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Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were classed as being in recurring unemployment in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data are available. [176013]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of people classed as being in recurring unemployment in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data are available. 176013

Estimates for recurring unemployment are not available. Unemployment estimates are derived from data collected in the Labour Force Survey but the survey does not contain any questions relating to respondents’ previous unemployment spells.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were (a) unemployed and (b) in underemployment in (i) April 2010 and (ii) the most recent date for which data are available. [176098]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of people who were (a) unemployed and (b) in underemployment in (i) April 2010 and (ii) the most recent date for which data are available. 176098

For the three-month period April to June 2010, the estimated number of unemployed people aged 16 and over in the UK was 2.471 million. This compares with 2.514 million for the same period in 2013 and 2.466 million for July to September 2013, the latest available. These figures are on a seasonally adjusted basis and are published in Table 1 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin.

The estimated number of people in employment aged 16 and over who were classified as in time-related underemployment for the three-month period April to June 2010 was 2.740 million. This represented 9.6% of all people in employment whose underemployment status was known. The estimate for the same period in 2013, the latest available on a comparable basis, was 3.080 million, or 10.6% as a rate. These estimates are on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. They are not published routinely although these latest estimates were published in a response to an ad hoc data request on 24 October 2013.

Time-related underemployment relates to those workers who are employed but who either wish to work more hours in their current rote or who are looking for either an additional job or a replacement job which offers more hours. Also, they must be able to start working the extra hours within the next two weeks. As a final condition, they must be currently working less than 40 hours per week if they are aged 16 to 18 and less than 48 hours if they are over 18.

Estimates derived from the Labour Force Survey, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of the LFS aggregates are published in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. For the total unemployment

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level, the 95% confidence interval for the latest estimate is +/-87,000. For the time-related underemployment estimates, the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-100,000.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unemployed young adults there were in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data are available. [176099]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of unemployed young adults in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data are available. 176099

For the three month period centred on April, that is, the period March to May 2010, the estimated number of people aged 16 to 24 in the UK who were unemployed was 942,000. For the latest period, July to September 2013, the estimate is 965,000.

For people aged 18 to 24 only, the equivalent estimates are 723,000 for March to May 2010 and 782,000 for July to September 2013.

These estimates are seasonally adjusted and are published in Table A05 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey and, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. For the above estimates for 16 to 24 year olds, the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-60,000. For the estimates for 18 to 24 year olds the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-50,000.

Energy and Climate Change

Energy Company Obligation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress energy suppliers have made to date, in terms of the proportion of measures approved, towards meeting their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Saving Community Obligation of the Energy Company Obligation. [175682]

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 16.3% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Saving Community Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013

In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved. Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November. This information is available on the Ofgem website:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress energy suppliers have made to date, in terms of the proportion of measures approved, towards meeting their phase 1

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and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation of the Energy Company Obligation. [175683]

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 3% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013

In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved. Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy suppliers' phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the home heating cost reduction obligation of the Energy Company Obligation have been met to date. [175728]

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 24.7% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013

In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved.

Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November, This information is available on the Ofgem website:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Green Deal Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 285, what the evidential basis is for his statement that 8 per cent of people who have had green deal assessments have had work done, are getting it done, or are considering having it done. [175859]

Gregory Barker: As the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), said in his answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 285, the Green Deal assessments research wave 2, published in September 2013, found that 81% of households that had an assessment had installed, were in the process of installing or intended to install at least one recommended measure. This survey was undertaken with a representative sample of 499 households that had an assessment between April and June.

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Reviews

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 12 December 2011; and when each such review (a) was announced and (b) is expected to publish its findings. [175869]

Gregory Barker: The Department is committed to monitoring, evaluating and reviewing its policies, and conducts regular reviews of policies which impact consumers and business, many of which have been subject to public consultation, as well as periodic sectoral reviews such as the recent Wood Review into offshore oil and gas production.

Detailed information on DECC's policy reviews, consultations and publications is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change

Business, Innovation and Skills

Job Creation

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of new jobs created since 2010 were (a) advertised through employment agencies, (b) generated through self-employment contracts and (c) on the basis of zero hours contracts. [175834]

Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of new jobs created since 2010 were (a) advertised through employment agencies, (b) generated through self-employment contracts and (c) on the basis of zero hours contracts. (175834)

Information on jobs created is not collected for official statistics purposes. In accordance with the usual policy for answering such questions, estimates of the net changes in jobs or employment are normally provided as an alternative. However, in this case, estimates for jobs advertised through employment agencies are not available due to a lack of the required detail and estimates for people on zero hours contracts are currently of insufficient quality for general use.

For self-employment contracts, the most appropriate alternative is the net change in the total number of people who classify themselves as self-employed according to the Labour Force Survey, as published in Table 3 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin.

The total number of self-employed people aged 16 and over for the three-month period July to September 2013, the latest available, was 4.197 million (seasonally adjusted). This is 181,000 higher than the total for the period July to September 2010. Over the same period total employment increased by 780,000 to 29.953 million. The change in the self-employed represents 23 per cent of the overall change in employment over the last three years, although this is not a direct representation of the proportion of new jobs created.

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Estimates derived from the Labour Force Survey, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of the LFS aggregates are published in the Statistical Bulletin.

International Development

EU Law

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what EU Directives within her Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if she will make a statement. [175518]

Lynne Featherstone: There have been no such EU Directives within my Department's areas of responsibility.

Forests: Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2013, Official Report, column 7W, on Forests: Climate Change, whether the business case for the Forests and Climate Change programme will be approved before the House's Christmas recess. [175803]

Lynne Featherstone: The business case is going through an internal quality assurance procedure and will be presented in the new year.

Mali

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) ODA and (b) non-ODA aid has been allocated to be spent in Mali in 2013 and in subsequent years. [175451]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID has no bilateral aid programme for Mali, but has a growing regional programme of humanitarian and development assistance for the Sahel. We have allocated £48 million of humanitarian aid to be spent in 2013 across five countries in the region: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad. The Department has also committed to spend £110 million on building resilience in the Sahel over the next four years—providing support both through the World Bank and through NGOs that will strengthen poor communities’ ability to cope with food insecurity and climatic shocks.

An allocation of £1 million was made to Mali from the tri-departmental Conflict Pool for this financial year. The UK through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided non-ODA assistance to Mali specifically through multilateral mechanisms: in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); to the EU Training Mission (EUTM); and with a £2 million contribution to the UN Trust Fund for Peace and Security in Mali.

At the Brussels donor conference on Mali held in May 2013, the international community pledged around £2.6 billion to support the government's Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Mali 2013-14 (PRED). Total net ODA to Mali was $1,271 million in 2011, the latest year for which data are available.

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Sub-Saharan Africa

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance she gives to tackling elephant poaching and illegal trafficking of ivory in sub-Saharan Africa. [175725]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK's response to the recent increase in illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) is being led by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson). DFID is working with other Government Departments to prepare the planned high-level summit and associated dialogue with key actors next year.

Treasury

Buildings

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what refurbishments to his Department's buildings have been carried out in the last 24 months; and at what cost. [168811]

Nicky Morgan: Refurbishment works totalling some £8.5 million (excluding VAT) have been carried out in the last 24 months to support increased occupancy of 1 Horse Guards road.

Corporation Tax

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies were granted dormant company status by HM Revenue and Customs and were therefore advised that they did not need to submit corporation tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [174028]

Mr Gauke: It is a question of fact whether a company is within the charge to Corporation Tax because it has activities which might constitute a source of taxable income. Companies are required by law (Section 55 Finance Act 2004) to notify HMRC when they come within the charge to the tax and there is a penalty for failure to do so (Paragraph 2 Schedule 18 Finance Act 1998). Corporation Tax is operated under self-assessment but HMRC considers information from other sources about a company's activities and requires a return where there is doubt.

No central record is kept by HMRC of occasions when it has advised that a return might not be required, for example when acknowledging notifications that a company is not within the charge to tax.

Inflation

Mr Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) retail prices index and (b) consumer price index of inflation over the next three financial years. [175482]

Nicky Morgan: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility produces the official inflation forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts for consumer prices

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index and retail prices index inflation were published in the OBR's March 2013 “Economic and Fiscal Outlook” and are shown in the following table.

National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of administering the national insurance contributions holiday has been in each year since 2010. [173195]

Mr Gauke [holding answer 31 October 2013]:I refer the hon. Member to the comments in the House by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Nicky Morgan), 4 November 2013, Official Report, column 77. The estimated cost of administering the national insurance contributions holiday from the start of the scheme to September 2013 was £770,000.

Personal Income

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate by how much the weekly income of a couple-headed household with one person in work and two children would increase if the personal income tax allowance was increased to (a) £11,000, (b) £12,000 and (c) £12,500. [171295]

Mr Gauke [holding answer 17 October 2013]:The change in weekly income resulting from an increase in the personal income tax allowance varies widely depending on the circumstances of a household. Specifically, weekly income depends on the level and source of earnings. Furthermore, they may receive different amounts of state benefits, depending on several individual circumstances, such as disabilities, age of dependent children in the household, and tenure type.

Public Sector: Pensions

Mr Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the change in the value of public service pension schemes following the change in the indexation measure from the retail prices index to the consumer price index. [175481]

Nicky Morgan: The Whole of Government Accounts for 2010-11 showed that the value of public service pension liabilities decreased by £126 billion as a result of the Government's preferred measure of price inflation switching from RPI to CPI, with the overall liability decreasing from £1,135 billion to £960 billion.

Revenue and Customs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful criminal prosecutions were brought as a result of investigations by HM Revenue and Customs in 2009-10. [169659]

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Mr Gauke [holding answer 8 October 2013]: The number of prosecutions, convictions and acquittals resulting from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigations in 2009-10 are shown in the following table.

This cannot be compared to PQ 168226 that I answered on 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 685W. The data collected for 2009-10 were collated by the Crown Prosecution Service in a different format to that for the following years.

The analysis of the raw case data has had to be split between Criminal Investigation (CI) and the former Referred Investigation Teams (RIT) who were based at ports and airports and moved to the UK Border Agency upon the demerger of HMRC in June 2009. The totals for 2009-10 include data for drugs, firearms and other prohibitions and restrictions up to the date of demerger.

Data provided in my answer to PQ 168226 about later years do not include such information as, following the demerger drugs, firearms, etc. are no longer matters assigned to HMRC.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were recruited to HM Revenue and Customs' graduate programme in each year since 2010-11; and how many he expects to be recruited in each year between 2013-14 and 2015-16. [170091]

Mr Gauke [holding answer 10 October 2013]: Graduates come into HMRC via two recruitment routes:

1. The Tax Professional Development Programme (TPDP)

2. Civil Service Fast Stream—Fast Stream Assessment Centre (FSAC)

1. The Tax Professional Development Programme (TPDP) is an intense four year graduate entry training scheme producing the future senior tax professionals for HMRC. New entrants start in the September of each year.

Some of the new entrants, due to prior qualification, join the accelerated programme one year shorter.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and the Public and Commercial Services Union regarding the decision to close HM Revenue and Customs' enquiry centre network. [175600]

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Mr Gauke: Ministers and senior officials within HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) meet with a variety of representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union on a regular basis, to discuss the potential impacts of the proposed closure of the enquiry centres on both customers and staff.

A decision on whether to close the HMRC enquiry centres and introduce the proposed new service nationally has not yet been made. The decision is expected in early 2014, once the results of the public consultation and the current pilot have been fully evaluated.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private sector employees have been seconded by the private sector to his Department; what the name was of the company from which they were seconded; and whether any of those employees have worked on drafting legislation. [175660]

Nicky Morgan: As at November 2013, the number of private sector employees seconded into HM Treasury is 12. The names of the companies from which they have been seconded are:

DeloitteTouche

Prudential

Gardiner and Theobald

KPMG

Rothschilds

Royal Academy of Engineering

Price Waterhouse Coopers

Monitor—Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts

Costain Limited

Carillion Construction Limited

The information requested on whether any of the staff seconded into the Department have worked on drafting legislation is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of married couples will benefit from the married couples tax allowance announced on 30 September 2013. [173489]

Mr Gauke [holding answer 1 November 2013]:An estimated 4.1 million married couples stand to gain from the married couples' tax allowance in 2015-16.

Estimates are derived from the 2011-12 Family Resources Survey projected forward to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with children will benefit from the married couples tax allowance announced on 30 September 2013; and what proportion this is of (a) the total number of families with children in the UK and (b) the total number of couples set to benefit from the married couples tax allowance. [173490]

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Mr Gauke [holding answer 1 November 2013]:An estimated 1.3 million families with children stand to gain from the married couples tax allowance in 2015-16. This is roughly one-sixth of the total number of families with children currently in the UK and just under one-third of the 4.1 million couples set to benefit from the married couples tax allowance.

Estimates are derived from the 2011-12 Family Resources Survey projected forward to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.

This policy is about signalling the value that the Government places upon marriage as an institution regardless of couples' choices to have children.

Attorney-General

Qualifications

Mrs Moon: To ask the Attorney-General how many people employed by the Law Officers' Departments hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if he will make a statement. [175360]

The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' Departments do not hold any detailed records on the numbers of staff who may hold an information technology degree. Such information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Health

Death: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the five principal causes of death in young people aged 18 to 30 years old. [175299]

Jane Ellison: In March 2013 the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation produced a United Kingdom synopsis of the Global Burden of Disease Study. This assessed the principal causes of death for the entire population of the UK with some analysis of age specific risk factors. The study can be found at:

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60355-4/abstract

Following the findings of this study, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), launched a Call to Action asking the whole of the health and care system to avoid an additional 30,000 premature deaths per year by 2020 by addressing the five big killers.

The document, “Living Well for Longer: a Call to Action to reduce avoidable premature mortality”, has already been placed in the Library, and can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/living-well-for-longer-a-call-to-action-to-reduce-avoidable-premature-mortality

It is also worth noting that the Health Atlas on NHS Choices provides data and information on the main causes of death at a range of age ranges:

www.nhs.uk/tools/pages/nhsatlasofrisk.aspx

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EU Law

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility the Government have formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if he will make a statement. [175495]

Jane Ellison: Details of all European Union Directives that the United Kingdom has opted into pursuant to Protocol 21 to the Treaties on the Functioning of the EU since May 2010 are listed on the Government's Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) opt-in web page.

The website can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2_JHA_opt-in_webpage_update_-_data_v0_l.pdf

In the written ministerial statement by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if he will make a statement. [175516]

Jane Ellison: Details of all European Union legislation, including full details of all EU Directives that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission's website:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_legislation.do

The Government's position is that the United Kingdom's Justice and Home Affairs opt-in applies to all measures adopted pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, as set out in Protocol 21 to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. It follows that the opt-in does not apply to measures adopted that are not pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

Horsemeat

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions have taken place in the UK as a result of horsemeat being sold as beef. [175699]

Jane Ellison: To date no one has been charged by the police, however investigations are on-going.

Public Health England

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current (a) budget, (b) number of staff employed and (c) budget for staff salaries is for Public Health England. [175536]

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Jane Ellison: The total current budget for Public Health England (PHE) in 2013-14 is £3,558 million. Of this, £2,662 million is funding which flows out to local authorities in the form of the public health grants. The remaining cost of PHE is thus £896 million.

The number of staff employed in September 2013 was 5,065 against a budgeted headcount of 5,662.

The budget for staff salaries, including secondments and agency staff for the full financial year is £304.2 million.

Qualifications

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people employed by his Department hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if he will make a statement. [175370]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not hold central records about the number of civil servants employed who hold qualifications in computer science.

To collect information on this from across the Department would incur disproportionate costs.

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 252W, on stress, what assessment he has made of the research carried out by the NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit. [175318]

Dr Poulter: The Department has assessed the current status of the research carried out by the National Institute for Health Research Cardiovascular biomedical research unit at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London on whether stress induced ischaemia can result in elevation of cardiac troponin.

Data from the study are currently under statistical review and will be submitted for publication shortly.

Tuberculosis

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions his Department has had with NHS England regarding the formulation of a national strategy for tuberculosis; [175309]

(2) what assessment he has made of the progress being made in formulating a national strategy for tuberculosis; and whether that strategy has the necessary (a) financial and (b) other support to bring about a significant reduction in cases. [175310]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England is leading a national oversight group which brings together partners from the Department, NHS England, local government, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), British Thoracic Society and TB Alert to develop a strategy to decrease tuberculosis (TB) rates in England over the next 10 years. The Department will continue to support Public Health England in giving national policy leadership, ensuring that there is a co-ordinated approach to TB. Public Health England expects to publish the strategy in the first half of 2014.

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The national health service and public health system reforms have provided opportunities for more integrated commissioning and provision of services driven by health and well-being boards, in partnership with clinical commissioning groups, NHS England, Public Health England and service providers. Local healthcare organisations are best placed to plan for and deliver care appropriate for their populations.

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The Department and the NICE have published supporting guidance. The Department is also funding TB Alert, to raise public and professional awareness of TB. We expect NHS organisations and their partners to ensure early detection, treatment completion and co-ordinated action to prevent and control TB.