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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 31 October 2013

Prime Minister

City of London Remembrancer

Mr Watson: To ask the Prime Minister on which dates he has met the City of London Remembrancer since May 2010. [173189]

The Prime Minister: Details of my meetings with external individuals and organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the gov.uk website.

Advertising: The Guardian

Mr Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his contribution of 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 664, what information has appeared in The Guardian on intelligence matters which the Government object to on security grounds. [173330]

The Prime Minister: I have nothing to add.

House of Commons Commission

Security

Mr Watson: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission how many parliamentary passes are issued to staff working on behalf of the City of London Remembrancer. [173188]

John Thurso: The City of London Remembrancer is one of some 15 “Roll A” agents that work with the promoters of private Bills and who have a parliamentary pass. No parliamentary passes have been issued to any staff working on behalf of the City of London Remembrancer.

Transport

Aircraft

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of changes in the number of A350 and Dreamliner aircraft flying into the UK's regional airports in the next 10 years. [173164]

Mr Goodwill: The Department's aviation forecasting model predicts that there will be 3,000 arrivals at and departures from regional (non-London) UK airports using either Dreamliner or A350 aircraft in 2014. By 2024 the model predicts that either Dreamliner or A350 aircraft will be used on 26,000 arrivals at and departures from regional (non-London) UK airports.

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Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Channel Tunnel Rail Link has had to reduce its operating speeds below 100mph because of (a) power, (b) maintenance and (c) safety issues since it came into operation. [173329]

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this type of operational data. This would be held by HS1 Ltd as the owners of the high speed 1 infrastructure.

Cycling

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made on the amount spent by his Department on cycling (a) between 2010 and 2015 and (b) between 2005 and 2010. [172743]

Mr Goodwill: The Department will have spent £277 million directly on cycling in the five years 2010-11 to 2014-15. In addition £540 million has been spent through the local sustainable transport fund (LSTF), where 94 out of 96 projects have a cycling element; a further £178 million has been announced for the LSTF for 2015-16. Between 2005 and 2010 the Department spent £140 million on cycling projects and £10 million on Sustainable Travel Towns, where projects included cycling.

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 149W, on cycling, what estimate the National Transport Model makes of (a) the number of trips made by bicycle and (b) the distance travelled by bicycle in each year until 2035. [173273]

Mr Goodwill: The latest forecasts of road travel, congestion and emissions in England up to 2040 from the National Transport Model (NTM) were published in Road Traffic Forecasts 2013, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-transport-forecasts-2013

These forecasts assume that the impact of smarter measures will increase cycling trips by 5% in 2015, 7.5% in 2025, and 10% in 2035. The resulting levels of cycling trips, and distance, forecast by the NTM are shown in the following table:

These forecasts are based on our current understanding of how people make travel choices, the expected path of key drivers of travel demand and current Government policies.

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East Coast Railway Line

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total value of the maintenance contract for the Inter City Express programme train fleet allocated for service on the east coast main line. [173122]

Stephen Hammond: The service provided by Agility Trains includes the supply of a fully maintained and serviced train fleet at a time indicated by the operator. There will therefore be no separate maintenance contract for the Class 800/801 fleet used on the east coast main line.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total cost to the successful bidder of the east coast main line passenger rail franchise. [173237]

Stephen Hammond: Costs incurred by bidders for franchise competitions are a matter for the companies concerned. As set out in the recently published prospectus for the east coast main line (ECML) the share sale price for east coast main line (ECML) is expected to be no more than £20 million.

The “cost” to the successful bidder in terms of premium/subsidy payments and line costs (staff costs etc.) will not be known until the winning bid is announced. The Department makes its own assessment of these costs as part of the specification of the franchise through a comparator model. These figures remain commercially confidential so as not to prejudice the upcoming competition.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Directly Operated Railways Ltd's annual expenditure on leasing rolling stock for service on the east coast main line has been in each year since 2009-10. [173238]

Stephen Hammond: Directly Operated Railways (DOR) Ltd does not have any contracts for the leasing of rolling stock. Such contracts are between the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd (ECML) which is a subsidiary of DOR and the rolling stock lessors. The amounts paid by ECML between 2009-10 and 2012-13 are as follows:

Great Western Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total value of the maintenance contract for the Inter City Express programme train fleet allocated for service on the Great Western Line. [173020]

Stephen Hammond: There will be no separate maintenance contract for the Class 800/801 fleet used on Great Western routes because of the nature of the

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contract. The service provided by Agility Trains includes the supply of a fully maintained and serviced train at a time indicated by the operator.

High Speed 2

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow a 12 week consultation period for responses to the Environmental Statement on the effects of High Speed 2 due to be published with the hybrid Bill. [173326]

Mr Goodwill: The Government are considering the consultation process in connection with the Environmental Statement which we expect to table when the hybrid Bill for HS2 phase one is introduced. Parliamentary Standing Orders specify a minimum period of 56 days for consultation on the Environmental Statement for hybrid Bills. This is generous in comparison to other legislation authorising infrastructure projects, with minimum periods of only 21 days under the Town and Country Planning and 28 days under the Planning Act.

It is reasonable for us to have regard to the fact that consultation with the public on HS2 has been considerable already. In 2013 there have been consultations on the draft Environmental Statement and the proposed design refinements, along with a further consultation on property compensation. A consultation is also under way on the route for Phase 2 of the route. This is a significant level of consultation which means that those people affected by HS2 are in a very informed position to be able to respond. In addition, the Environmental Statement is being deliberately structured to make it easy to access, with a non-technical summary and with information divided geographically in community forum areas.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of power to support High Speed 2 train services on the basis of operating at speeds of up to 400kph at 18 trains per hour for up to 20 hours per day. [173327]

Mr Goodwill: Whilst HS2 will be capable of operating 18 services per hour at 400kph, the assumptions on energy use in the HS2 economic case are based on the assumed service specification of 16 trains per hour and with running speeds lower than 400kph. The estimated cost of energy for operating HS2 trains on the full network over the appraisal period (2026-92) is £6 billion (present value, 2011 prices).

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rate of energy price inflation used for the business case for High Speed 2 is. [173328]

Mr Goodwill: The HS2 economic case makes use of real energy price forecasts produced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. The average rate of real energy price inflation between now and 2036 is 1.8% per annum; after this point energy costs are assumed constant in real terms.

Railways: Franchises

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safeguards exist to protect the contractual terms and conditions of the workforce when rail passenger franchises are transferred from the public to the private sector through a share sale. [173236]

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Stephen Hammond: Terms and conditions of employment are a matter for incoming franchisees, as employers. The sale of East Coast Main Line Co. Ltd to a private sector franchisee will not, in and of itself, affect employees' rights or contracts of employment, nor will this involve a transfer of staff to a new employer.

Railways: Passengers

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers per train kilometre are

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annually carried

(a)

on the East Coast main line and

(b)

by each of the franchised rail passenger operators in the UK. [173235]

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the average number of passenger journeys and passenger kilometres per timetabled train kilometre in 2012-13 for East Coast and the other franchised train operators in the UK.

Timetabled train kilometres represent the total number of train kilometres each train operator would achieve if they operated 100% of their timetable, but because timetables can change and trains can be cancelled or may not run their whole route this will not represent the total number of train kilometres actually operated.

Note that these figures do not take into account the amount of capacity provided by train operators on each train service.

Roads

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of the review of Local Transport Note 2/95 on policy and practice of devolved government in Wales and Scotland. [173378]

Mr Goodwill: ‘Local Transport Note 2/95: The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings', was published in 1995 and was adopted by both Scotland and Wales. It gives advice on designing and installing zebra, pelican, puffin and toucan crossings and has not been reviewed since publication. No assessment of its effects on practice in Scotland and Wales has been made.

The Department is currently revising the legislation covering pedestrian crossings, the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions and the Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations and General Directions. The new regulations are expected to come into force in spring 2015. As part of this process guidance such as Local Transport Note 2/95 will be updated in due course, to reflect the revised regulations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will include Burma in the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. [173218]

Mr Swire: At its outset, the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) identified countries, in consultation with the UN and other partners, for initial deployments by experts including to Bosnia, Libya, the DRC, and the Syrian border. Over recent months the initiative has extended to a number of other countries—including Burma. During his visit to the UK, President Thein Sein met with me and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and welcomed the initiative.

We continue to call for an end to the use of sexual violence in Burma. At a minimum there must be strengthened accountability and better access to justice

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for victims of sexual violence. More widely, tackling sexual violence will be central to reducing tensions and the peace process.

On the ground, our embassy in Rangoon is looking to incorporate PSVI activities into new and existing work. Funding has been recently approved for a project that will help to improve access to justice for victims, develop community-based preventive mechanisms and promote wider legal and policy reforms.

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13. [172938]

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not lay any reports before Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in the 2012-13 Session.

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 761W, on Colombia, if he will raise with the Colombian President the clauses in the trade agreement between the EU and Colombia relating to human rights, labour standards and environmental standards and the mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing those clauses. [173315]

Mr Swire: We will continue to engage with the Colombian Government on human rights, labour standards and environmental standards, and alongside EU partners will work with the Colombian Government to bring about full implementation of all parts of the trade agreement.

Energy

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year. [172793]

Mr Lidington: For the financial year 2012-13, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's financial management system shows the FCO incurred electricity costs of £2,745,098 and gas costs of £41,167. This answer relates to the UK estate comprising King Charles Street, Old Admiralty Building, Lancaster House, Carlton Gardens, Hanslope Park and Northgate House. It would incur a disproportionate cost to source this information from our network of posts as this information is held locally.

Latin America

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to enhance the work of the British Council in Latin America; and if he will make a statement. [172804]

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Mr Swire: UK missions across Latin America work closely with the British Council on a number of campaigns showcasing British expertise and promoting UK education across the region. For example, in Brazil, the British embassy is supporting the Council's four-year programme of arts and creative exchange, lasting from the London Olympic Games to Rio 2016; in Uruguay, we supported the re-opening of the Council's Office in Montevideo; and in Mexico, the British Council is playing a key role, alongside the British embassy, in supporting the 2015 Year of the UK in Mexico and Year of Mexico in the UK.

The British Council has ambitious expansion plans within the region. It is active in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela and is exploring opportunities to develop programmes in other countries.

Sri Lanka

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to visit Jaffna and the former war zones in the Wanni region of Sri Lanka. [172850]

Mr Swire: The Prime Minister will be visiting the north of Sri Lanka during his visit to Sri Lanka to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The exact details of his itinerary are yet to be confirmed.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and I will use the visit to Sri Lanka to see the situation on the ground first hand, to meet people on all sides of the conflict, and to raise our concerns frankly and directly with the Sri Lankan Government.

UK Trade & Investment

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whose responsibility it is to ensure that all documents on the UK Trade & Investment website are consistent with overall government policies. [172764]

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

Overall responsibility for the UKTI website rests with UK Trade & Investment Marketing. Content is created by staff throughout UK Trade & Investment.

Western Sahara

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will (a) raise with the Moroccan ambassador and (b) instruct the UK ambassador in Rabat to investigate the injuries caused by police and security forces when breaking up demonstrations in El Aaiun, Western Sahara on 19 October 2013; [172975]

(2) if he will (a) raise with the Moroccan ambassador and (b) instruct the UK ambassador in Rabat to investigate allegations that Saharawi homes were broken into and ransacked by Moroccan security forces following demonstrations in El Aaiun, Western Sahara on 19 October 2013. [172976]

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Hugh Robertson: We are aware of reports of this nature. We regularly emphasise to Morocco the importance of full respect for human rights in Western Sahara, including when policing demonstrations. We have encouraged Morocco to ensure that transparent investigations take place when there are allegations against the security forces. The former Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), discussed this issue during his visit to Rabat last month.

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on establishing a UN mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Western Sahara. [172977]

Hugh Robertson: We will continue to make clear, including in discussions at the UN Security Council, the importance of full respect for human rights in both Western Sahara and the refugee camps at Tindouf.

Treasury

High Speed 2

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish all correspondence between his Department and the Welsh Government in relation to expenditure on High Speed 2 and associated Barnett consequentials. [172698]

Danny Alexander: There has been no correspondence between the Treasury and Welsh Government Ministers on High Speed 2. Barnett consequentials will be determined at the spending round.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Welsh Government has received a share of an estimated £832 million to be spent on the High Speed 2 project by the Department for Transport in 2015-16. [172865]

Danny Alexander: At the spending round in June, the Welsh Government received a capital consequential of £84.5 million. This was based on a £2 billion increase in the total Transport capital budget. The Barnett formula calculation used the framework set out at the spending review in 2010, which set out 73.1% of changes in Transport spending, is subject to Barnett consequential for the Welsh Government. The framework is expected to be updated at the next full spending review, as is usual practice, and will reflect the latest information on departmental spending.

Infrastructure

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of each (a) project and (b) guarantee is for each infrastructure scheme for which a UK Guarantee has been contracted. [172817]

Danny Alexander: I refer the right hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 22 October 2013.

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John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 9WS, on infrastructure guarantees, what the criteria are for projects which have agreed to be listed on the gov.uk website; and which of the schemes named in the statement have secured an agreed Government guarantee to date. [172821]

Danny Alexander: Projects are listed on the gov.uk website when they have prequalified under the UK Guarantees scheme and no commercial reasons have been provided by project sponsors objecting to the project's disclosure.

Drax Power has been issued with a guarantee under the scheme.

When other projects receive a guarantee the scheme status will be changed and Parliament will be notified as required under the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012.

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 9WS, on infrastructure guarantees, in which region each of the 40 projects pre-qualified for the UK Guarantees scheme will be developed. [172822]

Danny Alexander: No particular region is being targeted for the development of the scheme. The legislation, Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012, underpinning the UK Guarantees scheme extends to projects from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A guarantee will only be offered subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary due diligence and final ministerial approval.

National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many firms have (a) applied for and (b) taken up the regional employer national insurance contributions holiday; and what amount has been claimed by such firms in each month since December 2012; [173194]

(2) how many firms have taken up the regional employer national insurance contributions holiday since that scheme's introduction; and how much has been claimed by each such firm. [173196]

Mr Gauke: The NICs Holiday attracted just over 26,000 applicants over a three year period. The latest available data show that only around 600 have been unsuccessful.

Further information about the NICs Holiday scheme is published in a factsheet available on:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/nics-hol.htm

The factsheet only covers the period from the start of the scheme to December 2012.

Monthly breakdown of the amounts claimed by employers is not available. The claims are made on annual basis using end of year claim forms. The latest available data show that around £60 million of NICs relief has been received by employers in total. The figure does not include claims for 2013-14 tax year.

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Home Department

Antisocial Behaviour: Young People

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information her Department holds on the number of Mosquito devices in operation in (a) England and (b) each London borough; [171789]

(2) what arrangements her Department has in place for monitoring the prevalence of Mosquito devices in England. [171790]

Norman Baker [holding answer 21 October 2013]:The Home Office does not hold information on the number of Mosquito devices in operation. Nor does it have any arrangements in place for monitoring the prevalence of Mosquito devices in England, though I am asking the national policing lead for anti-social behaviour which information they may hold on their deployment.

The Mosquito device is a commercial product and it is not endorsed by the Home Office.

I understand that the national policing lead for antisocial behaviour has decided not to support the use of these devices.

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Asylum

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy asylum applications are still outstanding; how many have been resolved in each of the last 12 months; and how many staff are allocated to this task. [168341]

Mr Harper [holding answer 12 September 2013]: The Home Office provides quarterly updates to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the progress of the Legacy cohort of cases under consideration by the Older Live Cases Unit (formerly the Case Audit and Assurance Unit). This is the ring fenced cohort of older asylum cases that was passed to CAAU when the Case Resolution Directorate closed in March 2011.

Table A was included in the letter from David Wood and Sarah Rapson to the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz), Chair of the Committee on 10 July 2013 as Annex A.

We expect to provide a further update of this data to the Home Affairs Select Committee when it next considers the work of the Older Live Cases Unit in October 2013. We will take this opportunity to provide a more comprehensive breakdown of the conclusions by month.

There were 224 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff employed to work on this cohort of cases at the end of quarter one 2013. This figure includes agency staff.

Asylum: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will provide information on using the Azure card in languages other than English; [170039]

(2) how much unspent money was recouped from Azure cards in each of the last three years for which records are available. [170050]

Mr Harper [holding answer 10 October 2013]:The Azure card is issued to failed asylum seekers supported under the provisions of section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Home Office officials are looking at ways of providing information about the card in languages other than English. Funding is already provided to voluntary sector organisations to advise asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers about the support available to them.

The card can be used at supermarkets to buy food and other essential items to the value of £35.39 per week. Unless the person has children only £5 can be carried over on the card into the following week. Any unspent excess over the £5 limit is returned to the Home Office.

Total annual values returned over the past three years are:

Corruption

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff at what level of seniority will work on corruption policy in her Department following the establishment of the National Crime Agency. [171881]

Norman Baker [holding answer 22 October 2013]: There is a range of policy teams in the Home Office who will be working on different aspects of corruption policy, from work in the Police Transparency Unit on

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police integrity, to the work of the Strategic Centre for Organised Crime to deliver the programme of activity set out in the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, to the work of the Departmental Security Unit to tackle and prevent possible corruption in the Home Office and Home Office agencies. It is not possible to provide a specific number.

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff in the National Crime Agency will be working on bribery and corruption; and what the level of seniority of each staff member will be. [172181]

Norman Baker [holding answer 24 October 2013]:There is a range of officers in the National Crime Agency working on issues relating to bribery and corruption, from the work of the Economic Crime Command overseeing the law enforcement response, to the work of the Intelligence Hub in leading on the assessment of bribery and corruption by organised crime. Drawing on the operational capabilities across the whole of the National Crime Agency will result in increased capacity to deal with the full range of these threats as required. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific number.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 467W, on entry clearances: fees and charges, what discussions the Government are having with Commonwealth countries which levy substantial visa charges on UK citizens entering their territory, to seek an equalisation of such charges across different jurisdictions. [172075]

Mr Harper: The Home Office is not having discussions with Commonwealth countries about the visa charges they levy on UK citizens entering their territory, nor about equalising such charges across different jurisdictions. We have made provisions that would allow such arrangements to be reflected in our immigration and visa fees in the Immigration Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average fine currently imposed on rogue businesses employing illegal immigrants is; and how many rogue businesses have been subject to a maximum penalty fine in each of the last three years. [172080]

Mr Harper [holding answer 23 October 2013]:Between 29 February 2008 and 30 September 2013 the average value of a civil penalty served on an employer was £9,123.

The information relating to businesses subject to a maximum penalty in each of the last three years is in the following table:

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The maximum civil penalty per illegal worker is £10,000. The size of the civil penalty depends on the type of eligibility checks that the employer has made on its workers, the number of times the Home Office has issued a warning or imposed a civil penalty on the employer, and the extent to which the employer has co-operated with us.

The figures are based on civil penalties served to employers within the UK for employing illegal migrant workers under section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, at the initial stage of the civil penalty process.

Following receipt of a civil penalty, employers have the right to submit grounds of objection against the imposition of the penalty within 28 days and lodge an appeal against the penalty decision to a county court. Therefore penalties may subsequently be reduced, cancelled or re-issued at the objection and appeal stages.

Immigrants: Detainees

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of detaining an individual in an immigration detention centre for one year. [168092]

Mr Harper [holding answer 9 September 2013]: The estimated average direct annual cost of holding a person in our immigration detention facilities for 2013-14 is £37,230.

Immigration

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been completed by the Older Live Cases Unit since its establishment within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) one year of the initial referral; and if she will make a statement. [171293]

Mr Harper [holding answer 17 October 2013]: The Home Office holds this information only at a level of individual case files. Therefore, providing the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the helpline sections of the Border Agency dealing with sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 in October 2013. [172050]

Mr Harper: Advice on the prevention of illegal working is managed through a Home Office Contact Centre in Sheffield. On 17 October 2013, there were 45 full-time equivalent team members in the Sheffield Contact Centre providing and supporting customer service across a variety of call and e-mail services. It is not possible

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to give the exact number of staff devoted to work on section 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 as this would vary according to call and e-mail demand across all channels of contact on any given day.

The figures provided are not national statistics but are based on provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum sentence that the courts have imposed under sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 is since May 2010; [172068]

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(2) how many prosecutions of employers there have been under sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 since May 2010. [172070]

Mr Harper [holding answer 22 October 2013]: Since May 2010 until the end of 2012, 10 offenders have been sentenced at all courts for the offence of knowingly employing illegal workers under section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Of these, two offenders received the maximum sentence available for the offence—in both cases, sentenced at the Crown court to a two-year custodial sentence. There is no minimum sentence for this offence.

Immigration: Stratford

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were involved in her Department's immigration status checks in Stratford; and what the cost to the public purse was. [167346]

Mr Harper: Six immigration officers were deployed for two hours on the operation and no overtime was incurred.

Members: Correspondence

Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2013, Official Report, column 649W, on Members: Correspondence, when she plans to reply to the letters sent to her on 19 July, 29 August and 9 September 2013 by the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling regarding the case of Ms Rene Chung. [172266]

Mr Harper: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department responded to my right hon. Friend on 18 September 2013.

National Crime Agency

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff will be part of the National Crime Agency's overseas network. [171584]

Norman Baker [holding answer 21 October 2013]: As at Wednesday 16 October 2013, the National Crime Agency's international network comprised 134 officers.

Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2013, Official Report, column 912W, if her Department will collate and hold information centrally on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by police services in England and Wales. [R] [172963]

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Damian Green: No. Use of unmanned aerial vehicles is an operational matter for chief constables. Any use would need to comply with existing Civil Aviation Authority regulations. Covert use by a public authority likely to obtain private information, including by any law enforcement agency, would be subject to authorisation under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. That Act requires that covert investigatory techniques are used only if they are necessary and proportionate for purposes such as preventing or detecting crime or in the interests of national security. It makes deployment subject to independent overview, inspection and right to redress in case of individual complaint.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the title is of each regulation her Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if she will make a statement. [165915]

Mr Harper: The Home Office Regulations made since the General Election in 2010 to date which have been (a) introduced (b) revoked are set out in the table which will be placed in the House Library.

The table does not include regulations made during this period which, although processed within the Home Office, related to the Government Equalities Office. That Office is no longer located within the Home Office.

It is conceivable that other regulations have lapsed or been revoked as a result of primary legislation, but we hold no records of such cases.

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department gives to the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of British Insurers on responsibility for meeting recovery costs of stolen vehicles. [172669]

Damian Green: A provision in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 empowers the police, in certain defined circumstances, to remove and recover vehicles. This work is carried out by contracted recovery operators. The Home Office has not issued any guidance to the police on responsibility for meeting recovery costs, as this is an operational matter for the police. The Home Office has also not issued any guidance to the Association of British Insurers as this is a matter for their commercial decision.

West Mercia Police Federation

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of time spent by police officers conducting West Mercia Police Federation business during the working day in the latest period for which figures are available. [172731]

Damian Green [holding answer 29 October 2013]: This information is not held centrally. The management of facility time is a matter for West Mercia police.

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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he intends to (a) publish and (b) respond to the findings of the independent evaluation of the Partnership Funding approach for flood funding commissioned by his Department. [172978]

Dan Rogerson: The DEFRA commissioned evaluation of the Partnership Funding approach is due to be published by the end of the year. The Department will consider the findings of the research on receipt. There is currently no timetable or plan for a formal response.

Redundancy

Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of job losses at his Department's Alnwick office under the Next Generation Shared Services Programme; and what recent discussions he has held with contractors on the work carried out at that office. [171669]

Dan Rogerson [holding answer 21 October 2013]: The Cabinet Office is leading a project to create a Shared Service Centre on a joint venture partnership basis formed from the existing Shared Service centres of DWP, DEFRA, the Environment Agency and BIS.

As part of that process, my officials have engaged in discussions on the current service provision, and on wider commercial matters to enable a contract for the Independent Shared Services Centre 2 (ISSC2) to be negotiated.

This has included information about the current DEFRA Shared Service Centre operations based in York and Alnwick. Staff have been made aware that there will be some site consolidation.

I have been kept informed of progress but would not expect to participate in the commercial negotiations.

Trapping

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Angela Smith), of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1237W, on trapping, when he will publish the Government's findings; and if he will make a statement. [172862]

George Eustice: We are currently considering the findings of the report and Ministers expect to meet stakeholders shortly to discuss their views.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 457W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether non-core functions or agencies of his Department have used unmanned aerial vehicles over the last five years. [R] [172966]

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Dan Rogerson: The Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Food and Environment Research Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England and the Royal Botanic Gardens have used unmanned aerial vehicles for surveying work and photography over the last five years.

Scotland

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13. [172948]

David Mundell: Section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 applies only to England and Wales. Therefore neither the Secretary of State for Scotland nor I are required to lay reports before each House of Parliament in relation to Scottish charities.

Sovereignty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to inform workers in the defence industry about the potential effect of Scottish independence on jobs. [172851]

David Mundell: In order to inform and support the debate on Scotland's future, the Government are undertaking a programme of analysis examining how Scotland contributes to and benefits from being part of the UK, and how the rest of the UK benefits from its partnership with Scotland.

On 7 October, the UK Government published the “Scotland analysis: Defence” paper. This paper discussed the implications of independence on the defence sector. This included information on the defence industry and jobs based in Scotland.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to inform oil and gas workers about the potential effect of Scottish independence on jobs. [172852]

David Mundell: In order to inform and support the debate on Scotland's future, the Government are undertaking a programme of analysis examining how Scotland contributes to and benefits from being part of the UK, and how the rest of the UK benefits from its partnership with Scotland.

The programme has published seven papers to date. The papers have analysed key economic, legal and defence issues. Future papers on further economic and wider policy issues will be released this year and through 2014 in the lead up to the referendum.

Justice

County Courts

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) under what circumstances is it acceptable for a county court to disregard a practice direction; [172537]

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(2) what procedure should occur if a county court declines to follow a practice direction; [172540]

(3) on how many occasions a County Court has refused to follow a practice direction in each of the last three years. [173212]

Mr Vara: The extent to which any of the provisions in a practice direction should be applied or disapplied in any individual case within a county court is a matter for the discretion of the judge, taking into consideration the circumstances of the case.

Judges are required under Civil Procedure Rules to ensure that cases are conducted justly. They must bear this in mind when applying and interpreting both the Rules and the supplementary guidance such as practice directions.

In dealing with a case justly, a judge must: ensure that both parties are on an equal footing; save expense; deal with cases proportionately in respect of the value of the case, the importance and complexity of the case and the financial position of each party; and ensure that cases are dealt with expeditiously and fairly; and that the appropriate share of the court's resources are allotted.

If a party is dissatisfied with the decision of a judge there is certain action they can take depending on the circumstances of the case. They may make an application to the court, with reasons, to stay (halt proceedings) or vary a decision made by the judge. Alternatively, at the conclusion of proceedings or afterwards, they may request permission to appeal against the decision. Such an application or appeal may be opposed by the other party(s) in the matter.

As this is a matter for judicial discretion, we do not hold information on how many occasions a county court applies or disapplies a practice direction.

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what action is open to litigants in the event of a county court being unwilling to investigate a possible false statement. [172541]

Mr Vara: A party, with permission, may make an application to commence contempt of court proceedings in respect of any statement made in a county court which the party believes to be false.

The court may of its own initiative direct a matter to the Attorney-General with a request that the Attorney-General consider whether proceedings for contempt of court should be brought. Before making any such direction the court will have regard to the need to deal with the case justly and the concept of proportionality.

Criminal Proceedings

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the average time taken is for each type of Class D criminal offence to reach court; [173054]

(2) what the average time taken is for each type of Class E criminal offence to reach court; [173055]

(3) what the average time taken is for each type of Class C criminal offence to reach court; [173056]

(4) what the average time taken is for each type of Class D criminal offence to reach court. [173058]

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Mr Vara: The available information required to answer this question is currently being collated. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Magistrates

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of justices of the peace were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel in each year since 2003. [173100]

Mr Vara: A more diverse judiciary is important in retaining the public's confidence and trust in justice, and better reflecting the society it serves. This Government have made a number of changes through the Crime and Courts Act 2013 that we believe will promote judicial diversity. We have introduced part time working in the senior courts, including the Supreme Court, we have enabled the equal merit provision for judicial appointments to allow protected characteristics to be taken into account where two applicants are of equal merit, and a statutory duty for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice to encourage judicial diversity.

Data on the gender and ethnicity of magistrates are held by the Judicial Office and have been published since 2008. Data for 2003 to 2007 will require extraction from Judicial Office's magistrates' database. I will write to the right hon. Member when it becomes available.

The Judicial Office does not collect data on the educational background of magistrates, or whether they are solicitors, barristers or Queen's Counsel. Gender and ethnicity data from 2008 to 2013 are available as follows:

2013 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics

2012 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics/magistrates-in-post-2012

2011 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics/magistrates-in-post-2011

2010 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics/magistrates-in-post-2010

2009 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics/magistrates-in-post-2009

2008 data

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/magistrates-statistics/magistrates-in-post-2008

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners who have completed their sentences are resident in prisons in the UK. [168870]

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

For the week commencing 9 September 2013, there were 979 immigration detainees in prisons.

Please note that the data include a small number of individuals who have never served a custodial sentence. These individuals present specific risk factors that indicate they pose a serious risk of harm to the public or to the good order of an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), including the safety of staff and other detainees, which cannot be managed within the regime applied in IRCs.

To extract the small number of cases who have not served a custodial sentence would incur a disproportionate cost as this would involve looking at individual records.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time between submission of an appeal to Department for Work and Pensions on a work capability decision until a decision is issued by HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been since September 2011. [172308]

Mr Vara: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support, administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance, decisions in which the work capability assessment is a key factor, rather than appeals against WCA decisions themselves.

HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the information requested.

Defence

Armed Conflict: Libya

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many investigations his Department has carried out into reported civilian casualties that might have involved British assets during the NATO campaign in Libya. [R] [172868]

Mr Francois: The NATO operations in Libya in 2011 were committed to enforcing the UN mandate to protect civilians. As the Government stated at the time, we regret any loss to civilian life; operations were only conducted against legitimate military targets and the utmost care was taken to seek to avoid civilian casualties at all times.

All allegations of civilian casualties involving UK forces are thoroughly investigated. However, verification is often hindered by the complexity and risk that would be involved in collecting robust data. This was particularly the case for operations in Libya, where an absence of UK ground forces meant contemporaneous verification from within the country was practically impossible.

The Ministry of Defence is satisfied that all UK assets that were involved in the NATO campaign operated in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict, the UN Security Council Resolution and UK Rules of Engagement.

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Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque. [162630]

Mr Francois: The number of individual invoices paid electronically or by cheque is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The proportion of total payments made electronically and by cheque during financial year 2012-13 was 99.41% and 0.59 % respectively.

Information regarding the average cost to pay an invoice is currently being collated as part of a pan-Government benchmarking exercise. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.

Substantive answer from Anna Soubry to Mike Freer:

My predecessor (Mark Francois) undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question about bill payments on 4 July 2013 (Official Report, column 777W-778W).

The average cost of processing an invoice through the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Bills system for financial year 2012-13 was £1.79. The MOD has recently participated in a central Government benchmarking exercise and those data have been taken from the confirmed position.

Energy

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) gas and (b) electricity in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [172776]

Mr Dunne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Moor View (Alison Seabeck) on 30 January 2013, Official Report, columns 804-05W.

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which company supplied (a) gas and (b) electricity to his Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [172780]

Mr Dunne: Suppliers of gas and electricity to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are shown in the following table:

Overseas locations are subject to local supply arrangements.

In line with Cabinet Office policy, the MOD now utilises Government Procurement Service frameworks to leverage greater buying power across government.

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Over the last few years there has been a gradual transfer of MOD owned frameworks and contracts to these arrangements.

Gibraltar

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the UK military base in Gibraltar played in Operation Ellamy. [172144]

Mr Francois: A number of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels supporting Operation Ellamy spent time in Gibraltar for refuelling and resupply, as is normal for UK ships transiting into and out of the Mediterranean.

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many civilians died in each military establishment in Northern Ireland between 1 April and 30 September 2013; what the cause was of each death; and if he will make a statement; [173296]

(2) how many civilians died in each military establishment in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what the cause was of each death; and if he will make a statement. [173297]

Dr Murrison: None.

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many soldiers died in each military establishment in Northern Ireland between 1 April 2013 and 30 September 2013; what the cause was of each death; and if he will make a statement; [173298]

(2) how many soldiers died in each military establishment in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what the cause was of each death; and if he will make a statement. [173299]

Mr Francois: Official data are only currently released up to 31 December 2012. During this period six Army personnel have died on four military establishments in Northern Ireland. The establishments are Masserene Barracks, Antrim; Alexander Barracks, Aldergrove; Abercorn Barracks, Ballykinler; and Kinnegar Logistics Base.

Due to the small numbers of personnel involved the breakdown by each year and the location of each death has not been provided. This is to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of individual identities which could cause upset and distress to relatives, to whom the MOD has a residual duty of care. This is in line with our usual policy in providing statistics.

We are aware of a further death at Ballykinler Barracks in 2013, although this will not be included in official statistics until they are updated in March 2014.

The causes of death for the six personnel are as follows:

One person died due to diseases of the circulatory system.

One person died due to other disease related conditions.

One person died that was given a suicide or open verdict.

Two people died due to violent causes.

One person died, the official cause of which is subject to the outcome of the coroner's inquest.

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The causes of death have been presented in alignment with the National Statistics publication: Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces.

Military Exercises

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department decided against purchasing land next to its Cape Wrath training range; and what costs were incurred in making that decision. [173282]

Dr Murrison: The Ministry of Defence decided against purchasing the land next to Cape Wrath due to a number of reasons, including concerns over access, a sitting tenant and the potential listing of a building on site.

No costs were incurred in making this decision.

Pensions

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Government review of the MOD Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Service will take into account the physical implications of a higher retirement age for MDP and DFRS officers; [173372]

(2) whether the Government review of the MOD Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Service pensions will include analysis of the effect of bringing officers' pension age in line with Home Office officers on those joining the MDP in the future. [173373]

Dr Murrison: The Ministry of Defence is currently preparing a report that will be laid before Parliament by 24 December 2013. It will consider the likely effect of section 10 of the Public Service Pensions Act:

on the health and well being of members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Service and the Ministry of Defence Police;

on the ability of the Defence Fire and Rescue Service and the Ministry of Defence Police to continue to meet operational requirements, and

the extent to which members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Service and the Ministry of Defence Police are likely to take early retirement in consequence of section 10 (and on the consequences of taking early retirement for the persons taking it and the taxpayer).

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained and operational unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots there have been in the Army since 2004; and in which countries those pilots have flown UAVs. [R] [172870]

Mr Francois: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham (Rehman Chishti) of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 297W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, how many unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost or damaged in such a way that they have been taken permanently out of use since their introduction by the RAF. [R] [172872]

31 Oct 2013 : Column 550W

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 297W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham and Rainham (Rehman Chishti). No further Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems have been taken permanently out of use.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley (John Hemming) of 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 939W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, what income his Department receives from the leasing of RAF Croughton and RAF Molesworth to the United States. [R] [172873]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not charge the United States to use RAF Croughton and RAF Molesworth; rather they are made available to the US under the terms of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) of 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 72W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, what the total budget for the Unmanned Air Systems Capability Development Centre will be in the next three financial years; and what proportion of such costs will be met by contributions in kind by industry. [R] [172875]

Mr Dunne: The Unmanned Air Systems Capability Development Centre (UAS CDC) is still in its two-year pilot phase, running until the end of this financial year. The pilot is based around existing facilities and funding with a small management team at Ministry of Defence (MOD) Boscombe Down.

The case for an enduring capability within the existing weapons evaluation and capability assurance portfolio is in progress and details, including the budget for the next four financial years as part of the Long Term Partnering Agreement with QinetiQ, will be available in spring 2014. The cost of operating these elements from April 2014 is subject to ongoing negotiation with industry; I am therefore not in a position to release details of the total budget allocated at this stage. There will also be contributions in kind from MOD, industry and academia that have not yet been fully defined.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) of 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 18W, on unmanned air vehicles, how many tactical assessments have been carried out on unmanned aerial vehicles since October 2007; and if he will place copies of those assessments in the Library. [R] [172959]

Mr Francois: Tactical analysis and assessment is a continuous process at all levels of command; tactics and operating procedures are reviewed continually to ensure they adapt to changing threats and remain operationally effective.

I am withholding all detailed tactical analysis undertaken by the UK Reaper Force as its disclosure would or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

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However, the ongoing conduct and broad scope of tactics utilised by all UK forces on Op Herrick has been routinely scrutinised during inquiries undertaken by the House of Commons Defence Committee.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2013, Official Report, column 798W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will place a copy of the current operating procedures developed for the UK Reaper Squadrons in the Library. [R] [172960]

Mr Francois: No. I am withholding details of the operating procedures for UK Reaper Squadrons as its disclosure would or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2013, Official Report, column 798W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, which other aspects of the Reaper Agreement are currently the subject of review. [R] [172961]

Mr Francois: All aspects of the Reaper Agreement are maintained under continuous review.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2013, Official Report, column 798W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, what the (a) location, (b) cost and (c) rank of personnel is of each UK Reaper Force Squadron. [R] [172962]

Mr Francois: The UK Reaper Force Squadrons are based at Creech Air Force Base, USA (39 Squadron) and RAF Waddington (13 Squadron) in the UK.

The location and ranks of personnel are shown in the following table:

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The staff support costs attributable to 39 Squadron and 13 Squadron for financial year 2012-13 were some £14 million in total.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Afghanistan

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of targeting decisions for the UK unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan have been based on pattern of life analysis. [R] [172866]

Mr Francois: Strikes are always prosecuted in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and UK Rules of Engagement. Targets are always positively identified as legitimate military objectives before strikes are authorised by a trained pilot. Pattern of life is just one part of the process that achieves a positive identification. I am withholding further details as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Syria

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions officials of his Department have had with their EU counterparts on the supply of armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles to the Syrian opposition. [R] [172869]

Mr Francois: Ministry of Defence officials have had no discussions with their EU counterparts on the supply of armed or unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles to the Syrian opposition.

Work and Pensions

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people have applied to the Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund to date; and how many such applications have been successful; [172719]

(2) whether grants from the Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund can be applied for to pay upfront costs of participating in a political party's selection process; [172720]

(3) how many people who were recipients of Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund grants have stood for office; and for which political party since the Fund's establishment. [172721]

Mrs Grant: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Government Equalities Office.

The Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund helps disabled people seeking elected office with any additional disability-related cost they incur as a result of either participating in a political party's selection process or standing for election, including standing as an independent candidate, for example paying for sign language interpretation or meeting extra travel costs.

It is possible for applicants to have up-front costs paid, although grant payments are generally processed in arrears.

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Child Maintenance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria his Department uses to assess who the main carer of a child is when that child's parents live separately but share parenting. [173248]

Steve Webb: In cases assessed under the 1993, 2003 and 2012 statutory child maintenance schemes, where care of a child is shared then the parent who receives child benefit will be treated as the main carer for child maintenance purposes.

However, in the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme, where it is agreed or can be shown that both parents have equal day to day care of the child, then the case would not be eligible for the 2012 scheme.

Equal day to day care is not the same as an equal number of nights spent with each parent and includes other factors such as who makes the main spending decisions and who takes the main responsibility for arranging things such as child care, schooling or medical appointments.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice about alternative support his Department gives to applicants for employment and support allowance whose claims are disallowed; and if he will make a statement. [173262]

Esther McVey: Where a claim for employment and support allowance is unsuccessful, or entitlement ceases, a written notification is sent to the claimant. Notifications include relevant information about claiming other benefits such as jobseeker's allowance, working tax credit, income support, pension credit, housing benefit and help with the council tax.

Additionally, where employment and support allowance is disallowed following a work capability assessment, claimants are advised about claiming other benefits in a decision assurance phone call. This call is made at the point the decision maker is considering disallowing employment and support allowance. If claimants want to claim jobseeker's allowance they are asked if they want to be transferred to a contact centre to make the claim. They are advised that they will be supported by a trained personal adviser who will assess their needs in order to identify the appropriate support to help them find employment.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of employment and support allowance assessment decisions he estimates will be changed as part of the mandatory reassessment process; what he expects the (a) average and (b) maximum timeframe for reassessments to be; and when he intends to publish an evaluation of the success of the mandatory reassessment process. [173294]

Mike Penning: The Department has not set an expectation regarding the proportion of decisions that will be revised through mandatory reconsideration. Each case must be judged on the evidence provided in light of

31 Oct 2013 : Column 554W

the relevant regulations. Setting an expectation relating to the volume of cases could send the wrong message to decision makers.

There are no plans to introduce a timescale for completion of the mandatory reconsideration process; however, the process will be monitored to ensure the Department delivers the best customer service. The time it takes to complete a mandatory reconsideration will vary depending on the circumstances of the case, but DWP will contact the claimant once the mandatory reconsideration process is complete.

The Department will consider a range of measures to monitor the mandatory reconsideration process, including the volume of requests, outcomes, the time taken to deliver the process and subsequent appeal volumes. There are no current plans to publish an evaluation of mandatory reconsideration; however, the Department will consider an ad-hoc publication of data during 2014-15.

Hearing Impairment

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the provision of communication and language support available for deaf people using Government services. [173275]

Mike Penning: There is a wide range of support for deaf people available across Government. In my new role as Minister of State for Disabled People I will be considering the current position and what more might be done. More information on this support can be found at:

www.gov.uk

Mental Illness

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has signed up to the Time to Change Initiative to end mental health discrimination. [172755]

Mike Penning: As both a service provider and employer the Department for Work and Pensions is committed to actively eliminating stigma around mental health and to tackling mental health discrimination.

We have publicly signalled our commitment to the Time to Change (TTC) Initiative and are currently progressing the associated action plan with relevant TTC representatives.

Occupational Pensions

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of reports that pensions providers are refusing low-paid employees pensions under the auto-enrolment scheme; and if he will make a statement. [173027]

Steve Webb: It has always been recognised that the commercial pension market would not be able to serve the whole automatic enrolment population at reasonable cost and this is particularly true for low to moderate earners.

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This is why the Government have established the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) with a public service obligation to ensure all employers have access to a low-cost pension scheme to meet-their duties. It must accept all workers automatically enrolled by an employer using it to meet their duties, regardless of their earnings. NEST already has 1,500 participating employers and over half a million members.

Poverty: Children

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond to the consultation, Measuring Child Poverty: A consultation on better measures of child poverty, published on 15 November 2012, Cm. 8483. [173314]

Esther McVey: The Government are committed to developing better measures, which include, but go beyond income to provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty and drive policies which transform lives rather than chasing moving lines.

This is a highly complex issue that we are determined to get right and we will publish our response in due course.

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people that have been (a) granted and (b) refused the discretionary payment with regards to the under-occupancy penalty in (i) Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK. [172856]

Steve Webb: The Department is collecting six-monthly returns detailing DHP awards in each local authority. This includes the number of awards granted, but not the number that have been refused. We are currently gathering this information and performing the necessary quality assurance checks.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the discretionary payment budget available to those affected by the under-occupancy penalty has been used in (a) Glasgow City, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK to date. [172858]

Steve Webb: The Department has requested that local authorities provide a six monthly return detailing DHP awards in their area. We are currently gathering this information and performing the necessary quality assurance checks.

This year, in addition to the original government contribution, local authorities are able to bid for funding from a £20 million reserve fund. The scheme is open to bids until 3 February 2014.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of how many people will be claiming universal credit in April 2014; [173183]

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(2) what proportion of potential claimants he expects to be claiming universal credit in 2015; [173185]

(3) what estimate he has made of how many people will claim universal credit in the pathfinder sites; [173186]

(4) what estimate he has made of how many people will be claiming universal credit by December 2014. [173187]

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. lady to the reply the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban) provided to the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms) on 16 July 2013, Official Report, column 660W.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of universal credit claimants can currently make a claim online. [173184]

Esther McVey: All currently eligible claimants can make their claim to universal credit online, and the overwhelming majority are doing so.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of service to Work programme participants during market shift action. [173260]

Esther McVey: Market share shift applies to new Work programme referrals only. Adjustment to referral ratios was implemented from 5 August 2013 and there has been no disruption to continuity of service for Work programme participants.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those referred to the Work programme since June 2011 had been in receipt of employment and support allowance. [173261]

Esther McVey: The proportion of those referred to the Work programme since June 2011 that had been in receipt of employment and support allowance is 15%.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in outcome payments to Work programme providers in each month since June 2011; and, in each such month, what proportion was in respect of recipients of employment and support allowance. [173266]

Esther McVey: Outcome payments to Work programme providers in the UK from June 2011 to June 2013, the period covered by the September 2013 official statistics release, totalled £198 million of which £8 million was in respect of claimants in the ESA payment groups (Groups 5, 6 and 7).