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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 23 October 2013
Work and Pensions
Child Maintenance
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much is currently owed in arrears in cases managed by the Child Support Agency; [171944]
(2) what steps he is taking to reduce the amount owed in arrears in cases managed by the Child Support Agency. [171945]
Steve Webb: Child maintenance arrears accumulated since 1993 currently stand at £3.867 billion (as at June 2013). This information is routinely published in the Child Support Agency quarterly summary of statistics which can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/232316/csa-qtr-summ-stats-jun13.pdf
In January 2013, we published the ‘Child Maintenance —Arrears and Compliance Strategy 2012-17’. The strategy includes several proposed collection initiatives, both planned and under way, to tackle the historical arrears and ensure the overall balance either remains stable or decreases over time.
Our priority is to do all we can today to keep money flowing to children who will benefit from regular ongoing child maintenance now.
The arrears and compliance strategy 2012-17 can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214338/cm-arrears-and-compliance-strategy-2012-2017.pdf
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many cases are being managed by the Child Support Agency; and how many such cases have payments which are in arrears; [171946]
(2) in what proportion of the Child Support Agency cases that are in arrears (a) the arrears are being actively repaid, (b) the arrears have been temporarily suspended and (c) payments have never been received. [171947]
Steve Webb: In the quarter to June 2013, the total number of live and assessed cases managed by the Child Support Agency was 1,117,400. Of these:
799,000 have outstanding child maintenance arrears, 15% of which are actively being repaid; and
49% of cases with outstanding maintenance arrears include arrears that have been suspended.
Information on the number of cases in arrears where payments have never been received is not available as it is not routinely recorded for management information purposes. To provide this information would require the
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creation of new information which cannot be completed and appropriately assured without exceeding the appropriate cost limit.
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications the Child Support Agency has made to court for (a) liability orders, (b) deduction orders, (c) deduction of earnings orders, (d) third-party debt orders and (e) charging orders in each of the last five years. [171948]
Steve Webb: The following table sets out the number of enforcement actions taken in each of the last five years. Of the five types of enforcement action included within the table, only three require an application to be made to the court. These are: liability orders; third party debt orders; and charging orders.
| Applications | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 | April 2011 to March 2012 | April 2012 to March 2013 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five cases. 2. '—' represents a figure of less than five. | |||||
In April 2010 the focus switched from third party debt orders to deduction orders as the means to recover arrears of child maintenance from bank accounts. This switch was made following the introduction of deduction orders in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008, which enabled the recovery of arrears from a bank account without first applying for a third party debt order through the county courts.
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what proportion of Child Support Agency cases that are in arrears the agency has sought an enforcement order. [171950]
Steve Webb: The information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Employment and Support Allowance
Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2013, Official Report, column 829-30W, on employment and support allowance, what categories of prognosis have been adopted by his Department; when these categories were adopted; what guidance has been issued on determining the circumstances in which a health condition falls into a particular category; and what the evidential basis is for the selection of each category. [171291]
Mike Penning: The categories of prognosis that a health care professional can advise as part of the work capability assessment, which have been in place since the introduction of employment and support allowance (ESA) in 2008, are:
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I advise that work could be considered within:
three months
six months
12 months
18 months
I advise that work is unlikely:
Within two years
In the longer-term
Decision makers use the health care professional's advice on prognosis to determine when the claimant should be reassessed. Guidance on prognosis is contained in the WCA handbook for health care professionals. This is on page131 here:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-handbook.pdf
The health care professional bases their prognosis advice on their assessment of the claimant, their knowledge of the natural progression of the identified medical conditions, and the time they feel a claimant may need to adapt to their condition.
In compiling the response to this question it has come to my attention that the answer to your previous question, 12 September 2013, Official Report, column 829-30W, may be unclear. As the above information shows, there is a prognosis advising that work is unlikely in the longer-term but, as the previous answer stated, there is no such prognosis as being unable to return to work in the longer-term. The figures quoted in the previous answer for "claimants with prognosis of two years or more" do however relate to the "I advise that work is unlikely in the longer term" category. I would like to apologise for any confusion this may have caused.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward a legislative and regulatory reform order to remove the burden whereby people whose employment and support allowance comes to an end are required to formally claim jobseeker's allowance (JSA) enabling the automatic provision of JSA to appropriate cases. [171970]
Esther McVey: People who are entitled to employment and support allowance (ESA) are not automatically entitled to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) as the conditions of entitlement are different.
Where claimants are no longer entitled to ESA they are provided with full details of how to make a new claim for JSA if they so choose.
As part of making a claim for JSA, claimants are expected to attend a work focused interview in order to show that they can satisfy the labour market requirements.
Housing Benefit
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of housing benefit were (a) unemployed and (b) employed in each region of the UK in each of the last three years. [171806]
Steve Webb: The economic status of all housing benefit (HB) recipients is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The information requested is only available for HB recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive either income support, jobseeker’s
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allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income-based), or pension credit (guaranteed credit).
This information can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm
Jobseeker's Allowance
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward legislative proposals to allow claimants to study further education courses which are designated as full-time whilst still actively seeking employment. [171754]
Esther McVey: All claimants can attend up to two weeks of full-time further education or training in any 12-month period, with the agreement of their jobcentre adviser. In addition, claimants who have been on jobseeker's allowance for six months or more can undertake full- time further education or training for a maximum of eight weeks where skills needs are a barrier to getting into work. There are currently no plans to extend the length of training longer than eight weeks.
Minimum Wage
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) prosecutions and (b) cautions for not paying the minimum wage there were in each UK constituency by region ranked in descending order in each of the last three years. [171530]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
The Government take the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC reviews every complaint that is referred to it, investigating the complaint and, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where we identify a high risk of non-payment of NMW.
There have been two successful criminal prosecutions pursued in the last four years, both under this Government.
HMRC does not keep statistics at constituency level, but the location of the employers is included in the following table.
| Number of prosecutions | Employer location | |
The value of penalties charged for the four years is as follows:
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| Penalties charged | ||
| Financial year | Number | Value (£) |
The value of penalties charged has increased by 41% between 2009-10 and 2012-13.
New Businesses: Unemployed People
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to assist long-term unemployed people with starting their own business. [171847]
Esther McVey: The new enterprise allowance helps unemployed people who want to start their own business. It provides access to business mentoring and financial support. The financial support consists of a weekly allowance payable over 26 weeks worth up to £1,274. If participants need start-up capital they may also apply for an unsecured loan through the BIS start-up loan scheme.
Other self-employment support is available through the Work programme. Once a claimant starts the Work programme, the provider has the flexibility and freedom to consider the most appropriate route to help the individual return to work, including self-employment advice and support.
Part-time Employment
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what comparative assessment he has made of the number of workers working part-time because they cannot find a full-time job in (a) Wales and (b) each region and nation of the UK. [172135]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013:
In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of part-time workers working part-time because they cannot find a full-time job in (a) Wales and (b) each region and nation of the UK. (172135)
Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Table 1 shows estimates of the number of people who have stated that they are working part-time because they could not find a full-time job in each region and country of the UK. However, this does not necessarily show that they actively sought full-time work during the period in question. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period July 2012 to June 2013, the latest period available.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
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| Table 1: Number of part-time workers working part-time because they could not find a full-time job in each region and country of the UK—12 months ending June 2013 | |
| Thousand | |
| Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey | |
Poverty
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people in work were living in poverty in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 30 years. [171805]
Esther McVey: Data are not available on the number or percentage of individuals in work and in relative low income at constituency level. These data are not collected at constituency level as the sample size would not be sufficient to produce robust estimates.
| Number of individuals in households where at least one person is in work, and that are in relative low-income, both Before Housing Costs (BHC) and After Housing Costs (AHC), UK, 1994-95 to 2011-12 | ||||
| Number BHC (million) | Number AHC (million) | Percentage BHC | Percentage AHC | |
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The table above gives the number of individuals living in households where at least one person is in work, and that are in relative low income; and the percentage of individuals living in households where at least one person is in work that are in relative low-income; both before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC), in the UK, between 1994-95 and 2011-12.
Notes:
1. The figures above are from Households Below Average Income (HBAI), which is sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The latest publication of HBAI can be found using the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206778/full_hbai13.pdf
2. Someone is considered to be in relative low-income if they live in a household whose income is below 60% of median income for all households. Median income is the income of the household in the middle of the income distribution. Household income is equivalised, which means that income is adjusted for the size and composition of the household; and household income is also deflated, which means that income is adjusted for changes in inflation.
3. In Household Below Average Income, a household is defined as a single person or group of people living at the same address as their only or main residence, who either share one meal together or share the living accommodation. This differs from a benefit unit (family), which is defined as a single adult or a married or cohabiting couple, plus any dependent children. From January 2006 same-sex partners (civil partners and cohabitees) are also included in the same benefit unit. A household will consist of one or more benefit units.
4. BHC refers to income before housing costs have been deducted; while AHC refers to income after housing costs have been deducted. Housing costs include; rent (gross of housing benefit); water rates, community water charges and council water charges; mortgage interest payments; structural insurance premiums (for owner occupiers); ground rent and service charges.
5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1% and to the nearest 100,000 people. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty; and are subject to sampling error. Figures may not sum due to rounding error.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the change has been in the number and proportion of people who lived in poverty from (a) 1997 to 2010 and (b) 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement. [171811]
Esther McVey: The information is as follows.
| Number and percentage of individuals in relative low-income both Before Housing Costs (BHC) and After Housing Costs (AHC), 1997-98, 2010-11, and 2011-12 | ||||
| Number BHC (million) | Number AHC (million) | Percentage BHC | Percentage AHC | |
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The table above gives the number and percentage of individuals in relative low-income in the UK, in 1997-98, 2010-11, and 2011-12, which is the latest year for which data are available. Figures are presented on a before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC) basis.
Between 1997-98 and 2010-11 the number of individuals in relative low-income fell by 1.1 million BHC and by 0.6 million AHC, while the percentage of individuals in relative low-income fell by three percentage points BHC and by three percentage points AHC. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 people and the nearest 1% and may not sum due to rounding.
There was no change in the number or percentage of individuals in relative low income between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Notes:
1. The Figures above are from Households Below Average Income (HBAI), which is sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The number of individuals in relative low-income, both BHC and AHC, can be found on page 60 of the latest HBAI publication; while the percentage of individuals in relative low-income can be found on page 58 of the latest publication of HBAI. The latest publication of HBAI can be found using the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206778/full_hbai13.pdf
2. Someone is considered to be in relative low-income if they live in a household whose income is below 60% of median income for all households. Median income is the income of the household in the middle of the income distribution. Household income is equivalised, which means that income is adjusted for the size and composition of the household; and household income is also deflated, which means that income is adjusted for changes in inflation.
3. In Household Below Average income, a household is defined as a single person or group of people living at the same address as their only or main residence, who either share one meal together or share the living accommodation. This differs from a benefit unit (family), which is defined as a single adult or a married or cohabiting couple, plus any dependent children. From January 2006 same-sex partners (civil partners and cohabitees) are also included in the same benefit unit. A household will consist of one or more benefit units.
4. BHC refers to income before housing costs have been deducted; while AHC refers to income after housing costs have been deducted. Housing costs include; rent (gross of housing benefit); water rates, community water charges and council water charges; mortgage interest payments; structural insurance premiums (for owner occupiers); ground rent and service charges.
5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1% and to the nearest 100,000 people. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty; and are subject to sampling error. Figures may not sum due to rounding error.
Social Security Benefits
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will publish the annual cost of all benefits paid to people classed as (a) unemployed, (b) pensioners and (c) in work in the last five years; [171732]
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(2) what proportion of the welfare budget was spent on (a) the unemployed, (b) pensioners and (c) those in work in each of the last five years. [171737]
Mike Penning: The information requested is in the following tables. The figures represent only spending by the Department for Work Pensions. Tax credit and child benefit payments are a matter for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and are not included in these figures. Figures cover Great Britain only—expenditure in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
| £ million (cash) | ||||
| (a) Unemployed | (b) Pensioners | (c) Working | Total benefit spending | |
| £ million (real terms 2013-14 prices) | ||||
| (a) Unemployed | (b) Pensioners | (c) Working | Total benefit spending | |
| Proportion of total benefit expenditure (%) | ||||
| (a) Unemployed | (b) Pensioners | (c) Working | (a) to (c) as % of total benefit spending | |
| Notes: 1. Expenditure for the unemployed, pensioners and people who are working do not make up all benefit spending and therefore do not sum to total benefit spending shown. 2.Spending on those who are working is derived from a combination of DWP expenditure and the Family Resources Survey information, with estimates of those working based on benefit units containing people who are working for one hour or more per week and therefore will include spending on people who are unemployed or pensioners covered in the previous columns. 3. The figures from the Family Resources Survey are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the Family Resources Survey to former Government Office Region population by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error. Sources: (a) and (b): DWP benefit expenditure tables, Budget 2013 and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure -tables Unemployed expenditure is based on spending for jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit for jobseekers, and council tax benefit for jobseekers. Pensioner spending is as shown in Tables 2a and 2b at the same location. | ||||
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Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department has given to local job centres on sanctioning claimants where the only work offered is on a zero-hours contract. [172035]
Esther McVey: Written guidance to jobcentres on the subject of zero-hours contracts and sanctions states
'Claimants cannot be mandated to apply for vacancies which include a zero hours contract'.
Therefore, if a claimant refuses or fails to apply for or accept a notified zero-hours contract job, a decision by the labour market decision maker is not required.
Telephone Services
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what geographic telephone number his Department advertises for use by the general public. [171896]
Esther McVey: The Department provides the following geographic telephone numbers to ensure that eligible claimants living outside the UK have access to the respective services.
| Service | Telephone number |
In addition to the above, Debt Management also operates a geographic telephone number for the compensation recovery unit for calls regarding benefit recovery. This number is 0191 225 2383.
The Department uses a combination of 0800 and 0845 telephone numbers for benefits which can only be claimed by and paid to claimants living in the United Kingdom.
DWP will be introducing 0345 telephone numbers to run alongside current 0845 telephone numbers. This will allow callers to make a choice based on the arrangement with their telephony provider. A timetable is currently being developed for this enhancement to DWP services.
Telephone Services: Wales
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many customer access phones there were in each of his Department's centres in each parliamentary constituency in Wales in each of the last 10 years; and what the projected number of such machines is in each of the next three years. [171767]
Esther McVey: The following tables show the numbers of phones originally installed in 2000 and the numbers of phones currently in use. Next year we will replace customer access phones with an assisted service so claimants making inquiries will receive help directly from a jobcentre member of staff. Telephony will be made available if it is required.
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| Warm phones | Originally installed | Currently in use |
| Warm phones | Originally installed | Currently in use |
| Warm phones | Originally installed | Currently in use |
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| 1 Office closed. | ||
| Warm phones | Originally installed | Currently in use |
Vacancies
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons was in each parliamentary constituency in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available. [171766]
Esther McVey: Administrative data on the number of vacancies held locally by Jobcentre Plus were published until the end of last year and can be accessed at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?mode=construct&version=0&dataset=89
and selecting the relevant geography and time period.
Universal Jobmatch has replaced the previous Jobcentre Plus system of taking vacancies. Information on vacancies reported through the new service is not currently available for parliamentary constituencies.
Vacancies: Chelmsford
Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies were registered with Jobcentre Plus in the (a) Chelmsford parliamentary constituency and (b) Chelmsford local authority area in each of the last 12 months. [172032]
Esther McVey: Administrative data on the number of vacancies held locally by Jobcentre Plus were published until the end of last year and can be accessed at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?mode=construct&version=0&dataset=89
and selecting the 'notified' vacancies variable and the relevant geography and time period.
Universal Jobmatch has replaced the previous Jobcentre Plus system of taking vacancies. Information on vacancies reported through the new service is not currently available for parliamentary constituencies. Some information,
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including notified vacancies at local authority level, is available from the Universal Jobmatch management information tool:
https://jobsearch.direct.gov.uk/Reports/Reports.aspx
and selecting number of new jobs and the relevant geography and time period. DWP is working with the Universal Jobmatch supplier on a timetable for prioritising and implementing improvements to the available management information, including breakdowns by parliamentary constituency, subject to funding.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Weather
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent discussions he has had with (a) representatives of the farming industry, (b) environmental groups, (c) banking groups, (d) insurance groups and (e) local authorities regarding contingency funding for extreme weather effects affecting farmers; [171954]
(2) what proposals insurers have presented to him to off-set the effects of severe weather events on farmers; [171956]
(3) what reports he has received from the insurance industry of difficulties in developing an economic model that would provide sufficient contingency funding for farmers in the event of severe weather; [171957]
(4) under what circumstances he would use state-funding for a contingency scheme in cases where severe weather has affected UK farmers. [171958]
George Eustice: Since May, DEFRA has worked closely with experts from the farming industry, farming charities, levy bodies, insurers and banks to assess the financial impact of the exceptional spring weather on farmers. A new 10-point plan of action has been agreed to help farmers to prepare for risks to their businesses, including work to explore the potential for insurance schemes and other emergency funding mechanisms. Farming resilience working groups have been held over the summer to refine and start to implement the plan; for instance, by developing new advice and information to help farmers prepare for severe weather. A further summit will be held in December.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether (a) low-interest loans, (b) bail-out grants or (c) any other form of funding has been provided for severe weather schemes set up by his Department. [171955]
George Eustice: In response to the truly exceptional late snow in parts of England in spring this year, which had a serious impact on isolated and financially vulnerable farmers at the height of the lambing season, DEFRA made up to £250,000 available to help with the costs of collecting fallen stock. Applications closed at the end of June and all payments have now been made under this scheme.
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Animal Welfare: Circuses
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on developing and implementing the circus licensing scheme under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012. [171648]
George Eustice: These figures are not available. The animal welfare team works on a number of different animal welfare issues, including those relating to circuses. The costs of administering licences and carrying out inspections are borne by licence applicants or licence holders.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish details of (a) all licensing inspections carried out on travelling circuses, (b) the licences granted and the conditions applied, (c) all licensed travelling circuses using wild animals and (d) details of all licensed wild animals within such circuses; and if he will make a statement. [171813]
George Eustice: Information about circus licence applications and inspections can be found on the gov.uk website, for example at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-forms-and-inspection-reports-circus-animal-licensing-2013
Food
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department is aware of Government or local authority sources of emergency food that can be accessed without food vouchers. [172142]
George Eustice: We are not aware of all emergency food aid provision in the UK, although we are aware that there are a range of emergency food aid providers operating under a range of models, some of which can be accessed without vouchers. The provision of food aid ranges from small, local provision through to regional and national schemes. Food aid is mostly a community-led provision responding to local needs.
In April 2013, funding for crisis loans and community care grants (previously part of the social fund) was transferred to local authorities, to enable them to extend their services in a way that best meets local needs. As such, local authorities may choose to fund food banks or other food aid providers if they consider that this would benefit their local community.
Mobile Phones
Mr Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many smartphone apps his Department has launched. [171593]
Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA has not launched any smartphone apps since September 2011. Records are not available prior to that date.
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Pets: Tagging
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives his Department makes available to encourage pet owners to microchip their animals. [171846]
George Eustice: The Government announced in February that from April 2016 it will be a requirement for all dogs in England to be microchipped. Dogs Trust announced that it has set aside £6 million to encourage free microchipping through participating vets and local authorities. A number of animal welfare organisations also offer free microchipping at their centres, including Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Blue Cross and Dogs Trust. In addition, the Kennel Club has offered to supply free microchip scanners to local authorities.
It is also a requirement of the EU pet travel scheme for pets to be microchipped to be able to travel in the EU. In the case of horses, all newly identified horses are required to be identified (including being microchipped) in accordance with the Horse Passports Regulations 2009.
Rural Areas
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for transitional arrangements for agri-environment scheme payments before the commencement of the new environmental land management scheme on 1 January 2016. [171463]
George Eustice: Between the closure of the rural development programme for England at the end of 2013, and the planned start of new environmental land management scheme agreements on 1 January 2016, all those with agri-environment agreements which continue beyond 2013 will continue to receive the payments due under their agreements.
The timetable as currently planned is as follows:
Subject to agreement of the appropriate EU legal texts, there would be a targeted offer of new higher level stewardship, organic entry level stewardship and uplands entry level stewardship agreements, as announced by DEFRA on 5 July.
The new environmental land management scheme should be open for applications from July 2015, for agreements to start on 1 January 2016.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agri-environment agreements will end prior to the introduction of the new environmental land management scheme on 1 January 2016; and what estimate he has made of the savings that will accrue to his Department as a result of reduced payments during that period. [171464]
George Eustice: In 2014, around 2,000 entry level stewardship and organic entry level stewardship agreements are due to expire. In addition, around 2,800 countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive area agreements are due to come to an end.
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As part of the targeted 'transition' offer, as announced on 5 July, we have estimated that up to £26 million needs to be made available in 2014 for new higher level stewardship agreements. This will cover expiring countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive area agreements, Sites of special scientific interest and other high priority cases. It will also meet Water Framework Directive objectives, including those related to Natura 2000 sites.
We have also estimated that up to £4 million needs to be made available for new entry level stewardship agreements for land coming out of expiring countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive area agreements which would not qualify for higher level stewardship, and for new or renewed organic entry level stewardship agreements.
No uplands entry level stewardship or higher level stewardship agreements are due to expire in 2014. The total annual value of expiring entry level stewardship agreements in 2014 is £3.27 million.
In 2015, 11,328 entry level stewardship agreements are due to expire, with 97% expiring between July and December. The total annual value of these expiring agreements is £37.17 million. Subject to any new eligibility requirements, on current plans, farmers with expiring agreements would be able to apply for the new environmental land management scheme from July 2015, for an agreement starting on 1 January 2016.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of how many farmers will lose agri-environment payments prior to the introduction of the new environmental land management scheme on 1 January 2016. [171465]
George Eustice: 13,006 entry level stewardship and uplands entry level stewardship agreements are due to expire in 2014 and 2015. organic entry level stewardship agreements which expire in 2014 would be eligible for new agreements, as part of the targeted 'transition' offer as announced on 5 July, and are not therefore included in this total. On current plans, farmers would be able to apply for the new environmental land management scheme from July 2015 onwards.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will provide a breakdown by (a) size of farm, (b) type of farm, (c) land tenure and (d) geographical location of farms which will lose agri-environment payments during the transitional arrangements before the new environmental land management scheme commences on 1 January 2016. [171466]
George Eustice: 13,006 entry level stewardship, organic entry level stewardship and uplands entry level stewardship agreements are due to expire in 2014 and 2015. The location of these agreements by region is as follows:
| Region | Number of agreements expiring 2014 | Number of agreements expiring 2015 | Total number of agreements expiring 2014-15 |
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Information about size of farm, type of farm, and land tenure of farms is not available.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of (a) the average loss in agri-environment payments and (b) the range of reduced losses for all farms affected by the transitional arrangements before the new environmental land management scheme commences on 1 January 2016. [171467]
George Eustice: We have made no such estimates. Payments to farmers with entry level stewardship, upland entry level stewardship and organic entry level stewardship agreements will continue to be made throughout 2014 and 2015 until these agreements expire.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Young People
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued to people under 18 years of age in (a) England and (b) each London borough in each of the last five years. [171793]
Norman Baker [holding answer 21 October 2013]: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued to under 18s at all courts in England and in Greater London in each year from 2007 to 2011 (the latest year for which data is currently available) can be viewed in the following table. ASBO data is not compiled at borough level. ASBO data for 2012 is planned for publication on 31 October.
| Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued to individuals aged 10-171 at all courts2 in England as reported to the Ministry of Justice3 by the Court Service, 200-11 | |||||
| Area | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
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| 1 Where the age of the person was reported. 2 Includes ASBOs issued on application by magistrates courts acting in their civil capacity and county courts, which became available on 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence at the Crown court and at magistrates courts (acting in their criminal capacity), which became available on 2 December 2002. 3 Prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007, numbers of ASBOs issued were reported to Home Office by the Court Service. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. |
Corruption
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department plans to implement the new reporting mechanism for corruption cited in its serious and organised crime strategy. [171582]
Norman Baker [holding answer 18 October 2013]:As the serious and organised crime strategy sets out, the Government believe there are benefits in creating a new reporting mechanism for bribery and corruption and we are currently examining the best way to do deliver this.
Domestic Violence
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to raise awareness of domestic abuse in the UK. [172018]
Norman Baker [holding answer 22 October 2013]: The Government's 'Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan' sets out our steps to tackle all forms of violence against women, including specific actions to raise public awareness and reduce acceptance of violence against women and girls.
We continue to run media campaigns to raise awareness of what domestic violence and abuse is, and to reinforce the fact that abuse in relationships is never acceptable. We have also extended the definition of domestic violence and abuse to cover 16 and 17-years-olds, and to include coercive control.
The Government continue to work with commissioners including local authorities, Police and Crime Commissioners and commissioners of health services to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, and to support them in providing effective support to victims.
Knives: Amnesties
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knife amnesties have taken place in each of the last five years; and where each such amnesty took place. [170983]
Norman Baker: The Home Office does not hold information about local amnesties centrally. This information is held by individual police forces. The last national knife amnesty was held in England and Wales between 24 May and 30 June 2006; in Scotland from 25 May 2006 for one month; and in Northern Ireland from 25 May 2006 for three weeks.
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Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of knife amnesty programmes in reducing knife crime. [170984]
Norman Baker: The Home Office has not undertaken a recent assessment of the effectiveness of knife amnesties in reducing knife crime.
Knives: Crime
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet young people and others who took part in a BBC WM's debate on knife crime in October 2013 to discuss their People's Knife Crime Manifesto. [170935]
Norman Baker: Both the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and I welcome opportunities to meet young people and other partners about tackling serious violence, including knife-crime. All such invitations are considered.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to improve the quality of anti-knife-crime education in schools. [170979]
Norman Baker: I support schools and colleges which take an active role in preventing violent behaviour, including more serious violence such as young people carrying knives. While it is up to schools to decide how best to support their pupils, the Home Office issued practical advice to schools and colleges in August on addressing youth violence and gangs. The document is available at: www.gov.uk website.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the provision of anti-knife-crime education in schools. [170982]
Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on the provision of anti-knife crime education in schools.
The Home Secretary chairs an inter-ministerial group on youth violence which has been attended by Ministers from both the Home Office and the Department for Education where key issues, including knife crime, are discussed as part of the Government's Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with (a) individuals and (b) organisations regarding action to tackle knife crime. [170985]
Norman Baker: The Home Office works with a wide range of individuals and organisations, including local police, community safety partnerships, community and voluntary sector organisations, and trading standard agencies, to tackle knife crime.
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As part of the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme a Home Office team works with a network of around 70 people who have front-line experience of dealing with gangs and youth violence to offer practical advice and support to 33 priority local areas on a broad range of issues, including knife crime. This network includes youth workers, education and health professionals, probation and youth offending officers, community activists, social workers and police officers.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Cabinet Office regarding the role of youth services in combating knife crime. [170986]
Norman Baker: Youth services play a key role in the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme, which includes work to combat knife crime. The programme is cross-Government, is delivered through local partners and looks to change the lives of young people who may become, or are involved in, youth violence. The Cabinet Office has recently taken over youth policy and the work of the Home Office was included within their progress report on 'Positive for Youth'.
The Cabinet Office will also be invited to the next inter-ministerial group on gangs and youth violence which the Home Secretary chairs and which I attend.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessments she has made of the relationship between local authority youth services and the incidence of knife crime. [900564]
Norman Baker [holding answer 21 October 2013]:No formal assessment has been made of the relationship between local authority youth services and the incidence of knife crime.
Metal Theft
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce metal theft from churches. [171317]
Norman Baker: The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 commenced on 1 October 2013. This new legislation will help tighten the net around rogue dealers who flout the rules and wilfully purchase stolen metal. This is through a properly funded licensing scheme that supports legitimate businesses. In addition, banning the use of cash to purchase scrap metal, which came into effect on 3 December 2012, and funding for a national metal theft taskforce, have helped to reduce the market for stolen metal, making it much less profitable for thieves to steal metal from churches, war memorials, rail and energy networks.
Northern Ireland
Parades Commission
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by the Parades Commission on consultations in each year since its formation. [171672]
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Mrs Villiers: The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland is an executive non-departmental public body, which operates independently of Government. In line with current Cabinet Office guidance, the Commission may carry out and pay for consultations up to and including £15,000 without seeking approval from the Northern Ireland Office. For details of expenditure fully within that limit the right hon. Gentleman should write directly to the Commission. My Department has not received any requests for approval of expenditure on consultations above this limit.
Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings Ministers in her Department have had with the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland since September 2012. [171734]
Mrs Villiers: No meetings have taken place between Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office and the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland since September 2012.
Treasury
Children: Day Care
Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the annual cost to the Exchequer of the tax and national insurance exemption for employer-provided childcare vouchers; [172129]
(2) if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief for workplace nurseries in each year that such relief has been available. [172130]
Nicky Morgan: Estimates of the tax and national insurance values of ‘Employer-Supported Childcare including workplace nurseries’ are published in HM Revenue and Customs table 1.5 ‘Estimated costs of the principal tax expenditure and structural reliefs’ at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/expenditures/table1-5.pdf
Counterfeit Manufacturing: Northern Ireland
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount of revenue lost to the Exchequer as a result of illegal trading in (a) cigarettes, (b) spirits, (c) diesel, (d) petrol and (e) other counterfeit goods in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years. [171919]
Nicky Morgan: The associated revenue losses with the illicit market in petrol in Northern Ireland were negligible in 2010-11 and 2011 -12.
The illicit market for diesel was estimated to be 12% to 13% of the total market in Northern Ireland in 2011-12. This is a tentative estimate that was published in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2013’:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps/mtg-annex2013.pdf
Estimates for previous years are not available as it is not possible to split out the cross border shopping element of the total non-UK duty paid figure for diesel.
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Estimates of revenue lost due to illegal trading in cigarettes, spirits and other counterfeit goods in Northern Ireland are not available.
Estimates of the total illicit market for cigarettes, spirits and other goods subject to excise duty are available at UK level for 2011-12. These are published in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2013’.
Additionally, estimates of the illicit market in 2012-13 for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco in the UK are available in a supplementary publication.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps/ttg-2013.pdf
Infrastructure
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications there have been to the UK guarantees scheme to date; and which applications were (a) accepted and (b) not accepted. [171786]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 21 October 2013]: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I have issued today.
Solar Power
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the cost of solar farms financed under the Enterprise Investment Scheme; [171655]
(2) how many applications he has received for the financing of solar farms under the Enterprise Investment Scheme to date. [171664]
Mr Gauke: The information held on HMRC's systems does not distinguish solar farms separately and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Tax Allowances: Landlords
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will enable landlords to roll over tax relief from one tax year to another; and if he will make a statement. [170689]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 14 October 2013]: Landlords who receive property income are liable for income tax and likewise a company receiving income from property is liable for corporation tax. In both cases allowable deductions and reliefs apply.
Landlords operating a property business in some circumstances are able to carry forward property losses and offset them against profits in subsequent tax years. There are currently no plans to enable other tax reliefs to be rolled over.
As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government do keep tax reliefs for private and business landlords under review, and any decisions on changes will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.
Tax Allowances: Married People
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what comparative estimate he has made of the potential effect of a marriage tax allowance on people in each socio-economic grouping. [171773]
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Mr Gauke: The transferable tax allowance for married couples will be of most benefit to households on lower incomes.
In line with the usual process, the Government will publish further information at autumn statement.
VAT: Tourism
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce VAT for the tourism and hospitality sector. [171608]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis) on 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 140W.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices: Bedford
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Bedford have participated in the AGE 16 to 24 scheme; and how many and what proportion of such businesses were small and medium-sized enterprises. [171940]
Matthew Hancock: Provisional data show that between 1 February 2012 and 31 July 2013, 30 employer workplaces in Bedford parliamentary constituency received payment to take on an apprentice through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE 16-24)1. A breakdown of businesses by business size is not available.
1 Figure rounded to the nearest 10.
Business: North West
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support small businesses in (a) the north-west and (b) Rossendale and Darwen constituency. [171350]
Matthew Hancock: Small businesses are vital to the economy and this Government are supporting them in many ways.
Of course, economic stability, lower taxes, deregulation, and a culture of enterprise are vital to business growth.
www.gov.uk is the home for Government services and information online. One of the tools available is the ‘Finance Finder’, a searchable database of publicly-backed sources of finance. The tool will help to explore the full range of options available, from Government grants to investment types of finance available from business angels and venture capitalists.
The BIS guide ‘SME access to finance schemes: measures to support small and medium-sized enterprise growth’ is available on the same website by searching for the title and provides details on the main forms of public support available to businesses. The website
www.greatbusiness.gov.uk
also provides support and advice for businesses to grow as well as for entrepreneurs starting out.
In addition to online support, the Business Link Helpline is available to provide a quick response on queries about starting a business, or a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs.
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Start-up loans are now available to anyone over the age of 18 starting a business (or in the early stages of doing so) but lacking access to the necessary finance or support to realise their ambitions. Further information can be found at:
http://www.startuploans.co.uk
For businesses ready to go further there is ‘GrowthAccelerator’—a £200 million programme for up to 26,000 high growth potential SMEs, providing them with expertise and networks to achieve sustainable growth.
Business: Qualifications
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department provides to businesses to allow them to deliver City and Guilds qualifications to their staff directly. [171848]
Matthew Hancock: If a business wishes to deliver an awarding organisation's qualifications to its staff, it will need to meet any requirements set by the relevant awarding organisation. Awarding organisations and the qualifications which they develop are regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), the independent regulator. Some employers also have a direct funding relationship with the Skills Funding Agency.
We want to support more businesses to support training, and my Department has invited the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and one of its employer commissioners to undertake a review of adult vocational qualifications. The outcome of that review is expected to be reported shortly.
Business: Training
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what incentives his Department provides to encourage businesses to increase staff skills. [171850]
Matthew Hancock: Apprenticeship training for 16 to 18-year-olds is fully funded by the Government as an incentive to employers to take on younger people. This reflects their inexperience in the workplace. For apprentices aged 19 to 24, the Government pay 50% of the training up to Level 3. In addition, the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers supports smaller employers by providing £1,500 per new apprentice aged 16-24. Employers can claim support for up to 10 apprentices.
Our apprenticeship reform implementation plan, due to be published shortly, sets out our aim to put employers in the driving seat and to lead the way in developing and implementing new apprenticeships in their sector. We want to make it as simple and rewarding as possible for employers to take on an apprentice to improve their productivity and the quality of their product and service.
The Employer Ownership of Skills pilot has offered employers in England the opportunity to secure public investment to design and deliver their own training solutions and was substantially oversubscribed. Further funding opportunities are being developed that build on the success of the pilot programme and will include incentives to deliver the skills needs that cannot be addressed by mainstream funding.
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Lip-reading: Education
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of lip-reading classes for adults in the UK. [171607]
Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills supports lip-reading provision in England through the Adult Skills Budget (ASB). Colleges and providers have the freedoms and flexibilities to use the ASB as best fits the needs of their local learners and businesses, including lip-reading qualifications where there is a local need for these.
Skills provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and lip-reading classes and the adequacy of provision is the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.
Literacy
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of functionally illiterate adults in the UK. [171851]
Matthew Hancock: We have taken action to ensure that the qualifications we support are those which rigorously test knowledge and skills and are recognised by employers. Since August 2012 we have provided full funding to enable adults to take a GCSE in English. We have also removed the adult basic skills certificates and replaced them with more rigorous functional skills qualifications which test the application of skills in real-life situations as well as basic skills and understanding.
To ensure that young people are developing their English, we are embedding English within our major skills interventions. Our traineeships programme for young people, announced in June 2013, puts English (and maths) at its core, alongside work preparation and work experience. We have increased the expectations for English within apprenticeships. From 2014/15 all intermediate apprentices will be required to work towards achieving a level 2 in English, ensuring that all apprentices have literacy skills and qualifications that are widely recognised and valued by employers and others.
We are taking steps to improve the standard of the teaching work force within further education. From the academic year 2013/14, grants of £9,000 will be offered to English graduates and £20,000 to maths graduates to teach in those areas. These bursaries will help us recruit the brightest and best teachers so we can improve standards and provide people with the basic skills they need.
In June 2013 we announced that, from next April, unemployed people on JSA with very poor English language skills will be required to train to bring their skills up to the level expected by employers. They will be mandated by jobcentres to English language training with a further education provider.
Since August 2013 community learning providers have been expected to work in partnership with other learning providers and local people, services and organisations to agree priorities and approaches to meet the needs of people in their local area, including addressing low literacy where this is an issue.
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Royal Mail
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons he valued the Royal Mail to be worth approximately £3.3 billion for purposes of its privatisation; and what consideration he has given since the flotation of Royal Mail shares of this being an under-valuation. [171953]
Michael Fallon: The process that set the value range comprised a combination of rigorous market testing and extensive analysis of comparable companies in the sector. Over the 12 months prior to the initial public offering (IPO), Royal Mail's management met a range of high-quality institutions of the type that would form the core of a long-term, supportive investor base. In early September 2013, the management team and our advisers engaged further with a focused group of informed investors. Specific indications of valuation and demand were received from this group which informed the valuation range to be set. In addition to the market testing, a valuation assessment was made which included a review of comparable quoted postal companies (including Bpost, Deutsche Post, Austria Post and PostNL) on a range of key metrics such as valuation multiples and dividend yields.
Our long-term strategy to safeguard the universal service and deliver value for money for the taxpayer involves not only getting good value for the initial stake sold but also getting good value for the significant residual stake held by Government (30% of the company assuming exercising in full the over-allotment option), and leaving Royal Mail in a strong, sustainable position capable of accessing the capital markets in the future. We are focused on the long-term success of Royal Mail and believe that value for money should be measured over the medium term.
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), wrote to the Chairman of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on the 18 October 2013 setting out the Government's sale objectives and approach to setting the price range. A copy of his letter was laid in the Libraries of the House.
Sri Lanka
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2013, Official Report, column 855W, on Sri Lanka, which UK companies will attend the Commonwealth Business Forum; and what discussions his Department has had with such companies about the UK Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. [172112]
Michael Fallon: UK companies attending the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) are doing so through the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC). The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has not been involved in delegate recruitment and therefore does not hold comprehensive records of UK companies that will attend the CBF.
BIS has not had any formal discussions with companies on the development of the UK Government's Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
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Prime Minister
Refineries: Grangemouth
Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to convene a meeting of Cobra to discuss the close down of Grangemouth refinery; and if he will make a statement. [R] [172081]
The Prime Minister: UK and Scottish Ministers are meeting regularly to review the situation, including via Cobra meetings, to ensure that robust contingency plans are in place, and consider how best to support the long-term future for the site.
Transport
Bus Services: Rural Areas
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of spending changes since 2010 on bus services in rural areas; [171961]
(2) how much funding to public bus services has changed in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such changes on rural communities; [171962]
(3) how many bus routes operating in rural areas were (a) in receipt of and (b) not in receipt of Government subsidy; and what cumulative distance was covered by these services in the last year for which figures are available. [171963]
Stephen Hammond: Details of public funding for bus services in England for the years up to 2011-12 can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/244300/bus0502.xls
This includes figures for those parts of the country which fall outside London and the metropolitan areas.
Figures are not available for the number of routes receiving or not receiving funding. However, details of the distances travelled by services supported by local authorities, broken down by area type, can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/243762/bus0205.xls
The Government recognise that buses are a lifeline for many people in rural areas—providing access to jobs, schools, health care and social activities. That is why we have protected the DFT funding for local bus services during the recent spending review. Moreover, our reforms to date of the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), which devolve the funding to local authorities in respect of the services they choose to support, will give those authorities more say over how that funding is prioritised. We have continued to invest in local bus infrastructure and technology through the Better Bus Area Fund, the Green Bus Fund and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. We have also recognised the importance of community transport in rural areas with £20 million of additional funding.