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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 3 February 2014

Attorney-General

CPS Direct

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what data the Crown Prosecution Service records on the call response time of charging lawyers at CPS Direct. [185444]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) measures the percentage of calls answered by CPS Direct within three minutes and the average queuing time of all calls received.

Domestic Violence

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many restraining orders were imposed following the (a) conviction and (b) acquittal of a defendant for domestic violence in each year from 2007-08 to 2012-13. [185796]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold a central record of sentences imposed on convicted defendants or orders imposed on acquitted defendants, including restraining orders. Data on sentencing outcomes and court orders are captured by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, part of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and official statistics on sentencing and court orders are maintained by the MOJ.

For CPS to obtain the information requested would require a manual search of CPS case files involving a charge of domestic violence over the six year period and would incur disproportionate cost.

Witnesses

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent surveys or studies the Crown Prosecution Service has carried out on (a) the level of victim and witness satisfaction with the quality of service provided by its witness care units and (b) the morale of staff at its witness care units. [185443]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not conduct a national survey to assess the level of victim and witness satisfaction with the service provided by the witness care units (WCUs).

The CPS also does not conduct specific surveys of morale in WCUs. However, the CPS participates in the annual cross-civil service People survey and achieved a three point increase in its employee engagement index to 54% in 2013. We are unable to disaggregate the data to isolate results for those staff who work in the WCUs.

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Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Business

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to help small and medium-sized arts organisations increase their business and marketing skills. [185359]

Mr Vaizey: We are supporting small and medium-sized arts organisations in a number of ways including: Catalyst, a £100 million culture sector wide private giving investment scheme aimed at helping cultural organisations diversify their income streams and access more funding from private sources; Arts Council England’s Creative Industry Finance initiative, offering business development support and access to finance for creative industry enterprises; and the Digital Research and Development Fund for the Arts, a £7 million fund to support collaboration between organisations with arts projects, technology providers and researchers. Projects use digital technology to enhance audience reach and/or develop new business models for the arts sector.

Arts: Finance

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the recipients were of match funding provided by her Department and administered by the Creative Skillsets Creative Industry Fund since May 2010. [185265]

Mr Vaizey: Since April 2013, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has provided 29 companies with match funding through the Skills Investment Fund (SIF). These companies are shown in the following table.

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Arts: West Midlands

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much money the Arts Council spent per head of population in the district of Walsall in (a) 2013 and (b) 2012; [185123]

(2) how much the Arts Council spent per head of the population in the district of Birmingham in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [185259]

(3) how much the Arts Council spent per head of the population in the district of Dudley in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [185260]

(4) how much the Arts Council spent per head of the population in the district of Wolverhampton in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [185261]

(5) how much the Arts Council spent per head of the population in the district of South Staffordshire in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [185262]

Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England makes its funding decisions independently of Government and as such we do not hold the information requested. Nearly £3 billion pounds will be invested in the arts over the lifetime of this Parliament.

European Commission

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out her Department’s priorities for discussions with the European Commission over its 2014 work programme; and if she will make a statement. [185305]

Mrs Grant: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 625W, available at:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140129/text/140129w0005.htm#1401306000008

Music: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what amount of funding her Department gave to each youth choir in each year since 2010. [185364]

Mr Vaizey: Funding from my Department to arts organisations is directed via Arts Council England, an arm's length body that makes its funding decisions independently of Government. Therefore, my Department does not provide any direct funding to youth choirs. I understand that Arts Council England does not classify “youth choirs” as a specific funding category, but in the last three years it has provided over £40 million of funding to Youth Music, an organisation which provides young people with the opportunity to make music, including singing in choirs.

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National Lottery: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many organisations in Liverpool have been in receipt of National Lottery grants in each of the last six years. [185861]

Mrs Grant: Details of lottery grants awarded by parliamentary constituency and by local authority area since lottery funding began can be found on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) Lottery Grants Database, which is searchable at:

http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/AdvancedSearch.aspx

and uses information on lottery grants supplied by the lottery distributors.

Radio Frequencies

Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department plans to publish the consultation decisions on spectrum annual licenses. [185845]

Mr Vaizey: On 10 October 2013 Ofcom published its proposals for revising the spectrum licence fees; the consultation closed on 16 January. Ofcom is now considering the responses, including evidence submitted before coming to a decision.

Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on 4G roll-out of four to five-fold increases in spectrum annual licence for mobile telephone radio spectrum. [185851]

Mr Vaizey: The Government directed Ofcom in December 2010 to revise the fees paid for licences to use spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands following the auction of licences to use the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands so as to reflect full market value. The statutory instrument making this direction was accompanied by an impact assessment which is available at:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/3024/impacts

The winners of the auction were announced on 20 February 2013 with the licences granted on 1 March 2013. On 10 October 2013 Ofcom published its proposals for revising these spectrum licence fees; the consultation closed on 16 January. Ofcom will consider responses to its consultation carefully, including evidence submitted on the potential impacts of the proposed fees, before coming to final decisions.

Regulation: Appeals

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the timetable for a decision for the consultation on options for reform on the regulatory and competition appeals. [185713]

Mrs Grant: DCMS officials have been working closely with officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills following the consultation on appeals that

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was held last year. We are considering the responses received and will publish the Government's response to the consultation in due course.

Telecommunications

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential economic benefits to consumers in the communications sector of proposals to streamline regulatory and competition appeals; and if she will make a statement. [185586]

Mr Vaizey: The Government published an impact assessment alongside their consultation on proposals to streamline regulatory appeals and this is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207702/bis-13-924-regulatory-and-competition-appeals-impact_assessment.pdf

This assessment is being updated in light of consultation responses received and we will publish that alongside the Government's response to the consultation in due course.

World War One: Anniversaries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected cost under each cost heading is of the commemoration of the first world war. [185363]

Mrs Grant: The Government’s WW1 centenary programme will run for four years and is composed of an array of different projects and partnerships that will commemorate those who sacrificed their lives. As part of the programme, there is a £40 million project to deliver new first world war galleries at the Imperial war museum’s London site; a £5.3 million project for secondary school visits to the battlefields of the western front; £5 million for the conservation and protection of war memorials and burial sites, and funding for a wide range of centenary-related projects up and down the country from the Heritage Lottery Fund who have so far allocated over £45 million. £10 million of lottery funding has been allocated to the 14-18 NOW cultural programme. In addition, the DCMS will deliver national events at key points during the four-year programme.

Prime Minister

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 469W, on publications, whether relevant people includes individuals employed by the Conservative party. [185856]

The Prime Minister: As I said in my previous answer, there has been no change in the practice followed by the previous Administration.

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Transport

Buses: Overcrowding

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984 are meaningfully upheld; and what steps he is taking to ensure that infringements of overcrowding regulations are prosecuted. [185264]

Stephen Hammond: The Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984 are enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), who are able to investigate any alleged breach of the regulations based on information provided to them. If it is found that an operator has failed to comply with the necessary legislative requirements, the relevant Traffic Commissioner may consider taking regulatory action against the operator under section 17 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.

Bypasses: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Wales Office and the Welsh Government on a proposed bypass between Buttington and Shrewsbury. [185037]

Mr Goodwill: Transport Ministers hold regular discussions with their Welsh Government counterparts. Recent discussions have not specifically considered proposals for a bypass between Buttington and Shrewsbury.

However, given the importance of transport investment to economic growth, the Department is always willing to discuss cross-border transport proposals with the Welsh Government.

Cambrian Railway Line

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with operating companies on increasing services on the Aberystwyth to Birmingham train. [185027]

Stephen Hammond: No recent discussions have been had with operating companies on increasing Aberystwyth to Birmingham services. The service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, the majority of the route, is specified and funded by the Welsh Government.

Cycling: Accidents

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of accidents on the national trunk road network that led to the death or serious injury of a cyclist involved a heavy goods vehicle in each of the last five years. [185741]

Mr Goodwill: The proportion of reported road accidents on the English trunk road network¹ that led to the death or serious injury of a cyclist which involved a heavy goods vehicle in each of the last five years is given in the table:

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Data for the year 2013 will be available in June 2014.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to include information on the new drug driving offence in the driving theory test; and if he will make a statement. [185501]

Stephen Hammond: We currently have no plans to include information about the new drug driving offence in the theory test. We make our position on drug driving clear in the Highway Code, rule 96, which states:

“ … you MUST NOT drive under the influence of drugs or medicine. Check the instructions or ask your doctor or pharmacist. Using illegal drugs is highly dangerous. Never take them if you intend to drive; the effects are unpredictable, but can be even more severe than alcohol and may result in fatal or serious road crashes.”

We have also taken steps to raise awareness of the new drug driving offence via social media.

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on the pharmaceutical industry of the changes required to patient information leaflets following the introduction of the new drug driving offence; and if he will make a statement. [185502]

Mr Goodwill: Changes to patient information leaflets are mandated through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which is an executive agency of the Department of Health. However, officials are currently working with a number of pharmaceutical companies to fully understand the costs they expect to incur as a result of the new drug driving legislation. These will be included in an updated impact assessment that will be presented to Parliament alongside the finalised draft regulations.

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients taking long-term medication for chronic pain and similar conditions understand the medical defence under in the drug driving legislation; and if he will make a statement. [185503]

Mr Goodwill: In developing their proposed drug driving legislation the Government proposed limits for those controlled drugs which are commonly taken as medication but can also be abused at a level where a road safety risk is likely to occur. This was based on advice from a panel

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of medical and scientific experts. These limits are above the therapeutic range of the majority of doses used for treating medical conditions.

However, we recognise some patients may have built up a tolerance to higher doses and thus not be impaired to drive but may be over the proposed limits. If the police are satisfied that a driver is taking their medication under the supervision and/or advice of a health care professional then the medical defence can be raised. Officials are therefore working with the Department of Health and the medical profession to produce guidance for health care professionals to use in discussion with their patients.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has also asked the Market Authorisation Holders to update their patient information leaflets and summary of product characteristics. We will continue to consider other opportunities for communicating the position. However, it remains the driver's responsibility to refrain from driving if the medicine they are taking adversely affects their driving, as the police are still able to use the existing section 4 impairment offence.

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and (b) the Scottish Government on the effect of drug driving legislation on patients taking long-term medication for chronic pain and similar conditions; and if he will make a statement; [185504]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the effect of drug driving legislation on patients taking long-term medication for chronic pain and similar conditions; and if he will make a statement. [185505]

Mr Goodwill: Officials regularly meet and discuss the new legislation with their counterparts at the Department of Health. They have also met with their counterparts at the Scottish Government. However, it is the responsibility of the Scottish Government to consider the effect on patients in Scotland.

A full consideration of any potential impact of the new offence on patients will be incorporated in the summary of the two consultations on the proposed drugs and their limits. We expect to publish the summary shortly after the consultation on the Government's proposed limit for amphetamine, which closed on 30 January 2014.

Driving: Licensing

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet Google to discuss the profits that company makes from copycat websites which charge for the application for and renewal of driving licences. [185848]

Stephen Hammond: The issue around copycat websites is a cross-Government one affecting many Departments and agencies. The Cabinet Office Government Digital Service (GDS) leads on this and has set up a cross-Government response group. The Department for Transport is represented on this group which is considering how to deal with the challenges raised.

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GDS is in ongoing discussions with Google on matters around these websites and the clarity of information provided to customers. A ministerial meeting with Google is scheduled for 19 February 2014.

Driving: Young People

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department is undertaking on the potential (a) social and economic effects of graduating driver licensing, (b) the effect of reforms to young driver training and testing on road safety and (c) road safety benefits of telematics. [185527]

Mr Goodwill: On 9 October 2013, the Transport Research Laboratory published research, which was commissioned by the Department, concerning the effectiveness of interventions such as graduated driver licensing.

Also, in October 2013, the Driving Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) published quantitative and qualitative research reports on evaluating the new learning to drive syllabus and process. In addition, the DVSA have undertaken a qualitative review of the introduction of independent driving to the driving test, which shall be published soon.

We are also considering new research into how telematics can change the behaviour and attitudes of learner drivers and we will issue a paper when we have considered this further.

European Commission

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out his Department’s priorities for discussions with the European Commission over its 2014 work programme; and if he will make a statement. [185320]

Mr Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 625W.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created in the North West during the building phase of High Speed 2. [185061]

Mr Goodwill: The Secretary of State has made no estimate of the number of jobs that will be created specifically in the North West during the building phase of High Speed 2.

HS2 Ltd has estimated there will be 14,600 construction jobs associated with building Phase One from London to Birmingham and 5,480 supply chain jobs. For Phase Two, planning is less advanced. HS2 estimate that, based on other large infrastructure projects, there will be 10,000 construction jobs and have not yet estimated the number of supply chain jobs.

The Government intend to use procurement best practice from Crossrail and other infrastructure projects so that companies throughout the UK, including the North West, can bid for and win HS2 contracts.

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Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the benefit that High Speed 2 will bring to small and medium-sized businesses in the North West. [185065]

Mr Goodwill: The Secretary of State has made no assessment of the benefits HS2 will bring specifically for small and medium-sized businesses in the North West. HS2 will benefit businesses though increased connectivity and capacity, both through HS2 services and from new or improved services, as a result of capacity released on the existing rail network. HS2 Ltd engaged KPMG to produce the September 2013 report “Regional Economic Impacts of HS2”, which estimates the potential benefits to business of improved rail connectivity. This analysis suggests that HS2 could increase annual output in the North West of England, measuring in terms of gross value added, by £1.1 billion to £2.5 billion in 2037 (measured in 2013 prices) as a result of improvements in business-to-business and labour connectivity in the region. This is equivalent to an increase in annual output of 0.6% to 1.4%. However, the report looks at all businesses and does not separate the analysis for small and medium-sized businesses.

Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had about the effect of High Speed 2 on tourism and waterways in (a) the UK and (b) Eddisbury and Cheshire West. [185216]

Mr Goodwill: HS2 Ltd and the Department have been engaging with stakeholders, including the Canal and River Trust, Environment Agency, English Heritage, Natural England and local councils with regard to waterway assets potentially impacted by HS2. The impact of the scheme on tourism is subject to ongoing discussion with key stakeholders. However, any adverse impact. will be mitigated wherever practicable.

Highways Agency

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the cost of the Highways Agency's recent switch to Microsoft Office 2010. [185843]

Mr Goodwill: The Highways Agency is currently undertaking a project to upgrade from Windows XP and Office 2003 to Windows 7 and Office 2010, to be completed before 8 April 2014. The total cost for this upgrade project for Office 2010 and Windows 7 is £2.010 million. The project is delivering both software upgrades to desktops etc. in a single activity. We do not have a separate breakdown of the cost of upgrading the Office software only.

Railways: Cumbria

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Northern Rail on passenger satisfaction in Cumbria. [185355]

Stephen Hammond: Officials from the Department for Transport meet with Northern Rail and the Passenger Transport Executives every four weeks to discuss franchise

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issues including train service performance and delivery. The PTEs also have regular meetings with Northern to discuss issues of local concern.

The results of the Autumn 2013 National Passenger Survey undertaken by Passenger Focus was published in January 2014. The NPS results that Northern achieved will form an agenda item for a future meeting.

Railways: South West

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure long-term investment in train services to the far South West. [185341]

Stephen Hammond: To inform future Government investment decisions for the period beyond the current Rail Investment Strategy to 2019, Network Rail is undertaking a long-term planning process in consultation with industry and local and other stakeholders to identify priorities for future development of the rail network including the far South West.

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on rail resilience of the Environment Agency's proposals for flood defences at Cowley Bridge, Exeter. [185342]

Mr Goodwill: The resilience of the rail network and repair of the infrastructure is a matter for Network Rail.

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget for rail resilience works to the Devon stretch of the London Paddington to Plymouth rail link is for the current and next four financial years. [185378]

Stephen Hammond: This is a matter for Network Rail which is responsible for the national rail network. I understand that it is considering the best solutions to address flooding issues across the whole of the Great Western route.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 362W on re-employment, what the total cost was of those redundancy payments. [185360]

Stephen Hammond: The total cost of the redundancy payments for the 10 redundancies and retirements was £315,673.

Road Traffic Control

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish his Department's business case score for the Crown Point East bypass scheme in Denton, Greater Manchester submitted under the Pinch Point initiative; [185498]

(2) if he will publish his Department's business case scores for the projects awarded funding in the latest round of the Pinch Point initiative. [185499]

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Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport announced 25 local Pinch Point Fund schemes in December 2013. The fund was oversubscribed with a total of 83 applications being received by the Department in which funding of over £177 million was being requested from a total available funding pot of £55 million.

As part of the assessment of bids, a scoring system was used based on the Department’s transport business case model. Each bid was assessed independently by two assessors and a final moderated score calculated. The bids were ranked on the basis of the assessment criteria score. In addition, and due to the quality and number of bids submitted to the Department, bids were approved for funding only if they offered at least medium value for money.

The Department for Transport is currently sending feedback letters to those authorities whose bid for funding was unsuccessful. These letters will provide individual scores to those authorities, including Tameside Council in respect of the Crown Point East bypass scheme.

Road Traffic Control: Schools

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislative proposals to reduce road congestion around primary schools. [185353]

Mr Goodwill: Under part 2 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 (the Act), each English local authority is required to manage its road network to secure the expeditious movement of traffic on that network and to facilitate the same on the network of others.

The Act is intended to provide better conditions for all road users through co-ordination and proactive management of the road network. It provides a key tool in the Government's strategy to tackle congestion through a range of initiatives including, for example, better management of street works in order to minimise disruption and delivering fairer systems for civil parking and traffic enforcement (including the provision and enforcement of parking controls outside schools).

The Act specifically places a Network Management Duty (NMD) on each local traffic authority to manage its road network to secure the expeditious movement of traffic on its own network and to facilitate the same on the network of other authorities. Co-ordination of activities and actions between authorities is an especially important element of network management.

Roads: Finance

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the criteria are for allocating funding to individual roads within strategic highway routes under his route-based strategy framework. [185852]

Mr Goodwill: The Government set out in July 2013 in ‘Action for Roads', that the Highways Agency would be taking forward a programme of route-based strategies to identify investment priorities across the network and inform the selection of immediate projects and longer-term ambitions.

Opportunities for investment will be prioritised and subject to a value for money and deliverability assessment as part of each route-based strategy, in line with current Government investment appraisal processes.

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Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has provided to each local authority for the repair of potholes in each year since 2010. [185173]

Mr Goodwill: Local highways are the responsibility of local highway authorities. The Government announced in October 2010 as part of the spending review funding of £3 billion to local authorities in England (outside London) from 2011-12 to 2014-15 for highways maintenance which can be used for road repairs, including potholes. This funding is not ring-fenced and allows authorities the freedom to develop and implement solutions which best suit their local needs and priorities.

In addition, and in recognition of the abnormal damage caused by the exceptional winter weather at the end of 2010, the Government provided in March 2011 a further £200 million to local highway authorities in England to repair potholes on the local road network damaged by the severe winter weather.

The Department for Transport also announced in December 2012 a further £215 million for highways maintenance to be allocated over financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15. A table highlighting the funding being allocated to each local highway authority from 2011 to 2015 including additional funding has been placed in the Library of the House.

The Department is also funding highways maintenance projects in Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sheffield, Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hounslow through the private finance initiative.

Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding, allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the revenue support grant, for maintaining their local highways.

In December 2013, the Department for Transport also announced it was providing CTC, the national cycling charity, with funding of £30,000 to help develop its website and introduce a new app to help road users report potholes in their local areas.

Severn River Crossing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles that used the (a) Severn bridge and (b) Second Severn Crossing in 2013. [185607]

Mr Goodwill: We do not have total traffic data for 2013. For 2012 the estimated number of vehicles which used the Severn bridge (M48) was 6,285,000 and the number of vehicles which used the Second Severn Crossing (M4) was 18,838,000.

Tolls

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the (a) gross and (b) net revenue from each tolled crossing in the UK was in 2013; [185605]

(2) what the (a) gross and (b) net revenue from the Severn bridge and the Second Severn Crossing was in 2013. [185606]

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Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport only holds financial information on tolled roads and crossings on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Tolled crossings and road charges outside the SRN, such as the Mersey tunnel, London congestion charge, Humber and Tamar bridges are a matter for local authorities.

The M6 toll is a commercial operation, wholly owned and operated by a private company, Midland Expressway Limited with accounts publically available.

The Dartford crossing is classified as a congestion charge and not a tolled crossing. In the year ending 31 March 2013 it had gross and net revenue of £80.3 million as VAT is not payable on a road user charge. Audited accounts for year ending 31 March 2014 are not currently available.

The Severn River Crossings had gross revenue of £97.5 million and net revenue of £81.2 million in year ending 31 December 2012. Audited accounts for year ending 31 December 2013 are not currently available.

Wales

European Commission

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out his Department's priorities for discussions with the European Commission over its 2014 work programme; and if he will make a statement. [185322]

Mr David Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 625W.

Young People

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of young adults in Wales living with their parents. [185789]

Mr David Jones: On 21 January 2014, the Office for National Statistics published their Young Adults Living With Parents, 2013 study. The study reported that, as a three-year average, 152,000 young adults aged 20-34 in Wales were living with a parent or parents in 2011-13.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Basic Skills: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on the provision of (a) adult literacy services and (b) adult numeracy services in Barrow and Furness constituency in each of the last three years. [185740]

Matthew Hancock: The amount spent on the provision of adult literacy and numeracy services (English and maths basic skills training from the Adult Skills Budget) for the past three academic years in Barrow and Furness is set out in the following table:

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Boeing

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make a statement on the implication for the UK aerospace industry of the $8.7 billion subsidy package awarded to Boeing by Washington state in November 2013. [185347]

Michael Fallon: UK aerospace companies operate in a global market and supply to a wide range of manufacturers across the world. It is too early to determine whether there are specific implications of this package for the UK aerospace industry. We are already taking action to ensure the long-term competiveness of our aerospace sector and these were set out in the Aerospace Industrial Strategy, published by the Aerospace Growth Partnership in March 2013.

We will continue to work closely with the European Commission and support robust action through the World Trade Organisation against illegal subsidies.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will raise with the World Trade Organisation the $8.7 billion subsidy package awarded to Boeing by Washington state in November 2013. [185348]

Michael Fallon: The UK Government work closely with the European Commission, which is responsible for representing EU member states at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The European Commission on behalf of the EU member states has already raised its concern about this package with the WTO.

Business: Research

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish an evaluation of the Small Business Research Initiative. [185367]

Mr Willetts: Budget 2013 announced that an evaluation will be carried out alongside the current Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) expansion to ensure Departments are making best use of the scheme and review whether a further expansion is possible. An evaluation is under way, which will provide an interim report in autumn 2014 and a final report early next year.

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the degree to which the Small Business Research Initiative has met its targets. [185369]

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Mr Willetts: The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) plays an important role in bringing innovative solutions to specific public sector needs by engaging a broad range of companies in competitions to fund the development of new technologies, products and services. Since SBRI relaunched in 2009 under the management of the Technology Strategy Board, it has made good progress, with 175 competitions being launched across 42 public bodies resulting in the awarding of 1,477 contracts with a cumulative value of over £165 million. The programme has delivered innovative solutions to challenges such as hospital hygiene and battlefield technology.

In Budget 2013 we announced an expansion of SBRI so that a greater proportion of public procurement is channelled through the programme, substantially expanding SBRI among key Departments so that the value of contracts through this route increases from £40 million in 2012-13 to over £100 million in 2013-14 and over £200 million in 2014-15. An evaluation is under way, which will provide an interim report in autumn 2014 and a final report early next year.

Combined Heat and Power

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the financial effects of the removal of climate change levy exemption certificates for combined heat and power stations on industrial sites which use combined heat and power. [185164]

Michael Fallon: BIS has not conducted an assessment of the financial impact of withdrawal of climate change levy exemption certificates (LECs) on existing combined heat and power (CHP) capacity. Policy lead for CHP lies with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Both Departments are monitoring the impacts of LECs withdrawal and will review the 2013-14 data when it becomes available.

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce industrial energy costs for sites which have invested in combined heat and power for the purposes of reducing emissions and improving their industrial competitiveness; and if he will make a statement. [185166]

Michael Fallon: Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are working closely with officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on developing a bespoke policy to support new natural gas- fired CHP capacity. Additionally, BIS is implementing measures to reduce the impact of policy on the costs of electricity for the most electricity-intensive industries, including for companies who have invested in CHP, with a £380 million compensation scheme running until March 2016 to help offset the indirect cost of the Carbon Price Floor (CPF) and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), subject to state aid guidelines.

Companies: Registration

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made on creating a public register of companies’ beneficial ownership. [185556]

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Jenny Willott: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published the ‘Transparency and Trust’ discussion paper in July 2013. In it, we sought views on a range of questions relating to implementation of the central registry of company beneficial ownership information, which will be publicly accessible. We are carefully considering the responses received to the discussion paper and will publish a formal Government response shortly. It remains our intention to legislate as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when a registry of beneficial ownership will be introduced. [185853]

Jenny Willott: Primary legislation is required to implement the central registry of company beneficial ownership information. It remains our intention to legislate as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bids for funds under the venture capital catalyst fund have been (a) received and (b) approved; and what funds have been allocated under that scheme to date. [184522]

Matthew Hancock: The British Business Bank has been approached by 22 venture capital funds seeking investment from the VC catalyst fund. Two funds have received investment offers to date: Dawn Capital II, a £63 million fund with a £7.8 million commitment from HMG is now operational and the other, which has a £5 million commitment, is subject to legal agreement but due to launch in soon. Further detail on the second fund will be made available on the British Business Bank website once the legal agreements are signed.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the European Commission on whether enterprise capital funds have breeched state aid rules. [184613]

Matthew Hancock: The European Commission has undertaken a monitoring exercise on the enterprise capital fund (ECF) programme. The programme has operated since 2006 and funds supported by the programme had, at the time of the monitoring case, invested in over 160 high growth companies.

The Commission raised a concern over the investments made into three companies and has opened an investigation to look at these in more detail. The Commission notified the UK authorities of this investigation by letter on 20 November 2013 and invited us to provide additional information. This information has been supplied and as a result I am hopeful that the matter will be closed positively.

Since then, the Commission has granted state aid approval for changes to the future ECF programme.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the effect of the carbon price floor of industrial competitiveness of UK businesses. [185163]

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Michael Fallon: The Government published an international comparison of energy and climate change policies impacting energy intensive industries in selected countries in 2012. This demonstrates that climate change and energy policy costs are creating a differential between the UK and other countries. This is why Government are implementing measures to reduce the impact of policy on the costs of electricity for the most electricity-intensive industries.

Further Education: Inspections

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which further education colleges in England has been reviewed by the FE Commissioner; how much time was spent in each college; and whether in each case the recommendations made by the FE Commissioner following his visit were carried out. [185772]

Matthew Hancock: To date four general further education colleges in England have been reviewed by the FE Commissioner and his team of FE Advisers; City of Bristol College, City of Liverpool College, Stockport College and South and West Kent (K) College. Two reviews are currently under way: Barnfield College and LeSoCo. The reviews undertaken by the FE Commissioner and the FE Advisers take up to two weeks in each college. The FE Commissioner's assessment informs the Government's decisions on the action to be taken to address the failures. I have accepted all recommendations of the FE Commissioner. I have written to each of the colleges reviewed and they have confirmed that they are now implementing the changes required.

Higher Education: Admissions

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department will make available for students from a disadvantaged background in higher education after 2015-16. [185533]

Mr Willetts: This is a matter for the next spending review.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff who have been made redundant or retired from his Department have subsequently been re-employed by his Department since May 2010. [185557]

Jenny Willott: A search of our records shows that no civil servants have been made redundant or retired and subsequently been rehired by Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The implementation of the recruitment freeze in 2010 resulted in limited external recruitment and subsequently any recruitment has been subject to a rigorous approvals process.

Under the rules of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme anyone who rejoins an employer covered by the scheme is required to repay a proportionate part of their compensation payment.

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Science: Finance

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's spending on science. [185416]

Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills reassesses Government expenditure on science and research during each spending review. The most recent published allocations can be found in the booklet ‘The Allocation of Science and Research Funding 2011-12 to 2014-15’ (20 December 2010):

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allocation-of-science-and-research-funding-2011-12-to-2014-15

The Department has also announced additional allocations since the 2010 spending review through fiscal events of over £1.5 billion, and has in the 2013 spending review also announced a long-term commitment to provide £1.1 billion of science capital funding, rising with inflation, to 2021.

Every two years, BIS commissions a report on the ‘International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base’, which benchmarks UK performance against key competitor countries on inputs- and outputs-related metrics. The last report, published in December, found that while the UK as a whole spent less on R and D as share of GDP than most comparator countries, it produced the highest quality research. Notably, it pointed out that with 0.9% of the world population, 3.2% of R and D expenditure and 4.1% of researchers, the UK accounted for 6.4% of publications, 11.6% of citations and 15.9% of highly-cited publications.

Students: West Midlands

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) home and (b) international students there are at west midlands universities. [185368]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on student enrolments at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Statistics on enrolments at west midlands HEIs in the academic year 2012/13 by domicile are provided in the table.

Information on enrolments at UK HEIs in the academic year 2013/14 will become available from HESA in January 2015.

3 Feb 2014 : Column 20W

Communities and Local Government

Care Homes

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are under building regulations for fire sprinklers in timber-framed residential and nursing care homes. [185356]

Stephen Williams: There are no specific provisions in building regulations relating to the use of fire sprinklers in timber framed care homes.

Guidance on the fire safety aspects of the building regulations is given in approved document B. Fire sprinklers may sometimes be necessary to meet this guidance but this is not affected by the form of construction used.

Council Tax Benefits

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) the UK have received a reduction in their council tax benefit following changes to council tax support in April 2013. [185082]

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of council tax benefit subsidy reduction in each local authority in 2014-15. [185078]

Brandon Lewis: Government provided £3.3 billion to local authorities for localised council tax support in 2013-14 and intend to make available the same amount in 2014-15. There is no separately identifiable amount for this support at a local authority level within retained business rates or revenue support grant.

Councillors: Allowances

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what information he holds on the average basic allowance paid to county councillors in England in 2012-13; [184255]

(2) what information he holds on the average basic allowance paid to district councillors in England in 2012-13. [184253]

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not hold this information. Every council is required to publish information yearly about their spending on councillors' allowances, showing allowances paid to each councillor.

The TaxPayers Alliance compiled a survey on councillor allowances, including councillor pensions in August 2012, which can be found on their website at:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/allowances.pdf

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Electrical Safety

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that electrical installation work undertaken by tradespeople in homes meets minimum safety standards; [185115]

(2) what evidence his Department is collecting on the effect of changes to Part P of building regulations covering domestic electrical work adopted in April 2013; [185119]

(3) if he will assess the effect on overall awareness of electrical safety due to changes to Part P of the building regulations covering domestic electrical work made in April 2013. [185120]

Stephen Williams: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 336W, to the hon. Member for Waveney (Peter Aldous).

Local Government Finance

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information he holds on how much is raised by local authorities in England in 2012-13 from revenue other than council tax. [184254]

Brandon Lewis: The Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing Statistical Release included details of the sources of financing of revenue expenditure from all local authorities in England within the Revenue Outturn Summary. The following link shows the figures from the 2012-13 form:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266268/Revenue_Outturn_Summary__ RS__data_2012-13_by_LA_-_Revised_16-Dec-2013.xls

Within the service expenditure figures on the Revenue Outturn Summary form, the Service Expenditure Summary form includes detailed gross income and expenditure figures, including local authority income raised from sales, fees and charges. The following link shows the 2012-13 figures:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261810/Revenue_Outturn__RSX__ data_2012-13_by_LA_-_28-Nov-2013.xls

Since April 2013, the local retention of business rates gives councils a direct financial stake and incentive to increase revenues by supporting business growth and expansion.

Under the last Administration, Ministers actively encouraged councils to raise revenue by hiking fees and charges. We disagree—councils should not be hammering families with stealth taxes. Councils should instead be making sensible savings by cutting the waste and inefficiency that is endemic in the public sector.

There is also scope for councils to generate revenue by using their commercial trading powers, and for them to increase their returns through good management of their municipal investments and asset/property holdings.

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Quarrying: Nature Conservation

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that the deadline to complete works at a quarry and restore it to nature is strictly adhered to without extensions. [185125]

Nick Boles: Mineral planning authorities should ensure the proper restoration and aftercare of a site through imposition of suitable planning conditions and, where necessary, through planning obligations. Where there is a breach of conditions or the terms of any planning obligations, mineral planning authorities have a wide range of discretionary enforcement powers available to them, but it is for each authority to decide in each case which is the most appropriate course of action, taking account of local circumstances.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when he intends to answer question number 183496 tabled on 15 January 2014; [185517]

(2) when he intends to answer question number 183499 tabled on 15 January 2014 for named day answer on 20 January 2014. [185518]

Brandon Lewis: Questions 183496 and 183499 were answered on 29 January 2014, Official Report, columns 600-02W.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he intends to answer question number 184121 tabled on 20 January 2014 for named day answer on 23 January 2014. [185519]

Kris Hopkins: PQ 184121 was answered on 28 January 2014, Official Report, columns 486-87W.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Floods

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance the Government are giving to farmers whose land has been flooded. [185485]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA wants to ensure that our farmers have the resilience and ability to meet challenges caused by flooding, allowing them to grow their businesses, create new jobs and compete effectively in the marketplace.

Where required, particularly on the Somerset Levels, Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency has proactively agreed to a derogation of cattle movements without a pre-movement test.

Advice to farmers on severe weather is available on the gov.uk website. Advice is also available on the websites of the Environment Agency and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which includes advice on safeguarding animal welfare.

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Farmers should also keep up to date on Environment Agency flood warnings, and take practical preparatory steps in case of flooding.

The Environment Agency's staff continue to update local farmers and communities on local flood defence repairs. These repairs are being prioritised using a risk-based approach.

European Commission

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out his Department's priorities for discussions with the European Commission over its 2014 work programme; and if he will make a statement. [185310]

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 625W.

Flood Control

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, what assessment he has made of the success of the opportunity maps scheme. [185880]

Dan Rogerson: We cannot yet gauge the success of the opportunity maps scheme in directing woodland creation to help manage flood risk because it is too early to assess the effectiveness of recent planting.

Food Poverty

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department plans to publish the findings of its review entitled Household Food Security—a Literature review of Food Aid. [185324]

George Eustice: DEFRA has commissioned research to review publicly available evidence on the landscape of food aid provision and access in the UK.

All Government-funded research projects are required to go through the necessary review and quality assurance processes prior to publication. Once this process is complete, the conclusions of this work will be made available on the Government's website.

Glass: Lead

Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Environment Agency on the import of concrete blocks containing partially treated leaded glass; [185702]

(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with the Environment Agency on trans-frontier shipment approval for the export of leaded glass for treatment. [185830]

Dan Rogerson: There have been no discussions between DEFRA and the Environment Agency about this issue. It is for the Environment Agency to decide whether something meets end of waste criteria or constitutes an illegal waste shipment.

3 Feb 2014 : Column 24W

Peat Bogs

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effects of carbon emissions from damaged peatlands; and whether his Department has quantified those effects. [185079]

Dan Rogerson: The effect of carbon emissions from damaged peatlands has not been quantified. Natural England estimates that in their current state English peatlands are responsible for the emission of around 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. This equates to less than 1% of annual UK greenhouse gas emissions.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff who have been made redundant or retired from his Department have subsequently been re-employed by his Department since May 2010. [185564]

Dan Rogerson: No staff who have been made redundant or retired from core DEFRA since May 2010 have subsequently been re-employed by core DEFRA as permanent members of staff.

River Ribble

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the feasibility of dredging the River Ribble in order to minimise flood risk to homes, businesses and agricultural land. [185408]

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency has made an assessment of the costs and benefits of dredging the River Ribble estuary downstream of Preston. This showed that the cost of dredging would be at least £12 million per year. These costs are based on dredging to the same level as the 1970s when the Port of Preston Authority previously undertook dredging in the Ribble estuary. A similar assessment of the costs of dredging upstream of Preston has not been made as flood risk to properties in this area is low, meaning that dredging of the river would be of little value.

The Environment Agency considers that such dredging does not represent good value for money compared to other flood risk defences. The network of flood defences built by the Environment Agency, its predecessor bodies, and local authorities along the Ribble estuary downstream of Preston cover a 10 mile stretch and offer between one in 100 and one in 200 year standard protection, depending on the location. Dredging of the Ribble estuary may lead to possible undermining of the training walls at Preston docks, leading to increased maintenance costs for those important flood risk assets.

Secondment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will list all staff seconded to his Department from private water companies since May 2010; and what the (a) period, (b) terms and (c) duties of those secondments were; [185334]

3 Feb 2014 : Column 25W

(2) if he will list all staff seconded to his Department from a private water company since 31 May 2010; what the level of pay and remuneration of such staff was; and whether they were funded from the public purse or by their private sector employer; [185333]

(3) whether any staff have been seconded to his Department from Thames Water since 31 May 2010; [185335]

(4) whether any staff seconded to his Department from private water companies since 31 May 2010 have advised or worked on issues relating to the Thames Tideway Tunnel; [185332]

(5) whether staff seconded to his Department from a private water company have contributed to submissions to Ministers; [185338]

(6) whether any staff seconded to his Department from a private water company since 31 May 2010 worked on (a) water reform policy and (b) the Water Bill currently before Parliament. [185336]

Dan Rogerson: The following table lists all staff seconded from private water companies to core DEFRA since 31 May 2010 and sets out their period of secondment and duties. In all cases, the terms of employment of the secondees were those of their private sector employer. Due to issues of confidentially, the names of the secondees are not disclosed.

All four people were paid and funded by their private sector employer. Core DEFRA does not hold any information on their pay and remuneration.

3 Feb 2014 : Column 26W

None of the secondees have advised or worked on issues relating to the Thames Tideway Tunnel or contributed to submissions to Ministers.

Neither of the secondees from Anglian Water have worked on water reform policy or the Water Bill.

The secondees from Thames Water and Severn Trent Water have been working in the water reform team alongside the policy team developing the Water Bill. They have had no involvement in or influence over the core policy work or the substantive policy proposals being put to Ministers.

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of onshore wind farms on house prices in rural areas; [185147]

(2) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of onshore wind farms on (a) the tourism industry and (b) house prices in rural areas. [185300]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA has done some analysis into the effects of energy infrastructure, including wind farms, on the environment and rural economy. This included the potential effects on tourism and house prices, among other impacts. This work is incomplete.

Woodland Grant Scheme

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many grants were made under the English Woodland Grant Scheme; [185685]

(2) for what reason the English Woodland Grant Scheme was closed. [185686]

Dan Rogerson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 552W.

Home Department

Arson: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of arson were recorded in Barrow and Furness constituency in each of the last five years. [185742]

Norman Baker: The Home Office holds data on crime for community safety partnerships, but not for parliamentary constituencies. The number of arson offences recorded in the combined Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland Partnership area in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.

The Office for National Statistics publishes quarterly statistics on crime. As part of this, a set of open data tables is published, showing crime at police force area and community safety partnership level. These contain the data requested, and can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

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Counter-terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to provide additional funding to the police and security services to cover the cost of surveillance of individuals previously subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigative Measures Orders. [185526]

James Brokenshire: Additional funding of tens of millions of pounds each year has been made available to the police and security service as part of the TPIMs package. We also increased spending on the security and intelligence agencies and protected counter-terrorism policing budgets in the 2015-16 spending round.

It is the long-standing policy of successive Governments not to provide a further breakdown of the counter-terrorism funding made available to the police and security service.

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 27W, on human trafficking, if she will place in the Library a copy of (a) the foundation training programme and (b) the competent authority training. [182747]

Mr Harper: There are no plans to place copies of these courses in the Library.

Immigration Controls: Aviation

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private international flights which arrived at the airports of (a) Luton, (b) Stansted, (c) Biggin Hill, (d) Farnborough, (e) Northolt, (f) Humberside, (g) Southampton, (h) Cardiff, (i) Bristol, (j) Norwich, (k) Cambridge, (l) Blackpool, (m) Durham Tees Valley, (n) Exeter, (o) Bournemouth, (p) Robin Hood, Doncaster, (q) Lydd, (r) Newcastle, (s) East Midlands and (t) Manston in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13 were (A) checked and (B) not checked by immigration officials. [183058]

Mr Harper: To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border Her Majesty's Government cannot comment on port-specific statistics.

Flights are required to give notification of arrival, and Border Force risk assess 100% of these.

Kings Science Academy

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons and under what process information relating to possible fraud at the Kings Science Academy in Bradford was classified as an information report rather than a crime report. [185726]

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James Brokenshire: An administrative error by the Action Fraud adviser at the time the call was taken led to the report being categorised as an information report, rather than a crime report. This matter has been raised with the adviser and additional training delivered. In addition wider awareness work has been delivered across the service. Action Fraud advisers are trained to report fraud according to the Home Office counting rules for fraud and forgery.

Offences Against Children

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the value and ethics of the police practice of making unsolicited approaches to former residents from institutions under investigation of child sex abuses; [184911]

(2) what assessment she has made of the potential benefits and disbenefits of police trawling for evidence in child sex abuse cases; [184912]

(3) what guidelines her Department issues governing the conduct of police investigations and subsequent prosecution proceedings in cases of suspected child abuse. [184913]

Norman Baker: It is important that the police conduct a thorough investigation where allegations of child sexual abuse are reported. The investigations into child sexual abuse by the police are an operational matter for the relevant Chief Officer. They are supported in operational matters through the provision of Authorised Professional Practice from the College of Policing who will shortly be providing updated advice in respect of investigating child abuse cases. This will cover all aspects of the police investigation including the need for the police to develop an identification strategy to identify victims and/or witnesses to avoid any suggestion of ‘trawling'. It will also provide advice on arrest, charging and prosecution as well as advice on cases where an investigation identifies a false allegation and, where appropriate, the need for the police to consider supporting a prosecution for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what safeguards are in place to protect people working with children from false allegations of child abuse; [184914]

(2) what safeguards are in place to ensure that the offer of compensation does not act as an inducement for giving false or exaggerated evidence during investigations of child sex abuse. [184917]

Norman Baker: It is important that a thorough investigation should be completed by the police in all cases where concern for a child is reported whether the possibility of compensation is a factor in an individual case or not.

It is not always obvious, when a complaint is made and then investigated by the police, that the allegation in question may be false. Where an investigation identifies a false allegation, it may be appropriate for the police to support a prosecution for attempting to pervert the course of justice. It is essential in all cases that all steps are taken to test the validity of statements, corroborate accounts and establish an accurate picture.

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Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy in on granting anonymity to people working with children who are accused of child abuse. [184915]

Norman Baker: In May 2013, the College of Policing published guidance for the police on relationships with the media. There is nothing to prevent police forces from naming an arrested person where there is a policing purpose for doing so.

However, police forces must balance an individual’s right to respect for a private and family life, the rights of publishers to freedom of expression and the rights of defendants to a fair trial.

A copy of the guidance can be found at:

http://www.acpo.police.uk/documents/reports/2013/201305-cop-media-rels.pdf

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to strengthen partnerships between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service for the conduct and direction of child abuse investigations. [184916]

Norman Baker: The National Group on Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People is a panel of experts brought together by the Home Office to co-ordinate and implement the learning from recent inquiries into historical sexual abuse, current sexual exploitation cases and issues around sexual violence more widely. Policing and Crown Prosecution Service colleagues work closely together to drive progress within the dedicated Criminal Justice System and Policing work areas within the National Group's work.

On 24 July 2013, the Coalition Government published a progress report and action plan on the work of the National Group on Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People at a stakeholder event at the Home Office. It contained clear activity already delivered by Government and an action plan to take forward activity identified by the Group.

The Action Plan is already having an impact. The CPS has launched new guidance for police in relation to child abuse and exploitation. The guidance aims to move the focus of investigations away from testing the credibility of victims onto the credibility of the allegation and ensuring victims are listened to by the police. In addition, a joint National Policing Lead/CPS review panel is now in place. This national panel will re-examine historic cases of sexual abuse where a decision had been taken that no further action would be taken and identify whether any issues require further exploration and investigation.

Overseas Students

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas students were reported by their colleges as not attending courses in the last year; and how many such students were (a) investigated and (b) deported. [181478]

Mr Harper: Figures on the number of notifications received are provided to the Home Affairs Select Committee on a quarterly basis. For the period 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 we had received 86,435 notifications.

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This includes all notifications, not just those for non- attendance. Notifications are received for a variety of reasons including; visa refused, change of course, change of address, change of course dates. All notifications are investigated but not all result in curtailment or removal action being taken.

We are unable to report on the number of cases in which removal action has been taken subsequent to a notification. There is not a direct link between a notification and removal as not all cases will result in curtailment of leave, and in those that do the majority of students will have the opportunity to find alternative courses of study. However, where removal action is appropriate it is actively pursued in all cases.

Passports

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints the Passport Office received about the performance of (a) Elucidate Contractor Services and (b) other private sector passport intermediary companies in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 to date. [184012]

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

Information is not collated to the level of detail required to answer part (a).

Information relating to part (b) is included in the following table:

While there is no one clear explanation as to the increase in the number of written complaints about unofficial third-party passport websites, recent media coverage and rulings by the Advertising Standards Authority contribute to customer awareness of this issue.

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

Her Majesty's Passport Office is working with the Government Digital Service to gather more information and provide greater clarity on the scale of the problem, where customers believe they have been misled into using a third-party website to access Government services.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the introduction of gender non-specific passports; and what discussions she has had with international counterparts on this matter. [185451]

Mr Harper: Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) undertook an internal review into the use of gender markers in the British passport. I am today placing a copy of that review in the Library of both Houses.

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The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) governs standards regarding passports and currently prescribes a gender marking in passports.

The United Kingdom has no plans to depart from that standard. The ICAO Technical Advisory Group has agreed to keep gender markings in passports under review by obtaining regular updates from member states.

Police National Computer

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many warnings were listed on the Police National Computer in 2013, by offence type; and for which offences such warnings were listed. [185715]

Damian Green: Police warnings are only recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) for recordable offences. In 2013, warnings were added to 5,161 PNC person records, covering 6,527 offences in total. It is not possible to readily break down the PNC figures by offence or offence type. However, a breakdown of the total number of warnings, reprimands and cautions issued is published in the criminal justice statistics quarterly bulletin.

Police: Body Searches

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will provide a breakdown by ethnicity of all strip searches by the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 which led to the individual being charged; [184622]

(2) if she will provide a breakdown by ethnicity of all strip searches by the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 which led to arrest; [184623]

(3) if she will provide a breakdown by ethnicity of all strip searches by the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 which led to conviction; [184624]

(4) what proportion of strip searches conducted by the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 were by people of each recorded ethnic group. [184743]

Damian Green: This information is not held centrally.

Police: Complaints

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion

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of IPCC investigations were categorised as conduct matters with special requirements in each year since 2005. [185837]

Damian Green: This information is not held centrally. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will write to the hon. Member and I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of police community support officers in the Metropolitan Police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic; [184565]

(2) what proportion of Metropolitan Police officers were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; [184637]

(3) what proportion of the workforce of the Metropolitan Police were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; [184638]

(4) what proportion of appointments to all Metropolitan Police jobs were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; [184639]

(5) what proportion of applicants to all Metropolitan Police jobs were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; [184640]

(6) what proportion of officers of Borough Commander rank or higher in the Metropolitan Police were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; [184636]

(7) what proportion of Police and Community Support Officer applicants to the Metropolitan Police were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013. [184661]

Damian Green: Data are provided within the following tables.

The Home Office does not centrally hold figures on applications for police community support officers.

The Home Office does not centrally hold verified figures on the proportion of applications for Metropolitan police jobs that were received from Black, Asian or minority ethnic individuals.

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