21 Jan 2014 : Column 160W

Serious Fraud Office

Mr Spellar: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 428W, on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), what responses the Director of the SFO has received to his letters. [183889]

The Solicitor-General: The director received one letter asking for clarification, which was given. There has been no other correspondence received and no payments have been returned.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Attorney-General which Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments 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. [183215]

The Solicitor-General: Ministers in the Attorney-General's Office have not attended any training courses incurring expenditure from the public purse since the general election in 2010. There are no Ministers in the other Law Officers' Departments. As barristers, the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General are of course subject to requirements set out by the Bar Standards Board as to their continuing professional development.

Cabinet Office

British American Tobacco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations the Minister without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for Rushcliffe, (Mr Clarke) received from representatives of British American Tobacco; and how many meetings he has held with such representatives since May 2010. [183819]

Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I have not received any representations from British American Tobacco. I have had no meetings on policy with anyone representing British American Tobacco.

Defence: Procurement

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 10 November 2011, Official Report, column 454W, on defence: procurement, whether he now plans to lift the temporary exemption from publication for Ministry of Defence contracts associated with warlike stores; what steps he has taken to keep the European Commission informed of progress towards lifting that exemption; and what arrangements he has made to make Ministry of Defence contract information more transparent. [183295]

Mr Hurd: There are no plans to lift the temporary exemption from publication for Ministry of Defence contracts associated with warlike stores during the life of this Parliament.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 161W

As part of the Government's transparency programme, the Ministry of Defence is required to publish details of non-exempt contracts above the value of £10,000 on Contracts Finder:

https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Government Departments: Redundancy Pay

John Woodcock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many redundancy payments were made to employees of central Government Departments in each of the last three years; and what the total expenditure on redundancy payments was in each such year. [183850]

Mr Maude: The information requested is not held centrally. Individual Departments meet the costs of redundancies and report the relevant information in their resource accounts each year.

The Government reformed the civil service compensation scheme in 2010 so that it was fairer for the taxpayer, did not create perverse incentives for civil servants, supported increasing efficiency in the workforce, and reduced costs.

Lords Lieutenant

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) to what extent Vice Lords Lieutenant are required to be politically neutral; and what guidance on political objectivity is to given to them; [183014]

(2) whether Vice Lords Lieutenant are prohibited from making donations to political parties. [183015]

Greg Clark: Vice Lord-Lieutenants are not prohibited from national political activity but should not be politically active at a local level. The guidance issued to Lords Lieutenant is that vice Lords Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants should regard their appointments as non-political and carry out their roles accordingly.

Vice Lords Lieutenant are not prohibited from making donations to political parties.

Public Sector: Employment

Mr Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government are taking to relocate public sector jobs to areas of England with low rates of gross value added. [183723]

Mr Maude: Work force planning is the responsibility of each individual Department to determine. The information requested is not held centrally.

Public Sector: Fraud

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 507W, on public sector: fraud, if he will provide details of the various data-sharing projects across Government and the wider public sector that seek to access and share data in support of operational delivery, developing public services and improving efficiency; and if he will indicate how the work of each such project specifically relates to fraud. [183793]

Mr Maude: Departments and groups should be approached for details on what data-sharing projects they have and how they specifically relate to fraud.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 162W

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) 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; [183216]

(2) which Ministers in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office 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; [183220]

(3) which Ministers in No. 10 Downing Street 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. [183232]

Mr Letwin: The Prime Minister's Office and Deputy Prime Minister's Office are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

The Government are keen for both Ministers and officials to increase their knowledge of and interest in China. To support my work on a range of China-related policies ranging from encouraging inward investment to improving the UK visa regime, as well as my discussions with the Chinese authorities, I am having lessons in Mandarin at a cost of £45 plus VAT per session, from the recommended FCO language provider, Language Services Direct. I am reimbursing the Cabinet Office for these costs myself.

I also attended a dementia awareness session organised by Dementia Friends.

Work and Pensions

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [183260]

Mike Penning: The Department’s core bank account is held with the Government Banking Service (GBS); the account has no overdraft facility, as such no fees or charges were payable in respect of bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 447W, on employment and support allowance, if his Department will collect data on mandatory reconsiderations of employment and support allowance. [183536]

Mike Penning: Yes, while individual level data on mandatory reconsiderations of ESA are not available, the Department is collecting process information, such as volumes and durations, to understand how the reforms are operating. It will, however, be some time until this information is available due to the time taken to go through the process from mandatory reconsideration to appeal outcome.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 163W

Housing Benefit: Portsmouth

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Portsmouth South constituency under the age of 25 years old are recipients of housing benefit. [183755]

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table:

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 522W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, whether his Department will cover the cost of reimbursing claimants who wrongfully had their housing benefit reduced; and whether local authorities will be reimbursed for the additional costs associated with administering the correction of the mistake. [183396]

Esther McVey: The guidance issued by the Department to local authorities sets out the action they should take and advises that affected cases should be reimbursed.

Any housing benefit paid out by a local authority in accordance with this guidance will be treated as correctly paid for subsidy purposes.

The Department is currently considering any new burdens on local authorities.

Jobcentre Plus: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) adults and (b) people aged 16 to 24 years old have been helped to find employment by Swindon Jobcentre Plus in each of the last three years. [183603]

Esther McVey: Every claimant is supported by their local jobcentre to find work. In the last three years the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in Swindon has fallen by more than 800, or 18%. A breakdown of the figures is shown in the table.

Claimants are not required to tell us their reason for leaving JSA so it is not possible to say exactly how many move into employment each year. The 2011 Destinations Survey showed that, nationally, 68% move into work.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 164W

Jobseeker's Allowance

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the effect of the rules limiting claimants of jobseeker's allowance taking up training on a part-time basis of less than 16 hours per week on levels of participation in training programmes in those constituent parts of the UK where the youth unemployment rate exceeds 7%. [183780]

Esther McVey: We do not currently hold any data on the impact of the 16-hour rule on the participation in training by young people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) at a national or regional level. The Department does not have any current plans to undertake research into this area.

Personal Independence Payment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average processing time for personal independence payments applications was in the last year; [183051]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of personal independence payment applications that took more than (a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) four months, (e) five months and (f) six months to process to completion in the last year. [183114]

Mike Penning: Personal independence payment started from April 2013 and although limited data have started to feed through, we need to wait until the Department has quality assured, meaningful figures for publication. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high-quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish official statistics on personal independence payment from spring 2014.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with (a) individuals and (b) groups on personal independence payments. [183056]

Mike Penning: We have extensively engaged and consulted with disabled people and their organisations in an open and transparent manner throughout the design, development and implementation of personal independence payment (PIP). The assessment criteria for PIP were developed in collaboration with independent specialists in health, social care and disability, including disabled people.

We have carried out extensive engagement throughout the progress of the Welfare Reform Act 2012—including two formal consultations last year, on the assessment criteria and on the detailed benefit rules, and a formal consultation this year on the ‘Moving around’ activity of the mobility component. During the consultations officials met with more than 60 organisations and held 26 consultation meetings with external organisations including Equality 2025, Disability Benefits Consortium, Disability Rights UK and the PIP Implementation Stakeholder Forum.

We are continuing to work closely with disabled people and their organisations, such as Citizens Advice and Macmillan.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 165W

Also, I personally meet organisations of and for disabled people regularly, to discuss issues relating to my portfolio.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's 10 largest contracts let since the financial year 2010-11 are; what

21 Jan 2014 : Column 166W

savings have been made in such contracts; what the level of overspend or underspend was in each such contract; and what steps his Department has taken to monitor the performance of each supplier of such contract following the contract award. [183911]

Mike Penning: The 10 largest contracts let since 2010-11 are as follows:

The savings made for the Desktop Services contract are £35,742,623 to December 2013. In respect of the personal independence payments, contracts service delivery commenced in the PIP contracts in June 2013 and is due to continue until July 2017. As the assessment providers are still in the early stages of delivering these contracts, it is too early to realise savings. The savings made for Work programme contracts commenced in the procurement process and, as a consequence of the payment-by-results model continue in live running.

The level of overspend/underspend in respect of Desktop Services contract will not be available until the end of contract term. Service delivery commenced in the PIP contracts in June 2013 and is due to continue until July 2017. As the assessment providers are still in the early stages of delivering these contracts, it is too early to give a view of the likelihood of under or overspending against them. The Work programme contracts are payment by result, and therefore over or underspend is not an issue.

Desktop Services contract obligations are monitored on a monthly basis to ensure conformance in line with the contract; additional/new obligations not yet fully implemented are monitored separately but also on a monthly basis; monthly feedback on performance is sought from internal groups; all obligations are discussed regularly with the supplier and plans are implemented to address obligations that have a red or amber status.

For PIP contracts the Department has monthly performance meetings with both Atos and Capita and manages the performance of the suppliers against a range of service level agreements. These service level agreements are recorded within the contracts published on Contracts Finder.

With regard to Work programme contracts, monthly performance management information is used to support regular performance assessment meetings with contractors. Work programme providers are paid on a performance basis, and measurements in respect of levels of spending are not a relevant contract measure.

Secondment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were seconded from the private sector to his Department in each of the last six years. [183789]

Mike Penning: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on benefit cap, what research he (a) is carrying out and (b) proposes to carry out on the consequences of the benefit cap; and who has been or will be commissioned to conduct this research. [183157]

Esther McVey: The full scope of the benefit cap evaluation is yet to be finalised but is expected to include work with claimants, local authorities and voluntary sector organisations as well as analysis of administrative data.

In addition to the polling conducted by Ipsos-MORI, published 10 October 2013, found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-public-attitudes-before-and-after-its-introduction

we are:

(a) Gathering the views of the benefit cap by local authorities and voluntary sector organisations. This is currently underway and is being conducted—by Ipsos-MORI and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research—jointly with work on removal of the spare room subsidy.

(b) There are also plans for the Institute for Fiscal Studies to advise us on methods used to assess the net impact of the policy and for surveys of capped claimants.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 167W

In addition we already publish regular Official Statistics on numbers of capped households, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any benefit claimants have been subject to benefit sanctions while on a training course authorised by his Department. [183177]

Esther McVey: People on benefits eligible for fully funded training still have to fulfil the conditions for receiving their benefit. Claimants can be sanctioned as a result of their failure to comply with the conditions as laid out in the regulations.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those found to be committing benefit fraud and not prosecuted in court in each of the last five years (a) have repaid monies due in full, (b) are actively making repayments, (c) are in arrears with their repayments and (d) have been prosecuted for breaching their agreement to pay. [182897]

Esther McVey: The information is not available in the format requested. The data are not separately available for each year. The information detailed in the following table relates only to the proportion of administrative penalties applied in lieu of prosecution and the overall position regarding repayment of those penalties. It is not possible to separately identify cases where the debtor has only received a caution.

In those cases where the penalty has been repaid the debtor may still be repaying the underlying fraud overpayment.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Mr Wetherick of Christchurch will receive a decision from the Atos Medical Service Centre in Bristol as to whether he needs a medical assessment following the referral of his case by his Department on 16 May 2013; and when he expects Mr Wetherick's benefit application to be resolved. [183731]

Mike Penning: The Department cannot respond to the House of Commons with regards to a specific case.

The Department will respond to my hon. Friend direct.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 168W

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [183213]

Esther McVey: DWP will start to introduce most 03 numbers to our existing 0845 helplines during March 2014. This dual number approach will allow the caller to make a choice on which number is best for them given the terms of their personal contract. This approach is accepted in the guidance.

Unemployed People: Basic Skills

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on boosting the literacy and numeracy of jobseekers in each Government Office region in each of the last six years. [183790]

Esther McVey: From April 2011 literacy and numeracy skills provision has been entirely funded through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In the three years prior to April 2011, DWP expenditure on boosting literacy and numeracy skills of jobseekers was:

The expenditure information above is not available by Government Office region for 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to (a) the Exchequer and (b) individual incomes if eligibility for universal credit were established using gross rather than net income. [183772]

Esther McVey: Under circumstances in which gross income would be used for eligibility calculations other factors such as disregards and taper rates, which have been specifically chosen to create a system in which work pays, would be adjusted to maintain the policy objectives.

Vacancies: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time vacancies were advertised in Jobcentre Plus in Barrow and Furness constituency in each quarter in each of the last five years. [183851]

Esther McVey: In November 2012 we introduced Universal Jobmatch, which replaced adverts in Jobcentre Plus offices, therefore we only have figures to meet this request up to that point.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 169W

The full and part-time vacancy numbers for the Barrow and Furness constituency from January 2009 up to the introduction of Universal Jobmatch in November 2012 are in the following table. We are unable to provide this information to jobcentre level.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 170W

Interpretation of Nomis data needs to take account of changes in recent years to Jobcentre Plus procedures for taking and handling vacancies. These figures are not fully comparable over time and may not indicate developments in the labour market. A more detailed explanation is available on the Nomis website.

War Pensions

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will exclude war disablement pensions as a source of income when assessing benefits. [183742]

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson), on 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 640W.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [183673]

Mike Penning: Work experience placements are not offered to claimants aged 16 and under. In the last three years a total of 4,358 over 16-year-olds have undertaken a work experience placement in DWP.

The numbers for 2011 are lower as the work experience programme commenced in August 2011. Prior to this date work experience was carried out in local offices but the data were not held centrally.

As part of the 'Get Britain Working' initiative DWP was challenged to achieve 3,000 work experience placements by 31 March 2013. This target was exceeded in February 2013.

From June 2013, the Department extended work experience opportunities to all of its business areas. This has resulted in a marked increase in the number of work experience placements taken up.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, in a case where a Work programme participant has an appointment with a provider but then agrees with the provider to attend at a different date, and does so, the provider should make a report which could lead to a benefit sanction; and if he will make a statement. [183791]

Esther McVey: I want to assure the right hon. Gentleman that sanctions are not imposed without good reason. If a Work programme participant fails to start or complete any mandatory activity, the provider will first discuss the reasons why with the participant and seek practical

21 Jan 2014 : Column 171W

solutions around this. Ultimately however, it is up to the provider's discretion whether to refer a compliance doubt to the Jobcentre Plus decision maker for consideration of a sanction. If individuals consider this decision to be unfair they have the right to appeal.

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current performance of the Work programme. [183814]

Esther McVey: The Work programme is working and is getting people into sustained jobs.

Assessment of the Work programme performance has shown great improvements since the programme was launched in June 2011. Up until the end of September 2012, over 54,000 people had found lasting work (normally at least six months); by the end of September 2013, this has almost quadrupled to 208,000 people.

Women and Equalities

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities with what bank the Government Equalities Office's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year. [183248]

Mrs Grant: For the last financial year, the Government Equalities Office was still using the Home Office's Government bank accounts within the Government Banking System. Any fees or charges incurred would therefore have been the responsibility of the Home Office, the Department does not hold this information.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities which Ministers in the Government Equalities Office 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. [183225]

Mrs Grant: No Ministers in the Department undertook training in this financial year.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many people aged (a) 16 and under and (b) over 16 years old undertook work experience in the Government Equalities Office in each of the last three years. [183661]

Mrs Grant: The Government Equalities Office, which is part of DCMS, does not hold records of informal work experience placements which employees may arrange. The Department did take part in the Cabinet Office organised social mobility foundation placements for 16 to 17-year-olds for the last two years. As the number involved is so few I cannot release the figures in accordance with established data protection principles.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 172W

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure apprentices employed by (a) the Leadership Development Centre and (b) Vision Lifestyle are paid all outstanding monies owed to them. [182845]

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 16 January 2014]: This matter is currently being followed up by Stockton Riverside College and First for Skills. These are the two organisations currently contracted by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) for delivery of apprenticeships, who have in turn entered into sub-contract arrangements with Leadership Development Centre. The SFA does not have any direct contract with the Leadership Development Centre or Vision Lifestyle.

The SFA is in close communication with Stockton Riverside College and First for Skills to ensure they are taking the appropriate steps to ensure apprentices trained by Leadership Development Centre are able to continue and complete their training and apprenticeship programme.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department can take when apprentices are not paid on time by their employer. [182967]

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 16 January 2014]: Unless the apprentice is contracted through an approved apprenticeship training agency (ATA), the responsibility for payment of apprentices’ wages rests with the employer and will be covered by the terms of the contract of employment between the employer and the apprentice. The training provider cannot use agency funding to pay the apprentice. Should the employer be unable to continue paying the apprentice, the training provider will work with the apprentice to find another suitable employer and may pay the individual whilst doing so.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what safeguards his Department has put in place to ensure that apprentices employed under his Department's programmes are paid monies owed by their employer; and if he will make it his policy that his Department will pay those apprentices owed outstanding monies by (a) the Leadership Development Centre and (b) Vision Lifestyle. [183152]

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 17 January 2014]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I am giving today to question 182845.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills under which of his Department's programmes (a) the Leadership Development Centre and (b) Vision Lifestyle were given a contract to employ apprentices; what due diligence his Department undertook as part of the contracting process; if he will undertake an investigation of the contracting process for that programme; and if he will make a statement. [183153]

21 Jan 2014 : Column 173W

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 16 January 2014]: The Skills Funding Agency has a direct contract with Stockton Riverside College using the adult skills budget—apprenticeships and 16-18 apprenticeships budget. The Leadership Development Centre is a subcontractor to the college. Vision Lifestyle is not declared to the agency as a subcontractor to the college. The agency requires the college to select its subcontractors fairly and that subcontractors have sufficient capacity, capability, quality and financial standing to deliver the provision. The contractor remains ultimately responsible for all provision that is subcontracted.

Breastfeeding

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the contribution of the hon. Member for East Durbatonshire of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 801-2, what progress he has made on issuing guidance on breastfeeding at work. [183717]

Jenny Willott: Acas has consulted with a number of stakeholders to develop guidance and advice for employers in supporting mothers whilst breastfeeding at work. The guidance sets out the statutory minimum requirements for employers, as well as good practice guidance to enable employers help support employees who choose to continue breastfeeding on return to work.

This guidance will be published on the Acas website in the coming weeks.

Business: Leicester

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies registered in (a) Leicester South constituency and (b) Leicester city are classified as (i) small and (ii) medium-sized as defined by the Companies Act 1985. [183796]

Michael Fallon: According to Companies House, there are an estimated 1,468 companies in the Leicester South constituency and 10,894 in Leicester City. However, Companies House cannot determine the number of companies classified as (a) small and (b) medium-sized as defined by the Companies Act 2006. The definitions are based on turnover, balance sheet total and number of employees, and Companies House does not capture this information.

Conditions of Employment

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many calls the Pay and Work Rights Helpline has received in each month of the last two years for which figures are available. [183148]

Jenny Willott: The Pay and Works Rights Helpine¹ provided in the following table figures for the number of calls received in the last two years.

¹ The free telephone number for this service is 0800 917 2368

21 Jan 2014 : Column 174W

Literacy: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on the provision of adult literacy services in Swindon in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [183141]

Matthew Hancock: The amount spent on the provision of adult literacy services (English basic skills training from the adult skills budget) for the past three academic years for Swindon is set out in the following table:

Local Government Finance: Swindon

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding was 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. [183605]

Jenny Willott: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made the following payments to Swindon borough council in each of the financial years in question.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department's Executive agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 16 January 2014:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question number 183605 tabled on 15 January 2014 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding was 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.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 175W

I can confirm that Land Registry have not paid any funds to Swindon Borough Council during any of the periods listed above.

I hope that this information is of assistance.

Letter from Tim Moss, dated 16 January 2014:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 January 2013, UIN 183605 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Companies House has never allocated any funding to Swindon Borough Council.

Letter from Richard Judge, dated 16 January 2014:

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, what funding was 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.

The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, The Insolvency Service has not allocated any funds to Swindon Borough Council in any of 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 or 2013-14 to date.

Letter from John Alty, dated 9 January 2014:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15th January 2014, to the Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO), is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The IPO has not allocated any funds to Swindon Borough Council in any of the years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 or 2013-14 to date.

Letter from Vanessa Lawrence, dated 16 January 2014:

As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, “what funding was 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”.

Ordnance Survey has made no payments to Swindon Borough Council in any of the 4 years for which data has been requested.

Should you have any further questions, please let me know.

I hope this information is helpful.

Letter from David Parker, dated 17 January 2014:

Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking what funding was allocated by his Department and its associated agencies to Swindon Borough Council in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 (c) 2012-13 or (d) 2013-14 to date.

The UK Space Agency was formed on 1st April 2011 so can only provide information from 2011-12 onwards. There was NIL funding to Swindon Borough Council from the UK Space Agency in (b) 2011-12 (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14 to date.

Letter from Peter Mason, dated 17 January 2014:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 January 2014, asking the BIS Secretary of State for details of what funding was 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.

No funds have been allocated by NMO to this council during the time periods in question.

Letter from John Hirst, dated 20 January 2014:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Questions tabled on 15 January 2014, UIN 183605 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Met Office has allocated no funds to Swindon Borough Council during the period in question.

I hope this helps.

Letter from Skills Funding Agency, dated 20 January 2014:

Thank you for your letter on funding allocated to Swindon Borough Council.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 176W

The Skills Funding Agency (and the Learning and Skills Council prior to April 2010) has responsibility for funding post-19 further education and skills training.

Funding values for the 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 funding years for Swindon Borough Council are provided as follows.

The values provided are actual funding received from Skills Funding Agency. The figures for 2013/14 are actual funding to date (August 13-January 14). Adult Skills funding includes: Adult Skills Budget, Additional Learning Support, Discretionary Learning Support and Community Learning.

Manufacturing Industries: Leicestershire

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of trends in levels of manufacturing activity in Leicester and Leicestershire. [183794]

Michael Fallon: “Leicester” and “Leicestershire Country Council and Rutland” are separate administrative areas. The following table shows manufacturing output (in terms of gross value added) from 2009 to 2011 and manufacturing employment from 2009 to 2012 for each of these areas. Note that manufacturing GVA for 2012 is only currently available at the whole UK level.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 10 December 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr K Joslin. [183746]

Jenny Willott: The correspondence referred to has not been received. If the right hon. Member would forward a copy it can be actioned as a matter of urgency.

Minimum Wage: Personal Care Services

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of best steps to be taken to reduce non-compliance with national minimum wage rates in the hairdressing sector. [183151]

21 Jan 2014 : Column 177W

Jenny Willott: The Government take the enforcement of the national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously and dedicate a substantial amount of resources to addressing non-compliance both generally and through a targeted approach.

At a general level HMRC reviews every single complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline by all workers.

Between 1 April 2013-12 January 2014 HMRC has identified £183,079 arrears for 163 workers in the hairdressing sector.

In addition the Government are also toughening up on enforcement of the NMW. The revised NMW naming and shaming scheme which came into effect on 1 October 2013 made it easier to name employers that break national minimum wage law. By naming and shaming employers it is hoped that bad publicity will be an additional deterrent to employers who would otherwise be tempted not to pay the NMW. We anticipate naming employers very soon. The Government also announced that we will be increasing the NMW financial penalty in February 2014 subject to regulation receiving parliamentary approval.

At a targeted level the Government have stepped up their communication activity to increase the level of awareness of the minimum wage rules across the board. As part of a spot the difference campaign, we issued national and regional press releases targeting the top five sectors including hairdressing as well as the top five regions. We want to help employers avoid falling foul of minimum wage rules unwittingly, and ensure that individuals are well-informed about their minimum wage eligibility. This will also motivate employers to comply with NMW by highlighting the benefits to their businesses and drawing attention to the consequences of not paying workers what they are legally entitled.

Anyone not receiving the minimum wage that they are legally entitled to should call the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.

National Careers Service

Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2014, Official Report, column 330W, on National Careers Service, what estimate has been made of the proportion of careers advisers who will be qualified to level six by January 2015. [183903]

Matthew Hancock: On current trends we estimate that over 40% of careers advisers will be qualified to level 6 by January 2015.

New Businesses

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many approvals were granted by the Registrar of Companies in each of the years ending 31 March from 2007 to 2013 in (a) Swindon and (b) the UK. [183604]

Michael Fallon: Companies House estimates that the Registrar of Companies incorporated (your office has clarified that this was what was meant by ‘approvals’)

21 Jan 2014 : Column 178W

the following number of corporate bodies in each of the years ending 31 March from 2007 to 2013 in

(a)

Swindon and

(b)

the UK:

Overseas Trade: Africa

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs regarding the High Level Prosperity Partnership countries and their agreements to drive growth and prosperity in (a) the UK and (b) Africa. [183570]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) fully supports the work on the High Level Prosperity Partnership Pilot which is being led for UKTI by the Minister for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Livingston of Parkhead. He is in close contact with the Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), and the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening). A key aim is to work more closely across Government, so that UK-based businesses can be better positioned to win business in Africa. This will support the development of the five African markets covered by the pilot, and be of benefit to both the UK and Africa. The focus of UKTI is twofold; helping deliver major projects, including the high value opportunity in oil and gas in eastern Africa, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

Post Offices

Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what conditions his Department places on Post Office Ltd to provide services in the event of the retirement of a sub-postmaster. [183452]

Jenny Willott: The Post Office is required to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches, and to meet Government-set access criteria that see, for example, 99% of the national population within three miles of a post office outlet.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 179W

Sub-postmasters are private businesspeople who are contracted by Post Office Ltd to provide access to post office services. Where a sub-postmaster leaves the network, Post Office Ltd works to identify a new sub-postmaster in the community to provide continuity of service.

If a branch can viably convert to one of the new operating models under the network transformation programme, a sub-postmaster can only choose to leave the network with compensation if another sub-postmaster is ready to provide continued access to services within the community.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's 10 largest contracts let since the financial year 2010-11 are; what savings have been made in such contracts; what the level of overspend or underspend was in each such contract; and what steps his Department has taken to monitor the performance of each supplier of such contract following the contract award. [183912]

Jenny Willott: Prior to August 2012 the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) operated a decentralised approach to procurement and the management of any contracts let. As a result, central records were not maintained and this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Queen's Awards for Enterprise

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations and individuals have received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in County Durham in each of the last five years. [183020]

Matthew Hancock: The following organisations and individuals located in County Durham have received a Queen's Award for Enterprise during the past five years.

More information on previous Queen's Awards winners is available at:

https://queensawards.bis.gov.uk/information

21 Jan 2014 : Column 180W

Skills Funding Agency

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his letter to the Skills Funding Agency on funding for 2014-15 will be published; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish that letter. [183729]

Matthew Hancock: The skills funding statement will be published shortly. The letter to the Skills Funding Agency on funding for 2014-15 expands upon the information published in the skills funding statement and hence will be published shortly afterwards.

Stockdale Riverside College

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total value is of the contract entered into by Stockdale Riverside College and (a) the Leadership Development Centre and (b) Vision Lifestyle for the employment of apprentices. [182829]

Matthew Hancock: The total value of the contract entered into by Stockton Riverside College with Leadership Development Centre for 2013-14 is £412,715. This is sub-divided into £345,877 for 16-18 apprenticeships and £66,838 for adult skills budget apprenticeships. Stockton Riverside College has not declared that it has a contract with Vision Lifestyle for use of Skills Funding Agency funds.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what due diligence process his Department required (a) the Leadership Development Centre and (b) Vision Lifestyle to undertake prior to their acceptance as sub-contractors for Stockton Riverside College to employ apprentices. [182968]

Matthew Hancock [holding answer 16 January 2014]: The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) requires its contractors to notify it of any subcontractors it intends to use. According to information supplied by Stockton Riverside College to the SFA, Vision Lifestyle is not a subcontractor to the college. The Leadership Development Centre is a subcontractor to the college.

The SFA requires that providers do not appoint subcontractors with a contract value of £100,000 or above per funding year unless they are listed on the agency's register of training organisations. The agency also requires that the college selects its subcontractors fairly and that subcontractors have sufficient capacity, capability, quality and financial standing to deliver the provision. The contractor remains ultimately responsible for all provision that is subcontracted.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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. [183214]

21 Jan 2014 : Column 181W

Jenny Willott: The Minister for Skills and Enterprise, the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock), my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), and the noble Lord, Viscount Younger of Leckie, all received media training from Millbankmedia at a total cost of £7,700.

My hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) also received unconscious bias training delivered by Professor Binna Kandola at no cost.

UK Trade & Investment: East Midlands

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK Trade & Investment employees based in the East Midlands were employed in attracting inward investment to Leicester in 2013. [183795]

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) resource tasked with attracting inward investment is divided between the UK and priority markets overseas. There were 34 priority markets in 2010 and 2012. In 2013, these rose to 40.

UKTI investment resource in the UK and priority markets overseas is responsible for supporting inward investment to the UK and promoting UK capability at the national, regional and local level. In 2012 and 2013 no employees were deployed on a city-by-city basis within England.

Deputy Prime Minister

Electoral Register

Lucy Powell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of those on the current electoral register in each parliamentary constituency who are at risk of not being transferred to the new electoral register after 2015. [183158]

Greg Clark: Electoral registers are compiled and maintained by local authorities, which usually cover multiple and partial parliamentary constituencies.

To safeguard the completeness and accuracy of the register in the transition to individual electoral registration, the Government are using data matching to confirm the vast majority of existing electors.

Those people who are not automatically matched will be invited to apply, and then reminded and visited by a canvasser, both in 2014 and 2015. In addition, the Government are making registration more accessible by introducing online registration and providing additional resources at a national and local level to fund activities to boost the completeness and accuracy of the register.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the registration rates were for attainers in each year for which data are available. [183555]

Greg Clark: This information is not held centrally.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average cost of registering additional non-voters was in each of the last six years. [183571]

21 Jan 2014 : Column 182W

Greg Clark: This information is not held centrally. The cost of electoral registration is paid for directly by local authorities through funding which they receive from the revenue support grant.

Primary Elections

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress his Department has made in the last three years on establishing 200 all-postal primaries. [183304]

Greg Clark: There are significant costs associated with funding 200 all-postal primaries. The Government are still considering how to take this measure forward.

Political parties can choose to fund all-postal primaries where they want to, without funding from the taxpayer.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Somalia

14. John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of human rights in Somalia; and if he will make a statement. [902076]

Mark Simmonds: Respect for human rights in Somalia remains poor. The Federal Government of Somalia have made ambitious commitments to improve human rights by creating functioning justice institutions, by zero tolerance for crimes of sexual violence, and by the establishment of national human rights institutions. The UK welcomes these commitments and actively supports them.

Burma: Political Prisoners

15. Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on the release of political prisoners in that country; and if he will make a statement. [902077]

Mr Swire: Ministers regularly raise political prisoners with our Burmese counterparts. In November I pressed a senior Minister in the President’s Office on Thein Sein’s commitment to release all political prisoners by the end of 2013. On 31 December I welcomed further releases but expressed concern over individuals who remain in prison. One political prisoner anywhere in the world is too many.

Pakistan: Religious Minorities

16. Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in that country. [902078]

Hugh Robertson: My noble Friend Baroness Warsi raised the issue of religious minorities with the Pakistani Prime Minister during her most recent visit to Pakistan

21 Jan 2014 : Column 183W

and during the UN General Assembly. We continue to raise the issue of the persecution of religious minorities on a regular basis with the authorities in Pakistan.

Israel: Children in Military Custody

17. Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the treatment of Palestinian child detainees. [902079]

Hugh Robertson: Despite some positive developments, we continue to have serious concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian child detainees. We discuss the issue regularly with the Israeli Government, most recently on 31 December. The UK raised this issue at Israel’s universal periodic review session at the UN Human Rights Council on 29 October.

19. Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on implementing the recommendations of the report entitled “Children in Military Custody” published in June 2012. [902081]

Hugh Robertson: We regularly discuss the issue and the recommendations of the report with the Israeli Government, most recently on 31 December. The UK also raised this issue at Israel's universal periodic review session at the UN Human Rights Council on 29 October, recommending audio-visual recording for all interviews of child detainees.

Trade with Nigeria

20. Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what change there has been in levels of trade between Nigeria and the UK since the Prime Minister’s visit to Nigeria in 2011. [902082]

Mark Simmonds: The latest figures show bilateral trade has increased from £5.3 billion in 2011 to £7.2 billion in 2012. In 2011 the Prime Minister and President Jonathan committed to double bilateral trade from 2010 levels by 2014 and we remain on track to achieve this.

Human Rights in Russia

21. Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on human rights cases in Russia. [902083]

Mr Hague: The promotion and protection of human rights is a key priority in our bilateral relationship with Russia. Most recently I discussed human rights with Foreign Minister Lavrov at the UN General Assembly in September. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), also raised concerns with the Russian authorities in December.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 184W

Zimbabwe

22. Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. [902084]

Mark Simmonds: Despite flawed elections, the political situation remains stable. However, the Government now need to deliver for the Zimbabwean people, in particular on their constitutional commitments, secured under the global political agreement.

Zimbabwe's economy remains fragile, and we remain extremely concerned about the potential impact of Government policies on ordinary Zimbabweans and the region.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [183639]

Mr Lidington: During 2012-13, the latest complete year for which data are available, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) paid the following rent for privately-owned buildings used for official duties:

In the UK, £1,957,363 on five buildings:

1 Carlton Gardens, London, SW1

Lancaster House, London, SW1

Northgate House, Milton Keynes

Part of Norfolk House, Milton Keynes (stopped renting 28 February 2013)

Part 12^th Floor, Centrepoint, New Oxford Street, London WC1 (stopped renting 31 May 2013)

Overseas, £36,623,275, was paid in rent and service charges on 244 office buildings and heads of posts' residences, plus ground rent on a further 64 buildings in the financial year 2012-13. Offices overseas accommodate not only FCO staff but also Government partners and wider public sector organisations (e.g. the National Crime Agency and the police). This figure also includes some payments in respect of ancillary land and buildings, e.g. car parks and storerooms. To break these figures down further would incur disproportionate costs.

Details of the private landlords have not been provided as this would be commercially sensitive.

India

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he holds on the alleged involvement of the then UK Government in the attack on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984; and if he will make a statement. [183274]

Mr Swire: As stated by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 849, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), has been asked to lead an urgent review to establish the facts and this process is under way. As also stated by the Prime Minister the findings will be made public.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 185W

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will order the release of any further Government documents relating to the attack on the Golden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. [183275]

Mr Swire: As stated by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 849, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), has been asked to lead an urgent review to establish the facts and this process is under way. As also stated by the Prime Minister the findings will be made public.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish all relevant documents outlining the extent of the UK's involvement in the 1984 Amritsar attack. [183797]

Mr Swire: As stated by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 849, the Cabinet Secretary, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), has been asked to lead an urgent review to establish the facts and this process is under way. As also stated by the Prime Minister the findings will be made public.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Indian Government about the release of Sikh prisoners. [183846]

Mr Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 9 January 2014, Official Report, column 325W.

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation the UK intends to send to the second conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons in Nayarit, Mexico on 13-14 February 2014. [183740]

Hugh Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 2 December 2013, Official Report, column 570W, to the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn).

I will inform the House when a decision on attendance has been made.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 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. [183209]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is already compliant with this guidance.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 186W

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 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. [183224]

Hugh Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the House on 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 569W, by my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), which provides details of ministerial training from May 2010 to July 2012.

Since July 2012 one Minister has attended a media training session at Robert Taylor Communications in July 2013. The cost was £1,150.

USA

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his US counterpart on the fairness of the trial of the Miami Five; and if he will make a statement. [901390]

Hugh Robertson: The British Government will not make representations to the US Government on the trial of the Miami Five. The British embassy in Washington continues to monitor the issue.

The Miami Five were tried and convicted in December 2001 in a seven-month open trial of having committed crimes in the US including using false identification, espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.

International Development

Bangladesh

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of her Department's aids programmes in Bangladesh are being reviewed for a reduction in funding; and what the end date of each such project is. [183179]

Mr Duncan: DFID regularly reviews the performance of all programmes to identify actions to improve performance and implications for funding. Annual reviews of our programmes are published on the development tracker website at:

http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements her Department has put in place to ensure that funds given directly to the Government of Bangladesh are properly accounted for. [183180]

Mr Duncan: No aid is provided as direct budget support to Bangladesh. About one third of UK aid to Bangladesh goes through Government systems. We reimburse the Government once agreed activities have been undertaken or agreed results have been delivered. Multilateral take responsibility for oversight of the finances and reporting, and funds go to the Government only once these checks have been made. Financial reports from the Government are audited annually.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 187W

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will reduce the funding her Department gives directly to the Government of Bangladesh. [183181]

Mr Duncan: DFID is watching events carefully in Bangladesh following the recent elections. We have no intention of rushing into any decisions and have not cancelled any existing programmes.

Bank Services

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [183251]

Mr Duncan: DFID did not use a bank overdraft during the last financial year.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate she has made of the amount of such aid sent in 2013. [183303]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID spend bilaterally in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for each requested year is as follows:

Developing Countries: Forests

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidance her Department gives to developing countries on contour afforestation as a means to prevent flooding. [183266]

Lynne Featherstone: Protecting or restoring forest cover can provide an effective means to prevent flooding, but this is very context specific. For example, DFID Nepal is supporting communities in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal to reforest slopes above their villages, to reduce risks of flooding and landslides.

21 Jan 2014 : Column 188W

Developing Countries: Homosexuality

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the Government give to countries with laws that discriminate against homosexuality. [183902]

Justine Greening: The UK Government monitors human rights overseas very closely and our assessment is published annually in the Foreign Office's human rights and democracy report. We raise our concerns about human rights issues wherever and whenever they exist. Any direct financial aid to partner Governments is only provided after we have assessed their respect for human rights.

Overseas Aid

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of UK official development assistance was allocated exclusively to her Department's budget in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13. [183106]

Mr Duncan: The following table provides information on the amount and proportion of UK official development assistance (ODA) that was spent by DFID during the years 2009-12. ODA is calculated by calendar year.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [183228]

Mr Duncan: DFID does not publish details of individual Ministers' personal training and development plans and activities. This is in line with the approach on civil servants and data protection legislation.