Army: Recruitment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 66W, on army: training, what further steps he is taking to improve recruiting performance; and what targets have been set to assess results. [190853]

Anna Soubry: The Army assesses recruiting performance on a regular basis as part of normal internal business. The enlistment targets for reserve forces for the next five years were set out in the paper placed in the Library of the House on 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 124WS.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the final performance cost and time envelope for the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Tankers has been agreed with the Ministry of Defence Approving Authority. [190159]

Mr Dunne: The performance, cost and time envelope for the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Tankers was approved by the Ministry of Defence's Investment Approvals Committee (IAC) in October 2011. This approval was based on indicative information and allowed the competitive process to be completed.

The final performance cost and time envelope was confirmed by the IAC in December 2012.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department received copies of Martin-Baker's Special Information Leaflets, SIL 704 and SIL 704A; and what steps it has taken to incorporate the revised checks into the appropriate maintenance publications. [190344]

Mr Dunne: Special Information Leaflet (SIL) 704 was received on 15 November 2011 and SIL 704A on 18 November 2013. Corresponding Ministry of Defence (MOD) Technical Instructions were issued on 16 November 2011 and 5 December 2013 respectively to ejection seat maintenance units. Both Technical Instructions mandated checks of the ejection seat drogue shackle that were more stringent than those laid down in the SILs. In both cases, amendment action to the appropriate MOD maintenance publications commenced soon after issue of the Technical Instruction.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a list of Martin-Baker's Special Information Leaflets, with contents summary, issued between 1990 and 1996. [190345]

Mr Dunne: Martin-Baker Aircraft issues Special Information Leaflets (SIL) to the Ministry of Defence as a contract deliverable for each aircraft type. The Department does not therefore necessarily receive a copy of every SIL issued by the company. Information on SILs relating solely to aircraft types and equipment that are no longer in-service is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A list of those SILs that are known to have been received by the Department between 1990 and 1996, with contents summaries, will be placed in the Library of the House.

NATO Response Force

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the submarine asset assigned to NATO's Immediate Response Force has not been available for tasking in each of the last five years. [190347]

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Dr Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 847W.

Publications

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to his Department has been of the production, publication and distribution of (a) KiT!, (b) desider and (c) Defence Focus magazines in each year since 2010. [189283]

Anna Soubry: The total cost of KiT!, desider and Defence Focus for each financial year since 2008-10 is shown in the following table. The figures incorporate all production, distribution and staff costs and take into account advertising revenue received by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that mitigates these costs; desider shows a net gain to the MOD because advertising revenue exceeds production costs.

KiT! is published quarterly and provides information to MOD users on equipment care, maintenance and safety. desider is the monthly corporate publication for Defence Equipment and Support and covers equipment and support activities from acquisition to disposal. Defence Focus is the principal in-house MOD journal and includes a wide variety of news and features aimed at ensuring the armed forces and MOD personnel are kept abreast of defence issues. All three publications are published in print and online.

Tornado Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were applied when evaluating the suitability of the automatic wing sweep for installation on the Tornado F3. [190343]

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

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained and operational unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots there have been in the Army since 2004; and in which countries those pilots have flown UAVs. [R] [172870]

Mr Francois: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

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Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Tom Watson:

I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question about unmanned aircraft systems on 31 October 2013 (Official Report, column 549W).

To answer your question, as at 31 October 2013, the number of unmanned aircraft pilots the Army has trained since 2004 is 868. Since 2004, pilots have operated unmanned aircraft in a variety of countries including, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Kenya, Canada and the United States of America.

In researching this answer, my officials identified an error in an earlier response which my predecessor (Andrew Robathan) provided you on 17 June 2013 (Official Report, column 502W).

It has been brought to my attention that while the number of students who passed the UAS ground school course since April 1999 was correctly identified as 461, this information did not fully address your question. This is because the answer did not take account of those personnel who have undertaken conversion training from earlier systems or refresher training. The answer should therefore have stated that the actual number of Army personnel who have received training was 1062 not 461, although it is likely that this larger number will include a number of individuals who have been trained twice (initially and refresher) but these cannot be identified separately.

Culture, Media and Sport

All Party Physical Activity Commission

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish her Department's evidence to the All Party Commission on Physical Activity. [190583]

Mrs Grant: ‘Moving More, Living More’—a Government campaign to promote physical activity was launched on 13 February. A copy of this document has been sent to the All Party Commission to set out the Government's approach to have a more active nation, as the physical activity element of the legacy to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A copy of this document will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Betting

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what estimate her Department has made of how much was bet per head of population in each local authority area of the UK; [190174]

(2) what data are available to her Department to monitor levels of betting across the UK; [190175]

(3) what estimate her Department has made of the number of betting shops per head of population in each local authority area in the UK; [190176]

(4) what estimate her Department has made of the number of fixed odds betting machines per head of population in each local authority area of the UK; [190177]

(5) what estimate her Department has made of the amount bet each week on fixed odds betting machines per head of population in each local authority area in the UK; [190178]

(6) what estimate her Department has made of the number of fixed odds betting machines in each of the (a) 100 poorest and (b) 100 richest council wards in the UK. [190180]

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Mrs Grant: Details of licensed gambling premises are collated by local authorities and are published on the Gambling Commission website. The Department does not hold statistics capturing the amount bet per head of population, levels of betting or the number of Category B2 gaming machines by local authority; however, according to the Gambling Commission's national industry statistics, the gross gaming yield for 2012-13 for off course betting in betting shops was £1,480.7 million, and the average gross gaming yield for 2012-13 for each Category B2 gaming machine in betting shops (including GGY generated from B3 content on B2 machines) was £1,547.12.

Food: Advertising

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the dates, agendas and minutes of meetings Ministers and officials in her Department have had on children, child obesity and food advertising with representatives of the (a) Advertising Association, (b) Direct Marketing Association and (c) Internet Advertising Bureau between January 2012 and March 2014. [190442]

Mr Vaizey: There have been no meetings with the Advertising Association, the Direct Marketing Association or the Internet Advertising Bureau in the period between January 2012 and March 2014 on the subject of children, child obesity or food advertising.

Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what services her Department provides that are (a) available online only and (b) planned to move to online only. [190361]

Mrs Grant: The Department provides no services which are only available online and there are no plans for any services to move to online only.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 23 January 2014, case reference CMS 244813. [190523]

Mrs Grant: I responded to the hon. Gentleman’s letter of 23 January on 4 March.

Museums and Galleries

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people visited the National Railway Museum's Mallard 75 events; how many other major exhibitions were staged outside London by national museums in 2013-14 and how many people attended each of those exhibitions; what plans national museums have to attract more visitors to exhibitions outside London; and if she will make a statement. [190350]

Mr Vaizey: There were 365,432 visits to the ‘Mallard 75’ events at the National Railway Museum, York, which took place on 3 to 17 July 2013, 26 October to 11 November 2013 and 15 to 23 February 2014.

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DCMS-sponsored national museums made loans to 2,727 UK venues in 2012-13, a 78% increase in the number of venues loaned to in 2008-09. In 2012-13, a total of 7.3 million visits were made to DCMS-sponsored national museums outside London (National Museums Liverpool, the Natural History Museum at Tring, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Railway Museum, the National Media Museum, the Royal Armouries in Leeds and Fort Nelson, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, IWM North and IWM Duxford). These museums plan to host 50 special exhibitions during 2013-14.

In their grant in aid settlements it is set out that DCMS-sponsored national museums are expected to work in partnership with other museums in the UK and the national museums have regional partnerships through which they develop long-term, mutually beneficial programmes with non-national museums across the UK. These will include loans, touring exhibitions, exchanges of expertise, education programmes, conservation and community projects.

Music: Exports

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the contribution to exports of One Direction. [189325]

Mr Vaizey: I want to tell the hon. Member that the Government have made no estimate of the contribution to exports of One Direction. However, the BPI have reported one thing: that One Direction are one of a number of UK artists who in recent years have helped to accelerate export sales of British music to over 13% of the global market—the largest share taken apart from the US. More than this, I wish to tell the hon. Member that the BPI and UK Trade and Investment (UKT1) have launched the Music Export Growth Scheme, offering £3 million in grants to small-to-medium-sized independent music companies over a three-year period to help them grow their overseas export markets, and UKTI is also holding an Export Week from 7 to 11 April 2014 and is also supporting music companies at SXSW. These little things I would suggest will make a big difference.

Tourism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the contribution of the tourism industry to the economy of (a) each English region, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [190854]

Mrs Grant: Tourism is a major part of the United Kingdom economy. The latest regional-breakdown estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published on 20 February 2014, show that in 2011 tourism directly contributed a gross value-added (GVA) of around £50 billion to the UK (4% of the economy). Further economic analysis by Deloitte, commissioned by Visit Britain, suggests that if indirect economic effects are also included, GVA is forecast to be as high as £127 billion (9% of the UK economy) in 2013. Deloitte's study covers London, the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland while the ONS

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provides estimates for each English region as well as to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A breakdown of the figures is given in the following table:

Communities and Local Government

All Party Physical Activity Commission

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish his Department's evidence to the All Party Commission on Physical Activity. [190582]

Brandon Lewis: ‘Moving More, Living More’—a Government campaign to promote physical activity was launched on 13 February. A copy of this document has been sent to the All Party Commission to set out the Government's approach to have a more active nation, as the physical activity element of the legacy to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. A copy of this document will be placed in the Library of the House.

Council Tax

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what he has made of the total number of people who will pay (a) increased council tax and (b) council tax for the first time from April 2014 as a result of the withdrawal of the council tax support transitional funding that was offered in the 2013-14 financial year. [190573]

Brandon Lewis: We do not collect this information centrally. 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.

The £100 million transition grant was a voluntary grant for the first year only of the new system of local council tax support. We have been clear from the outset that it was intended to give councils time to transition to the new localised regime and realise greater efficiencies such as cutting fraud and error, which cost £230 million in 2012-13.

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

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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.

Home Information Packs

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate his Department has made of how many people buying leasehold properties in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 were charged over £500 by management companies for the information they needed to complete the purchase; [190123]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of how long it took people buying leasehold properties in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to obtain from management companies the necessary information they needed to complete the purchase. [190124]

Kris Hopkins: This information is not centrally held.

Homelessness

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent to prevent and tackle homelessness since May 2010. [187498]

Kris Hopkins: The following table sets out the total amount of Homelessness Prevention Grant funding allocated to local authorities since 2010-11.

Since 2013-14, the Homelessness Prevention Grant has been rolled into the Local Government Finance Settlement; For the 2013-14 allocations adjustments were made to take into account new funding mechanisms for Court Desks. Where authorities had previously received Court Desk funding through a baseline uplift of the Homelessness Prevention Grant the funding was moved to the Ministry of Justice. This explains the lower figure since 2013-14.

On top of the baseline grant we provided an additional £24,660,699 in 2010-11 to help authorities meet homelessness pressures in their area and in 2011-12 we provided an additional £18,620,000 for authorities to tackle single homelessness. More recently we invested an additional £1,070,000 over two years (2012-13 to 2013-14) to support local authorities to deliver a ‘Gold Standard’ homelessness prevention service. We provided £19,000,002 in 2011-12 to help authorities prevent repossessions.

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We are also providing £42,500,000 capital funding under the Homelessness Change Programme over three years (2011-12 to 2014-15) which falls under the Affordable Homes programme.

From 1 April 2012, affordable housing funding for London has been devolved to the Mayor of London. This includes £12,760,000 capital funding for the Homelessness Change programme.

We are also providing about a further £2,000,000 over two years (2013-14 and 2014-15) to help local authorities tackle the use of bed and breakfast accommodation to house homeless families.

Homelessness: North East

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to each council in the North East of England of meeting their statutory homeless obligations was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14. [187876]

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 January 2014, Official Report, columns 56-7W.

Figures for 2013-14 can be found online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225875/RA_2013-14_data_by_LA_-_Nat_Stats_Release_-_31-Jul-2013.xls

Housing: Greater London

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much land is available for house building within Greater London; [190477]

(2) how much brownfield land has been designated for house building within Greater London. [190540]

Kris Hopkins: The information requested is not held centrally.

Local planning authorities, as part of their Local Plan, should prepare a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment to assess the availability, suitability, and viability of land to meet their identified housing need.

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average density of homes per hectare is for new build developments within Greater London in the latest period for which data are available. [190508]

Kris Hopkins: Local authority figures, including for each London borough, can be found in Table P232 at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/267565/201312_-_Tables_P231-P232_-_LUCS_-_Density_of_new_dwellings.xls

Leasehold: Complaints

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will extend the Redress scheme to include management agencies for leasehold properties. [190125]

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Kris Hopkins: The requirement that letting and property management agents in England must be a member of an approved redress scheme will apply in both the leasehold and the private rented sector.

Local Government Finance

Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers he has to investigate the financial management of local authorities. [190293]

Brandon Lewis: Section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999 provides the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), with the power to request an inspection of a local authority’s compliance with its best value duties. An inspection under these powers could cover financial management. In line with the Government’s policy of localism, the Secretary of State would only seek to use these powers if he had significant concerns about the governance or performance of a local authority.

Local Government: North East

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to lay the draft Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Combined Authority Order 2014. [190089]

Brandon Lewis: The draft Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority Order 2014 will shortly be laid before Parliament.

Maternity Leave

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were on maternity leave in each of the last five years returned to work. [189057]

Brandon Lewis: The proportion of civil servants that returned to work in the Department following maternity leave in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.

The proportion of returners for 2010 and 2011 maternity leave years was lower owing to the fact that there were more opportunities for staff to leave on a voluntary basis in these years under the Department’s broader restructuring programme.

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To place these figures in context, I would note that the 2012 XpertHR maternity leave survey of private and sector organisations, found that:

58% of organisations had between 90% and 100% of women return after maternity leave,

36% of organisations had return rates higher than 50% but less than 90%, and

6% of organisations had return rates of less than 50%.

Planning Permission

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to make an announcement on changes to permitted development rights; and if he will make a statement. [190683]

Nick Boles: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement on local planning made on 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 49-51WS. We intend to bring forward regulations shortly to implement changes to permitted development for greater flexibilities for change of use.

Property: Floods

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make flood risk part of the mandatory search requirements for property purchase. [186888]

Kris Hopkins: The Law Society, which provides guidance to solicitors on this topic, has been consulting on proposals that flood risk will become a mandatory part of solicitors' searches before final purchase. The consultation can be found at:

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/representation/policy-discussion/enquiries-of-local-authorities-con29-and-con29o-consultation/

The Law Society also published a practice note on flood risk in May 2013. This can be found online at:

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/advice/practice-notes/flood-risk/

Moreover, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency are working to ensure flood risk data are readily available, including to prospective home-buyers.

Returning Officers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid to returning officers in England for running (a) council by-elections and (b) parish council by-elections in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [190520]

Brandon Lewis: The running of local elections, including by-elections, is one of the services covered by the Local Government Finance Settlement and there is no separately ring-fenced funding for this. The Government do not collect information on payments to returning officers.

To the extent that the payments are fees for the chief officer concerned, the council's annual pay policy statement will set out their policy on paying such fees.

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International Development

Developing Countries: Abortion

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to her Department's policy document entitled, Safe and Unsafe Abortion, how much her Department spent on (a) legal and policy reform campaigns to liberalise abortion law and policy in other countries and (b) raising awareness among policy-makers, legislators, national health authorities and health personnel in other countries of the circumstances under which abortion may be allowed by (i) country, (ii) region and (iii) nature of recipient in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [190385]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government support the prevention of unsafe abortion as part of broader public health efforts to improve sexual and reproductive health and reduce the number of women who would otherwise die or be injured. Data on spend for individual components of sexual and reproductive health and rights are not compiled.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements her Department has in place to assess the value-for-money of its funding for (a) Programme Partnership Arrangements Marie Stopes International, (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation and (c) the United Nations Population Fund; whether those arrangements include the collection of data on the number of abortions provided by these organisations; and if she will make a statement. [190303]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID makes an annual assessment of the extent to which the UK Government are achieving value for money from its Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) funding to Marie Stopes International (MSI) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Similar arrangements apply to the funding provided to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

DFID does not collect the data requested on abortions. However, during the period 2012-13 PPA funding to IPPF and MSI is estimated to have prevented 715,929 unsafe abortions.

Developing Countries: Females

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department plans to develop, implement and monitor the Strategic Priority on Violence against Women and Girls in its next operational plan in 2015. [190766]

Lynne Featherstone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her on 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 887W.

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Developing Countries: Water

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote World Water Day; and if she will prioritise financial support for water sanitation and waste water treatment up to 2015. [190402]

Lynne Featherstone: For World Water Day, DFID will be running an event in our UK offices involving DFID's chief economist and external speakers. This event will generate increased awareness and highlight opportunities to support water security for poor people. We will also be hosting an event for DFID staff and members of the UK Water Network on sustainability of WASH services and making effective use of new technologies to support monitoring and maintenance of water supplies.

The UK Government have committed to support 60 million people gain access to sustainable water and sanitation by the end of 2015. We are on track to meet this target and have provided the financial and human resources required to achieve this target.

Egypt

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Minister of State in her Department discussed the flow of humanitarian aid and the normalisation of trade across borders between Sinai and the Gaza Strip on her recent visit to representatives of the Egyptian Government in Cairo. [190746]

Mr Duncan: No DFID Ministers have visited Egypt recently.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 108W, on equality, what the equivalent figures were for financial year 2013-14. [190598]

Mr Duncan: During the period April to September 2013 DFID spent a total of £26,500 on the promotion of equality and diversity. This included the costs of one staff member directly responsible for this work.

Since October 2013 DFID no longer has specific roles responsible for diversity and equality. The delivery of equality and diversity is now a responsibility of general HR staff.

Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what services her Department provides that are (a) available online only and (b) planned to move to online only. [190367]

Mr Duncan: DFID currently provides a dedicated on-line supplier portal that holds suppliers' registration details when they wish to participate in DFID tendering competitions.

DFID has no plans to create or move any other services to a dedicated online facility.

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Mozambique

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will discuss steps to mitigate the risk of widespread famine in Mozambique with the Government of that country. [190705]

Lynne Featherstone: The Mozambican Government and UN have confirmed that there has been misreporting in the Mozambican press in recent days about widespread famine in that country. However, many poor Mozambicans still do not have reliable access to the healthy food that they need. DFID in Mozambique is implementing a range of initiatives to tackle food insecurity.

Overseas Aid

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to assess the human rights records of states in receipt of direct development aid from the UK. [190468]

Justine Greening: The UK Government monitor human rights overseas very closely and our assessment is published annually in the Foreign Office's Human Rights and Democracy report. Any budget support to partner Governments is only provided after we have assessed their respect for human rights through our Partnership Principles.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK official development assistance has been allocated to non-departmental spending in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014. [190772]

Mr Duncan: In 2012 non-departmental Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure was £215 million.

Provisional information for 2013 non-departmental ODA will be available in April 2014 in DFID's National Statistics publication “Provisional ODA as a proportion of GNI”. Provisional information for 2014 non-departmental ODA will be available in April 2015.

Philippines

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to evaluate the UK's role in the relief effort in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan. [190469]

Justine Greening: All DFID programmes include monitoring arrangements to continually assess effectiveness and impact and to ensure UK aid is getting to those most in need of assistance. Recipient organisations are closely monitored and are required to report regularly to DFID.

Staff

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time officials in her Department have responsibility for issues related to women and girls. [190467]

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Justine Greening: Gender equality is a top DFID priority and is mainstreamed across the whole Department.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time members of staff in her Department have responsibility for her Department's role in the post millennium development goals framework. [190733]

Justine Greening: The post-2015 development framework is a top DFID priority and is mainstreamed across the whole Department.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's objectives are for the UN Commission on the Status of Women; and if she will make it her policy to (a) prioritise women's social and political participation in fragile states and (b) support a gender goal in the post-2015 framework with special reference to fragile states and conflict-affected areas. [190070]

Lynne Featherstone: Our objective at the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is to secure agreed conclusions that reflect lessons learnt from the millennium development goals and support the UK's call for a stand-alone goal on gender equality as well as ensuring that this issue is addressed throughout the post 2015 framework. Women's social and political participation in fragile states remains a priority for the UK Government.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what formal response he has made to President Karzai's view that Al Qaeda is more a myth than a reality. [190706]

Hugh Robertson: We have made no formal response to President Karzai's comments regarding Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda continues to remain a threat. We are in Afghanistan to protect our national security by helping Afghans to take control of their own and to make sure Afghanistan does not again become a safe haven for international terrorists. Since our presence in Afghanistan, the terrorist threat to the UK from this region has been substantially reduced.

Burma

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on the persecution of the Christians within the Rohingya and Kachin ethnic tribes. [190607]

Mr Swire: During my recent visit to Burma, I met the Kachin Baptist Convention, the largest religious organisation in Kachin State, and discussed a wide range of issues. I raised our human rights concerns with

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senior members of the Burmese Government and called for religious tolerance and dialogue in my speech at the British Council in Rangoon.

Christians comprise a small minority of the Rohingya population. We have consistently called on the Burmese Government to provide security and resolve the citizenship issues of the Rohingya community as a whole.

Our ambassador and embassy officials meet regularly with representatives of all faith communities, both in Rangoon and in the wider country. The UK is also supporting interfaith dialogue to help build trust between communities—for example through a project promoting peace building among youths from different faith groups.

Falkland Islands

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance he has issued to Government Departments and agencies on when it is appropriate to refer to the Falkland Islands as Falkland Islands (Malvinas) or Malvinas when answering parliamentary questions. [190557]

Mr Swire: There is no ambiguity on this point. All Government Departments and agencies should refer to the Islands by their correct name, which is the Falkland Islands.

Hezbollah

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of involvement by Hezbollah’s political wing in terrorist activities. [190514]

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any reports of involvement by Hezbollah’s political wing in terrorism.

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Hezbollah’s military presence in Syria. [190515]

Hugh Robertson: We condemn Hezbollah’s ongoing military support for the brutal Assad regime in Syria and its recent involvement in the fighting around Yabroud. We have consistently called for Iran, Hezbollah and all other foreign fighters and forces to withdraw from Syria.

We are very concerned by the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon. We urge all parties in Lebanon to abide by Lebanon’s policy of neutrality with respect to the Syrian crisis. Lebanon’s hard-won peace must not become another victim of Assad’s determination to hang on to power at any cost.

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Iran's relationship with Hezbollah. [190527]

Hugh Robertson: We continue to have serious concerns about Iran's support for the military wing of Hezbollah. This support includes the provision of significant financial resources, training and weapons, in contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1747.

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Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of recent weapons transfers to Hezbollah from Syria. [190528]

Hugh Robertson: We remain concerned by reports of continuing weapons transfers to Hezbollah. Any such transfers are in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and pose a threat to Lebanese and regional stability.

Indonesia

Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the publication by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Indonesia: Pluralism in Peril, what assessment he has made of the conclusions of that report; what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government about tolerance for religious communities including Christians; and if he will make a statement. [190568]

Mr Swire: We welcome the recent Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) report. The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion is a priority for this Government and one on which we regularly engage with international partners. We recognise many of the concerns raised and discussed the report's findings with representatives from CSW and visiting Indonesian religious leaders at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 27 February.

Indonesia has a strong tradition of religious diversity and tolerance but there has been a rise in recent years of localised instances of inter- and intra-religious conflict and examples where the rights of religious minority groups, including Christians, have not been protected. The central Government and law enforcement have not always responded as firmly as expected and, at times, have been overruled at the local level. We remain concerned that some local bylaws abrogate the rights of women and religious minority groups.

We continue to closely monitor the situation and to engage at senior levels with the Government of Indonesia about our concerns. Our ambassador in Jakarta has discussed these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society and religious leaders. We have worked with local partners in Indonesia on engagement with religious leaders and police to improve rights of freedom of religion or belief. We also raise freedom of religion or belief concerns at the annual EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue.

Furthermore, during the UN General Assembly week in September, Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend Baroness Warsi, brought together Ministers and senior officials, including the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, to discuss what more politicians could do to promote freedom of religion and fight religious intolerance within our societies.

Iran: Iraq

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of arms sales from Iran to Iraq. [190445]

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Hugh Robertson: We are concerned by reports of a possible $195 million purchase of arms by Iraq from Iran, and have raised the issue with the Government of Iraq. Importing arms from Iran would be in direct breach of UN Security Council resolution 1747.

North Korea

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to address the persecution of Christians in North Korea. [190865]

Mr Swire: Ministers take every opportunity to raise our significant concerns about the appalling human rights violations by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)—violations, which the recent UN Commission of Inquiry report highlighted, including severe punishments for practising Christianity. I welcomed the report and I urged the DPRK authorities to respond to its contents. The UK is actively supporting a strong UN Human Rights Council resolution on the DPRK. I was in Geneva on 3 March, working to deliver a resolution which makes clear that there can be no impunity for human rights violators.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding the persecution of Christians in North Korea. [190866]

Mr Swire: On 23 January I met the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, along with fellow parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including Christian Solidarity Worldwide. We discussed UK policy towards the DPRK and explored how we could use the Commission of Inquiry report to maintain pressure on the DPRK to address its human rights record, not least with regard to the persecution of Christians. I also receive regular letters from MPs and members of the public on this topic. I will keep the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea and interested Members of Parliament updated on this issue.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his counterparts in other countries potential steps that could be taken to stop persecution of Christians in North Korea. [190867]

Mr Swire: In Geneva on 3 March, I discussed with several of our international partners how the UN Human Rights Council could address the range of shocking human right violations in the DPRK, not least the persecution of Christians. Negotiations on the resolution are ongoing. We still continue to make every effort to ensure that it sends a clear message on the need for accountability for human rights violators.

Russia

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department has issued to Paralympians attending the Sochi Paralympics. [190518]

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Mr Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are in close contact with the British Paralympic Association (BPA). FCO officials met BPA representatives on 15 January, 17 February and 27 February to provide them with advice ahead of their travel to Sochi. We stand ready to offer further assistance if necessary. The Prime Minister made clear in his statement of 2 March that, although Ministers will not now be attending the Paralympics in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, he fully supports the participation in the games of UK athletes.

Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it the policy of the Government that the Russian Federation be suspended from the Council of Europe until it complies with its obligations under the 1949 Statute. [190785]

Mr Lidington: We have had no discussion with our Council of Europe counterparts on the Russian Federation's Membership at this point.

The UK utterly condemns Russia's illegal violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and we continue to use every opportunity, including through the Council of Europe, to make sure that the Governments of Russia and Ukraine are talking to each other. These talks are crucial to resolving the situation.

At the European Council meeting on 6 March the Prime Minister made it very clear that it cannot be business as usual with Russia. European leaders have agreed to suspend negotiations on a more liberal visa regime for Russians, to stop work on a comprehensive new agreement on relations between Russia and the EU, and to pull out of all preparations for the G8 .summit in Sochi in June.

The UK is considering what further measures we might take to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia if it does not de-escalate the current unacceptable situation.

South Sudan

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that there is no impunity for people responsible for crimes against humanity being committed in the conflict in South Sudan. [190858]

Mark Simmonds: We are deeply concerned by continuing reports of human rights violations and abuses in South Sudan, which the recent UN interim report suggests are being committed by all sides.

We welcome the African Union's announcement to establish the Commission of Inquiry, which should ensure that all human rights allegations are investigated and perpetrators are held accountable. We are urging the Commission of Inquiry to act quickly and deploy an investigation team to collect all the necessary information. Thorough investigations and genuine accountability will be a crucial factor in the national reconciliation process.

When I met the South Sudanese Foreign Minister in February 2014, I was clear that there must be no impunity for those who have committed human rights abuses.

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Ukraine

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement. [190166]

Mr Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) to the House on 4 March 2014, Official Report, columns 755-780, about the UK Government's position on the current situation in Ukraine. The Prime Minister also answered questions on Ukraine in the House on 5 March 2014, Official Report, columns 881-883.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made since the NATO Bucharest summit in April 2008 in inviting Ukraine to join NATO; and whether this issue is on the agenda for the NATO summit in Newport in 2014. [190407]

Mr Lidington: Since the 2008 Bucharest summit communiqué, NATO has continued its engagement with Ukraine through a wide range of initiatives. The most significant of these were the 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) and the Annual National Plan, which was established following the 2008 Bucharest summit specifically to support Ukraine's reform efforts. These initiatives continue to operate into the present. However, in February 2010 President Yankovych announced that Ukraine would not pursue NATO membership, favouring 'non-bloc' status instead.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on the Russian Government’s perceptions of events in Ukraine; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any written communication he has had on this matter with Mr Lavrov. [190444]

Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on 5 March at a ministerial meeting in Paris, at which the Foreign Secretary reiterated his call for de-escalation of the situation in Crimea and respect for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. He also urged Russia to meet its international commitments and to talk directly to the Ukrainian Government, through ministerial and military channels.

Prior to this, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Mr Lavrov on 1 March, when the Russian ambassador was also summoned to the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Secretary has not communicated with Mr Lavrov in writing since the situation in Crimea began.

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for consular assistance relating to crime have been made by UK citizens at the UK embassy in Kiev since November 2013. [190474]

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Mr Lidington: Since November 2013, British embassy officials in Kiev have received no requests for consular assistance from British nationals relating to crime.

We regularly review and update our travel advice, which includes a section on crime, on the www.gov.uk website.

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of British citizens in Ukraine. [190475]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is regularly reviewing and updating its travel advice for Ukraine. At present, the FCO advises against all travel to Crimea and that all British nationals currently in Crimea should leave immediately. The FCO is unable to provide consular services to any British nationals choosing to remain in Crimea. Given the fast moving events in Ukraine, we advise British nationals to sign up to travel advice alerts to ensure they receive any new information as soon as it is published.

Deputy Prime Minister

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce the Northern Ireland school registration programme to increase voter registration on the UK mainland. [189403]

Greg Clark: The Government are implementing a schools registration approach informed by the Northern Ireland Schools initiative.

£4.2 million funding has been made available to all 363 local authorities and valuation joint boards in Great Britain. Electoral registration officers have been encouraged to use this funding to support the delivery of Rock Enrol! in their area, a learning resource which not only provides an opportunity for young people to register to vote, but enables them to discuss the importance of doing so.

Political Parties

Hilary Benn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what requirements there are for a political party operating in another country which has a branch in the UK to register with the Electoral Commission. [190541]

Greg Clark: Political parties are regulated by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000. Under its provisions, parties that wish to field candidates at elections and have their name appear on the ballot paper must be registered with the Electoral Commission (section 22). There are separate registers for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Returning Officers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (a) how and (b) by whom pay levels for returning officers are set. [190156]

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Greg Clark: The amounts recoverable by returning officers in respect of services rendered at different national polls vary and have been set out in successive orders. It is the size of the electorate which determines the maximum amounts that returning officers can claim.

Returning officers are generally entitled to a sum of £475 for every 10,000 electors in their area on a pro rata basis with a minimum of £2,500. This rate has remained unchanged since 2009.

Any returning officers acting in an additional capacity, such as regional returning officers at European parliamentary elections or police area returning officers at police and crime commissioner elections, are entitled to recover an additional flat rate amount for their services in co-ordinating the election over a number of local authorities.

Returning officers are not required to claim the full amount. They can choose not to claim or to claim only part of the amount available. They can also choose to re-distribute some or all of the amount among any deputies and other staff to whom they delegate their duties.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the 10 most highly-paid returning officers in the UK are paid. [190165]

Greg Clark: The amounts recoverable by returning officers in respect of services rendered at different national polls vary and have been set out in successive orders. It is the size of the electorate which determines the maximum amounts that returning officers can claim.

Any returning officers acting in an additional capacity, such as regional returning officers at European parliamentary elections or police area returning officers at police and crime commissioner elections, are entitled to recover an additional flat rate amount for their services in co-ordinating the election over a number of local authorities.

Returning officers are not required to claim the full amount. They can choose not to claim or to claim only part of the amount available. They can also choose to re-distribute some or all of the amount among any deputies and other staff to whom they delegate their duties.

The following table sets out the 10 highest maximum recoverable amounts for services rendered available to returning officers at the 2014 European parliamentary elections. Regional returning officers will be entitled to claim an additional £12,000.

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It is up to local authorities to determine whether or not returning officers are entitled to recover an amount in respect of services rendered at local polls.

Voting Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make voting compulsory as a means of increasing voter turnout and engagement. [190095]

Greg Clark: The Government have made no such assessment.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in each constituency were on the electoral register in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014. [190819]

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

Letter from Caron Walker:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in each constituency were on the electoral register in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 (190819).

The Office for National Statistics produces electoral statistics using data collected each year for the published annual register. These statistics record the number of people on the electoral register in each constituency who are eligible to vote in Westminster parliamentary elections.

Electoral statistics based on the annual electoral register for December 2012 (in use during 2013) were published on 28 February 2013 and are available on the ONS website at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/electoral-statistics-for-uk/2012/index.html

Publication of the latest electoral register (in use during 2014) has been delayed as a result of the transition to individual electoral registration (IER) that is taking place in 2014. Electoral statistics based on this register are provisionally due to be published in May 2014.

Electronic Government

Richard Graham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people have reported phishing emails purporting to be from a Government Department in each year of the last five years; how many such people have been so defrauded; and how many times action has successfully been taken against the sender of such emails; [190162]

(2) what steps his Department is taking to identify and remove misleading or fake websites for Government services; [190298]

(3) what action his Department is taking against companies or individuals who set up and profit from fake and or misleading websites for Government services; [190299]

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(4) what discussions his Department has had with internet service providers on removing fake or misleading websites for Government services. [190164]

Mr Hurd: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 28 February 2014, Official Report, column 586W, to the hon. Member for Bradford West (George Galloway).

Government Digital Service now works cross-Government to track the activity of misleading websites or phishing attempts.

We share this information with Google so that it can identify and take action against websites that add little or no value to existing online Government services. Google will continue to support us by removing those misleading adverts and by closing the accounts of repeat offenders. We are also engaging with other search engine providers.

We will increasingly be working with BIS, the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and key trading standards bodies to ensure enforcement action is taken where appropriate.

Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish on his Department's website the minutes of the Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce from June 2013. [190570]

Mr Maude: The meeting originally scheduled for June 2013 was postponed.

Government Departments: Procurement

Mr Burley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many firms in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire have been awarded Government procurement contracts in the last four years. [190085]

Mr Hurd: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 453W, to the hon. Member for Livingston (Graeme Morrice).

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if his Department will commission a new report on High Speed 2 from the Major Projects Authority and publish it in full before the Second Reading of the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill. [190786]

Mr Maude: All projects in the Government's Major Project Portfolio are reviewed at set points in their lifecycle.

An update on all major projects—including High Speed 2—will be published in the second annual report of the Major Projects Authority.

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Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what services his Department provides that are (a) available online only and (b) planned to move to online only. [190359]

Mr Hurd: The Government Digital Service is working with other Government Departments and agencies across the country, making 25 of the most significant Government services digital by default. The 25 services being transformed can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/transformation

A list of all transactions can be found on the Transactions Explorer at:

https://www.gov.uk/performance

We recognise that not all users are online, so assisted digital support will be available to those users that need it.

Married People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) white, (b) white British, (c) Irish, (d) travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy or Roma, (f) any other white background, (g) white and black Caribbean, (h) black Caribbean, (i) white and black African, (j) white and Asian, (k) any other mixed background, (l) Asian, (m) Pakistani, (n) Bangladeshi, (o) any other Asian background, (p) black, (q) any other black background, (r) Chinese and (s) any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996. [190729]

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

Letter from Caron Walker:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) white, (b) white British, (c) Irish, (d) travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy or Roma, (f) any other white background, (g) white and black Caribbean, (h) black Caribbean, (i) white and black African, (j) white and Asian, (k) any other mixed background, (I) Asian, (m) Pakistani, (n) Bangladeshi, (o) any other Asian background, (p) black, (q) any other black background, (r) Chinese and (s) any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996. [190729]

Marriage statistics for England and Wales are based on the details collected when marriages are solemnised from information recorded in the marriage register. The marriage register does not contain information on ethnicity, nationality or country of birth. Information on nationality is collected by Registrars on marriage notice forms but ONS does not have access to this data. Consequently it is not possible for ONS to provide the figures requested.

Home Department

Alcohol

15. Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce crime and disorder caused by alcohol. [902917]

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Norman Baker: This coalition Government has already given powers to the police and local authorities to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder. It has overhauled the Licensing Act 2013, giving local areas stronger powers to deal with problem premises. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill will provide front-line professionals with powerful new tools to tackle alcohol related antisocial behaviour. We are also banning the worst cases of cheap and harmful alcohol sales.

Crime Reduction: Private Sector Involvement

16. Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to involve the private sector in crime reduction and prevention. [902918]

Karen Bradley: The private sector has a key role to play in crime reduction and prevention. We work closely with business and industry on a wide range of issues, from tackling cyber crime, to reducing metal theft, to encouraging more responsible drinking. The private sector is well represented on Home Office advisory groups, and we have a team to lead our engagement with the security industry and help promote UK industry abroad.

Crime Statistics

20. Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the reliability of crime statistics. [902922]

Norman Baker: Police recorded crime figures and the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales both show that crime has fallen by more than 10% under this Government. The coalition Government has made clear that crime statistics must be robust, and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is carrying out an audit of the quality of crime recording in every police force.

Violent Crime

Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to prevent violent crime. [902926]

Norman Baker: The coalition Government is taking decisive action to prevent violence, including violence against women, children and vulnerable people, sexual violence and gang and youth violence. As well as preventing violence happening in the first place, we are making sure that victims are supported and perpetrators brought to justice.

Asylum

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what non-statutory discretionary powers she has relating to accepting (a) wider family members and (b) siblings under family reunion applications by refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. [190099]

James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State may use her discretion to grant leave outside the rules in certain exceptional circumstances. However, the Immigration Rules provide ample opportunity for the family members

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of refugees or persons granted humanitarian protection to join them in the UK, which fully meets our international obligations.

The criteria for refugee family reunion applications are set out in part 11 of the Immigration Rules and allow pre-existing family members (spouse, civil partner or unmarried/same-sex partner, plus any children under 18 who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled to seek asylum) to apply to be reunited with or to have their leave brought in line with a recognised refugee or of a person granted humanitarian protection in the UK.

There are also provisions in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules to grant entry clearance to the post-flight partner and children under the age of 18 of a person granted refugee or humanitarian protection in the UK.

Furthermore, there are provisions in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules to grant entry clearance to adult dependent relatives (parent, grandparent, child or sibling who must be over the age of 18) of a refugee or person with humanitarian protection in the UK.

Children under the age of 18, who have a close relative in the UK (who is not the child's parent) and that family member has been recognised as a refugee or granted humanitarian protection in the UK, may also apply to join that family member under Part 8 of the Immigration Rules. In such cases serious and compelling family or other considerations as well as other criteria must exist.

Asylum seekers may not sponsor a family member to enter the UK until they have been granted refugee or humanitarian protection status in the UK.

Drug Seizures: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total value was of illegal drugs seized by police in Barrow and Furness constituency in each of the last five years. [190317]

Norman Baker [holding answer 6 March 2014]: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2014, Official Report, column 431W, on equality, what the (a) total departmental expenditure, (b) number and (c) cost of people employed for the purpose of promoting equality and diversity was in 2013-14. [190307]

Karen Bradley: Information for the financial year 2013-14 will be available in May 2014.

EU Nationals

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of EU migrants who have arrived in the UK for work since 1 January 2014. [190497]

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

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

Letter from Caron Walker, dated March 2014:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of EU migrants who have arrived in the UK for work since 1 January 2014. [190497]

ONS does not have any estimates on the number of EU citizens who have arrived in the UK for work since 1 January 2014.

Long-term immigration estimates for the number of EU migrants who have arrived in the UK for work are derived from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). The latest estimates are for the year ending September 2013 and show that an estimated 129,000 EU citizens (excluding British) arrived in the UK for work-related reasons, with a margin of error of +/-18,000. The margin of error refers to the 95 per cent confidence interval and is a measure of the uncertainty associated with making inferences from a sample survey.

Long-term immigration estimates from the IPS for the number of EU citizens who have arrived in the UK for work for the year ending March 2014 will be published on 28 August 2014.

There are other official data sources which provide information on employment of overseas nationals in the UK:

Estimates of employment levels by country of birth and nationality from the Labour Force Survey for January to March 2014 will be published on 14 May 2014. These estimates provide information on the total number of EU nationals employed in the UK.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on allocations of National Insurance Numbers (NINos) to adult overseas nationals for January to March 2014 will be published on 22 May 2014. The number of EU nationals allocated a NINo over a given period is not equivalent to the number of EU nationals arriving in the UK for work as there may be a lag between the migration event and registering for a NINo. Additionally, some EU nationals arriving for work in the UK may already hold a NINo from a previous stay in the UK.

Extradition: USA

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the UK's extradition treaty with the US to enable the UK to (a) set conditions on extradition, (b) halt extradition until the Government are satisfied the conditions in which suspects will be held will be appropriate and (c) delay extradition until the case is ready for trial in the extraditing country. [190661]

James Brokenshire: The UK's extradition treaty with the US was the subject of an independent review led by retired Appeal Court judge, Sir Scott Baker QC, in 2011. The review found that the treaty was fair and balanced. It contains numerous safeguards for the subjects of extradition requests, and these are reflected in the domestic legislation of both states, including, in UK law, the Human Rights Act.

Seized Articles

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of (a) tobacco and cigars, (b) alcohol and (c) drugs were made at (i) Manchester, (ii) London Heathrow, (iii) London Gatwick, (iv) London Stansted, (v) Liverpool, (vi) Newcastle, (vii) Belfast International, (viii) Belfast George Best,

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(ix) Glasgow, (x) Edinburgh, (xi) Birmingham International, (xii) East Midlands and (xiii) Cardiff airports in each year since 2010; and what the estimated value was of each such seizure. [190300]

James Brokenshire: To ensure the integrity and security of the UK border Her Majesty's Government do not comment on port specific statistics.

Transport

All-Party Physical Activity Commission

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish his Department's evidence to the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity. [190580]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport did not submit evidence to the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity; this is a policy area led by the Department of Health. ‘Moving More, Living More’—a Government campaign to promote physical activity was launched on 13 February. A copy of this document has been sent to the All-Party Commission to set out the Government's approach for a more active nation, and a physical activity legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Buildings

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is considering vacating Great Minster House. [190700]

Stephen Hammond: The lease of Great Minster House expires in 2018. Work to consider options beyond that date has commenced. However, no recommendation has yet been made by officials nor has any decision been taken by Ministers.

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for refurbishment of the reception area of Great Minster House. [190701]

Stephen Hammond: Following consolidation of all London-based staff into Great Minster House, the Department is currently working up value for money plans to update the reception and to ensure it meets current accessibility standards.

East Coast Railway Line

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent proposals he has considered for provision by open access train operating companies on the east coast main line; and if he will make a statement. [190560]

Stephen Hammond: Applications for access to the network, including those made by Open Access operators, are considered in the first instance by the independent Office of Rail Regulation and then by Network Rail. This is a matter for them.

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High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been paid to each communication firm for advice on High Speed 2 to date. [190261]

Mr Goodwill: The Department and HS2 Ltd have paid the following to external companies for communications advice on HS2 in the period since HS2 Ltd was set up through to March 2014:

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, columns 387-8W, on High Speed 2 railway line, which of the Yorkshire local authorities with which he has had meetings and which have responded to the consultation have set out a position (a) supportive of and (b) opposed to High Speed 2; and if he will place in the Library copies of those authorities' consultation responses. [190334]

Mr Goodwill: Since the previous answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, columns 387-88W, on High Speed 2 railway line, responses to the HS2 Phase Two consultation have now been received from York city council, Sheffield city council, Kirklees council, Rotherham metropolitan council and Wakefield council. In line with previous consultations on HS2, HS2 Ltd will publish a report summarising the responses received to the consultation as part of the advice to the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), in taking his decision. The decision on Phase Two of HS2 is due to be taken by the end of the year.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments have been made to Greengauge 21 by (a) his Department and (b) HS2 Ltd since 1 January 2011; and what the purposes of those payments were. [190842]

Stephen Hammond: The information is as follows:

(a) The Department has made no payments to Greengauge 21 since 1 January 2011.

(b) HS2 Ltd has made payments totalling £3,850.00 to Greengauge 21 since 1 January 2011, these were for technical consultancy.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the contracts, (b) the value of those contracts and (c) payments made between (i) his Department and (ii) HS2 Ltd and (A) Alstom, (B) Atkins, (C) Bechtel, (D) CH2M Hill, (E) Hitachi, (F) Keolis, (G) Parsons Brinckerhoff, (H) the Rail Industry Association (I) Siemens and (J) the University of Birmingham. [190843]

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Stephen Hammond: The following table (Table 1) provides details of live contracts and their contract values between DfT(c) and HS2 with the listed organisations.

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Table 2 shows the procurement expenditure with the listed organisations for the last complete financial year (2012-13) for DfT (c) and HS2Ltd.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts there are between (a) his Department, (b) HS2 Ltd and (c) non-departmental public bodies and Steer Davies Gleave; and what the values of those contracts are. [190852]

Stephen Hammond: The information is as follows:

(a) The Department currently has one live contract with Steer Davies Gleave for "Bikeability (Cycle Training) support" with a value of £1,500,000.

(b) HS2 has one live contract with Steer Davies Gleave for “Social and distributional impact analysis” with a contract value of £143,220.

(c) The Department's Agencies and arm's length bodies have no live contracts with Steer Davies Gleave.