Career Development

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female. [189150]

Stephen Hammond: The information is shown in the following table:

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic minority group. [189170]

Stephen Hammond: The following table provides the information requested and the column marked “unknown” represents the number of employees who had not declared their status.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) disabled and (b) non-disabled. [189190]

Stephen Hammond: The information is provided in the following table. The column marked “unknown” shows the number of people who have not declared their status or who have preferred not to say.

Driving Tests

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new drivers passed their first driving test in each of the last five years. [189543][Official Report, 12 March 2014, Vol. 577, c. 5MC.]

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is in the following table:

Driving: Licensing

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new drivers were awarded a probationary driving licence in each of the last five years. [189544]

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not issue probationary driving licences. Provisional licences are issued to those learning to drive and full licences are issued to those who have passed a test of driving competence.

All learner drivers who pass a test of competence to drive fall within the two-year probationary period under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995. If they accumulate six penalty points or more during the two-year period their full entitlement will be revoked and they will have to pass another driving test.

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Below is the number of drivers that passed a first driving test in Great Britain and claimed their first full driving licence in each of the last five years:

East Coast Railway Line

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals there are in the Network Rail control period 5 for the upgrade of the east coast main line between Huntingdon and Peterborough; and if he will make a statement. [189478]

Stephen Hammond: Network Rail is responsible for developing options for how best to use the funding provided in the control period 5 settlement for improving connectivity on the east coast main line route. The scope of this work includes studying possible options for increasing capacity on the section of line between Huntingdon and Peterborough.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses were received to the High Speed 2 environmental statement; and if he will publish the names of those who responded. [189737]

Mr Goodwill: The deadline for sending responses to the environmental statement consultation was midnight on 27 February. As of 1 March we had received 21,700 responses; however, responses posted on 27 February may not arrive until 3 March so this figure is likely to increase.

We will publish the names of all those who responded, except for those who asked for confidentiality, in due course. This cannot be done at the same time as confirmation of the total number of responses received as additional time is required to redact personal details from these correspondents. These names will be published prior to the Second Reading of the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill.

Maternity Leave

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were on maternity leave in each of the last five years returned to work. [189070]

Stephen Hammond: The information is as follows:

During 2012-13 87% of maternity leavers returned to work

During 2011-12 88% of maternity leavers returned to work

During 2010-11 80% of maternity leavers returned to work

During 2009-10 79% of maternity leavers returned to work

Data for the year 2008-09 are not available as it is not possible to distinguish maternity leavers from other long-term leavers for this year.

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Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of civil servants in his 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. [189130]

Stephen Hammond: Information is available on the proportion of civil servants in the Department who had been on maternity leave and were still employed in the civil service for 12 months after their return to work for each of the last four financial years but it is not possible to identify from this number those who were still employed six months after their return to work.

At 31 March 2013, 76% of maternity leavers who returned to work were in post 12 months after their return.

At 31 March 2012, 67% of maternity leavers who returned to work were in post 12 months after their return.

At 31 March 2011, 71% of maternity leavers who returned to work were in post 12 months after their return.

At 31 March 2010, 69% of maternity leavers who returned to work were in post 12 months after their return.

Maternity Pay

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department. [189090]

Stephen Hammond: Eligible staff are entitled to take up to 52 weeks maternity leave. The maternity leave period is made up of ‘ordinary maternity leave’ and ‘additional maternity leave’, each at 26 weeks.

For the 26 week period of ‘ordinary maternity leave’ an employee will receive full pay. This payment is made up of statutory maternity pay and a contractual enhancement to the full pay rate. Additional maternity leave is paid at the statutory maternity pay rate for the first 13 weeks and then is unpaid for the remaining 13 weeks.

Nurseries

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many workplace nurseries (a) directly operated by his Department and (b) operated by a third party on his Department's property there were at (A) 5 May 2010 and (B) 5 February 2014; and how many such nurseries are expected to cease operating in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16. [189110]

Stephen Hammond: There are no workplace nurseries that are directly operated by the Department for Transport (DFT). DFT has one workplace nursery which is operated by a third party on the Department's property. This was operating on 5 May 2010 and 5 February 2014. There are no plans for the nursery to cease operating in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 238W on parking: fees and charges, what the (a) name and (b) region of registration

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is of each of the seven other companies which were suspended from requesting vehicle keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2013. [189722]

Stephen Hammond: The following table provides the names and regions of the seven other companies which were suspended from requesting vehicle keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2013:

The ‘region of registration’ information is the registered address area taken from information held by Companies House and the Finance Conduct Authority (FCA) mutual public address.

Peterborough Station

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on integrated transport and connectivity at the remodelled Peterborough railway station; and if he will make a statement. [189474]

Stephen Hammond: Officials from the Department for Transport have been involved in cross-industry discussions and meetings led by Network Rail to identify options for how best to use the funding provided in the control period 5 settlement (covering the period 2014 to 2019) for improving connectivity on the east coast main line route. The scope of this study includes the Peterborough area and would build on the £43 million already spent at Peterborough in control period 4 (2009 to 2014).

Rights of Way

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on schemes for (a) cyclists, (b) bridleways and (c) pedestrians in each of the last five years. [188929]

Mr Goodwill: The provision of cycling schemes, bridleways and pedestrian facilities are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. We provide funding through the integrated transport block to local authorities to use for small transport improvement schemes, which could include those aimed at pedestrians and cyclists or for bridleways.

In addition the Department has provided funding specifically for cycling; I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 329W.

Schemes for pedestrians are included in Links to Schools, Local Sustainable Transport Fund and Community Linking Places Fund. Links to Schools was allocated

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£12 million, Local Sustainable Transport Fund £600 million and the Community Linking Places Fund £15.5 million, but it is not possible to disaggregate exactly how much was spent on pedestrians. With regards to bridleways, there is no specific funding from the Department.

Road Signs and Markings

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) criteria and (b) guidance his Department has issued to the Highways Agency on the (i) frequency of messaging and (ii) reasons for prioritising messages on overhead gantry signs. [189734]

Mr Goodwill: The criteria and guidance the Department for Transport uses to govern the Highways Agency comes from within section 64 of the Road Traffic Act 1984 and the traffic signs regulations and general directions. However, neither the Act nor directions prescribe the frequency or reasons for prioritising messages.

Therefore, the agency has developed its own policy for the use of variable signs and signals, agreed with the Department for Transport in December 2011. This policy defines the prioritisation of all messages and the frequency of campaign legends. The frequency with which general traffic management legends are set is dependent on current and future road conditions.

Defence

Accountancy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on external accountancy support in each year since 2010; and what the value has been of each of his Department's external accountancy contracts in that time. [183600]

Mr Dunne: I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Substantive answer from Dr Murrison to Kevan Jones:

Philip Dunne undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question of 22 January (Official Report, column 220W) about the Ministry of Defence's spending on external accountancy support in each financial year since 2010-11. I set out this information for 2012-13 and 2013-14 to date in the table below. Comparable information before 2012-13 would be available only at disproportionate cost.

We are increasingly able to do this type of accountancy work ourselves.

3 Mar 2014 : Column 715W

Afghanistan

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) human rights and (b) international humanitarian law training recruits of the Afghan National Army Officer Academy receive as part of their programme. [189294]

Mr Francois: Human rights and international law are themes that run through the entire Afghan National Army Officer Academy training syllabus though the cadets receive two specific lessons early on in the course. These lessons provide a basic understanding of the relevant principles. The practical application of these principles is subsequently demonstrated in various other modules throughout the course.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the 270 members of the first kandak at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy are women. [189295]

Mr Francois: There are no female recruits within the first kandak. Female recruits will begin training in the summer of 2014.

Armed Forces: Elections

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to enable service personnel to vote in local, national and European elections and local referenda. [189291]

Anna Soubry: The Government are committed to members of the armed forces being able to take their full part in the democratic process, in accordance with the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with the Cabinet Office and the Electoral Commission to raise awareness of voting registration procedures, including through an annual campaign to promote service voter registration. As part of the annual campaign, a defence instruction notice is issued, and its key messages reinforced at unit level through posted routine orders. In addition, unit registration officers are expected to hold service registration days at all units.

The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 has provisions that will better support military personnel serving overseas to have their postal ballots included in the count by extending the electoral timeframe. As part of the extension it will be possible for ballot papers to be sent out earlier and will allow more time for voters to return their forms, ensuring their vote is counted.

However, registration is a personal matter and it is for service personnel to decide where and how they register to vote.

Armed Forces: Pay

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department uses to decide which people will be asked to repay money received under the financial retention incentive scheme. [188681]

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Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence uses a variety of financial incentives (FIs) to assist with recruitment and retention of armed forces personnel. FIs are targeted, temporary measures to address current or projected manning shortfalls, particularly in essential specialisations such as operational pinch point trades, specific to the requirements of each service.

The criteria used to determine whether an individual has to repay a FRI differ for each scheme. They will generally be linked to circumstances in which the claimant has not met the conditions originally agreed when the payment is claimed. Such criteria are clearly stated within scheme documentation, a copy of which is signed by all claimants as part the application process, prior to any payment being authorised. In most cases the requirement to repay a FRI in full arises from a failure to serve out the whole return of service (ROS) agreed. The ROS is a minimum period of service, within the related specialism, offered by the individual in return for the monies paid. There may also be occasions where payments have been claimed in error and in those cases affected personnel are normally asked to repay the FRI once the error has been identified.

In exceptional circumstances (e.g. failure on medical or welfare grounds) repayment may be waived. In such cases individuals are invited to submit details to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency where they are considered on a case-by-case basis. In addition, where armed forces personnel die in service, or are leaving service early as part of the current redundancy programme, all outstanding FIs are waived and so not recovered.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many people asked to repay money received through the financial retention incentive schemes have previously served in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; [188682]

(2) how much his Department has reclaimed following requests to armed forces personnel to repay money received under the financial retention incentive scheme to date; [188683]

(3) how many people have been asked to repay money received as part of the financial retention incentive scheme since 2010; and in which branch of the armed forces each such person served; [188684]

(4) how many armed forces personnel have been asked to repay in part or in full any money received under the financial retention scheme in each year since 2010. [188687]

Anna Soubry: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Career Development

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female; [189139]

(2) what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic minority group; [189159]

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(3) what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) disabled and (b) non-disabled. [189179]

Anna Soubry: The information requested for gender and ethnic minority is shown in the following tables.

With regards to disability, levels of self-declaration on the Ministry of Defence's human resources management

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system are currently insufficient to provide statistically valid data, following conversion of the system to 2011 census definitions of disability. Declaration rates are being monitored, and information will be available when a statistically viable threshold is reached. Information was not routinely collected or calculated for promotion analysis for the period 2009-10 or earlier.

Cryptography

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the CIPHER project to date. [189467]

Mr Dunne: The total cost of the CIPHER project was £46 million. Work ceased in June 2013 following the assessment phase which concluded that the project would not meet the full defence capability required to offer long-term value for money.

The work carried out during the CIPHER assessment phase is being used to inform necessary future work to allow the capability to be met.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [188877]

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the promotion of equality and diversity (E&D) seriously and has adopted a unified philosophy towards E&D issues at the strategic level. We want our whole work force of civilians, military, reserves and contractors to be drawn from the breadth of the society we serve. To deliver our aims the Department has published its strategic equality objectives 2012-16, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/227514/ea10_strategic_equality_objectives.pdf

These objectives superseded the equality and diversity schemes 2008-11 publication, which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/28142/Equality_Diversity_2008_2011.pdf

In addition, individual areas of the MOD produce materials to promote inclusion at a local level. The cost of producing centrally and locally produced publications cannot be disaggregated from wider budgetary areas.

The MOD publishes a biannual breakdown of diversity statistics which contains a wide-ranging analysis across all diversity categories. The next publication is due on 29 May 2014, and a link to this series can be found at the following internet address:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140116142443/http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/personnel/combined/diversity-dashboard

EU Defence Policy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with European counterparts about the role of the UK's nuclear deterrent in European defence. [189281]

Dr Murrison: Ministers and officials meet their European counterparts on a regular basis in bilateral and multilateral fora including the EU and NATO to discuss a variety of topics related to defence. There have, however, been no specific discussions about the role of the UK's nuclear deterrent in the EU. The UK's nuclear deterrent is declared to the defence of our NATO allies.

HMS Scott

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the refit of HMS Scott. [189469]

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Mr Dunne: The refit of HMS Scott has not yet been completed. Final costs are subject to ongoing negotiations with Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd.

Maternity Leave

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were on maternity leave in each of the last five years returned to work; [189059]

(2) what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department; [189079]

(3) what proportion of civil servants in his 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. [189119]

Anna Soubry: Ministry of Defence civilian employees are entitled to take 12 months maternity leave. For those who meet the criteria, this includes up to 26-weeks of full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory maternity pay.

Information presented in the following table relates to the year in which a period of maternity leave commenced. The requested information is not yet available for personnel who started their maternity leave in 2013.

Military Bases: Nature Conservation

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the conservation of the environment and wildlife at its (a) military bases and (b) training centres in the UK in each year since 2010. [189282]

Anna Soubry: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Police

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written statement of 21 November 2014, Official Report, column 56WS, on Police and Guarding Agency, what the future arrangements for the MOD guards service are; and if he will make a statement. [188735]

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) is completing the transition to its new tasks, and recently advertised for new recruits to fill vacancies on the sites where it will continue to be the security provider.

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NATO Nuclear Planning Group

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had with the NATO Nuclear Planning Group since May 2010. [189331]

Dr Murrison: The Nuclear Planning Group is a Defence ministerial body which in peacetime normally meets on an annual basis in this format. It is supported by a Nuclear Planning Group (staff group), high level group (HLG) and HLG ad hoc working group that meet on a more regular basis as required.

Nurseries

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many workplace nurseries (a) directly operated by his Department and (b) operated by a third party on his Department's property there were at (A) 5 May 2010 and (B) 5 February 2014; and how many such nurseries are expected to cease operating in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16. [189099]

Anna Soubry: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence encourages the development of affordable, high-quality child care provision for its employees. We support our service and civilian personnel through a salary sacrifice scheme which provides child care vouchers for payment of any form of registered or approved child care.

Authority to provide child care support schemes, including workplace nurseries, is delegated to top level budget holders and agency chief executives. Such schemes are usually managed locally and operated by contractors who are subject to market conditions which dictate their commercial viability.

Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether shortages of suitably experienced and qualified personnel will continue to be identified as his Department's top safety concern in the 2013-14 Safety and Environmental Protection Assurance Report. [189274]

Anna Soubry: The 2013-14 Safety and Environmental Protection Assurance Report is in the process of being compiled. When completed the report will be placed in the public domain.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review on the number of people employed in the defence and aerospace industries in the UK. [189399]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not collect information on the number of people employed in the defence and aerospace industries including the number of jobs affected by the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The MOD continues to spend a significant amount on procuring equipment, support and technology

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for the UK armed forces, and forecasts spending of £164 billion over the next 10 years, much of which supports a significant number of highly skilled jobs across the UK.

Tornado Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Tornado airworthiness review team report. [189470]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 283W.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) who authorised the inclusion of the Delete Tornado Collision Warning System option in planning round 11; and what the reason was for its inclusion; [189660]

(2) who cancelled the installation of the Tornado Collision Warning System proposed in planning round 11; and what the reason was for its cancellation; [189661]

(3) what the estimated cost saving was of the Delete Tornado Collision Warning System option in planning round 11. [189662]

Mr Dunne: Planning round decisions seek to support the achievement of defence priorities by rebalancing defence investment accordingly. They take into account a number of factors, including costs, benefits, risks and safety.

In planning round 11, the option to cancel the Tornado Collision Warning System was part of the package endorsed by the Defence Board. However, the then Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), asked that the decision be reviewed as part of the three month exercise, and the measure was reinstated in June 2011.

The estimated cost saving envisaged from deleting Tornado Collision Warning was £50 million over 10 years from 2011-12 to 2020-21.

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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what communications took place between the Director General of the Military Aviation Authority and the Air Chief Marshal on the Delete Tornado Warning System option in planning round 11; [189667]

(2) what communications his Department had with the Military Aviation Authority on the Delete Tornado Warning System option in planning round 11. [189668]

Mr Dunne: During the 2011 planning round process, formal advice from the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) and other safety advisers was commissioned via the Defence Environmental and Safety Board (DESB). A DESB report on planning round 11 was provided to Defence Board members and the then Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), in February 2011.

The Director General of the MAA was also in regular communication with members of the Defence Board, including the Chief of the Air Staff, and the DESB during the planning round.

Veterans: Ambulance Services

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Health a policy of inviting former members of HM armed forces to consider a career with the ambulance service; and if he will make a statement. [189249]

Anna Soubry: A career in the armed forces equips service leavers with a wide range of specialist and transferable skills. Such a career will also have instilled and developed characteristics such as leadership, initiative and tenacity, which is why this group of people are in high demand in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. Our current resettlement package offers service-leavers training, resources and career advice to prepare them for potential future careers. Those who leave the armed forces are often well suited to a second career in the emergency services, and should certainly consider any opportunities that arise in the ambulance service.