Bank Services: Fees and Charges

Nic Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the level of default or penalty fees charged when a customer goes into an unauthorised overdraft; and if he will make a statement. [173622]

Sajid Javid [holding answer 4 November 2013]: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations as part of the usual policy making process. As with the previous Administration, this Government do not provide details of these meetings.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the amount UK bank customers spend on bank fees and charges in a year. [173623]

Sajid Javid [holding answer 4 November 2013]: The Government are clear that consumers must be able to easily access clear and transparent information about bank charges; have a reasonable opportunity to manage their account and control whether or not they incur charges,

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found in January 2013 there has been a significant reduction in bank fees and charges since their 2008 market study. As a result, consumers have saved hundreds of millions of pounds.

Further information on the OFT's review can be found at:

www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/markets-work/othermarketswork/pca-review/

5 Nov 2013 : Column 134W

Banks: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the effect on the national debt was of money given to failing banking institutions in each year from 2008. [173705]

Nicky Morgan: Figures measuring the impact of the financial crisis (activities undertaken to support financial institutions) on the Government balance sheet can be found in Table M9 of the Maastricht Treaty statistical bulletin on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/eu-government-debt-and-deficit-returns/september-2013/stb---september-2013.html

City of London

Mr Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which dates he met the City of London Remembrancer since May 2010. [173147]

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Commodity Markets

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to support the European Commission's proposal of 30 September 2013 to regulate commodity derivatives as part of the review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive to limit speculation in the commodity markets; and if he will make a statement. [173916]

Sajid Javid: The Government have given careful consideration to the effective methods of regulation and supervision of commodity derivatives. The Government support a regime based on strong supervision, market monitoring and a comprehensive suite of tools deployed by market operators to ensure the orderly functioning of those markets.

Income Tax

Mike Thornton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many workers on low pay have stopped paying income tax since 2010. [900905]

Danny Alexander: By 2013-14, 2.4 million low income individuals have been taken out of income tax altogether as a result of this Government's increases to the personal allowance since 2010. This number will increase to 2.7 million once the personal allowance reaches £10,000 in April 2014.

Minimum Wage

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) prosecutions and (b) cautions for not paying the minimum wage there were in each year from its introduction to 2008-09. [173525]

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Mr Gauke: The Government take the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them, investigating the complaint and, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where we identify a high risk of non-payment of NMW.

HMRC has never issued cautions for not paying the minimum wage because, where arrears due to non-payment of the minimum wage are identified, a formal notice of underpayment is sent to the employer.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 152W, to the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy).

National Insurance Contributions

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people and employers will be ineligible for the national insurance employment allowance for each of the exceptions classes set out in Clause 2 of the National Insurance Contributions Bill 2013. [174081]

Mr Gauke: It is estimated that around 50,000 employers will be ineligible for the national insurance contributions employment allowance.

Current figures estimate 1.3 million employers are liable to pay national insurance contributions. The national insurance employer allowance will benefit 1.25 million employers.

Further information about the scheme is published and available on:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-insurance-contributions-bill

Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has been in each year between 1993 and 2013. [173703]

Nicky Morgan: The following table sets out total managed expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product over the period from 1992-93 to 2012-13.

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The most recent forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility, published alongside Budget 2013, shows total managed expenditure will return to 40.5% of GDP by 2017-18.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Mr Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to sign the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. [173589]

Nicky Morgan: The Government welcome the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and is working with the European Commission and member states to agree the signing procedure. The UK expects to sign the Protocol before the end of the year.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of married couples in Chelmsford will benefit from the married couples tax allowance announced on 30 September 2013. [173837]

Mr Gauke: Reliable estimates are not available at this geographical level due to insufficient sample size.

VAT

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the effect on the cost of living of the rate of VAT. [900902]

Mr Gauke: The only way to deliver a sustained improvement in living standards is to tackle the economy's problems head on and deliver a recovery that works for all.

Decisive action on the deficit—to which VAT is making a significant contribution—has been an essential part of making a soundly-based recovery.

Welfare Tax Credits

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards were made in relation to children who were aged (a) 17, (b) 18 and (c) 19 in the last year. [173692]

Nicky Morgan [holding answer 4 November 2013]: The following table is based on a snapshot of tax credits awards as at April 2013 and represents the number of families with a 17/18/19-year-old as of April 2013. It is liable to change once awards are finalised.

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Tax credits are awarded at a family level, and that is how the information is provided.

Families have been included in a group if they have at least one eligible child of the relevant age. They will be counted in more than one group if they have multiple children of the ages 17, 18 or 19.

Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Essex

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in rolling out broadband to (a) towns and (b) villages in Essex. [173839]

Mr Vaizey: According to Ofcom's recent infrastructure report 73% of premises in the UK now have access to superfast broadband and approximately 97% have the ability to access standard broadband with speeds of 2 Mbps or above. The Government have committed to achieve 95% superfast coverage by 2017 and to ensure universal availability of standard broadband. Essex county council entered into a contract in August 2013 for delivery of a project to extend superfast broadband in rural areas and to provide universal standard broadband, and survey and design work is under way. Essex has received £6.46 million from DCMS, which has been matched by Essex county council.

Ofcom also reported that Essex county had 74% superfast broadband coverage by October 2013.

HMS Victory

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence about salvage operations on the wreck of HMS Victory; and if she will make a statement. [173850]

Mr Vaizey: Ministers and officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have had regular discussions about the future protection and management of HMS Victory, which sank in 1744. Proposals from the Maritime Heritage Foundation are currently under consideration and no final decisions have been taken.

Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources available to her Department to exercise the default powers of the Secretary of State provided for in the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. [168574]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 12 September 2013]: The Department has officials with appropriate skills and knowledge to advise the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on the use of her statutory powers under the Public Library and Museum Act 1964 and

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together with the Department's regular consultation with a range of stakeholders with relevant expertise is able to ensure suitable support is provided.

Sports: Chelmsford

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the proportion of people aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 24, (c) 25 to 39, (d) 40 to 60 and (e) over 60 years old who regularly take part in recreational sport in Chelmsford constituency; and what change there has been in those figures in the last three years. [173840]

Mr Vaizey: Sport England's Active People Survey measures the number of people aged 16 and above taking part in sport across England at least once a week, every week. For the Chelmsford local authority, the survey shows that:

44.3% of people aged 16 and above play sport regularly. This is a decrease of 0.4% since 2010.

70.2% of people aged 16-34 play sport regularly. This is an increase of 7.7% since 2010.

42.2% of people aged 35-54 play sport regularly. This is a decrease of 3.8% since 2010.

25.3% of the population aged 55+ play sport regularly. This is a decrease of 2.6% since 2010.

We do not hold statistics on the proportion of under 16-year-olds playing sport regularly in Chelmsford.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to reply to the Question from the hon. Member for Barnsley Central tabled on 9 September 2013 on the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. [173922]

Mr Vaizey: This question will be answered today.

Defence

Army

Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) manning and (b) sustainability figures were for each battalion of the (i) Royal Regiment of Scotland (and its antecedent units),(ii) Brigade of Guards, (iii) Parachute Regiment, (iv) Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and (v) Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in each of the last 15 years. [174083]

Mr Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the information placed in the Library of the House on 17 October 2012 which provides manning and sustainability figures for the whole of the Infantry for the period from January 1995 to October 2011.

The manning figures for 2012 and 2013 are shown in the following table:

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Information on sustainability for 2012 and 2013 is not held. The estimates of sustainability for the period 1995 to 2011 were produced as part of the Army's work for Army 2020 and is not information that is generally produced.

Home Ownership

Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to help improve home ownership amongst members of the armed forces. [900874]

Anna Soubry: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Romsey and Southampton North (Caroline Nokes), Montgomeryshire (Glyn Davies), Selby and Ainsty (Nigel Adams) and Banbury (Sir Tony Baldry) on 4 November 2013, Official Report, columns 10-11.

Military Alliances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the five-year plan for Five Powers Defence Arrangements exercises. [173506]

Dr Murrison: Since the five year plan for Five Powers Defence Arrangements exercises is a classified document, I am unable to place a copy in the Library of the House.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to extend the Five Powers Defence Arrangements to cover non-conventional threats. [173507]

Dr Murrison: The Five Powers Defence Arrangements are not specific to any particular threat type. Therefore, I see no requirement to extend them.

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Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to meet his Malaysian counterpart to discuss the Five Powers Defence Arrangements. [173509]

Dr Murrison: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA) with his Malaysian counterpart at the Shangri-La Dialogue this summer. I anticipate that the next time such discussions will take place will be at the next meeting of the Five Powers Defence Arrangements Ministerial Meeting (FDMM). This is due to be held in the middle of 2014.

Reserve Forces: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is taking place to assess the effect that service in the Reserves might have on young people from deprived backgrounds. [173983]

Mr Dunne: For individuals not in employment, reserve service offers an excellent opportunity to gain employment skills arid experience. The Ministry of Defence has piloted a number of training schemes for those not in employment, education or training, some of which have resulted in trainees achieving NVQ qualifications. These are programmes that the Department will be developing further.

Territorial Army: Northern Ireland

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the future use of Territorial Army bases in Northern Ireland. [173710]

Dr Murrison: There are no current plans to change the detail announced in the House by the Secretary of State for Defence, on 3 July 2013, Official Report, columns 49-53WS. Where Territorial Army bases no longer have a Defence purpose, they will be disposed of by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, in accordance with departmental procedures.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [173738]

Dr Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Europe, on 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 709W, to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds). The Department has hot made any plans for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

War Pensions

Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of applications to the war pension scheme are successful in receiving financial compensation. [174097]

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Mr Dunne: The following table provides the claims intake and those awarded by pension type under the provisions of the War Pensions Scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Warships

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for the (a) underspend in the building cost of HMS Portland and (b) overspend in the cost of HMS Sutherland. [173702]

Mr Dunne: In order to establish the reasons for the variation in the build costs of HMS Portland (in service date September 2001) and HMS Sutherland (in service date December 1997), it would be necessary to investigate historic contract information that is no longer held centrally by the Ministry of Defence and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Business, Innovation and Skills

EADS

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what public funding from the public purse EADS received in the latest period for which figures are available. [172376]

Michael Fallon [holding answer 31 October 2013]: EADS consists of a number of subsidiaries, including Airbus. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I provided to him on 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 579W.

The Government have a range of contractual and funding arrangements with EADS and its subsidiary companies, many of them commercially sensitive.

In the financial year 2012-13, EADS received payments on MOD contracts for just over £812 million. In addition, it received around £55 million in repayable interest-bearing loans and also grants for R&D and skills-related activities. Over the same period, EADS made repayments of existing loans to the UK Government of just over £160 million.

These figures do not include any arrangements that may have been made directly with the devolved Administrations or local authorities.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which companies have benefited from compensation for high energy user industry to mitigate the effect of the carbon floor tax to date; and what amount was received by each. [174109]

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Michael Fallon: The Government have begun compensating companies for the indirect costs of the European Union Emissions Trading System in accordance with the guidance which we published on 20 May. To date a total of £16 million has been paid to 17 companies.

To date no companies have been compensated for the indirect costs of the carbon floor price as we are waiting for state aid clearance from the European Commission. Subject to this we expect to commence compensation in 2014.

Exports

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the rate of growth in exports of (a) goods and (b) services from each UK region was in each of the last three years. [173431]

Michael Fallon: The annual rate of growth in goods exports from each UK region since 2010 is given in Table 1. These estimates are based on Regional Trade Statistics figures published by HMRC at the following link,

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx

A breakdown of UK exports of services by region is not available.

Graduates: Employment

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that British students have the skills to compete for jobs that are currently popular with migrants. [174013]

Matthew Hancock: We are reforming the skills system so that it is more rigorous, responds both to the needs of individuals and employers, matches the demands of the local labour market and helps businesses to grow. This will enable residents in England to gain the skills employers

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want and reduce businesses' reliance on migrant workers. The key elements of our reforms are expanding and raising the quality of apprenticeships, supporting and demanding improved standards in further education, and giving employers more direct control over skills provision.

Migrant workers are employed in different parts of the economy at various skill levels. We are addressing low skill levels in the workforce by fully funding basic English and maths and providing training targeted towards local employment opportunities. We are raising skill levels by supporting more higher apprenticeships, enabling progression to more highly skilled jobs, and encouraging universities to collaborate more closely with employers. We are determined to create a highly skilled workforce that can compete successfully with the best in the world.

Insolvency

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to preclude those who put companies into administration from choosing their own administrator. [173861]

Jo Swinson: The Government have no plans to bring forward additional legislation to preclude those who put companies into administration from choosing their own administrator as a number of safeguards already exist to ensure the administration process is not abused.

An administrator is already obliged by law to perform their functions in the interests of the company's creditors as a whole, regardless of how and by whom their appointment has taken place. Only authorised insolvency practitioners can be administrators and a creditor has the right to apply to Court for an order to remove an administrator if they feel there has been a breach of duty in relation to the company.

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give creditors' committees greater powers to instruct insolvency practitioners. [173862]

Jo Swinson: The purpose of a creditors' committee is to provide a forum for creditors to challenge and influence an insolvency practitioner's actions, including in relation to their remuneration.

Professor Elaine Kempson has recently published a review into fees charged by insolvency practitioner office-holders:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency/insolvency-profession/review-of-ip-fees

which proposes reforms to the way in which creditors engage in insolvency, including creditors' committees. We are now working on a proposed way forward and intend to make announcement in due course.

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce an insolvency practitioner ombudsman. [173863]

Jo Swinson: The Government are considering proposals to improve confidence in the insolvency practitioner regime and increase returns to creditors. This will include

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responding to Professor Elaine Kempson's report on insolvency practitioner office-holder's fees and enhancing the powers of the Secretary of State as oversight regulator.

This will build on recent reforms which introduced a single complaints gateway for anyone making a complaint against an insolvency practitioner, and common disciplinary guidelines for the recognised professional bodies which authorise insolvency practitioners:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency/contact-us/IP-Complaints-Gateway

Lasers

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment she has made of the availability of class 3a and 3b laser pens. [173892]

Jo Swinson: The Department has not made any assessment of the availability of class 3a and 3b laser pens.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials at what grades are employed to provide direct support to special advisers in his Department. [174048]

Jo Swinson: The Department has four ministerial special advisers who are directly supported by one faststream; one higher executive officer and two executive officer members of staff.

New Businesses: Essex

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many start-up loans have been granted to businesses in (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in the last five years. [173838]

Matthew Hancock: The Start-Up Loans scheme volumes for (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex are as follows. The Start-Up Loans Company does not capture data at constituency level, therefore the figures following are obtained by postcode region.

(a) Chelmsford—25 loans with a total value of £205,257

(b) Essex—83 loans with a total value of £586,447

Post Offices

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on local communities of post office branch closures; [173884]

(2) what steps he has taken to reduce the number of closures of post office branches. [173885]

Jo Swinson: This Government have made a commitment that there will be no Post Office closure programme, planned or otherwise, and is providing £1.34 billion to 2015 to modernise and create a sustainable Post Office network of at least 11,500 branches which is also compliant with the Government-set access criteria. The Post Office network has experienced a high level of stability since 2010, halting over two decades of closures and decline. The size of the network is at its most stable for over 20 years.

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Communities and Local Government

Billing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many invoices have been paid more than once resulting in a duplicate payment by his Department since May 2010. [174076]

Brandon Lewis: In my Department's publication “50 ways to save”, we asserted that councils could save money by conducting audits of potential duplicate payments and reforming accounts payable processes. This was based on research by Experian of both local and central Government bodies.

In my answer of 22 January 2013, Official Report, column 210-211W, I noted how my Department has itself undertaken such best practice, and had duly recovered £48,186 of taxpayers' money from duplicate payments, apart from a sum of £257 which was not recoverable. I also noted that we had commissioned business analytics and information services firm, PRGX, to carry out a full spend-recovery audit on our accounts payable system and help us further improve and reform administrative practices.

The PRGX analysis and best practice recommendations has since helped us recover further payments. From May 2010 to October 2013, a total of £61,301 has been recovered from 20 duplicate payments made in that period, while just £257 (from three payments) was not recoverable. My Department has also been able to recover a further £32,000 from historic payments made between 2006 and 2009.

PRGX's audit report has subsequently noted that 99.999% of the transaction value reviewed was processed correctly, and that:

"DCLG have been effective in limiting supplier overpayments. The low rate of errors identified by the audit and statement request process indicates the current processes and controls continue to limit supplier overpayments."

This sizeable saving endorses what we said in “50 ways to save”: systematically addressing duplicate payments is a common-sense way of saving taxpayers' money.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department issues e-bills when requesting payments from other bodies. [174078]

Brandon Lewis: Currently the Department for Communities and Local Government does not issue e-bills when requesting payments from other bodies, although, invoices are often sent as e-mail attachments. We do plan to implement e-billing in due course.

Care Homes

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the use of transfer or exit fees charged on retirement homes; and if he will make a statement. [173690]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 4 November 2013]: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not made an assessment on the use of transfer or exit fees that arise out of covenants found in leases in the residential leasehold retirement sector.

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The Office of Fair Trading published its report and recommendations on its investigation into transfer fees on 1 February 2013.

Council Tax

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many local authorities in England it is a default position to collect council tax payments via direct debit or other fractional payment means over 12 months rather than 10. [170597]

Brandon Lewis: Since April 2013. local taxpayers have been able to request to pay their council tax bills over 12 monthly payments rather than 10 payments, if they wish.

This is an option for individual taxpayers.

We have not specifically asked councils to change their default position. We do not collect data accordingly. But I am open to representations on how we can further promote this new right.

Electrical Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the risks of fire in the home caused by an increase in the use of moulded plastic fuse boards. [173383]

Brandon Lewis: Safety standards for electrical equipment are set by the British Standards Institute.

My Department has made no assessment of the risks of fire in the home caused by an increase in the use of moulded plastic fuse boxes. However, I am aware that the British Standards Institute is currently considering the issue of overheated cut out fuses following a report by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

First East

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) his Department and (b) relevant local authorities spent on 1st East Urban Regeneration Company throughout that body's existence. [171911]

Kris Hopkins: 1st East Urban Regeneration Company received support of £1,025,000 from the Department's delivery bodies—English Partnerships and subsequently the Homes and Communities Agency (of which the Homes and Communities Agency contributed £650,000)—from its formation in 2005 until its closure on 31 March 2011.

In addition to the above, the Department has supported the area formerly covered by 1st East Urban Regeneration Company, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth, in a number of ways:

The Coastal Communities Fund awarded Great Yarmouth borough council £600,000 to provide business and social enterprise support, skills and training to help create 200 businesses and 300 new jobs.

The Coastal Communities Fund also awarded Suffolk county council £762,000 to create 200 new employer-led apprenticeships to develop skills in the low-carbon energy sector in coastal communities in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

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The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone has been established in the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership area, covering two sites in Great Yarmouth and four sites around Lowestoft including the port areas of both towns.

The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership received £3 million from the Regional Growth Fund (Round 3) to provide access to finance to small and medium enterprises in East Anglia which includes Great Yarmouth. The programme will create over 150 jobs locally over its lifetime. The Local Enterprise Partnership was also successful in its application to extend the programme in Round 4, in July. The exact terms of the award, including grant and jobs target is currently being agreed.

European Regional Development funding has been provided to benefit businesses and support job creation across Norfolk and Suffolk. Projects in the area include SCORE, Hub to Spokes and East Coast Carbon Efficiency.

The Department does not hold information on local authority spending.

Foreign Investment in UK

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with UK Trade & Industry on inward investments into enterprise zones. [173664]

Kris Hopkins: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has had regular engagement with UK Trade & Industry in respect to their role regarding inward investment since the 24 enterprise zones were announced in 2011. This reflects the importance of their role in terms of attracting inward investment to the UK and actively supporting enterprise zones to market their offer to foreign direct investors.

Housing Estates: Management

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will commission a review of the level of service offered to homeowners by property management companies. [173601]

Kris Hopkins: The Government have no plans to commission a review of the level of service offered to homeowners by property management companies.

The “Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013” includes a power for the Secretary of State to require leasehold managing agents, among others, to belong to an approved redress scheme, and we are making rapid progress in putting such schemes in place.

Local Government

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the potential to reduce the number of statutory duties imposed on local authorities. [173379]

Brandon Lewis: The Government are committed to reducing burdens on local government, and has undertaken a series of steps to remove top-down inspection, rein in data reporting and scale back ring-fencing. Certainly, there is more to do.

My Department undertook a comprehensive review of the statutory duties that relate to local government in 2011. I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement of

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30 June 2011,

Official Report

, columns 58-9WS, on the conclusions of that review. There was not a great degree of consensus among the public, or indeed local government, on the way ahead.

Consequently, we think it best to take this forward on a case by case basis—for example, the draft Deregulation Bill contains provision for the removal of some redundant duties.

Local Government: Byelaws

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he intends to bring forward legislative proposals on new regulations to bring into effect a simplified byelaw process for local authorities. [173401]

Brandon Lewis: We intend before the end of this parliamentary Session to lay regulations simplifying councils' byelaw making processes.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what value of loans applied for under the Help to Buy scheme to date relate to properties in (a) Greater London and (b) the rest of England; and what estimate he has made of demand for the scheme in each region of the UK. [170024]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 9 October 2013]: The Help to Buy equity loan scheme is a demand-led scheme, which we anticipate will help up to 74,000 households into a new build home, supporting investment of over £3.7 billion, between 2013-14 and 2015-16.

Official statistics for the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, including local authority-level data, will be published by my Department on 21 November. Initial indications have indicated that the scheme has already helped 15,000 households reserve a new build home in the first six months.

As outlined in the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2012, Official Report, columns 32-5WS, my Department does not collate statistics by the former Government office regions.

The separate Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme is overseen by HM Treasury.

Non-domestic Rates: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total value of business rates levied in Nottinghamshire was in each of the last three years; and in which parliamentary constituency each business paying such rates is located. [170900]

Brandon Lewis: Details of the amount (in £ thousands) of non-domestic rates collectable from ratepayers in Nottinghamshire in respect of each of the last three years are shown in the following table. The figures shown are the amount authorities would collect in the year if everyone liable for non-domestic rates in that year had paid. This includes not only those who are

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liable to pay for the whole year but also those who are liable to pay for part of the year and takes account of the amount of relief given.

his information is contained in statistical releases on collection rates of council tax and non-domestic rates published on the DCLG part of the .gov.uk website.

Data for 2010-11 can be found in table 7 of the 2010-11 release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collection-rates-for-council-tax-and-non-domestic-rates-in-england-2010-to-2011

Data for 2011-12 and 2012-13 can be found in table 4 of the 2012-13 release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collection-rates-for-council-tax-and-non-domestic-rates-in-england-2012-to-2013

The data are as reported by billing authorities on the annual quarterly collection rates of council tax (QRC4) return. Data are not collected at a constituency level.

Year-on-year changes reflect a number of factors such as: changes in the base; the retail prices index adjustment to annual bills; and variations in levels of relief granted.

The Government's commitment to the annual retail prices index cap means that there has been no real terms increase in business rates since 1990. We have also taken a number of steps on business rates. We have: temporarily doubled the level of small business rate relief for a further year—making three and a half years in total—so that the higher level of relief will apply throughout 2013-14; announced a new measure which will mean that empty new builds will be exempt from empty property rates for up to 18 months up to state aid limits between 1 October 2013 and 31 October 2016; simplified the process for claiming small business rate relief by removing red tape; introduced business rate relief in the Enterprise Zones; waived £175 million of backdated business rates demands levied on businesses, including some in ports; and given local authorities wide ranging, discretionary powers to grant business rates discounts.

Senior Civil Servants

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many senior staff his Department shares with other Government departments. [174079]

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government shares two senior staff with other Government Departments. One is the Director of Internal Audit and the other the Deputy Director of

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Estates. While not shared, Sir Bob Kerslake combines his role as DCLG Permanent Secretary with his Head of the Civil Service role.

Energy and Climate Change

Energy Company Obligation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Energy Company Obligation measures were installed, by type of obligation, between October 2012 and December 2012. [174141]

Gregory Barker: The latest monthly statistical release showed that a provisional 244,882 measures were installed under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) to end of August 2013. Very few of these measures were installed before 2013 but Table 1 as follows provides a breakdown by installation date in 2012 and type of obligation.

The latest monthly statistical release can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-october-2013

Energy: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his response to the hon. Member for Southampton Test of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 1101, which levies on consumer energy (a) are and (b) are not subject to the Review announced by the Prime Minister on 23 October 2013. [173984]

Gregory Barker: Further details will be announced at the time of the autumn statement. As has already been stated publicly, the work of the review is not looking at investment incentives for renewables, the renewables obligation, contracts for difference and feed in tariffs, which are essential for the Government's long term investment programme in the energy sector.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [173740]

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds), on 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 709W. The Department has not made any plans for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

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Water Power

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total spending in the (a) public and (b) private sector of all research on (i) wave and (ii) tidal energy sources since 2010; and if he will make a statement. [173864]

Gregory Barker: The Government have spent approximately £47.42 million to support research and development for wave and tidal technologies since 2010/11 to 2012/13. Spending per technology type is not currently available.

In addition, some of these schemes leverage additional private sector funding. There may be other private sector research spend which organisations undertake without public sector support.

International Development

Afghanistan

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consideration she has given to introducing longer tours of stay for civilian staff of her Department in Afghanistan. [174067]

Justine Greening: DFID follows standard tour and rotation lengths in line with other UK Government Departments in the British embassy.

Charitable Donations

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to encourage employees to make tax-free donations directly from salaries. [174082]

Justine Greening: The Department has a mechanism for staff to donate via payroll giving (Give as You Earn) and this arrangement is published to all staff via the internal staff intranet.

Developing Countries: Genetically Modified Organisms

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department gave to support the development of genetically modified organisms in the latest period for which figures are available. [174066]

Justine Greening: No DFID funding is specifically allocated to genetically modified organisms.

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Lost Property

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what equipment of her Department has been lost or stolen (a) overseas and (b) in the UK since 2011. [173920]

Justine Greening: DFID's central write off records show the following equipment reported as lost or stolen, overseas and in the UK, during the years ended 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2013:

Philippines

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department is providing to those affected by the recent earthquake in the Philippines. [173701]

Mr Duncan: DFID is providing a package of humanitarian support to over 300,000 people displaced as part of the Bohol earthquake and Zamboanga emergency, and to 945,000 people internally displaced by natural disaster and conflict in the Mindanao region of the Philippines.

The UK will provide around £4.3 million to meet urgent shelter, health and sanitation, and food needs. The UK support will also help to protect those caught up in violence and conflict, particularly women and girls. Funds will be managed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Stress

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what decompression support is available to civilian staff of her Department after a period of duty overseas. [174065]

Justine Greening: DFID offers decompression support to staff both during and after a period of duty overseas in accordance with best practice developed through close co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Work and Pensions

Crisis Loans

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of the money allocated for crisis loans from local authorities was distributed in the first two quarters of this year; [174085]

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(2) what assessment he has made of the criteria used by local authorities for determining eligibility for crisis loans; [174086]

(3) if he will monitor the administration of crisis loans by local authorities. [174090]

Steve Webb: Crisis loans are not administered by local authorities. From 1 April 2013, crisis loans were abolished, and funding transferred to English local authorities and the Scottish and Welsh governments, to deliver new local welfare provision. The new provision allows local authorities to deliver tailored, flexible support to those in greatest need based on detailed knowledge of the issues they are facing in their communities. This funding is now therefore better targeted than the previous, more remote, centralised system.

The money was allocated based on the percentage of spend of the discretionary Social Fund budget in a local authority area between April 2011 and September 2011. That was the most up-to-date information the Government had on Social Fund spend by local authority area at the time of allocation.

Further details are available on our website at:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130513091402/http://dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/social-fund-reform/

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130513091402/http://dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-fund-settlement-funding-allocation.pdf

We are committed to conducting a review of how local authorities are operating their schemes during 2014. This will be based on a sample of local authorities.

Employment and Support Allowance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether someone who is awaiting a mandatory reconsideration on an application for employment support allowance and who possesses a note from a doctor stating they are unfit for work is eligible to receive jobseeker's allowance; and what guidance his Department has issued to jobcentres to cover such a circumstance. [174092]

Esther McVey: Claimants cannot receive employment and support allowance and jobseeker's allowance at the same time. Where a claimant has been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment, the decision is binding on the decision maker for all benefits, including jobseeker's allowance. Where such decisions are made, the Department advises the claimant and the GP that medical evidence is no longer required, as benefit entitlement is based on a functional assessment carried out by a health care professional, rather than on the basis of a fit note from the doctor. Consequently a person with a fit note could be eligible for jobseeker's allowance if the conditions of entitlement are met.

DWP advisers have the flexibility to tailor conditionality to suit a claimants circumstances and appropriate guidance is issued to DWP staff in Jobcentres.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been referred to Work Choice in each month since it commenced. [174073]

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Esther McVey: A quarterly breakdown of the number of Work Choice referrals up to 30 June 2013 can be found in the following publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229350/work-choice-statistics-august-2013.pdf

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are currently engaged in Work Choice. [174074]

Esther McVey: Information on how many people are currently engaged in Work Choice is not available. Data are collected on the number of people who start Work Choice and the number of people who subsequently achieve a job outcome. This can be found up to 30 June 2013 in the following publication.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229350/work-choice-statistics-august-2013.pdf

Housing Benefit

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what performance targets he has established for local authorities on the processing and payment of housing benefit. [174075]

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions does not set housing benefit targets for local authorities, who are themselves responsible for the administration of housing benefit. However, the Department does publish average speed of processing statistics and officials may contact a local authority if they have concerns about its processing times.

The average speed of processing statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefit-statistics-on-speed-of-processing--2

Jobcentre Plus

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is available for Jobcentre Plus advisers on autism. [173874]

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus advisers have access to a comprehensive learning programme to support them in dealing with claimants with varied health conditions which includes autism. This learning focuses on raising awareness of the individual's personal circumstances and recognises that health conditions, such as autism, can affect individuals in different, ways. Staff also have access to a suite of guidance and specialist sources of help including the Hidden Impairment Toolkit and the ‘Employment Health Conditions Disability Guide note for Advisers’, which provides practical advice and guidance on how best to support individuals with autistic spectrum disorders into employment.

Disability employment advisers receive additional learning appropriate to this specialist area. Their training has been designed in conjunction with specialist DWP occupational psychologists to enable them to provide effective support to people with particular complex needs and includes case studies relating to autism to ensure the key points are communicated effectively in the learning.

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Universal Credit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of withdrawing housing benefit protection under universal credit on (a) rent arrears and (b) the average length of a claim for people recently unemployed. [173915]

Steve Webb: No assessment is available, as there is no direct link between the housing benefit system and universal credit.

The 13-week protection rule in housing benefit allows a more generous level of support for people who have not claimed in the preceding 12 months and who could afford their rent when they took on the commitment. It was designed to provide protection for people on higher incomes who lose their jobs, allowing them a buffer period before their rent support is reduced to the local housing allowance level.

Introducing such a provision in universal credit would benefit only those whose earnings when in work were high enough to lift them clear of Universal credit. Lower-income workers would not be eligible for this protection if they lost their job. Further it would be incompatible with universal credit design principles, and would add complexity and administrative costs to the calculation process.

Education

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what the purpose is of his Department's survey of ratios in nurseries and other childcare settings; what the cost is of conducting the survey; how long it will run for; and when the results of the survey will be published; [174103]

(2) what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Deputy Prime Minister and his office about his Department's survey of ratios in nurseries and other childcare settings. [174102]

Elizabeth Truss: In 2008, ratios were changed so that nurseries could have 13 children aged three and over per adult when led by a teacher. ‘More Affordable Childcare’, published in July 2013, said that the Government would “continue to encourage providers to employ graduates, by making greater use of the existing 1:13 ratio for three- and four-year-olds where there is a teacher, Early Years Professional, or other suitably-qualified graduate working directly with the children”. We want this flexibility to be used more widely because evidence shows that teacher-led provision improves outcomes for children.

The survey was designed to inform our understanding about what barriers might be preventing early years providers from using this existing flexibility. There was no additional, external cost to this activity beyond the normal use of existing departmental resources. The survey was posted on a website for just under a week and has now concluded.

The Department for Education continues to work closely with the Deputy Prime Minister's office and others across the Government's child care reform agenda.

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Free Schools

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether governors of free schools are individually and collectively responsible for the repayment of false financial claims made by the school of which they are governors. [173397]

Mr Timpson: Free schools are a type of academy trust and the model for academy governance was established at the start of the academies programme in September 2002. Individual governors can only be held liable for the repayment of false financial claims made by the school if it is proven that they have breached their duties as either directors or trustees of the academy trust.

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department takes to monitor the finances and expenditures of free schools. [173464]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education has established an accountability system for academy trusts, including those operating free schools, which reflects their status as companies, charities and public bodies. The accountability system for academy trusts is more robust than it is for maintained schools.

Academy trusts are constituted as companies limited by guarantee, so are subject to the full rigour of the Companies Act. This means that, unlike maintained schools, academies are required to file independently audited accounts. Because academy trusts are constituted as companies their governors are also company directors. This means that academy governors are subject to the full range of statutory and fiduciary duties required of a company director. Academies are also constituted as charitable trusts. This means that the governors of academy trusts have the additional responsibility of also being charitable trustees and therefore are also subject to the full range of statutory and fiduciary duties which apply to trustees.

Academy trusts must also comply with the requirements of the funding agreement and the academies financial handbook. Under this system, trusts are required to provide the following returns to the Education Funding Agency (EFA): annual financial statements audited by a registered auditor and an audited report on regularity of expenditure and income; statements from the trust's accounting officer on regularity, propriety and value for money; a budget forecast return; a financial management and governance self-assessment (provided shortly after an academy opens) and an electronic accounts return.

The EFA adopts a risk based approach to reviewing these returns, to provide assurance over the regularity of expenditure and income and to monitor financial health. Action is taken in response to issues or concerns raised by these returns, as necessary.

The financial viability and resilience of free school proposals is also tested at the application stage. During pre-opening, free school projects are required to account fully for the pre-opening grants provided by the Department. As income and costs are clarified during the pre-opening stage, revised financial projections are scrutinised prior to the Secretary of State entering into a funding agreement with the academy trust to operate the school.

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GCSE

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether people who did not achieve a GCSE grade A*-C in (a) English and (b) mathematics by the end of Year 11 will be expected to have done so by the age of 18 as part of 16-19 study programmes. [173821]

Elizabeth Truss: From September 2013, students aged 16 to 19 who have not yet achieved a GCSE grade C or above in English and mathematics by age 16 must continue to work towards achieving these qualifications. This requirement will be made a condition of post-16 student places being funded from September 2014.

Students who are not ready to retake their GCSEs immediately may take other approved qualifications to help equip them for their GCSEs.

The Government announced this requirement in July 2012.¹ The Education and Funding Agency has published guidance on 16 to 19 funding, including the English and mathematics conditions of funding.²

¹http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/https:/www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00069-2012

²http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/f/funding%20review%20june%2013%20v4.pdf

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Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many secondary school students sitting GCSEs were eligible for free school meals in each year since 2004; what number and proportion of such students were entered for the EBac suite of subjects, both as a number and as a percentage of free school meal students; how many and what proportion of such students achieved grades A*-C in EBac subjects; and what proportion of such students entered for the EBac achieved the required grades. [174099]

Mr Laws: The following table provides information on the number and percentage of pupils who were entered for and achieved the EBacc by free school meal eligibility in 2010/11 and 2011/12. The table also shows the number and percentage of pupils who achieved an A*-C in each of the EBacc subjects by free school meal eligibility.

It is not possible to provide information prior to 2010/11 as this would incur disproportionate costs. The answer is based on the standard count of pupils at the end of key stage 4 as that gives a cumulative picture of the attainment for a whole cohort as opposed to those who sat GCSEs in a particular year.

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Roads: Safety

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will expand the teaching of road safety and the Highway Code in schools as part of the national curriculum. [173582]

Elizabeth Truss: Road safety and the Highway Code are topics which schools may include in personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) which is a non-statutory subject in a school's curriculum. PSHE equips children with the knowledge and skills to make safe and informed decisions. Teachers are well-placed to judge which topics to cover, tailored to the needs of their pupils and in the context of the school's overall programme.

Schools: Standards

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) pupil progress and (b) staff morale of (i) performance related pay and (ii) other methods to achieve and maintain high quality teaching and leadership in schools; and if he will make a statement. [173645]

Mr Laws: The evidence is clear that having the highest quality teachers in the classroom gives pupils the best chances of achieving their full educational potential. Analysis of data from England has shown that being taught by a high quality teacher rather than a low quality one adds 0.425 of a GCSE point per subject to a pupil's attainment¹. We have a range of policies in place designed to improve teacher quality and we are constantly assessing the impact that these policies are having.

For instance, the reforms we have introduced to ensure that the brightest and best new graduates see teaching as an attractive profession mean that we now have the highest ever recorded proportion (71%) of new teachers with a first or upper-second class degree.

Our reform of teachers' pay is giving schools greater flexibility to pay the best teachers more and so reward good performance. The first pay decisions under the new arrangements will not take place until autumn 2014.

¹ http://www.bris.ac.uk/cmpo/publications/papers/2009/wp212.pdf

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on ensuring that changes to the special educational needs system are reflected in the outcomes of the Autism Strategy Review. [173873]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education is represented at official level on the Department of Health's Autism Strategy Programme Board and gives regular updates on the proposed changes to the special educational needs (SEN) system, particularly as they affect the transition from children's to adult services. The most recent meeting of the board was on 22 October and the Department for Education attended. Officials from the two Departments also meet regularly to discuss the review and the implications for it of the SEN clauses in the Children and Families Bill.

The Department for Education will continue to work with the Department of Health to ensure that any revision of the Autism Strategy properly reflects the proposed changes to the special educational needs system.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the provision of needs assessments for parents or carers of disabled children and the availability of support for such carers. [173918]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education has considered the availability of needs assessments and support for parent-carers of disabled children, working with other Government Departments. The Department is satisfied that there is a strong framework of support in place. There already exists legislation to assess parent-carers' needs within the Children Act 1989 in so far as it meets the needs of individual children in need. Local authorities can provide services to the family members of a child in need with a view to safeguarding or promoting the child's welfare.

The Government have invested significantly in support for parent-carers of disabled children. This includes committing over £800 million for local authorities to invest in short breaks for both the disabled children and their carers between April 2011 and March 2015 through unringfenced grants, backed by new duties introduced in 2011. The reforms outlined in the Children and Families Bill, along with wider reforms in education and health, will strengthen the current system further for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), including those who are disabled, and give much greater, more joined-up support to parent-carers.

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what risk assessment (a) his Department and (b) the National College of Teaching and Leadership made of the implications for teacher supply of an expansion in School Direct places. [174100]

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Mr Laws: Based on the estimated number of trainees needed, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) allocates teacher training places to accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers and schools involved in the School Direct scheme (which have to be partnered with an accredited ITT provider).

Each year, there are approximately 45,000 new teachers in state schools. Of these, around half (23,500) are newly qualified teachers; a third (14,700) qualified earlier; and a fifth (8,200) are returning to teaching. We do not assume that all trainees will complete their training successfully and/or teach immediately in a state school, and that is built into our estimation of places needed.

This year, as we do every year, we have allocated ITT places above the estimated number of trainees required. This helps us to ensure we train enough teachers, taking account of the likely level, of recruitment in each subject. The allocation number is not a target and should not be regarded as one. If it is not reached, that does not mean that there will be a shortage in trainees.

School Direct is a response to what schools have asked for: more influence and control over the way that teachers are trained. Schools' enthusiasm for school-led provision has been demonstrated in the increasing interest for School Direct places—schools have requested 17,700 School Direct places this year compared with 9,400 last year. Last year NCTL was able to grant all requests for School Direct places. This year, however, we have allocated 15,400 of the 17,700 of the places that schools have asked for.

On 31 October, NCTL wrote to lead schools and ITT providers (school-centred initial teacher training and higher education institutions) to inform them of their ITT allocations. Institutions will confirm the number of places they want in the coming weeks. NCTL will then publish the final allocations by lead school and ITT provider to inform applicants' decisions.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many initial teacher training enrolments have been made by (a) mode, (b) subject and (c) provider in the latest period for which data are available; what estimate he has made of the number of multiple applications within that figure; and what proportion of such applications are (i) over and (ii) under National College for Teaching and Leadership targets. [174105]

Mr Laws: The latest period for which initial teacher training (ITT) enrolment data are available is for the 2012/13 academic year and can be found in the ITT Census 2012/13¹. A copy has been placed in the House Library. The ITT census 2012/13 published data do not include individual provider level information. The data refer to new entrants and does not include applications data.

¹Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census

In 2012/13, applicants were allowed to make four applications through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) application portal for provider places, of which only one application could be active at any one time (note that a small number of providers chose not to use this system). There were no restrictions on the number of applications an applicant could submit for School Direct in 2012/13 as applicants applied directly to the school in the pilot year.

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NCTL does not have a target for the number of applications to ITT places.

The ITT census 2013/14 will be released on 26 November.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [173739]

Matthew Hancock: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds) on 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 709W. The Department has not made any plans for the UK to leave the EU.

Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) mean and (b) median wait in type 1 accident and emergency departments was in each quarter of the last six years. [174064]

Jane Ellison: The information from April 2008 to March 2012 is shown in the following table. Information prior to this is not available. Information for 2012-13 is not yet available.