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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Justice

Human Trafficking

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to tackle human trafficking. [183562]

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

We have published a draft Modern Slavery Bill, which will consolidate and strengthen existing legislation to ensure that modern slave drivers face the full force of the law.

In the spring, we will also be publishing a comprehensive action plan setting out further measures to tackle this terrible crime.

Home Department

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid. [183641]

James Brokenshire: A schedule of the buildings occupied by the Department, that are owned or part-owned privately will be placed in the House Library. The total value of rent paid currently is £42,418,045 per annum, plus VAT where payable.

Civil Disorder: Compensation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects all claims made under the Riots Damages Act 1886, following the riots in summer 2011, to be settled. [183694]

Damian Green: Responsibility for determining claims is a matter for police and crime commissioners or, in London, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Only four uninsured cases made under the Riot (Damages) Act remain outstanding.

The remainder of outstanding claims are reimbursement payments to insurers where the policy holder has already received an interim payment or settlement of their claim.

The Government plan to hold a public consultation early this year on potential reforms to the Riot (Damages) Act.

Criminal Investigation: International Co-operation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether decisions by the UK Central Authority to grant requests from overseas

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jurisdictions for mutual legal assistance are subject to a binding assessment of whether or not they would comply with the Human Rights Act 1998. [183541]

Mr Harper [holding answer 20 January 2014]:The UK Central Authority (UKCA) considers each mutual legal assistance (MLA) request on a case by case basis, taking into account all applicable domestic and international law obligations (including human rights obligations) and any wider policy issues which may apply. A non-exhaustive list of reasons why a MLA request could be refused by UKCA can be found at page 11 of the MLA guidance published on

www.gov.uk

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the National Crime Agency has taken to tackle fuel laundering and smuggling. [183468]

James Brokenshire: The National Crime Agency is leading, coordinating and supporting the UK's fight against serious and organised crime. This can include investigations into smuggling by organised crime groups of illegal commodities, and supporting HM Revenue and Customs and other law enforcement activity to tackle fuel laundering and smuggling.

Immigrants: Detainees

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those detained at (a) Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre and (b) all immigration detention centres were diagnosed with a mental illness in each of the last 12 months; and how many of those were (i) released from detention as a consequence and (ii) transferred to a hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983; [182892]

(2) how many of those detained at (a) Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre and (b) all immigration detention centres were diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder in each of the last 12 months; and how many of those were (i) released from detention as a consequence and (ii) transferred to a hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. [182894]

Mr Harper: It is not possible to provide the numbers of individuals released from detention as a consequence of specific illnesses without examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Medical records for detainees are confidential. The Home Office would only seek information from medical practitioners where it was directly relevant to the consideration of the case.

The decision on whether continuing detention is appropriate is a matter for case owners who must take a number of factors into consideration, including any reported or observed mental health issues.

Under the requirements of the Detention Centre Rules 2001, case (owners are alerted to changes in a detainee's medical condition through a rule 35(1) report which advises of any detained person whose health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued detention or any conditions of detention.

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Immigration: Appeals

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecuting officers in immigration appeal cases were awarded bonuses or other extras in appreciation of their work in the last five years. [183402]

Mr Harper [holding answer 20 January 2014]:The Home Office does not centrally record information on individuals who have received bonuses or other recognition by specific job roles. Providing this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions in immigration cases were decided in favour of the appellant (a) a week before the appeal date, (b) a day before the appeal date and (c) on the day of the appeal date. [183403]

Mr Harper [holding answer 20 January 2014]:A decision giving rise to an appeal may, on occasion, be withdrawn prior to the appeal date. The following table provides a breakdown of in-country appeal case types withdrawn by the Home in the requested time periods. The data relates to 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013.

The main reason for withdrawal taking place on or very close to the date of the hearing is that new evidence (often served by the appellant) comes to light which means the original decision is no longer sustainable and the hearing should not proceed.

The data on which our response is based are management information which have been subject to internal quality checks. The information has been provided by and assured by the Home Office Performance Unit but has not been quality assured under national statistics protocols.

Passports

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of copycat websites for passport applications and renewals; what estimate she has made of the costs to consumers of using such websites; and what steps she is taking to inform the public about such websites. [183165]

Mr Harper [holding answer 17 January 2014]: The website www.gov.uk is the only provider of the British passport and passport applicants should use the official Government website.

All third party sites stating that they are offering passport services are required to carry a clear disclaimer that they are not an official passport site or affiliated in any way to Her Majesty's Passport Office. The Government

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Digital Service is leading a cross-government exercise with organisations such as the Office of Fair Trading, the Advertising Standards Authority, search engine providers and various trading standard bodies to curtail the activity of websites that advertise their services in misleading ways, using existing consumer protection legislation. Where Government have become aware of websites make misleading claims in their advertising they have brought these complaints to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority.

Her Majesty's Passport Office also continues to work with the Association of British Travel Agents to raise public awareness of third party websites.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet Google to discuss the profits they make from copycat websites which charge for passport renewals and appear above Government department and agency websites in search results. [183798]

Mr Harper: The website www.gov.uk is the only provider of the British passport and passport applicants should use the official Government website.

The Government Digital Service is leading a cross-Government exercise with organisations such as the Office of Fair Trading, the Advertising Standards Authority, search engine providers (including Google) and various trading standards bodies to curtail the activity of websites that advertise their services in misleading ways.

Ministers are planning to meet Google early this year to discuss Google's enforcement of its own terms and conditions for advertising on its search results pages.

Procurement

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether she plans to change the tendering process for statutory recovery contracts during the current Parliament; [R] [183421]

(2) what procedures are in place for her Department to oversee the statutory recovery contract tendering process. [R] [183422]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not collect this information. Details of contracts are an operational matter between the police and contracted recovery operators.

Riot Control Weapons: Greater London

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the deployment of water cannon in London to tackle street disorder. [183093]

Damian Green: I am keen to ensure police forces have the tools and powers they need to maintain order on our streets. My officials are currently providing advice on the authorisation process to the police.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published

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on 26 December 2013, when her Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix. [183211]

James Brokenshire: The following table details the plans to migrate 084 numbers to the 03 prefix.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged (a) 16 and under and (b) over 16 years old undertook work experience in her Department in each of the last three years. [183663]

Mr Harper: The Home Office does not centrally record the number of people who undertake work experience and to provide this information could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Treasury

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183258]

Nicky Morgan: The HM Treasury account is held with the Government Banking Service (GBS) and this does not have an overdraft facility. HM Treasury core Department does not hold any commercial accounts outside the GBS.

All core Departments bank with the GBS. This ensures that balances held in these accounts are held within the Exchequer at the Bank of England.

Banks

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on placing a Minister or other departmental representative on the board of directors of those banks in receipt of public funds and support; and if he will consider appointing as non-executive directors to the boards of banks in receipt of public funds for recapitalisation representatives from the (a) bankworkers' trade union and (b) third sector. [183491]

Sajid Javid: Both Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland are commercial companies in which the Government is a shareholder, but they are run on a commercial basis. To ensure that this is the case, UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manage the Government's stake at arm's length, on behalf of the Government.

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Banks: Pay

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it the policy of UK Financial Investments that any financial institutions in receipt of public money which have a policy of paying end-of-year bonuses publish the payments and their recipients at the time the payment is made. [183490]

Sajid Javid: Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland publish annual remuneration reports to ensure that their remuneration policy is both transparent and appropriate. The remuneration reports set out in detail the banks' overall remuneration policy, including the remuneration of senior executive employees.

Financial Institutions: Internet

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) the US Administration about the top-level Internet domains .bank and .insurance; and if he will make a statement. [181021]

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

The application round for the creation of new top level domains is being undertaken by the private sector-led, US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The UK, the European Commission and the US Government are active members of ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) which advises the ICANN Board on matters of public interest relating to the internet's domain name system. Following consultations with national financial regulators in 2012-13, including the Financial Services Authority in the UK, the GAC agreed that all applications for domains intended to target the financial services sector required specific safeguards in order to mitigate any risk of fraud or other consumer harm. The GAC communicated its advice on these additional safeguards to the ICANN Board on 11 April 2013 and the Board accepted this advice in its entirety.

Financial Services: Pay

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) internal and (b) external legal work on the Government's court action against the EU plan to cap bonus payments in the financial industries; [183841]

(2) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of legal action by the Government on the proposed EU cap on bankers' bonuses. [183840]

Sajid Javid: The Government launched a legal challenge to the bonus cap and related provisions in the EU capital requirements directive 4, and capital requirements regulation in September 2013. Costs are expected to be in line with the information presented in the House of Commons EU Scrutiny Committee report (HC671) “Subsidiarity-monitoring by national parliaments: challenging a measure before the EU Court of Justice”, in September 2013.

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Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what value of contracts procured by his Department in the last five years was carried out below EU thresholds. [182662]

Nicky Morgan: Information on the number and value of contracts procured in the last five years that were below EU thresholds is not readily available within our records; to attempt to extract this information would be of disproportionate cost.

The Government are committed to openness and transparency to enable the public to hold the government and other public bodies to account. This Government have made more data available than ever before. Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the tenders issued and contracts they award with a value over £10,000 (excluding VAT)

www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

In addition, Departments including HM Treasury routinely publish details of transactions over £25,000.

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [182679]

Nicky Morgan: HM Treasury is committed to increasing its direct and indirect spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However the department does not hold information on supplier staff numbers that would answer the question to the level of detail specified. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of each grade in his Department have the authority to make a purchase; what proportion of those staff have professional procurement qualifications; and what the key indicators used to assess procurement officers' performance are. [183477]

Nicky Morgan: 19 group directors of HM Treasury or equivalent have delegated authority to commit the Department to incur expenditure on behalf of the accounting officer. Full guidance to support directors when purchasing is available on the Department's intranet site and for purchases with .an expected value in excess of £10,000 Directors are required to use the managed procurement service provided by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). This ensures that material procurement is handled by professional experts.

Performance measures are in place to monitor the quality of the service provided by CCS.

Productivity

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what analysis his Department has conducted on the level of productivity in the UK economy relative to pre-recession trends. [183296]

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Nicky Morgan: Productivity in the UK is below the pre-recession peak, on an output per worker basis, but it has been rising for the three quarters to 2013 Q3.

The OBR expects productivity growth to strengthen in 2014 and 2015 and to rise throughout the forecast period.

Public Expenditure

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of the total public spending in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland in each year since 1990. [183343]

Danny Alexander: The Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) published in November 2013, provides country level splits of identifiable public expenditure over a five-year out-turn period from 2008-09 to 2012-13 and is available using the first of the following links. However, it is possible to extend this time series as far back as 1990-91, by adding in data from past volumes of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA)-publication. These links are also available as follows:

Links to the latest CRA and to past volumes of PESA

Data from 2008-09 to 2012-13 published in the 2013 CRA. A link is provided here;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/country-and-regional-analysis-2013

Data from 2004-05 to 2007-08 are from PESA volumes 2010 to 2013. A link is provided here;

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-pesa

Data prior to 2004-05 obtained from PESA volumes 2002-03 to 2009. A link is provided here;

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101128151454/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_index.htm

A time series based on this data would not be fully comparable. Each CRA exercise is produced in five year time periods and departmental allocation methodologies will therefore develop and change over time. This can be to do with statistical improvements or the necessity to disaggregate additional functions.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 759W, on sovereignty: Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on (a) individuals servicing the costs of (i) unsecured personal loans, (ii) overdrafts, (iii) lending on store or credit cards, (iv) mortgages, (v) other secured personal loans held by persons with financial institutions based in Scotland and (b) businesses operating in Scotland servicing the costs of (i) loans and (ii) overdrafts with financial institutions based in Scotland if Scotland were to become an independent country and the Bank of England was not its lender of last resort. [183178]

Danny Alexander: The Chief Secretary, the Chancellor, former Chancellors, the Shadow Chancellor and the First Minister of Wales have said that a formal sterling currency union between an independent Scotland and the continuing UK would be highly unlikely to be agreed or be made to—work. Therefore it would be highly unlikely the Bank of England would provide lender of last resort facilities to an independent Scotland.

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As set out in the Scotland Analysis: “financial services and banking paper”, independence would be expected to increase funding costs for financial services firms. Increases in funding costs are likely to be passed on to consumers and businesses.

Taxation: Electronic Cigarettes

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxation options he is considering in relation to e-cigarettes and the forthcoming budget; and what assessment he has made of the revenue implications of those options. [183308]

Nicky Morgan: The Government keep all taxes under review as part of the Budget process.

Taxation: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with Ministers or officials from the Scottish Government on (a) new taxes and (b) devolution of taxes under provisions contained in the Scotland Act 2012 since that Act came into force. [183839]

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials regularly meet Ministers and officials from the Scottish Government to discuss matters that are relevant to Scotland. This includes meetings of the Joint Exchequer Committee (JEC) and Inter-governmental Assurance Board, which were created to oversee the implementation of the Scotland Act 2012. The Scottish Government are also represented on HMRC's Scotland Act 2012 implementation programme board and the project boards that report to it. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

UK Asset Resolution

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to ensure that customers with interest only mortgages held by UKAR are supported to ensure that loans are repaid at the end of their terms. [182197]

Sajid Javid: UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) have been proactively writing to or calling interest only customers with mortgage terms of 10 years or less remaining, reminding them of their obligations and explaining how UKAR can help. This activity is designed to ensure customers are aware of the need to plan for the repayment of their loan at the end of its term and to encourage them to share details of their plans so UKAR can help ensure they are robust.

More information on UKAR's strategy for dealing with customers with interest only mortgages can be found on their website under the following link:

http://www.ukar.co.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2013/02-05-2013?page=1

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mortgages from former Northern Rock are managed via UKAR; and how many such mortgages are non-residential in (a) UK and (b) Scotland. [182200]

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Sajid Javid: Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM) is managed by UK Asset Resolution Limited (UKAR) which was established in 2010 to manage the disposal and rundown of outstanding assets at Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM) in an integrated way, with a view to creating value for the taxpayer.

Information on outstanding mortgages held by UKAR from NRAM is published in UKAR's accounts. The latest report is available under the following link:

http://www.ukar.co.uk/~/media/Files/U/Ukar-V2/Attachments/press-releases/UKAR-interim-report-141113.pdf

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many buy to let mortgages from the former Bradford and Bingley plc are currently held through UKAR; and what the total value of such mortgages is. [182201]

Sajid Javid: Bradford and Bingley (B&B) is managed by UK Asset Resolution Limited (UKAR) which was established in 2010 to manage the disposal and rundown of outstanding assets at Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM) in an integrated way, with a view to creating value for the taxpayer.

Information on outstanding mortgages held by UKAR from former B&B is published in UKAR's accounts. The latest report is available under the following link:

http://www.ukar.co.uk/~/media/Files/U/Ukar-V2/Attachments/press-releases/UKAR-interim-report-141113.pdf

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed by (a) UKAR and (b) UKAR Corporate Services Ltd. [182202]

Sajid Javid: UK Asset Resolution publishes its staff numbers in its accounts. The latest publication is available under the following link:

http://www.ukar.co.uk/~/media/Files/U/Ukar-V2/Attachments/press-releases/UKAR-interim-report-141113.pdf

VAT: Exports

Mr Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made at airports since the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 to improve the customer experience around reclaiming VAT on goods exported by passengers leaving the UK. [183099]

Mr Harper: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched a formal consultation on options for redesigning the VAT Retail Export Scheme in July 2013. The Summary of Responses of this formal consultation were published by HMRC on 18 December 2013. HMRC and Border Force are working closely to identify changes that can be introduced, which will include improvements to the customer experience.

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Wales

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid. [183648]

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office occupies two buildings, one in London and the other in Cardiff. The London building is owned by the Department, and we lease part of a privately owned building in Cardiff at a rental cost of £89,958 per annum. The rent for the Cardiff building is paid to Knight Frank, the managing agents for the landlord.

Scotland

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183256]

David Mundell: All core Departments bank with the Government Banking Service (GBS). This ensures that balances held in these accounts are held within the Exchequer at the Bank of England. The GBS does not offer overdraft facilities.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the roll out of broadband in rural areas. [183053]

David Mundell: One of the first meetings the Secretary of State for Scotland had on coming into office was with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller). Officials in the Scotland Office are in regular and frequent contact with DCMS officials on broadband issues.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid. [183645]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office’s building in Edinburgh is owned privately. In 2012-13, the Office paid £186,438 for the rent of the building. The Melville Crescent rent is paid to agents for the landlord, currently Ruthven Properties. The Scotland Office shares the buildings with other government bodies and recovers part of the rent from them.

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Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was. [183233]

David Mundell: In the last financial year, Scotland Office Ministers have not undertaken any training courses funded by the Scotland Office.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people aged (a) 16 and under and (b) over 16 years old undertook work experience in his Department in each of the last three years. [183669]

David Mundell: In 2011, two people undertook work experience in the Scotland Office. In 2012 and 2013, one person undertook work experience in each year. All of these people were over the age of 16.

Defence

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment has been sold by Afghan Disposals to date; what the original cost of that equipment was; and how much it was sold for. [183161]

Mr Dunne: When equipment and material is no longer required in Afghanistan, a decision is made on whether to gift, sell, destroy or redeploy the item. This decision is made with consideration to operational priority and value for money and is also dependant upon the type of equipment. The Ministry of Defence does not sell anything that could be deemed to be attractive to criminal or terrorist organisations or that would contravene international arms trafficking regulations.

As at 31 December 2013, we have sold a wide range of equipment and de-militarised scrap in Afghanistan including Land Rovers, printer cartridges, gym equipment and scrap metal. The total value of equipment and de-militarised scrap sold to date is approximately £2.844 million—allowing for exchange rate fluctuations.

I am unable to provide you with the original cost of these items as this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army: Recruitment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the new IT system for army recruitment will be operational; and what contingency plans his Department has in place in the event that the project is delayed beyond that date. [183113]

Anna Soubry: As the Secretary of State for Defence informed the House on 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 716, the advanced IT system currently being developed with Capita is expected to be deployed in February 2015.

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We are continuing to successfully recruit regular and reserve soldiers using existing Ministry of Defence systems, which, although not designed for the new partnering arrangement, still enable us to process applications. Furthermore a range of initiatives are being put in place to make it progressively easier and quicker for an applicant to enlist. These include: the introduction in December 2013 of an updated Army recruitment website; and by the end of January 2014 a simplified on-line application form and more streamlined medical clearance processes.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to take a decision on whether to pay Capita to build its own IT platform as part of the Recruiting Partnering Project. [183376]

Anna Soubry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence concluded in principle in October 2013 that the long term IT solution lay in reverting to the Capita Information Communication Technology (ICT) hosting option. A decision in principle was taken on 8 January 2014 to invoke the Capita ICT option, subject to the normal contractual and approval process.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date the Recruiting Partnering Project was originally expected to be fully operational. [183379]

Anna Soubry: The original target date by which the Recruiting Partnering Project was expected to achieve full operating capability was summer 2013. We now expect the advanced IT system currently being developed by Capita to be deployed in February 2015.

AWE

Sir Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how cyber attacks or other malicious incidents involving information technology at the Atomic Weapons Establishment are categorised; and how many such incidents there were in each relevant category in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [183428]

Mr Dunne: The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) operates in accordance with Ministry of Defence (MOD) requirements in relation to cyber and other malicious IT incidents and statistics on numbers and categories of cyber attacks on the MOD are not published. This is because such information could enable individuals/entities to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting such attacks and enhance the ability of adversaries to conduct damage assessments on any attacks they might have conducted.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the A91 facility at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston; what the currently calculated write-off costs for that facility are; what lessons learned review was conducted by his Department following the decision not to bring A91 into service; and if he will place a copy of any such review in the Library. [183314]

Mr Dunne: The A91 facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment was designed to house a Radioactive Liquid Effluent Treatment Plant (RALETP). The contract

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for the construction of the facility was originally let in the late 1970s and it was intended to become operational in 1991. Following the detection of corrosion, the works were formally rejected in 2000.

The Ministry of Defence wrote off the costs of the facility over two financial years. In 2002-3 it wrote off £82 million in respect of the RALETP and in 2003-4 it wrote off £65 million for the A91 building itself.

A final decision has yet to be made on the future of the A91 facility.

A post project evaluation was conducted in 2004-5 from which a lessons learned report, dated May 2005 was produced. The key lessons learned were published by the Defence Select committee in 2006 and can be found at the following link:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmdfence/1293/129302.htm

The full document will be considered for publication in the Library of the House, taking account of whether any information should be withheld, consistent with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

France

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a detailed account of the costs involved in providing French military forces with two C-17 transport vehicles. [181263]

Mr Francois [holding answer 6 January 2014]: The net marginal cost of the UK Ministry of Defence providing C-17 assistance to the French military forces was £217,000.

Navy: Greenock

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the sale of Royal Navy buildings in Greenock which were formerly occupied by the Coastguard; and if he will make a statement. [183775]

Anna Soubry: The buildings were placed on the open market and negotiations are now taking place with potential purchasers.

Territorial Army: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in Cumbria joined the Territorial Army in each of the last five years. [183852]

Anna Soubry: The estimated number of people who have joined the Territorial Army in Cumbria in the last five years is shown in the following table:

Information prior to April 2012 is not held in the format requested.

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Communities and Local Government

Children in Care

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities refuse access to housing to care leavers on the grounds that they are not originally from that local authority area. [183048]

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not hold this information.

In December 2013 we published statutory guidance for local authorities to ensure that only those with a well-established residence and local associations qualify for tax-payer subsidised social housing.

The guidance makes clear that we expect local authorities to make appropriate exceptions to take account of special circumstances, and refers specifically to the need to protect those care leavers who have been placed by their local authority outside their original district.

We have already put in place protections for the armed forces through secondary legislation which ensure that they cannot be disqualified from social housing because of any local connection requirement.

Council Tax

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on local authorities increasing council tax by five pounds without a referendum in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16. [182812]

Brandon Lewis: In relation to 2014-15, I refer my hon. Friend to my written statement of 18 December 2013, Official Report, columns 101-4WS.

We will set our proposals in a report to the House of Commons in due course, for subsequent approval by the House.

In relation to 2015-16, decisions will be taken at the same point next year.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that any proposed council tax increases are approved by residents. [183037]

Brandon Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to my written statement of 18 December 2013, Official Report, columns 101-4WS.

We will set our proposals in a report to the House of Commons in due course, for subsequent approval by the House.

Mr Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse has been of the council tax grant in each financial year from 2011-12 to date; and what the estimated cost will be in each such year to 2015-16. [183105]

Brandon Lewis: The Government have offered a council tax freeze grant in every year of this Parliament, to local authorities which did not increase their council tax. The 2011-12 and 2013-14 grants are paid annually

21 Jan 2014 : Column 114W

and have now been included in the local government settlement, the 2012-13 freeze grant was a one off grant for that financial year only. The funding for 2014-15 freeze grant scheme will be paid out in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The total value of each council tax freeze grant given to local authorities in England from 2011-12 to 2013-14 are presented in the following table. The figures for 2014-15 and 2015-16 grants are estimates which assume 100% take up.

Thanks to the policy, council tax bills in England have fallen by 10% in real terms under this Government.

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what percentage Band D council tax increased in (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire in (i) 1997-2010 and (ii) 2010 to date. [183172]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 17 January 2014]: Details of the total percentage increase and the average annual increase in Band D council tax for (a) England as a whole and (b) all the local authorities in Northamptonshire, from 1997-98 to 2010-11 and from 2010-11 to 2013-14, the latest figures available, are shown in the tables as follows:

21 Jan 2014 : Column 115W

The data are collected annually from all billing and precepting authorities in England on the council tax return form. The information for the shire districts includes any parish precepts that were levied.

Data for 2014-15 will be collected shortly and the figures published on the Department's website towards the end of March.

Overall council tax bills in England have fallen by 10% in real terms under this Government, thanks to our council tax freeze policy.

Council Tax: Milton Keynes

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Band D council tax level set by Milton Keynes Council has been in each year since 1997. [183057]

Brandon Lewis: Details of the levels of band D council tax in all local authority areas in England, including Milton Keynes council, from 1997 to date, are available on the gov.uk website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-council-tax

Under the last Administration, Milton Keynes council's council tax level (excluding parish precepts) rose by 99%—ie council tax doubled. Under this Government, so far, it has risen by just 2%—a fall in real terms.

Elections: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial assistance was given to Bassetlaw council for the (a) police commissioner elections in 2013, (b) Parliamentary elections in 2010 and (c) European elections in 2009. [183829]

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

(a) As set out in The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Local Returning Officers' and Police Area Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2012, the overall maximum recoverable amount (including both expenses and services) available, to the Returning Officer in Bassetlaw was £186,893. The Returning Officer's actual final settled claim was £159,869.33.

(b) As set out in The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2010, the overall maximum recoverable amount (including both expenses and services) available, via the Consolidated

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Fund, to the Returning Officer in Bassetlaw was £123,211. The Returning Officer's actual final settled claim was £99,045.

(c) As set out in the European Parliamentary Elections (Local Returning Officers' Charges) (England, Wales and Gibraltar) Order 2009, the overall maximum recoverable amount (including both expenses and services) available, via the Consolidated Fund, to the Returning Officer in Bassetlaw was £144,366. The Returning Officer's actual final settled claim was £121,399.

Empty Property

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses have been unoccupied for over (a) five and (b) 10 years in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK. [183169]

Stephen Williams [holding answer 17 January 2014]: Statistics on vacant dwellings in England and in each local authority district are published in the Department's live table 615 which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

This table shows the annual number of long-term empty homes (all tenures), which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months, at a specific date each year.

The figures show that the number of long-term empty homes in England has fallen by over 40,800 from October 2010 to October 2012.

Data are collected only at local authority district level and are not available by parliamentary constituency. Information on the time period (over the six month threshold) for which long-term empty homes have been unoccupied is not centrally collected. Statistics on vacant dwellings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are published by the devolved Administrations.

Fires: Housing

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many household fires (a) in total and (b) per capita each fire authority in England dealt with in each year since 2008. [182924]

Brandon Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House. From 2008-09 to 2012-13, the total number of dwelling fires across England has fallen from 38,584 to 33,166.

I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 385-386W, which shows how the total number of fire and rescue incidents has almost halved (-46%) in the last 10 years, from 958,142 in 2002-03 to 519,907 in 2012-13.

Fracking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 13 January 2014, on the ability of councils to keep business rates they collect from shale gas sites to provide an enhanced community benefit, what definition of community he was applying. [183101]

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Brandon Lewis: The rates retention scheme allows business rates income in England to be retained by billing authorities (district councils, metropolitan councils and unitary authorities), county councils, fire and rescue authorities and the Greater London authority. We will consider how the 100% retention of business rates income on shale gas production sites will be shared among these authorities in an area which hosts a site and consult upon draft regulations prior to implementation from 1 April 2015.

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much he estimates local authorities will gain from fracking revenues; and which local authorities will benefit. [183310]

Brandon Lewis: We estimate that business rates income from a typical shale gas production site could be worth up to £1.7 million a year.

The rates retention scheme allows business rates income in England to be retained by billing authorities (district councils, metropolitan councils and unitary authorities), county councils, fire and rescue authorities and the Greater London Authority. We will consider how the 100% retention of business rates income on shale gas production sites will be shared among these authorities in an area which hosts a site and consult upon draft regulations prior to implementation from 1 April 2015.

Housing: Construction

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has given on how housing site allocation numbers are to be expressed in local plans. [183079]

Nick Boles: The National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to prepare a Strategic Housing Market Assessment to assess their full housing needs. They should identify the scale and mix of housing and the range of tenures that the local population is likely to need over the plan period.

Local authorities should also prepare a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment to establish realistic assumptions about the availability, suitability and the likely economic viability of land to meet the identified need for housing over the plan period.

Local authorities should then use the evidence to inform their local plan which should contain a housing requirement that has taken account of any relevant constraints.

The Government produced draft on-line planning practice guidance to support the framework in the summer. This includes new guidance on the assessment of housing needs and assessment of land availability.

We intend that the national planning practice guidance web-based resource will go fully live following consideration of comments received during the test phase.

Local Government Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department holds information on the level of reserves held by each local authority. [182798]

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Brandon Lewis [holding answer 15 January 2014]: My Department collects data on the level of reserves held by individual local authorities as part of the Revenue Outturn data which are supplied by authorities each year.

A copy of the information on the level of reserves held by individual authorities is available in the Library of the House.

The latest statistics on local authority revenue expenditure and financing can also be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2012-to-2013-individual-local-authority-data-outturn

Local Government: Co-operation

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities currently share revenue and benefit services. [183309]

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not monitor the arrangements that local authorities have in place to administer their revenue and benefit services as it is up to individual local authorities to decide how best to deliver their services. However the Local Government Association has developed a national map of shared services and this shows that there are at least 36 arrangements involving over 75 local authorities either currently in place or in the process of being developed. I have placed in the Library of the House a table listing the relevant partnerships identified using the available data.

Mortgages

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the effects of a rise in the base rate of interest on the number of homeowner mortgage defaults. [182150]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 13 January 2014]: In 2010 and 2012, my Department published the results of some economic modelling on repossessions and arrears. The research can be found online at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/modelling-and-forecasting-uk-mortgage-arrears-and-possessions-report

www.gov.uk/government/publications/mortgage-arrears-and-possessions-forecasts

The coalition Government's economic strategy to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration has ensured economic stability and growth, helping to keep interest rates low and reducing mortgage costs for home owners. By contrast, the policy alternative of more spending, more borrowing and more debt would result in higher interest rates and more repossessions.

According to the Bank of England, the number of new mortgage arrears cases in the last quarter is the lowest number since its time series began in 2007 (Bank of England, Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics, 10 December 2013). According to the Council for Mortgage Lenders, the number of repossessions is at its lowest level since 2007 and falling; it is also revising down its forecasts for 2014 (CML press release, 14 November 2013). Of course, prudent mortgage borrowers should plan and budget for the long-term, and recognise that interest rates do change over time.

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Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement. [165906]

Nick Boles: Details of the statutory instruments which have been enacted by Parliament are listed on:

www.legislation.gov.uk

Notwithstanding, statutory instruments should not necessarily be viewed as regulations—they are pieces of secondary legislation which may be deregulatory or which simply ensure that policy or functional measures have parliamentary scrutiny and oversight.

In relation to regulations under the scope of ‘one in, one out’ or ‘one in, two out’, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 January 2014, Official Report, columns 616-8W. As I said in that answer however, that answer is not a comprehensive list of the red tape that my Department has abolished.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix. [183203]

Brandon Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to my answers to him of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 224W and of 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 142W.

Education

Academies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to require the auditors of free schools and academies to report on which (a) services have been bought from, (b) fees have been paid to and (c) payments have been made to friends, relatives and business associates of school heads and governors. [183319]

Mr Timpson: The level of transparency and scrutiny is more rigorous and transparent in academies than in maintained schools.

Under company law, academy trusts, including those operating free schools, have always been required to disclose transactions with related parties in their annual accounts, the accounts must be audited by an external auditor annually. The auditor is required to provide their opinion on the truth and fairness of the accounts, including the related party transactions note, and also to report on the regularity and propriety of income and expenditure. The academies financial handbook requires trusts to publish the accounts, including the auditors’ opinions, on their website, so details of related party transactions are transparent.

The handbook also requires that trusts have a competitive purchasing policy and avoid conflicts of interest when entering into contracts and other business. Our no-profit

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policy also means that trusts can pay no more than cost for goods and services from individuals and organisations with which they have a significant relationship.

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183244]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education uses the Government Banking Service (GBS). The GBS does not provide overdraft facilities.

In addition to the main GBS bank accounts, the core Department has commercial bank accounts that are used to make payments and collect receipts. The Department does not have overdraft facilities on any commercial account.

The Department did not incur any overdraft fees or charges during 2012-13.

Children in Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to narrow the gap between the educational achievement of children in care and other young people. [183777]

Mr Timpson: Narrowing the attainment gap between children in care and their peers is a Government priority. There is a range of work to address this:

Children in care, who have been looked after for six months or more have attracted the pupil premium since 2011, currently worth £900. From 2014-15 we are increasing the funding attracted by children in care to a Pupil Premium Plus worth £1,900. We are extending eligibility to children from the first day of care, meaning 10,000 more looked after children will benefit, increasing the total funding from £40 million in 2013-14 to £100 million in 2014-15.

We have raised the age of compulsory participation in education and training. As of last year young people are required to continue in education or training for a further year after the compulsory school leaving age. From June 2015 this will be until their 18th birthday. Children in care and those who recently left local authority care are entitled to a 16-19 Bursary worth £1,200 to help with the cost of participation. In addition, care leavers progressing to higher education should receive a higher education bursary of £2,000 from their corporate parent.

Through the Children and Families Bill the Government will require all local authorities in England to appoint a virtual school head to champion the attainment of the children they look after as if they attended a single school. The 68% of looked after children who have some form of special educational need will also benefit from the reforms we are making through this Bill to improve the special educational needs framework.

To raise awareness about the educational needs of children in care the Government is providing £100,000 in 2013-14 to the National College for Teaching and Leadership. This is to develop training materials for virtual school heads and include new material about children in care in its modular curriculum for school leaders and school governors.

In addition, the Department has announced significant reforms to the secondary school accountability system. The current system has a perverse incentive that encourages schools to focus excessively on their pupils near the GCSE C/D grade borderline. By contrast, the new Progress 8 measure will encourage schools to focus equally on the achievements of all their children, including children in care.

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The Department is working with the Greater London Authority to scope a project thorough the London Schools Excellence Fund to support foster carers' engagement with schools and designated teachers to raise the attainment of children in care.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 730-1W, on children in care, how many children's homes were run by (a) local authorities and (b) private or voluntary organisations in each region in each of the last five years. [183778]

Mr Timpson: Information on the number of children’s homes is published by Ofsted, the independent body responsible for the regulation and inspection of children’s homes. This is available online¹.

A table taken from this Ofsted publication, showing the number of children’s homes in each local authority has been placed in the House Libraries. This shows the number of homes in each local authority and whether they are provided by a local authority, private or voluntary organisation or a health authority. It is not possible for Ofsted to separate those run by a private or voluntary organisation. Information is currently available for the years 2009 to 2012.

¹ http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/official-statistics-childrens-social-care-providers-and-places

English Baccalaureate: Stourbridge

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils at each of the secondary schools in the Stourbridge constituency achieved A*-C grades in English Baccalaureate subjects (a) overall and (b) in each individual subject area in the academic year 2012-13. [183511]

Mr Laws: Data for the 2012-13 academic year will only be available once the Performance Tables¹ are published at 9.30 am on 23 January. The requested information will be available in the underlying subject data².

¹ http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/index.html

² http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download_ data.html

EU Law

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many EU directives his Department has transposed into UK law since 2010; and how many directly acting EU regulations have come into effect in his Department's area of responsibility in the same period. [183863]

Matthew Hancock: I refer my right hon. Friend to the replies given to the hon. Member for Harrow West (Mr Thomas) on 18 November 2013, Official Report, column 733W.

Further Education: VAT

Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate has been made of the cost to the Exchequer of exempting sixth form colleges and further education colleges from VAT along the same lines as schools. [183574]

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Matthew Hancock: We estimate that the cost of recompensing sixth form colleges for their VAT costs would be about £30 million per year. If we were also to recompense all other 16 to 19 institutions that are currently not able to claim back their VAT costs, which would include further education colleges, then we estimate that the cost would rise to about £150 million per year.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of per capita spending on primary school reception classes in (a) Birkenhead, (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and (c) England in each year since 2007-08. [183493]

Mr Laws: Per pupil funding figures in reception classes for Wirral local authority and the England average from financial years 2007 to 2013 are shown in the table. As Birkenhead lies within Wirral local authority, the per capita funding for pupils in reception classes is the same as for the wider authority area.

Schools: Defibrillators

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the provision of automated external defibrillators in schools. [183619]

Mr Laws: We have placed an amendment in the Children and Families Bill to create a new duty on governing bodies of maintained schools (and proprietors of academies) to make arrangements to support pupils at school with medical conditions and to have regard to statutory guidance. The guidance is currently being developed in collaboration with members of the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance, schools and with parents and young people. We intend to consult on the draft guidance later this term.

Special Educational Needs

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, columns 652-3W, on special educational needs, what measures his Department uses to identify best practice and value for money when collecting data. [183799]

Mr Timpson: Schools and local authorities are best placed to identify good practice and value for money in making provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), guided by the SEN Code of Practice and supported by Departmental initiatives such as the current pathfinder programme following the SEN and disability Green Paper.

SEN data needs to be interpreted with care but indications of local authority good practice can be gained from information which the Department and

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others collect, such as the number of SEN appeals registered against each local authority, the percentage of SEN statements finalised within statutory time limits, the number of children identified with SEN and provided with SEN statements by local authority and the amount authorities spend on making special educational provision.

The Department, each October under section 332C of the Education Act 1996, publishes an information report “Special Educational Needs: An analysis” which is designed to assist the Secretary of State for Education and others in improving the well-being of children in England with special educational needs.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, columns 652-3W, on special educational needs, whether he holds any information on the numbers of First-tier Tribunal (Special Education Needs and Disability) appeals taking place in local authority areas across England. [183800]

Mr Timpson: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the work of tribunals under the First-tier Tribunal, including the Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability Tribunal.

The data are available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2013

Tables 6 and 7 give the number of SEN appeal registrations by local authority.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix. [183206]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education stopped using 084 numbers for new helplines in 2007. We inherited from the previous Government three non-geographic telephone lines with the 0845 prefix, which charged callers at premium rates.

Under this Government the Department now has just two 084 numbers in use and in both cases offers an 03 alternative, which costs no more than a national call to an 01 or 02 number and counts towards any inclusive minutes in a caller’s telephone contract. This is in compliance with recent Cabinet Office guidance. Both of these lines are being phased out. One of the 084 lines is due to cease completely on 31 January 2014 and the other on 31 March 2014, so the Department will have no 084 numbers in use by 1 April 2014.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider, (b) purpose of the course and (c) cost of each session in the course was. [183221]

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Elizabeth Truss: Details about which training courses the Secretary of State for Education and Ministers in his Department have undertaken are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Youth Work

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what responsibility his Department has for the Youth Worker Workforce. [183708]

Mr Timpson: Responsibility for youth policy and delivery, including the youth worker work force, transferred to the Cabinet Office on 3 July 2013.

Northern Ireland

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with what bank her Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183254]

Mrs Villiers: My Department does not hold an overdraft facility with any bank; therefore no fees or charges were payable in this regard in the last financial year.

Community Relations

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on building a shared future in Northern Ireland. [R] [901236]

Mrs Villiers: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 243, to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman).

Northern Ireland Government

Mr Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what input she plans to have to the Haass talks. [900157]

Mrs Villiers: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Belfast South (Dr McDonnell), on 9 September 2013.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Ministers in her Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was. [183231]

Mrs Villiers: Neither the Minister of State nor I have undertaken any training courses since assuming office.

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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183246]

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA holds its main bank account with the Government Banking Service. No fees or charges were incurred during the 2012-13 financial year in respect of bank overdrafts.

Dangerous Dogs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Court of Appeal's judgment dated 20 December 2013 in relation to dangerous dogs, [2013] EWCA Crim 2396. [182783]

George Eustice: We have noted the Court of Appeal's decision in R v. Symieon Robinson-Pierre [2013] EWCA Crim 2396 which was based on the particular facts in the case, particularly the absence of a specific appropriate direction by the judge to the jury in the summing up in the original Crown court trial.

Flood Control

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has funded into the use of contour afforestation in water catchment areas of areas prone to flooding. [183264]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA is not currently funding any research projects described as looking into the use of contour afforestation in water catchments prone to flooding. However, the Department and its delivery bodies do fund a variety of research and demonstration projects to understand the potential of non-structural methods of reducing flooding, including afforestation.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contour afforestation programmes to alleviate flooding his Department has funded in each of the last three years. [183267]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA has not has funded any programmes described as 'contour afforestation to alleviate flooding' in the last three years. However, DEFRA and its delivery bodies continue to fund a variety of research and demonstration projects to understand the potential of non-structural methods of reducing flooding including afforestation.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the use of the use of contour afforestation to alleviate flooding. [183269]

Dan Rogerson: The Forestry Commission has contributed to various assessments of using woodland to alleviate flooding. In particular it joint funded a review called

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‘Woodland for Water’ in 2011. The review highlighted how woodland creation could contribute to reducing flood risk as well as deliver other water and wider ecosystem benefits. This led to the development and use of national, regional and catchment “opportunity maps” to direct planting to where woodland would be most effective.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial incentives are in place to encourage farmers to plant trees to alleviate flooding in water catchment areas of areas prone to flooding. [183270]

Dan Rogerson: The Forestry Commission offered grants to all landowners in England under the English Woodland Grant Scheme for the creation of new woodland. Applications for grants were assessed against eligibility criteria and priorities, and were processed on a first-come first-served basis. Within the scheme, additional funding, in the form of a Woodland for Water allowance was also provided in priority areas where woodland creation would deliver the greatest benefits in terms of managing flood risk and improving water quality.

The Forestry Commission continues to process existing applications for woodland planting grants, although the scheme is now closed to existing applicants. If the level of funded planting falls below the annual rate set out in the existing Rural Development Programme, we will consider inviting further applications later in the 2014 planting season. This will be before the new Rural Development Programme comes into effect.

DEFRA intends, as part of the new Rural Development Programme, to offer tree planting grants in 2015. This will be in advance of new environmental land management agreements, which come into effect in January 2016.

Flood Control: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department spent on flood defences in (a) North Swindon constituency and (b) Swindon Borough in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10, (iv) 2010-11, (v) 2011-12 and (vi) 2012-13; and how much funding his Department has allocated for flood defences in (A) North Swindon constituency and (B) Swindon Borough in (1) 2013-14, (2) 2014-15 and (3) 2015-16. [183142]

Dan Rogerson: Money spent by Environment Agency on flood defences between 2007 and 2013 was:

Money allocated by Environment Agency for flood defences between 2014 and 2016¹ is:

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¹ These figures refer to Swindon Borough Council's projects funded by a combination of FDGiA and local levy.

Local Government Finance: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish details of all funds allocated by his Department and its associated agencies to Swindon Borough Council in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14 to date. [183607]

Dan Rogerson: The following figures show payments by core DEFRA to Swindon borough council:

The following figures show payments by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to Swindon borough council:

DEFRA's other four executive agencies did not make payments to this council. This does not cover any payments to the council by DEFRA's non-departmental public bodies or other arms-length bodies.

Nature Conservation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Wildlife and Countryside Link report entitled Nature Check 2013, an analysis of the Government's natural environment commitments, published on 19 November 2013; and if he will make it his policy to accept the recommendations on (a) providing strong leadership and a clarity of purpose that will reverse the decline in wildlife and reconnect people with nature, (b) enabling the statutory nature conservation bodies to fulfil their critical role as champions of nature by (i) allowing them a voice in developing public policy consistent with their expertise, (ii) properly funding their functions and (iii) not imposing a growth duty and (c) enforcing the rules and regulations that protect our environmental public goods, whether domestic or European in origin; and if he will make a statement. [183315]

George Eustice: I welcome the engagement of Wildlife and Countryside Link members in the environment

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agenda. It is important that the Government and civil society organisations engage constructively, though accepting we will not always agree on every issue. Link's Nature Check report is a part of that ongoing dialogue. There are some areas of the report where we are in agreement, for example the historic reform of the common fisheries policy, though generally we believe that Nature Check does not give sufficient credit for progress that has been made.

On point (a), we are showing strong leadership on the environment. For example, internationally, we played a leading role in reaching the important international biodiversity agreement at Nagoya in 2010 and are playing an important role on topics such as ivory, whaling and on illegal wildlife trafficking. In England, we have produced the first White Paper on the environment for 20 years and are making good progress on implementation, as well putting in place an ambitious Biodiversity Strategy for England.

On point (b) I agree that our statutory nature conservation bodies have an important role to play. Natural England, as the key public body in this area, is already actively engaged with our policy development work as part of the DEFRA family. Its grant in aid, while necessarily reducing, is sufficient to enable it to continue to fulfil its statutory responsibilities and Government priorities. The proposed duty on non-economic regulators, to have regard to growth, will support growth without weakening environmental protection. It will be complementary to existing duties and will not override Natural England's general purpose under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Finally, on point (c), DEFRA and its delivery bodies are committed to fair and proportionate enforcement of the regulations for which we are responsible. Interventions are risk-based, supporting generally compliant businesses and targeting serious and persistent offenders.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix. [183208]

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA plan to complete the transition from 084 to 03 prefix non-geographic numbers by October 2014.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider, (b) purpose of the course and (c) cost of each session in the course was. [183223]

Dan Rogerson: Since the formation of the coalition Government in May 2010, Ministers have not undertaken any training courses paid for through the departmental budget.

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Church Commissioners

Bishop of Bath and Wells

Tessa Munt: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 502W, on Bishop of Bath and Wells, what the cost is of the property which the Church Commissioners have purchased or propose to purchase for the purpose of accommodating the new Bishop of Bath and Wells. [183625]

Sir Tony Baldry: The purchase on the new property has not yet completed. As a result the information relating to the purchase remains commercially sensitive, it would therefore be inappropriate to publish the price.

Tessa Munt: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 502W, on Bishop of Bath and Wells, what the address is of the property which the Church Commissioners have purchased or propose to purchase for the purpose of accommodating the new Bishop of Bath and Wells. [183626]

Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are in the process of purchasing the Old Rectory, Croscombe, Wells BA5 3QN.

Tessa Munt: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 502W, on Bishop of Bath and Wells, what consultation with the new Bishop of Bath and Wells was carried out prior to the decision to purchase new housing to accommodate him and his wife. [183627]

Sir Tony Baldry: The new Bishop was made aware that the Commissioners were considering the Palace’s suitability as the Bath and Wells see house but he was not formally consulted, did not give a view and was not part of the decision-making.

Tessa Munt: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church Commissioners have for the future use of the flat in the Palace of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. [183628]

Sir Tony Baldry: The future use of the flat at the Palace in Wells is not yet decided.

Tessa Munt: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Very Reverend John Clarke, Dean of Wells, was present during meetings at which the suitability of the accommodation in the Bishop's Palace at Wells was discussed by the Church Commissioners. [183629]

Sir Tony Baldry: The Dean, the Very Reverend John Clarke, was not present; he absented himself from discussions about the Palace at various relevant meetings of the Church Commissioners’ Bishoprics and Cathedrals Committee and the Board of Governors meetings.

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Transport

A303

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the draft A303 feasibility study. [183390]

Mr Goodwill: The Department has committed to undertaking six feasibility studies as part of the process of identifying and funding solutions to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country. The studies include work on the problems on the A303/A30/A358 corridor.

As part of that process we committed to engage with stakeholders to develop and agree the detailed scope of the study. On 15 January I wrote to my hon. Friends whose constituencies, lie within the proposed geographic scope of the study, to set out a brief synopsis of our proposals for the study. The Department has put in place arrangements to discuss details of the proposed scope of the study work with relevant stakeholders during January and February. I will provide my hon. Friend with copies of the documentation sent to my hon. Friends.

The Government expect to report back at autumn statement 2014 on progress to alleviate congestion and tackle the enduring problems in these areas.