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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Transport

Dual Carriageways

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons fencing which obscures drivers' vision is being erected near traffic islands on the central reservation of dual carriageways. [182062]

Mr Goodwill: Without more site specific detail we are unable to provide more information on the reasons fencing which obscures drivers' vision is being erected near traffic islands on the central reservation of dual carriageways.

Fencing may be erected on the Strategic Road Network for different reasons depending upon the needs of the location in question. The Highways Agency produce, maintain and apply standards and guidance for the different types of fencing used on the Strategic Road Network. These standards and site specific evaluations consider the risks and benefits before works commence.

Local Highway Authorities may choose to adopt these standards for use on the local road network.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish an updated version of the KPMG report on HS2 regional economic impacts, addressing the question of whether there will be slower journey times and less frequent services between those towns and cities which will be reliant on the classic rail network following the completion of HS2; and if he will make a statement. [182263]

Mr Goodwill: The analysis presented in the September 2013 report “Regional Economic Impacts of HS2” undertaken by KPMG on behalf of HS2 Ltd is based on the train service specifications for both HS2 and the classic rail network used to inform the August 2012 Economic Case for HS2, which was the most up to date information at the time the analysis was undertaken.

These train service specifications have been created for modelling and appraisal purposes only and do not represent a commitment to any specific service pattern. The Department will continue to develop its understanding of the best use of the rail network with HS2 and the implications of different options for the costs of operating the rail network.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the cost-benefit calculations for High Speed 2 will continue to assume a reduction in the cost of operating the classic rail network after the HS2 route is completed; what total annual saving is assumed; what specific reductions in services and frequencies are proposed; and if he will make a statement. [182264]

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Mr Goodwill: We will continue to keep all assumptions made in the economic case for HS2 under review to ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence.

The latest economic case published in October 2013 assumes that when HS2 opens fast intercity services to Birmingham and points north will be migrated to the new high speed network, with offsetting reductions in intercity services on the classic rail network.

Descriptions of the assumed service offerings were set out in ‘PfM v4.3: Assumptions report’, published in October 2013 alongside the Economic Case. A copy has been placed in the House Library.

These assumptions have been created for modelling and appraisal purposes only and do not represent a commitment to any specific service pattern. The Department will continue to develop its understanding of the best use of the rail network with HS2 and the implications of different options for the costs of operating the rail network.

The estimated annual saving assumed in the economic case for HS2 is £447 million in 2033-34 (in real 2011 prices, undiscounted).

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish an updated version of the KPMG report on High Speed Rail 2 Regional Economic Impacts to include the disbenefits identified by KPMG for those regions not served by HS2; and if he will make a statement. [182265]

Mr Goodwill: The analysis presented in the September 2013 report “Regional Economic Impacts of HS2” undertaken by KPMG on behalf of HS2 Ltd identified the impact on productivity for all areas across Great Britain, including those not served by HS2. The findings presented in the September 2013 report show the net impact on productivity—that is the sum of total gains in productivity minus any losses.

Of course HS2 doesn't serve all areas and the KPMG figures reflect that. The benefits are naturally greater in the places the line serves directly. This analysis does not include the benefits of other investments to boost the transport system. This Government will invest £73 billion in the next Parliament, of which £17 billion will be spent on HS2, and this will help places not being served by HS2.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether stopping services on the West Coast Main Line will be reduced following the completion of the HS2 route; and if he will make a statement. [182266]

Mr Goodwill: The introduction of HS2 services will deliver a huge improvement to passengers who currently use the West Coast Main Line when the Phase 1 route opens in 2026. In addition HS2 introduction will enable existing train service to be reconfigured to provide improvements to many inter-regional and commuter services. The Department shortly intends to launch an open and consultative process to help develop and refine the work to plan GB rail services as a whole following the opening of HS2. Any changes to service patterns on existing lines will be subject to consultation during the development of future franchise propositions. The Department, in its role as Franchising Authority,

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will be clearly focused on ensuring that rail services work as a whole, at network level to offer best value for passengers and taxpayers.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of line closures on the classic rail network as a result of the construction of HS2; and if he will make a statement. [182267]

Mr Goodwill: HS2 Ltd has estimated that around 386 weekend closures of parts of the existing rail network will be necessary as a result of the construction works for the full HS2 Y network (Phase 1 and Phase 2).

HS2 Ltd has advised that the closures will be a mix of partial and full closures, although in most cases some rail services will be able to operate on the affected lines albeit with some service restrictions.

In addition it will be necessary to utilise some midweek night time closures, although wherever possible these will combined with planned renewals activities.

In comparison, Network Rail has estimated that around 2,790 weekend closures of parts of the rail network would be required if rail alternatives to the full HS2 Y network were adopted in its place.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further plans he has for public consultation on the use of the Washwood Heath site by High Speed 2. [182442]

Mr Goodwill: In addition to the consultations already carried out by the Department for Transport prior to deposit of the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands Bill), there is now a period of public consultation on the Environmental Statement for the proposed scheme that closes on 24 January.

There are no other plans for public consultation on the proposed London-West Midlands route.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of closures on the road network as a result of the construction of High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement. [182545]

Mr Goodwill: The traffic and transport impacts of all proposed temporary and permanent road and public right of way closures and associated diversions have been assessed in the Transport Assessment in Volume 5 of the Environmental Statement (ES) for the most likely scenarios. The resultant environmental effects are also included within the ES for each Community Forum Area (Volume 2 reports).

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from (a) the China Railway Group, (b) Birmingham City Council and (c) Birmingham Airport on investment in links to High Speed 2 infrastructure. [182628]

Mr Goodwill: Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, on December 2013, seeking his support for facilitating a meeting between HS2 Ltd and CSR Corporation Limited,

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a Chinese rolling stock company. Sir Albert's letter refers directly to the possibility of Chinese investment in HS2, though not to any specific project or link to HS2.

There have so far been no direct approaches from either Birmingham City airport or China Railway Group relating to investment in links to HS2 infrastructure.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether passport control services will operate in Manchester and Leeds under current plans for High Speed 2; [182734]

(2) whether passengers from Birmingham will (a) have the facility to clear customs at Curzon Street or (b) be required to change trains at Old Oak Common to clear customs under current plans for High Speed 2. [182735]

Mr Goodwill: Arrangements for passport control and customs services, including whether passengers would be required to change trains at Old Oak Common, will depend on the Home Office requirements in place at the time services are in operation. These will be developed in co-ordination with the Home Office during the detailed design process.

The designs of Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street stations allow space for customs facilities to be provided, based on those utilised by Eurostar at Ebbsfleet and St Pancras. We are currently consulting on the Phase Two route and station options and detailed design work of the stations at Manchester and Leeds will be undertaken after the planned route has been announced.

Northern Rail

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress he has made on the acquisition of additional rolling stock for the Northern Rail franchise. [182803]

Stephen Hammond: We issued a Request for Proposal for additional rolling stock to benefit from the ongoing electrification programme, and this has been responded to by Northern.

We are currently evaluating its submission.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's overall procurement spend for each of the previous three financial years was (a) spent on joint procurement exercises with other Departments and (b) shared between different organisations within the same Department group. [182774]

Stephen Hammond: The proportion of the Department's overall procurement spend for the previous financial year spent on joint procurement exercises with other Departments was 21%. The figures for the two previous financial years were not available within the time scale required to answer this question, but I will write to the hon. Lady in due course to provide this information, and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

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While there is collaboration within the departmental group on some procurement exercise, this is not material compared to the figures above.

Railways: Cumbria

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Cumbrian Coast railway line is protected from severe storm damage; [182799]

(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that rail services in West Cumbria will be less affected by adverse weather conditions in future. [182800]

Stephen Hammond: Network Rail owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure. Included in their plans for Control Period 5 (2014-19) is a weather mitigation strategy, to help reduce the impact of severe weather on the network.

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Network Rail delay minutes have been caused by adverse weather in Cumbria in each of the last five years. [182801]

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold the data at this level of disaggregation. This is a matter for Network Rail.

Railways: Weather

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) passenger and (b) freight or non-passenger trains have been cancelled on the Network Rail London North Western route owing to adverse weather in each of the last five years. [182802]

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold the data requested either disaggregated by Network Rail route or by cause. This is a matter for Network Rail.

Communities and Local Government

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of any impact the implementation of the under-occupancy penalty in social housing has had on the number of households accumulating rent arrears in (a) the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, (b) Birkenhead constituency and (c) the UK. [182920]

Kris Hopkins: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 340-341W.

Local Plans

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local plans his Department had ordered to be withdrawn to be redrafted on 1 January 2014. [182144]

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Nick Boles [holding answer 13 January 2014]: The Localism Act 2011 removed planning inspectors' powers to impose changes on local authorities' draft Local Plans. No local authorities have been ordered by the Planning Inspectorate or my Department to withdraw their draft Local Plan.

Instead, following the Localism Act, during the public examination process, independent planning inspectors now report to the local authority and identify any conflicts between a draft Local Plan and national policy and regulatory process. However, they are only able to recommend modifications to overcome these issues if they are asked to do so by the council itself.

Councils are now able to suggest their own modifications for assessment by the inspector during the examination, as well as making minor non-material changes themselves. The council is then free to choose to accept the inspector's modifications and adopt the draft plan, or resubmit a new plan. This approach is aimed at encouraging a more collaborative process as the public examination proceeds.

From 1 January 2012 to 1 January 2014, 13 local planning authorities withdrew their plans for amendment.

Social Rented Housing: Essex

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of trends in rent arrears in social housing in (a) Essex and (b) Chelmsford constituency. [182757]

Kris Hopkins: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 340-341W.

Home Department

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice she provides to police forces about action to be taken against individual or groups who threaten or take action against those legally selling alcohol. [181482]

Norman Baker: It is lawful to sell alcohol under an appropriate licence. It is a long-standing tradition that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law. Rights to peaceful protest do not extend to violent or threatening behaviour. The police have powers to act in respect of a broad canvas of criminal offences relating to public disorder.

Animal Experiments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences have been approved for scientific procedures that include procedures on (a) cats and (b) dogs in each of the last five years; and what the severity limit of each such procedure was. [182373]

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Norman Baker: From the information available to us, details of the numbers of project licences granted from 2009 to 2012 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 authorising the use of cats and dogs, and the overall severity band of the licences, are given in the attached table, ie 41 projects using dogs and 14 projects using cats from 2009-13 inclusive.

During 2013 five licences authorising the use of dogs were granted, one authorising the use of cats and one authorising the use of both cats and dogs. Following the implementation of European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes on 1 January 2013 there has no longer been a requirement to allocate an overall severity band to project licences.

The information for the severity limit of each individual procedure is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional funding she is providing to (a) Avon and Somerset police and (b) Gloucestershire police to meet the costs of policing the badger cull. [182851]

Damian Green: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has agreed to cover any additional costs incurred by the relevant police forces as a result of policing the badger cull.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of overtime were worked by police officers policing the pilot badger cull in (a) Somerset and (b) Gloucestershire. [182946]

Damian Green: This information is not held centrally.

Catalytic Converters: Theft

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the number of thefts of catalytic converters in (a) 2013, (b) 2012 and (c) 2011. [181680]

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Norman Baker: The Home Office has made no such specific assessment. Some police forces hold data on the number of thefts of catalytic converters but these data are not collated centrally. On 28 November 2013, the Home Office published experimental statistics which showed that between April 2012 and March 2013 there were 28,843 infrastructure-related metal theft offences recorded by police forces in England and Wales. This figure includes catalytic converter thefts but it is not broken down further. This publication can be found using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/metal-theft-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-march-2013/metal-theft-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-march-2013

Domestic Violence

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many properties in each police force area possess panic rooms for use by people experiencing domestic violence. [182316]

Norman Baker: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has awarded to G4S since 1 January 2013. [182614]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 14 January 2014]:The Home Department has not awarded any contracts to G4S since 1 January 2013.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Minister of State for Crime Prevention has met with (a) chief constables and (b) police and crime commissioners to discuss combating prescription drug abuse in the last 12 months. [181671]

Norman Baker [holding answer 13 January 2014]: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

We are fully aware of the dangers of prescription drug misuse. This is why in September 2013 the Home Secretary asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to explore the potential for medical and social harms arising from the diversion and illicit supply of prescription drugs. I have asked that this work includes consideration of the prevalence of misuse, user demographics, and the most common drugs being misused.

The ACMD is likely to report later in the year.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's contracts have been let to companies with (a) one to five, (b) six to 49, (c) 50 to 250 and (d) more than 250 staff. [182675]

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James Brokenshire: Information on the proportion of the Home Department's contracts that have been let to companies with one to five, six to 49 and 50 to 250 and more than 250 staff is not collated. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion and value of her Department's contracts have been let (a) under the restricted procedure, (b) by the open procedure, (c) via framework agreements and (d) via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years. [182692]

James Brokenshire: Information on the proportion and value of the Home Department's contracts that have been let under the restricted procedure, by the open procedure via framework agreements and via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years is not collated. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

The number of contracts that have been let under the restricted and open procedures can be found on Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) at:

http://www.ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has awarded to Serco since 1 January 2013. [182613]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 14 January 2014]: The Home Department has not awarded any contracts to Serco since 1 January 2013.

Northern Ireland

Parades Commission

13. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the work of the Parades Commission. [901931]

Mrs Villiers: The Parades Commission operates independently of the Government in accordance with the Public Processions (NI) Act of 1998.

I am certain that the new Parades Commission will tackle the difficult role which it has taken on with diligence and fortitude.

Security

14. Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland on the security situation in Northern Ireland. [901932]

Mrs Villiers: I hold regular meetings with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and we speak frequently by phone.

We discuss a range of subjects including police resourcing and the general security situation in Northern Ireland.

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House of Commons Commission

Parliament: Educational Visits

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, how many school parties visited Parliament from each of the (a) English regions and (b) other constituent parts of the UK in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [182707]

John Thurso: The number of school parties visiting Parliament from each of the (a) English regions and (b) other constituent parts of the UK in each of the last three years is set out in the following table. The data refer to schools visiting Parliament on its core education programme; school groups visiting Parliament on Members' tours are not included.

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Pay

Mr Frank Field: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2013, Official Report, column 226W, on pay, if he will publish the names of the six contractors who currently do not pay the London Living Wage to all staff. [182755]

John Thurso: We are continuing the exercise, described in my previous answer, that aims to ensure that contractors and subcontractors providing services to the House pay those workers assigned to our services the LLW. Discussions are taking place with two contractors who have dedicated workers carrying out a service on the Estate who do not currently pay all of those workers the LLW. We are doing the same with two companies who use a subcontractor based outside London to provide services to the House. These discussions might be prejudiced by naming the contractors, and the individual workers are entitled to privacy in relation to the wages they are paid. The wider exercise of identifying the wages paid by more than 750 contractors and subcontractors providing services to the House continues at pace but is a massive task. Where instances of non-payment of a living wage are found, steps are being taken to address this. I will be able to provide a fuller update on the outcome of this process by the middle of April.

Attorney-General

Crown Prosecution Service

Ian Paisley: To ask the Attorney-General what steps he has taken to maintain the close working relationship between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in light of the closures of CPS offices. [182322]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to the effective and efficient prosecution of cases in every police force area in England and Wales. The CPS Board has concluded that there are real operational benefits to the CPS in consolidating its teams into fewer, larger—digitally enabled—regional hubs. In addition to unlocking worthwhile financial savings, the office consolidations which have already taken place have allowed teams carrying out similar work to combine, accrue the benefits of economies of scale, sustain performance and increase resilience.

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The reduction in CPS estate has not altered the fact that on a daily basis CPS lawyers and administrators work very closely with police colleagues to prosecute cases, including face to face meetings where these are appropriate.

At the same time as making the changes to its operating model the CPS has undertaken to provide the police with certain core commitments ranging across the provision of advice, charging decisions, advocacy in court, bespoke services for serious and complex cases, joint (CPS/Police) performance reviews, single points of contact to discuss issues or concerns, and regular meetings at senior management levels both locally and nationally, to both maintain and build on current working relationships.

The introduction of digital working by the CPS and wider criminal justice system also means that its work can be conducted without reference to current geographical or process boundaries. For example, national charging arrangements for volume cases were introduced in April 2013 administered by CPS Direct (CPSD). This provides a 24 hour digital and telephony charging service for every police force regardless of location. Equally, digitally enabled remote working now allows prosecutors to work at short notice, when required, with the police in police stations and courts.

The net effect of the changes to the CPS' operating model in terms of estates and digital working is therefore intended to enable prosecutors to provide a better service than ever before to the police in terms of expertise and advice.

Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) investigations, (b) prosecutions and (c) civil settlements were undertaken by the Serious Fraud Office in 2013 and each of the five previous calendar years; and how many of these were against (i) individuals and (ii) corporations. [182436]

The Solicitor-General: Information on prosecutions, .investigations and civil settlement undertaken by the Serious Fraud Office is provided as follows. The number of individuals and corporations under investigation changes over the course of a case lifecycle and it is therefore not possible to provide the figures in the format requested. Data relating to a case may appear in more than one field.

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Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions the Director of the Serious Fraud Office has had with the Treasury about top-up funding for major investigations; and what the outcome of those discussions was. [182437]

The Solicitor-General: Any additional funding for major investigations for the current financial year would normally be applied for through the supplementary estimate process. Discussions regarding this process continue and the outcome will be announced in due course.

Energy and Climate Change

Energy: Meters

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of households in England use token prepayment meters. [182765]

Gregory Barker: The major six energy supply companies have programmes in place to replace token prepayment meters with similar meters that are operated by using either a card or a key. Ofgem continues to monitor the companies' progress with the replacement.

The following table shows the percentage of prepayment meter customers still using a token at the end of 2012 (latest data available). As of Quarter 3 of 2013, 16% of standard electricity customers in the UK were using prepayment meters. This figure is taken from table 2.4.2 of DECC's publication Quarterly Energy Prices.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral statement of 2 December 2013, Official Report, column 631, on energy bills, what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on reductions in bills for customers on fixed-term contracts. [182535]

Michael Fallon: Ministers have regular discussions with energy suppliers about a range of market issues, including bills and contracts.

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Hinkley Point C Power Station

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the European Commission's ongoing investigation into the proposed nuclear plant at Hinkley Point; and if he will make a statement. [182824]

Michael Fallon: We welcome the European Commission's investigation and the consultation that will follow which will seek views to enable the Commission to make a legally robust decision. Such investigations on the part of the European Commission are a standard part of the process for interventions that are novel and complex. The Commission's decision to investigate represents another important step forward in progression of the state aid case for Hinkley.

Nuclear Power Stations: Emergencies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what work has been undertaken as part of the National Strategic Planning review of emergency planning in the evacuation of populations in (a) the three-mile radius detailed emergency planning zone and (b) the wider 30-mile radius zone around nuclear power plants following a serious release of radiation in an accident when roads within both zones are impassable due to heavy snow cover or extensive flooding. [182572]

Michael Fallon: Detailed off-site plans for responding to reasonably foreseeable radiation emergencies are developed by local authorities hosting nuclear sites in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR). These plans focus upon areas surrounding nuclear sites known as Detailed Emergency Planning Zones (DEPZs). The sizes of these DEPZs differ from site to site, ranging from 1 km to 3.5 kilometres in radius.

Local authorities hosting nuclear sites are advised to draw up plans to enable them to extend measures described in their detailed plans if necessary (e.g. in response to very severe emergencies). These are known as “extendibility” plans. Further information about extendibility planning is available on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69113/NEPLG_guidance_ch_9_-_extendibility.pdf

Off-site plans cover the application of a range of counter-measures, one of which is evacuation. Local authorities must ensure that their off-site plans are resilient to a range of weather conditions (e.g. those leading to, or involving, flooding or heavy snow).

In accordance with REPPIR, off-site plans are reviewed and tested on a regular basis, to assess their accuracy and effectiveness, and are continually updated and improved. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is responsible for ensuring that such reviews and tests take place. Further information about REPPIR is available on the Health and Safety Executive's website:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/ionising/reppir.htm

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) also continually assess the UK's overall preparedness in terms of planning for, and being able to respond to, nuclear emergencies.

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Following the events at Fukushima in Japan in 2011, ONR carried out a detailed assessment of the implications of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami for the UK (the Weightman report), which included analysis and recommendations concerning preparedness for severe and prolonged emergencies. The report and the assessment of progress against the report can be found on the Health and Safety Executive's website:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his Department's overall procurement spend for each of the previous three financial years was (a) spent on joint procurement exercises with other Departments and (b) shared between different organisations within the same Department group. [182773]

Gregory Barker: The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department uses Crown Commercial Services framework agreements that are compiled on behalf of the whole of Government. From April to the end of November 2013 the Department has spent £25,094,543 through these arrangements.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how much tidal generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [182498]

(2) how much offshore wind generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [182499]

(3) how much onshore wind generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [182500]

(4) how much biomass generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [182501]

(5) how much small-scale hydroelectric generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [182502]

(6) how much large-scale hydroelectric generation capacity was installed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [182503]

Gregory Barker: This information is available in DECC's quarterly publication of Energy Trends, Table 6.1, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewables-section-6-energy-trends

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This table was last published on 20 December 2013, providing renewable electricity capacity data to the end of September 2013. Data to December 2013, and for 2013 as a whole, will be available on 27 March 2014. Cumulative capacity, broken down by technology as at the end of 2011, 2012 and September 2013 (Q3 2013) are given as follows:

Supply Estimates

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to Annex A of his Department's Main Estimate 2013-14 entitled Detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13, (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under the sub-headings (i) K Manage our energy legacy responsibility and cost-effectively, (ii) L Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDPB), (iii) M Coal Authority (NDPB) and (iv) N Civil Nuclear Police Authority (NDPB). [182704]

Gregory Barker: A detailed breakdown of the programmes supported under the sub-headings and the budgets for 2012-13 and 2013-14 at the time of the main estimate is held on the HM Treasury database OSCAR, and is shown in the following table.

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Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to Annex A of his Department's Main Estimate 2013-14 entitled Detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13, (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under the sub-headings (i) E Deliver the capability DECC needs to achieve its goals, (ii) F NDA and SLC expenditure (NDPB), (iii) G Coal Authority (NDPB), (iv) H Committee on Climate Change (NDPB), (v) I Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Income (CFER) and (vi) J Electricity Market Reform. [182705]

Gregory Barker: A detailed breakdown of the programmes supported under the sub-headings and the Budgets for 2012-13 and 2013-14 at the time of the Main Estimate is held on the HM Treasury database OSCAR, and is shown in the following table:

International Development

Developing Countries: Equality

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to encourage the EU to further integrate gender equality into its development programmes. [182389]

Lynne Featherstone: Preliminary programming is underway for the next financing period for European Union (EU) development assistance, covering 2014-2020.

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My officials are working closely with counterparts in the Commission, the European External Action Service and other member states to ensure that gender equality is fully integrated in the legal regulations and operational guidelines that form the framework for EU development programmes over that period. We want to see EU development assistance geared towards empowering girls and women, to enable them to have voice, choice and control, as we are doing in our bilateral programmes. The hon. Member for Stone's private Member's Bill, which this Government support, aims at adding further drive and focus to HMG's strong commitment to support for girls and women as part of the UK's international development effort. If passed into law we see this as a model for others, including the EU, to step up action.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's overall procurement spend for each of the previous three financial years was (a) spent on joint procurement exercises with other departments and (b) shared between different organisations within the same department group. [182772]

Lynne Featherstone: The information is as follows:

(a) During 2010-11, DFID spend on collaborative procurement exercises accounted for 2.6% of total procurement. During 2011-12, spend on collaborative procurement exercises accounted for 1.9% of total procurement. In 2012-13 DFID spend accounted for 3.7%.

(b) DFID is a standalone department.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Colombia

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on procedures for scrutinising and enforcing Colombian compliance with human rights clauses in the trade agreement between the EU and Colombia. [182706]

Mr Swire: Although no specific conversations have taken place between my the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and EU counterparts on procedures for scrutinising and enforcing Colombian compliance with human rights clauses in the trade agreement, there are regular discussions between UK, EU and European Commission officials within a number of working groups on this subject.

Ecuador

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received regarding damage caused by US oil company Chevron-Texaco in Ecuador. [182789]

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Mr Swire: While environmental contamination is always of concern, this is a matter between Chevron and the Ecuadorean Government and it is for them to decide how to resolve the issue.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has discussed the issue of environmental and social damage caused by Chevron-Texaco in Ecuador with his counterparts in the Ecuadorian and US Governments. [182790]

Mr Swire: This is a matter between Chevron and the Ecuadorean Government and it is for them to decide how to resolve the issue. We have not discussed with either the Ecuadorean Government or the US Administration.

The UK uses international fora to promote the highest environmental and regulatory standard for the extraction of petrochemicals, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas. We encourage state actors and private companies to adhere to these standards.

European Citizen Action Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent correspondence his Department has had with the European Citizens Action Service. [182174]

Mr Lidington: I am not aware of any correspondence between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the European Citizens Action Service. However, the FCO does not hold records centrally for correspondence received by all of our offices in the UK and overseas so responding to this question in full would incur disproportionate cost.

Culture, Media and Sport

Battle of Waterloo: Anniversaries

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals she is considering for the formal commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. [181466]

Mrs Grant: Planning for the commemoration, in 2015, of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo is being carried out by Waterloo 200, an umbrella organisation which is overseeing the anniversary. More information can be found on its website at the following link:

www.waterloo200.org

In the June 2013 budget, the Chancellor announced funding circa £1 million will be allocated to restore the site of the battle.

I was also pleased to announce in October 2013 that at least £10 million is being set aside by the Heritage Lottery Fund over the next four years to fund projects marking some of the UK's most important anniversaries and commemorative events, like the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo. Further online guidance and advice will be available to applicants later this month at:

www.hlf.org.uk

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Football

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that the police support the Football Association in its efforts to tackle conduct offences amongst spectators at under-18 matches. [182293]

Mrs Grant: Since 2008, the FA's Respect programme has sought to improve behaviour in youth football on and off the pitch: successes include a 21% reduction in assaults against referees since 2010-11. This year the FA will pilot an additional ‘Respect Disciplinary course’ to challenge some of the negative attitudes displayed by adults in children's football, alongside existing fines and sanctions. Criminal offences committed by any spectator remain a matter for the police.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what weighting her Department's procurement procedures give to (a) the location of a company and its workforce, (b) the extent to which a company has a strong environmental record, (c) whether the company is a social enterprise and (d) other company history prior performance. [182634]

Mrs Grant: Under current Department procurement policies all relevant contracts are awarded to ensure it obtains the most economically advantageous tender. Within that assessment a range of criteria can be used when deciding upon bids that encompass when required different elements ranging from past performance to environmental credentials, however these will be dependent upon the services being requested.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what value of contracts procured by her Department in the last five years was carried out below EU thresholds. [182651]

Mrs Grant: The information is as follows:

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of her Department's contracts have been let to companies with (a) one to five, (b) six to 49, (c) 50 to 250 and (d) more than 250 staff. [182668]

Mrs Grant: The Department does not hold this information in the detail that the question has asked for. We can say that the core Department and its associated bodies currently have 31.9% of its total procurement spend with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion and value of her Department's contracts have been let (a) under the restricted procedure, (b) by the open procedure, (c) via

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framework agreements and

(d)

via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years. [182685]

Mrs Grant: The information is as follows:

(a) under the restricted procedure;

2011: 0

2012: 0

2013: 1 @ £150 million

(b) by the open procedure;

2011: 1 @ £800,000

2012: 2 @ £360,000

2013: 1 @ £125,000

(c) via framework agreements and;

2011: 3 @ £8.7 million

2012: 3 @ £2.74million

2013: 1 @ £125,000

(d) via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years.

2011: 0

2012: 0

2013: 1 @ £150 million

Defence

Armed Forces: Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces widows who receive a pension through the 1975 Armed Forces Scheme have voluntarily surrendered their pensions on remarriage or cohabitation since the introduction of the scheme. [181403]

Anna Soubry: The number of armed forces widows who receive a pension through the 1975 Armed Forces Scheme who have had their pension suspended on remarriage or cohabitation since 2001, the earliest date for which figures are available, is 987. The provision of information for the period from 1975-2001 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

It has long been the policy of successive Governments that changes or improvement to public sector pension schemes should not be applied retrospectively. This is because legacy pension issues cannot be looked at in isolation; addressing one issue would increase the pressure to address legacy issues in all public sector pension schemes, and this would have huge financial implications.

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to rescind the ruling that widows in receipt of an armed forces pension are no longer entitled to receive it should they re-marry. [182093]

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 289W, to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Katy Clark).

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Armed Forces: Redundancy

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have been made compulsorily redundant within three months of qualifying for a full military pension in the last five years. [182290]

Anna Soubry: The number of armed forces personnel made compulsorily redundant within three months of qualifying for a full military pension in the last five years is less than five. Full military pension is payable at age 55 and is different to Immediate Pension or Early Departure Payment which can be drawn prior to age 55.

Army: North West

Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were recruited from the North West in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [182282]

Anna Soubry: The total number of Army soldiers recruited within the north-west is shown in the following table. The periods shown reflect recruiting years, which run from April to March.

Army: Transport

Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average transport cost of soldiers returning for a home visit was in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [182281]

Mr Dunne: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hercules Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of the repair contract given to Marshall Aviation for the damage the five C130J Hercules suffered in the hail storm in Kandahar on 23 April 2013. [182432]

Mr Dunne: Repairs to the five C130J Hercules aircraft are being undertaken via existing contractual arrangements. We estimate the total cost of repair may be up to £10 million. Some £5.9 million of repair work has already been completed by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group and all five aircraft are now back in service.

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Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the total cost of Operation Weatherman; and which aircraft were involved. [182428]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 432W.

Costs associated with the repair and recovery of aircraft to date total some £8.7 million. As some aircraft are still being assessed for repair, the total cost of Operation Weatherman is not yet known.

Military Bases: North West

Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he plans to move any regimental bases to the North West; [182283]

(2) if he will make an assessment of the savings of relocating regiments to the North West. [182285]

Dr Murrison: The Army Basing Plan considered a variety of options in order to deliver an appropriate geographic spread of units across the UK, following reorganisation under Army 2020. The work determined that the three main Regular Army locations in the north-west (Chester, Preston and Weeton) should be retained, and that 3 Medical Regiment would move from its current location in Catterick to Fulwood Barracks in Preston. There are currently no additional plans to move any additional regiments to the north-west or to rationalise the estate in the north-west.

Savings from the Army Basing Plan will be realised, over time, in three areas: firstly, the significant running cost savings associated with the withdrawal from Germany; secondly, the efficiencies gained from moving to a more regionally based Army structure within the UK; and thirdly, the disposal of surplus barracks in and around Canterbury, Shrewsbury, Edinburgh, Stirling, Ripon and Brawdy as announced by the Secretary of State for Defence, in his Army Basing Plan Statement on 5 March 2013, Official Report, columns 845-8.

Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries British soldiers are engaged in peace-keeping missions; and what the total cost to the public purse has been of each deployment of UK defence personnel in each case. [177966]

Mr Francois: British personnel are currently supporting the UN peace-keeping operations in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), South Sudan (UNMISS) and the EU mission in Bosnia Herzegovina (EUFOR ALTHEA).

The UK contribution to the Cyprus mission has an annual Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget of £17.750 million.

MOD costs, based on capitation rates for financial year (FY) 2014-15, are estimated to be in the region of £310,000 per annum for UK personnel deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and £45,000 per annum for personnel in South Sudan. There is an additional cost to the MOD budget for personnel allowances;

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however, these vary depending on entitlements, are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The cost to the MOD of supporting the Bosnia Herzegovina mission in FY 2012-13 was around £800,000. This includes manpower costs, real life support costs, pre-deployment training and the operational rehearsal for those personnel involved. Again, these costs do not include personnel allowances which are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weighting his Department's procurement procedures give to (a) the location of a company and its workforce, (b) the extent to which a company has a strong environmental record, (c) whether the company is a social enterprise and (d) other company history prior performance. [182635]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) complies with the EU Treaty principles of transparency, non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality and equal treatment for all suppliers in the EU, under which MOD acquisition teams will consider issues, such as prior performance and environment record, where they are relevant to seeking the best value for money in procurement.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's contracts have been let to companies with (a) one to five, (b) six to 49, (c) 50 to 250 and (d) more than 250 staff. [182669]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not distinguish between suppliers to such an extent and only records whether a supplier meets the European Union definition of a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), i.e. those businesses with fewer than 250 employees and with a turnover of less than €50 million or balance sheet less than €43 million. No further breakdown is available as such an analysis would not directly support policy making or operations.

Information on the proportion of contracts the MOD has placed with SMEs is available in the MOD Official Statistics publication 'MOD Contracting with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises' which is available at the following link:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/finance-and-economics/MOD-contracting-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises/financial-year-2012-13/2012-13.pdf

Table 1 of this publication shows that in financial years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 the proportion by volume of all new contracts placed by the MOD with SMEs was 36%, 37% and 36% respectively.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion and value of his Department's contracts have been let (a) under the restricted procedure, (b) by the open procedure, (c) via framework agreements and (d) via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years. [182686]

Mr Dunne: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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Territorial Army

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have joined the Territorial Army in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in each of the last five years. [182162]

Anna Soubry [holding answer 13 January 2014]: The estimated number of people who have joined the Territorial Army in Lancashire and the UK since April 2012 is shown in the following table. Information for the Ribble Valley constituency is not held in the format requested.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2013, Official Report, column 255W, on Afghanistan, what the number, squadron and rank is of each US Air Force personnel manning UK Reapers on non-UK missions outside the launch and recovery phase. [182421]

Anna Soubry: UK Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) assets which are tasked by the ISAF Joint Command to support ISAF forces on the ground. This includes supporting both UK forces and UK coalition partners. In all cases, UK Reaper RPAS are operated in line with UK procedures and rules of engagement.

Outside of the launch and recovery phase, UK Reaper RPAS have always been operated by UK pilots.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2013, Official Report, column 256W, on armed forces: deployment, what the Urgent Operational Requirement is for the five additional UK Reaper aircraft. [182422]

Mr Dunne: The purchase of five additional reaper remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) will increase the UK Reaper RPAS capability in Afghanistan, providing additional armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to UK ground forces.

I am unable to provide further details as to do so would prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what current joint activities of the Unmanned Aerial Systems Programme are carried out under the Technical Co-operation Programme. [182425]

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Mr Dunne: There are three current joint activities of the Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Programme carried out under The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP). These are:

CAGE (Coalition Attack Guidance Experiment), which is a distributed Synthetic Environment experiment designed to understand coalition UAS command and control;

MC-MACE (Monitoring and Controlling Multiple Assets in Complex Environment), which is a collaboration to investigate multi-UAS control; and

Project BRISTOW, which is a trial to investigate counter UAS technologies.

Through TTCP, the UAS programme shares information, at a Government-to-Government level, on national UAS research activities, and research plans, with a view to sharing lessons and identifying burden-sharing collaboration opportunities. The results of TTCP activities assist each participant in meeting defence requirements, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort.

Education

Children: Day Care

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 14, on childcare costs, if he will give further details of how the figure of £18 billion was estimated. [182548]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has estimated the cost of a full-time child care offer of 50 hours per week for 50 weeks of the year for all children aged one to four in England would be over £21 billion per annum. The assumptions behind this are shown in the following table:

Government spending on the existing early education entitlement will rise to circa £3 billion in 2014-15, implying an additional cost of £18 billion per annum.

In addition to the ongoing costs, there would be both capital and revenue costs associated with building the capacity to deliver an offer of this scale. These costs have not been included in the estimate.