Housing Benefit

Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the cost is of housing benefit for the under 25s; [184922]

(2) what the cost is of housing benefit to under 25s living in private sector accommodation. [184923]

Steve Webb: The following table shows housing benefit expenditure on claimants aged under 25 by tenure type for the financial year 2012-13, the latest available year of outturn.

Education

Children: Social Services

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total ring-fenced spending on children's services was in each London borough in each of the last five years. [184667]

Mr Laws: Latest figures on both the income and expenditure of local authority maintained schools in England and the income and expenditure of local authorities on their education, children's and young people’s services for the financial year April 2012-March 2013 were published on 12 December at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/la-and-school-expenditure-financial-year-2012-to-2013

Data for previous years can be found in Table A1 at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/section251/archive/b0068383/section-251-data-archive/outturn-data-detailed-level-2008-09-onwards

It is not possible to determine how much of the expenditure was ring-fenced. Monitoring by funding source could incorrectly imply conditionality on non-ring-fenced grants.

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Education: Finance

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much capital funding has been allocated to each local authority for basic need for the 2011-17 period. [185159]

Mr Laws: A copy of the information requested has been placed in the House Library. The data do not include funding through the Targeted Basic Need programme. These funding agreements will be confirmed in due course.

On 18 December 2013, the Secretary of State for Education announced £2.35 billion to support local authorities to create additional school places, for the financial years 2015-17. This is additional to the £5 billion that has been allocated between 2011-15. We are giving local authorities longer-term allocations for new school places, which will give them more certainty in their planning.

Free School Meals

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in each type of primary school in each local authority area are entitled to free school meals. [184750]

Mr Laws: Statistics on the percentages of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals have been published in 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2013'¹. Tables 3a and 3c (national tables) show these statistics for primary schools, academies and free schools. Table 8a (local authority and regional tables) show these statistics for primary schools in each local authority area.

¹Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013

Mr Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in England and Wales are eligible for free school meals. [184806]

Mr Laws: The proportion of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals in England is 18.3%. This information is published in the “Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2013” Statistical First Release¹.

Information on free school meal eligibility for Wales is a devolved matter for the Welsh Government.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013

Sir Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether funds for the key stage one free school meals programme will be allocated directly to schools or to local education authorities; and when he plans to announce the allocations of funds for 2014-15. [184863]

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Mr Laws: All pupils attending state-funded schools in reception, year one and year two in England will from September 2014 be offered a free school lunch. We will be providing over £1 billion funding for this policy between 2014 and 2016.

The Secretary of State for Education and I wrote to all local authorities and schools in England on 23 January 2014¹ setting out how revenue funding for this policy will be allocated in 2014-15. Schools will receive a flat rate of £2.30 per meal taken, based on actual take-up by newly eligible infant pupils, which will be measured in the Schools Census from October 2014. In addition, in recognition that some smaller schools will face particular challenges, we will provide transitional funding totalling £22.5 million in 2014-15 for small schools, which will be provided before the start of the new academic year. We will provide more details on the revenue funding arrangements in due course. We expect to announce allocations later in the year, when pupil numbers from the January 2014 school census are finalised.

This revenue funding is in addition to the £150 million of capital funding being made available in 2014-15 to support schools and local authorities in providing the facilities necessary to deliver the new entitlement. Allocations of capital funding to local authorities were announced on 18 December 2013².

¹Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-letter-about-universal-infant-free-school-meals

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-local-authorities-on-universal-infant-free-school-meals

²Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations-for-basic-need-and-infant-free-school-meals

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Mr Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in England and Wales eligible for free school meals achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C in any subject in 2013. [184808]

Mr Laws: The proportion of pupils in England eligible for free school meals who achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C in any subject in 2012/13 was 69.3%. This information can be found in table 1 of the statistical first release “GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics: 2012 to 2013”¹.

Education matters in Wales are devolved to the Welsh Government.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2012-to-2013

Mr Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in England and Wales eligible for free school meals achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C of which two were English and mathematics, in 2013. [184809]

Mr Laws: The proportion of pupils in England eligible for free school meals who achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, of which two were English and mathematics, in 2012/13 was 37.9%. This information is

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published in table 1 of the statistical first release “GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics: 2012 to 2013”

.

Education matters in Wales are devolved to the Welsh Government.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2012-to-2013

Pupils: Absenteeism

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the proportion of children of foreign nationals who are enrolled for school but do not attend; and what assessment he has made of the (a) quality and (b) reliability of information received by (i) his Department and (ii) schools from the Immigration Service and other agencies on the whereabouts and wellbeing of such children. [185197]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not receive information from the immigration service about children who might be missing from education. Schools treat all pupils' attendance in the same way; they monitor attendance and address it where it is poor. The law requires all schools to send the name and address of every pupil that has been absent continuously for 10 school days or more without the school's permission to their local authority. It is the responsibility of local authorities to investigate why a pupil might be missing education in these circumstances. Statutory guidance to local authorities on children missing education advises local authorities to work with UK Border Agency where there may be immigration concerns regarding a missing pupil.

Home Department

Emergency Services: Telecommunications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the risk assessment of the move to a shared network communications infrastructure for emergency services and other civil contingency operatives. [184952]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 28 January 2014]: The programme is about to commence a competitive procurement, governed by European Union regulations. The Home Office considers the risk assessment to be commercially sensitive and so cannot release this document as it may prejudice the procurement.

Firearms: Licensing

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will review the fee for a firearms certificate. [185175]

Norman Baker: I am determined to ensure that the costs of the firearms licensing system are proportionate and fair. Any review of firearms licensing fees must, therefore, properly reflect efficiencies being made to the system. We are working with the police and members of the shooting community to assess how the cost of the firearms licensing process will change once eCommerce for Policing has been introduced.

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Forced Marriage

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress the Government have made in eradicating forced marriage. [902282]

Norman Baker: The coalition Government is currently piloting through Parliament the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill which will make the act of forcing someone to marry a criminal offence.

In doing so, we are sending out a very clear message that this brutal practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. We are also criminalising breach of Forced Marriage Protection Orders to increase protection for victims and ensure perpetrators are properly punished.

However, we know that legislation alone is not enough which is why the Forced Marriage Unit remains focused on prevention, support, raising awareness and protection for victims and those at risk of abuse.

Mental Illness

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained by police in a place of safety in accordance with section 136 of the Mental Health Act 2007 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [185043]

Damian Green: Data on the number of Section 136 detentions are published annually by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

The number of detentions made by the police in England in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table (which is taken from the HSCIC publication).

These figures will include some people who were detained more than once in the reporting year—the total number of people detained is not centrally collected.

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Energy and Climate Change

Energy: Conservation

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson) of 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 975, on energy efficiency, how many of the third of a million homes received improvements under the (a) Green Deal and (b) Energy Company's Obligation. [184578]

Gregory Barker: The latest monthly Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Statistical Release (published on 21 January 2014) reported that a provisional 471,766 measures were installed in around 403,000 properties through ECO (394,370 properties), Cashback (8,485 properties) and Green Deal (458 properties) to the end of November 2013.

A breakdown by month is available in Table 1a in the latest monthly Statistical Release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-january-2014

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr Hepburn), of 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 978, on fuel poverty, if he will make it his policy to bring the off-gas grid sector under the regulatory framework for on-grid electricity and gas. [184551]

Gregory Barker: The remit of Ofgem is to regulate the monopoly companies that run the electricity and gas networks. There is no natural or structural monopoly for supply and distribution in off-gas grid fuels, so regulation by Ofgem may not be appropriate. A market study conducted by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in 2011 found few competition concerns, with 97% of heating oil consumers having access to four or more different suppliers.

We believe that an open and competitive market in such fuels is the best way to protect the interests of off-gas grid consumers. The third Ministerial Roundtable on heating oil and LPG is due to be held in May, to take stock of the off-gas grid fuel market over the winter heating period. This will include looking at the impact of the Customer Charter and the voluntary Code of Practice that the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers introduced in September.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average annual change in gas and electricity bills has been in each of the last 10 years. [184681]

Gregory Barker: The following tables show average annual gas and electricity bills, split by method of payment:

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These energy bills assume an annual gas consumption of 18,000 kWh and an annual electricity consumption of 3,300 kWh, and are given in cash terms. The data are taken from DECC's statistical publication, Quarterly Energy Prices, and are available online:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/annual-domestic-energy-price-statistics

Fracking

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what the Government's policy is towards permitting fracking operators to drill under land belonging to homeowners; [185247]

(2) if the Government will take steps to ensure that energy companies carrying out fracking cannot drill beneath homes without the homeowners' consent. [185248]

Michael Fallon: Shale gas and oil operations involve hydraulic fracturing in wells drilled over a mile down, which at that depth are highly unlikely to have any discernible impacts closer to the surface.

Like any other industrial activity, oil and gas operations require access permission from landowners.

Operators prefer where possible to agree this through negotiation with the landowner, but there is an existing legal route by which they can apply for access where this cannot be negotiated.

The Government are currently considering whether this existing route is fit for purpose, and what impact this could have on the development of shale gas.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have held in which the requirement that energy companies carrying out fracking need the permission of homeowners to drill beneath their houses was discussed. [185249]

Michael Fallon: My officials and I speak to stakeholders about a wide variety of matters during the course of routine policy development.

Green Deal Scheme

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many buildings owned by (a) central Government Departments or agencies and (b) local government have received finance under the Green Deal to date. [185274]

Gregory Barker: Government bodies have a range of options available to finance energy efficiency improvements and are free to choose the option that best suits their needs, in line with their own rules on borrowing. Green Deal providers to date have focused on offering Green Deal plans (finance) to the domestic sector and all plans to date have been taken out by that sector. The Government announced on 2 December 2013 that, over three years, £90 million will be spent improving the energy efficiency of schools, hospitals and other public sector buildings, through a loans scheme, building on the existing Salix finance scheme.

Pay

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department,

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(ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage. [184444]

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 719-20W.

Five employees working in Aberdeen through a Shared Service Agreement provided by BIS are paid under the national living wage. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs, the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott), on 28 January 2014, Official Report, columns 505-07W.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials of each grade in his Department have the authority to execute a purchase; what proportion of these officials have professional procurement qualifications; and what key indicators are used by his Department to assess procurement officers' performance. [184898]

Gregory Barker [holding answer 29 January 2014]: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has 172 members of staff ranging from administrative assistant to higher executive officer with authority to execute a purchase. These staff are normally executing a purchase on behalf of procurement decision makers.

Procurement within the Department is carried out within the directorates with professional support from a procurement team of eight people, all of whom are members of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

Procurement officers' performance, like that of all DECC employees, is assessed under the Department's performance management system against both the “What” (delivery of objectives) and the “How” (demonstration of behaviours, capabilities and values) with equal weighting.

The overarching departmental aims, wider policy and civil service objectives provide the key indicators for the individual objectives and clearly set out the individual's contribution to delivering DECC business plan.

The Civil Service Competency Framework (which replaced the PSG) provides specific guidance on managing individual performance in relation to the required capabilities, behaviours and values, designed to support business improvement in DECC Procurement. This also provides consistency across Government Departments and clarity on expected behaviours in achieving the Government Procurement Reform Purpose of: Improving Capability, Supporting Growth and Reducing the Deficit.

At the end-of-year employees' performance is assessed against that of their peers.

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of increased use of wind generated power on imported forms of energy. [185035]

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Gregory Barker: It is important to note that there are various factors, other than increased wind generation, that influence the extent of electricity imports, including relative wholesale electricity prices (between the UK and the inter-connected countries), availability of conventional plant, and increases in, and availability of, interconnection capacity.

The Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES) reports that wind generation made up 2.7% of the total UK electricity supply in 2010, 4.2% in 2011 and 5.4% in 2012. Over the same time period electricity imports, net of exports, have increased from 0.7% of the total UK electricity supply in 2010, to 1.7% in 2011 and 3.2% in 2012.

Source:

DUKES 6.4 (wind generation) and 5.1 (imports, exports and total electricity supply), available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-chapter-5-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many onshore wind farms were granted planning permission in each year from 2004 to 2009. [185537]

Gregory Barker: The number of onshore wind farms granted planning permission between 2004 and 2009 is as follows:

Culture, Media and Sport

Online Gambling

12. Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the level of online gambling problems. [902295]

Mrs Grant: The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010 indicates that problem gambling rates for some forms of online gambling activity are proportionately higher than some other forms of gambling, and that some people who gamble online are likely to take part in multiple other gambling activities. Through the Gambling Licensing and Advertising Bill, the Government are extending consistent protections for all British based users of online gambling services.

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Arts and Culture Spending

13. Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect of Government spending decisions on the arts and culture outside London. [902296]

Mr Vaizey: Funding decisions for the arts are made independently of Ministers by Arts Council England, which takes account of the geographical distribution of its funding; in terms of local government, it is vital that local authorities take account of the priorities of the communities they serve when considering spending decisions on arts and culture.

2022 World Cup

14. Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with representatives of FIFA and the domestic leagues on the timing of and arrangements for the 2022 World cup. [902297]

Mrs Grant: The timing and arrangements for hosting the 2022 World Cup is an issue for FIFA and I have not had any specific discussions either with FIFA or the domestic leagues on this matter.

FIFA have stated that no final decision will be taken until after this summer's World cup in Brazil, and only after it has consulted with its stakeholders—which would include the FA and our domestic leagues—we must respect that process.

Nuisance Calls

15. Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress her Department has made on tackling nuisance calls. [902298]

Mr Vaizey: Tackling nuisance calls is one of my top priorities. We have encouraged greater co-operation between the two regulators, improved guidance and information for consumers and ensured more effective enforcement of the existing regulations. We will be publishing our Action Plan for nuisance calls shortly, which will set out progress made to date, work under way and our plans for the future.

Rugby World Cup

16. Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to prevent 2015 rugby world cup tickets being purchased by organised syndicates of touts associated with criminal gangs. [902299]

Mrs Grant: I am aware of the issues faced by the 2015 rugby world cup organisers. I have discussed various methods available to ensure reasonably priced tickets are available to those who wish to attend and to limit secondary sales.

I am pleased to learn that the rugby world cup organisers have announced they will sell 500,000 tickets through RFU member clubs and will introduce an official ticket resale platform. We do not believe legislation is necessary to deliver a successful event in 2015.

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First World War

17. Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans are being put in place to ensure a suitable commemoration of the Commonwealth nations’ involvement in the first world war. [902300]

Maria Miller: The Government will mark the centenary of the First World War with a programme of national events, cultural activities, educational initiatives and community projects from 4 August this year through to Armistice Day in 2018. The significant and important contribution of all our Commonwealth partners will be commemorated as an integral part of our programme. We could not have prevailed in 1918 without them.

BBC Trust

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the BBC Trust on political impartiality. [902301]

Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has not had any recent discussions with the BBC Trust about political impartiality. Ensuring the BBC maintains impartiality on all issues is a key priority for the BBC Trust and we have full confidence in the trust's ability to carry out this duty.

Broadband

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the £250 million additional funding for superfast broadband rollout to achieve 95 per cent coverage will be delivered. [185239]

Mr Vaizey: The £250 million funding is for extending superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by 2017 and we will be making a further announcement on the use of the funding in the near future.

Broadband: Braybrooke

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to ensure that superfast broadband is made available to the village of Braybrooke in Kettering constituency. [185205]

Mr Vaizey: The Government made available £4.08 million to the local broadband project in Northamptonshire and the county council made available a matching amount. Responsibility for the timing and targeting of broadband coverage resides primarily with the local bodies. The project supplier has commenced the build phase and it is anticipated that services from the first cabinets to go live will be available to customers imminently.

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent contact her Department 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. [184994]

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Mrs Grant: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no contact with Curzon Education or the Curzon Institute, nor does it have any contracts with these organisations.

Food: Advertising

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the level of promotion of food and drink products to (a) child and (b) adult users of online computer games. [185285]

Mr Vaizey: DCMS has made no such recent assessment. Online computer games that advertise products, brands or organisations are regulated under the UK code of non-broadcast advertising, sales promotion and direct marketing (the CAP code, administered independently by the Advertising Standards Authority) which sets standards to prevent misleading, harmful and offensive advertising, and includes supplementary rules to ensure advertisers do not exploit children’s vulnerabilities. The CAP code places a number of conditions around the advertising of food and drink to children, requiring for example that such communications must not condone or encourage poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle.

Gambling

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to raise awareness of the dangers of gambling addiction. [185064]

Mrs Grant: Raising awareness of problem gambling and its impact is a priority for this Government. In July 2013, the Responsible Gambling Trust launched its redeveloped GambleAware™ website to promote responsibility in gambling and to signpost where to access help and support for those who get into difficulties with their gambling. In addition, in 2013 the Government secured commitments from the gambling industry to implement enhanced player protection measures as set out in new social responsibility codes.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has agreed any voluntary scheme for improved player protection with betting companies; and if she will make a statement. [185156]

Mrs Grant: The Government have secured a commitment from the Association of British Bookmakers to introduce and evaluate new player protection measures on fixed odds betting terminals from 1 March 2014. The Government continue to work with the betting industry, the Gambling Commission, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board and the Responsible Gambling Trust to determine what further measures might be necessary to mitigate harm.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 16 December 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms H. Buckley and Mr C. Owen. [184854]

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Mrs Grant: A response to the right hon. Gentleman was sent on 29 January 2014.

Procurement

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of expenditure on her 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. [184280]

Mrs Grant: The Department's direct and indirect spend with SMEs from 2009-10 to 2012-13 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.

Swimming

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of (a) children under the age of 16, (b) adults over the age of 60 and (c) people in total who have taken part in a swimming session in each year since 2010. [185286]

Mrs Grant: The information is as follows:

(a) Swimming participation data for young people aged five to 15 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sat--2

(b) Swimming participation data for people age 16+ years can be found at:

http://www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/by-sport/who-plays-sport/

Tourism

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the contribution of tourism to the British economy. [902288]

Mrs Grant: According to a recent study by Deloitte and Oxford Economics the direct impact of the tourism sector is expected to contribute over £58 billion to the UK economy, which in turn will support over 1.75 million jobs, in 2013. If you include the indirect impact of the tourism sector this rises to over £127 billion, and supporting 3.12 million jobs.

2013 is seeing large increases in overseas visits to the UK and record spend (in nominal terms). We are on course to see more than 32 million visits and, for the first time, spend of over £20 billion in a calendar year. In the first 11 months of 2013 there were 30.2 million inbound visitors to the UK, which is 5% higher than the total for the same period in 2012. These inbound visitors spent £19.3 billion, which is a 12% increase on the corresponding period in 2012.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

British Overseas Territories

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on establishing more marine reserves in UK Overseas Territories. [185193]

Mark Simmonds: The UK is committed to cherishing the rich environmental assets of the UK Overseas Territories, which are internationally recognised. In the inhabited Territories, the Territory Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments. The Territories may develop their own strategies for marine protection, commensurate with the biological and economic resources available to them. The UK Government is working in partnership with Territory Governments to provide the technical advice and support they need to fulfil their environment commitments and develop robust marine management frameworks, which may include the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the future. Of the uninhabited Territories, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the British Indian Ocean Territories have designated MPAs. The UK continues to work with other members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to propose the establishment of further MPAs around Antarctica.

Burma

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions the UK, through the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, has had with the Women's League of Burma; [185283]

(2) what recent reports he has received of continuing sexual violence by the Burmese Army against women in Burma; and what assessment he has made of the report by the Women's League of Burma contained in Same Impunity, Same Patterns, that over 100 women have been raped by the Burmese Army since the election of 2010. [185328]

Hugh Robertson: We have received a number of reports containing allegations of the use of sexual violence by the Burmese Army, including the Women's League of Burma's “Same Impunity, Same Patterns” report in January 2014, and other reports from the non-governmental organisation (NGO) community and Burmese ethnic groups.

In January, diplomats based at our Mission to the United Nations (New York) met with representatives of the Women's League of Burma, following the publication of their report. They discussed the range of issues affecting women in Burma, including sexual violence in conflict. Our embassy in Rangoon remains in contact with the Women's League of Burma, along with other NGOs working to address the issue of sexual violence in Burma.

We regularly lobby the Burmese Government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence in conflict areas. We continue to make clear that where serious crimes have been committed, those who have perpetrated them should be held accountable for their actions. During his visit to the UK last year, President

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Thein Sein welcomed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict (PSVI). We continue to encourage Burma to join 138 nations and endorse the UN Declaration on PSVI.

We are funding work on preventing sexual violence totalling over £300,000 for the next 15 months. We will continue to look for further opportunities to incorporate PSVI in to our work and engage with the Burmese Government on this issue.

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contact his Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts his Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. [184999]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no contracts with either Curzon Education or the Curzon Institute.

Embassies

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the hon. Members who have stayed at the Residence in (a) Paris, (b) Berlin, (c) Rome and (d) Madrid since May 2010; on what date each such visit took place; and if he will make a statement. [185244]

Mr Lidington: The hon. and right hon. Members shown have stayed in our embassies and residences.

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In addition, Government Ministers use embassy accommodation when they are travelling as part of their official duties.

Iran

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Iran’s portfolio of advanced IR-1m centrifuges will be discussed under the P5+1-Iran Joint Plan of Action. [185014]

Hugh Robertson: The Joint Plan of Action commits Iran to not install or bring into operation any new centrifuges or advanced models during the six-month interim agreement (which is renewable by mutual consent). It also commits Iran not to produce new centrifuges, except to replace damaged existing machines with models of the same type. Negotiations aimed at agreeing a comprehensive solution to Iran’s nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment, are expected to begin shortly.

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the P5+1-Iran Joint Plan of Action recognises Iran's right to enrich uranium. [185015]

Hugh Robertson: The Joint Plan of Action, implemented on 20 January, does not recognise any right to enrich uranium. It does, however, stipulate the elements of a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran, including a mutually defined enrichment programme with mutually agreed parameters consistent with practical needs, with agreed limits on scope and level of enrichment activities, capacity, where it is carried out, and stocks of enriched uranium, for a period to be agreed upon.

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Iran on human rights abuses. [185083]

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised Iran's human rights records with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif at the UN General Assembly on 23 September. I made a statement calling for Iran to take concrete steps

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to improve its dire human rights record following the adoption in November by the UN 3rd Committee of the UN resolution on human rights in Iran. The appointment of a non-resident chargé d'affaires will give us a channel for more detailed and regular discussions with Iran, including on human rights issues.

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking with his (a) US and (b) European counterparts to tackle human rights abuses in Iran. [185084]

Hugh Robertson: UK and US officials are in close contact on all elements of Iran policy, including human rights, and we regularly speak out about human rights abuses in Iran. The UK has also been instrumental in the EU's designation of 86 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations.

Land

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which sites owned by his 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. [184983]

Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 514W.

Middle East

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Israel and (b) the Gulf on Iran's support for international terrorism. [184826]

Hugh Robertson: Ministers and FCO officials engage regularly with Gulf and Israeli counterparts on security issues in the region, including Iran and counter-terrorism.

Missing Persons: United Arab Emirates

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the safety and whereabouts of Abbas Yazdi; and if he will make a statement. [185279]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office were informed that Abbas Yazdi, an Iranian/British national, had disappeared in the United Arab Emirates by his wife in June 2013. From the outset we have provided full consular assistance to Mr Yazdi's family and liaised closely with the relevant Emirati authorities who are carrying out an investigation into his disappearance. We have also raised our concerns about Mr Yazdi's disappearance with the Iranian authorities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and

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Commonwealth Affairs did so most recently during his call to Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 21 January 2013.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the (a) Home Office, (b) the Law Officers' Departments and (c) the Serious Fraud Office on the disappearance of Abbas Yazdi. [185280]

Hugh Robertson: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Home Office, Law Officers Department and Serious Fraud Office colleagues to discuss a variety of issues. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's policy to provide details of such meetings.

Property: Ownership

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on the issue of the restitution of property wrongfully seized by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. [184769]

Mr Lidington: The Government’s discussions on the issue of restitution of property wrongfully seized by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945 are taken forward the Foreign Secretary’s envoy for post holocaust issues Sir Andrew Burns KCMG. His mandate includes responding to the concerns of Holocaust victims and their families and he has been actively lobbying other governments to address Holocaust-era restitution issues more vigorously. Within the EU Sir Andrew has raised restitution of property wrongfully seized with Ministers and officials of Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia and Lithuania in the last year. He has also had discussions with non-EU member states, interested non-governmental organisations and relevant international organisations.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of international agreements entered into by the UK in respect of the restitution and compensation of property wrongfully seized by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. [184770]

Mr Lidington: The main agreement covering this issue is the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets of 2009. The UK is committed to working with our international partners to encourage the implementation of this declaration. The terms of reference of the UK special envoy for post holocaust issues, Sir Andrew Burns, include pursuing progress on outstanding restitution issues. He has been working closely with non-governmental organisations and like-minded governments to make progress. We continue to remind our fellow signatories of their obligations under the Terezin Declaration.

The Declaration is a political and non-legally binding document that sets out the principles and measures which governments should adopt to advance the various post-Holocaust issues including restitution. The principles for the restitution of looted art were drawn up in a Washington conference of 1998 and for looted immovable property in Prague in 2010. It is for individual governments to turn these guidelines into effective national practice.

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The Czech Government established the European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI) to pursue progress on achieving the provisions of the Terezin Declaration and convened a review conference on property restitution in 2012 for which all participants were asked to provide reports.

We continue to raise our concerns about the lack of implementation of the Declaration with a number of European governments. We have also been highlighting UK initiatives on restitution, including the Spoliation Advisory Panel established in 2000 to advise claimants and institutions in the UK on claims for the return of works of art lost during the Nazi era, and pushing ESLI to demonstrate practical and measurable progress.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the progress in the implementation of the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets by the signatories of that declaration. [184771]

Mr Lidington: The Terezin Declaration of 2009 set out guidelines and best practice for the restitution and compensation for assets wrongly seized during the holocaust era. The UK Government are committed to working with international partners to encourage the implementation of the declaration. The declaration is a non-binding, but moral commitment to bringing some form of long delayed justice to holocaust survivors and their families. The Czech Government established the European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI) in 2010 to pursue progress on achieving the provisions of the Terezin Declaration and convened a review conference on property restitution in 2012. We have expressed concerns that ESLI had been slow to get off the ground, but we have nevertheless actively engaged with the institute and other key countries to try and achieve progress with the implementation of the declaration.

Thailand

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Thailand on the recent violence and state of emergency in that country; and what assessment he has made of the effect of this situation on the general election due to be held on 2 February 2014. [185192]

Hugh Robertson: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Thailand which has led the Thai Government to declare a state of emergency. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and are updating our travel advice for British nationals accordingly, as it is likely that more protests will follow on 2 February when the general election is held.

Our ambassador to Thailand is in regular contact with both Thai Government and opposition leaders, encouraging commitment to the values of democracy and rule of law for Thailand's peace and stability.

Ukraine

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the Ukranian government and opposition leaders on the street protests in Kiev. [184864]

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Mr Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kozhara on 24 January 2014. He made clear to him that he was deeply concerned about the situation in Kyiv and that all sides had a responsibility to refrain from violence and avoid actions that might inflame the situation further. He told the Foreign Minister that particular responsibility rested with the Ukrainian Government and President Yanukovych.

I met the Ukrainian Chargé d'Affaires on 22 January and delivered the same message. I also spoke to the leader of the opposition UDAR party, Vitaliy Klitschko, on 25 January. I welcomed the leadership which he had shown during the crisis and encouraged the Opposition parties to continue their talks with the President and to do what they could to reduce tension.

The British embassy in Kyiv has maintained regular contact with both the Ukrainian Government and opposition leaders throughout the protests, and will continue to monitor developments closely.

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political unrest in Ukraine. [185160]

Mr Lidington: We continue to follow developments in Ukraine closely. We welcome the news that the Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) has repealed restrictive laws passed on 16 January. This is a step in the right direction. It is important that all sides work to build on this with a view to calming the situation and taking the country forward. It is also important that the Government continue to listen to and address the concerns of the Ukrainian people.

We welcome talks between President Yanukovych and opposition leaders which appear to have produced some specific ideas on a way forward from the current crisis. It is not for us to comment on specific proposals, but we welcome all sincere efforts to resolve the situation peacefully. The next few days will be a test of President Yanukovych's commitment to address the concerns of the protesters and find a constructive way forward.

We are deeply concerned by the violence seen in Ukraine. While all sides have a responsibility to refrain from violence, particular responsibility rests with the Ukrainian Government and President Yanukovych. The Foreign Secretary underlined this message during a conversation with Foreign Minister Kozhara on 24 January in which he condemned the violence, particularly the deaths of protesters.

Yemen

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect on security in Yemen of drone strikes in that country. [R] [185407]

Hugh Robertson: Drone strikes against terrorist targets in Yemen are a matter for the Yemeni and US Governments. We expect all concerned to act in accordance with international law and take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties when conducting operations. There is a need for effective action, and for Yemeni

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ownership of the fight against terrorism. It is important that Yemen and the international community continue to work together to combat this common threat.

Deputy Prime Minister

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which individuals and organisations will accompany him on his forthcoming visit to Colombia. [185191]

The Deputy Prime Minister: Information about Ministers' visits overseas are published on a quarterly basis.

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent contact he has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute. [185010]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have had no meetings with Curzon Education or the Curzon Institute.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the National Farmers' Union is underwriting any part of the costs of the badger cull. [185202]

George Eustice: The policy is supported by the farming industry as the only method currently available of tackling the disease in wildlife. As such, the farming industry is responsible for the operational costs of delivering culling. The way in which expenditure is shared between the cull companies and the NFU is a matter for them.

Curzon Institute

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent contact his Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts his Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. [184998]

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA publishes quarterly reports of Ministers’ and permanent secretaries’ meetings with external organisations on our website and there is no record of any contact with Curzon Education or the Curzon Institute.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212312/defra-min-transparency-1213-q4.pdf

Information requested in respect of other officials’ meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

There is no central record of core DEFRA having any contracts with Curzon Education or the Curzon Institute.

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Disease Control

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that the UK is prepared for the arrival from overseas of diseases affecting crops and livestock; [183968]

(2) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the UK is prepared for potential future diseases that may affect crops and livestock. [183966]

George Eustice: DEFRA assesses the risks from over 1,000 pests, diseases and non-native species on a regular basis and Ministers meet monthly to consider these risks. We are reviewing how DEFRA approaches these risks, across the spectrum of activity on biosecurity pre-border, at the border and within the UK.

DEFRA officials regularly monitor animal disease outbreaks around the world and assess the potential impact on the UK. Further information can be found at:

www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/monitoring/

Additionally, DEFRA funds scanning surveillance undertaken by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in partnership with industry within England and Wales. This activity supports the detection of new or changed diseases at farm level, building up a national picture.

We work closely with industry and stakeholders in developing disease control policies within the framework of European Union (EU) and national law, and we update our contingency plans regularly

www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/controls

We undertake risk based targeted checks at our borders in addition to statutory inspections to ensure compliance with import legislation. To minimise the risk of introduction and spread of undetected disease we have a number of controls on the movement of animals and operation of livestock markets. More information can be found at:

www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases

In relation to plant health threats, we are developing a plant biosecurity strategy to address the recommendations of the independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Taskforce which published its recommendations in May 2013. We have already developed a new plant health risk register which includes over 650 pests. It will be updated monthly to enhance our existing process of assessing and responding to new and changing plant health threats identified through horizon scanning and the latest intelligence which is considered by the UK Plant Health Risk Group. We have also initiated work on improving contingency planning and intensified surveillance, are increasing the number of plant health inspectors and investing in training to boost their skills and capability.

We have also introduced in November 2013 additional restrictions on the importation of plane and sweet chestnut trees, and my officials are working to influence the ongoing review of the EU Plant Health Regime.

Forests

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2014, Official Report, column 125W, on flood control, if he will fund research into contour afforestation in water catchment areas. [184832]

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Dan Rogerson: We do not allocate funding for research into a category or criterion called contour afforestation. However, I can confirm that we will continue our research into understanding how woodland creation can contribute to managing flood risk by working with natural processes.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on research it has conducted in (a) the UK and (b) developing countries into contour afforestation in water catchment areas. [184835]

Dan Rogerson: There have been no discussions with the Secretary of State for International Development on research it has conducted in (a) the UK and (b) developing countries into contour afforestation in water catchment areas.

Forests: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the use of EU farming subsidies to incentivise contour afforestation as water catchments in flood risk areas; [184841]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the England Woodland Grants Scheme in reducing the risk of flooding. [184842]

Dan Rogerson: The English Woodland Grant Scheme is the only EU subsidy that has been used to incentivise woodland creation to help reduce flood risk; though it does not have a specific category or criterion called contour afforestation. National targeting towards that objective took place between April 2012 and the end of December 2013. It is too early to assess the effectiveness of the recent planting in reducing flood risk.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which flood risk areas benefited from the England Woodland Grant Scheme; [184921]

(2) how many England Woodland Grants were used for contour planting in flood risk areas. [184840]

Dan Rogerson: Since April 2012 the Forestry Commission has offered enhanced rates of English Woodland Grant Scheme funding under the Rural Development Programme to help reduce flood risk in areas where evidence suggests there are real opportunities for woodland measures to make a contribution.

The scheme does not include any category or criterion called contour planting but provisional analysis of the programme to the end of December 2013 identifies 240 new woodland grant contracts (981 hectares), which focus on flood risk areas. This breaks down as follows:

72 (417 hectares) in Yorkshire and North East;

80 (303 hectares) in the North West and West Midlands;

34 (86 hectares) in the East and East Midlands;

32 (103 hectares) in the South East; and

22 (72 hectares) in the South West.

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Land

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sites owned by his 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. [184982]

Dan Rogerson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 514W.

Procurement

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials of each grade in his Department have the authority to execute a purchase; what proportion of these officials have professional procurement qualifications; and what key indicators are used by his Department to assess procurement officers’ performance. [184899]

Dan Rogerson [holding answer 28 January 2014]: The procurement and commercial function (PCF), which centrally manages all core DEFRA spend above £10,000, currently employs 38 civil servants. Of these, 22 have

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a professional procurement qualification. Within PCF, there are 11 senior management grades, with delegated authority to execute purchases through signing contracts. All of these staff are performance managed through the standard civil service annual review process, and are specifically measured on savings made, timeliness targets and customer satisfaction.

Secondment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what level of vetting and security clearance is applied to staff seconded to his Department from the private sector; [185331]

(2) what steps his Department takes to guard against any potential commercial or other conflicts of interest involving staff seconded to his Department from the private sector. [185337]

Dan Rogerson: Staff seconded to core DEFRA, from the private sector, are required to meet the Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Additional national security vetting clearances will apply to individuals according to the sensitivity of information to which they regularly have access.

Any private sector employees who are seconded to DEFRA sign a DEFRA Inward Secondment Agreement, which covers issues such as conflict of interest, confidentiality and use of information during their secondment.