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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Transport

A14

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to National Infrastructure Plan 2013, published on 4 December 2013, whether, following the decision to cancel the tolling proposals for the A14, the Government will now revert to the upgrade plans which were in place before May 2010. [178923]

Mr Goodwill: The Highways Agency has recently consulted with the public on proposals for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement, specifically a route between Ellington and Milton. This is not the same scheme that was proposed prior to May 2010 although it does have a number of similarities. The agency is still considering the many representations received, together with the implications of the decision not to toll, and expects to announce a preferred route early in 2014.

A14: East of England

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on planning, consultation and other preparation for the planned upgrade of the 25-mile section of the A14 in East Anglia by (a) the Government and (b) local authorities in each year since 2010. [178904]

Mr Goodwill: Since 2010 the Government have spent £4.17 million on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme. £885,000 of this was spent in 2012-13 and the remaining £3.28 million has been spent so far in 2013-14. The Department does not hold information centrally on spend by local authorities.

Amphibious Vehicles: Accidents

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch's report on the commercial operation of DUKW vehicles as tourist vehicles. [178760]

Stephen Hammond: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has not yet produced its final report into the fire on the Cleopatra DUKW boat on 29 September. The MAIB issued a Safety Bulletin on 28 October 2013 and recommended that these vessels should not be permitted to operate until satisfactory levels of safety can be assured under all feasible operating conditions. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is the appropriate regulator and will not allow the vessels to operate on the water until they are satisfied with safety arrangements.

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Driving Tests

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Esterman and Goldmann tests of a driver's visual ability. [178890]

Mr Goodwill: In the past three years the Department has a record of receiving five representations from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents about the effectiveness of the Esterman and Goldmann methods used to test a driver's eyesight.

Highways Agency

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed Government-owned company replacing the Highways Agency will be able to borrow at (a) government or (b) private industry rates. [178892]

Mr Goodwill: The new company will be funded directly from public funds and therefore it is not expected that external borrowing is going to be a requirement for financing activities. However the Department is still working on the detailed financial arrangements for the company including whether any borrowing might be required and if so on what basis.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed Government-owned company replacing the Highways Agency will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. [178894]

Mr Goodwill: We are currently in the middle on a consultation process which will close on 20 December.

We expect the Freedom of Information Act will continue to apply to Highways Agency in its new form.

Large Goods Vehicles

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department will publish its review of sidebar exemptions for HGVs. [178903]

Mr Goodwill: The Department will publish its review of exemptions for sideguards fitted to HGVs in early 2014. Work is ongoing to develop an impact assessment to understand fully the cost and benefits of any changes to the current exemptions.

Railways: Franchises

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the review of the Rail Franchise Direct Awards Process Guide to be completed; and when the Guide will be published. [178900]

Stephen Hammond: A draft version of the Direct Awards Process Guide was published in error. We have now reviewed the final version of the Direct Awards Process Guide and it will be published shortly.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to publish the Rail Franchising Overview. [178916]

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Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport remains committed to transparency in the franchising process. To that end we have published a number of documents since the new franchising schedule was announced by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), in March 2013. There have, however, been a number of significant changes in the rail industry over the course of the year and in order to appropriately capture these changes we have chosen to defer the publication of the Rail Franchising Overview.

Railways: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies about increasing services on the North Wales Coast Main Line. [178993]

Stephen Hammond: There are two current operators on this route: Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales. There have been no recent discussions with Virgin Trains about increasing services on the North Wales Coast Main Line. The Arriva Trains Wales franchise is the responsibility of Welsh Government under the Welsh rail devolution arrangements and any such discussions regarding increasing the services on the North Wales Coast Main Line would be a matter for them.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the budget for local road maintenance in real terms with predicted inflation in each year to 2020-21. [178745]

Mr Goodwill: The following table shows capital highways maintenance block funding:

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The Department is also funding highways maintenance projects in Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sheffield, Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hounslow through the private finance initiative.

The funding for road repairs in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective Administrations.

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.

Neither revenue nor capital highways maintenance block funding is ring-fenced and it is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services that they provide.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of vessels which failed International Transport Workers Federation inspections but held valid Maritime Labour Control certificates in each of the last three years. [178710]

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made no estimate of this number as it does not keep, or have access to, records of inspections by the International Transport Workers Federation.

Home Department

Abandoned Vehicles

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many statutory recovery contracts will be issued by police this year. [178373]

Damian Green: The Home Office does not collect this information.

Asylum: Finance

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial provisions are available to successful applicants for support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; what underlying principles her Department relies upon to determine the exact level of financial support offered under that section; and what calculations her Department used to determine that this level of financial support is adequate to cover medical, food and transport costs of such applicants. [178714]

Mr Harper: Successful applicants are provided with accommodation and an "Azure Card" that can be used to buy food and other essential items to the value of £35.39 per week. They are also eligible to receive free health care and can apply for extra assistance to cover the costs of travel to essential appointments.

The level of assistance is customarily reviewed annually. When last considering whether to change the level of financial support provided the Government took into account a range of comparators, such as the level of income support, the Office for National Statistics and

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the Department for Work and Pensions survey data on average household spending and the rates paid in other EU member states. The level of support agreed also reflects the temporary nature of the support provided and the fact that accommodation is provided fully furnished with no utility costs to pay.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to broaden the range of (a) supermarkets and (b) local retail shops that accept Azure payment cards. [178755]

Mr Harper: The Azure Card is already accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrison's, the Co-operative, Boots, Peacocks, The British Red Cross, the Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers.

There are ongoing discussions with other retail outlets who may be interested in joining the scheme.

Counter-terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on the spending of funds allocated under the Prevent agenda. [178248]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 9 December 2013]:The Prevent strategy provides guidance on how local authorities should spend funds allocated under the Prevent agenda. Details can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-strategy-2011

The Home Office currently funds dedicated Prevent co-ordinators in local priority areas to local delivery. It also funds project work for activities that address specific local risks, with these funds allocated under a bidding process.

Deportation: Appeals

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unsuccessful appeals by foreign nationals deported under section 32 of the UK Borders Act 2007 there were using (a) the European Convention on Human Rights and (b) the 1951 Refugee Convention in each year since the implementation of that Act. [178454]

Mr Harper [holding answer 9 December 2013]: We are only able to report on data captured in certain mandatory fields on the Home Office's Case Information Database (CID). Additional data relating to the specific details of appeals lodged against the European Convention on Human Rights and Refugee Convention are only recorded in the case notes sections within the database or held solely on the case file. In order to provide the requested information on the reasons given for lodging an appeal, we would need to undertake a manual case by case search of records. We have estimated that to gather and collate the information you have requested would exceed the cost threshold.

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what articles of the European Convention on Human Rights were used as part of the

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appeal by foreign nationals deported under section 32 of the UK Borders Act 2007 who unsuccessfully appealed against their deportation in each year since the implementation of that Act. [178455]

Mr Harper [holding answer 9 December 2013]: We are only able to report on data captured in certain mandatory fields on the Home Office's Case Information Database (CID). Additional data relating to the specific details of appeals lodged against the European Convention on Human Rights and Refugee Convention are only recorded in the case notes sections within the database or held solely on the case file. In order to provide the requested information on the reasons given for lodging an appeal, we would need to undertake a manual case by case search of records. We have estimated that to gather and collate the information you have requested would exceed the cost threshold.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the Independent Police Complaints Commission has jurisdiction over port police forces, Mersey Tunnels police and Cambridge University Constabulary; [178336]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2013, Official Report, column 476W, on Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), whether the IPCC will deal with all serious and sensitive cases involving the (a) British Transport police, (b) Ministry of Defence Police and (c) Civil Nuclear Constabulary. [178523]

Damian Green: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has agreements in place with the Port of Bristol police, Port of Liverpool police, Port of Tees and Hartlepool police and Port of Tilbury police. It has no equivalent agreements with the Mersey Tunnels police or the Cambridge university constabulary.

The British Transport police, Ministry of Defence police and Civil Nuclear constabulary refer cases to the IPCC, which then decides what form of investigation, if any, to carry out. The Government are considering the approach to non-Home Office forces as part of the programme to expand the IPCC.

Immigration Caseworkers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of overtime have been paid to immigration caseworkers in (a) her Department and (b) her Department's executive agencies in the last five years for which records are available. [175460]

Mr Harper [holding answer 18 November 2013]:Home Office employees claim overtime for hours worked using individual weekly electronic time cards which are then automatically processed on our payroll system. The information could therefore only be obtained by undertaking a weekly extract of these time cards for each of the last five years from both the Home Office payroll databases (main Department and Her Majesty's Passport Office) which would incur a disproportionate cost to the Home Office.

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The Home Office reports some overtime information each month in its Workforce Management Information (WFMI) monthly return published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-2013

This is reported as a monetary value in line with all other Government reporting data.

Police: West Yorkshire

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the former West Yorkshire police authority sought (a) legal advice and (b) approval from her Department before making a payment to the former Chief Constable Norman Bettison in addition to his salary. [178623]

Damian Green: There were no such requests made to the Home Office.

The procurement of legal advice would be a matter for the local policing body, at that time the West Yorkshire police authority.

Chief officers' pay and allowances are set nationally, with only limited discretion for payments outside those rules.

There is now a legal requirement for senior officers' pay to be published under transparency rules and elected police and crime commissioners will need to justify any payment made over and above these rules.

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, how many parliamentary questions were tabled in the five days prior to the House rising for Christmas, Easter and Summer recess in the (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2012-13 parliamentary sessions. [178567]

John Thurso: Session 2009-10 ran from 18 November 2009 to 12 April 2010. There were no Easter or summer recesses in that Session. Session 2012-13 ran from 9 May 2012 to 25 April 2013. The figures given represent written questions tabled that day.

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Easter and summer 2009 fell in Session 2008-09. The equivalent figures for the five days preceding those recesses are as follows:

Pay

Mr Frank Field: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 376W, on pay, if he will set out each step on the path to ensuring that supply companies to the House are paying the London living wage. [178238]

John Thurso: We began an exercise in November to contact all contractors, and their subcontractors, which provide services to establish if they pay the London living wage (LLW) to workers assigned to our contracts. So far we have approached 757 service providers. We have identified six contractors where we are not yet satisfied that all staff are paid the LLW. We are seeking assurances that this will be rectified by 7 April (the deadline agreed with the London Living Wage Foundation). We are working with the House of Lords because the majority of our contracts for services are bicameral.

Portcullis House: Mobile Phones

Alison Seabeck: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps are being taken to ensure there is access to a constant mobile telephone signal for users working in offices in Portcullis House. [178260]

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John Thurso: Provision of mobile phone signals into Portcullis House has been a long-running problem, made difficult because of the design of the building. In 2009 PICT worked with T-Mobile to install equipment to provide a mobile signal inside the building. This was designed to allow use by other mobile operators and T-Mobile and Orange users adopted this solution. In 2011 Vodaphone's service was added.

PICT is drafting a contract with O2 for use of the same equipment and an O2 signal should also be available in spring 2014. Three has also expressed an interest in hosting its service in the same way.

Prime Minister

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) Sir John Chilcott and (b) the US administration on evidence to be made publicly available to the Chilcott Inquiry; and when he expects to receive the final report of that inquiry. [178844]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West (Mr Amess) on 22 November 2013, Official Report, 1038W.

Communities and Local Government

Charities: Non-domestic Rates

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of business rate relief for charities. [179623]

Brandon Lewis: In 2013-14, local authority estimates suggest charities will receive £1.3 billion in mandatory business rate relief and a further £43 million in discretionary business rate relief.

It is a long-standing feature of the business rate system that charities receive rate relief, given the public benefit they deliver to society from their good works.

Community Assets

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Right to Bid [901558]

Stephen Williams: The Department has not made any formal assessment as yet of the overall effectiveness of the Community Right to Bid. We do know that over 700 Assets of Community Value have been listed under the Right and we have already seen a number of communities successfully using the Right to help them to purchase assets that matter to them.

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Council Tax: Greater London

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the outstanding amounts of uncollected council tax are for each London borough for (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [179630]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 4 December 2013]:The cumulative level of council tax arrears in each London borough (at the end of March in each year) is as follows:

The figures are calculated by adding the amount of council tax that was uncollected within the year to the council tax arrears brought forward, less any receipts received in respect of previous years' arrears, less any council tax written off as uncollectable.

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In our best practice document, "50 ways to save", we listed improving council tax collection rates and reducing arrears as a key way of making sensible savings to help keep overall council tax bills down and protect frontline services. Every penny of council tax that is not collected means a higher council tax for the law-abiding citizen who does pay on time.

It is important that councils are sympathetic to those in genuine hardship, are proportionate in enforcement and do not overuse bailiffs. However, these figures show that there is a significant source of income for councils, which councils in London could use to support frontline service or cut council tax bills.

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Disabled Staff

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of employees in his Department have a physical or learning disability, by each Civil Service pay grade. [176653]

Brandon Lewis: At 31 October 2013 the proportion of employees in the Department for Communities and Local Government with a disability, by each civil service pay grade is:

The Department does not hold data on disability by type, asking staff only to disclose whether they regard themselves as being disabled or not.

Families: Disadvantaged

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many outcomes under the Troubled Families programme the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has claimed payment since 1 April 2012. [178068]

Kris Hopkins: Upper tier local authorities provide my Department with progress information in regard to their local troubled families programmes at quarterly intervals. The latest information submitted by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham shows that, as at 31 October 2013, it had claimed for 121 outcomes under the terms of the Troubled Families Programme Financial Framework.

My Department publishes programme data on a quarterly basis, including the number of outcomes claimed by each upper tier authority. The information can be found on my Department's web pages here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-september-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-october-2013

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham have been attached to the Troubled Families programme since 1 April 2012. [178077]

Kris Hopkins: Upper tier local authorities provide my Department with progress information in regard to their local troubled families programmes at quarterly intervals. The latest information submitted by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham shows that, as at 30 September 2013, it had started working with 412 families.

My Department publishes programme data on a quarterly basis, including the number of families worked with by each upper tier authority. The information can be found on my Department's web pages here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-september-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-october-2013

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham his Department has identified as meeting the criteria for the Troubled Families programme since 1 April 2012. [178084]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 9 December 2013]:Upper tier local authorities provide my Department with progress information in regard to their local troubled families programmes at quarterly intervals. The latest information submitted by the London borough of Barking and Dagenham shows that, as at 30 September 2013, it had identified 538 of the 645 families it has agreed to work with by the end of the current Parliament.

My Department publishes programme data on a quarterly basis, including the number of families identified by each upper tier authority. The information can be found on my Department's web pages here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-september-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-october-2013

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families are expected to be turned around under the Troubled Families programme in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015. [178406]

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Kris Hopkins: We do not set annual targets for the number of families to be turned around under the Troubled Families programme. The Prime Minister's overall ambition is to turn around the lives of the 120,000 most troubled families in England by the end of this Parliament.

A breakdown of the number of troubled families each upper tier local authority has agreed to turn around overall is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-september-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-october-2013

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families have been turned around under the Troubled Families programme to date. [178407]

Kris Hopkins: Information about the number of families that have been turned around under the Troubled Families programme to date is published each quarter and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-troubled-families-programme-financial-framework

Fire Services: Pensions

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress he has made in negotiations on firefighters' pensions. [179614]

Brandon Lewis: In May 2012, the Department published the Proposed Final Agreement setting out reforms to the Firefighters' Pension Schemes to apply from 2015. In June 2013, I wrote to the firefighter trade unions offering to vary the scheme design to address issues that they had raised. This was rejected by the Fire Brigades Union which commenced a ballot for industrial action consisting of a strike.

In November 2013 I published a consultation on principles to promote fitness and manage capability in the fire service. The consultation proposed that the principles be included in the Fire and Rescue National Framework to give them statutory force, and that an independent review of the principles be undertaken to assess whether they were being properly implemented. This consultation closed on 6 December 2013.

I have regularly met with the leadership of the Fire Brigades Union, the Retained Firefighters' Union and the Fire Officers' Association both prior to, and during, the Fire Brigades Unions industrial action. I have always remained available to meet with the unions and, as part of the consultation, I recently hosted a roundtable meeting to discuss issues that have been raised on fitness and capability.

Fracking

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department gives to local mineral planning authorities on how to balance Government policy on shale gas drilling applications against local opinion in respect of shale gas. [177936]

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Nick Boles: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that up to date local plans are the key to delivering sustainable development that reflects the vision and aspirations of local communities. Through the National Planning Policy Framework we expect county and unitary councils to use their local plans to plan for minerals of national and local importance in their area. This includes onshore oil and gas.

Decisions on planning applications are made in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. These considerations can include the planning issues raised by local people. Local planning authorities are required to undertake a formal period of public consultation, prior to deciding a planning application, as prescribed in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)(England) Order 2010.

Shale gas has the potential to provide the UK with greater energy security, growth and jobs. The planning system is accompanied by separate environmental and health and safety provisions (overseen by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, by the Environment Agency and by the Health and Safety Executive) ensuring that a robust, comprehensive and safe regulatory regime is in place.

Local Government: Merseyside

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues and the Minister of State for Employment on a City Region Cabinet on Merseyside. [178415]

Brandon Lewis: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters. The Government have decided to undertake a statutory consultation, launched on 28 November 2013, on the proposal to establish a combined authority for Greater Merseyside. The consultation ends on 22 January 2014.

Michael Lyons

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what total amount in salary, fees and expenses was paid by his Department to Sir Michael Lyons for his work on the Lyons Inquiry into Local Government; [174801]

(2) how much his Department paid Sir Michael Lyons in (a) salary, (b) fees and (c) related expenses for his work on the Lyons Inquiry into Local Government in 2007. [175108]

Brandon Lewis: Sir Michael Lyons carried out his inquiry into local government between 2004 and 2007. He delivered his report

“Place-shaping: a shared ambition for the future of local government"

in March 2007. He was paid total fees of £309,500, and expenses of £25,314.96. In addition, a total of £58,592.60 was paid in VAT on those sums.

The total gross cost paid by the last Administration was thus almost £400,000.

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Parking: Fees and Charges

Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of changes in local authority car parking charges in (a) each local authority, (b) each English region and (c) England since 2009. [177809]

Brandon Lewis: [holding answer 2 December 2013]:We do not hold figures on individual parking charges. However, the following table shows the change in local authority gross expenditure, income and net current expenditure since 2009, broken down by (a) on-street and (b) off-street parking.

The table shows how income and ‘profit’ (negative net current expenditure) from off-street parking has fallen over period, but risen from on-street parking. Councils have delivered operational savings from lower costs, but it would appear that these have not been passed onto consumers.

As outlined in the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2012, Official Report, columns 31-33WS, my Department no longer publishes statistics by the former Government office regions. I have not undertaken a detailed analysis of individual local authorities, but the underlying data are available on department's website from revenue outturn (R02) returns.

To place this table in context, from 1997-98 to 2010-11, local authority total income in England from parking rose from £608 million to £1.3 billion; net profits from parking rose from £223 million to £512 million in the same period. However, the law is extremely clear that on-street parking may not be used as a source of general revenue.

I would observe under the last Administration, councils were pressured by central Government to increase parking charges, both in ministerial speeches and in the Whitehall guidance issued by the Department and its predecessors.

Indeed, when the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham) was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and was asked to

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increase local government's revenue raising powers, he noted that it was already Government policy to encourage councils to “creatively” and “extensively” make use of parking charges (CLG, Government response to the CLG “Select Committee report into the balance of power: central and local government”, Cm 7712, September 2009).

By contrast, this Government have taken a series of steps to undo such measures, but there is more to do. Hence we have published detailed proposals on reforming parking enforcement, to rein back in over-zealous practices and to stand up for hard-working people and support local shops. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Pay Television

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether offices of (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies have access to Sky Sports or an equivalent premium sports television service; and what the cost to the public purse is in each case. [176425]

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not subscribe to any premium satellite television channels. By contrast, the Department under the last Administration spent £5,594 on premium Sky channels, which included Sky Sports for the (now closed) Darts Bar.

With regard to the executive agencies, the Planning Inspectorate has never had access to Sky Sports or an equivalent sports package and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has access to Sky Sports but this is a service that it sells on from time to time to clients using the centre for events at no cost to the public purse.

Planning Permission

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) housing planning decisions and (b) other planning decisions his Department has overturned since May 2010. [171814]

Nick Boles [holding answer 21 October 2013]: Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.

The following table shows the number of planning decisions, appeals received and appeals allowed in England since 2009-10.

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The vast majority of appeals are determined by the Planning Inspectorate. In the period 2010-11 to 2012-13, there were only 26 'recovered' appeals for housing allowed by the Secretary of State and 36 'recovered' appeals allowed for other development. Overall, the number of appeals allowed is extremely small compared to the 1.3 million decisions over that period.

These figures show how the number of planning appeals received and allowed has fallen in the first year of the National Planning Policy Framework, refuting the suggestion of ‘planning by appeal’.

Moreover, I note that both the number of appeals received and allowed in 2012-13 were lower than the last year of the previous Administration (given a broadly similar number of planning decisions).

Planning Permission: Appeals

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average length of time involved in the processing and determination of planning appeals by the Planning Inspectorate was in each year since 2008. [179470]

Nick Boles: The information requested is given in the following table:

The reason for the rise in 2012-13 is two-fold:

appeals in London were intentionally delayed to avoid clashing with the Olympics;

some appeals were held and revisited due to the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework in March 2012, so they could be assessed on the basis of the refreshed planning policy rather than the old policy.

The Planning Inspectorate is continually looking at ways to make the planning system work more efficiently and effectively. Following a technical review of planning appeals procedures, we have introduced a number of initiatives designed to streamline the planning appeals process to enable quicker decision making.

More broadly, the fact that the number of planning appeals has fallen in the first year of the National

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Planning Policy Framework refutes the unfounded suggestion that the framework would lead to '’planning by appeal’.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the word 'poverty' has been mentioned in his Department's parliamentary answers in Session (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [178385]

Brandon Lewis: The contents of the Official Report are a matter of public record and are readily accessible to the hon. Member online and in hard copy.

Rented Housing: Students

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will make an assessment of ways to prevent properties rented to students from becoming run-down. [177505]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 27 November 2013]: The Government have no current plans to make a specific assessment of students' rented property; however it is taking forward a review into the condition of property in the private rented sector to ensure that there is a robust system in place to check that tenants' homes are safe and healthy with appropriate standards of hygiene and sanitation. The review will include and take account of the views of tenant groups including students.

Most landlords ask a tenant to pay a deposit before moving in to the property and, providing they have appropriate evidence, can withhold a proportion at the end of the tenancy to cover any damage caused by the tenant. Many landlords also request a guarantor for the tenant's obligations—for example, if the tenant in question cannot demonstrate a prior track record of having rented previously.

Many universities already work with local authorities to ensure a consultative approach is taken on development and standards of accommodation for students and we will encourage this to continue in the future.

Local authorities have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to assess the risks and hazards of any property. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling. This system provides an important safety net, ensuring that homes are safe and decent.

For Houses of Multiple Occupation, there is a statutory duty on local authorities to licence larger higher risk dwellings of three or more storeys housing five or more unrelated persons. These properties are seen as higher risk, both because of the nature and condition of the properties, and the vulnerability of their occupants. The mandatory Houses of Multiple Occupation licensing regime addresses poor management practices and aims to secure a reduction in death and injury from fire and other health and safety hazards, and ensures adequate provision of amenities.

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Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many of his Department's civil servants have been seconded to (a) the private sector and (b) trades unions in each year since 2010; [177708]

(2) how many secondees from (a) trades unions and (b) the voluntary sector have worked in his Department since 2010. [177731]

Brandon Lewis: I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing the secondments in and out of the Department since 2010. The vast majority of our secondees are to and from the public sector, but some secondments include private sector and voluntary sector.

Secondments bring in external expertise across the Department's responsibilities such as for local government, housing, planning and communities, and secondments out help staff get experience of outside sectors, bringing back new knowledge and skills when they return to the Department.

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Social Rented Housing

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of trends in the level of rent arrears among social housing tenants since 1 April 2013. [178224]

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 340W.

Staff

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of employees in his Department is (a) white British and (b) black, Asian and from other minority ethnic groups, by each civil service pay grade. [176635]

Brandon Lewis: At 31 October 2013 the proportion of employees in the Department for Communities and Local Government by ethnicity by each civil service pay grade is:

Attorney-General

Internet

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Attorney-General whether access to any websites or domains is blocked from computers in the Law Officers' Departments; and if he will publish a list of all such websites and domains to which access is prohibited. [178495]

The Solicitor-General: All of the Law Officers' Departments have an acceptable use policy that restricts employees’ access to unsuitable websites. To implement these policies the Law Officers' Departments subscribe to commercial applications which work by directly filtering specific categories of information. Requests for websites which contain information failing into one of these categories will be routinely denied unless there is a specific business need for allowing an individual to have access to a particular website.

Extracting a comprehensive list of all websites blocked by the Law Officers Departments is not possible as websites are usually blocked by specific category and the number of blocked websites is constantly changing.

Serious Fraud Office

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to review the threshold at which the Serious Fraud Office investigates reported fraud. [175707]

The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office was set up and empowered to undertake the most difficult and complex investigations and prosecutions that others cannot do. These are ‘top tier’ cases where the SFO's model of joint investigatory and prosecution teams are required, and they will include cases:

which undermine UK commercial/financial plc in general and the City of London in particular;

where the actual or potential sums involved are high;

where actual or potential harm is significant;

where there is a very significant public interest element; and

that represent new species of fraud

These criteria are kept under review by the Director to ensure best use is made of the SFO model.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2013, Official Report, columns 428-9W, on Serious Fraud Office, how many investigations are currently benefitting from additional funding from the Treasury. [178220]

The Solicitor-General: One investigation, relating to the LIBOR matter, is currently benefiting from additional funding made available by the Treasury.

My previous answer referred to the supplementary estimates process as the route through which additions

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to the SFO's funding would normally be confirmed. I should clarify that additional funding was in this instance provided through the main estimates process.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Airbus SAS

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been received on the repayable loans made by the Government to Airbus in each of the last five years. [178587]

Michael Fallon: The Government have received, from its repayable interest-bearing loans with Airbus, the following repayments in each of the last five years:

The above figures are an aggregate sum of the repayments in each financial year. The Government are unable to provide a breakdown of these figures owing to the information being commercially confidential.

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much outstanding capital is owed by Airbus to the Government. [178588]

Michael Fallon: As at 31 March 2013, Airbus had repaid the Government over £2.2 billion on its repayable interest-bearing loans. The capital balance outstanding on these loans is just over £470 million.

Arms Trade: Egypt

Mr Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contracts for exports to Egypt have been approved by the defence export licensing regime since 3 July 2013. [178559]

Michael Fallon: The Export Control Organisation (ECO) in this Department is responsible for licensing the export and brokering of controlled military and dual-use items. ECO only holds information about licences granted and refused and not about contracts.

Information about licences granted for military and dual-use items to Egypt since 3 July 2013 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

The assessment of all licence applications for Egypt in this period has taken full account of the ongoing unrest. There have been a number of reviews of extant licences: as a result, on 19 July 2013 five licences were revoked; following an announcement by the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on 21 August 2013, suspending export licensing to Egypt for equipment which might be used for internal repression, we suspended all licences permitting export to the Egyptian Army, Air Force and Internal Security Forces (48 in total) as a precautionary measure, two of which were surrendered during the

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suspension period; following a further review on the situation in Egypt, on 25 October 2013 we revoked three of the suspended licences and lifted the suspension on 23 others. A further four licences would have been revoked, but had expired while suspended. The balance (16) remain suspended. We continue to monitor conditions in Egypt carefully.

Chemicals: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the state of the chemical industry on Teesside. [178337]

Michael Fallon: The Tees Valley is a flagship cluster for the UK chemical industry, which remains a key sector underpinning our UK industrial and manufacturing base. I welcome the engagement the cluster has had with the Chemistry Group Partnership and the contribution it made to the recently published national “Strategy for Delivering Chemistry-Fuelled Growth of the UK Economy”. The strategy highlights the significant growth potential of the UK chemical industry, with a vision to increase the gross value added contribution to the UK economy by 50% by 2030. It also makes clear that to realise the vision, industry and Government need to work in partnership to address certain critical issues, namely: secure and competitive energy and feedstock; accelerated innovation; and strengthened supply chains.

To reflect the importance we place on the Teesside area, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and I last visited in May and September respectively. There is a high level of ongoing dialogue between BIS officials, the industry and the Local Enterprise Partnership (Tees Valley Unlimited), which features the sector in its economic development plans. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I also attended the first meeting of the Chemical Growth Partnership Group on 22 October 2013, and listen to the views of leading industry figures including companies based on Teesside.

Collective Bargaining

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of ILO Convention 98 in promoting free collective bargaining across industrial sectors. [178408]

Jo Swinson: Like other member states, the United Kingdom must report every two years to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the application of the ILO Conventions to which the United Kingdom is a signatory.

The United Kingdom submitted its last report on ILO Convention 98 (Right to organise and collective bargaining) in 2012. The Government believe that the United Kingdom's trade union and industrial action law fully complies with ILO Convention 98.

The Government have made no assessment of the efficacy of ILO Convention 98. It is for the International Labour Organisation to assess the efficacy of its conventions.

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Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on implementation of the Cape Town Convention. [178458]

Michael Fallon: The UK is committed to ratifying the Cape Town Convention on international interests in mobile equipment and the Protocol thereto on matters specific to aircraft equipment. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) continues to work closely with industry representatives on the benefits of ratification.

As the next step in this process a response to the call for evidence on ratification of the Cape Town Convention and Protocol as it relates to aircraft was published on 6 December 2013 and can be viewed from the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-convention-on-international-interests-in-mobile-equipment-and-protocol-thereto-on-matters-specific-to-aircraft-equipment

The Convention and Protocol on matters specific to aircraft equipment contain a number of options for how the UK implements the treaty. The response to the call for evidence sets out BIS' intention to hold a consultation on these options.

The Government do not intend to ratify the space protocol as it has been advised by the space industry that a system of protection for creditors already exists. The Government are supportive of the benefits of the rail protocol, however this is still being negotiated at European level and no decision will be taken whether the UK ratifies the rail protocol until these discussions have concluded.

Digital Technology

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on digital literacy. [178541]

Mr Willetts: Both I and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), meet with my the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller) frequently. Officials in our Departments are in regular contact with the Department for Education and the Cabinet Office on improving digital literacy and skills.

The Information Economy Strategy highlighted the social and economic benefits of having a digitally literate population. The Information Economy Sector Council has established an industry-led group to look at how to address gaps in digital skills. The Government Digital Service co-ordinates the Government's activity on digital inclusion and a digital inclusion strategy is due to be published in spring 2014.

English Language: Education

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to monitor (a) educational and (b) employment standards at English as a Foreign Language colleges. [178367]

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Matthew Hancock: The information is as follows:

(a) In 2011 there were over 850 English Language Training centres operating in the UK. When delivering qualifications regulated by Ofqual, the assessments carried out by these centres are subject to standards set by the awarding bodies responsible for the qualifications. In addition, the Government monitors educational standards in publicly funded further education, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision to ensure quality and value for public and individual investment. Qualification success rates (QSR) measure completion and achievement of qualifications. The Government has set national minimum standards for QSRs that providers' performance is measured against. Ofsted is the independent inspectorate for all publicly funded education and training in England, and inspects provider for the quality of delivery and outcomes provision. Where performance is poor we will tackle robustly in line with the intervention process set out in rigour and responsiveness in skills.

(b) Further education colleges and training providers are independent organisations, responsible for all aspects of the employment of their workforce.

EU External Trade: USA

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to ensure that Parliament is able to consider the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. [178321]

Michael Fallon: The Government are committed to keeping Parliament up to date throughout the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, writes to the European Scrutiny Committee Chairs of both Houses and the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on EU-US trade and investment to update on significant developments. We will also consider statements and other steps to keep Parliament informed of developments as the negotiations progress.

If, as is expected, the final agreement of the TTIP contains areas of both EU and member state competence each member state will be party to the agreement and therefore ratify the agreement according to their own domestic processes. As part of the UK ratification process the agreement would need to be laid before Parliament for 21 days prior to ratification. In addition, it would need to be considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Lords Committee on Secondary Legislation, before being debated in both Houses.

Foreign Investment in UK

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which of the last 20 years foreign direct investment into the UK has been the highest in Europe. [178896]

Michael Fallon: In the last 20 years (1992-2012), the UK was the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in Europe in 1992, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Source:

UNCTAD FDI Statistics database

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Higher Education: Qualifications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the creation of a standardised system of credit transfer for those enrolled at UK universities. [178542]

Mr Willetts: The Government consider that the use of academic credit can be a useful tool in helping students to build their learning achievement in ways and at times that suit them.

In 2008 guidance was published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education to help institutions in England who wished to develop a common approach to their credit arrangements. There are also nationally agreed credit frameworks in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales so that learning and credits awarded by one institution can be recognised by different institutions in different parts of the UK.

In England and Northern Ireland, work to promote the use of credit and share best practice continues to be undertaken by groups of institutions, called credit consortia.

The use of credit in assessing prospective students is a matter for institutions. Institutions are autonomous bodies and their freedom to organise their academic affairs, including over admissions, is protected by law.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students who graduate each year from different universities than those in which they originally enrolled at (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate level. [178543]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK higher education institutions. The nearest approximation of the information requested is published as part of the performance indicators for higher education in the UK (UKPIs) series. The UKPIs include estimates by institution of non-continuation (from year one to year two) and non-completion by entrants to full-time first degrees. These estimates include the share of entrants who are projected to transfer to another institution. More information is available at the following link:

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2064&ltemid=141

Equivalent information for higher education institutions in England has been published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for postgraduate research students. More information can be found at the following link:

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/data/year/2012/projectedoutcomesoffull-timestudentsstartingpostgraduateresearchdegrees/

Internet

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether access to any websites or domains is blocked from computers in his Department; and if he will publish a list of all such websites and domains to which access is prohibited. [178494]

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Jo Swinson: The Department uses a commercial appliance which blocks specific website requests. The commercial supplier of the appliance provides a database of many thousands of websites, categorised according to the sort of information each provides. The Department has identified which categories to block, and requests for websites falling into that category will be denied. The database is updated every night by the supplier, a service for which the Department pays a subscription.

The Department blocks websites that belong to the following categories:

Adult/Mature Content

Child Pornography

Computer/Information Security

Controlled Substances

Extreme

Hacking

Malicious Outbound Data/Botnets

Malicious Sources/Malnets

Marijuana

Phishing

Piracy/Copyright Concerns

Pornography

Potentially Unwanted Software

Proxy Avoidance

Scam/Questionable/Illegal

Spam

Suspicious

Violence/Hate/Racism

A complete list of all the blocked websites would run to many thousands of sites. Each night, the supplier provides a new site database, changing which websites are blocked.

Mining

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the quality of corporate governance of UK public companies operating in the extractive industries. [178540]

Jo Swinson: The UK has a world-class corporate governance framework which all listed companies, including extractive industries companies, must meet. Listed companies are required under the Listing Rules either to comply with the provisions of the Corporate Governance Code or explain to investors in their next annual report why they have not done so. If shareholders are not satisfied they can use their powers, including the power to appoint and remove directors, to hold the company to account.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consultation paper in October 2012 (CP12/25 available at:

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/static/pubs/cp/cp12-25.pdf

which made a number of proposals to enhance the effectiveness of the UK Listing Regime. This included consideration of some concerns which had been raised in relation to a number of UK listed extractive industries companies. The FCA published a further paper in November 2013—CP13/15 available at:

http://fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/consultation-papers/cp13-15

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providing feedback on the consultation exercise. This outlines a number of changes to the Listings Rules which seek to address these concerns, and consults further on several other proposals in light of the responses received. The Government are closely involved with the FCA in this work and will continue to consider, as it progresses, whether any wider changes to the corporate governance framework may be necessary.

Post Office

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Department's letter to Denbighshire County Councillor Margaret McCarroll (ref: TOSL2013/05008), whether the cost of £1.61 referred to includes the cost of central administration of the Post Office HQ. [178438]

Jo Swinson: It costs £1.61 to generate every £1 of income at Rhyl Crown Post Office. This figure refers exclusively to the costs incurred at the Rhyl branch, and does not include any headquarters costs.

The losses currently incurred by the Crown network are not sustainable. No business, including the Post Office, can continue with a situation where some of its high street branches cost substantially more to run than they bring in.

Within its broader strategy for eliminating these unsustainable losses and achieving break-even for the Crown network by 2015, the Post Office has identified a group of branches where it sees no prospect of eliminating the losses at a local level under the current operating and cost structure. This group includes Rhyl, and the Post Office is seeking a suitable franchise partner within the community to provide continued access to services.

Post Offices: Northern Ireland

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the future of post offices in that country. [178560]

Jo Swinson: The Department has not had any specific discussions on these issues with the Northern Ireland Executive; however, I have regular discussions with Northern Ireland colleagues on a range of matters relating to post offices there.

Post office policy is a reserved matter for the Westminster Government, which recognises the important role that post offices play in communities across the UK. That is why this Government have committed, subject to State Aid clearance, a further £640 million for the period 2015-16 to 2017-18 to maintain a post office network of at least 11,500 branches, and to complete the network transformation modernisation programme.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on Northern Ireland of his proposals for the future of the post office network. [178561]

Jo Swinson: The Government recently announced that they will provide a further £640 million for the period 2015-16 to 2017-18, subject to State Aid clearance, to support and complete the modernisation of the post office network. There is now for the first time a £20 million

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investment fund specifically allocated to improve and modernise branches serving small, often remote, rural communities. This fund is of particular relevance to Northern Ireland with its high proportion of rural post offices.

The additional funding ensures the continuation of this Government's commitment to maintain a national network of at least 11,500 branches compliant with the Government-set access criteria that see, for example, 99% of the population within three miles of a post office outlet. There will be no closure programmes under this Government.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the word 'poverty' has been mentioned in his Department's parliamentary answers in Session (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [178382]

Jo Swinson: A search by the parliamentary search tool reveals that the word 'poverty' was mentioned in answers to the following parliamentary questions tabled to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: