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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 8 November 2013

Education

Academies

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the process is for closing down (a) a free school and (b) an academy. [174164]

Mr Timpson: A free school is legally an academy. The Secretary of State for Education's powers to intervene in an academy or a free school are specified in the funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the academy trust. Free school and academy funding agreements are published on the Department for Education's website as a matter of course once the school has opened.

Free Schools

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what powers his Department has to direct that a free school be closed; [174162]

(2) what powers his Department has to direct that the management of a failing free school be removed or replaced; [174163]

(3) what length of time a failing free school is given to improve before it will be (a) forced to close and (b) taken over by new leadership. [174210]

Mr Timpson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is responsible for ensuring that underperforming free schools and academies take steps to raise standards, and will not tolerate failure.

In extreme cases the Secretary of State for Education can intervene to enforce a change in leadership or force the school to close. Before intervening in an underperforming free school or academy, the Secretary of State will assess whether the Trust is taking, or has the necessary capacity to take, the appropriate action to improve standards.

The Secretary of State's powers to intervene are specified in the funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the Academy Trust.

Free school and academy funding agreements are published on the Department for Education's website once the school has opened.

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will create a framework for the monitoring visits carried out by his Department that free schools undergo in their first year of operation; and who is accountable for acting on required improvements. [174211]

Mr Timpson: A framework for monitoring open free schools' education performance is already in place.

All free schools receive a visit from an Education Adviser in their first term to assess progress since opening, with follow up monitoring in terms two and three where required. The Education Advisers report back any issues to the Department.

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Where Education Advisers have identified any problems, these have been raised with the relevant school's Trust. Follow-up visits are then conducted to give assurance that these have been resolved.

Mass Media

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on media monitoring in the most recent year for which figures are available. [173199]

Elizabeth Truss: In 2012-13 the Department spent £131,042 on media monitoring.

For comparison, a previous parliamentary question, answered on 6 November 2008, Official Report, column 758W, revealed that £240,000 was spent by the Department on media monitoring in 2008-09.

Special Educational Needs: Hearing Impairment

Sir Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Ofsted inspection reports on mainstream schools in the past year have commented on the quality of specialist education support services for deaf children. [174648]

Mr Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the right hon. Member. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Vocational Education

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to acquire vocational skills at Level 3. [174160]

Matthew Hancock: New Tech levels will be high-quality level 3 vocational qualifications which meet new rigorous standards which include endorsement by professional and industry bodies and prepare a young person for entry to a particular occupation. Some Tech levels will confirm occupational competence directly whereas others will provide a route into an advanced or higher apprenticeship or onto an occupational degree or higher education course.

The Government have also introduced the Technical Baccalaureate (TechBacc) measure which will recognise the highest level of technical training in vocational skills at level 3. The TechBacc measure recognises the achievement of students taking an approved Technical Level qualification, a level 3 maths qualifications and the extended project qualification.

Both Tech levels and the TechBacc will be introduced for courses beginning in September 2014, for reporting in the 16 to 19 performance tables from 2016.

Vocational Guidance

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to ensure the quality, independence and impartiality of careers guidance for young people. [174159]

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Matthew Hancock: Since September 2012, all schools have been under a duty to secure independent and impartial careers guidance for pupils in years 9 to 11. The duty was extended to years 8 to 13 from September 2013 and an equivalent requirement for 16 to 18-year-old further education students was included in college funding agreements.

The Government commissioned Ofsted to conduct a thematic review to assess early progress on implementation of the legal duty and this reported on 10 September. The Government responded on the same day, publishing a vision statement for careers inspiration and an action plan outlining how we intend to take forward their recommendations. Both documents are available in the House of Commons Library.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what consultation his Department has carried out with (a) schools, (b) further education colleges, (c) local authorities and (d) voluntary sector organisations in the development of the revised statutory guidance for schools on their duty to secure independent and impartial careers advice announced by the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise on 10 September 2013; [174173]

(2) when his Department plans to publish revised statutory guidance for schools on their duty to secure independent and impartial careers advice announced by the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise on 10 September 2013. [174197]

Matthew Hancock: The Department is discussing with further education colleges, local authorities and voluntary sector organisations before publishing statutory guidance for schools planning careers provision for the 2014/15 academic year.

Young People: Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many employers had provided at least one (a) apprenticeship and (b) job with accredited training for young people aged 16 to 17 years under the Youth Contract in each region by (i) March and (ii) September 2013; [174070]

(2) how many young people aged 16 to 17 years were engaged into a positive outcome through the Youth Contract in each region by (a) March and (b) September 2013; and how many such people secured (i) an apprenticeship and (ii) a job with accredited training; [174071]

(3) how much his Department had spent on the Youth Contract for 16 to 17 years olds by 30 September 2013. [174072]

Matthew Hancock: For the period from August 2012 to 30 September 2013, the Department for Education has spent £10.4 million on delivering the Youth Contract programme for 16 and 17-year-olds.

From August 2012 to September 2013, 11,920 young people have enrolled on the Youth Contract programme for 16 and 17-year-olds.

The following table shows that 4,114 (34.5%) of the young people who enrolled on the Youth Contract programme have subsequently re-engaged into a positive outcome of: full-time education or training funded by

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the Education Funding Agency; or an apprenticeship or a job with accredited training equivalent to 280 guided learning hours per year (around one day per week); or part-time education funded by the Education Funding Agency of at least seven hours of directed learning per week in each region for August 2012 to September 2013. The table also shows which of these young people have moved into a positive outcome of an apprenticeship or a job with accredited training.

We do not hold information on the number of employers who have provided an apprenticeship or a job with accredited training for young people through the Youth Contract for 16 and 17-year-olds.

Communities and Local Government

Council Housing: Rents

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to each local authority in England of recouping rent arrears owed by council house tenants since 1 April 2013. [174655]

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not collect statistics on the cost to local authorities of recouping rent arrears.

Domestic Accidents

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fatalities there were due to home accidents caused by use or misuse of electrical installations in each of the last 10 years. [172194]

Stephen Williams: Fatalities caused by the use or misuse of electrical installations in the home can occur in electric shock accidents and electrical fires.

The Department keeps statistics on deaths in electrical fires by source of ignition. Electrical sources range from fuse boxes/consumer units and fixed mains wiring, to white goods and portable appliances and their leads.

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The information requested has been tabulated for the financial year periods 2002-03 to 2012-13 and has been deposited with the Library of the House.

Information about electric shock fatalities is kept by the Office for National Statistics. The Department analysed data for the years up to 2010 as part of its recent review of Part P of the Building Regulations (Electrical safety in dwellings). The analysis can be viewed in the Part P Impact Assessment at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-part-p-electrical-safety-in-dwellings

More detailed and up-to-date information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The combined figures fluctuate from year to year, so that the trend in recent years is difficult to discern. However, there has been a significant fall since the mid-90s (from around 90 to 55 fatalities a year) due to a range of measures, including: campaigns encouraging householders to fit and test smoke detectors (around 88% of homes now have smoke alarms, up from around 70% in the mid-90s); community fire safety work educating people on the safe use of electrical equipment; improvements in electrical installation and product standards—in particular the use of residual current devices to prevent fatal electric shocks; and bringing electrical installation work in dwellings under the control of Part P of the Building Regulations.

Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department had with the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing, Raquel Rolnik during her visit to the UK in September 2013. [169265]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 8 October 2013]: The right hon. Member for Bath (Mr Foster), then the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, had one meeting with the Special Rapporteur. She also met with various departmental officials for a general introduction to a range of departmental issues.

At the end of her visit, the Special Rapporteur had a very brief meeting with the Secretary of State (by which time her press statement and interim report had been drafted). I note that she did not meet Ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions, who are the lead on welfare reform and the removal of the spare room subsidy.

Government Ministers expressed concerns about factual inaccuracies in the interim report and press statement and elements of the Special Rapporteur's activity while in the United Kingdom, and we welcome her subsequent acknowledgment that referring to the policy as the “bedroom tax” was inaccurate.

We understand the final report will be published in March 2014, after which the UK Government will provide an appropriate, formal commentary on its contents.

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what his policy is on tackling low demand housing in unpopular neighbourhoods; [173456]

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(2) what guidance his Department has given to local authorities on low demand housing in unpopular neighbourhoods; [173465]

(3) whether he intends to issue new guidance to local authorities on responding to low demand housing in unpopular neighbourhoods. [173466]

Kris Hopkins: The Government's policy on removing the blight that rundown vacant properties cause is as stated in the written ministerial statement on Empty Homes, issued on 10 May 2013, Official Report, column 13-14WS.

Local Government: Translation Services

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money spent on translation services by local authorities each year. [174190]

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 5WS, which outlines our guidance asking councils to stop translating into foreign languages. Such translation wastes taxpayers' money and undermines community integration.

That statement noted estimates had suggested that councils previously spent nearly £20 million a year on translation.

We do not centrally hold more recent figures, but I would encourage the press and public to hold councils to account on any continued spending in this area. To facilitate such scrutiny, armchair auditors may wish to start off by examining councils' spending data over £500 which should be available on every council's website.

I note the hon. Member is quoted in the Daily Express (19 September 2013) rightly criticising the London borough of Tower Hamlets for its divisive spending on translation into foreign languages.

But I have taken the opportunity to examine the hon. Member's own (Labour-run) council. Tameside Metropolitan borough council's website boasts:

“Tame-side Council has access to a bank of Interpreters covering over 140 different languages.”

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/interpreters

The council's refuse collection Department even offers:

“to provide translation and interpretation facilities”

with its bin collections.

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/servicestandards/refuse

Stopping this wasteful spending would save taxpayers' money, helping protect frontline services and keep council tax down.

Planning

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department gives local planning authorities on asking people to state their sexual orientation when completing their responses to Joint Core Strategy or Local Plan consultation documents; and if he will make a statement. [174583]

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Brandon Lewis: In November 2012 DCLG issued statutory guidance to local authorities stating that in the interests of economy and efficiency, it is not necessary for authorities to undertake lifestyle or diversity questionnaires of suppliers or residents. This was reinforced in ‘50 ways to save: examples of sensible savings in local government’ published in December 2012.

I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made on 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 24-5WS, in which I announced the cancellation of the practice guidance ‘Diversity and Equality in Planning’ which was issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005.

The cancellation ended the need to carry out lifestyle and diversity surveys and equality impact assessments. It also removed the need for councils to translate into foreign languages, which undermines integration by discouraging people from learning English.

Private Rented Housing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions his Department has had on the introduction of a legal requirement for electrical safety checks in the private rented sector. [174768]

Kris Hopkins: A meeting was held between the Electrical Safety Council and the then Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Bath (Mr Foster). A number of issues were discussed including landlords' responsibilities under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to keep installations in their property, such as the supply of water, gas and electricity in good repair and proper working order. We recently published a draft Tenants' Charter as part of a wider package of measures to help tenants. The charter sets out what tenants can expect when renting a property and makes clear that landlords have a duty to keep electrical installations in proper working order and ensure any electrical equipment supplied with the property is safe.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure that landlords fulfil their legal obligation to provide a safe electrical installation and appliances to tenants. [174771]

Kris Hopkins: Landlords are under a duty to ensure that electrical installations are safe and in good repair. They are also responsible for ensuring that electrical appliances provided by them are kept in a safe condition where the property has been licensed by the local authority. The Department has published guidance for landlords which recommends that they have electrical installations and equipment regularly checked. Tenants who are concerned that their landlord is not maintaining the safety of their home can complain to their local authority who have extensive powers to investigate hazards and can take action if serious hazards are detected, including requiring the owner to remedy the defect or prohibiting use of the property. We recently announced a review to ensure that rented properties are safe and healthy. We also published a draft Tenants' Charter which sets out what tenants can expect when renting a property.

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Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will review the standard of housing provided by the private rented sector in England and whether it meets the decent homes standard. [174772]

Kris Hopkins: The private rented sector is a major part of our housing market, with 3.8 million households in England living in the sector. Over 83% of tenants in the sector are satisfied with the quality of their accommodation. We recently announced a package of further measures to help millions of hard-working tenants get a better deal when they rent a home. They include a review to ensure there is a robust system in place to check that tenants' homes are safe with appropriate standards of hygiene and sanitation. In addition, it will consider the current process for tenants to raise concerns about the condition of their home, look at how councils inspect properties and how they can demand landlords carry out maintenance, including taking action against landlords who continue to rent out dangerous and unacceptably dirty properties.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to answer question 169265, tabled by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central on 11 September 2013 for answer on 8 October 2013. [174136]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 6 November 2013]: Parliamentary question 169265 has been answered today.

International Development

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK has contributed to the UN Green Climate Fund; whether she has conducted an analysis of the value of the fund to the public purse; and what assessment she has made of the potential for the fund to achieve its aims of combating climate change globally. [174187]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK has contributed £500,000 to the administrative budget of the Green Climate Fund to support the design of the fund. The fund is still in the design phase but the Government are working to ensure it is set up to offer good value for money and will achieve its objective of addressing climate change. The Government will make an assessment of the value for money of the Green Climate Fund relative to alternatives and its potential to achieve its objectives once the main design elements have been agreed.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will attend the Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health between 10 and 13 November 2013. [174686]

Justine Greening: Senior officials from the Department will attend the Global Forum on Human Resources for Health.

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English Language

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of her Department's staff do not speak English as their first language. [174657]

Justine Greening: In line with other Government Departments, DFID does not collect data on first languages spoken by staff.

Languages

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what courses her Department provides to staff for learning a second language other than English. [174688]

Justine Greening: DFID staff can access Government-wide learning options.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Commonwealth

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Commonwealth countries about gay rights. [174765]

Mr Lidington: We are committed to working with the Commonwealth and its partners to help them uphold values of human rights, rule of law, democracy and development. We raise human rights issues, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights, with the Commonwealth Secretariat and with member states. We seek to increase debate on these issues, including on sexual orientation or gender identity, within and among Commonwealth countries.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has regular discussions with his Commonwealth counterparts on a wide range of human rights issues. Most recently, the Secretary of State raised this issue with the Foreign Minister of Uganda in the margins of the Somalia Conference on 7 May 2013. The Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), discussed LGBT rights during her visit to Uganda on 24 October 2013.

As another example, we regularly raise our concerns about the criminalisation of homosexuality, the treatment of the LGBT community and threats against human rights defenders with the Cameroon Government. The Secretary of State discussed these issues with Cameroon's Minister for External Relations on 2 September 2013.

Middle East

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Secretary of State concerning the conflict between Israel and Palestine. [174174]

Hugh Robertson: We remain in constant contact with the US Administration about the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, at both ministerial and official level. As I made clear during my recent visit to the region, Britain strongly supports the efforts being made by Secretary Kerry to achieve peace.

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Russia

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is giving to the British citizens involved in the recent Greenpeace protest on Arctic oil drilling and held in Russia as a consequence. [174744]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has pressed from the outset for consular visits and for lawyers, provided by Greenpeace, to have access to the six British nationals. Consular staff have regularly visited the six British nationals, most recently on 6 and 7 November. Their welfare is our priority. Detainees have raised a number of issues and we have worked with the relevant authorities to help address these, including securing phone calls home, prison comforts such as more blankets, and providing reading material. We also pressed for all those detained to be held in the same detention centre. We continue to stand ready to raise concerns they might have with the Russian authorities. We are also in regular contact with families in the UK.

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed with his Russian counterpart the situation of the six British citizens arrested after taking part in a Greenpeace protest in the Russian Federation on 18 September 2013; and if he will make a statement. [174776]

Mr Lidington: The Prime Minister raised this case with President Putin on 5 November and raised the need for prompt, fair and proportionate action by the Russian judicial system. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed this case with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on 4 November. I also raised this case with the Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom on 7 November.

Sri Lanka

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to raise awareness of and protect the human rights of (a) Prageeth Eknaligoda, who has been missing in Sri Lanka since January 2010 and (b) other overseas journalists and political prisoners. [174122]

Mr Swire: Our high commissioner in Colombo regularly raises concerns around media freedom and specific cases with the Sri Lankan Government. We remain very concerned about attacks on and intimidation of journalists. We look to the Sri Lankan Government to implement the recommendations contained in the March Human Rights Council resolution and comply with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which include the protection of the safety of journalists. We have urged the Sri Lankan Government to investigate the disappearance and location of Lanka E-News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Syria

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to apply pressure on the international community to fulfil pledges of humanitarian assistance to Syria and neighbouring countries. [174156]

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Hugh Robertson: The UK is calling on the international community to commit more funding urgently to reduce the shortfall in the UN humanitarian appeals for Syria and its neighbours in order to share the burden. Following successful UK lobbying at the G20 and the UN General Assembly, $1 billion in new funding has been pledged by the international community.

We regularly use our many diplomatic engagements to call on other nations, and international institutions, to give more to alleviate the awful suffering in Syria.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on what proportion of pledged humanitarian assistance has so far been made to neighbouring countries to Syria. [174181]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) work extremely closely in our efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. The two Departments are in regular contact at every level, including at ministerial level, to ensure the UK can unblock the delivery of pledged aid.

The UK has pledged £500 million in humanitarian assistance for the Syria crisis. Of this, £167 million is for Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. Thus far, £255 million of the total £500 million UK humanitarian aid has already been allocated to organisations responding to the crisis. £105 million of the regional aid has been allocated.

Both Departments are committed to making sure humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it, which is why I recently met Baroness Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to discuss the situation in Syria.

Home Department

Arrest Warrants

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations she has received (a) in favour of and (b) not in favour of opting in to use of the European Arrest Warrant; and if she will make a statement. [173687]

Mr Harper [holding answer 4 November 2013]: The Home Office does not hold records centrally on the number of representations made in favour of opting in to the European Arrest Warrant. In addition, records are not held centrally on the number of representations made which are not in favour of opting in to the European Arrest Warrant.

The Government sought and listened carefully to the views of law enforcement agencies before my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department announcement on 9 July 2013. This included senior representatives from the Security Service, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Metropolitan police, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the National Crime Agency, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Government also listened carefully to the views of other member states and the devolved Administrations.

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Borders: Personal Records

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking with the Northern Ireland Executive to address the failings identified by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration in relation to the e-borders scheme. [173659]

Mr Harper: While we have not engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive on these issues, Border Force is working with carriers and partners across Government to address the issues raised by the chief inspector of Borders and Immigration in his recent report. If we identify a future business need to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive, we will take this forward.

Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what fire safety arrangements were in place at Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre at the time of the fire on 18 October 2013; whether working sprinklers were in place; and whether a roll call of detainees and employees was held after evacuation of the building. [174611]

Mr Harper: Home Office Immigration Enforcement takes the welfare of detainees extremely seriously and complies with all relevant fire safety legislation.

Campsfield House has a full evacuation plan in the event of a fire or other major incident. This includes the requirement for a roll call of detainees and employees immediately following evacuation. I can confirm this was undertaken following the fire on 18 October. Fire drills are carried out at regular intervals.

Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre does not have a sprinkler system.

Entry Clearances

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many administrative reviews have been (a) requested and (b) completed following a refusal of an application made outside the UK for a visa to enter the UK for each of the last five years for which information is available. [174612]

Mr Harper: The information requested is shown in the following table:

The figures relate to main applicants and dependants. Because applicants have 28 days to lodge an Administrative Review (AR) request, and the AR is considered within 28 days of being lodged, the numbers of ARs resolved in a particular year will not match the numbers of ARs received in a particular year.

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Illegal Immigrants

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps she is taking to reduce numbers of illegal immigrants. [173285]

Mr Harper: Over the last three years we have reformed all major routes of entry to the UK for non-EEA migrants. We have also radically extended the use of visa interviews to separate out the genuine applicants from those trying to abuse the system and are on target to meet our goal of 100,000 interviews by April 2014, starting with the highest-risk countries.

At the border we are investing in new technology and resources to improve our response to attempts to enter the UK illegally. We have abolished the UK Border Agency and replaced it with two new operational commands sitting within the Home Office and reporting to Ministers. Of these, Immigration Enforcement has law enforcement at its heart and is focused on getting tough on those who break our immigration laws.

The coalition programme for government included a commitment to reintroduce exit checks and we will do this by 2015. This will improve our ability to identify those who have failed to comply with conditions of their leave to enter or remain in the UK.

We are also taking action in the Immigration Bill to make it increasingly difficult for illegal migrants to remain in the UK, including by denying access to private rented accommodation, financial services and driving licences. We are strengthening the enforcement of unpaid civil penalties owed by employers of illegal migrant workers. We will also make further changes to the civil penalties regulations in 2014 to double the maximum penalty to £20,000 for employing an illegal worker.

The Immigration Bill also includes power to remove illegal migrants without the need for a separate immigration decision, as well as speeding up and simplifying the appeal process reducing the categories under which they can appeal from 17 to four. The Bill also takes action to end the abuse of European Convention on Human Rights Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life). It sets out clearly what the public interest requires and ensures that courts considering Article 8 in immigration cases will give proper weight to Parliament's view of the public interest.

Immigration

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many text messages have been sent by Capita on behalf of the UK Border Agency informing individuals of termination of their right to remain in the UK since May 2010. [171603]

Mr Harper: Capita are contracted to contact migrants who may still be illegally in the UK. They do so through a variety of methods. Text messages are one of those methods. The messages do not have the effect of terminating the right to remain in the UK. They are sent to individuals whose right to remain, according to our records, has already expired. Notification of refusal or curtailment of leave will already have been sent by the Home Office by post, prior to individuals being referred to Capita. By the end of Quarter 2 2013, Capita had sent 25,180 such text messages.

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Immigration Controls

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many enquiries were received by the Employer Checking Service in each month in each of the last three years. [174681]

Mr Harper: The following figures show the number of Employer Checking Service check requests received each month for the last three years. The figures quoted are not National Statistics but are based on local management information.

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been removed from the United Kingdom following enforcement action under sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 since May 2010. [172051]

Mr Harper: [holding answer 22 October 2013]: Details of the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Eastern Europe

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking in preparation for the relaxation of transitional controls on migration from Romania and Bulgaria in 2014. [174517]

Mr Harper: We want to ensure that those who come to the UK from the EU or further afield, including Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, do so for the right reasons - to contribute to our country.

We are focusing on work across Government to tackle abuse of free movement and address pull factors, such as access to benefits and public services.

We have consistently raised the problem of the abuse of free movement at meetings of the Council of Ministers, and we are working with other European member states to curb that abuse.

We regularly review the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 which transpose the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) into UK law and we will make further amendments to these regulations, when necessary, in order to prevent abuse.

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Immigration: Married People

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the High Court judgment of 5 July 2013 on the minimum income threshold for spouses or partners and children applying in the family route, (a) how many applications made under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules have been subject to the hold on decision-making and (b) how many such applications have been received by visa application centres outside the UK. [170618]

Mr Harper: The Home Office is collating internal management information on the number of applications put on hold overseas and in country following the 5 July 2013 High Court judgment in MM and Others. This information will be published on the Home Office immigration website as soon as possible and then on a quarterly basis.

Knives: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving a knife have been committed in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) Liverpool city region in each of the last three years. [174734]

Damian Green: Data for selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument are collected by the Home Office at police force area level only, so data are not available for Liverpool, Walton constituency or Liverpool city region. Data for these selected offences are provided for Merseyside police force in the table.

The offences covered are attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) and actual bodily harm (ABH), robbery, threats to kill, sexual assault and rape. Homicide figures in the table are taken from the Homicide Index. Figures for 2012-13 for knife and sharp instrument homicides are due to be published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2014.

Neighbourhood Watch Schemes

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes there were in England and Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [174378]

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Damian Green: The Home Office does not collate figures centrally on the number of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. However, the ‘Focus on Public Perceptions of Policing, Findings from the 2011/12 Crime Survey for England and Wales’ statistical bulletin suggests that one in seven households surveyed are currently members of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

Passports: Older People

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged 75 or over have applied (a) for a new passport and (b) to renew their passport in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many people at the minimum qualifying age and over have applied (i) for a new and (ii) for the renewal of a passport in each of the last five years. [173815]

Mr Harper: The latest figures available from Her Majesty's Passport Office are for the calendar year 2012. In respect of (a) 3,153 new passports were issued; and (b) 157,917 passports were renewed for people aged 75 or over. On the second part of the question, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 344W.

Pavlo Lapshyn

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will deport Pavlo Lapshyn to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Ukraine. [173346]

Mr Harper: The Home Office can not comment on individual cases,

Police and Crime Commissioners

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the powers available of Police and Crime Panels when considering complaints made against Police and Crime Commissioners; and if she will make a statement. [174585]

Damian Green: The Government believe Police and Crime Panels have the appropriate powers, agreed by Parliament, to effectively scrutinise the actions and decisions of Police and Crime Commissioners.

UK Border Agency

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters from hon. Members to the UK Border Agency's MPs' Liaison Unit were responded to (a) within 20 working days and (b) after 20 working days in each of the last three years. [171939]

Mr Harper: Results for MPs' letters sent to the UK Border Agency's MPs' Liaison Unit over the last three years can be found at the following links:

In 2010:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110328/wstext/110328m0001.htm#1103283000002

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In 2011:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120315/wmstext/120315m0001.htm#12031546000013

In 2012:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130513/wmstext/130513m0001.htm

The total received figures and percentage of response figures have been provided to, and published by, Cabinet Office as above.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in her Department's area of responsibility; and if she will make a statement. [173745]

Mr Harper: 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.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purpose and on how many occasions in each of the last five years the UK Border Agency has used drones. [R] [169709]

Mr Harper: The UK Border Agency has been split into three separate operational units within the Home Office. The units are UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force.

UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force have not used remotely piloted or unmanned aircraft systems, colloquially referred to as drones, for any purpose or on any occasion in the last five years.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many badgers have been killed to date under his Department's cull programme; how that figure compares to the Department’s targets and forecasts; and who is responsible for determining the criteria against which the effectiveness of the culls will be judged. [170564]

George Eustice: I would like to refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 9 October 2013, Official Report, column 22-24WS. Detailed operational information will not be published during the pilots. A full report will be published at the end of the pilot culls.

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the legal basis is for his Department's decision to extend the badger cull beyond its original deadline. [174514]

George Eustice: Licences to extend the badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire were issued by Natural England under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

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Common Agricultural Policy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if his Department will take steps to ensure that specific funds are directed to the uplands in the reformed CAP. [174604]

George Eustice: The Department has recently launched a consultation on the implementation of the reformed CAP. One option outlined is an increase in the proportion of direct payments directed to the uplands. The consultation will run until 28 November.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if his Department will take steps to ensure that CAP funding is restricted to those who are active farmers. [174605]

George Eustice: From 2015 direct payments to farmers will be made in accordance with the new European regulation. This requires that claimants must, among other things, have agricultural land at their disposal during the scheme year. They will also have to satisfy an ‘active farmer test’.

That test is set out in the direct payment regulation. It excludes those farmers whose land is mainly ‘naturally kept’ unless they carry out a minimum agricultural activity on the land, and those farmers who operate certain non-farming activities unless they satisfy additional requirements about the significance of their agricultural activities.

DEFRA has launched a consultation on the implementation of the reform of the CAP. Among the questions asked is whether respondents support a preferred option not to extend this list of “negative activities” forming part of the active farmer test. The consultation closes on 28 November.

Although CAP funds for Rural Development are likely to go mainly to farmers, other rural businesses are also eligible for support.

Disease Control

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the UK economy of biosecurity incidents in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [170721]

George Eustice: No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the UK economy of biosecurity incidents.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it the policy of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) to publish revocations without immediate effect on the GLA online register. [174484]

George Eustice: The GLA is considering changes to its public register following the outcome of the Red Tape Challenge review. The GLA's Board has had an initial discussion of the pros and cons of publishing information on licenses which have been revoked without

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immediate effect and that are open to appeal. It will consider the matter further at a future meeting, but at present there are no firm proposals to change the current practice.

Incinerators

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on proposed incinerators following the findings of the DEFRA report, Forecasting 2020 Waste Arisings and Treatment Capacity, published in October 2013. [174040]

Dan Rogerson: The ‘Forecasting 2020 Waste Arisings and Treatment Capacity’ report was commissioned following Norfolk county council's breach of the terms and conditions set out in DEFRA's letter of 7 February 2012 under which the funding was originally agreed. On 18 October DEFRA informed Norfolk county council of the outcome of that review and also confirmed that there would be no impact on those waste PFI projects that had already completed their procurements, provided they continued to meet the terms and conditions under which funding was agreed.

Meat: Labelling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the proposed removal of the Union Flag from meat packaged in the UK. [170790]

George Eustice: There is no proposal to remove the Union Flag from meat packaged in the UK. In September the European Commission shared with the UK and other member states an internal draft of its proposed implementing rules for mandatory country of origin labelling for fresh and frozen meat. This appeared to make no provision for voluntary forms of expression of origin, such as flags, beyond the name of the member state. The European Commission has since given public assurances that it was not its intention to interfere in the use of such symbols indicating origin and that this would be clarified in the draft implementing rules when they are published.

Personal Injury: Insurance

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 56W, on Personal Injury Insurance, (1) how many employment agencies the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has identified which charge workers earning the national minimum wage for insurance cover by (a) direct debit and (b) payroll deduction; and how many such employment agencies have had their GLA licence revoked for charging by (i) direct debit and (ii) payroll deduction; [174486]

(2) how many employment agencies the Gangmasters Licensing Authority is investigating for charging workers earning the national minimum wage for insurance cover; [174487]

(3) how many instances of compliance action have been taken against employment agencies in the regulated sectors charging workers for personal accident insurance cover where this would take a worker's pay below the level of the national minimum wage since 2010. [174498]

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George Eustice: The GLA is currently investigating three employment businesses where workers are being charged through payroll deduction for personal injury insurance which may take their pay below the minimum wage level. The GLA has investigated insurance schemes before but compliance action was not appropriate since the charge did not reduce pay below the minimum wage.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 56W, on personal injury: insurance, that following the decision of the Court of Appeal in the Revenue and Customers Commissioners v Leisure Employment Services (LES) [2007] ICR 1056 case, whether it is the policy of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority that payments for insurance cover made by both direct debit and payroll deduction stand to be deducted for national minimum wage purposes. [174499]

George Eustice: The GLA's Licensing Standards require that any insurance cover, whether taken by payroll deduction or direct debit, does not result in the worker's pay falling below the minimum wage.

Health

Blood: Contamination

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made to provide a fully comprehensive and universal compensation scheme to the victims of tainted blood products during the 1970s and 1980s. [174171]

Jane Ellison: In January 2011 this Government announced a package of measures to provide additional support for those infected with HIV and hepatitis C through treatment with national health service-supplied blood or blood products. However, we recognise that there continue to be concerns about the current system.

Breastfeeding

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the levels of (a) DDT and (b) PCBs in human breast milk in each year for which data are available. [174165]

Jane Ellison: The Department has not made any routine measurements of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) or polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs in human breast milk. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considered a study with measurements of chemicals in breast milk including PCBs and DDT in 2004¹.

The COT² also recently considered the issue of environmental contaminants in relation to the infant diet and found that several studies have reported a decline over time in the concentrations of dioxin-like compounds³ in human milk. Given the decreasing occurrence of dioxin-like chemicals in breast milk and lower dietary exposures from infant formula and weaning foods, the COT concluded that there is no need to change current advice on breast-feeding or infant feeding in order to protect against these chemicals. The COT also concluded that in relation to legacy

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pesticides, including DDT, that levels in breast milk are generally declining, and do not indicate a concern for health.

¹ http://cot.food.gov.uk/pdfs/cotsuremilk.pdf

² http://cot.food.gov.uk/pdfs/cotstatementoverarch201203.pdf

³ Dioxin-like compounds include certain PCBs.

Health Professions: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors were working in hospitals in Merseyside in each month since May 2010. [174656]

Dr Poulter: Information on the numbers of doctors and qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff for NHS trusts within Merseyside between May 2010 and the latest available date, July 2013, has been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-UK residents were treated by the NHS in 2012-13. [174739]

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold this information. Although the Health and Social Care Information Centre collects hospital episode statistics these do not contain information about the patient's residency, nationality or migration status.

However, in recently published research commissioned by the Department it was estimated that on average there are 2.5 million visitors and migrants in England at any point in time. The cost of treating all visitors and migrants is estimated to be around £2 billion per year.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was received by the NHS from each European country participating in the EHIC scheme in 2012-13; and how much is outstanding from each such nation. [174741]

Jane Ellison: Payments made to the United Kingdom by other member states in a given year normally relate to treatment provided in several years. The Department's accounts are therefore calculated, in accordance with HM Treasury resource accounting rules, on the basis of costs incurred, and the total cash payments received in a given year. The total cash payments received are not disaggregated into EHIC, pensioner and other categories. So we cannot readily identify how much is outstanding for use of EHIC in 2012-13. Member states are required to settle all claims within 36 months.

Costs incurred for treatment by temporary visitors from other European Economic Area countries who received treatment from the national health service in 2012-13 are in the following table.

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In Vitro Fertilisation

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of regional variations in the funding by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) of IVF treatment for couples with fertility problems; and if he will issue revised guidance to CCGs aimed at minimising such variations. [174120]

Jane Ellison: NHS England has advised that it expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines. In February 2013, NHS England issued a factsheet to support clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in taking on those responsibilities. This makes reference to the updated NICE clinical guidance and is available on its website at:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fertility-facts.pdf

The level of provision of infertility treatment is decided by the local CCG and, as for all health services that CCGs commission, each will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCGs’ decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local health care needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

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Motor Neurone Disease

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's total spending on research programmes for motor neurone disease is (a) for the duration of the current Parliament and (b) in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [174651]

Dr Poulter: Total spend in the current and future financial years by the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on research on motor neurone disease depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including motor neurone disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the NHS, value for money and scientific quality.

Expenditure by the NIHR on motor neurone disease research through research programmes, and through research centres and units, and clinical research facilities is shown in the following table.

Total spend by the NIHR on motor neurone disease research is higher than this because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on this topic cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.

A NIHR doctoral research fellowship on telehealth in motor neurone disease is expected to start in January 2014.

NHS Property Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what appointment procedure and external scrutiny took place when the Senior Responsible Officer, PCT Estate Programme, at his Department became a non-executive director of NHS Property Services; and what salary he receives. [174650]

Dr Poulter: The Senior Responsible Officer for the PCT Estates Programme is not a member of the Board of NHS Property Services Limited.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 598W, on NHS Property Services, for what reasons his answer of 31 October 2013 differs from his earlier answer of 16 October 2013, which stated that NHS PS, at the instruction of the Department used cash allocated to it for capital purposes to provide short-term financing for its revenue expenditure. [174749]

Dr Poulter: In the answer of 16 October 2013, Official Report, columns 764-66W, I stated that NHS Property Services Limited had, at the instruction of the Department, used cash allocated to it for capital purposes to provide short-term financing for its revenue expenditure.

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In the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 598W, I stated that at no time has NHS Property Services Limited used capital allocation for revenue purposes. Both statements are true. The cash in the bank accounts of NHS Property Services Limited being held to fund capital expenditure was made available to fund the company's revenue budget as a short term financing measure. However, in the event none of this money was used to make payments as the company's revenue balances recovered because invoices issued to national health service occupants were paid.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 594W, on NHS Property Services, for what reasons the sexual health organisation Metrosexual Health Limited was employed by NHS Property Services to support job banding and evaluation. [174750]

Dr Poulter: NHS Property Services Limited identified a requirement for job evaluation and banding advice to ensure that its recruitment and Human Resources (HR) processes meet the standards required, consistent with other national health service appointments across the country.

The value of the tender estimated at £5,000 meant that it was below the threshold which requires contract notices to be placed in the Official Journal of the European Community OJEU. Three formal quotes were obtained from suppliers, and Metrosexual Health Limited (MSH) were appointed on the basis of the relative merits of their bid. As well as being a Sexual Health company, MSH offers a range of HR services. Bids were assessed against the following criteria:

Ability;

Capability of a quick turnaround of work; and

Cost.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 594W, on NHS Property Services, how many of the current or former non-executive directors of NHS Property Services (a) have worked and (b) currently work for his Department. [174751]

Dr Poulter: None of the current or former non-executive directors of NHS Property Services Limited have worked, or currently work for the Department, apart from the Shareholder Representative.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 594W, on NHS Property Services, what information requested in the answer is commercially sensitive; what guidance he has received on the commercial sensitivity of the requested information; what guidance he received that the information was, in part, not commercially sensitive; and if he will place a copy of any such guidance in the Library. [174752]

Dr Poulter: After discussions with NHS Property Services Ltd officials advised me as to which elements of the requested information were likely to be commercially sensitive. There is no formal guidance and judgments were made based on their experience and understanding of the industry, and the detail of the specific transactions.

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NHS: Redundancy Pay

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of NHS staff redundancy payments was in each of the last five years. [174507]

Dr Poulter: The cost of national health service staff redundancy payments in each of the last three years is set out in the following table. The figures for 2008-09 and 2009-10 were collected on a different basis and are not comparable.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees of NHS trusts who received a contractual redundancy payment have subsequently been employed by (a) the same NHS trust or (b) a different NHS trust within 12 months in each of the last five years. [174767]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested.

Shingles: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential value of shingles vaccinations for people aged between 70 and 79 years. [174191]

Jane Ellison: The Department is advised on matters concerning vaccination and immunisation by the independent committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI reviewed the medical, epidemiological, and economic evidence as well as vaccine safety and efficacy data relevant to a herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme and recommended that a universal herpes zoster vaccination programme for adults aged 70, up to and including 79 years, be introduced, provided that a licensed vaccine was available at a cost-effective price.

Around 30,000 people in their 70s in England and Wales are affected by shingles each year. One in 1,000

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people over 70 who get shingles dies of the infection. Reducing the number affected by shingles will not only save lives but also reduce the pressure on general practitioners and hospitals and reduce the pain suffered by the patient.

Transplant Surgery

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to create seamless care pathways for (a) bone marrow and (b) other transplant recipients. [174176]

Jane Ellison: NHS England has commissioning responsibility for bone marrow transplantation, heart and lung, liver, pancreas, small bowel and kidney transplantation. NHS England is committed to commissioning evidence based care and treatments that can demonstrate improved outcomes for patients.

NHS England has developed a number of service specifications to support its work around transplantation and to ensure the equitable and consistent commissioning of specialised care.

Justice

Driving under Influence: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals resident in the Barrow and Furness constituency were convicted for (a) drink-driving and (b) driving under the influence of drugs in each of the last five years. [173725]

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty for drink driving and driving under the influence of drugs, at all courts in the Cumbria police force area, from 2008 to 2012 (the latest available), can be viewed in the table.

The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the specific circumstances of each case. This centrally held information does not include details of the residential address of defendants. Please also be aware that it is possible for a defendant to have their case heard anywhere in England and Wales, and not necessarily in a court close by where they reside.

Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by parliamentary constituency or local authority area, thus data are given in the table for the Cumbria police force area in which the Barrow and Furness constituency is situated.

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Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for employment and support allowance were brought forward to (a) appeal stage and (b) commissioner since May 2010; and how many such claims were successful. [174000]

Mr Vara: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals in England, Scotland and Wales, against Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including employment and support allowance (ESA).

Appeals against decisions of the First-tier Tribunal—SSCS are heard by the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal, subject to permission to appeal being granted by either the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal.

(a) Information on appeals against ESA decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal statistics quarterly. The most recent report for the period April to June 2013, which includes volumes of appeals received and disposed of, and the outcomes of these since 2009-10, can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2013

(b) Appeals against decisions of the First-tier Tribunal—SSCS are heard by the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal, subject to permission to appeal being granted by either the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal.

The following table shows the number of ESA appeals in which the application for leave to appeal was granted by the First-tier Tribunal, applications for leave to appeal received directly by the Upper Tribunal and the proportion found in favour of the appellant, dismissed or remitted to the First-tier Tribunal for a fresh hearing in 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and April to June 2013 (the latest period for which information is available). The appellant can be either the benefit claimant or DWP and it is not possible to break down these figures to show only those appeals by benefit claimants.

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Appeals against decisions made about benefits, including ESA, in Northern Ireland are considered by The Appeals Service, and appeals on points of law from these decisions are considered by the Social Security Commissioners, both of which are administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. The Ministry of Justice does not, therefore, hold the information requested in respect of appeals made to The Appeals Service and the Social Security Commissioners in Northern Ireland.

Probation

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints were recorded against each probation service in England and Wales in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [174528]

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with Essex Probation Service since May 2012; what issues were raised in each such discussion; what steps his Department took as a result of each such discussion; and if he will make a statement. [174519]

Jeremy Wright: The information requested could not be obtained within the timescale. I will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) men and (b) women employed by Essex Probation Service have retired in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013 to date; [174520]

(2) how many (a) men and (b) women in each age group were employed by Essex Probation Service (i) at the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) in 2010; [174521]

(3) what complaints against Essex Probation were upheld in each year since 2012; what (a) response was made and (b) steps were taken by Essex Probation in each such case; and if he will make a statement; [174522]

(4) how much Essex Probation (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on security in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement; [174523]

(5) whether any employees of Essex Probation have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of a criminal offence in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [174524]

(6) what the salary was of the (a) Chief Executive and (b) Chairman of the Essex Probation Trust in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013; and if he will make a statement. [174525]

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained within the time scale. I will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

Reoffenders

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 years have reoffended within one year of sentencing in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in the last five years; [173584]

Jeremy Wright: Reoffending rates remain stubbornly high for 16 to 21-year-olds released from prison and more needs to be done to address this. Table 1 shows the number of offenders aged between 16 and 21 who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or received a caution, reprimand or warning between 2007 and 2011; and the number and proportion that reoffended in (a) Lancashire and (b) England and Wales within a one year follow-up period.

A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period resulting in a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year follow-up, a further six month waiting period is allowed for the offence to be proven in court.

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Proven reoffending data for adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales are published by the Ministry of Justice in the 'Proven Re-offending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders reoffended after release from prison, by region, in each of the last three years. [174002]

Jeremy Wright: Proven reoffending data for offenders in England and Wales are published by the Ministry of Justice in the “Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin” which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

The following table is a further breakdown of the custody figures that can be found in table 18a of the publication. It shows the number of adult offenders who were released from custody between 2009 and 2011; and the number and proportion that reoffended, by region, within a one year follow-up period.