28 Jan 2014 : Column 466W

Yorkshire and the Humber,

(h)

the East Midlands,

(i)

the West Midlands,

(j)

the East of England,

(k)

London,

(l)

the South East and

(m)

the South West in the last three years for which figures are available. [184287]

Mike Penning: DWP's direct and indirect spend with SMEs from 2009-10 to 20012-13 has been reported on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/buying-and-managing-government-goods-and-services-more-efficiently-and-effectively/supporting-pages/making-sure-government-gets-full-value-from-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises

We do not hold this information on a regional basis.

The Department is fully committed to the Government target and has an action plan in place which details its opportunities and areas of focus in the next two years.

Social Security Benefits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many owners of small businesses are in receipt of benefits. [184201]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many UK citizens receive more in welfare than they pay in tax. [184507]

Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many UK citizens Receive more in welfare than they pay in tax (184507).

The Office for National Statistics' data on taxes and benefits is collected at the household rather than individual level. In 2011/12, the most recent year for which figures are available, 10.0 million households in the UK received more in direct cash benefits from the state than they paid in total tax (the sum of both direct taxes such as income tax, and indirect taxes such as VAT and excise duties).

When taking into account total benefits, which include both direct cash benefits and the benefit-in-kind households receive from state expenditure on services such as education and the NHS, in 2011/12, 13.7 million households received more in total benefits than they paid in total tax. These figures are shown in Table 1.

These estimates are produced from the UK's Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income data series, which is based on Living Costs and Food Survey, an annual survey of approximately 5,000 households.

These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

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Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's statistical summary, published on 22 January 2014, what analysis he has undertaken of the increase in the number of people in the working age ESA/IB client group indicated in the early estimates between August and November 2013. [184909]

Esther McVey: We cannot say definitively why this small increase has occurred. There may be a number of factors including increases in new claims to employment and support allowance and/or reductions in the number of claimants leaving the benefit.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, columns 60-61W, on social security benefits, for what reason there is no information available for the amount spent on advertising (a) council tax benefit in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2012, (b) winter fuel allowance in 2012 and (c) pension credit in 2012. [185099]

Esther McVey: Our previous response of 6 January 2014, Official Report, columns 60-61W, noted that the Department rarely advertises specific benefits over and above maintaining a range of information leaflets. The three benefits quoted (winter fuel allowance, council tax benefits and pension credit) were advertised only in the years with figures supplied. There was no advertising conducted for any of these three benefits in 2012, and no advertising of council tax benefit in 2010.

Unemployed People: Kilmarnock and Loudoun

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on refunding the cost of travel by jobseekers in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency between October and December 2013. [184364]

Esther McVey: The cost of refunding travel by jobseekers to Kilmarnock Jobcentre from October to December 2013 was:

October 2013 to December 2013: £7,448.31

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Universal Credit

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2013, Official Report, column 596W, on universal credit: Hammersmith and Fulham, when his Department plans to make universal credit available to foreign nationals. [184966]

Esther McVey: I refer the right hon. Member to my previous response—universal credit is at present only available to British citizens. There are currently no plans to extend eligibility to foreign nationals yet.

War Pensions

Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will reassess his Department's practice of including War Disablement Pension payments as a source of income when calculating benefit entitlements. [184258]

Esther McVey: War Disablement Pensions and guaranteed income payments from the Armed Forces Compensation scheme are to be fully disregarded in universal credit. There are no plans to make any changes to the treatment of these payments in other benefits.

Winter Fuel Payments

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for winter fuel payments were made in the (a) North East of England and (b) UK in 2013-14 to date; how many such claims were paid on time; how many payments of such claims have been delayed; and how long the delay has been in each case. [184768]

Steve Webb: Information on winter fuel payments for winter 2013-14 is not yet available.

Winter Fuel Payments: West Midlands

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners received the winter fuel allowance in (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency and (c) the West Midlands in each of the last three years. [184817]

Steve Webb: The information for the last available three years is in the following table:

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Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to issue tenders for the successor to the Work programme; and if he will make a statement. [184964]

Mike Penning: The Work programme is contracted to 31 March 2016 at which time referrals would cease and the provider will manage existing customers until they have finished the programme. A decision on re-tender will be made closer to that time and will be published in due course.

Prime Minister

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister what contact he has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute. [185012]

The Prime Minister: Details of my meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the gov.uk website.

Lynton Crosby

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister what level of official Whitehall security clearance Mr Lynton Crosby has had in each of the last 12 months; and which categories of material and information those levels of clearance have entitled him to view or discuss. [184815]

The Prime Minister: Mr Crosby is not employed by the Government.

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister to which (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants, (c) special advisers and (d) other people the 10 Downing Street Strategy Unit's weekly report on upcoming business, known as the grid note, is circulated. [184816]

The Prime Minister: There has been no change to the practice followed by the previous Administration. The weekly report on upcoming business is copied to relevant people.

World Economic Forum

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister which Government Ministers attended the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2014; from which budget each Minister's travel and accommodation expenses were met from in each case; and what value for money assessment was made prior to each Minister's respective attendance. [184870]

The Prime Minister: Details of ministerial overseas travel are published quarterly and are available on the gov.uk website.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Belarus

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his Department's policy to close the visa section of the British embassy in Minsk, Belarus; and if he will make a statement. [184931]

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

Since 2007 the Home Office has closed many of its smaller visa sections to concentrate decision making in larger hubs across the world in order to make efficiencies and bring more consistency to decision making. As part of this process, decision making for applications submitted by residents of Belarus will move from the small visa section in Minsk to the large visa processing hub at the British embassy in Moscow. The visa section in the embassy in Minsk will close and a Visa Application Centre (VAC) operated by a commercial partner will open. This change is expected to happen by the end of April 2014.

British Nationals Abroad: Crime

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the qualifying criteria are for loans offered to family members where UK residents are harmed abroad. [184347]

Mark Simmonds: There are no specific loans available to family members when British nationals are harmed abroad. Repatriation loans are offered to British nationals abroad facing exceptionally serious difficulties of various kinds (not limited to those harmed or who are victims of crime). Loans are issued against an undertaking to repay and the recipient’s passport is withheld until payment is received. Persons affected must have exhausted all other options to get financial help, and be able to sign an agreement to repay. Loans are not available for uncapped expenses such as medical or legal fees.

Practical support for families is also available from organisations the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides funding for, such as the Victim Support Homicide Service and Missing Abroad. This help takes many forms, but can include securing financial help for families such as negotiating reduced travel costs.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the benefits of Citizenship by Investment Programmes to the Overseas Territories. [184500]

Mark Simmonds: The arrangements for acquiring British Overseas Territories citizenship within the Overseas Territories are governed by the British Nationality Act 1981, and are similar to arrangements for acquiring British citizenship in the UK. While it is open to Territories to facilitate earlier routes to settlement for investors, citizenship can only be acquired by a person who meets the requirements set out within the Act, including a period

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of continuous residence in the Territory. This is consistent with the position within the UK. There are no plans to amend the 1981 Act in this respect.

We encourage the OTs to look at high net worth schemes to attract investors, such as the High Value Migrant scheme or Investor Visas, like those in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands. These schemes provide a route to settlement in that particular Territory, but not a quicker route to citizenship.

Central African Republic

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government held with its EU partners in advance of the recent EU decision to send troops to the Central African Republic. [184669]

Mark Simmonds: The UK held a number of discussions with EU partners both bilaterally and within EU fora, ahead of the 20 January EU Foreign Affairs Council, which agreed in principle to an EU operation in the Central African Republic, subject to a formal Council Decision and UNSCR mandate. The operation would provide temporary support, for a period of up to six months, help to achieve a secure environment in the Bangui area, with a view to handing over to the AU. The UK has made clear that UK parliamentary scrutiny procedures would need to be respected as part of the EU decision-making process going forward.

Iran

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of attempts by Iran to circumvent the arms embargo. [184678]

Hugh Robertson: We remain deeply concerned by reports, including from the UN Panel of experts supporting the UNSCR 1737 Committee, that Iran continues to transfer arms within the Middle East and Africa—including to Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Kenya—in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. Iran must end such activity immediately.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart about financing and arming by Iran of terrorist organisations. [184680]

Hugh Robertson: We have serious concerns about the way Iran's support for a number of groups in the Middle East, including Hizballah, Palestinian rejectionist groups such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas, and Iraqi Shia militia groups directly undermines prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East. We will continue to use our expanding bilateral engagement with Iran to raise issues of concern to the UK.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the P5+1-Iran Joint Plan of Action prevents Iran from manufacturing components for Arak heavy water facility. [184893]

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Hugh Robertson: Iran remains obligated to suspend all work on all heavy water related projects under UNSCR 1737. Under the Joint Plan of Action, as a first step measure Iran agreed to freeze progress on the Arak Heavy Water Research Reactor, not to commission it, or transfer fuel or heavy water to the reactor site. Iran also agreed not to produce or test additional fuel or install remaining components. The IAEA verified that Iran had adhered to these requirements in its report on 20 January.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the P5+1-Iran Joint Plan of Action allows Iran to continue manufacturing new centrifuge devices. [184894]

Hugh Robertson: Under the Joint Plan of Action, Iran has committed not to install further centrifuges at its main enrichment facility at Natanz. Iran has also agreed that its centrifuge production during the six month duration of the deal will be dedicated to replacing damaged machines with centrifuges of the same type.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the P5+1 -Iran Joint Plan of Action requires Iran to suspend research and development of (a) ballistic missiles and (b) nuclear-related weaponisation. [184895]

Hugh Robertson: UN Security Council Resolution 1929 requires Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and this remains in force under the Joint Plan of Action. Under the Joint Plan of Action, Iran has reaffirmed that it will not seek to develop nuclear weapons.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the P5+1-Iran Joint Plan of Action requires Iran to grant International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to all nuclear-related facilities. [184896]

Hugh Robertson: Under Iran's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA, inspectors already have access to Iran's declared nuclear facilities. But under the Joint Plan of Action, Iran has agreed to enhanced monitoring of its nuclear facilities by the IAEA. This includes additional access for the IAEA to centrifuges assembly workshops, rotor production workshops and storage facilities and uranium mines and mills for the first time since 2006, and daily access for IAEA inspectors to surveillance records at its Natanz and Fordow facilities.

Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had about the feasibility of a Citizenship by Investment Programme in Montserrat. [184501]

Mark Simmonds: The arrangements for acquiring British Overseas Territories citizenship in Montserrat are governed by the British Nationality Act 1981 and

28 Jan 2014 : Column 473W

are similar to arrangements for acquiring British citizenship in the UK. In November 2013, the Premier of Montserrat raised with UK Ministers a proposal for an economic citizenship programme as part of efforts to encourage investment in the territory. The Government of Montserrat have been advised that there are no plans to provide a fast track to British nationality in the UK or the Overseas Territories. The UK Government are encouraging the Government of Montserrat to consider offering a fast track to permanent residence status for investors in Montserrat in line with arrangements for high net worth individuals in the UK and in a number of other Overseas Territories.

Andrew Rosindell: (1) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of a Citizenship by Investment Programme in Montserrat. [184502]

(2) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will introduce a pilot Citizenship by Investment Programme in Montserrat. [184503]

Mark Simmonds: The arrangements for acquiring British Overseas Territories citizenship in Montserrat are governed by the British Nationality Act 1981 and are similar to arrangements for acquiring British citizenship in the UK. In November 2013, the Premier of Montserrat raised with UK Ministers a proposal for an economic citizenship programme as part of efforts to encourage investment in the territory. The Government of Montserrat have been advised that there are no plans to provide a fast track to British nationality in the UK or the Overseas Territories. The UK Government are encouraging the Government of Montserrat to consider offering a fast track to permanent residence status for investors in Montserrat in line with arrangements for high net worth individuals in the UK and in a number of other Overseas Territories. The Government of Montserrat are responsible for Montserrat's immigration policy including criteria for granting permanent residence. It would therefore be for the Government of Montserrat to consider piloting such an investor programme.

Procurement

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of expenditure on his Department's procurement contracts was placed with small and medium-sized enterprises based in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) the North East, (f) the North West, (g) Yorkshire and the Humber, (h) the East Midlands, (i) the West Midlands, (j) the East of England, (k) London, (l) the South East and (m) the South West in the last three years for which figures are available. [184282]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to increasing its direct and indirect spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We cannot confirm where in the UK the SMEs are based without incurring disproportionate cost.

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In the years for which data are available, the proportion of direct spend with SMEs in the UK is as follows (UK spend only):

South Africa

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his South African counterpart to ensure that the problem of an increase in the number of rhinoceros being killed in South Africa is addressed urgently. [184670]

Mark Simmonds: The UK Government regularly engage their South African counterparts on the illegal wildlife trade at senior level. Both UK and South African Ministers reiterated their commitment to combating this harmful trade at the last UK-South Africa bilateral forum, held in Cape Town on 10 September 2013. The South African Government have pledged to address the issue of rhino poaching as a matter of priority and we look forward to working with them at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade on 12-13 February 2014.

Attorney-General

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many hours of overtime have been worked by staff of the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last five years. [184066]

The Solicitor-General: The total number of hours of overtime worked by staff of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:

The information is based on data extracted from the CPS's central pay database. It summarises hours claimed between January and December in each year. Every effort has been made to ensure that it is complete and accurate but it is feasible that minor inaccuracies in data input affect the totals reported.

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RSPCA

Karl McCartney: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the RSPCA's prosecution policy. [184943]

The Attorney-General: The RSPCA brings its prosecutions as a private prosecutor and I have made no assessment of its prosecution policy.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Finance

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme to be made available to farmers. [184786]

George Eustice: The third round of the Rural Development Programme for England's Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme will be available to eligible businesses, including farmers, from 4 February 2014. The application window will be open until 4 April 2014.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many culled badgers subsequently tested positive for bovine TB. [179729]

George Eustice: Testing badger carcases for TB was not undertaken on a routine basis during the pilot cull. High levels of TB were confirmed in badgers in the regions in which the cull areas are located during the Randomised Badger Cull Trial (RBCT). This has been confirmed by other research work carried out by independent scientists.

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on his badger cull policy if the independent scientific panel conclude that the two badger cull pilots were ineffective. [184268]

George Eustice: We await the Independent Expert Panel's report with interest and will respond to its contents once it is published.

EU Law

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [183865]

George Eustice: According to departmental records, DEFRA has transposed a total of 33 EU directives into UK law since 1 January 2010, eight of which were transposed without the need to introduce new legislation.

We do not hold a central record of all directly applicable EU regulations coming into effect since 2010. Details of all current European legislation are on the Eur-Lex website:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/legis/latest/index.htm

28 Jan 2014 : Column 476W

Food: Origin Marking

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on producers in Northern Ireland of changes to EU regulation related to country of origin labelling. [181787]

George Eustice: The European Commission has adopted implementing rules on country of origin labelling for fresh meat. The UK has worked to secure provisions in the regulation that ensure businesses give consumers meaningful information, but that are not burdensome for businesses. Food businesses will have to label the member state of rearing and slaughter on pre-packed pork, poultry, sheep and goat meat.

We successfully pressed the Commission to include an article in the regulation clarifying that businesses may also volunteer additional geographical information. This allows for terms such as ‘British’, ‘Northern Irish’ or ‘from the island of Ireland’.

These rules will come into force for all EU businesses on 1 April 2015.

Land: Contamination

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 158W, on land: contamination, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Revenue Support Grant to support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory duties under part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [184465]

George Eustice: DEFRA has made no formal assessment of the ability of the Revenue Support Grant to support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory duties under part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Revenue Support is not ring-fenced and it is up to local authorities to decide where to allocate the money according to their individual priorities.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from construction companies about delays to the tendering process for the Thames Tideway Tunnel; and what steps he is taking to expedite that process. [R] [179736]

Dan Rogerson: To date, we have not received any representations from construction companies. In a large and complex project like the Thames Tideway Tunnel, it is important that we and Thames Water take the appropriate time to ensure that this procurement and the wider context of the delivery mechanism for the project will offer value for money for taxpayers and customers. Thames Water issued the Invitation To Tender for the first of the main construction works contracts on 4 December 2013.

White Fish

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the discard ban on white fish from 2016 on the economic viability of small inshore vessels with small quota allocations. [184239]

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George Eustice: Later this year I will be consulting on how to implement the discard ban (landings obligation) and how to support the fishing fleet, notably small scale inshore vessels, through the transition to discard-free fisheries. DEFRA has funded a number of research initiatives to help inform practical steps on implementing the landings obligation for the inshore fleet. These include a discard ban trial and project ‘SESAMI’, which is collecting additional catch and discard data. Results from these research initiatives are expected in April 2014.

Home Department

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department has met representatives of the alcohol industry to discuss the issue of minimum alcohol pricing in the last six months. [182566]

Norman Baker: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:

http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the drinks industry about alcohol pricing policy. [183094]

Norman Baker: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:

http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office

We are shortly introducing a ban on below-cost sales and reserve the right to go further depending on the actions of the industry to take action to reduce alcohol related harms.

Asylum

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum cases were withdrawn by her Department's presenting officers and sent back to her Department's case owners in the years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14 to date. [183469]

Mr Harper: The following table provides a breakdown of asylum decisions withdrawn by the Home Office at the appeal stage in the requested time periods:

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The data on which our response is based are management information which has 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.

Aviation

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2013, Official Report, column 452W, on aviation, whether any officials or agencies within his jurisdiction are collecting comprehensive information on private flights arriving into UK airspace each year. [184729]

Mr Harper [holding answer 27 January 2014]: The Department for Transport does not collect information on such flights.

All general aviation flights are required to submit advance information to UK Border Force, in the form of a General Aviation Report (GAR) prior to arriving in the UK. This information includes: passenger details, flight details, and aircraft details.

All flights must also submit a flight plan before arriving in the UK to NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services).

Aviation: Security

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private flights containing passengers who were security-assessed as high priority arrived into (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted airports in 2013. [184726]

Mr Harper [holding answer 27 January 2014]: To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border Her Majesty's Government cannot comment on port-specific statistics.

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many passengers who arrived into the UK on private planes were monitored by UK Border Force in 2013; [184727]

(2) what proportion of passengers on private planes monitored by UK Border Force were security-assessed as high priority in 2013. [184728]

Mr Harper [holding answer 27 January 2014]: UK Border Force does not collate or report general aviation statistics at passenger level. UK Border Force risk assesses 100% of flights notified to us and seeks to deploy to all high priority flights.

Borders: Personal Records

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which airlines active in the UK had (a) signed up and (b) not signed up for pre-departure screening checks as part of the e-borders programme in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13. [183277]

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Mr Harper: All airlines providing advance passenger information (API) to the Border Systems Programme (which includes the former e-borders programme) are within the scope of the overall scheme. As at March 2013, 139 carriers were providing API to the Border Systems Programme. The Pre-Departure Checks Scheme to prevent individuals who pose a terrorist threat from flying to or from the UK was introduced in July 2012.

British Nationals Abroad: Syria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings she has had with the Metropolitan Police since 1 September 2013 to discuss UK citizens returning from Syria. [182597]

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department has awarded in the last 10 years to (a) Professor Christian Dustmann and (b) the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration. [181495]

Mr Harper: No contracts have been awarded to the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration by the Home Department or its agencies in the last 10 years.

Six contracts have been awarded to E-Policy which is a trading name for Professor Christian Dustmann during the last 10 years. Four of these were awarded under the previous Government and of the two awarded under this Government, only one resulted in work being carried out and subsequent payment.

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent contact her Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts her Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. [185009]

James Brokenshire: The Home Department does not centrally hold information about any contact with the Curzon Education and the Curzon Institute.

The Home Department does not hold any contracts with these bodies.

Domestic Violence

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms of reference are of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's inspection of the effectiveness of the police response to domestic violence and abuse across England and Wales. [184081]

Norman Baker [holding answer 23 January 2014]: The Home Secretary has commissioned Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct an

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inspection into how police forces are responding to domestic violence and abuse to ensure the police response is as effective as it can be. HMIC will look at the performance of forces across England and Wales, identify where improvements need to be made and report to the Home Office by April 2014.

The Home Secretary has asked that HMIC consider the following matters in their inspection:

the effectiveness of the police approach to domestic violence and abuse, focusing on the outcomes for victims;

whether risks to victims of domestic violence and abuse are adequately managed;

identification of lessons learnt from how the police approach domestic violence and abuse; and

to make any necessary recommendations in relation to these findings when considered alongside current practice.

This forms the basis of the inspection terms of reference.

Entry Clearances: Iran

Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons three Iranian officials holding UK visas were detained for a number of days at Heathrow airport in 2011 or 2012. [183187]

Mr Harper [holding answer 17 January 2014]: UK Border Force has conducted initial inquiries but the description provided is too limited to identify the individuals concerned and, therefore, provide the relevant information.

Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on an unannounced inspection of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre on 5 to 16 August 2013, what assessment she has made of that report; and whether, and to what timescale, her Department will implement the recommendations in the report. [183953]

Mr Harper: The performance by GEO, the contractor running Harmondsworth, has been below the high standard expected.

In response to the inspection report a Service Improvement Plan, to be published within two months, will address each recommendation and outline what action will be taken. Thereafter, the Home Office has 18 months to effect the improvements.

The Home Office has already taken a range of actions to address the areas of immediate concern. Contractors have been reminded of the appropriate use of handcuffs and a specific instruction will be issued for the management of detainees who have been hospitalised. The Home Office has also instigated a new process to notify case owners when detainees are moved to hospital to ensure that detention remains appropriate. There is a new health care provider and the Home Office is working closely with them to ensure that a safe and comprehensive service is provided.

Immigration

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration her Department has given to the use of a national identity card system for determining an individual's immigration status. [184300]

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Mr Harper [holding answer 24 January 2014]: The Government have no plans to introduce an identity card system for British citizens. As part of our commitment to restore personal freedoms and curtail unnecessary intrusion by the state into people's personal lives, we abolished the identity cards scheme in 2010 and destroyed the National Identity Register, which saved the taxpayer £86 million.

However, the Biometric Residence Permit is issued to non-EEA nationals staying in the UK for more than six months. These provide evidence of the holders' immigration status in the UK.

Immigration Bill: Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions Ministers in her Department have had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the potential effect of clauses in the Immigration Bill on devolved competencies. [184859]

Mr Harper: Ministers regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with Ministers in the devolved Administrations. A meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee was chaired by the Prime Minister on 16 October 2013, attended by the First Minister of Scotland. The three principal agenda items at the meeting were the economy and public finances, the UK Government's proposals on migrants' access to public services and major sporting events.

Since October, the Immigration Minister has exchanged letters with Humza Yousaf MSP, Alex Neil MSP and Roseanna Cunningham MSP.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons her Department is not seeking a Legislative Consent Resolution of the Scottish Parliament in respect of clauses in the

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Immigration Bill relating to residential tenancies and health services. [184860]

Mr Harper: The clauses in the Immigration Bill on residential tenancies and health services relate to immigration matters that fall within the reserved competence of the Westminster Parliament. A Legislative Consent Motion in respect of these clauses is therefore not required.

Immigration: Iran

Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in which Embassy Iranian officials Mr Reza Garjei, Mr Ali Vojdan, and Mr Reza Alizadeh were issued visas to enter the UK; [184813]

(2) under what grounds Iranian citizens Mr Reza Garjei, Mr Ali Vojdan, and Mr Reza Alizadeh were detained on entry to the UK. [184814]

Mr Harper: The Home Office does not routinely comment on individuals cases.

Land

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which sites owned by her Department are currently earmarked for disposal; what the current class use is of each site; what the expected planning use is for each site; whether each site already has planning permission for the expected planning use; what the market value of the site is; and whether the site will be sold for the full market value. [184985]

James Brokenshire: The Department owns two sites that are currently being disposed of and a further site is being assessed for possible disposal. The requested information is provided in the following table. Once placed on the market, sale at full market value is anticipated for each site.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 17 December 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Adeel Farukh. [184855]

Mr Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 21 January 2014.

Minimum Wage Enforcement: Effect on Immigration

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues regarding the effect of minimum wage enforcement on levels of immigration. [902187]

Mr Harper: I welcome the recent announcement by the Prime Minister to quadruple the penalty on employers for non-compliance with the National

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Minimum Wage. We are working across Government to strengthen the enforcement response to rogue businesses, including those that use migrant labour to undercut wage levels, and remain committed to reducing immigration.

Road Traffic Offences: Cycling

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the frequency of pedal cyclists ignoring red traffic lights; and what steps she is taking to reduce these offences. [184393]

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of cyclists ignoring red traffic lights. Cyclists failing to comply with traffic signs or signals commit a summary offence, and not a notifiable offence. The Home Office only collects data on notifiable offences.

The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for the police. Officers can issue verbal warnings, fixed penalty notices or report the road user for formal prosecution. Members of the public are encouraged to give evidence of specific problems and of particularly dangerous behaviour to the police. This will help ensure that the police target their resources effectively.

In addition to regular enforcement activity, police forces occasionally undertake short, intensive campaigns to raise awareness of cycling law, and the penalties they can impose if the laws are broken. This can help target persistent or localised problems. We support any action taken by the police to deter and reduce the number of cycling offences.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) recorded offences and (b) convictions have occurred for offences under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 37), as amended, in each of the last five years. [182255]

Mrs May [holding answer 13 January 2014]: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of offences committed under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The Act contains several offences, some of which are notifiable and some of which are not. As a result, it is not possible to give an estimate of the number of recorded offences under this Act.

Data on convictions under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. However, the data held do not identify whether an offence was committed against a child or an adult.

Therefore data on the regulations mentioned cannot be provided without a special data collection from the courts. As such, it can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Social Networking

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure the enforcement of laws preventing

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communication or publication of racist, anti-Semitic and threatening behaviour through Twitter; what steps the Government can take to ensure the removal of such material; and if she will make a statement. [184418]

Norman Baker: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime and we have been clear that it is unacceptable for anyone to use the internet as a means to harass, intimidate, or threaten anyone in an illegal manner.

Guidance on prosecuting cases involving social media communications was issued by the Director for Public Prosecutions last June, setting out clear guidelines for cases involving hate crime. These guidelines should also be used by the police when investigating specific offences.

We continue to work across Government with leading social media providers and have been clear that we expect them to respond robustly to incidents of abusive behaviour on their networks. This includes having easy to use reporting tools, robust processes in place to respond promptly when abuse is reported and taking action, as appropriate, to suspend or terminate the accounts of those who do not comply with the acceptable use policies in place.

Translation Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on translation services in each of the last five years. [184498]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office financial system does not record translation services separately and therefore this information is not available.

Communities and Local Government

Community Relations: Hinduism

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps his Department has taken to consult with a broad spectrum of Hindu community representatives in relation to caste legislation; and if he will make a statement; [184309]

(2) what consultations his Department has carried out to engage with the Hindu community in relation to caste legislation; on what dates such consultations were carried out; and if he will make a statement. [184308]

Stephen Williams: The responsibility for consulting Hindu community representatives in relation to caste legislation sits with the Government Equalities Office which falls under the remit of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Full details of the programme and timetable for introducing caste discrimination legislation can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/caste-discrimination-legislation-timetable

The Government Equalities Office will be issuing a public consultation on the prospective caste legislation in spring 2014 which all Hindu community representatives are encouraged to participate in.

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Councillors

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to local councils on naming councillors who are barred from voting in council meetings due to failing to pay their council tax. [183594]

Brandon Lewis: Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 makes it an offence for a councillor in council tax arrears (with at least two months unpaid bills) to vote at a meeting of the council, a committee or of the council's executive where financial matters relating to council tax are being considered. It is also an offence if any such councillor present, who is aware of the arrears, fails to disclose that they are in arrears of council tax.

I am aware that, in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, it is common for local authorities to refuse to name individual councillors in council tax arrears, citing ‘data protection’. While noting that individual tax affairs are a personal matter, Ministers believe that there is a strong public interest in the names of councillors who are barred from voting being accessible to the wider public.

If an individual councillor is unable to represent their electorate and undertake their duties because of this statutory prohibition, then it is reasonable that this fact is open to legitimate public scrutiny, especially given the legal duty to declare it at a meeting at which they are present, and given that this relates to their public life not their private life.

EU Law

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [183860]

Brandon Lewis: The recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive came into force on 19 May 2010, with a transposition date of 9 January 2013.

DCLG responsibility also includes the EU Construction Products Regulation which was adopted in March 2011 and came fully into force in July 2013.

DCLG is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund programmes in England and six directly acting EU regulations have come into effect in this particular area of the Department's responsibility since 2010, covering EU budgetary periods 2007-13 and 2014-20.

It is the Department's policy under this Government to avoid and reverse the gold-plating of EU directives by the Labour Government; for example, we have done this on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive by scaling back the rules on Energy Performance Certificates to the minimum requirements of the directive and scrapping Home Information Packs.

We seek to avoid the unnecessary or excessive imposition of new regulation when new directives are proposed in Brussels, as, for example, we have been seeking to do during the recast of the EU directive on Environmental Impact Assessments.

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We also wish to renegotiate powers back to the United Kingdom where appropriate; as a small but pertinent example, my Department has successfully removed the legal requirement in the European Regional Development Fund Regulations (introduced in 2006 under the Labour Government) to fly the EU flag outside our building for one week a year after Europe Day.

Local Government

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable remote attendance at meetings of English local authorities under conditions similar to those provided in section 4 the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011. [183810]

Brandon Lewis: I note that this ill-conceived idea to allow councillors to vote from the pub or while watching television was endorsed by Labour Ministers in Whitehall (DCLG, ‘The Government Response to the Councillors Commission’, July 2008, p. 16). The measure was never brought to Parliament, because the last Administration dropped their plans for a community empowerment Bill.

Ministers in this Government do not support this measure and have no plans to bring forward similar legislation to that implemented by Labour Welsh Ministers. Such a move would risk weakening the clear local accountability and transparency of conducting council business in open public meetings.

Of course, we need to move with changing times and new technologies. So the Local Audit and Accountability Bill will strengthen the ability of the press and public to report council meetings using digital and social media—bringing the public closer to their elected representatives, rather than the Labour approach of making elected representatives more distant and unaccountable.

Local Government Finance: Birmingham

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will direct the Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council to provide copies of (a) the management reports in respect of discretionary housing payments and the under-occupancy penalty and (b) the background figures in respect of that council's reduction in funding for council tax support which have previously been requested by the hon. member for Birmingham, Yardley. [183537]

Brandon Lewis: The Secretary of State does not have a general power of direction in this respect. If the hon. Member wishes to obtain the information he mentions, he should pursue the matter with the local authority, making, if he considers it appropriate, a request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

New Towns

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the prospectus on new towns and garden cities. [184121]

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Kris Hopkins [holding answer 23 January 2014]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W, and to the one given him on 20 January 2013, Official Report, column 18, which clearly set out the Government's position on supporting locally led development.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his contribution of 20 January 2014, Official Report, columns 18-19, (1) whether his Department has (a) received any expression of interest and (b) had any discussions with council officers or councillors about Gerrards Cross being considered as a site for the development of a new town or garden city; [184810]

(2) whether his Department has (a) received any expression of interest and (b) had any discussions with council officers or councillors about Yalding being considered as a site for the development of a new town or garden city. [184811]

Kris Hopkins: The Department's position on supporting locally led development is set out in the answer I provided on 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W, and in the written statement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), of 24 January 2014, Official Report, columns 15-16WS.

The Department has had no discussions regarding the potential siting of a new town or garden city at either Gerrards Cross or Yalding.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in his Department are currently working on matters relating to new towns and garden cities. [184823]

Kris Hopkins: The Government's policy is to support locally led, large scale development, as outlined in the answer of 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W.

Within DCLG, five full-time equivalent posts are presently deployed specifically to that locally led programme, including oversight of the Department's Local Infrastructure Fund.

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what work his Department has contributed to the drafting of a report or prospectus on garden cities since May 2010. [184969]

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W, and the answer given by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on 20 January 2014, Official Report, column 18, and his written statement of 24 January 2014, Official Report, columns 15-16WS, which clearly set out the Government's position on supporting locally led development.

Non-domestic Rates

Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the

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holdback per dwelling in pounds from the Business Rate Safety Net holdback 2014-15 is in each

(a)

local authority in England and

(b)

region. [184933]

Brandon Lewis: The holdback for the business rates safety net is removed at national level prior to distribution of the Revenue Support Grant. There is therefore no local authority level figure for holdback per dwelling.

Planning: Urban Areas

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what work No. 10 Downing Street has contributed to the drafting of a report or prospectus on garden cities since May 2010; [184971]

(2) what work the Deputy Prime Minister's Office has contributed to the drafting of a report or prospectus on garden cities since May 2010; [184970]

(3) what work the Cabinet Office has contributed to the drafting of a report or prospectus on garden cities since May 2010. [184968]

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W, and the answer given by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on 20 January 2014, Official Report, column 18, which clearly set out the Government's position on supporting locally led development.

Since May 2010, No. 10, the Cabinet Office and the office of the Deputy Prime Minster have worked with DCLG on a range of policies to support housing supply, including the locally led large sites programme, announced in September 2012 and extended at autumn statement 2013.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what value of his Department's procurement was conducted using e-procurement tools in each of the last three financial years. [182935]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 16 January 2014]: As shown from our procurement systems, the following table sets out the number of procurements that were conducted using e-procurement tools together with the number of contracts awarded.

For low value contracts with a total amount up to a maximum of £20,000 from July 2013, these were procured through the Government e-Marketplace and we have interpreted contracts in this instance as purchase orders raised for goods or services.

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Public Expenditure

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 616W, on public expenditure, if he will place in the Library the exchange of correspondence between his Department and HM Treasury with regard to his Department's unauthorised overdraft and fines imposed by HM Treasury. [184191]

Brandon Lewis: As was the practice under previous Administrations, we do not publish internal correspondence between Whitehall Departments.

Notwithstanding, I refer the hon. Member to my Department's letter to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee of 2 September 2013, which addresses this issue. This can be found at:

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/publications