16 Dec 2013 : Column 383W

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 16 December 2013

Home Department

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of a potential link between the terrorist threat from the Taliban and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2014. [178334]

James Brokenshire: We are in Afghanistan to protect our National Security by helping the Afghans to take control of their own. Transition of lead security responsibility to the Afghans is on track for completion by the end of 2014. By then Afghanistan will have sovereign security forces—mainly police and army—numbering over 300,000. If groups like the Taliban continue fighting against the Afghan security forces they will be facing strong and capable Afghans and their narrative of resisting foreign occupation will ring hollow.

Asylum

Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) average and (b) maximum price per night per person for asylum seekers being accommodated in hotel accommodation pending long-term dispersal accommodation being provided was in each region in the most recent year for which figures are available. [178287]

Mr Harper [holding answer 9 December 2013]: Destitute asylum seekers are normally housed in initial accommodation centres before moving to longer term dispersal accommodation. Hotels are only used for this purpose as contingency bed spaces when there are short-term spikes in demand for accommodation. Any extra costs between the standard contract rate and the rate charged by the hotel will be met entirely by the provider, not the taxpayer.

The specific financial information requested is commercially confidential. The Home Office is obliged to treat this information as commercially sensitive under the contracts it has entered into with accommodation providers. If we were to disclose the information you have requested, this would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of both the Home Office and those companies with whom the Home Office enters into contracts.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from which country of origin were granted asylum on grounds of religious persecution in each year since 2007. [180125]

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Mr Harper: We are unable to provide the right hon. Member with this information. This is because the Home Office's Case Information Database (CID) does not hold data on the specific grounds for granting asylum. This information is only held within paper case files, which would mean his question could be answered only through a disproportionately expensive manual case search.

Asylum: Finance

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards her Department has put in place to ensure that Azure Payment Cards issued to those receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are used only in accordance with her Department's rules for the card; and what steps she takes to monitor compliance. [179813]

Mr Harper: The Home Office works closely with its contractor and the retail outlets affiliated to the Azure Card scheme to ensure that the card's rules are applied properly, including the prohibition on purchases of alcohol, tobacco, vehicle fuel and gift cards.

The card also contains various automated features designed to ensure compliance with the relevant rules-for example by capping the amount of credit that can carried over into the following week. The Home Office also has access to data that can be used to analyse transaction histories for each card holder.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the value to organisations certified for receiving payment with Azure Payment Cards of receiving payments made through that scheme; and if he will take steps to increase the number of retailers participating in the scheme. [179814]

Mr Harper: There are no plans to estimate the value to retailers of participating in the Azure Card scheme. It is difficult to envisage how such an estimate would be made.

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 with reference to the answer of 19 November 2012, Official Report, column 244W, on counter-terrorism, which local authority areas have received funding under the Prevent agenda; and how much funding each such area has received in each of the last five years. [178578]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 9 December 2013]: The information requested is as follows:

In 2009-10 £16.549 million was spent on 81 local authorities delivering Prevent work.

In 2010-11 £17.080 million was spent on 93 local authorities delivering Prevent work.

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In 2011-12 £1.180 million was spent on 23 local authorities delivering Prevent work.

In 2012-13 £3.512 million was spent on 28 local authorities delivering Prevent work.

In 2013-14 £1.687 million has been spent on 30 local authorities delivering Prevent work to date this year.

The change from 2011-12 reflects the reforms this Government has made to Prevent. Previously, funding was allocated on the basis of Muslim population; now, it is based on an assessment of the risk of radicalisation in specific areas. There is also wider working with partners to deliver Prevent, including social services, policing, children's and youth services, local prisons, higher and further education, probation services, schools and health.

The following lists outline spend by individual local authority over the past five years. We do not break the figures down by area for reasons of national security.

Local authority Prevent spend by area 2009-10 to 2013-14

2009-10

Manchester

Blackburn and Darwen

Oldham

Rochdale

Bolton

Pendle

Preston

Trafford

Bury

Liverpool

Burnley

Hyndburn

Tameside

Stockport

Newcastle City Council

Middlesbrough Borough Council

Bradford

Kirklees

Sheffield Council

Leeds City Council

Calderdale

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Birmingham City Council

Walsall Council

Wolverhampton City Council

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Coventry Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

East Staffordshire Borough Council

Leicester City Council

Nottingham City Council

Derby City Council

Northampton Borough Council

Bristol City Council

Slough Borough Council

Wycombe District Council

Aylesbury Vale Council

Crawley Borough Council

Portsmouth Council

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Brighton and Hove City Council

Southampton City Council

Reading UA

Oxford City Council

Milton Keynes Council

Woking Borough Council

Luton Borough Council

Peterborough City Council

Watford Borough Council

Bedford Borough Council

St Albans District Council

Cambridge City Council

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Brent

London Borough of Ealing

London Borough of Redbridge

London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Enfield

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Hounslow

London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Southwark

London Borough of Harrow

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Islington

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Hillingdon

London Borough of Merton

London Borough of Greenwich

London Borough of Kingston upon Thames

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

London Borough of Wandsworth

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

London Borough of Bromley

London Borough of Bexley

London Borough of Sutton

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

City of Westminster

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

London Borough of Croydon

2010-11

Manchester

Blackburn and Darwen

Oldham

Rochdale

Bolton

Pendle

Preston

Trafford

Bury

Liverpool

Burnley

Hyndburn

Tameside

Stockport

Salford

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Newcastle City Council

Middlesbrough Borough Council

Stockton on Tees

Sunderland

Bradford

Kirklees

Sheffield Council

Leeds City Council

Kingston upon Hull; City of UA

Calderdale

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Wakefield City Council

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Birmingham City Council

Walsall Council

Wolverhampton City Council

Telford and Wrekin Council

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Coventry Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

East Staffordshire Borough Council

Leicester City Council

Nottingham City Council

Derby City Council

Northampton Borough Council

Charnwood Borough Council

Bristol City Council

Gloucester City Council

Slough Borough Council

Wycombe District Council

Aylesbury Vale Council

Crawley Borough Council

Portsmouth Council

Brighton and Hove City Council

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Medway Council

Southampton City Council

Reading UA

Oxford City Council

Milton Keynes Council

Woking Borough Council

Luton Borough Council

Peterborough City Council

Watford Borough Council

Bedford Borough Council

St Albans District Council

Cambridge City Council

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Brent

London Borough of Ealing

London Borough of Redbridge

London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Enfield

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Hounslow

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London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Southwark

London Borough of Harrow

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Islington

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Hillingdon

London Borough of Merton

London Borough of Greenwich

London Borough of Kingston upon Thames

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

London Borough of Wandsworth

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

London Borough of Bromley

London Borough of Bexley

London Borough of Sutton

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

City of Westminster

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

London Borough of Croydon

2011-12

Manchester

Blackburn and Darwen

Bradford

Leeds City Council

Birmingham City Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Derby City Council

Luton Borough Council

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Brent

London Borough of Ealing

London Borough of Redbridge

London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

London Borough of Wandsworth

City of Westminster

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

2012-13

Manchester

Blackburn and Darwen

Cardiff

Liverpool

Bradford

Leeds City Council

Birmingham City Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Leicester City Council

Derby City Council

Luton Borough Council

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Waltham Forest

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London Borough of Brent

London Borough of Ealing

London Borough of Redbridge

London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Greenwich

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

London Borough of Wandsworth

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

City of Westminster

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

London Borough of Hounslow

2013-14

Manchester

Blackburn and Darwen

Cardiff

Liverpool

Bradford

Leeds City Council

Birmingham City Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Leicester City Council

Derby City Council

Wycombe District Council

Luton Borough Council

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Brent

London Borough of Ealing

London Borough of Redbridge

London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Enfield

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Islington

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Greenwich

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

London Borough of Wandsworth

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

City of Westminster

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Deportation

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were deported from (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) England in each of the last three years. [178980]

Mr Harper [holding answer 12 December 2013]: The Home Office publishes data on removals and voluntary departures on a quarterly basis and annual basis. Although these figures are not disaggregated by constituent country, they do provide the requested data on a national level.

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The latest publication provides quarterly data from January 2004 to September 2013 and can be found in the Library of the House and on the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tables-for-immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2013

The next release is scheduled for 27 February 2014 and will include data covering the period from October to December 2013.

Board Membership

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of her Department's (a) executive and (b) non-executive board members are (i) men and (ii) women; [178118]

(2) how many of her Department's (a) executive and (b) non-executive board members are identified as (i) white British and (ii) of black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups. [178138]

James Brokenshire: As at 31 March 2013 the (a) executive board members of the Home Office Supervisory Board were (i) 11 men and (ii) two women, and (b) non-executive board members were (i) two men and (ii) one woman.

As at 31 March 2013 the (a) executive board members of the Home Office Supervisory Board were (i) 60% white British and (ii) 0% Black or Minority Ethnic (we do not know the ethnicity of 40% of board members). (b) The ethnicity of non-executive board members is not collected.

Drugs: Smuggling

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained following detection by sniffer dogs on more than one occasion at the ports of (a) Calais, (b) Dunkirk and (c) Channel Tunnel in each of the last three years. [179980]

Mr Harper: To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border Her Majesty's Government cannot comment on port specific statistics.

Entry Clearances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to improve the tourist visa application process. [180085]

Mr Harper: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is committed to developing our services to improve convenience and choice for visitors to the UK while protecting our security. We exceed our target of processing 90% of visitor visas within 15 working days with a global average of around eight days for 2012-13. Over the past 12 months we have introduced a number of new services for the tourist market, including expanding and improving the network of visa application centres with 12 in each of India and China alone.

We have simplified processes by introducing online applications and booking systems and in November we upgraded our online application form to provide guidance on the application questions in 18 languages, including Chinese, Russian and Arabic. For customers who would like a faster decision, UKVI offers a priority (three to five day) visa service in over 60 countries.

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In China, we are testing a process allowing selected travel agents to make off-line applications for tour groups using the same form they use for a Schengen visa (plus a short two page addendum form). A passport pass-back service is also available to customers in China, Russia and Southern India who wish to retain their passport to travel or to apply for a visa to another country while their UK visa is being processed.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to refine the working visa application process. [180086]

Mr Harper: UK Visas and Immigration has done much to improve the flexibility and choice provided to our customers applying to work in the UK. We offer a range of premium services, including our three to five day priority visa service which is now available in over 60 countries and will be expanded to over 90 by next spring. Our same-day service in India is also available to business visitors and will be expanded to China next summer. We also offer VIP mobile enrolment in China and the US, allowing senior executives to submit their applications and biometric information at their place of work.

We also offer support to businesses in the UK wishing to sponsor an overseas worker, including the new business helpdesk which provides a single point of contact for their immigration queries. Employers may also opt for Premium Customer Service, offering personalised account management and a priority service on post-licence casework.

Human Trafficking

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a national referral mechanism decision is made about whether a person is a victim of trafficking, who is responsible for informing the first responder or other relevant professional of that decision. [177994]

James Brokenshire: When a decision is made about whether a person is a victim of trafficking under the National Referral Mechanism, the Competent Authority making the decision is responsible for informing the First Responder or other relevant professionals of that decision.

Under the current arrangements, this is (i) the National Crime Agency's UK Human Trafficking Centre where the person is either a UK or EEA national, or where there are no active immigration issues, and or (ii) the Home Office where trafficking is raised as part of an asylum claim or in the context of another immigration process.

We will be reviewing the operation of the National Referral Mechanism.

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle slavery in the UK. [178773]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 10 December 2013]:The Secretary of State for the Home Department has announced her intention to introduce a Modern Slavery Bill to: consolidate the existing offences; strengthen the law enforcement response to increase investigations,

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prosecutions and convictions; restrict the activities of those who are convicted of a human trafficking offence to prevent them from participating in further trafficking related activity; and strengthen our oversight mechanism to co-ordinate and improve efforts to tackle trafficking at a national, regional and local level.

We intend to publish a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny before Christmas.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to create a durable solution under article 16.2 of the European Directive on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Protecting its Victims; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to enshrine this commitment in statute. [178864]

James Brokenshire: The Children Act 1989 places specific duties on local authorities. This includes those who become looked-after children within the care system, including trafficked children.

The 1989 Act explicitly identifies the need for children to have safe accommodation and access to education, and requires local authorities to give due consideration to the child’s wishes and feelings in providing services to them. The Department for Education is considering options to improve support arrangements for looked-after children who are victims of trafficking, including strengthening statutory regulations and guidance. We will continue to work within Government and with local areas to ensure these arrangements provide robust safeguards and the support needed for child trafficking victims.

Illegal Immigrants

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal entrants to the UK have been detected by sniffer dogs in the (a) port of Calais, (b) port of Dunkirk and (c) Channel Tunnel in each of the last three years. [179017]

Mr Harper [holding answer 12 December 2013]:To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border Her Majesty's Government cannot comment on port specific statistics.

Immigrants

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many illegal immigrants have been forcibly removed from (a) the UK, (b) Greater London and (c) Hendon constituency in each of the last five years; [177914]

(2) how many illegal immigrants have been voluntarily removed from (a) the UK, (b) Greater London (c) Hendon constituency in each of the last five years. [179758]

Mr Harper: Not all the information requested is available as it is not possible to extract accurate postcode information from the Case Information Database which records individual addresses.

Details of national enforced removals and voluntary departures are shown in Table A.

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Voluntary departures remain the most cost-effective way of removing illegal immigrants.

Table A: Published quarterly stats on enforced removals and voluntary departures
Number
Quarters (year)Enforced removalsVoluntary departures

Q1 2009

3,911

4,774

Q2 2009

3,580

5,318

Q3 2009

3,947

6,008

Q4 2009

3,814

6,700

Q1 2010

3,851

7,255

Q2 2010

3,492

6,932

Q3 2010

3,809

6,722

Q4 2010

3,702

6,205

Q1 2011

3,964

6,981

Q2 2011

3,456

5,156

Q3 2011

3,664

6,583

Q4 2011

3,979

7,699

Q1 2012

3,756

7,726

Q2 2012

3,711

7,226

Q3 2012

3,539

7,099

Q4 2012

3,641

7,612

Q1 2013

3,392

7,946

Q2 2013

3,490

7,882

Q3 2013

3,010

6,744

Immigrants: Detainees

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to paragraph 55.10.1 of her Department's Enforcement Instructions and Guidance, what information is used in decisions on transfers from the prison estate to immigration removal centres for time-served foreign national offenders based on the length of time an individual has been held in prison solely under immigration powers. [179795]

Mr Harper: Time served foreign national offenders are risk assessed for suitability to transfer into the immigration estate shortly after completion of their sentence. Case specific data will be considered to inform the result of the assessment which will include nature of the offence, length of sentence, custodial behaviour and current state of health. Based on the outcome a decision will be made on the suitability to transfer which will consider the risk of harm an individual may pose to the public, the order of an immigration removal centre, including the safety of staff or other detainees. If an individual is deemed suitable for a transfer this will take place as soon as possible when there is bed space in a facility that is able to manage a detainee’s particular needs.

Immigration

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has assessed the Immigration Bill for compatibility with section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. [176326]

Mr Harper: Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 concerns the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The Government have taken into account the best interests of children in

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its consideration of the compatibility of the Immigration Bill with the Human Rights Act 1998, reflected in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) memorandum, which has been deposited in the House Library. The memorandum considers, in particular, the Bill's compatibility with Article 8 of the Convention. The Supreme Court confirmed in its judgment in ZH (Tanzania) that the child's best interests are an integral part of the Article 8 assessment and not something apart from it.

Immigration: Appeals

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vouchers her Department has provided to her Department's presenting officers for winning cases at immigration tribunals; what the (a) value and (b) store was of each such voucher; and whether these officers face penalties for losing cases. [177453]

Mr Harper [holding answer 27 November 2013]: No vouchers have ever been issued to presenting officers purely for winning cases at the immigration tribunals.

Since July 2012, 11 vouchers have been issued to presenting officers as a one-off recognition of individual performance at court. However, presenting officers' performance is assessed equally by reference to other relevant factors that include the quality of preparation and advocacy.

The vouchers in question are valued at £25 each, and can be redeemed in a range of outlets. The total cost of these awards is thus £275.

Presenting officers' performance is managed in accordance with the same performance management policy that applies to all Home Office staff. Where an officer's overall performance is judged to be unsatisfactory, the Home Office's poor performance procedure may be instigated.

Internet: Children

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with social media sites on protecting children online. [179087]

Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

DCMS Ministers and officials regularly discuss the issue of protecting children online with representatives from social media companies, including through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

It is the intention that Ministers will host a roundtable, early in the new year, with social media companies to examine whether more can be done to protect children using social media.

Interpol

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what safeguarding measures are in place to prevent British nationals from being arrested on the basis of a politically-motivated or otherwise abusive Interpol Red Notice; and whether additional measures are in place for such warrants received from countries with a poor record of human rights; [179935]

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(2) what her Department's policy is on the response of UK authorities when they encounter a person subject to an Interpol Red Notice; [179982]

(3) what estimate she has made of the amount of police time spent implementing Interpol Red Notices in the UK in each of the last five years; [179983]

(4) what the policy of (a) the UK and (b) other EU member states is on deleting information received from Interpol once a Red Notice has been removed from Interpol's systems. [179984]

James Brokenshire: Following the cancellation of an Interpol Red Notice the data will be removed from Interpol systems centrally and will no longer be visible to National Central Bureaux. The UK Interpol National Central Bureau, which is situated within the National Crime Agency, removes all markers on UK systems which could lead to the arrest or detention of an individual and informs the relevant authorities of the cancellation. A record of the cancellation is retained. The Government cannot comment in respect of other EU member states.

An assessment of the amount of police time spent implementing Interpol Red Notices in the last five years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

An Interpol Red Notice has no legal status in the UK and does not necessarily result in the arrest of an individual. However, it can be used to inform warrants in urgent matters and where a Red Notice was from a state that was designated for the purposes of extradition under Part 1 or 2 of the Extradition Act 2003, it would be open to the police to treat it, where appropriate, as a request for detention with a view to extradition from the UK.

Article 3 of Interpol's Constitution stipulates that the principle of neutrality forbids it from engaging in matters of politically motivated Red Notices and this applies to all member countries. If individuals are concerned that a Red Notice has been issued against them that is politically motivated or otherwise not in accordance with the Interpol constitution, they or their legal representatives can refer the matter to the Interpol Commission for the Control of Files (CCF), which is an independent arbiter who has the power to order the removal of Notices and Diffusions from the Interpol website.

Ministers

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on ministerial salaries in the last year for which figures are available. [180102]

James Brokenshire: Ministerial remuneration is reported each year in the Home Office Annual Report & Accounts.

For the last year for which figures are available (2012-13) £324,664 was spent on ministerial salaries.

Overseas Students: Northern Ireland

Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for overseas students with a visa to study in Northern Ireland who arrive in the Republic of Ireland before making onward travel to their academic institutions. [179854]

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Mr Harper [holding answer 12 December 2013]:Any person wishing to follow a course of approved study for longer than six months is required to obtain a visa before entering the UK. The Immigration (Control of entry through the Republic of Ireland) Order 1972 (as amended) provides that, having lawfully entered the Common Travel Area via the Republic of Ireland, on entry to the UK the terms of that visa are deemed to apply.

Police Federation of England and Wales

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will publish the accounts of the Police Federation from 2003 to 2013; [180380]

(2) whether police officers are required to be members of the Police Federation; [180381]

(3) whether the Police Federation is funded by her Department; [180382]

(4) whether police officers acting as an officer of the Police Federation are given paid time off to undertake their duties as Federation officers. [180383]

Damian Green: The Police Federation is an independent organisation. Its accounts are made and audited independently of the Home Office and Government Ministers.

Under the Police Federation Regulations 1969, every police officer below the rank of superintendent is required to be a member of the Police Federation. However, officers may elect not to pay subscription fees to the Police Federation.

The Home Office provides funding to the Police Federation to subsidise the salaries of the chairman, general secretary and treasurer and to fund the travel and subsistence expenses for those officers to attend statutory meetings set out in the Police Regulations 2003.

The Home Office also provides funding to the Police Federation on behalf of the staff side of the Police Negotiating Board which is used for attendance of Federation representatives and other members of the staff side at Police Negotiating Board meetings.

Under Regulation 23 of the Police Regulations 2003, Police Federation Representatives' attendance at specified formal meetings can take place during paid duty time. Aside from the meetings specified in Regulation 23, it is for each force to agree arrangements with the local branch of the Police Federation for how much paid duty time can be used to carry out Police Federation activities.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the word ‘poverty' has been mentioned in her Department's parliamentary answers in Session (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [178395]

Mr Harper: The Home Department has used the word ‘poverty' twice in the 2011-12 Session and once during the 2012-13 Session, when answering written and oral questions.

This answer was drawn from management information; it is provisional and subject to change.

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Rape

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of cases of rape reported to the police relate to rapes which occurred over (a) five and (b) 10 years ago. [178001]

Norman Baker: As part of this Government's ongoing commitment to reduce administrative burdens on the police, the Home Office is developing a Data Hub, which makes it easier for police forces to supply data directly from their systems to the Home Office for subsequent collation and analysis. Thirteen police forces are now live on the Data Hub, with the remainder anticipated to go live during 2014.

Data accessed via the Data Hub suggest that of the rapes recorded in the year to June 2013 by the 13 police forces currently live, 26% occurred over five years ago and 20% occurred over 10 years ago. The data accessed by the Data Hub are a live dataset and therefore subject to change.

Telephone Services

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls were made to her Department's hotline as part of the campaign to increase voluntary returns; and how many of those calls directly resulted in individuals voluntarily leaving the country. [168943]

Mr Harper [holding answer 13 September 2013]: A total of 92 calls and 1,561 text messages were received on the Department's hotline as a result of the Operation Vaken pilot in summer 2013.

As of 22 October 2013, 60 individuals that had contacted the Department through the hotline had departed voluntarily. A further 65 individuals are being processed for a voluntary departure.

An evaluation of the pilot has been published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operation-vaken-evaluation-report

UK Border Agency

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Border Force staff were made redundant and what the cost to the public purse was in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [179789]

Mr Harper: No employees have left Border Force on compulsory redundancy during financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK Border Agency intends to publish a service protocol on its website giving information on (a) what visa applicants might expect for their administration fee and (b) who applicants can contact for updates on the progress of their visa application. [179945]

Mr Harper: We are currently reviewing the service standards offered to customers of UK visas and immigration.

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Customers can expect that their application will be dealt with fairly and in line with the Immigration Rules and published procedures. Our fees are required to cover the costs of processing their application including the collection of their biometric information. We also charge fees to ensure that we raise the money we need to run a strong, robust immigration system and to offer a world-class level of service. We set our fees at levels that are fair to our customers and reflect the benefits they would receive if the visa is issued.

When setting fee levels, we work within strict financial limits agreed with HM Treasury and the UK Parliament.

Overseas customers wishing to obtain updates on their visa applications are advised to consult the Home Office website at:

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Specific guidance including status checking facilities is available on the country specific pages which detail where this service is offered via our commercial partners.

Where the tracking system is not available, and where processing is outside the published service standards, customers can contact the visa section via the commercial partner to request an update.

Wales

Programme for International Student Assessment

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the performance of Wales in the recent PISA rankings. [178999]

Mr David Jones: The PISA results in Wales are very disappointing and highlight the scale of the challenge that Wales faces to ensure our young people are equipped with the tools they need to shine in a global market.

Education is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Welsh Government. It is clear that much more must be done if children in Wales are to be afforded the same educational advantages that we are determined to deliver for children in England.

Trawsfynydd Power Station

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had on the future of the Trawsfynydd nuclear site. [179001]

Stephen Crabb: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have had a number of discussions on the future of the Trawsfynydd site, including with the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA), the local authority and the chair of the Snowdonia Enterprise Zone Board.

The NDA’s 2011 strategy includes a plan to accelerate the decommissioning of the Trawsfynydd nuclear site so that it enters the care and maintenance phase by the end of 2016.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings she has held with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since assuming office. [179037]

16 Dec 2013 : Column 399W

Mrs Villiers: I met the then Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on the 19 November 2012, and on the 24 October 2013. The Minister of State (who met the Commission on the 6 November 2013), my officials and I continue to keep in close contact with the Commission.

Church Commissioners

Food Banks: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many food banks are supported by the Church of England in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) the East Midlands. [179903]

Sir Tony Baldry: I understand that there are currently three food banks in the Ashfield constituency. Two are based at Church of England churches: St Mary's in Sutton and St John's in Kirkby Woodhouse, with the third based at the Eastwood Volunteer Bureau and is supported by donations of food and money from local churches. In addition, there are plans by St Thomas' to open another food bank in the centre of Kirkby.

There are no data currently held on the number of Church of England-supported food banks in the east midlands. However, according to a recent national survey by Church Urban Fund:

81% of Anglican parishes support food banks in one or more ways: 75% collect food, 38% provide volunteers, 29% help to manage a food bank, and 21% help to distribute vouchers.

Of those that help to manage a food bank, just over half are Trussell Trust food banks, a third are non-branded food banks, and the remainder are organised ‘food cupboards’.

Nearly two-thirds of these food banks have been running for less than two years, indicating the rapid growth of the food bank network in recent years. These findings are based on 466 responses from Church of England incumbent clergy.

The Church of England has just started a one-year joint research project with Oxfam and CPAG to understand, and thereby seek to reduce, the long-term need for food banks in the UK, based on detailed data collection and in-depth interviews with food bank users at six food banks across the country.

International Development

Afghanistan

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking in partnership with the Government of Afghanistan to (a) ensure that violent crimes committed against women and girls do not go uninvestigated or unpunished and (b) safeguard women's rights following withdrawal of coalition forces. [179014]

Justine Greening: I recently announced £3 million funding to support Afghan women's access to justice and provide training for those working in the formal and community-based justice sectors. This support also includes outreach work with male religious leaders, educators and Afghan women working to improve public awareness of these issues.

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The UK Government work with the Afghan Government to deliver the reforms set out in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework. This includes a commitment to safeguard women's rights and to implement the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law in Afghanistan. Earlier this year the international community delivered a clear message that existing levels of aid will be put at risk if the Afghan Government fail to take forward these reform commitments.

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will consider increasing funding to provide additional shelters for female victims of violence in Afghanistan. [179038]

Justine Greening: Eliminating violence against women and girls is a priority for DFID's programme in Afghanistan. We continue to look at what more we can do to protect women and girls.

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding the Government have allocated to recruit, retain and promote female police officers in Afghanistan. [179847]

Justine Greening: DFID provides a range of strategic support to the Afghan Interior Ministry, including new work which is designed to help promote the role of women in policing as well as helping the police to fulfil their commitments to protect women from violence. The UK also supports women police officers to participate in the officer development courses run by the Ministry of Interior's staff college.

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding the UK has provided to the Afghan Police Ombudsman's office; and what steps she has taken to ensure women can access an independent and effective police complaints mechanism in Afghanistan. [179849]

Justine Greening: The UK contributes to the EU's Policing Mission in Afghanistan, which provides support to the Office of the Police Ombudsman.

DFID's assistance to the Afghan Interior Ministry supports the development of policy on promoting human rights and protecting women from violence.

Africa

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to promote science skills, research and understanding in Africa. [179826]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is committed to building the science skills, research and understanding in the developing world. The recent 2012 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on Building Scientific Capacity for Development outlines the HMG position.

Most of the research funded directly by the Department for International Development in Africa includes objectives for research capacity building and research uptake. In addition, there are 11 programmes in Africa that are specifically designed to strengthen science skills, research and understanding. An example is the DFID-Royal

16 Dec 2013 : Column 401W

Society Capacity Building Africa Initiative which will build the knowledge' base, skill capacity and capability of African scientists in the areas of soil research, energy and water.

Details of this initiative and the others in Africa funded by DFID can be found on the DFID external website under Research4Develoment.

Belarus

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs about European Union aid to Belarus. [180282]

Justine Greening: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs about a wide range of policy issues.


Central African Republic

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the threat presented by the conflict in the Central African Republic to humanitarian efforts in that country; and what aid the Government are providing to humanitarian organisations operating in that country. [179056]

Lynne Featherstone: The humanitarian situation in Central African Republic is deeply worrying. The UN estimates that the whole population has been affected by the conflict and that 2 million people are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance. The situation is complex and rapidly evolving, with security concerns making access for humanitarian agencies extremely difficult. Recent fighting in Bangui has compounded problems in the capital, and security constraints continue to hamper efforts to assess the extent of humanitarian needs elsewhere.

On 30 November the UK announced a further £10 million support package to help those worst affected by the humanitarian crisis. The ongoing fighting and risk of harvest failure is likely to create a severe food crisis in the coming months, and UK support will allow the Red Cross, UN and international aid agencies to dramatically step up their relief programmes, providing emergency healthcare, clean water and logistical support to hundreds of thousands of people. This support is in addition to the £5 million funding that the UK announced on 31 July.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and for Defence about the situation in the Central African Republic. [180281]

Justine Greening: I meet regularly with the Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and for Defence to discuss a range of issues.

16 Dec 2013 : Column 402W

Developing Countries: Females

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to halt the informalisation of labour market opportunities for women in developing countries. [179071]

Justine Greening: My Department is tackling the causes of women's economic marginalisation in order to raise incomes and create more productive employment opportunities whether in formal or informal contexts. Our work ranges from improving the conditions for women working in vulnerable conditions to interventions to strengthen women's economic empowerment and assets wherever they work.

Ghana

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that the commitment to distribute 4.5 million mosquito nets in Ghana by 2015 is reached. [180233]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID provided 4.35 million nets in 2011 and 2012 in support of the Government of Ghana's campaign to provide nets to every household in Ghana. This meant UK Aid provided malaria protection to over one-third of the population under this universal coverage campaign.

In October this year, I agreed new assistance for tackling malaria in Ghana. This includes providing an additional 1.3 million nets by 2015. Of this total, 1.1 million nets are being procured now and will be provided free of charge to pregnant women and children under five years of age, as the people most at risk of dying from malaria. The project will also work with local retailers to stock and sell nets at subsidised rates so that people begin to contribute to providing their own nets in the future. We anticipate that an additional one million nets will be deployed in this way.

Philippines

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of people in the Philippines who are in need of relief but are yet to receive any official aid. [179798]

Justine Greening: We are working with UN agencies to assess needs throughout the affected areas so we can reach remote communities.


Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department is providing to those rice farmers in the Philippines who require seeds and tools following Typhoon Haiyan. [179799]

Justine Greening: The UK has provided £4 million towards re-establishing livelihoods and agriculture following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. This will support agriculture with the purchase and distribution of seeds and fertiliser as well as cash for work to help families and communities rebuild their lives.

16 Dec 2013 : Column 403W

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the spread of water-borne diseases in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan. [179800]

Justine Greening: We are working with the Philippines and international agencies to prepare for outbreaks of water-borne diseases.

This includes £300,000 to help International Health Partners (IHP) support the Philippines Department of Health to deliver and store drugs in badly affected areas. The UK has also provided £2 million to WHO for the re-establishment of essential health care services, disease surveillance and early warning systems for disease outbreaks. Two public health experts have been seconded from the NHS to help advise and support the Philippines Department of Health. In addition funds and supplies worth £2.5 million have been delivered to UNICEF to provide affected populations with clean water, sanitation and soap.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on donations to the UN appeal following the Bohol earthquake. [179801]

Justine Greening: I regularly speak with my international counterparts regarding humanitarian emergencies around the world.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with (a) her international counterparts, (b) non-governmental organisations and (c) the Philippines Government about increasing investment in disaster risk reduction within the Philippines. [180280]

Justine Greening: I have discussed the importance of improving disaster resilience in the Philippines with the United Nations, other donors and non-governmental organisations, and Philippines Government.

Energy and Climate Change

Carbon Sequestration

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has budgeted to spend on research into (a) carbon capture and storage and (b) carbon capture and use in the next five years. [180232]

Michael Fallon: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) together with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) and Research Councils, is delivering a four-year £125 million CCS research, development and innovation programme.

In total, around 100 separate projects are being funded through this programme, with further details available on our website:

https://www.gov.uk/uk-carbon-capture-and-storage-government-funding-and-support#ccs-research-and-development

16 Dec 2013 : Column 404W

In addition, DECC and BIS are joint funding a techno-economic study into industrial carbon capture and storage, with approximately £100,000 from each Department set aside in the 2013-14 budget.

Energy: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what work his Department has undertaken on assessing any link between energy prices and excess winter deaths. [179780]

Gregory Barker: We are not aware of any research undertaken to assess the link between energy prices and excess winter deaths.

The Department commissioned Professor Sir John Hills to conduct a review of fuel poverty in 2011-12. His interim report provides a useful overview of the evidence on excess winter deaths:

http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cr/CASEreport69.pdf

In addition, the Office for National Statistics publishes information about excess winter deaths each year. The November 2013 publication is clear that the factors underlying excess winter deaths are various, with the relationship between temperature, influenza and winter mortality being highly complex:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_337459.pdf

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what requirements there are on energy companies to offer the same range of energy tariffs throughout the UK. [179827]

Michael Fallon: Northern Ireland has a separate energy market which is governed by separate licence conditions enforced by a separate regulator. There are no requirements on energy companies to offer the same range of energy tariffs across the GB and NI energy markets.

Within the market in Great Britain, Ofgem is creating a clearer and simpler market for consumers by restricting energy suppliers to offering only four tariffs per fuel type to a consumer. Suppliers are permitted to vary their tariffs across regions.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Statement of 2 December 2013, Official Report, column 630, on energy bills, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's assessment of the energy freeze proposal. [180083]

Michael Fallon: No.

European Marine Energy Centre

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has provided to the European Marine Energy Centre in each year since 2003. [180287]

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has provided a total of £9.5 million capital grant funding to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). £1.5 million was provided towards the initial development of the site in 2003 to 2006 by the then Department of Trade and Industry. A further

16 Dec 2013 : Column 405W

£8 million was awarded in 2010-11 towards expansion to create four nursery berths as well as additional grid connected berths for both wave and tidal technologies.

Food Banks

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which food banks each Minister in his Department has visited since May 2010. [180013]

Gregory Barker: All meetings between external organisations and DECC Ministers are published on a quarterly basis on the DECC website and are available for download at this link:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx

DECC does not maintain lists of constituency or private engagements for Ministers.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what new resources he has made available for new nuclear research through (a) the National Nuclear Laboratory, (b) University of Manchester, (c) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, (d) Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and (e) the Technology Strategy Board; what projects at what value have been given support; and what the source of funding has been in each case. [180265]

Michael Fallon: Over this and the previous financial years DECC has provided:

£6 million via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for the National Nuclear User Facility, which provides new equipment for shared use across a range of universities and facilities across the UK. This has included equipment for the university of Manchester, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and the National Nuclear Laboratory.

£1.5 million for a nuclear R&D programme managed by the NNL.

£3 million contribution towards a Technology Strategy Board competition. This aimed to fund 36 nuclear R&D projects and leverage a further £13 million of private sector investment.

A £3 million contribution to a further nuclear R&D competition in March 2014, which will be co-funded by TSB, DECC and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is not supported via DECC funding streams.

Nuclear Power Stations

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of decommissioning existing nuclear power stations in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Scotland. [180370]

Michael Fallon: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is charged with assessing the nature and estimated costs of dealing with the nuclear legacy. It was set up in 2005 and is wholly publicly funded via the ‘Nuclear Liabilities Fund’ (NLF) which was formed to cover the future waste management and decommissioning costs of the British Energy (BE) nuclear estate. The NDA has robust processes in place to assess the costs and each station has its own decommissioning plan in place.

16 Dec 2013 : Column 406W

The NDA's total spend is currently around £3 billion a year. For the majority of the NDA estate, the nuclear provision has peaked and is now decreasing. It is only at Sellafield, the largest and most complex site by considerable margin, where the scope of work remains uncertain, that the cost of decommissioning has increased. In time, NDA expects to see a similar decline in cost at Sellafield too.

The NDA is committed to driving down clean up costs. It is doing so by utilising international contractor expertise to drive innovation in decommissioning practices and deliver efficiency savings.

Details of decommissioning processes for each site can be found on their website:

http://www.nda.gov.uk/sites/

Nuclear Reactors

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 398, on energy security, if he will make a statement on the proposals for 12 new nuclear reactors. [180180]

Michael Fallon: As set out in the Nuclear Industrial Strategy, industry has set out plans for 16GW of new nuclear by 2030:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/168048/bis-13-627-nuclear-industrial-strategy-the-uks-nuclear-future.pdf

That broadly equates to at least 12 new reactors at five sites. Our current understanding is as follows:

NNB GenCo (EDF) intends to build four new EPR reactors, two at Hinkley Point in Somerset and two at Sizewell in Suffolk.

Horizon Nuclear Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, plans to develop two ABWR reactors at Wylfa and at least two at Oldbury.

NuGen, a consortium of GDF SUEZ and Iberdrola plan to build new nuclear capacity at Moorside near Sellafield (the precise number of reactors will depend on the choice of reactor design but it likely to be at least two units).

It will be for private sector energy companies to construct, operate and decommission nuclear power stations. All projects will be rigorously assessed against the UK's planning and regulatory framework.

Offshore Industry

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of marginal fuel allowances on investment in North Sea resource extraction since their introduction. [180373]

Michael Fallon: The Government believe that field allowances (described as "fuel allowances" in the question) have been successful in increasing investment in technically and commercially challenging UK oil and gas fields. We note the positive impact of the various field allowances reported by Oil & Gas UK in its October 2012 Fiscal Insight, published at:

http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/cmsfiles/modules/publications/pdfs/EC033.pdf

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Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the Renewable Heat Incentive in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland and Wales in each year since 2010. [180369]

Gregory Barker: Ofgem delivers the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) on behalf of DECC. The budgets are agreed in a way that covers Great Britain as a whole rather than being broken down by geography. Costs for administering the RHI in Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland, which delivers its own RHI), by year, are as follows:

2010-11: £1,514,897;

2011-12: £4,822,408;

2012-13: £5,005,255; and

2013-14: £5,431,818 (to end of October 2013), of which £1,755,131 relates to the development of the domestic RHI.

Wind Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total amount paid out in the form of constraint payments to wind installations in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) Wales in each month since June 2010. [180372]

Michael Fallon: The Department has made no such estimate. Constraint payments relating to England, Scotland and Wales are made by National Grid through competitive market arrangements in order to help ensure the secure operation of the electricity system. National Grid has advised that details of most individual constraint payments to wind farms are published at www.elexon.co.uk and www.bmreports.com . and aggregated data on payments to wind farms is published in its Monthly Balancing Services Summary, which is available at:

http://www2.nationalgrid.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=28139

Energy policy in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Northern Ireland has advised that constraint payments are a commercial matter between the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO) and the generator.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Adult Education: Cannock Chase

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people are enrolled in adult skills sessions in Cannock Chase constituency. [178957]

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of adult learners (aged 19 or over) participating in further education and skills by parliamentary constituency is available in a supplementary table to a Statistical First Release; the most recent academic year for which full data are published is 2011/12:

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C74D91A3-4CEE-4FD2-9A22-4307920D11A8/0/January2013_ OverallFEandSkillsParticipation.xls

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/further_education_skills/

16 Dec 2013 : Column 408W

Apprentices: Greater London

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people under 21 (a) started and (b) completed an apprenticeship in each of the 33 London local authorities in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date. [180262]

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts and achievements in the 2009/10 to 2012/13 academic years for the under 21 age group in London local education authorities will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Provisional data for the first three months of the 2013/14 academic year will be published in January 2014 in a Statistical First Release:

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/

Business: Finance

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on the potential effect of new crowdfunding regulations set out in the FCA's consultation paper 13/13, published in October 2013, on SME finance. [179822]

Matthew Hancock: I met Martin Wheatley, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), on 5 December 2013 to discuss a variety of issues including the regulation of crowdfunding. Both the FCA and the Government are keen to ensure that regulation is proportionate and allows the crowdfunding industry to continue to grow sustainably, whilst also providing an adequate level of protection for investors.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase the flow of capital to small and medium-sized businesses through crowdfunding and similar platforms. [179922]

Matthew Hancock: The Government have taken a number of steps to increase the availability of credit to viable small and medium size businesses.

The Funding for Lending Scheme has been successful in easing general credit conditions across the economy, as well as helping to hold down the cost of credit. The scheme was recently re-focused, to provide further incentives for banks to lend to businesses.

We are establishing the British Business Bank to increase the supply of capital to smaller businesses resulting in increased competition in the banking sector from alternative lenders, like peer for peer lenders and challenger banks.

The British Business Bank is being established with £1 billion of new capital, with another £250 million announced earlier this month for new small business programmes. By working with the private sector, the Business Bank's resources will unlock up to £10 billion of additional lending over the next five years.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to extend the Business Finance Partnership. [179923]

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Matthew Hancock: The Small Business Tranche of the Business Finance Partnership, the portion of the £1.2 billion Business Finance Partnership programme that was administered by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, closed for new applications in 2012. The British Business Bank’s £300 million Investment Programme is open for applications and information on this investment scheme, which is similar in nature to the Small Business Tranche of the Business Finance Partnership, can be found at:

www.british-business-bank.co.uk

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the total amount of capital invested or loaned to small and medium-sized businesses through crowdfunding platforms to date; and what assessment he has made of changes in the amounts of such lending. [179954]

Matthew Hancock: Both debt and equity crowdfunding can offer useful options to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking finance. Although the market is currently small, it is growing quickly. The Department is supporting the growth of peer-to-peer lending through its £30 million Business Finance Partnerships investments in Funding Circle and Zopa.

Crowdfunding platforms report that they have facilitated over £200 million of loans to UK SMEs, and around £20 million of equity investment.

Business: Government Assistance

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on promoting Small Business Saturday in each region. [179042]

Matthew Hancock: The UK’s first Small Business Saturday, a grass-roots campaign with widespread political support, was a great success, and we look forward now to Small Business Saturday in 2014. The campaign reports 48% consumer awareness and an estimated spend of £468 million in UK small businesses this year. The Government was, like many others, a keen supporter and launched “Small Business: GREAT Ambition”—our commitment of support to small and growing firms—on the day. This Department worked closely with the campaign: raising awareness with stakeholders; using existing online channels to promote Small Business Saturday nationally; and spending around £5,000 nationally on display materials and an event for participating small businesses. There was no specific regional spend.

Business: Loans

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from small and medium-sized enterprises on banks in which the Government have a stake unnecessarily recalling business loans. [179833]

Matthew Hancock: This Department has received a number of representations from small and medium-sized businesses about banks unnecessarily recalling business loans. These are being forwarded to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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The FCA announced on 29 October 2013 that it is taking steps to look at the banks' treatment of businesses in financial difficulty following recent allegations that have been made by Lawrence Tomlinson and others. First, an independent skilled person will be appointed using the FCA's powers in section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to review allegations about RBS's treatment of customers in financial distress. Second, the FCA has written to other banks seeking confirmation that they are satisfied they do not engage in any of the poor practices that have been alleged, and setting out an expectation that any poor practices identified will be addressed.

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with banks in which the Government have a stake on ensuring that business loans to small and medium-sized enterprises are not unnecessarily recalled. [179834]

Matthew Hancock: BIS officials and I regularly meet with the senior management of all the major banks to discuss their support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

While the decision to change or remove facilities is a commercial decision for banks, we regularly challenge the banks to ensure that their decision making processes are both fair and properly communicated, and that they carry out these decisions within the bounds of proper regulatory conduct.

Carbon Sequestration

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's budget is for research into (a) carbon capture and storage and (b) carbon capture and use. [180284]

Michael Fallon: The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) funds the research councils and the Technology Strategy Board who, together with other partners—including the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) public-private partnership, are delivering the Government's £125 million Research and Development programme for carbon capture and storage and carbon capture and utilisation over four years from 2011/12.

In addition, BIS and DECC are joint funding a techno-economic study into industrial carbon capture and storage and carbon capture and utilisation, with approximately £100,000 from each Department set aside in the 2013/14 budget.

Copyright: Design

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that the number of people proceeded against under the offence of unauthorised copying of a registered design is monitored closely; and if he will review the effectiveness of that offence two years after it has come into force. [178987]

Mr Willetts: Following the conclusion of the Intellectual Property Bill, to which this question refers, a suitable framework will be developed to evaluate the measures in it, including the criminal sanction for copying a registered design. The evaluation would include an assessment of the effectiveness of this measure.

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Higher Education: Admissions

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK were admitted to their first choice university in the latest period for which figures are available. [180046]

Mr Willetts: The latest information published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for the 2013 application cycle shows that, as at 30 August, 369,410 applicants from the UK and overseas had been accepted for entry to their preferred, or first choice, main scheme course offer, a higher number than any previous year at the same point in the cycle. In addition, a further 1,230 had obtained a place via the adjustment route, which allows applicants to adjust to a place at another institution if they exceed the conditions of their offer. UCAS have not published comparable figures at constituency or county level. Final figures for the 2013 application cycle will be published on 19 December. UCAS is an organisation independent from government.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were registered as being in higher education in Corby constituency in each of the last five years; and what the average for all constituencies in England was in each of the last five years. [178870]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The number of enrolments from Corby constituency and the average number of England domiciled enrolments per constituency for the academic years 2007-08 to 2011-12 have been provided in the following table.

Information for the 2012-13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.

Enrolments1 domiciled2 in Corby constituency2 and England: UK higher education institutions academic years 2007-08 to 2011-12
AcademicNumber of enrolments from CorbyAverage number of enrolments

2007-08

2,615

2,950

2008-09

2,630

3,060

2009-10

2,845

3,165

2010-113

3,080

3,200

2011-123

3,130

3,200

1 Enrolments refers to students in all years of study. 2 Domicile and Constituency refers to a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. 3 As at the 2010 United Kingdom general election on 6 May 2010, the parliamentary constituency boundaries changed. From the 2010-11 academic year these changes are reflected in the table. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

16 Dec 2013 : Column 412W

Lawrence Tomlinson

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have met with Mr Lawrence Tomlinson since May 2010. [180007]

Matthew Hancock: Lawrence Tomlinson is one of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' (BIS) two Entrepreneurs in Residence. Ministers, special advisers and officials have had regular meetings with Mr Tomlinson since his appointment in March 2013.

Prior to this date, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met Mr Tomlinson on a visit to his Ginetta sports car manufacturing business in Garforth on 5 July 2012. A BIS official met Mr Tomlinson at the same location on 7 February 2012.

Manufacturing Industries

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage the UK production of right-hand-drive original equipment manufacturers vehicles fuelled by autogas. [179851]

Michael Fallon: In the autumn statement, 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, the Government announced fuel duty incentives for cleaner fuels. The fuel duty differential between the main rate of fuel duty and the lower rate for road fuel gases such as compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas and biomethane will be maintained at current levels until March 2024. The differential between the main rate and the lower liquefied petroleum gas rate will continue to reduce by 1 ppl each year to 2024. The Government will review the impact of these incentives on vehicle uptake and the public finances at Budget 2018. The Government will also seek EU approval to apply a reduced rate of fuel duty to methanol.

The Government are committed to ensuring the UK becomes a global centre of low carbon propulsion development and production across a range of technologies, including advanced internal combustion engines. To support this, the Automotive Industrial Strategy announced £1 billion over 10 years for an Advanced Propulsion Centre, which is co-funded with industry.

Ministers

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on ministerial salaries in the last year for which figures are available. [180090]

Jo Swinson: For 2012-13 the expenditure on ministerial salaries was £215,461.

Nuclear Power: Skilled Workers

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the number of young people with the skills required to work in the nuclear industry. [179051]

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Matthew Hancock: We have established the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) as the strategic body to assist the industry in identifying and delivering its skills needs. NSAN has developed the National Nuclear Gateway to help grow the number of apprentices across the sector and is taking action across the supply chain. We are also investing through the Employer Ownership of Skills pilot in two employer led projects which are tackling specific skills issues relevant to the nuclear sector and have assisted in establishing the Energy Skills Centre at Bridgewater College in Somerset.

Overseas Trade: Females

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 383W, on overseas trade: females, what guidance his Department offers to UK Trade and Investment on promoting women in trade delegations and exporting. [180402]

Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not offer guidance to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) on promoting women in trade delegations and exporting.

UKTI's own internal guidance is to provide all services on a non-discriminatory basis and no guidance is issued by or to UKTI in relation to the issue of promoting women in trade delegations and exporting.

UKTI services are open and accessible to all UK-based companies wishing to grow their business overseas in order to develop their international trade capability. These services are offered to companies, rather than individuals and it is up to each company to determine who should undertake any training or attend meetings and/or trade delegations to best represent their company interests.

Post Offices

Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to encourage all UK banks to allow their current account customers access at post offices. [180410]

Jo Swinson: This Government have a clear ambition that all UK current accounts are accessible through the post office network and 95% of UK high street bank current accounts are now accessible at post offices. Since 2010, Post Office Ltd has reached agreement with RBS (including NatWest) and HSBC to allow customers to access their current accounts at post office branches.

Post Office Ltd continue to engage with the one remaining high street bank (Santander) who have yet to offer their customers this service.

Allowing customers to access their current accounts at post offices provides choice on where and how they choose to access their current accounts, and also ensures customers in communities that no longer have a bank branch are able to conduct basic financial transactions and services at a convenient and easily accessible location.

It is, however, a commercial matter for Santander and Post Office Ltd to reach agreement.

Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to provide full access to credit union services through the national post office network; and if he will make a statement. [180412]

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Jo Swinson: The post office already works with the credit union sector in a number of ways. For example more than 20 credit unions use Co-operative Finance's banking platform for cash receipts, payments and balance inquiries at the post office. Over 60 credit unions use post office's bill payment facilities to enable repayments of their loans.

The Department for Work and Pensions' feasibility study into credit unions is an important next step in understanding how the credit union sector could further develop, and how this might enable it to work more widely with Post Office Ltd in the future.