Trust and its acquisition by other national health service organisations is £466 million. The Trust Special Administrator's estimate of these costs set out in his final report of 7 January 2013 was £267 million, with the difference being £199 million.

The revenue costs will be funded from NHS England and clinical commissioning groups. The cash and capital costs will be funded by the Department.

Commissioning and reconfiguration of services in the south-east London health economy under the Trust Special Administrator's recommendation 5, relating to University Hospital Lewisham, is on hold due to the ongoing legal process. Until a final decision is reached, assumed resources and efficiencies remain consistent with the Trust Special Administrator's report.

Health Visitors

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will commission an investigation into local variations in the maximum number of cases to be handled by health visitors so as to ensure good practice; [171502]

(2) if he will commission a review of local guidelines on the appropriate caseload for health visitors to gain insight into which local authorities are overloaded. [171503]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not plan to commission an investigation into local variations in the maximum number of cases handled by health visitors, nor does it plan to review local guidelines on the appropriate caseload for health visitors.

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The Government's commitment to grow the health visitor work force by an additional 4,200 full-time equivalents by April 2015 will ensure the availability of more staff, thereby allowing local services further flexibility in how they respond to demand. Both the Department and NHS England closely monitor work force growth to ensure the numbers of health visitors are increasing in line with agreed trajectories.

As part of the public health work force, health visiting services should be locally deployed, so as to meet the needs of the local population. This means that the ratio of health visitors to the local population will depend on the locality, its health and social needs, its level of deprivation and other variables.

Current arrangements allow local service providing organisations to determine the number of cases handled in the context of the needs of families. This approach is best suited to facilitating safe and efficient services, because its inherent flexibility allows local organisations to allocate higher, caseloads to health visitors of families with relatively low levels of need, whilst allowing lower case load allocation to health visitors of families with more intensive (higher) levels of need.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a review of the criteria under which patients who have ankylosing spondylitis but no de-generation of the sacroiliac joint may receive anti-TNF treatment in England. [171462]

Dr Poulter: Adalimumab, etanercept; infliximab and golimumab are all tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitors.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance on the use of adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab in 2008 and on the use of golimumab in 2011 within their licensed indications for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

NICE recommends' adalimumab, etanercept and golimumab for patients meeting specified clinical criteria but does not recommend infliximab.

NICE is currently updating its existing guidance, which will be extended to include patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis where such use is permitted by the market authorisations, and currently expects to publish final updated guidance in 2015.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to answer Parliamentary Question 170833, tabled on 10 October 2013. [171394]

Dr Poulter: The hon. Member's question was answered on 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 766W. In line with the guidance set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work published by the Office of the Leader of the House in 2009, the question was answered within five sitting days.

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House of Commons Commission

Tobacco

Rehman Chishti: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much snuff was administered to hon. Members by the doorkeepers in the last 10 years; and at what cost. [171423]

John Thurso: A snuff box is located in the Principal Doorkeeper's chair. It is unusual for Members to request snuff, and there are no regular users of this facility. No records of usage or cost are maintained. Recent practice has been for this tradition to be maintained at the Principal Doorkeeper’s personal expense.

International Development

Burma

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department measures the effectiveness of UK Official Development Assistance for health in Burma. [171094]

Mr Duncan: All DFID projects are formally reviewed each year and on completion. Our funding for 3MDG, the main multi-donor trust fund for health in Burma, includes an independent evaluation of effectiveness UK development programmes are also independently scrutinised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI). ICAI recently gave DFID's health programmes in Burma an overall green (positive) rating.

Justice

Cinemas: Prosecutions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cinemas have been prosecuted for allowing underage customers to view BBFC classified films since July 2012. [170080]

Damian Green: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify separately prosecutions for selling PEGi rated video games from other prosecutions under the Video Recordings Act 1984. Also, within the Court Proceedings Database, all businesses, public bodies and any other non person defendants are recorded under a single group "Other defendants". It is therefore not possible to identify separately prosecutions brought against shops or cinemas.

Council Tax: Non-payment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) fined and (b) jailed for non-payment of council tax in each of the last five years. [169748]

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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. Liability orders granted are for the amount owed plus reasonable costs. If they are still not paid the local authority can apply for a warrant committing an individual to prison. People cannot be fined for non-payment of council tax. Magistrates courts have been using Libra, the centralised case management system since early 2009 so data are only available from 2009-10 and data for the four years 2009-10 to 2012-13 are presented in the following table:

The fall in volumes from 2011-12 to 2012-13 is consistent with the fall in overall civil proceedings in magistrates courts over the same period.

Notes:

1. The date is based on case completion date.

2. The report looks only at ‘Complaint for Council Tax Committal Application' and 'Complaint for Council Tax Liability’.

3. The Total Imprisoned includes Committal to prison, Detention until court rises, Imprisonment and Imprisonment in default.

4. After the warrant is issued the defendant can pay the warrant in full or part payment in lieu of custody.

Courts: Young People

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions the courts have lifted section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 to enable reporting on (a) criminal proceedings and (b) proceedings relating to antisocial behaviour orders in which children or young persons under the age of 18 years are concerned in the last year. [171040]

Mr Vara: Information is not held centrally on how many occasions the courts have lifted reporting restrictions in criminal proceedings or imposed reporting restrictions in respect of civil proceedings relating to antisocial behaviour orders.

In criminal proceedings involving children, courts can lift reporting restrictions in some circumstances where this would be in the interests of justice, it would help to catch a serious offender, or it is a serious crime. Striking a balance between the rights of the public and the rights of a young defendant is decided on a case-by-case basis by the judiciary.

In respect of civil proceedings where an anti-social behaviour order is contemplated, the courts may impose reporting restrictions. Making the public aware of the perpetrator and the terms of the order can be an important part of the process in tackling antisocial behaviour. But courts must balance this against the consideration of the impact on the young person and whether it is likely to affect a young person's behaviour, with each case decided on its own facts.

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Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were suspended from his Department and its associated public bodies on full pay in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what costs were incurred as a result of such suspensions. [160420]

Jeremy Wright: Information on the staff of the Ministry of Justice (including MOJ HQ, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, National Offender Management Service, Office of the Public Guardian and its associated public bodies) who were suspended on full pay in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 is set out in the following table. The information on the staff of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is recorded on a separate database from the remainder of the Ministry and is therefore shown separately.

A full set of data on suspensions for the MOJ (excluding NOMS) for 2010-11 is not centrally available.

This information is also not centrally available for the Ministry's executive non-departmental public bodies. To obtain this information would require each executive non-departmental public body to retrieve and collate the information and would incur disproportionate costs to obtain.

Employment: Arbitration

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unpaid employment tribunal awards and ACAS settlements were passed to High Court enforcement officers in the financial year 2012-13; and of these unpaid awards and settlements (a) how many were fully enforced, (b) how many were enforced with payments in instalments, (c) how many have been partially enforced, (d) how many are ongoing and (e) how many were unenforceable; and of the unpaid awards and settlements which were unenforceable for 2012-13, what the reasons were for non enforcement. [170928]

Mr Vara: Data on the enforcement of Employment Tribunal Fast Track awards for the first half of the 2012-13 financial year (April 2012 to September 2012) was provided to you in a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Mrs Grant), the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the courts and legal aid dated 8 May 2013. Unfortunately the exercise to collect data for the second six months of the financial year 2012-13 (October 2012 to March 2013) has taken longer than expected and is now planned to be available in December 2013. I will provide you with those data as soon as they are supplied.

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European Convention on Human Rights

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 688W, on European Convention on Human Rights, which solicitors companies represented each claimant against the UK since 1998 where damages, costs or compensation were awarded in favour of the applicant. [170967]

Mr Vara: The information provided in a table to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 688W on the European Convention of Human Rights, was downloaded directly from information that is publicly available on the website of the European Court of Human Rights:

http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/

Providing information on the solicitor representing each individual in each of the judgments shown in the table could be done only at disproportionate cost by inspecting each of the judgments individually and in some cases by also inspecting the application papers where the solicitor is not listed by name in the judgment.

Judiciary

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) for what reasons the Senior President of the Tribunals will no longer prepare an annual report on the performance of decision making in his Department; [170642]

(2) what representations he has received on removing the duty of the Senior President of Tribunals to report on the standards of decision-making by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [170643]

Mr Vara: The duty is to be repealed because of the high cost of producing the report and because of the development of alternative methods for providing feedback to the Department for Work and Pensions which make the report unnecessary. For example, the introduction of summary reasons for decisions in employment support allowance cases means judges explain why a decision has been overturned at appeal, and provides the Department for Work and Pensions with an effective feedback mechanism. I am not aware of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions having received representations on the removal of the duty.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made in implementing section 139 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. [170404]

Mr Vara: The Government are committed to implementing section 139 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which reforms the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The essential prerequisite for the commencement of the reforms is to put in place a system for producing basic disclosure certificates, which show unspent convictions, which reflects the new rehabilitation periods for England and Wales.

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Until we do that there would be no way for an individual to obtain an official statement of their unspent convictions under the new rules.

Currently, basic disclosures reflecting the existing rehabilitation periods are only available from Disclosure Scotland and this service is provided to residents of England and Wales as well as Scotland. However, the reforms to the 1974 Act only revise rehabilitation periods for England and Wales, leaving the position in Scotland unchanged under its legislation. This complicates matters and creates two different rehabilitation regimes within the UK, which means that there are significant business and technical issues to work through.

The Government are considering the best option for implementing these important changes with Disclosure Scotland and the Disclosure and Barring Service and aim to have the reforms in place at the earliest possible point.

Public Consultation: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consultations concerning the make-up of the Court Service Estate in North Wales have taken place in the last three years. [170932]

Mr Vara: In June 2010 Ministers announced a consultation on the future provision of courts services in England and Wales. The consultation included proposals on the future of courts in North Wales: Llangefni magistrates court, Denbigh magistrates court, Pwhelli magistrates court, Flint magistrates court, Rhyl county court and Llangefni county court.

The consultation ran for 12 weeks and closed in September 2010. The response to the consultation was published in December 2010. This set out that Llangefni magistrates court, Denbigh magistrates court, Pwhelli magistrates court, Flint magistrates court and Rhyl county court were to close under the 'Court Estate Reform Programme'. The decision was taken that Llangefni county court would remain open.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consultations concerning delivery of criminal justice in North Wales have taken place in the last three years. [170933]

Mr Vara: In March 2013 a consultation on the review of local justice areas in North Wales was published. This consultation was withdrawn and no proposed changes were implemented.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consultations concerning the delivery of civil justice in North Wales have taken place in the last three years. [170934]

Mr Vara: In January 2012 a consultation on the Modernisation of Face to Face Services in the Civil and Family Courts in Wales was published. The consultation included proposals on implementing permanent alterations to the opening times of counter services in the county courts in Wales. In North Wales this included the county courts at Caernarfon, Llangefni, Mold, Rhyl, Wrexham and Welshpool.

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The response to the consultation was published in July 2012. This set out that county court counters (as well as family proceedings counters where they are co- located within county courts) will be open to the public between 10 am and 2 pm on every day that the courthouse is open. Following this and other consultations, pilots were run, throughout England and Wales, with revised arrangement for the provision of face-to-face services. These pilots were made permanent from 1 October 2013.

A consultation on proposed changes to public counter opening times at Llangefni county court was published in January 2013. The response to this consultation was published in April 2013 and set out that the public counter would open from 10 am to 2 pm to coincide with the district judge's sitting days and for the remainder of the week services will be delivered from Caernarfon county court. This change was implemented in June 2013.