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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 27 February 2014

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Arms Trade: Treaties

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his international counterparts in support of ratification of the UN Arms Trade Treaty; what discussions he has had with the European Commission on ratification of that Treaty; when he expects the UK to ratify the Treaty; and when he expects the Treaty to come into force. [188957]

Hugh Robertson: The UK continues to maintain regular contact and dialogue about the next steps to ratify and implement the arms trade treaty with its international partners at both ministerial and official level. Officials have continued to engage the European Commission on the aspects of the treaty on which the EU has competence. We are planning for the UK to ratify the treaty in March 2014. The ATT will enter into force 90 days after the 50th ratification.

British Nationals Abroad

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to offer financial support for the repatriation of a UK citizen's body if the citizen's relatives are in financial hardship. [188943]

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not pay for the repatriation of a UK citizen's body. It does however provide partial funding to specialist external partners who can support bereaved families who have this need by, for example, working with insurers and repatriation partners, and by helping families find sources of funding. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel), on 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1049W.

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many families have successfully claimed compensation from an overseas local authority following the death of a relative abroad in each of the last 10 years. [188945]

Mark Simmonds: Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its specialist partners work closely with families to help them seek the compensation to which they are entitled, information on numbers of successful claims is not recorded in a way that can be easily searched. In the last financial year (April 2012 to March 2013) the FCO recorded 3,391 deaths that were not natural or suicides. To provide more information on which of the cases over the last 10 years then resulted in a successful compensation claim would therefore involve a disproportionate cost.

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Egypt

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of UK policy towards Egypt on Egyptian-Russian relations; and if he will make a statement. [189017]

Hugh Robertson: Egypt-Russian relations are a matter for their respective governments.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many publications his Department has produced for the purposes of monitoring or promoting staff equality and diversity in each of the last five years; and what the cost of producing such publications was in each such year. [188881]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes an annual Diversity and Equality Report which provides information about the diversity and makeup of our staff, as required by the Equality Act 2010. We also refer to equality and diversity in the FCO's Annual Report:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/annual-report-and-accounts

Since the requirement to publish diversity and equality information was established the FCO has published two reports, in 2012 and 2013. These are online publications and therefore no additional printing costs are incurred. The 2014 FCO Diversity and Equality Report will be published shortly. Staff time for compiling each annual report is absorbed into the overall costs of the Diversity Team—for details of this team, I refer my hon. Friend to my response to his recent question, 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 54W.

The reports are published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/fco-diversity-and-equality-reports

Iraq

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether any UK Government Ministers or officials made any representations to the World Health Organisation or Iraqi Ministry of Health on their report into birth defects in Iraq prior to that report's publication; [188847]

(2) whether any UK Government Ministers or officials had discussions with their US counterparts on the joint World Health Organisation and Iraqi Ministry of Health report into birth defects in Iraq prior to its publication; [188848]

(3) what assessment he has made of the methodology of the joint World Health Organisation and Iraqi Ministry of Health report into birth defects in Iraq. [188849]

Hugh Robertson: We made no representations to the World Health Organisation or Iraqi Ministry of Health prior to the 2013 report into birth defects in Iraq, and have made no representations to the United States Government on this matter. We have made no assessment on the methodology of the report.

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Pakistan

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on (a) that country's blasphemy laws and (b) the abolition of the death penalty in that country. [188958]

Hugh Robertson: We regularly raise the issue of the blasphemy laws at a senior level with the authorities in Pakistan. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, most recently raised our opposition to the death penalty with the Chief Minister of the Punjab on 27 January in the case of a British national convicted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. On 12 February our high commissioner in Islamabad met the Governor of Punjab and raised the same case.

It is our long-standing policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. The Prime Minister reiterated this to the House during questions on 29 January. Ministers regularly raise the issue of the death penalty in Pakistan at the highest levels both in terms of our principled stance and in supporting cases of British nationals facing the death penalty overseas.

Qatar

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Qatari Government expressing the UK's opposition to their funding of the Muslim Brotherhood; and if he will make a statement. [189018]

Hugh Robertson: We have regular discussions with the Qatar Government on a broad range of issues including both countries' policies towards political developments in the region, in particular on Egypt and Syria. The most recent being during my visit to Doha on 9 January.

Staff

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of staff recruited to his Department since 5 May 2010 identified their ethnicity as (a) white British and (b) from a minority ethnic background. [188074]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes an annual Equality Report which provides information about the diversity and makeup of our staff, as required by the Equality Act 2010. We only report on declared data as disclosure of diversity information is voluntary.

Reports were published in 2012 and 2013 and included information on the proportion of staff recruited in 2011 and 2012 that identified their ethnicity as (a) white and (b) from a BME background. The reports are published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office/series/fco-diversity-and-equality-reports

The proportion of staff recruited to the FCO in 2013 who voluntary identified their ethnicity as (a) white was 71% and (b) minority ethnic background was 9%. This information will be published in our 2014 Equality Report.

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We could only collate the data for May to December 2010 at disproportionate cost. Since January 2011 we have improved the way in which we capture this data.

Syria

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what categories of people are allowed to leave Homs under the terms of the recent cease-fire agreement. [188626]

Hugh Robertson: Women, children (under the age of 15) and those over 55 were eligible to leave Homs under the original terms of the recent cease-fire. Following an initial evacuation of women and children, a UN-led aid convoy entered Homs and brought out a group of approximately 450 men, women and children. According to the UN, a total of 1,371 people (including 431 men who were subsequently detained by the Syrian regime) left Homs during the ceasefire.

USA

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to improve US-UK trading relations since the beginning of 2014. [189044]

Hugh Robertson: The UK-US trade relationship continues to be strong; the US is the largest single destination for UK exports and our largest source of inward investment. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides important support to UK companies looking to export to the US and US companies looking to invest in the UK. The UKTI network in the US has assisted 370 UK companies so far this calendar year. From April 2013 to end January 2014 UKTI in the US recorded 4,402 instances of assisting UK companies, 49% higher than the number assisted at this point in the previous year.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), currently being negotiated between the EU and US, will provide significant benefits for the UK-US trade relationship, with the potential to add £10 billion per annum to the UK economy. We are actively engaged in promoting progress in the negotiations, both through contact with the European Commission and through our network of posts in the US. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), most recently raised TTIP during his visit to Washington in February, including with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Home Department

Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has provided to (a) research councils funding animal research and (b) development of non-animal experimentation methods in each of the last five years. [188640]

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Norman Baker: The Home Office has not funded research councils funding animal research in the last five years. The Home Office makes payments of £250,000 per annum to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research.

The Coalition Government has made a commitment to ‘work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research'. The recently published Delivery Plan shows how alternative methods can deliver fast, high quality research available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-to-reduce-the-use-of-animals-in-research-delivery-plan

The scientific case for developing new techniques that do not require the use of animals is as strong as the moral one. The Delivery Plan will cement the UK's place as an international leader in this field. A considerable part of the resource in the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit is working towards the development of reduction, refinement and replacement alternatives (the 3Rs) to the use of animals in scientific procedures. Home Office Inspectors do this as part of their inspection role and when assessing applications for project licences. It is not possible to quantify the value of this resource, but it is significant.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department made of the proposals submitted by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection during the preparation of Working to Reduce the Use of Animals in Scientific Research. [188732]

Norman Baker: The Home Office received proposals from various organisations, including from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, during the preparation of the Government's delivery plan “Working to Reduce the Use of Animals in Scientific Research”. All material received was given full consideration during the preparation of the delivery plan.

Crime: Football

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to minimise the number of football match related crimes. [189040]

Damian Green: The Home Office works in partnership with police, the football authorities, other Government Departments and fans' groups to ensure there are appropriate powers available to minimise the threat of football-related disorder, to plan for safe and secure matches, and to encourage self-policing by supporters.

The large majority of football supporters are law abiding individuals. Although levels of football disorder have been significantly reduced, and orchestrated football violence marginalised, the risk of spontaneous alcohol-fuelled incidents, especially at high-risk and high-tension matches, remains. A range of football-specific legislation complements public order legislation which enables police to prevent and respond to incidents of violence and disorder.

Police football intelligence officers share information with one another, clubs and other authorities involved in the security and safety planning to minimise the risk of disorder.

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Football banning orders are the highly effective cornerstone of our preventative strategy, prohibiting those subject to an order from attending matches for between three and 10 years and addressing the individual offenders’ behaviour with additional conditions if necessary.

There are currently 2,327 individuals subject to orders imposed in England and Wales. To prevent the spread of football disorder outside the United Kingdom, banned individuals are required to surrender their passport to nominated police stations before relevant overseas international and club matches.

The Home Office continues to make funding available to support local police operations gathering evidence and seeking football banning orders against persons who have been involved in football disorder.

Drugs: Smuggling

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what financial assistance her Department has provided to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for counter narcotics work in (a) Pakistan and (b) Afghanistan since 2010; and what future such assistance her Department plans to provide; [187716]

(2) what assistance is currently being given to help combat drug trafficking in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the form of (a) financial support, (b) operational support and (c) resource and information sharing; [187779]

(3) what plans she has to increase cooperation with Pakistan to combat drug trafficking following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding; [187780]

(4) what steps the Government are taking to increase co-operation between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran to stop the increase in drug trafficking along their borders. [187781]

Mrs May [holding answer 24 February 2014]: The UK works closely with international organisations to tackle the drugs trade, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Government have pledged approximately £4.5 million to UNODC projects in Afghanistan and approximately £5 million to UNODC projects in Pakistan since 2010. The UK encourages regional dialogue on tackling the narcotics trade. It does so by promoting the principle of shared responsibility and joint regional action through key multilateral forums including the UNODC Paris Pact, an initiative aimed at strengthening international and regional co-operation against opiates trafficking from Afghanistan.

The UK provides bilateral assistance on counter-narcotics to a range of international partners in line with the UK's new Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. In Afghanistan our support includes mentoring the counter-narcotics criminal justice system and promoting agricultural development programmes, including in poppy-cultivating provinces. As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2013, we are committed to ongoing work with Pakistan with whom we have an established relationship on tackling counter-narcotics. However, it is important to protect specific activities which form part of the UK's contribution to the international counter-narcotics effort and to respect the principle that international partners are able to operate

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confidentially on matters which concern their national security. In line with our strategy to work internationally to combat organised crime, plans for increased co-operation with Pakistan include discussions on joint work relating to combating a wider range of organised crime threats.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) total departmental expenditure, (b) number and (c) cost of people employed for the purpose of promoting equality and diversity was for each of the last five years. [187643]

Karen Bradley: The Department has statutory responsibilities set out in equality legislation, both as an employer and provider of services.

In discharging these responsibilities, the Home Office spent the following:

2012-13: £901,000, of which £674,000 were staff costs. The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity—FTE 13.4.

2011-12: £1,110,000, of which £865,000 were staff costs. The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity—FTE 15.

2010-11: £1,141,000, of which £909,000 were staff costs. The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity—FTE 18.6.

2009-10: £1,518,000, of which £1,026,000 were staff costs. The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity—FTE 22.4.

2008-09: £1,683,000, of which £1,071,000 were staff costs. The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity—FTE 24.6.

Female Genital Mutilation

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Secretary of State for Education to discuss raising awareness of female genital mutilation in schools; and if she will make a statement. [189005]

Norman Baker: On 6 February 2014, Ministers from across Government, including the Minister for Children and Families and I, met with charities and other interested parties to discuss progress being made in tackling female genital mutilation. We signed a cross-Government declaration announcing a range of measures to combat this harmful practice in the UK and internationally.

Foreign Workers

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate her Department has made of the effect on (a) UK workers and (b) UK IT services companies of the ability of multinational companies to transfer employees into the UK and gain access to tax free business expenses; [188942]

(2) with reference to the recommendation in the report of the Migration Advisory Committee's Limits, on Migration, November 2010, that allowances used for PBS points purposes should be scaled back, what measures have been put in place to prevent any incentives to undercut domestic labour. [189225]

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James Brokenshire: In reports published in 2009 and 2010, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) questioned whether the use of allowances, including tax-free expenses, for intra-company transfers creates the potential for under cutting of UK workers.

The MAC gave further consideration to the issue in its February 2012 report "Limit on Tier 2 (General)" for 2012-13 and associated policies. The Committee concluded:

“On balance we believe that, while scope for using allowances for the purposes of undercutting does theoretically exist, it is generally the case that in practice such incentives would not exist because employing an intra-company transferee represents a significant cost to a UK employer.

On this basis, down-rating allowances in calculating whether the income threshold for intra-company transfers would unfairly penalise those companies who do not abuse the intra-company transfer system. We do not recommend doing this.”

The Government have accepted this recommendation.

The Government have not attempted to estimate the effects of intra-company transfers and access to tax free business expenses on UK workers and UK IT services companies. However, there are provisions within tier 2 of the points-based system to prevent undercutting of the resident labour market. These include a requirement to pay appropriate rates for the job and guidance on the upper limits of the proportion of a tier 2 worker's salary package which can comprise allowances solely for the purposes of accommodation. The guidance also makes clear that the salary package taken into account for tier 2 purposes should not be inclusive of anticipated receipts of tax relief on business expenses.

Hunting

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of illegal taking of game have been recorded in the UK in each of the last three years. [189269]

Norman Baker: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.

The Home Office is responsible for police recorded crime statistics, consisting of indictable and triable-either-way offences. This does not include summary offences, such as taking of game.

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many positive cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis were prevented (a) indefinitely and (b) temporarily from entering the UK in 2013. [188159]

James Brokenshire: On 21 May 2012 the Government announced their intention to expand upon the existing pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening programme to allow for more extensive screening. Entry clearance applicants intending to come to the UK for over six months from countries where pre-entry screening is available are required to present a certificate from a designated screening provider confirming that screening has been conducted and that the applicant has been diagnosed as free from active pulmonary tuberculosis. Where tuberculosis is detected, the applicant will be required to undertake treatment and further screening before any entry clearance application can be made.

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As these applicants have to present a certificate stating that they are clear of active TB, entry clearance staff do not see applications from applicants with active TB. For all other entry clearance applications, the entry clearance officer has powers to refer any applicant for medical screening. We do not maintain a record of the number of individuals who have been refused entry clearance on the basis of having active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Immigration Controls

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral evidence taken by the Public Accounts Committee on 28 March 2011, HC 913-i, whether the Immigration Case Work system is now in place. [189224]

James Brokenshire: The Immigration Casework programme has successfully delivered a fully digital end-to-end visa process for in-country students, and a powerful search function which allows caseworkers across the world to view details from across 14 current systems, which greatly aids accurate and timely decision making. The programme has now closed. The Secretary of State for the Home Department has commissioned a new plan for taking forward the modernisation of IT across the whole immigration system.

Interpol

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will represent the UK at the Interpol General Assembly in November 2014. [188799]

Karen Bradley [holding answer 26 February 2014]:The Head of Border Policing Command and the Head of the UK International Crime Bureau, both in the National Crime Agency, will be representing the UK at the 83rd Interpol General Assembly in November 2014.

Maternity Leave

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of civil servants in her Department who had been on maternity leave were still employed in the Civil Service (a) six and (b) 12 months after their return to work in each of the last five years; [189125]

(2) what proportion of civil servants in her Department who were on maternity leave in each of the last five years returned to work; [189065]

(3) what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in her Department. [189085]

Karen Bradley: The Home Office makes up the difference between statutory maternity pay and normal contractual rate of pay for the first 26 weeks of maternity leave period, providing expectant mothers:

have completed a minimum of 12 months' qualifying service with the Department during the 24 months up to and including the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth; and

meet all the qualifying conditions for statutory maternity pay.

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We are unable to provide answers to the proportion of staff returning to and remaining with the Home Department or the wider civil service following a period of maternity leave as it would incur a disproportionate cost to determine this information.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to his letter to the interim director general, UK Visas and Immigration of 8 January 2014 on behalf of a constituent, CTS ref M294/14. [188224]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 24 February 2014]:A reply was despatched to the hon. Member’s letter, CTS ref M294/14, on 14 February 2014.

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the Member of Walsall North to receive a reply to his letter to the interim director general, UK Visas and Immigration of 24 January 2014 on behalf of a constituent; CTS ref M1157/14. [188951]

James Brokenshire: The director general replied to the hon. Gentleman on 25 February 2014.

Motorcycles

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent motorcyclists from riding across (a) public areas, (b) community parks and (c) areas of outstanding natural beauty. [188704]

Damian Green: The police have the power under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles, including motorcycles, which they have reasonable grounds to believe are being, or have been used, both in a careless and inconsiderate manner on road or off-road without consent, contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988, and in a way which causes or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.

Offences Against Children

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with Ministers of the Department for Education regarding children subject to sexual exploitation. [188854]

Norman Baker [holding answer 26 February 2014]: The Home Office and the Department for Education are in ongoing contact regarding children subject to sexual exploitation and related issues at a range of levels. For example, the Department for Education is represented on the National Group for Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many black and ethnic minority officers are currently employed in the police service in England, Wales and Scotland; [188825]

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(2) how many black and ethnic minority officers are currently employed in the police service in England, Wales and Scotland at chief police officer level; in which forces they are located; and what is the total number of chief police officer posts in the service; [188826]

(3) how many black and ethnic minority officers are employed at chief superintendent level in the police service in England, Wales and Scotland; and what is the total number of chief superintendent posts in the service; [188827]

(4) how many black and ethnic minority officers are employed at superintendent level in the police service in England, Wales and Scotland; and what is the total number of superintendent posts in the service; [188828]

(5) how many black and ethnic minority officers are employed at chief inspector level in the police service in England, Wales and Scotland; and what is the total number of chief inspector posts in the service. [188829]

Damian Green: The requested data for England and Wales are provided within the tables and relate to the number of officers in post on 31 March 2013 (most recent data with breakdowns of ethnic groupings).

The provided figures are published in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2013' statistical bulletin, which can be accessed using the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2013

Figures for Scotland are a matter for the devolved Administration.

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Public Houses: Opening Hours

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence her Department collected before the announcement of a consultation on extended pub opening hours on 14 June 2014. [186963]

Norman Baker [holding answer 10 February 2014]: The Home Office consulted a number of key partners, including the Police, local authorities and licensing officers before reaching an initial view.

The Home Office will shortly consult on whether or not to use the powers under section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 which allows the national relaxation of licensing hours for occasion of “exceptional international or local significance”.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 35W, on re-employment, how much was paid to the staff referred to as part of their retirement package. [188058]

Karen Bradley [holding answer 24 February 2014]:As at December 2013 the Home Office paid a total of £871,077 to the re-employed staff referred to in the previous reply as part of their retirement package.

Northern Ireland

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many publications her Department has produced for the purposes of monitoring or promoting staff equality and diversity in each of the last five years; and what the cost of producing such publications was in each such year. [188886]

Mrs Villiers: As a small organisation with less than 150 employees, the Northern Ireland Office is exempt from publishing information and equality objectives as required by the Equality Act 2010. However, the NIO is obliged under section 75 and schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to publish an Equality Scheme and annual progress report. These publications are produced at nil cost and can be found on the NIO's website

www.nio.gov.uk

My Department also provided contributions to Cabinet Office on any equality or diversity surveys which they carried out during this period. Again, there was no cost associated with publication of any of this material.

Fisheries: Weather

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the current weather conditions on fishermen in Northern Ireland; [188921]

(2) what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the difficulties caused to fishermen by current weather conditions. [188946]

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Mrs Villiers: I have great sympathy with fishermen in Northern Ireland who have been so adversely affected by the recent extreme weather. However, responsibility for sea fisheries is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development whom I understand is seeking support from her Executive colleagues for a £400,000 aid package for fishermen affected by the weather.

Television: Advertising

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport about updating the regulations governing Channel 3 licence holders in Northern Ireland to take account of online advertising; and if she will make a statement. [188261]

Mrs Villiers: I have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), on this matter.

However, I understand that the regulator, Ofcom, has recently renewed the Channel 3 licences for 10 years effective from 1 January 2015, including in Northern Ireland. Ofcom advises that its Cross-Promotions Code enables television broadcasters to promote other broadcasting related services without such promotions being considered advertising. However, the code's provisions relate to the promotion of other broadcasting related services and do not extend to online services unrelated to broadcasting. As in other areas, Ofcom decides whether there is a need to review and make changes to the codes and guidance on the basis of evidence that change is needed to the existing rules. Although Ofcom has no existing commitments to review the code, it will continue to monitor its effectiveness and assess whether change is necessary in the future.

Trade Promotion

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many trade missions involving Invest NI have Ministers in her Department been participants since May 2010. [188286]

Mrs Villiers: Most aspects of trade are a devolved responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Minister of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment, but Ministers in my Department and DETI have always worked closely to promote Northern Ireland as an excellent place to do business.

From time to time the DETI Minister Arlene Foster MLA has invited Northern Ireland Office Ministers to accompany her on trade missions. My right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), when Minister of State in my Department, was invited by Minister Foster to support a trade mission to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman in February 2012 which promoted the Northern Ireland Aerospace industry.

Arlene Foster has also invited me to join her on a trade mission later in the year promoting the best of Northern Ireland food and produce at SIAL 2014 in Paris.

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Wales

Asbestos: Children

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) which Government Department has overall responsibility for ensuring that safe standards are achieved in protecting school children in Wales from the dangers of asbestos in (a) local authority schools and (b) schools outside local authority control; [188424]

(2) which Government Department is responsible for the (a) health and (b) safety in relation to asbestos of children attending schools in Wales; [188425]

(3) which Government Department is responsible for the (a) health and (b) safety in relation to asbestos of children in Wales when they are not at school; [188426]

(4) which Government Department has the overall responsibility for issuing guidance to schools in Wales on (a) the risks to children from asbestos and (b) the management of asbestos in schools; [188427]

(5) which Government Department has the overall responsibility for issuing guidance to the general public on (a) the risks to children from asbestos and (b) the management of asbestos in homes in Wales; [188428]

(6) which Government Department has the overall responsibility for advising the Welsh Government on (a) the risks to children from asbestos in schools and (b) the measures that should be taken to control those risks in Wales; [188429]

(7) which Government Department has the overall responsibility for ensuring that safe standards are achieved in protecting children in Wales at home from the dangers of asbestos. [188430]

Mr David Jones: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for enforcing legislation on the management and control of asbestos in all workplaces in Great Britain, including schools. The statutory responsibility for ensuring that risks from asbestos are managed, however, falls to the duty holder and to any employer undertaking work on asbestos containing materials in those premises. For schools this depends on its status and could be the local authority, the Board of Governors, the trustees or a proprietor.

The HSE produces general guidance on the management of asbestos and the precautions that need to be taken before work is undertaken on any property where asbestos is present.

It is for the Welsh Government to decide if they wishes to introduce overall policies for dealing with asbestos management across maintained schools in Wales.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many publications his Department has produced for the purposes of monitoring or promoting staff equality and diversity in each of the last five years; and what the cost of producing such publications was in each such year. [188890]

Stephen Crabb: The Ministry of Justice provides employment services to the Wales Office, including monitoring and promoting equality and diversity.

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Information relating to the make-up of our workforce is included in the Wales Office Annual Report and Accounts. Equality and diversity is promoted within the Department through the Ministry of Justice intranet and direct communication with our staff, as such, the Wales Office produces no such publications in its own right.

Scotland

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many publications his Department has produced for the purposes of monitoring or promoting staff equality and diversity in each of the last five years; and what the cost of producing such publications was in each such year. [188887]

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 282W.

Ministers' Private Offices

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the size, in square metres, of the offices assigned to each of his Department's Ministers is; and how many officials, at what grade, work in the private offices of each of his Department's Ministers. [188325]

David Mundell: The room in Dover House assigned to the Secretary of State is 83 square metres, and the room assigned to me is 51 square metres. Both rooms are also used for other purposes such as events and hospitality to promote Scotland and Scottish interests in London.

The Scotland Office private office is headed by a Principal Private Secretary at SCS 1. The Secretary of State also has one grade 7, one SEO, and three EOs in his private office. In line with the practice of previous Administrations, exact numbers are not usually disclosed to protect individual privacy when the numbers are five or fewer. I have five or fewer officials working directly for me in my private office.

Communities and Local Government

Bellwin Scheme

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of additional money promised to local authorities through the Bellwin Scheme will be (a) from his Department's budget, (b) directly from HM Treasury, (c) through a transfer from HM Treasury to the Department for Communities and Local Government and (d) from another budget. [187890]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 24 February 2014]:As part of its contingency planning, the Department already has a yearly allocation for Bellwin funding. Any additional costs outside this initial allocation will be funded from departmental under-spends. The bottom line is that local government will receive additional funding to help with floods recovery.

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Notwithstanding, given that councils have until the end of June to submit applications for their Bellwin funding, and given it is a demand-led scheme based on councils retrospectively reclaiming their exceptional cost, it is not feasible at this point in time to publish detailed figures on precise funding allocations.

Council Tax

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many liability orders for council tax payment have been granted by the courts in the last six months. [188617]

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not collect this data.

Council Tax Benefits

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will make it his policy to collect data on the number of (a) people in work, (b) carers, (c) disabled people, (d) war widows and (e) veterans who have seen an increase in their council tax bill following changes to the payment of council tax benefit; [186484]

(2) what data he (a) is currently collecting and (b) plans to collect on the number of (i) households and (ii) people paying council tax for the first time or seeing an increase in their council tax bill as a result of the changes in council tax benefit who have received a visit from a bailiff over non-payment of council tax; [186485]

(3) if he will assess the effect of (a) changes to and (b) localisation of council tax benefit over the next 12 months; [186486]

(4) whether he has asked any local authority for (a) an assessment of and (b) data on the effect of the changes in and the localisation of council tax benefit; and if he will place in the Library copies of any information so provided; [186508]

(5) what data his Department (a) collects and (b) plans to collect on the number of households and individuals (i) that are paying council tax for the first time or whose council tax bill has increased as a result of recent changes to council tax benefit and (ii) who have been summonsed to court for non-payment of council tax since those changes took effect. [186509]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 10 February 2014]: The Department is collecting information about the number of pensioners and working age claimants, the amount of council tax local authorities have forgone and the impact council tax support schemes are having on the council tax base.

Experimental statistics covering the number of claimants and the amount of council tax forgone are available from the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2013-to-2014-individual-local-authority-data

The Council Tax Base statistics release includes details of the impact of council tax support schemes on the council tax base, and is available from the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-taxbase-2013-in-england

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The Department does not collect data about individual claimants and has no plans to do so. These are local schemes, and it is for local authorities to ensure that the effect on specific groups of council tax payers is proportionate and fair. We made a £100 million transition grant available in 2013-14 to help councils develop well-designed schemes and maintain incentives to work.

An independent review of the policy will be carried out within three years. We are working with local authorities to identify the right data sources for that review.

Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration.

Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people into work. We are ending the last Administration's ‘something for nothing' culture and making work pay.

Council Tax: Plymouth

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in Plymouth who receive welfare and disability benefits are liable to pay council tax. [188618]

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not collect this data. Council tax support is set locally, and it is for local authorities to ensure that the effect on specific groups of council tax payers is proportionate and fair. We made a £100 million transition grant available in 2013-14 to help councils develop well-designed schemes and maintain incentives to work.

Floods: Insurance

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to monitor the responses of insurance companies to the needs of people made homeless as a result of their homes being flooded in the recent severe weather; and if he will make a statement. [189227]

Brandon Lewis: Ministers met with senior representatives from the insurance industry earlier this month to discuss their plans to ensure flood-related claims are paid rapidly, and support government plans to help home owners make their homes more resilient. It was agreed that there would be monthly meetings between the Government and the insurance executives to make sure everything possible was being done to provide prompt and full payment to customers, and to ensure that government and the industry were fully co-ordinated in helping flood victims.

Fracking

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 418W, on fracking, what estimate he has made of how many local authorities would be willing to host a shale gas site if permitted to retain (a) 100 and (b) 50 per cent of business rates from shale gas production. [188865]

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Brandon Lewis: There will be a direct financial incentive for local government from hosting shale gas production sites from retaining all of the business rates paid. It is too early to say how many authorities will benefit from this measure as this will depend upon a range of factors including the location and extent of the shale gas.

Hatfield

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when Sir Bob Kerslake approved the process by which Hatfield would be considered as a Town Team; and if he will place a copy of the approval in the Library. [186766]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 10 February 2014]: The Town Team applications were assessed through a process consistent with “Managing Public Money” and the “Consolidated Budgeting Guidance”. In this instance, as Sir Bob Kerslake set out in a letter to the right hon. Member on 10 December 2012, given that the Hatfield Town Team was based in the constituency of the Minister without Portfolio, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), in line with the Ministerial code, the decision on Hatfield's bid to become a Portas Pilot was made by a different Minister.

It is very disappointing that the right hon. Member continually wishes to knock and snipe at the Hatfield Town Team. It was a very deserving bid and it has gone from strength to strength since its award.

I understand that the Portas Pilot win was a catalyst for increasing participation in arts and culture in the town, and helped secure additional funding from the Arts Council and the Royal Opera House Bridge to support arts and cultural activities in the town.

They have replaced their market stalls with new ones for their weekly and farmers markets, and also now use them as marquees for various initiatives and events.

They have created a town shop as the Hatfield Hub, helping them become runner-up in the Association of Town Centre Management's Town Team Review of the Year. The Town Team is focusing now on increasing footfall into the town by supporting local businesses in terms of business advice, mentoring and training.

They are also working on a better signage project as a result of the Portas Pilot, and have a bus map project working with Hertfordshire University's Centre for Sustainable Communities.

They also have a new town website as a result of winning, which further outlines their continuing good work:

www.hatfieldtown.co.uk

Homelessness

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of trends in the level of statutory homelessness in (a) the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, (b) Birkenhead constituency and (c) the United Kingdom since April 2013; and what assessment he has made of the causes of those trends. [183046]

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not collect data at constituency level. The closest available figures are those for the metropolitan borough of Wirral, which

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includes the Birkenhead constituency as well as others. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not collected by the Department and are a matter for the relevant devolved Administrations.

The following table shows the reported number of homelessness acceptances in the last two quarters for England and Wirral.

To make robust like-for-like comparisons between numbers of homelessness acceptances in adjacent quarters, it is necessary to adjust for seasonal effects. The Department's statisticians routinely make such adjustments to the England totals. On an adjusted basis, the number of homelessness acceptances in England decreased by 4% between April-June and July-September 2003 (from 13,520 to 13,010).

Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years, and homelessness is around half the average level it was under the last Administration.

The pressures on homelessness were caused by the recession and housing crash that occurred under the last Administration. As outlined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his autumn statement, the coalition Government have taken decisive action to pay off the unsustainable budget deficit, to keep interest rates down, to build more homes, to reform welfare to make work pay and to deliver long-term economic growth.

This Government have retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current spending review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions.

We have also made some common sense changes to the rules, under the Localism Act, to enable local authorities to help households move more quickly into a settled home. This means households will no longer need to be placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for social housing to become available.

Housing Bond Guarantee Scheme

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many bids his Department has received to manage the (a) affordable rent and (b) private renting component of the Housing Bond Guarantee Scheme; [184929]

(2) how many bids for funding the Government have received for the private renting component of the Housing Bond Guarantee Scheme. [184930]

Kris Hopkins: I cannot publish commercially confidential information that would undermine the ability of the Government to negotiate the best deals for the taxpayer. However, I would note:

Affordable Housing Finance Plc was awarded the licence for the Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme on 20 June 2013. The first eight housing associations to be awarded funding were announced on 7 January 2014, receiving £400 million of finance to facilitate the

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delivery of up to 4,000 new affordable homes. We also announced a further European Investment Bank loan facility worth £500 million. More schemes will follow.

In relation to the Private Rented Sector Guarantee, we are currently in direct commercial negotiations with a number of borrowers with large enough projects to raise their own finance. The Private Rented Sector Taskforce is supporting this, and the separate Build to Rent fund, by engaging with the market and encouraging key players to invest to kick-start the new private rented sector. I will make further announcements on guarantees in due course once negotiations and contracts are concluded.

In addition, the Built to Rent fund, which provides development phase finance, has received £1.4 billion of bids under Round One, and projects are proceeding through the due diligence process. The first two contracts in Southampton (Centenary Quay) and Manchester (Three Towers) have been exchanged, with more to follow. Under Round Two, we have received bids worth £2.8 billion which are currently being assessed for shortlisting. Again, I will make further announcements in due course.

Housing: Construction

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many homes have been completed under the Get Britain Building scheme; [185480]

(2) how many affordable homes have been completed under the Get Britain Building scheme; [185482]

(3) how many jobs the Get Britain Building scheme has created. [185481]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 3 February 2014]: The Get Britain Building programme was set up to unlock homes on stalled sites with planning permission through access to development finance. The scheme is on track and on course to deliver on its targets.

As of September 2013, there were 11,165 housing starts under the programme (of which 811 were affordable housing) so far, and 715 housing completions so far (of which 47 were affordable housing). Other projects are under contract, there will be more starts in due course and all the homes are due to be completed by 2015.

The starts on site reported for 2012-13 exclude a further 522 affordable units which will count towards the overall target, but which are also in receipt of funding from an affordable housing programme and thus are reported under that programme to prevent double-counting. This takes the starts to 1,333 affordable homes so far.

In addition, there may be sales which are made available at below market price or rents but which do not meet the definition for affordable housing. The completions may also include houses that are subsequently sold to purchasers through the Help to Buy scheme.

That said, a sense of pragmatism is needed on affordable housing requirements. Unrealistic Section 106 agreements signed during the housing boom before the housing bust have been one of the key reasons for stalled sites, resulting in no development, no housing, no regeneration and no community benefits.

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We do not centrally hold data on the number of jobs created by the programme. However, we estimate that the construction of each new home supports one to two jobs.

This is part of a wider set of initiatives to help kick-start stalled sites, as outlined in the answer of 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 345-47W. Figures from Glenigan show the overall number of stalled sites is consistently falling, as explained in the answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 330W.

Planning Permission

Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will extend the deadline for local authorities to finalise and submit their local neighbourhood plans including provision for a five-year supply of sites for housing under the National Planning Policy Framework. [188251]

Nick Boles: The National Planning Policy Framework has been in full force from the day it was published, on 27 March 2012, and included an initial implementation period that ended on 26 March 2013. The specific transitional arrangements applied only in a very small number of tightly defined cases—where councils had post-2004 plans, and there was only a limited degree of conflict between those policies and the Framework. This was to allow these areas, whose plans were expected to already be broadly compliant with policies in the Framework, an opportunity to check and update their policies where necessary.

For all other councils, the transitional period was not relevant. The end of the transitional arrangements should not have a dramatic effect on decision-making, and we have no plans to extend it. To help those councils who have not yet completed their plans, or do not have a five year supply of sites for housing, the Government continue to fund the Planning Inspectorate and the Planning Advisory Service to provide assistance. Between them, they have visited over 200 councils in the last year to provide help with getting a good quality plan in place.

Planning Permission: Rushden Lakes

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce the decision on the Rushden Lakes planning application. [188188]

Nick Boles [holding answer 24 February 2014]:I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) today, PQ 188242.

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date he plans to make a decision on the planning application relating to Rushden Lakes and Skew Bridge, deferred by him on 11 February 2014. [188242]

Nick Boles [holding answer 24 February 2014]:The case is under active consideration and a decision will be issued as soon as practicable.

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Property Development: Floods

Sir Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his statement of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 574, on flooding, what definition of areas at high risk of flooding is used to record building in such areas; what the nature is of the objections to developments included in the figure of 99.3 per cent; and what locations of the developments objected to were. [188276]

Nick Boles [holding answer 24 February 2014]:The definition derives from the Department's Land Use Change Statistics. The areas of high flood risk cover approximately 10% of England. They reflect the river and coastal floodplains and provide indicative flood risk areas. They are areas estimated to be at risk of at least a one in one hundred chance of flooding each year from a river or at least a one in two hundred chance of flooding from the sea. The boundaries are approximate and do not take into account any flood defences.

Other than for minor development (such as house extensions and garden sheds), the Environment Agency must be consulted by local planning authorities in a number of instances including where the proposed development is within Flood Zones 2 or 3. When responding, the Environment Agency will advise on the flood risk and may object for a number of reasons including, for example, where the planning application initially provides insufficient information about flooding or, in the case of a sustained objection, where there is an unresolved concern about the flood risk. We do not centrally hold detailed information on individual planning applications.

Right to Buy Scheme

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effect of preserved right-to-buy sales on rental incomes for housing associations which were part of large-scale voluntary transfer schemes. [187165]

Kris Hopkins: Stock transfer is a means to fund needed capital investment whilst keeping rents within Government policy for social housing, thereby reducing the call on housing benefit. It assists regeneration and new build developments, providing community benefits.

Stock transfer agreements are private commercial contracts between local authorities and housing associations. Estimated rental incomes are reflected in the transfer price agreed between the local authority and the housing association. Furthermore, the receipt from the transfer is used to pay down some of the transfer council's housing debt, effectively decreasing public sector debt.

The impact of the re-invigorated Right to Buy on Preserved Right to Buy sales should be manageable for housing associations. Our view is that receipts from Preserved Right to Buy sales should be used to help fund new homes for affordable rent and we would encourage housing associations to work in partnership with local authorities to do so.

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Temporary Accommodation

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households categorised as homeless have been housed in temporary accommodation for more than six weeks in each of the last five years. [182181]

Kris Hopkins: The Department collects figures from local authorities for households in temporary accommodation for more than six weeks only for families and 16 or 17 year-olds in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

The following table provides snapshot figures for England as at 30 September over the last decade.

This Government have retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current spending review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. We are seeing this investment making an impact, with homeless families now spending seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.We have also made some changes to the rules under the Localism Act to enable local authorities to help households move more quickly into a settled home. This means households are likely to spend less time in temporary accommodation waiting for social housing to become available. The law is clear that families with children must only be placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation as a last resort and then for no more than six weeks.

We are continuing to support local authorities to raise their game and have provided £2 million for seven councils struggling with increasing bed and breakfast use so that they can reduce numbers and develop long lasting solutions to this problem. The latest statistics show that, with the help of this funding, Westminster and Croydon councils have vastly reduced the number of families with children in bed and breakfast beyond six weeks. We publish performance data and have also provided £1.9 million for local authorities to take a Gold Standard approach to help them design and deliver more efficient and cost-effective housing solutions for vulnerable people.

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Treasury

Beer: Imports

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 307W, on beer: excise duties, what proportion of beer sold in the UK is imported. [187863]

Nicky Morgan: No official statistics are available on the proportion of beer sold in the UK which is imported.

HM Revenue and Customs compiles trade statistics on alcohol production, clearances and revenue which are publicly available at:

www.uktradeinfo.com

These statistics indicate 13 million hectolitres of beer were released to the UK market from excise warehouses and imports in 2012-13. However, it is not possible to say whether beer released from warehouses originated from outside the UK.

Child Benefit

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his plans are for the future of child benefit. [188210]

Mr Gauke: Child benefit provides financial support to help families with the costs of raising children.

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of tax free child care national insurance contributions' relief available for workplace nurseries. [188523]

Nicky Morgan: The introduction of tax-free child care will have no effect on the national insurance contributions' relief available for workplace nurseries.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings (a) he, (b) other Ministers of his Department and (c) officials of his Department have had with outside organisations on tax-free childcare since the closure of his Department's consultation on that issue; and which organisations were involved. [188874]

Nicky Morgan: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from and meet with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations and meetings.

Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each of the last four years for which figures are available. [187799]

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Nicky Morgan: Information relating to spend on external consultants and advisers for the Department, each of its non-departmental bodies and executive agencies for which the Department is responsible, is published information.

This information is published on the Department's website. Please refer to the Resource Accounts, Note 7, Other administration costs and Note 8, Other programme costs for further details. Links to each of the year's accounts within this request have been provided as follows:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-annual-report

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/247998/0261.pdf

In the accounts Core Treasury comprises the non-agency parts of HM Treasury.

Councillors: Allowances

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) what date and (b) what basis the deemed workplace of a councillor was changed to that of the principal local authority for the purposes of HM Revenue and Customs' taxation of mileage. [188937]

Mr Gauke: There has been no change to the rules governing the tax treatment of local councillors' travel expenses or mileage allowances.

Economic and Monetary Union

Graham Stringer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the ruling by the German Constitutional Court on outright monetary transaction on (a) the stability of the euro and (b) the constitutional arrangements of the EU institutions; and if he will make a statement. [187588]

Nicky Morgan: The German Constitutional Court has referred to the European Court of Justice the question of whether the ECB's Outright Monetary Transactions programme is compatible with the primary law of the European Union. Member states, including the UK and German Governments, have the right to submit observations on cases referred to the European Court and in the usual way we will be considering whether this would be appropriate in this case.

HM Treasury monitors developments in the euro area on an ongoing basis as part of the normal process of policy development. While the UK recovery now has real momentum, international risks remain—including those arising from fragilities in the euro area, one of our major trading partners.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much and what proportion of the cost of an average bottle alcohol excise duty has increased between (a) 1997 and 2010 and (b) 2010 and the present day; and if he will make a statement. [188290]

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Nicky Morgan: HMRC's ‘Alcohol Factsheet October 2013' provides a range of data on alcohol, including the proportion of the average price of a drink that comprises of tax. This can be found here:

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the report produced for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association entitled Economic Impact Assessment into the Wine and Spirit Industry in the UK and its conclusion on the effect of the alcohol duty escalator on the wider economy. [188295]

Nicky Morgan: HM Treasury is considering the report produced for the Wine and Spirits Trade Association alongside all other Budget representations. HM Treasury keeps all taxes, including alcohol duties, under review.

The Government have taken recent action that will help the alcohol industry. A major business rates package was announced at autumn statement 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, that will help ease the tax burden on business. The Government will also abolish employer national insurance contributions for under-21s earning below £813 per week from April 2015.

Excise Duties: Tobacco

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answers of 6 September 2013, Official Report, column 579W and 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 429W, on excise duties: tobacco, what his policy is on imposing restrictions on the personal imports of cigarettes by travellers from certain EU member states, as provided for by Article 4 of Council Decision 2010/12/EU. [188199]

Nicky Morgan: The Government's policy is to apply quantitative restrictions on personal importations of tobacco products from other member states whose excise duty rates are below the permitted EU minima. The UK can only do this where a member state has declared their current duty rates. The Government are awaiting formal confirmation by the EU Commission of the declared excise duty rates on cigarettes in member states applicable from 1 January 2014. It would be inappropriate for the UK to implement quantitative restrictions on imports from any member state until it is confirmed that their excise duty rates are below the permitted EU minima.

High Net Worth Unit

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by HM Revenue and Customs in the High Net Worth Unit. [179030]

Mr Gauke: The High Net Worth Unit (HNWU) in HMRC deals with the personal tax affairs of 5,000 of the UK's wealthiest individuals. This allows HNWU to tailor service delivery for these customers through proactive engagement and provide a single point of contact and a holistic approach to their tax affairs.

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The following table shows the number of full-time equivalents (FTE) employed by HMRC in the HNWU and the unit's compliance yield in the last four years.

Tax Allowances: Video Games

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to tackle the concerns of the UK video gaming industry over delays in the decision by the European Commission on tax breaks for the industry. [189211]

Mr Gauke: The Government remain committed to introducing video games tax relief as soon as possible and have been working with the industry to provide the Commission with the evidence it needs to conclude its investigation quickly. It is not unusual for cutting edge state aid measures to be subject to close scrutiny, but the UK has a long history of working with the Commission to implement new and innovative forms of state aid successfully.

Training

Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers in his Department have undertaken which training courses; and who provided each course at what cost since May 2010. [182932]

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since May 2010; and at what cost. [188006]

Nicky Morgan: Treasury Ministers have not undertaken any training in their ministerial capacities since May 2010.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Questions 179068, 179045, 179031 and 179030, tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on 9 December 2013. [180837]

Mr Gauke: I have done so.

Electoral Commission Committee

Absent Voting

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 411W, on Absent Voting, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the effect of the (a) transition from household to individual electoral registration and (b) proposed changes to handling postal ballot forms on the number of people receiving postal ballots. [187939]

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Mr Streeter: The Commission will monitor the impact on the number of electors receiving postal ballots of the transition to individual electoral registration (IER) but has not made a pre-emptive assessment of this impact ahead of the start of the transition to IER in July 2014.

The Commission has not made an assessment of the likely effect of its proposed changes to the handling of completed postal vote application forms and handling of ballot packs on the number of people receiving postal ballots. It will, however, be undertaking a consultation on these changes that will consider what additional steps Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers could take to help electors complete and return application forms and postal ballot packs to ensure that everyone who wants to cast their vote by post is able to.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 621W, on electoral register, whether civic society groups, beside Bite the Ballot, have requested Electoral Commission help to register voters; and which such organisations were (a) given and (b) not given help, by the Electoral Commission. [187326]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it develops a range of resources to be used by any group or individual for the purposes of increasing voter registration without the need for such groups to make a formal application to the Commission for help and that it has not refused to provide these resources to any group or individual. These resources are freely available for download from the Commission's www.aboutmyvote.co.uk website and for this reason the Commission is not able to keep records of every organisation which it has helped in this way.

International Development

Bangladesh

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the progress of the Government of Bangladesh in appointing factory inspectors following the Rana Plaza building collapse. [188976]

Mr Duncan: DFID Bangladesh is working closely with development partners and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to monitor and encourage progress of the Government of Bangladesh in meeting their commitment to recruit an additional 200 factory inspectors.

The Bangladesh Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments has been upgraded to a directorate, to give it more influence and resources, and 575 posts have been assigned as factory inspectors. There are now 135 inspectors in place and the Government are aiming to recruit an extra 200 by April. DFID is supporting the establishment of a transparent, credible and efficient inspectorate through funding to the ILO programme. The training programme for inspectors is in development and will begin in March.

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Burma

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department is having with the Government of Burma to reduce the risk of the census in March 2014 triggering communal violence and increasing ethnic tensions. [188473]

Mr Duncan: DFID officials have regular discussions with the Government of Burma. DFID officials sit on the National Advisory Committee, chaired by Government and that includes representatives from across Government Departments, and have successfully pushed for broader representation of ethnic groups on this national oversight body. During his visit in January the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) raised the census with the Government of Burma and other interested parties.

Developing Countries: Overseas Investment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the purpose was of the Memorandum of Cooperation with the London Stock Exchange Group signed on 27 January 2014; and if she will place a copy of that memorandum in the Library. [189221]

Justine Greening: Our strategic partnership with the London Stock Exchange will facilitate the development of local capital markets, which can help countries raise finance to drive growth and jobs. The Memorandum of Cooperation sets out our intent to work together to provide training on capital market development in sub-Saharan Africa, using the London Stock Exchange's world class expertise.

I have placed a copy of the memorandum in the Library.

Transport

Electric Vehicles

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase the take-up of electric vehicles. [188567]

Mr Goodwill: The Government committed £400 million to support the early market for ultra low emission vehicles to 2015 and have committed a further £500 million out to 2020. The UK currently has one of the most comprehensive support packages anywhere in the world with money off eligible vehicles, grants for chargepoints at home, on street and in train station car parks, and a growing network of super-fast rapid chargepoints which will be Europe's best by 2015. We also have a consistent set of tax incentives driving fleet and private purchasers towards ever cleaner cars and are revising Government buying standards to increase adoption within the public sector. We are now developing our proposals for the shape of our 2015-20 support package and analysing contributions from industry to our recent call for evidence. We aim to finalise a draft package of measures by the spring, before seeking state aid clearance from the European Commission.

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High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to facilitate the undertaking given by the Chief Secretary to the hon. Member for Eddisbury on 4 December 2013, Official Report, column 928, to secure an answer to the question asking where among the published documents on HS2 a comparison of the economic benefits of using double-decker carriages to relieve the problem of capacity on the West Coast Main Line as against the economic benefits of relieving capacity through HS2 can be found. [188585]

Mr Goodwill: The 2010 paper on strategic alternatives to HS2 (Rail Interventions Report) reviewed a long list of options for further study including running double-decker trains on the West Coast Main Line. Although double-decking could increase the capacity of each train, the option was not taken forward due to the significant expense and disruption it would cause, including the large infrastructure requirements to upgrade the Euston-Rugby section of the line and the other disadvantages of running double-decker services noted in the Network Rail feasibility study of 2007. Instead detailed consideration was given to increasing capacity on the West Coast Main Line through train lengthening.

A copy of the Rail Interventions report is available at the following web link:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/alternativestudy/pdf/railintervention.pdf

A copy of the Network Rail feasibility study is available at the following web link:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100513020716/http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepapercm7176/railwhitepapersupportingdocs/provevalddtrains

Large Goods Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 358W, on Large goods vehicles, when he expects the detailed OCRS report to be published. [188992]

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) expects that Goods and Passenger vehicle operators, who have registered for on-line reports, will be able to request a detailed, bespoke Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) report for each of their operator's licences by the end of May 2014.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 406W, on vehicle number plates, what recent progress the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has made with the UK Border Force and the police on how data can be used to identify foreign registered vehicles that have been in the UK for longer than six months. [188975]

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Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the police about a possible pilot exercise. This would involve the police linking their own intelligence along with DVLA data to target overstaying vehicles and take enforcement action. The DVLA and the UK Border Force are continuing to discuss the use of the UK Border Force's data.

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse of 12 September 2012, Official Report, column 244W, on motorways: repairs and maintenance, how many people repairing motorways were killed or injured by vehicles in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [188950]

Mr Goodwill: The table sets out the number of fatal and serious injuries caused by vehicles in incidents which have been recorded on the Motorway and Trunk Road network in England, operated and maintained on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.

These incidents are specifically related to vehicles driven by members of the public on the strategic road network that resulted in road worker injuries while they were carrying out maintenance and repair activities on behalf of the Highways Agency.

Roads: Bedfordshire

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the risk of serious or fatal injury to powered two wheeler users of Bedfordshire Borough Council's proposal to include raised curbs between lanes in a turbo style roundabout scheme at the intersection of Union Street, Tavistock Street, Clapham Road and Roff Avenue in Bedfordshire; and if he will make a statement. [188947]

Mr Goodwill: Bedford borough council's turbo style roundabout scheme will be funded by the Department's Cycle Safety Fund. Bids for the Fund were assessed by a panel from the safety sub-group of the Department's Cycling Stakeholder Forum. We would expect bidders to have taken vulnerable road users into account in their schemes.

Detailed design of cycling infrastructure, including the wider safety issues linked to new infrastructure, is the responsibility of local traffic authorities. DFT sets the legislative framework for the signs and markings used in cycle facilities, in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions. The Department also provides guidance on designing for cyclists in various documents, primarily Local Transport Note 2/08: Cycle Infrastructure Design. It is for local authorities to ensure that any infrastructure they install is safe and fit for purpose.

The Department will meet with Bedford borough council shortly to discuss concerns raised by the Motorcycle Action Group.

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Health

Ambulance Services

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated to each ambulance trust in England in each of the last five years. [188953]

Jane Ellison: The Department does not directly allocate funding to ambulance trusts. Primary care trusts (PCTs), whose funding was allocated by the Department, were historically responsible for commissioning ambulance services. From April 1 2013 this responsibility has transferred to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), whose funding is allocated by NHS England.

It is for local commissioners to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities. However, the Department expects CCGs to commission from providers who are best placed to provide high quality clinical services, and this is supported by detailed guidance from NHS England.

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) measures and (b) indicators his Department uses to assess the performance levels of ambulance trusts in England; [188954]

(2) what assessment he has made of trends in call volume handled by each ambulance trust in England in each of the last five years. [188956]

Jane Ellison: There are three ambulance response time standards, which ambulance trusts are required to meet at trust level:

75% of Category A ‘Red 1' calls should be reached within eight minutes, from the time the call ‘connects'. ‘Red 1' calls are those patients in cardiac arrest or similar;

75% of Category A ‘Red 2' calls should be reached within eight minutes, from the time that either:

(i) the chief complaint is identified;

(ii) the call handler determines a priority response is required; or

(iii) after 60 seconds has elapsed/whichever is the sooner.

‘Red 2' calls are those patients such as strokes and fits, which are still life threatening emergencies but not as time critical as ‘Red 1' patients.

95% of all Category A calls should receive an ‘ambulance capable of conveying the patient within 19 minutes' (The A19 performance measure).

In December 2010, the Government announced a set of clinical quality indicators to measure the quality of care delivered in response to all calls made to the ambulance service. The Ambulance Clinical Quality Indicators, introduced on 1 April 2011, encompass a range of factors measuring both the quality of care delivered by ambulance services and the clinical outcomes of patients. The indicators aim to develop a culture of continuous improvement in emergency care. They ensure that response times are given importance but are not the sole focus. Performance against these standards has been improving.

We recognise that there is increased demand across the urgent and emergency care system, including an increased volume of 999 calls to ambulances, particularly

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in Category A calls, and a rise in emergency journeys. Call volumes also show seasonal variation. NHS England publishes data monthly on the indicators. They are available here:

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Further information is available in individual ambulance trust annual reports.

The Department has rolled out the NHS 111 non-emergency number nationally to reduce the pressure on ambulance services. Over a million patients used NHS 111 in December 2013, showing that the service is becoming a core part of local urgent care systems.

Given rising demand, we asked Sir Bruce Keogh (National Medical Director of NHS England) to undertake a review of urgent and emergency care. The review is aimed at delivering system wide change starting 2015-16—not just in accident and emergency and ambulances but across all health and care services in England by:

concentrating specialist emergency care expertise, where appropriate; and

ensuring that other services, such as primary and community care, are more responsive and delivered locally.

The first phase of that review was published on 13 November 2013.

Avian Influenza

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to commission a vaccine for the H10N8 virus. [188948]

Jane Ellison: The current Public Health England's risk assessment for H10N8, is that this strain is very rare, sporadic and still restricted to China. Therefore, currently, we have no plans to commission a vaccine for the H10N8.

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to detect the H10N8 virus in the UK population. [188949]

Jane Ellison: The United Kingdom is one of the best prepared countries in the world for responding to threats such as avian and pandemic influenza. Public Health England (PHE) has produced clinical flowcharts and information on the PHE website to enable clinicians to identify potential cases of avian influenza, usually in travellers returning from affected areas of the world. Suspected cases will be investigated and samples taken for virological analysis. PHE has a network of laboratories with the testing capability to recognise whether the virus is influenza A, and then to determine if this influenza A virus is a human seasonal strain, avian H7 or H5, or an unknown/unusual strain. Diagnostic capability for unknown/unusual influenza viruses is maintained at the national centre where any strain can be identified. These systems would allow for the early detection of emerging influenza viruses such as H10N8.