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Cockermouth Community Hospital

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the compliance of the process by which a commercial lease was entered into for a pharmacy at Cockermouth Community Hospital with guidance on market tendering exercises for such provision. [181180]

Dr Poulter: The compliance of the process by which a commercial lease was entered into for a pharmacy at Cockermouth Community Hospital is a local matter and it is for NHS England to assess.

Deloitte

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of correspondence from Peter Coates, Commercial Director in his Department, to Mike Turley of Deloitte MCS Limited, dated 19 January 2010. [181216]

Dr Poulter: The Department has not retained a copy of the correspondence between Peter Coates, Commercial Director and Mike Turley of Deloitte MCS Limited, dated 19 January 2010.

Dementia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken from scan to dementia diagnosis is; and whether his Department intends to repeat the scan every two to three years. [180972]

Norman Lamb: On 29 November, the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a report of its audit of memory services in England. The report showed the average wait from assessment, which may include a brain scan, to diagnosis is 8.36 weeks. Decisions on further scans are made locally by clinicians. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

Diseases

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of bronchitis were treated by the NHS in each region in each of the last five years; [181868]

(2) how cases of Crohn's disease were treated by the NHS in each region in each of the last five years; [181869]

(3) how many cases of Bell's palsy were treated by the NHS in each region in each of the last five years. [181874]

Norman Lamb: The following table provides a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of bronchitis, categorised by Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of treatment for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13.

It should be noted that information provided in the following tables does not indicate the number of patients as a patient may have had more than one episode of care within the time period.

The tables indicate the SHA area within which the organisation providing treatment was located.

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The following table provides a count of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of Crohn's disease, categorised by SHA of treatment for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13:

The following table provides a count of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of Bell's palsy, categorised by SHA of treatment, from 2008-09 to 2012-13:

Fractures

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support people with osteoporosis receive following a first fracture; and if he will establish a fracture liaison service linked to hospitals. [181308]

Norman Lamb: Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services, including fracture liaison services (FLS), lies with NHS England.

NHS England has advised that the FLS model recommended by the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the National Osteoporosis Society has been assessed as being best practice and is being promoted.

NHS England is aware that the provision of good FLS is not uniform across the United Kingdom and is working with clinical commissioning groups to support them to develop appropriate local services.

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It will be for the appropriate National Clinical Director at NHS England, working with the National Osteoporosis Society, to consider how to further promote best practice and treatment.

General Practitioners

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the consequences for his Department of the decision that accident and emergency training is no longer required during GP qualification; and what his policy is on such training for GPs. [181215]

Dr Poulter: Experience of working in accident and emergency (A&E) departments has never been a requirement for qualification as a general practitioner (GP). Many doctors in Foundation and GP training do work in A&E departments as part of their training programmes. Qualification as a GP requires doctors to achieve the competencies defined in the Royal College of General Practitioners' curriculum, including managing the acutely ill patient as well as out of hours competencies.

The Department's mandate to Health Education England (HEE) requires that:

“HEE should ensure that GP training, produces GPs with the required competencies to practise in the new National Health Service”.

This work will need to be aligned with the independent ‘Shape of Training’ report submitted to the four United Kingdom Health Departments in October.

Hepatitis

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of hepatitis A were treated by the NHS in each region in each of the last five years. [181950]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England receives laboratory reports of hepatitis A infection through routine surveillance. Information is not available on the number of cases which underwent treatment.

The following table shows the laboratory reports of hepatitis A for England by region from 2008 to 2012:

During 2008 to 2012 there were 1,592 confirmed laboratory reports of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in England. The greatest number of reports were from the London (n=328), West Midlands (n=274), and the South East (n=234) regions. An 11% increase in the number of reports received during 2012 compared to

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2011 was observed; this varied by region with a decline in the number of reports in the East Midlands, Eastern, and South East regions.

The overall trend has been a decline in the number of reports since 2008. The increased number of reports during 2010 was due to unrelated outbreaks of hepatitis A in the London and the South West regions.

Hospitals: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the NHS's new five year funding plan will affect hospitals in Worcestershire. [181970]

Dr Poulter: On 17 December 2013, the NHS England board agreed on a new formula to set clinical commissioning group (CCG) allocations for the next two years (2014-15 and 2015-16). Information on future CCG allocations is available in the ‘NHS England Total CCG Programme Budget Allocations 2014/15 & 2015/16’ document, which has been placed in the Library.

On 17 December 2013, NHS England also published draft planning guidance for commissioners, which includes the requirement that commissioners develop five year strategic plans for 2014-15 to 2018-19. This guidance will help commissioners develop plans for services that more closely address the needs of local populations and deliver better integration of health and social care services. A copy of the draft planning guidance, ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2014/15 to 2018/19’, has been placed in the Library.

The development of five year strategic plans is a matter for the local NHS. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to approach the chief operating officers of the three Worcestershire CCGs—NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove, NHS South Worcestershire and NHS Wyre Forest—for relevant information.

Kidneys: Diseases

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what health education programmes his Department has initiated in the last 12 months to raise the level of public awareness of chronic kidney disease; and what further such programmes he plans to start in the next 12 months; [180746]

(2) if he will take steps to promote greater public awareness of acute and chronic kidney disease. [180703]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities to deliver the NHS Health Check programme. Modelling has shown the potential for the programme to detect over 20,000 cases of diabetes and kidney disease earlier and to prevent over 4,000 people a year from developing diabetes.. The NHS Health Check Information leaflet which accompanies the invite includes information on the risk factors for kidney disease.

PHE is also working with NHS England to establish a National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network to map the burden of disease within the cardiovascular disease group, including renal disease and is supporting the Health Check programme to support earlier detection of chronic kidney disease.

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PHE is not currently running a marketing campaign to promote awareness of acute and chronic kidney disease, including health education programmes. The Change4Life campaign does however include a salt consumption message. High salt diets can lead to high blood pressure which is one of the most common causes of kidney disease.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of late diagnosis of chronic renal failure; [180747]

(2) how many people were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in Greater Manchester hospitals in each of the last five years; [180748]

(3) how many people were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in (a) Bolton South East constituency, (b) Bolton, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) the UK in each of the last 10 years. [180749]

Jane Ellison: NHS England has responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improve clinical outcomes from healthcare services for people with kidney disease.

The Government's Mandate to NHS England sets an objective for the national health service to make significant progress in supporting the earlier diagnosis of illness, particularly through appropriate use of primary care. This includes working with Public Health England to support local government in the roll out of the NHS Health Check programme, which facilitates earlier detection of kidney disease. It is anticipated that up to 20,000

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cases of kidney disease and diabetes (a risk factor for kidney disease) could be detected via the programme each year.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's 2008 guidance on the early identification and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults in primary and secondary care makes recommendations on the tests clinicians should use to diagnose CKD.

The Department does not collect information centrally on how many people were diagnosed with CKD in Greater Manchester hospitals in each of the last five years or on how many people were diagnosed with CKD in Bolton South East constituency, Bolton, Greater Manchester and the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years.

However, a 2012 report by NHS Kidney Care estimated that around 1.8 million people are diagnosed with CKD in England, while an estimated further million are thought to have the condition but have not yet been diagnosed with it.

Mental Health Services: Kent

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the per capita spend on mental health services was by primary care trusts in (a) Medway and (b) Kent in each of the last five years; and how those figures compare to the national average in that period. [180824]

Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested. The following tables provide information on reported investment in mental health services.

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Mental Health Services: Young People

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2013, Official Report, columns 166-67W on mental health services: young people, how many bed days were recorded for children and young people under the age of 18 who were in a part of an adult psychiatric ward specifically set aside to meet the needs of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services patients, between 2007-08 and 2010-11. [181092]

Norman Lamb: Health and Social Care Information Centre does not hold data on children and young people on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) wards. Therefore, it does not hold data on any ward or part of a ward designated as CAMHS. Only data on children and young people on adult wards are available.

The following table provides the number of bed days for under 18s who have been admitted to in-patient care in national health service funded adult and elderly secondary mental health services between 2007-08 and 2010-11.

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) name was of each consultant used and (b) value was of each contract for consultancy for the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in each year since 2005. [181857]

Dr Poulter: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement closed on 31 March 2013. NHS Improving Quality was subsequently established to bring together the wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience of a number of NHS improvement organisations. NHS Improving Quality is hosted by NHS England.

NHS Trust Development Authority

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 600W, on NHS Trust Development Authority, how much each contract was for; and how many bidders there were for each contract. [181798]

Jane Ellison: Upon its establishment the priority for the NHS Trust Development Authority was to provide continuity of existing arrangements for those projects already under way by securing appropriate resourcing from established and experienced consultants with specific capability and knowledge of those projects.

In recognition of this and to ensure adherence to pre-determined timescales a number of untendered arrangements were entered into on a time-limited or specific project delivery basis.

The contractors that were engaged, the value of each contract and whether or not it was subject to competitive tender are shown in the following table.

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NHS: Crime Prevention

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 600W, on NHS: crime prevention, how much NHS Protect spent, by area of expenditure, in each year since 2005; [181800]

(2) how many investigations NHS Protect has undertaken in each year since 2005; how many such investigations led to (a) criminal prosecutions and (b) the initiation of internal disciplinary procedures; and what the cost of each such investigation was. [181801]

Dr Poulter: The information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Information on the work of NHS Protect is available at the unit's website at:

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Protect.aspx

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the senior responsible officer is for NHS Protect. [181858]

Dr Poulter: There is no Department of Health post of senior responsible officer for NHS Protect. The Departmental sponsor for NHS Protect is the NHS Security Management Service branch head.

NHS: Finance

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that savings made in the NHS do not disproportionately affect some areas more than others. [181972]

Dr Poulter: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 established a new landscape with key financial decisions, and monitoring to take place variously in the Department of Health, NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority.

The bulk of the Department's revenue resource funding is allocated to NHS England which is responsible for allocating the budgets for commissioning NHS services, including the local allocation to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)—provider organisations are then paid for the provision of healthcare services from the commissioners.

Through the Mandate to the NHS the Government provide direction for the NHS which includes the Government's expectation that the principle of ensuring equal access for equal need is at the heart of NHS England's approach to allocating budgets.

However, decisions on the precise disposition of savings in local health economies are best made by NHS England and the CCGs, the organisations that directly commission and so have best knowledge of these services.

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NHS: Land

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in London region; [180644]

(2) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in East Midlands region; [180645]

(3) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in West Midlands region; [180647]

(4) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in Eastern region; [180648]

(5) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in South East region; [180649]

(6) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in North East region; [180650]

(7) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in North West region; [180651]

(8) how much land, by hectare, is owned by the NHS but not currently in use in South West region. [180653]

Dr Poulter: The information requested is not collected centrally.

National health service organisations are responsible locally for making decisions regarding the use of their facilities, including the use of land.

NHS: Management Consultants

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 523W, on NHS management consultants, if he will name each of the contractors to whom consultancy contracts were awarded in each year from 2010 to date; and how much each individual contract was worth. [181340]

Dr Poulter: This information is not held centrally and, in relation to the detail of each contract (i.e. with whom and the value of each individual contract), could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Standards

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions his Department is taking to improve and standardise the information in NHS service provider quality accounts; and if he will make a statement. [181764]

Jane Ellison: Providers are required to publish a quality account each year. A quality account is a report about the quality of services provided by a national health service health care provider. The reports are published annually and are available to the public.

NHS England is currently reviewing quality accounts to ensure that they give patients appropriate information on the services they use, and evaluating how quality accounts can begin to provide a more comprehensive and balanced assessment of quality. We are advised that the review will be complete such that guidance can be issued in March 2014, and trusts advised of expected changes in time for the 2014-15 financial year.

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NHS: Waste Disposal

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much food waste by tonne was disposed of by the NHS in East Midlands region in each year since 2010; [180633]

(2) how much food waste by tonne was disposed of by the NHS in West Midlands region in each year since 2010; [180634]

(3) how much food waste by tonne was disposed of by the NHS in Eastern region in each year since 2010; [180635]

(4) how much food waste by tonne was disposed of by the NHS in South East Region in each year since 2010; [180652]

(5) how many tonnes of food waste were disposed of by the NHS in the (a) Yorkshire and Humber, (b) South West, (c) North West and (d) South East regions in each year since 2010. [180673]

Dr Poulter: The information is not available in the format requested.

Nurses: Resignations

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of UK nurses who have left the NHS before normal retirement age in each of the last five years. [180628]

Dr Poulter: No estimate has been made of the number of United Kingdom nurses who have left the national health service before normal retirement age in the last five years.

Peters & Peters

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions Peters & Peters have (a) been instructed by or (b) acted on behalf of his Department in each year since 2005. [181338]

Dr Poulter: Since 2005, Peters & Peters have acted for the Department in four cases involving civil legal proceedings. This law firm was instructed in cases in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and continued to act for the Department in one case on which they were instructed prior to 2005.

Pregnancy: Mental Health Services

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what structures his Department has put in place to ensure appropriate communication between clinical commissioning groups and NHS England regarding the provision of perinatal mental health services by primary and secondary care providers; [180728]

(2) what the average time is that women who have been referred to a specialist perinatal mental health practitioner have to wait to see that practitioner (a) across the UK and (b) by NHS trust or foundation trust; [180729]

(3) what steps his Department has taken to improve the prevention and detection of perinatal mental health problems; and what assessment he has made of progress in achieving this. [180753]

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Dr Poulter: The Mandate from the Government to NHS England includes an objective for NHS England to work with partner organisations to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support.

It is not the Department's role to establish communication structures between NHS England and clinical commissioning groups. As steward of the health and care system, the Department sets national priorities, secures and allocates resources, supports our national bodies and holds them to account through transparent assurance processes. In order to achieve the objectives set out in the Mandate between the Government and NHS England, NHS England will need to ensure it has effective communications with clinical commissioning groups.

NHS England will, through its Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks support the continued development of maternity and perinatal mental health networks to drive improvements to access, quality of care and inter-service communication that enhances the experience of women and families generally, and more specifically for the large numbers of women who are at risk of poor mental health during pregnancy and following childbirth.

Information on the average waiting time for a woman who has been referred to a specialist perinatal mental health practitioner is not held centrally. While perinatal mental health services are based in either Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service or Adult Mental Health services neither minimum data set measures the waiting times from referral to treatment.

Improving diagnosis and services for women with pregnancy-related mental health problems is one of the Department's objectives for maternity care. Health Education England currently commissions approximately 2,500 training places each year and, working with NHS England, is committed to ensuring that sufficient midwives are trained and available, with an ambition to provide every woman with personalised one to one care through pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period. This work will make recommendations on how women who have mental health support requirements receive appropriate support from specialised trained midwives. Health Education England has also agreed to work with partners to ensure that pre and post registration training in perinatal mental health is available to enable specialist staff for every birthing unit by 2017.

The Institute of Health Visiting has delivered perinatal mental health training and introduced three interactive e-learning modules. This new resource will help health visitors in the detection and management of perinatal depression and other maternal mental health conditions. The modules focus on perinatal depression and other maternal mental health disorders, how to recognise perinatal anxiety and depression, interventions for perinatal anxiety, depression and related disorders.

To achieve this, we are committed to having an extra 4,200 health visitors in post by 2015.

The Department has commissioned the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford university to develop and test a perinatal mental health indicator which would reflect the mental health care a woman receives at certain critical perinatal time points: the antenatal booking, the early postnatal period and approximately

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one year postnatally. The project will run from April 2013 until December 2015 and the ambition is to have a maternal mental health indicator in the 2016 re-fresh of the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

Psychology

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointments with occupational psychologists officials in his Department had in each of the last 10 years. [181949]

Dr Poulter: The Department does not hold records of numbers of officials' appointments with occupational psychologists. A referral to an occupational psychologist is one of a wide range of interventions that are available to employees through the Department's Occupational Health Service.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients from (a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Cornwall and (d) Dorset were referred to (i) Sheffield and (ii) London for stereotactic radiosurgery in each of the last three years; [180760]

(2) for what reasons NHS England has not maintained the number of patients being offered Gamma Knife treatment before concluding its review into the provision of stereotactic radiosurgery in England. [180822]

Jane Ellison: NHS England is undertaking a specific demand and capacity review project for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for intracranial conditions. This includes all types of SRS and SRT delivery platforms, including Gamma Knife.

The project aims to review these services to ensure equitable and nationally consistent access to high quality SRS and SRT services. The project is reviewing the national patient demand for the routinely funded SRS and SRT indications that NHS England commissions in line with its clinical policies. The review will then consider the appropriate technology and capacity requirements needed to provide these services. This includes the Gamma Knife treatment delivery platform.

All patients meeting the national clinical policies for intracranial SRS or SRT treatment will continue to have access to these treatments. However, until the review concludes, and any recommendations implemented, access will continue to be provided via NHS England's contracted SRS and SRT providers.

Information concerning the number of patients from Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset referred to Sheffield and London for SRS in each of the last three years cannot be provided in the format requested. Data provided by county for the years identified would require considerable suppression to protect patient confidentiality owing to the small numbers involved. Suppression would remove all data of interest.

In the following table, we have provided the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with a main or secondary operative procedure of SRS on tissue of the brain for patients living in Cornwall, Somerset, Devon and Dorset as a total for each of the three years by hospital providers in Sheffield and London. It should

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be noted that London data do not include BUPA-Cromwell as there is no activity for SRS submitted to the Secondary User Service of Hospital Episode Statistics by this provider.

FCEs should not be viewed as a count of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. It should also be noted that the majority of radiotherapy procedures are carried out in an out-patient setting where the collection of this operative procedure data is not currently mandatory.

Surgery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many emergency surgery procedures were carried out according to the 2012-13 hospital episodes statistics data for (a) general surgery, (b) trauma and orthopaedic surgery, (c) cardiothoracic surgery, (d) urological surgery, (e) ear, nose and throat surgery, (f) neurosurgery, (g) plastic surgery, (h) paediatric surgery, (i) oral and maxillo facial surgery, (j) oral surgery, (k) surgical dentistry and (l) vascular surgery; [181701]

(2) how many accident and emergency attendances required (a) surgical assessment and (b) surgical treatment in 2012-13; [181702]

(3) how many (a) emergency surgical procedures and (b) elective surgical procedures were carried out in 2012-13. [181703]

Jane Ellison: Information concerning the number of accident and emergency attendances requiring surgical assessment and surgical treatment is not collected. Information concerning the number of emergency surgery procedures for treatment types (a) to (l) and the number of emergency surgical procedures and elective surgical procedures for the period 2012-13 cannot be provided in the format requested.

Information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) in 2012-13 where a main procedure or intervention took place following an emergency admission, by the following treatment specialties of general surgery, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, urological surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, paediatric surgery, oral and maxillo facial surgery, oral surgery, surgical dentistry and vascular surgery, is shown in Table 1. These data include all procedures and interventions, as the Health and Social Care Information Centre is unable to identify surgical procedures without specific coding advice.

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Separately, a count of FCEs in 2012-13 where the method of admission was elective or emergency and where a main procedure or intervention took place is shown in Table 2.

It should be noted that it is not possible to identify whether the procedure was an emergency procedure, but only that a procedure or intervention took place following an emergency admission. In addition to this, FCEs should not be considered a count of patients, as an individual may have been admitted on more than one occasion.

USA

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 530W, on USA, what study trips to America officials from (a) his Department and (b) NHS London undertook in 2008. [181339]

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Dr Poulter: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Culture, Media and Sport

BBC Trust

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss the issue of political impartiality at the BBC with the BBC Trust. [181153]

Mr Vaizey: There are no plans to discuss the issue of political impartiality with the BBC Trust. As set out in the BBC's Charter and Agreement, the BBC is bound by strict rules on political impartiality in its content and coverage, and it is for the BBC Trust to hold the Executive to account for its performance in this area. One of the ways in which the Trust assesses impartiality is by commissioning reviews of certain subject areas, which are available here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/editorial_standards/impartiality.html

BBC: Scotland

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the BBC Trust the financial effect of BBC network commissions on (a) BBC Scotland and (b) the wider economy in Scotland in the last five years. [180983]

Mr Vaizey: There are no plans to discuss the financial effect of BBC network commissions on BBC Scotland and the wider economy in Scotland with the BBC Trust. However, in July this year the BBC published “The BBC in Scotland” which includes information on network production and commissioning in Scotland; this report can be accessed here:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/pdf/bbc_policy_ the_bbc_in_scotland.pdf

Furthermore, the BBC Executive published a report in January on the economic value of the BBC, which can be accessed at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/reports/bbc_economic_impact_2013.html

Broadband

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the £10 million fund announced in the autumn statement will test innovative solutions for delivering superfast broadband services; and if she will make a statement. [181334]

Mr Vaizey: The £10 million funding will be used to market test areas that suppliers and local bodies identified during BDUK's stakeholder engagement exercise as those that could assist in providing solutions in commercially challenging locations. These include a range of options being brought forward by various potential providers.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average broadband speed is in (a) the UK, (b) the City of Bristol and (c) Bristol North West constituency. [181704]

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Mr Vaizey: Ofcom's Infrastructure Report 2013 reported that average fixed broadband speeds (as measured at the customer modem) in the City of Bristol were 24.5 Mbit/s compared with 17.7 Mbit/s across the UK. Data are not collected on a constituency basis.

Culture: Finance

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the regional distribution of capital for culture projects across England. [180952]

Mr Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2013, Official Report, column 669W.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 15 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr E. Warne. [181851]

Mrs Grant: I replied to the right hon. Member on 23 December.

Mobile Phones: Regulation

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to bring forward proposals to change the regulation of the mobile telephone sector. [181728]

Mr Vaizey: ‘Connectivity, Content and Consumers’, published in July 2013, contains a number of policy proposals that would entail regulatory changes affecting the communications sector, including the mobile network operators. The Government have also made it clear that they want to see an end to mobile roaming charges within the EU by 2016, which would require regulatory change.

Museums and Galleries

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria her Department has set for a museum to become a national museum funded by direct grant-in-aid from her Department. [181754]

Mr Vaizey: The national museums and galleries directly funded by DCMS are governed by primary legislation.

National Lottery

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the national lottery has disbursed funds to community groups based outside the UK in any of the last 10 years, other than for the purpose of meeting international development priorities. [180984]

Mrs Grant: In the last 10 years, national lottery distributors have awarded 739 grants that are classified as “overseas grants” in the lottery grants database (from a total of over 262,000 in the same period and representing 1% of the total value of grants). Lottery distributors

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make their funding decisions independently of Government and against their published criteria for their individual funding programmes. Overseas grants are defined as those made to projects located in and benefiting organisations or individuals working or living in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and all countries outside the United Kingdom. The full list of overseas grants can be obtained from the lottery grants database at:

http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/AdvancedSearch.aspx

Olympic Games: Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Ministers will be attending the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games in an official capacity. [181214]

Mrs Grant: We cannot confirm ministerial attendance at this stage. We will finalise plans in the new year on how we support Team GB and ParalympicsGB at the Sochi Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sports: Young People

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what specific targets her Department has set for increasing sports participation rates amongst young people; and what recent assessment she has made of progress in achieving those targets. [181766]

Mrs Grant: Sport England is investing almost £500 million in 46 sport's national governing bodies and around 60% of this will be spent on initiatives targeting young people. Specific targets for young people have been agreed with each NGB. Sport England is also running programmes specifically targeting young people, such as Sportivate, which has given almost 300,000 young people the opportunity to take up a new sport over the last two years. 1,500 satellite clubs are being set up across England to reduce the number of young people who stop playing sport after leaving school.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Environment Agency staff were employed to help maintain waterways to reduce flooding risk in each of the last three years. [180928]

Dan Rogerson: The number of staff employed directly by the Environment Agency to help maintain waterways to reduce flood risk in each of the last three years was:

In addition, the Environment Agency employs staff in business support service roles such as finance, legal, procurement, and human resources that support specialist flood and coastal risk management staff.

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Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Environment Agency staff were employed in flood alleviation works in each of the last three years. [180929]

Dan Rogerson: The number of staff employed directly by the Environment Agency in flood alleviation works in each of the last three years was:

In addition, the Environment Agency employs staff in business support service roles such as finance, legal, procurement, and human resources that support specialist flood and coastal risk management staff.

Floods: Insurance

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many formal responses his Department received to its flood insurance consultation. [181829]

Dan Rogerson: There were 149 responses received to the flood insurance consultation, which was launched on 27 June 2013 and closed on 8 August 2013.

Food Banks

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with retailers about the supply of food for food banks. [181191]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA hosted a roundtable discussion with major retailers and food redistribution charities in 2012. As a result, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, charities and other industry bodies joined forces to support ways to increase the amount of surplus food that can be made available to those in need. The redistribution industry working group led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has been working towards adopting guiding principles which will help industry prioritise redistribution of surplus food for human consumption. WRAP plans to publish its guidance and case studies in the new year.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion of the £397,000 lost wages to workers identified in Gangmasters Licensing Authority operations 2012-13 has been recovered to date; and if he will make a statement; [181068]

(2) how many workers subjected to exploitation identified in Gangmasters Licensing Authority operations 2012-13 have received compensation; and if he will make a statement. [181077]

George Eustice: In 2012-13 the GLA's investigations identified £397,000 in lost wages, through unpaid holiday pay and failure to pay the minimum wage. Although such non-payment and underpayment breaches the GLA's

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licensing standards, and may lead to revocation of licences, the GLA can only advise the employer to repay the money to the affected workers as the GLA does not have the power to recover any arrears of pay on behalf of workers. Where it does identify breaches of minimum wage legislation the GLA notifies the national minimum wage inspectorate (NMWI) which may investigate the matter further.

Therefore, the GLA does not record numbers of workers whose exploitation it may have identified who subsequently seek compensation under civil law. A recent criminal investigation resulted in the court ordering the offender to pay compensation amounting to £57,801. The order was made in August 2013 and allowed the offender three years to make payment.

The GLA continues to pursue criminals who seek to exploit workers and a number of recent high profile joint operations with the police and others illustrates the success of these efforts. Where investigations lead to a successful prosecution the authority will seek redress for the victims of criminal gangmasters through the imposition of compensation orders and to deprive those gangmasters of the financial benefits of their criminal activity using the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Land: Contamination

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed withdrawal of the Contaminated Land Capital Grants Scheme on local authorities' ability to meet their statutory duty to identify contaminated land and to ensure its remediation; and if he will publish (a) that assessment and (b) the results of his consultation with local authorities on that proposal. [182027]

George Eustice: Funding to support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory obligations under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 remains in the form of the Revenue Support Grant. An assessment of the impact on local authorities of the withdrawal of the Contaminated Land Capital Grants Scheme has therefore not been undertaken. The need for an impact assessment will be reviewed 12 months after the full grant scheme funding is withdrawn in April 2014.

DEFRA has also commissioned a new State of Contaminated Land survey which will collect information on regulatory activity under part 2A, the apportioning of liability, and funding mechanisms used for contaminated land identification and remediation. The report will be produced by the Environment Agency in 2014.

Natural England

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria used in the shortlisting and selection of candidates for the chairmanship of Natural England were; and if he will make a statement. [180804]

Dan Rogerson: The essential criteria used in the shortlisting and selection of candidates for the Chairman of Natural England were:

1. An understanding of how the rural environment can contribute to a range of Government priorities, particularly the successful growth of the rural economy;

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2. Significant commercial acumen and working with organisations undergoing substantial change, including a proven track record at a senior level in the private or public sector in a comparable organisation;

3. A strong vision and capacity to lead and represent Natural England, giving a clear sense of overall strategic direction and purpose;

4. Building a strong team culture and creating consensus around practical solutions both within the Board and in the way the wider organisation does business;

5. Experience of delivering a top quality service to customers and of building strong networks and collaborating with key partners; and

6. An understanding of the complementary roles of chairman and chief executive and of working effectively in this relationship to the benefit of the strategic goals of the organisation.

The recruitment process for the Chairman of Natural England has been carried out in accordance with the ‘Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies' published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Mr Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of the fishery protection fleet in each year to 2016-17; and what share of that cost will be incurred in Scotland. [180867]

George Eustice: The Royal Navy is responsible for the cost of the fisheries protection fleet. The Marine Management Organisation makes a contribution to these costs and has entered into a formal agreement with the Royal Navy to provide inspection and surveillance of fishing activity at sea. The current agreement commenced on 1 April 2013 and runs until 31 March 2016. The baseline financial payment for these services is £2 million per annum.

Fisheries enforcement is a devolved matter. The costs associated with fisheries protection in Scotland are met by the Scottish Government.

Treasury

Capital Allowances: Farms

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals in the Finance Bill to provide that any farm-based reservoir forming part of a wider irrigation system is treated as part of the farm for capital allowance purposes. [181127]

Mr Gauke: The Government keep all tax policy under review. Any changes to tax policy are announced by the Chancellor at the Budget or at autumn statement.

Celtic Football Club

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate reports that the Co-operative Bank provided exceptionally low interest rate loans and overdraft facilities to Celtic Football Club. [180784]

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Sajid Javid [holding answer 19 December 2013]: Individual commercial loans are a matter for agreement between the parties concerned.

The Government have announced their intention to order an investigation into events at the Co-operative Bank and the circumstances surrounding them, under powers in the Financial Services Act 2012. The investigation will be led by an independent person. It will not begin and its detailed scope will not be confirmed until it is clear that it will not prejudice any actions the relevant authorities may take.

Child Care Tax Credit

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many households receiving child care tax credits have at least one worker earning under (a) £10,000, (b) £10,500, (c) £11,000 and (d) £12,000 per year; [177784]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of households with at least one earner with an income of less than £10,000 who receive child care tax credit. [177782]

Nicky Morgan: Tax credit awards are based on total household income. HMRC provisional tax credits statistics do not provide counts of families who are in receipt of the child care element of WTC within specific individual income brackets.

Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010

Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 in reducing the exposure to liabilities from private sector financiers and funds of countries experiencing the aftermath of sovereign debt crises; [180675]

(2) if he will take further steps to promote responsible lending and borrowing internationally by private sector financiers and funds operating under contracts drawn up under domestic law in the UK. [180676]

Sajid Javid: The impact assessment for the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 indicates direct benefits to Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) of between zero and £26 million a year. The Government's decision to make the Act permanent on 25 May 2011 was taken following consultation with relevant stakeholders; evidence from that exercise suggested that the Act had some benefit on HIPCs and no evidence was found of unintended or adverse effects.

The UK continues to be at the forefront of international efforts to promote responsible lending and borrowing practices, including our ongoing support for the IMF/World Bank Debt Sustainability Framework and OECD lending principles covering official export credits. The UK also supports the World Bank's debt reduction facility, which enables countries to buy back their commercial debt at a deep discount with donor backing, and the African Legal Support Facility, which provides legal advice to countries facing litigation.

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Excise Duties: Fuels

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce the rural fuel duty discount for those independent fuel stations having a rateable value below £50,000. [180476]

Danny Alexander: The current rural fuel rebate scheme applies to the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, the Islands of the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly. It recognises the fact that pump prices on the islands are particularly high when compared with the UK average, due to the cost of transporting and distributing fuel in the isolated communities. Any extension of the scheme would look to provide support to motorists in other remote areas of the UK that experience high pump prices for similar reasons.

All petrol filling stations in England with a rateable value below £50,000 will be eligible for a £1,000 discount on their business rates bills up to state aid limits from 1 April 2014 for two years.

Financial Services

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on plans to compensate non-sophisticated customers mis-sold interest rate hedging products by RBS and Natwest; and whether financial institutions will be penalised by the Financial Conduct Authority if this process is not completed by the May 2014 deadline. [181161]

Sajid Javid: The Financial Conduct Authority publishes monthly progress reports on the redress scheme for the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products. These reports show the progress made by each of the largest banks, including RBS.

On 6 December, the Financial Conduct Authority published each individual bank's projections for when they expect to finish the redress scheme. The projections show that the banks expect to finish reviewing all cases by June 2014, with some banks likely to complete the scheme before this date.

Government Securities

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all current guarantees. [181961]

Nicky Morgan: This information is not held centrally. Managing public money requires Departments to report all outstanding single contingent liabilities, or schemes of liabilities, in their accounts unless they are confidential. Many arm’s length bodies follow the same standard.

Meetings

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he had with (a) Sir Howard Davies, (b) the Secretary of State for Transport and (c) the Mayor of London between 9 and 17 December 2013; whether a minute was kept of any such meetings; and if he will publish any minutes. [181818]

Nicky Morgan: Treasury Ministers regularly meet with Ministers in other Departments as part of normal Government business. As was the case with previous

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Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

The Airports Commission also publishes regular lists of meetings with stakeholders, including Government. This is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/airports-commission-meetings-with-stakeholders

Minimum Wage

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2013, Official Report, column 465W, on minimum wage, how many people were paid below the minimum wage in the most recent period for which figures are available in each region. [176417]

Mr Gauke: The Government take the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC reviews every complaint that is referred to it, investigating the complaint and, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where we identify a high risk of non-payment of NMW.

HMRC does not capture complaints or the outcomes of its investigations by reference to Government regions or country. Its management information relates to the work of teams who are multi-located. Because HMRC resources to risk, work relating to a specific geographical area is not always done by the NMW team based in that area.

National Insurance Contributions

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer was for each year of the regional employers NICs holiday scheme. [181056]

Mr Gauke: The latest available data show that around £60 million of NICs relief has been received by employers in total.

This figure can be broadly broken down by year as follows:

This does not include 2013-14 tax year. The claims are reported at the end of the tax year, but can relate to a previous period.

Non-domestic Rates

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 436W, on non-domestic rates, what estimate he has made of how many of the 300,000 retail premises in England that he estimates will benefit from the business rates discount of up to £1,000 will benefit (a) in full and (b) in part. [180969]

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Mr Gauke: No breakdown has been made by the Treasury of how many of the 300,000 retail premises in England that will benefit from the £1,000 business rates discount will benefit (a) in full and (b) in part.

Railways: Fares

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government will fund the Mayor of London's decision to limit 2014 season ticket price rises to RPI+0. [181951]

Nicky Morgan: The Mayor of London decided to cap Transport for London fare increases to an average of RPI+0 for the 2014 calendar year. Decisions by the Mayor of London regarding London transport fares, and the funding of those decisions, are a matter for the Mayor of London.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with Transport for London and the office of the Mayor of London before the announcement in the autumn statement that the average increase in regulated rail fares will be capped at RPI in 2014. [181952]

Nicky Morgan: Treasury Ministers regularly meet with the Mayor of London as part of normal Government business. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's civil servants have been seconded to (a) the private sector and (b) trade unions in each year since 2010. [177725]

Nicky Morgan: The information is as follows:

In 2010

(a) two Treasury civil servants were seconded to the private sector

(b) no Treasury civil servants were seconded to the trade unions

In 2011

(a) four Treasury civil servants were seconded to the private sector

(b) no Treasury civil servants were seconded to the trade unions

In 2012

(a) two Treasury civil servants were seconded to the private sector

(b) no Treasury civil servants were seconded to the trade unions.

Social Security Benefits

Mr Newmark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of welfare savings needed in 2016-17 and 2017-18 to ensure that the rate of reduction in departmental expenditure limits is maintained at the same level as over this Parliament. [181779]

Nicky Morgan: Following the spending round and in line with previous policy, total managed expenditure in 2016-17 and 2017-18 will continue to fall in real terms at the same rate as over this Parliament. On the basis of

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the latest autumn statement fiscal forecast, savings of around £12 billion per year by 2017-18 would be needed from elements of AME—such as welfare spending—to ensure that real departmental budgets are not cut more steeply than over this Parliament.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Mr Gordon Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost to the public purse is of (a) diplomatic missions around the world and (b) the UK's membership of the UN and international bodies; if he will estimate the pro-rata allocation of those costs for Scotland in 2016-17; what the Scottish Government estimates those costs will be in 2016-17; and if he will estimate the potential cost to Scotland of setting up and staffing new diplomatic missions. [180866]

Mr Lidington: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

The annual budget for the UK's diplomatic network was £1.6 billion for the financial year 2012-13.

The UK's contributions to the UN regular budget, peacekeeping budgets, and tribunal costs were £94,265,716, £321,912,044 and £10,165,031 respectively for the financial year 2012-13.

Records of contributions to UN specialised agencies and the numerous other international bodies of which the UK is a member are not held centrally and this information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

In advance of the next spending round, it is not possible to estimate what the FCO's budget allocation will be for 2016-17, nor is it possible to assess accurately in advance what the UK's share of the UN budget and peacekeeping costs will be in 2016-17.

The Government intend to publish, in due course, material relating to potential contributions to international bodies by an independent Scotland as part of the Scotland analysis programme, which is examining how Scotland contributes to, and benefits from, being part of the UK.

The Scottish Government's White Paper published in November 2013 suggests that an independent Scotland would have an overseas network of 70 to 90 international offices, with initial running costs estimated at £90 million to £120 million. The White Paper contains no estimate for the costs an independent Scotland would incur to set up and staff new diplomatic missions.

The White Paper does not contain information on the implications of the loss of international presence for citizens and businesses based in Scotland. The UK diplomatic and consular network employs over 14,000 people in 267 embassies, high commissions and consulates in 154 countries and 12 Overseas Territories, with an extensive UK Trade and Investment network of 169 offices in over 100 countries. The network represents citizens and businesses in all parts of the UK, including Scotland. The Scottish Government's proposal would represent a very substantial scaling back in overseas presence.

Taxation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all current statutory levies. [181058]

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Nicky Morgan: This information is not held centrally.

Taxation: Gaming Machines

Sarah Champion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the tax yield has been from (a) fixed odds betting terminals and (b) category (i) B1, (ii) B2, (iii) B3, (iv) B3A and (v) B4 gaming machines in each year since 2010-11; [181240]

(2) what the tax yield has been from (a) fixed odds betting terminals and (b) category (i) B1, (ii) B2, (iii) B3, (iv) B3A and (v) B4 gaming machines since they became liable to machine games duty in February 2013. [181242]

Mr Gauke: For the period in which gaming machines were subject to Amusement Machine Licence Duty, the requested information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Since the introduction of Machine Games Duty (MGD) the requested information is not available as the MGD return does not contain the necessary information to break down tax receipts in this way.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the expected tax yield from (a) fixed odds betting terminals and (b) category (i) B1, (ii) B2, (iii) B3, (iv) B3A and (v) B4 gaming machines in each year from 2013-14 to 2017-18. [181241]

Mr Gauke: Revenue forecasts for betting and gaming duties were published in Table 2.1 of the OBR's December 2013 Economic and Fiscal Outlook Fiscal Supplementary Tables, at the following link:

http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/wordpress/docs/December-2013-EFO-Fiscal-Supplementary-Tables1.xls

Disaggregated estimates for individual duties within the overall revenue forecast for betting and gaming duties are not available.

Universal Credit

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs has spent in preparation for the implementation of universal credit to date. [179045]

Nicky Morgan: HMRC costs as a direct consequence of supporting the delivery of universal credit are £15.9 million for 2012-13.

HMRC continues to review the cost of supporting the delivery of universal credit in line with the development of the DWP universal credit roll-out plans.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees of HM Revenue and Customs are working on the implementation of universal credit. [179068]

Nicky Morgan: The number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) full-time equivalent employees working on the implementation of universal credit in November 2013 is 138.5.

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HMRC continues to review the resource it requires to support the delivery of universal credit in line with the universal credit roll-out plans.

VAT

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of the imposition of VAT surcharges for periods during which those businesses were given time to pay; and if he will make a statement. [180775]

Mr Gauke: Since November 2008 businesses have been able to contact a dedicated Business Payment Support Line within HM Revenue and Customs to arrange the payment of tax by instalments and avoid surcharges and penalties altogether. Surcharges and penalties are not charged if the taxpayer contacts HMRC before the payment is due, HMRC agrees a time to pay arrangement, and the taxpayer keeps to the agreement. Information is not readily available on VAT surcharges issued to taxpayers who have contacted HMRC and agreed time to pay after the tax became due or who have failed to keep to a time to pay agreement.

Welfare Tax Credits: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children needed tax credits to escape low income in (a) April 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [176061]

Nicky Morgan: I refer to the National Statistics publications “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics” for 2010 and 2013.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-main-stats/cwtc-apr10.xls

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-main-stats/cwtc-apr13.xls

Written Questions: Government Responses

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to question 177784, tabled by the hon. Member for Manchester Central on 26 November 2013 for answer on 28 November 2013. [181330]

Nicky Morgan: I have done so today.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the number of people advanced a learner loan in order to undertake an apprenticeship. [180469]

Matthew Hancock: 24+ Advanced Learning Loans are working well for classroom based further education. However, it is clear from application data that there is a lower level of FE engagement from employers and learners in loans for apprenticeships. We are currently reviewing the position on apprenticeships in light of this data, and will provide details shortly.

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Business: Government Assistance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to reduce the proliferation of business support schemes at a local level; and if he will make a statement. [181057]

Matthew Hancock: The GREAT Business website highlights support for businesses aspiring to succeed and encourages an entrepreneurial spirit; it contains links to support, advice and guidance that will help businesses to grow. At a local level, we are simplifying business support by supporting the development of Growth Hubs—a single place businesses can go to to get help. This will improve the co-ordination of support provided by public and private sector partners, creating a more streamlined and coherent offer for businesses, based around local needs. Where Government provide funding for Growth Hubs, it will be conditional on them removing duplication and closing underperforming local schemes.

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on each Solutions for Business product in financial years 2010-11 to 2012-13. [181059]

Michael Fallon: The Solutions for Business brand no longer exists but all Government funded business support schemes are accessible via the Business Finance and Support Finder tool on gov.uk.

Within “Small Business: Great Ambition”, published in December 2013, we have also given a commitment to undertake a rapid review of all existing national Government business support products and services. This will identify those that are poorly targeted or underperforming and where we can bring schemes together to deliver a better, more efficient service. This will start in early 2014, with the first schemes to be simplified and rationalised announced in the Budget, and with a rolling programme of improvements continuing to March 2015.

The figures for each of the products under the previous Solutions for Business portfolio will be placed in the Library of the House.