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Reserve Forces: Recruitment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the National Statistician's advice regarding the decision not to publish the reserves recruitment statistics, originally due to be published on 14 November 2013. [177932]

Mr Philip Hammond: On 14 November 2013, Defence Statistics published provisional recruitment statistics on the number of personnel moving into the Future Reserves 2020 Volunteer Reserve populations.

Defence Statistics had planned to publish the “moving into” statistics, along with additional information on the numbers of applications, in a new reserves recruitment statistics bulletin. However, oral advice from the National Statistician, who is independent of Government, was that Defence Statistics should not release the application statistics at that time, as more work was required to validate them. As a result, the publication of the application statistics was delayed. This decision was made independently by the statistician. The “moving into” statistics were published in the Quarterly Personnel Report. Defence Statistics published their decision at:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/personnel/military/reserves-recruitment-experimental-statistics/edition-1/notice-reserves-recruitment-experimental-statistics.pdf

Future release dates for statistics on reserves, including applications, will be pre-announced on the Defence Statistics website:

www.dasa.mod.uk

Sovereignty: Scotland

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Scottish Government regarding the division of Ministry of Defence assets in the event of Scottish independence; [177960]

(2) with reference to the Scottish Government's White Paper entitled Scotland's Future, page 238, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Scottish Government regarding the establishment of integrated services in the event of Scottish independence. [177961]

Dr Murrison: None. Engagement with Scottish Government officials on issues where the reserved matter of defence touches devolved matters continues as normal and is not affected by the forthcoming independence referendum or the debate around it.

Travel

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions and for what reasons Ministers in his Department have used military transport for domestic travel since taking office. [173321]

Anna Soubry [holding answer 31 October 2013]: The following table shows the occasions when Ministers in the Ministry of Defence have used military transport for domestic travel since taking office. Military transport, in particular helicopters, are only used when there are time constraints on Ministers' time; when the location

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to which they are travelling is difficult to get to or in a remote location; or when they are undertaking a number of visits to different locations in one day.

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 269W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, which military remotely piloted aircraft systems not in service have been operated in national airspace outside Military Aviation Authority-approved danger areas or segregated airspace; and what the purpose of each such operation overseen by the Minister for the Armed Forces was. [R] [179477]

Mr Francois: No Ministry of Defence remotely piloted aircraft system, not presently in service, is known to have flown in the UK outside danger areas or segregated airspace.

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for approving danger areas or segregated airspace.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 551W, on unmanned aerial vehicle, what the (a) unit, (b) service and (c) rank was of each of the US personnel based at the (i) Air Warfare Centre, (ii) Air Battlespace Training Centre or (iii) elsewhere at RAF Waddington. [R] [179546]

Mr Francois: The information requested as at 2 December 2013 is as follows:

There are currently no US personnel based at the Air Battlespace Training Centre.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 541W, on police: unmanned air vehicles, what information his Department collates on the trialling or other use of unmanned aerial vehicles by state bodies in UK airspace. [R] [178633]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not centrally record or collate the trialling or other use of unmanned aerial systems by non-MOD state bodies in UK airspace.

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Veterans: Employment

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of personnel leaving the Army in each of the last five years have qualified for the full Carer Transition partnership resettlement package. [179737]

Anna Soubry: Personnel are eligible for the Career Transition Partnership if they have had at least four years’ service, or were medically discharged, or left the armed forces due to redundancy.

Support on leaving the Army is graduated depending on length of service. Personnel with less than four years service, as part of a new initiative, now have access to transition support by being offered a more ‘needs-based' level of service providing them with financial, housing and employment support, including linking them to a Job Centre Plus. Personnel with four or five years’ service qualify for the Employment Support Programme which provides advice and briefings. Those with at least six years’ service are eligible for the Full Resettlement Programme, which provides additional briefings, funding and vocational training. Personnel who are medically discharged or made redundant before this point are eligible for the Full Resettlement Programme.

Not all service personnel who qualify use the Career Transition Partnership services.

The proportion of personnel leaving the Army who were eligible for the Full Resettlement Programme provided by Career Transition Partnership services for the last three years that figures are available are as follows:

Figures for earlier years are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Army service leaders who enlisted under the age of 18 have found stable employment within (a) one month, (b) six months and (c) one year of leaving the armed forces in the last five years for which figures are available. [179738]

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence does not hold all the data required to answer the question fully, and some elements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, those Army service leavers who are eligible for the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) scheme have their employment after discharge tracked.

Information on eligible personnel who chose to use the CTP scheme and who found stable employment after six months is held for the last three years and is shown in the following table:

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Information prior to this is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Warships

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have been informed that the Fleet Ready Escort has been gapped in each of the last five years; and how long each gap was; [178293]

(2) what ships have been assigned to Fleet Ready Escort tasking in the last five years; and for how long each such ship was assigned; [178294]

(3) on how many occasions an offshore patrol vessel and a mine countermeasure vessel have been assigned Fleet Ready Escort tasking; [178295]

(4) whether Ministers in his Department must be informed of any gap in tasking for the Fleet Ready Escort. [178296]

Mr Francois: I will write to the hon. Member once the information has been collated.

Warships: Decommissioning

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that the decommissioning of Navy ships takes place in the UK. [179684]

Mr Dunne: All Royal Navy ships are decommissioned in the UK and there are no plans for this to change.

Electoral Commission Committee

Politics and Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission takes to promote British democracy overseas. [178032]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it runs public awareness campaigns and works with partners, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to promote voter registration among British expatriate communities. Ahead of the European Parliamentary elections in 2014, the commission will run an online registration campaign focussing on countries with the highest numbers of British expatriates.

This will include advertising that is triggered in response to people using Google search terms that indicate an interest in UK elections, and advertising aimed at people who originally set up email accounts in the UK but are now accessing them overseas. Advertising will also be carried on specific websites that are commonly used by British citizens overseas, as well as expatriate radio stations.

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In addition to its public awareness campaigns aimed at potential overseas electors for UK elections, the commission regularly hosts visiting overseas delegations and attends the European conference of Electoral Management Bodies in order to share best practice.

International Development

Charitable Donations

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to encourage employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries. [179644]

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

Developing Countries: Neonatal Mortality

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of newborns dying in their first 28 days of life; and what specific projects her Department is funding with this aim. [178090]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government have committed to save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015. DFID is meeting this commitment through its investments in 27 countries to strengthen health systems, and the supply of appropriate drugs to treat newborn complications. Specific investments include the Making it Happen Programme and the Health Partnership Scheme, which train and mentor doctors, nurses, midwives and other clinicians in emergency obstetric care. Another example is the Evidence for Action Programme which helps policy makers, health planners, clinicians and communities use available evidence to improve the supply of and demand for quality newborn health services. We also support other partners to improve newborn care, for example through investing in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what preparations her Department has made in advance of the Sanitation and Water for All high level meeting in April 2014; whether her Department will use this meeting to take steps to extend the UK's commitments to bring water and sanitation to 60 million people by 2015; and if she will make a statement. [179755]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK will be represented at the 2014 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) high level meeting. This meeting will focus on accountability and the progress countries, including the UK, have made in meeting the commitments we made at the 2012 high level meeting. We expect other countries to likewise demonstrate the progress they are making to meet their commitments. DFID officials are working with the SWA Secretariat on the agenda for the high level meeting.

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Kenya

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce preventable newborn mortality in Kenya. [177963]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is supporting health programmes that focus on maternal health in Kenya. These programmes deliver a range of health interventions from pre-pregnancy to early childhood, for example increasing access to modern family planning methods, improving coverage and quality of skilled delivery care at birth, and working with communities to increase demand for and use of quality health services. DFID's support in Kenya is expected to save the lives of over 1,000 mothers and 3,800 babies between 2013 and 2018. These programmes are contributing towards the UK Government's overall commitment to save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies by 2015.

Nigeria

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce preventable newborn mortality in Nigeria. [177962]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID support to maternal, newborn and child health programmes in Nigeria includes programmes to improve the skills and capacity of health workers for newborn care, and to ensure the provision of essential supplies and commodities for newborns. As a result of DFID support, over 1.5 million women will have delivered with the assistance of a skilled health worker by 2019, and DFID will have contributed to saving the lives of over 55,000 newborns and 24,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth.

Pakistan

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the extent of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst children in Pakistan who have been exposed to terrorist attacks. [178283]

Justine Greening: We are deeply concerned by the effects of terrorist attacks on children's well-being in Pakistan. We regularly assess the impact of conflict on people in Pakistan. This information is not disaggregated by specific cause but provides sufficient information to assess and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the programmes of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in sub-Saharan Africa. [178297]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID's Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) makes a systematic assessment of the performance of multilateral organisations including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The latest

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update will be published shortly. The 2011 MAR notes that IFAD is committed to reform and improving its effectiveness, including through better project management, but needs to make progress in improving efficiency in all areas.

Syria

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) children have been (i) killed, (ii) wounded and (iii) made refugees in the Syrian conflict (A) to date and (B) since 29 August 2013. [178364]

Lynne Featherstone: The UN estimated in July that, since the conflict began in March 2011, more than 100,000 people have been killed and 575,000 injured. The UN has not released updated figures of numbers killed or injured since July, but estimates that approximately 5,000 are killed each month. These figures are not broken down by age or gender. Almost 2.3 million people have been made refugees since the conflict began, 400,000 of those since 29 August 2013. An estimated 75% of these refugees are women and children.

Education

Children: Cancer

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions his Department has had with other departments regarding educational support for children returning to school after lengthy absences for cancer treatment. [178064]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education has worked with the Department of Health in developing revised statutory guidance to local authorities on educating children with health needs, issued in January 2013. The guidance sets out that, when a child with health needs is due to return to school, local authorities should work with the school and the current education provider to support reintegration.

We have also introduced an amendment to the Children and Families Bill that will place a requirement on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils who have medical conditions and have regard to statutory guidance. This guidance will advise schools to consider what educational support should be in place for these pupils, including those returning to school after lengthy absences for long-term or complex medical conditions. We are working closely with the Department of Health, health organisations and charities and with parents and children on the development of the guidance, which will be subject to consultation.

Children: Day Care

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of primary schools offered wrap-around child care services in (a) May 2010 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available. [179611]

Elizabeth Truss: This information is not held in the format requested.

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The Department for Education's Childcare and Early Years Provider Survey collects information on the number of child care providers in England, including after school clubs. In 2011 there were 10,000 after school clubs, of which 71% were offering before school activities or child care for school aged children in term time. This compares to 9,500 after school clubs in 2010, of which 67% were offering before school activities or child care for school aged children in term time. The survey cannot identify the proportion of primary schools that offer both before school and after school care.

Free Schools

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 114W, on free schools, how much over and above the proportion required to meet recruitment for the current academic year has remained with free schools. [179731]

Mr Timpson: Where an academy has been funded in the current academic year on the basis of its estimated pupil numbers, the Department for Education will make an adjustment in line with its funding agreement in the following year. This applies equally to free schools. As this process runs at one year's remove, we do not yet have this information for academies that were funded on the basis of their estimates in 2013/14. The figures for the current academic year will be calculated in 2014/15.

Integrated Chronology Tool

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all local authorities make use of the integrated chronology tool. [178405]

Mr Timpson: Our statutory safeguarding guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013 states that every assessment of a child who has been referred to children's social care should draw together information gathered from the child and their family and from relevant professionals including teachers, early years workers, health professionals, the police and adult social care. Where a child and family does not need support from children's social care, but would benefit from co-ordinated early help from more than one agency, the guidance states that there should be an inter-agency assessment. However, we believe decisions about which tools are used to support those assessments are best taken locally and we do not therefore prescribe the use of any particular model.

Pay

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the median gross pay is of staff in his Department and its executive agencies in each pay band who are identified as (a) white British and (b) of black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups. [178173]

Elizabeth Truss: The median gross pay of employees in the Department, split by ethnicity, is listed in Table 1 as follows. This includes information from the Department's three Executive agencies. Not all employees choose to

9 Dec 2013 : Column 77W

declare their ethnicity and the information has been calculated from the payroll records of staff who have provided this information.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the median gross pay of (a) men and (b) women is in each pay band in his Department. [178191]

Elizabeth Truss: The median gross pay of men and women in the Department, where this is declared, is listed in Table 1. This includes information from the Department's three Executive agencies. Not all employees choose to provide their diversity information and the information has been calculated from the payroll records of staff who have provided this information.

Pupils: Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2013, Official Report, column 765W, on pupils: health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the reduction in references to children's well-being in Ofsted inspectors' guildlines in 2011 and 2012. [178020]

Mr Laws: The Ofsted inspection framework from January 2012 focussed on four key areas, reflecting the Government's policy as set out in Section 41 of the Education Act 2011.

Although the term “well-being” is not specified in the required reporting areas, it continues to be an integral part of inspections with aspects of pupil well-being being considered within the judgments on behaviour and safety, leadership and management and the overall effectiveness of the school.

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Recruitment

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of staff recruited to his Department since 5 May 2010 were (a) men and (b) women. [178153]

Elizabeth Truss: The following table provides a breakdown by gender of staff recruited to the Department for Education from 1 May 2010 up to 31 October 2013.

The figure for 2012-13 is proportionately higher due to the transfer of staff from the Department's ALBs following the creation of the new Executive agencies.

Schools: Boxing

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on how many schools offer boxing, and on how many children take part in boxing at school. [178441]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect information on how many schools offer boxing, or on how many pupils take part in any lessons offered. It is a matter for schools to decide what sports and activities they offer and how best to deliver them to pupils.

Schools: Sports

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department plans to allocate for school sports to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Barking and Dagenham local authority area in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15. [178240]

Mr Timpson: Funding for the provision of physical education (PE) and school sport at both primary and secondary level forms part of the overall Dedicated Schools Grant, which is not broken down by subject or curriculum area.

However, in recognition of the importance of PE and school sport, the Government are providing over £150 million additional funding per year for 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 which is ring-fenced solely for the improvement of PE and sport in primary schools.

Eligible schools located in Barking and Dagenham local authority area will receive a total of £450,600 in additional funding for PE and sport for the academic year 2013/14. Allocations for future funding in each local authority area are yet to be calculated.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent steps he has taken to ensure that careers services in schools increase awareness of vocational and technical education. [179610]

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Matthew Hancock: Schools are legally required to secure independent careers guidance for pupils in years 8-13. Guidance secured under the duty must include information on the full range of education and training options, including apprenticeships.

We commissioned Ofsted to conduct a thematic review to assess progress on implementation of the duty. This reported on 10 September. Ofsted found that, while some schools have responded well to the new duty, the extent to which schools promoted opportunities available at other providers, including vocational training and apprenticeships, varied considerably.

The Government have responded to Ofsted's report, publishing a vision statement for careers inspiration and an action plan outlining how we intend to take forward Ofsted's recommendations. Both documents are available in the House Library.

In addition, the Government have developed and publishes Destination Measures showing the percentage of students progressing from school or college to sustained participation in further or higher education, employment or training. This enables schools and colleges to be held to account for how effectively they have supported their students to move successfully into a suitable destination.

Transport

A14

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the A14 bypass; and if he will make a statement. [178377]

Mr Goodwill: The decision not to toll the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme was announced by the Government in the New National Infrastructure Plan 2013 and the Autumn Statement.

The Highways Agency is progressing delivery of the project, and subject to statutory processes, expect the improvement works to start in 2016.

Aviation

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2013, Official Report, column 452W, on aviation, if he will make it his policy to collect such information. [178103]

Mr Goodwill: Operational data on aviation are collected by the Civil Aviation Authority and data on the number of private flights undertaken each year are not collected. I do not consider there is sufficient justification to change this approach. Doing so would impose unnecessary and additional administrative and financial burdens on both the CAA to collect this information, and on private pilots to provide associated data to the CAA.

Birmingham Airport

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission research into the potential benefits of expanding Birmingham airport to be a hub airport. [178284]

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Mr Goodwill: The Government have established the independent Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, which is examining the scale and timing of any requirements for additional capacity to maintain the UK's position as Europe's most important aviation hub.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of construction was of the High Speed 1 Thames crossing rail tunnel. [178380]

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is not held by the Department but can be obtained from London and Continental Railways Ltd at:

London and Continental Railways Ltd

4th Floor

One Kemble Street

London

WC2B 4AN.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost per kilometre was of the construction of the High Speed 1 rail line. [178381]

Stephen Hammond: The High Speed 1 line is 108 km (67 miles) in length and runs from central London to the Eurotunnel boundary. The total construction cost of HS1, including infrastructure such as stations, sidings and depots, was £6 billion.

Charitable Donations

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage its employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries. [179646]

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport (Central) and its Executive agencies encourage employees to make regular tax-free donations to charity from their salaries by operating a workplace payroll giving scheme.

The scheme is promoted through internal communications and by occasional visits by charities to the workplace.

The central Department was awarded a Gold Payroll Giving Quality Mark Award for 2012 by the Payroll Giving Centre. The Gold Award is given to employers that have succeeded in generating sustainable income sources for UK charities through payroll giving and have at least 10% of staff signed up.

Delivery Services

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the guidance his Department gives to local authorities on night time deliveries. [178376]

Mr Goodwill: We already publish guidance on our website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quiet-deliveries-demonstration-scheme

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We are currently producing revised guidance and this will also be published on our website in the near future.

Driving Tests

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2013, Official Report, column 190W, on driving tests, what losses were incurred to his Department during the procurement process; for what reason an investigation into the conduct of officials engaged in the procurement process was required; and if he will publish the results of that investigation. [177958]

Mr Goodwill: The decision to award a framework agreement for the supply of computer based testing for government was subject to a formal challenge. As a consequence, and as a matter of good practice, the Department for Transport has commissioned an investigation into the conduct of officials. The investigation is an internal management matter. To ensure continued supply of the driving theory test and a reduction in test fees, the Driving Standards Agency entered into the commercial arrangements set out in my answer of 26 November 2013, Official Report, column 190W. The costs of running the procurement process were set out in the same answer.

Exhaust Emissions: Motor Vehicles

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has plans to support low carbon hydrogen for electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. [179621]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport (DFT), together with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), is an active participant in the joint industry-Government UKH2Mobility project, which was launched in January 2012. Following the completion of the evaluation phase and publication of a report in April 2013, the UKH2Mobility project has been working to develop a potential business plan for the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the associated refuelling infrastructure in the UK from 2015. A key area of work being undertaken in the UKH2Mobility project is looking at the means to ensure a pathway to a low carbon or green production of hydrogen. This work is ongoing.

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) working with the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV), BIS and DECC has invested in excess of £41 million into fuel cell and hydrogen technologies since 2009. In this financial year 2013-14, the TSB has plans to invest a further £4.5 million into ongoing activity supporting fuel cell manufacturing and the supply chain and £5 million into technologies specifically enabling the market for hydrogen. Fuel cells and hydrogen technologies are a part of the TSB’s Energy strategy and further investments into this area are anticipated during the current spending review period to continue to support UK companies developing products for this growing global market. In addition, hydrogen fuel cell electric cars are eligible under the existing plug-in car grant scheme, administered by OLEV, which offers motorists a grant of 25% towards the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum of £5,000.

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Further to the announcement that the Government have committed an additional £500 million to support the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles out to 2020, a call for evidence was launched in November to inform the development of the 2015-20 package of support for ULEVs. This is expected to include measures to support the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure from 2015.

Gatwick Express Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to raise public awareness of the planned disruption to Gatwick Express rail services over the Christmas period. [178420]

Stephen Hammond: Network Rail and train operating companies lead on communication with passengers over planned and unplanned disruption to services and this is underpinned by obligations in franchise agreements and operating licences. I am aware from officials that the industry is taking a number of steps to ensure the works are publicised extensively, including in national and local media and through the industry National Rail enquiries website.

Measures taken by various parties to ensure users of the airport are aware of the disruption include:

posters displayed at stations from September providing advance notice to passengers;

several stakeholder briefings;

over 100,000 booklets being handed out by Southern—operator of the largest number of train services to Gatwick airport—to passengers at various key locations;

emails to passengers on Southern's and Gatwick Express's databases;

detailed information on Southern's website and a link to this information on the Gatwick Express website;

the National Rail enquiries website also containing this information and links to Southern's website;

flyers at stations, and proactively handed out at key locations, directing people to the websites;

information on customer information screens at stations;

a social media campaign in use by Network Rail, Gatwick airport and the train operators serving Gatwick;

announcements at stations and by conductors on trains in the run-up to the period of disruption;

a communication plan by Gatwick airport to communicate to its passengers via its website, social media, posters throughout the airport and via the airlines.

During the period of disruption, extra staff being recruited by Southern will assist passengers with information and with luggage at main interchange points.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger journeys are expected to be made on High Speed 2 on average each day once the line is complete; and what the capacity of the line will be in terms of numbers of passenger journeys per day. [177948]

Mr Goodwill: The daily number of passengers on High Speed 2 in 2036 is forecast to be around 300,000 and the number of seats provided per day is expected to be around 500,000.

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Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of passengers travelling on High Speed 2 are expected to be (a) business and (b) leisure travellers. [177949]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport does not hold the information in the form requested.

Large Goods Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2013, Official Report, column 1051W, on large goods vehicles, for what reason his assessment that longer semi-trailers are able to match the performance of existing semi-trailers differs from the assessments in paragraphs 23 and 24 of his Department's consultation on the possibility of allowing an increase in the length of articulated lorries and in paragraph 3.2.6 of his Department's publication, Longer Semi-trailers feasibility study and impact assessment, published in March 2011. [178035]

Mr Goodwill: The Feasibility Study and consultation documents both stated that if longer semi-trailers used existing steering technology then they would comply with existing regulations, albeit with a slightly increased tail swing. The degree of tail swing depends on the axle configuration.

All longer semi-trailers in the trial use rear axle steering technology and so fully comply with manoeuvrability requirements as set out in national “construction and use” legislation.

M20

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial vehicles have used the M20 in each year since 2000. [178379]

Mr Goodwill: A table showing how many commercial vehicles have used the M20 in each year since 2000 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

The categories of commercial vehicles provided in the table only include LGVs, HGVs, buses and coaches. Our data do not allow us to identify all commercial vehicles but only allow us to differentiate between the specified categories above.

Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last reviewed the operation of the Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002. [178215]

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Stephen Hammond: The provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002 are currently being reviewed with a view to amending them as part of a package of measures to implement the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which sets common global standards to ensure a level playing field.

The proposed changes will:

increase statutory paid leave entitlement of employed seafarers to 2.5 days of leave per month of employment and eight additional days paid leave per year in respect of public holidays;

give seafarers an entitlement to shore leave;

give the right for seafarers to enforce their statutory paid leave entitlement by presenting a claim to an employment tribunal (in Northern Ireland, an industrial tribunal).

Regulations amending the 2002 regulations are expected to be made early in 2014.

Railways: Freight

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail freight sites Network Rail has acquired from the private sector since 2000-01; and what the cost was in each instance. [176986]

Stephen Hammond: This is a commercial matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:

David Higgins

Chief Executive

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London

N1 9AG.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the road maintenance budget was in (a) total and (b) each region in each year since 2005. [178576]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport provides funding to local authorities in England (outside London) for road maintenance through the highways maintenance capital block grant. This funding is not ring-fenced and allows authorities who are responsible for the local road network, the freedom to develop and implement solutions which best suit their priorities.

The following table highlights the road maintenance budget allocated to local highways authorities in each year since 2005:

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In addition, local authorities are also able to use revenue funding, allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant, for maintaining their local highways.

For the strategic road network, the Highways Agency operates and maintains its asset on a national basis, therefore regional budgets (b) are not readily available.

This Government also recognise the need for improved highways maintenance over the longer term and has taken action. In April 2011, Ministers announced that we are sponsoring the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) to look at longer term maintenance strategies. This programme is providing practical and adaptable efficiency solutions, so authorities can make more informed local investment decisions to support their local community and economy.

Transport

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many authorised testing facilities his Department plans to open in the next five years. [178378]

Mr Goodwill: The number of authorised testing facilities (ATFs) that open is driven by the demand from the market. VOSA authorises those ATFs that wish to open, but has not made any long-term predictions about how many ATFs there will be in the next five years.

The 400th ATF is due to open shortly and we predict that there will be 445 ATFs by the end of March 2013.

West Coast Railway Line

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of passengers travelling on the west coast main line were (a) business and (b) leisure travellers in the most recent period for which figures are available. [177950]

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not have the information as requested. 10 different passenger rail companies provide services on the west coast main line, and they are not required by the Department to provide such information.

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger journeys were made on the west coast main line on average each day in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the maximum capacity of the line is in terms of daily passenger journeys. [177954]

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. 10 different operators provide passenger services on the west coast main line. The Office of Rail Regulation publishes statistics showing the number of journeys made with each train operator each year, but for all of these 10 operators, journeys on their services are made on both the west coast main line and on other lines.

The Department holds some information about train operators' planned capacity provision, but as a seat can be used by multiple occupants along a service's route this does not show the maximum number of journeys that can be accommodated.

Deputy Prime Minister

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 his Office (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each number has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case. [174994]

Mr Hurd [holding answer 18 November 2013]: The Deputy Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office has identified no telephone lines with the prefix 0844 or 0843, and two with the prefix 0845. One of these was inherited from the previous Government.

Neither line is targeted at users of public services and one of them has an alternative local landline number and call-back service.

One of the 0845 numbers will be replaced in the new year with a web portal and call-back service. We will also review the use of the other 0845 line in the new year.

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My Department does not hold information on the exact number of calls to these numbers.

Health

Abortion

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances his Department requires doctors to provide evidence to substantiate their opinion that an abortion is legally justified; and how that evidence is assessed. [178040]

Jane Ellison: Except for emergencies, an abortion is only legal if two medical practitioners are of the opinion formed in good faith that there are grounds for an abortion within the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended). The two doctors are each required to certify that they have reached this opinion on Form HSA1, together with the ground for the abortion. Form HSA4 is completed by the terminating practitioner, and also includes the ground for the abortion, and must be submitted to the chief medical officer (CMO).

The CMO wrote to all those involved in abortion provision on 22 November 2013. This letter highlighted that there is an expectation that both doctors will have taken positive steps to obtain information specific to the woman seeking a termination as part of reaching their decision and to have turned their mind to the particular facts of that case when forming their opinion. Doctors should be able to evidence how this decision was reached if asked to justify it subsequently. The Department is now developing more detailed guidance for practitioners involved in abortion.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under (a) 13 and (b) 18 were admitted to hospital for an (i) alcohol-related condition and (ii) alcohol-specific condition in each of the last five years. [178431]

Dr Poulter: The following table contains the sum of the estimated alcohol-related admissions, using attributable fractions for 0 to 12-year-olds and 0 to 17-year-olds residents in England.

It should be noted that these figures are not a count of people and represent an estimated number of admissions that were attributable to alcohol.

Alcohol attributable fractions (AAFs) are based on the proportion of a given diagnosis or injury that is estimated to be attributed to alcohol. Some diagnoses or injuries will, by definition, be wholly attributable to alcohol and have an AAF of one, others will only be partly attributable to alcohol and have an AAF greater than zero, but less than one. Diagnoses or injuries that are not attributable at all to alcohol will have an AAF of zero.

These figures are derived by summing all AAFs for the relevant admissions and should therefore only be interpreted as an estimate of the number of admissions that can be attributed to alcohol.

It should also be noted that attributable fractions are not available for children under 16. Therefore figures for this age group relate only to wholly-attributable admissions, where the attributable fraction is one.

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The sum of AAF¹ for admission episodes for (a) 0 to 12-year-olds and (b) 0 to 17-year-olds where (i) the AAF for the episode is one (wholly attributable to alcohol) and (ii) the AAF for the episode is less than one (partially attributable to alcohol) for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13².

Alzheimer's Disease

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will have discussions with research councils and other appropriate research bodies on providing specific funding for (a) the study of risk factors in Alzheimer's disease and (b) clinical trials to assess the role of managing those risks in preventing that disease; [178014]

(2) what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of increasing expenditure on research into the risk factors associated with dementia and their prevention. [179667]

Dr Poulter: In March 2012, the Prime Minister's challenge on dementia announced that the combined value of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Medical Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council funding for research into dementia will increase from £26.6 million in 2009-10 to an estimated £66.3 million in 2014-15. Combined spend on dementia research by these funders reached £52.2 million in 2012-13.

In partnership with medical research charities, these funders invest in a wide range of research relating to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, including research on risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Together with work in the two other key areas of the Prime Minister's challenge, the investment in research

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will help to both improve quality of life and quality of care, and reduce future pressures on the national health service and social care.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including risk factors for dementia and interventions to mitigate such risk factors. 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.

Asthma

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce asthma action plans to improve standards of asthma care and reduce asthma deaths. [178601]

Jane Ellison: To improve outcomes for asthma patients, in July 2011 we published, “An outcomes strategy for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in England”, which set out the ways in which we will meet our aim of delivering healthcare outcomes for people with COPD and asthma as good as anywhere in the world.

The strategy set out an objective to: ensure all people with asthma are free of symptoms because of prompt and accurate diagnosis; ensure that they are involved in shared decision making regarding treatment; and ensure that they receive ongoing support as they self-manage their own condition and so reduce need for unscheduled health care and risk of death. The strategy can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216139/dh_128428.pdf

In May 2012 we published the NHS Companion Document to the Outcomes Strategy. This uses the framework of the five domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework to describe the actions and interventions that the national health service can take to meet the objectives in the Outcomes Strategy for COPD and Asthma. Under each domain, the evidence for change to make improvements in outcomes is presented and the key actions that the NHS can take are given.

NHS England has responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improve clinical outcomes from healthcare services for people with asthma.

In February 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its asthma quality standard, which covers the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in adults, young people and children aged 12 months and older. The quality standard sets out that people with asthma should receive a written personalised action plan.

NHS England is statutorily required to have regard to NICE quality standards. It is for NHS England to take forward implementation of the NICE quality standard on asthma.

Babies

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies had to be detoxified at birth from the substance upon which their mother was dependent in each of the last 10 years. [178430]

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Dr Poulter: It is not possible to identify 'detoxified at birth' using the ICD-10 classification¹ Instead we have provided a count of finished admission birth episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs of addiction.

¹ ICD-10 code used: P96.1 Neonatal withdrawal symptoms form maternal use of drugs of addiction.

Bacterial Diseases

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk of a pandemic if NDM-1 enzyme transferred to a highly contagious bacterium against which modern antibiotics would be ineffective. [177924]

Jane Ellison: No formal assessment has been made of the pandemic potential of bacteria producing the NDM-1 enzyme (New-Delhi metallo beta-lactamase) as they are generally a problem in health care settings rather than the community. Control of infections caused by bacteria producing this and similar enzymes that inactivate carbapenem antibiotics has been a focus of activity for our Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (ARHAI) and the Health Protection Agency (now Public Health England) for some time.

We will be building on previous work to help the NHS to prevent and control spread of these and other resistant bacteria through the implementation of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018 and the publication on 2 December 2013 of Public Health England's toolkit, which enables health care providers to identify and manage carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae, which includes those producing the NDM-1 enzyme.

A copy of the toolkit has been placed in the Library.

Blood: Donors

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of Justice Treacy's ruling on blood donation from men who have sex with men; and what plans he has to bring blood donation rules in Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK. [178263]

Jane Ellison: The Department is currently considering the potential implications of this judgment.

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Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the costs of adapting his Department's buildings to accommodate the new organisations created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 are included in his published estimate of costs associated with the reorganisation implemented under the terms of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. [178060]

Dr Poulter: On 18 July 2013 the Secretary of State for Health made a written ministerial statement on the costs and benefits of NHS modernisation. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 18 July 2013, Official Report, columns 125-26WS.

The Secretary of State announced that, up to 31 March 2013, costs of £1,096 million had been incurred across the health and care system on developing and establishing the new arrangements. Within this figure £42 million had been incurred on estates costs of closing bodies and setting up new organisations. This figure included the costs of adapting the Department's buildings to accommodate the new organisations created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The above costs should be viewed alongside the savings arising from NHS modernisation, expected to be £5.5 billion during the current Parliament and £1.5 billion per annum thereafter.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2013, Official Report, column 281W, on buildings, what the cost of the refurbishments at (a) Richmond house and (b) Wellington house was, by category of expenditure. [178096]

Dr Poulter: The Department’s supplier has been able to provide a breakdown of the costs under the headings of electrical works, mechanical works, fabric, fixtures and fittings and management costs.

Costs on the refurbishment undertaken in 2013 to date for refurbishment in Richmond house and Wellington house by category of expenditure is shown in the following tables.

Caffeine

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of high-caffeine energy drinks on the short and long-term health of children. [179678]

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Jane Ellison: The safety of high caffeine energy drinks was assessed by the European Scientific Committee on Food in 2003. Their opinion was that high caffeine drinks caused increased excitability; irritability, nervousness or anxiety in some people who drank them, particularly if those people were normally low consumers of caffeine. No long-term health effects were noted.

The Food Standards Agency considers the effects of caffeine are transitory and without permanent health effects and their advice is that children, or other people sensitive to caffeine, should only consume caffeine in moderation.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is in the process of evaluating the safety of caffeine including potential interactions with other ingredients. They are also considering whether it is appropriate to establish recommended intake levels for the general population, or sub groups such as children. EFSA's opinion is expected in the next few months.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the consumption rate of high-caffeine energy drinks by children. [179679]

Jane Ellison: In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority commissioned a study on the consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks in the European Union.

The results showed that for United Kingdom children (three to 10 year olds) the population mean and high level caffeine consumption from energy drinks alone was 6.2 milligrams per day (mg/day) and 33.8 mg/day respectively. For a typical energy drink, which contains 80 mg of caffeine in a 250 ml can, this equates to 8% and 42% of a can a day. By comparison a mug of instant coffee contains around 80 mg of caffeine.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had (a) at Responsibility Deal Meetings, (b) with major retailers and (c) with the Food Standards Agency on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children. [179680]

Jane Ellison: The Government have held no discussions specific to the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children at any meetings of the Responsibility Deal or with retailers. Food Standards Agency advice is that, based on the current scientific evidence on their safety, restrictions on the sale of these drinks to children are not necessary. The Government continue to monitor the situation and any new emerging scientific evidence.

Care Homes: CCTV

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is considering introducing a requirement for care homes to install closed circuit television monitoring for the purposes of patient safety and staff reassurance. [177942]

Norman Lamb: The Department is not considering introducing a requirement for care homes to install closed circuit television monitoring.

However we are strengthening the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) regulatory function and believe that it should look carefully at how to uncover any type of abuse or neglect in care. The use of covert surveillance

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or video monitoring would require very careful consideration by the CQC, including balancing the need to improve the quality of care and the effectiveness of inspection with protecting and maintaining the privacy and dignity of service users.

The CQC will have widespread powers to take firm action on poor care and to hold both councils and providers to account for the quality of services.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will update his Department's guidance on the payment of top-ups in residential care in order to ensure that no adult or their family is required to pay top-ups in order to meet their eligible need; and if he will make a statement. [179666]

Norman Lamb: Guidance on the use of third party top-up fees for local authority funded social care placements is clearly set out in Local Authority Circular LAC(2004)20. Following the passage of the Care Bill, updated guidance will be issued to local authorities. We anticipate consulting on this in the spring.

Care Homes: General Practitioners

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects concerning charging for healthcare services by GPs for residents in care homes; what assessment his Department has made of the scale of that practice; what steps he is taking to ensure consistent access standards for primary care services for residents of care homes; and if he will make a statement. [177943]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not collect this information. Care home residents are entitled to receive the same care from the general practitioner (GP) practice where they are registered as people who live in their own homes. This care would include a home visit if the GP deems it clinically appropriate.

If a higher level of care—beyond what is normally expected from a practice—is needed, this can be arranged and funded through NHS England as a local enhanced service. For private work however, such as offering staff training or health and safety advice, professional fees may be charged.

GPs are independent business people who work under contract with NHS England to provide patients with national health service primary medical services. Under the terms of their NHS contract, GPs are prevented from charging registered patients for any treatment except in a few, very limited circumstances. It is the responsibility of NHS England to ensure GPs do not breach the terms of their contract and to take action if a breach occurs.

Care Homes: Managers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes reported the absence of a registered manager for (a) less than three, (b) three to six, (c) six to nine, (d) nine to 12 and (e) more than 12 months in each of the last five years. [177945]

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Norman Lamb: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it has not systematically collected the data requested over the past five years and is therefore unable to provide historic information.

Within the past nine months, the CQC has changed its data collection to identify those locations at which a registered manager may be required but not in post. As a result, the CQC is now able to identify providers in breach of the requirement and calculate how long it has been since the last registered manager was in post.

The CQC uses the data to challenge providers and to hold them to account when they may be in breach of the conditions of their registration. The CQC also seeks information on the recruitment of a replacement when it receives notification of a manager resigning or leaving.

The CQC publishes information about all regulated services on its website. The information shows if a manager is required for a service and whether or not there is one in post. It is available at:

www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/documents/hsca_active_locations.xlsx

Charitable Donations

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries. [179642]

Dr Poulter: The Department promotes payroll giving by its employees as an easy and tax-efficient way to make donations to the charities of their choice via communications on our intranet. These communications also explain the process we have put in place to enable this to happen. In addition, the Department uses a professional fundraising organisation to promote payroll giving by regularly holding awareness sessions for all employees.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of funding per head is for each clinical commissioning group allocated by NHS England from its 2013-14 budget; and what the equivalent figures are for each of the last five years. [177953]

Dr Poulter: The total revenue budget for the national health service increased by 2.6 billion in 2013-14. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were fully established from 1 April 2013, receiving their first commissioning funding for the 2013-14 financial year. A note of each CCGs allocation, as announced in December 2012, has been placed in the Library. There is no prior year CCG data.

Dementia: Cornwall

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated to health professionals in Cornwall from the NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for Dementia fund. [178635]

Norman Lamb: The Plymouth Care Coordination Team were highly commended for their entry in the NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for Dementia, but received no monetary award.

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Electronic Cigarettes

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons electronic cigarettes are regulated as a medicinal product; and if he will make a statement. [179746]

Jane Ellison: Only nicotine-containing products (NCP), including electronic cigarettes, which are presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings, such as nicotine addiction, are considered to be medicinal products.

Medicines regulation requires that licensed products meet appropriate standards of quality, safety and efficacy; that safety in use is monitored, including over the long term; and any emerging risks are effectively managed.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the use of licensed nicotine replacement therapy to reduce the harms of smoking to smokers and those around them.

Smoking is the greatest single cause of avoidable ill-health and death, accounting for 80,000 deaths each year in England alone. The Government are concerned to ensure that an effective, proportionate regulatory framework exists to enable safe and effective products to meet this public health priority.

NCPs which are not presented as medicines are not subject to medicinal licensing. General Product Safety Directive provisions apply to such products.

Epilepsy

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to publish guidance and the evidence on which its anti-epileptics: changing products is based. [178650]

Norman Lamb: On 12 November 2013 following earlier consideration of the matter by its independent expert advisory group, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) the MHRA published advice in relation to switching between manufacturers' products of oral antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This advice included messages targeted to health care professionals, patients and marketing authorisation holders.

Furthermore, information setting the context of this advice in relation to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on AEDs and the regulatory approval of generic drugs was also provided.

On 25 November 2013 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published more detailed information in the form of a report of the evidence which was considered by the CHM in reaching this position. This report can be found on the MHRA website:

www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/comms-ic/documents/websiteresources/con341226.pdf

The review considered adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting, published literature and the characteristics of the individual AEDs, their therapeutic index, solubility and absorption properties. With regard to the characteristics of the individual drugs, a summary for each drug is included within the CHM report.

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ADR reports will continue to be monitored, along with any other emerging evidence, and if the strength of evidence supports it then re-categorising a particular drug substance would be considered.

A list of the published literature reviewed as part of this process will also shortly be published alongside the already available information.

Gender Recognition

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his Department's policy is on access to gender reassignment services; [178044]

(2) what NHS expenditure on gender reassignment treatment and advice was in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2013; [178045]

(3) what estimate he has made of the average time spent on waiting lists for gender reassignment in (a) North West England and (b) England in each of the last five years; [178046]

(4) what assessment he has made of any variation in gender reassignment policies across NHS trusts in England and Wales. [178047]

Norman Lamb: Since April 2013 gender identity services have been commissioned by NHS England. NHS England will continue to work with the transgendered community and stakeholders through the Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity services, to produce a single and consistent policy for the whole of England.

However, an England-wide interim protocol was consulted on, developed and began on 1 November 2013. The protocol is based on the previously published and well received Scottish protocol. The protocol relies on the publication of the Inter-Collegiate “Good practice guidelines for the treatment of adults with gender dysphoria” published at the end of October 2013. A fully consulted policy document and service specifications will be published during 2014.

Until April 2013, gender identity services were largely commissioned by primary care trusts (PCTs). Each PCT commissioned gender reassignment services to local need and policies.

Data on expenditure on gender reassignment treatments are not collected centrally. Data on finished consultant episodes with a primary or secondary procedure of gender reassignment surgery for the years 2005-06, 2010-11 and 2012-13 are provided in the following table:

Data on average waiting times lists for gender reassignment in north-west England centrally:

The current average waiting time for those patients (male to female) who wish to progress to surgical reassignment is 24 weeks.

The current average waiting time for those patients (female to male) that wish to progress to surgical reassignment is 16 weeks.