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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Prime Minister

Baroness Neville-Jones

Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish any correspondence he had with Baroness Neville-Jones on her appointment and resignation as a Minister. [191038]

The Prime Minister: I speak to Ministers and discuss the Government's priorities on appointment. Copies of the exchange of letters between Baroness Neville-Jones and me on her resignation from Government are available on the gov.uk website.

Education

Free Schools

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many vacancies were identified in free schools in the school census in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [189322]

Mr Timpson: The school census of 2012 collected information relating to the first 24 free schools. This showed that 3,844 places were filled with 434 places unfilled (90% full). A year later, the 2013 school census showed that in these schools 5,342 places were filled with 390 unfilled (93% full).

The 2013 school census collected information relating to 46 mainstream free schools that opened in September 2012. In these schools, 4,688 places were filled with 1,394 unfilled (77% full).

It is natural that new schools will take time to reach capacity. However, the figures confirm what the National Audit Office found, which is that pupil recruitment against planned admissions improves after the first year of opening. The NAO reported that free schools filled around three-quarters of their planned admissions when they first opened and, that to date, an estimated 86% of free schools' total number of planned admission places have been filled.

Scotland

Social Security Benefits

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's welfare reforms on sick and disabled people in Scotland. [190559]

David Mundell: The Treasury regularly produces analysis of the cumulative impact of all coalition policies, including welfare.

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Northern Ireland

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2014, Official Report, columns 189-90W, on electoral register: Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the number of attainers registered to vote the year (a) before and (b) after the introduction of individual electoral registration; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for any changes in registration. [190815]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), on 10 February 2014, Official Report, columns 391-92W. Individual registration was introduced in Northern Ireland in September 2002.

Transport

Bridges: River Thames

Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conversations he has had with ministerial colleagues and others about possible new Thames river crossings in East London. [191013]

Stephen Hammond: It is for the Mayor and Transport for London to decide which schemes in London to develop and promote.

The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has regular meetings with the Mayor of London at which various matters are discussed. Other Ministers regularly discuss London issues with ministerial colleagues and others, including senior officials from Transport for London. Possible new Thames river crossings in East London have not been raised at recent meetings.

Driver and Vehicle Agency: Coleraine

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the future of the Driver and Vehicle Agency centre in Coleraine. [191096]

Stephen Hammond: We were keen to listen to all representations from Northern Ireland elected representatives and consider the full implications before reaching such an important decision. Once a decision is made an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services he plans to move online; and whether the DVLA will continue to offer the choice of applying on paper for all services. [191034]

Stephen Hammond: The DVLA is currently developing a range of new online services. These include allowing drivers to view their own driver records, notify that they have disposed of a vehicle and retain personalised registration numbers.

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There are no plans to remove the choice of applying on paper for all its services, including the new online services currently being developed.

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency moving more services online on (a) the elderly, (b) people with disabilities and (c) people in areas with limited broadband access. [191036]

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has undertaken research and user insight to inform the development of its online services. This is targeted to ensure all groups are represented.

The DVLA will only consider moving services online where there is a clear assisted digital service in place.

There are no plans to remove the choice of applying on paper for all its services, including the new online services currently being developed.

Greengauge 21

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of his Department's (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) officials are members of Greengauge 21; whether his Department is a member of that organisation; and what fees each such member pays for membership. [191048]

Stephen Hammond: I can confirm that neither (a) the Department nor its non-departmental public bodies nor (b) officials, are members of Greengauge 21. No membership payments have been made to Greengauge 21.

London Midland

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 388W, on London Midland, what steps he is taking to ensure that the performance of London Midland is improved relative to that of other train operating companies. [190723]

Stephen Hammond: We do not monitor train operator performance relative to others under the franchise agreement; we monitor each operator's performance against benchmarks under the franchise agreement in absolute terms.

Steps taken to improve the performance of an individual operator are monitored against these benchmarks and not relative to the industry.

Parking

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he plans to bring forward proposals to increase the size of on-street parking bays; [190686]

(2) what conclusions he has reached following his consideration of changes to the (a) prescribed size and (b) other regulatory requirements in respect of parking bays; what plans he has to propose revisions to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002; and what his proposed timetable is for such proposals. [190687]

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Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport expects to consult on proposed changes to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions in the spring, and to bring its successor into force in 2015.

Included are proposals to relax the current prescription for parking bay size and appearance. This will enable traffic authorities to place parking bays that are both of a size appropriate for their intended use, and sympathetic to the surrounding streetscape.

Railways: Finance

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to increase access to capital for community rail projects. [190640]

Stephen Hammond: Community Rail lines remain a part of the national network and as a result have access to a number of existing funding streams. Additionally designated community rail routes have access to the Designated Community Rail Development Fund (DCRDF) which can support small scale capital projects such as waiting shelters, benches, improved Customer Information Systems (CIS) and CCTV.

Railways: Franchises

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the amount of (a) net franchise payment and (b) revenue support are for the extension of (i) Northern Rail's Northern franchise from April 2014 to February 2016, (ii) First TransPennine Express TransPennine franchise from April 2015 to February 2016, (iii) First Group's Great Western franchise from October 2013 to July 2016, (iv) Abellio's Greater Anglia franchise from July 2014 to October 2016, (v) London Midland franchise from September 2015 to June 2017, (vi) East Midlands franchise from April 2015 to October 2017, (vii) South Eastern franchise from April 2014 to June 2018, (viii) South West franchise from February 2017 to April 2019 and (ix) Cross Country franchise from April 2016 to November 2019. [190990]

Stephen Hammond: The negotiations for direct award contracts for the Northern, First TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, London Midland, East Midlands, South Eastern, South West and Cross Country franchises, as shown in the franchising programme published on 26 March 2013, are not yet concluded. As such, the amounts of net franchise payment and revenue support for these franchises are not finalised and cannot be disclosed.

The Great Western franchise agreement announced on 3 October 2013 is a new direct award agreement, not an extension to the old First Great Western franchise agreement. Its term is from 13 October 2013 to 19 September 2015. This agreement will see a premium of at least £32.5 million paid to the Department over the 23 months of the contract. A profit sharing arrangement is in place, but the details of this are commercially confidential. The actual premium/subsidy figures will be published by the Office of Rail Regulation on its website, annually in arrears. Revenue support is not payable under this direct award franchise agreement.

For the period from September 2015 the Great Western franchise is planned to be covered by a second direct award franchise agreement, as the first direct award

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franchise agreement may not exceed two years under the relevant procurement regulations. The amount of net franchise payment and revenue support payable for this second direct award is not known since the agreement has not yet been negotiated.

Rescue Services: Belfast

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in February 2014. [191124]

Stephen Hammond: During February 2014 Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on five occasions out of 56 shifts.

Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Rescue Services: Liverpool

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Liverpool was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in February 2014. [191123]

Stephen Hammond: During February 2014 Liverpool Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 11 occasions out of 56 shifts.

Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Rescue Services: Stornoway

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Stornoway was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in February 2014. [191122]

Stephen Hammond: During February 2014 Stornoway Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on five occasions out of 56 shifts.

Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Roads: Floods

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Highways Agency has recently considered (a) the vulnerability of motorways and trunk roads to flooding, (b) the potential for better warnings and strategic road clearance to avoid people becoming stranded and (c) plans to support people who become stranded. [190424]

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Mr Goodwill: The strategic road network has proved to be very resilient during the recent period of unprecedented weather. There have been very few long-term closures of the strategic road network this winter, showing that there is a proportionate level of resilience built into the network.

The Highways Agency operates a flood risk management strategy which sets out the framework for managing risks of flooding on and from the strategic road network. The Highways Agency is also working with the Environment Agency and the British Geological Survey to enhance its existing information on the risks of rising groundwater levels, presence of soluble rocks and surface water flooding.

The Highways Agency uses real-time traffic flow data to provide live information to its customers and stakeholders. A variety of channels are used, including the Highways Agency's website, national and local radio and social media. The Highways Agency also uses variable message signs on the strategic road network to inform road users about incidents and delays on the national network and on significant local roads nearby.

During the recent floods, the Highways Agency erected a number of hard signs along carriageways advising customers to tune into local radio for more information on the flooding and provided flooding specific advice on Information Points within motorway service areas. The Highways Agency will however be investigating the scope for further improvements to real-time information for drivers, following the recent recommendation of the Transport Select Committee review into winter resilience.

The Highways Agency has 24/7 incident response arrangements to clear any incidents, which have been supplemented by proactive measures to keep routes open by pumping flood water away or installing temporary barriers. The feasibility of engineering more permanent mitigations to known risk locations will continue to be assessed.

Following the Pitt review of the 2007 flooding, new procedures were introduced by the Highways Agency's Traffic Officer Service for releasing and turning around trapped traffic alongside an increase in the number of emergency turnaround points, egress points and central reserve crossing points.

The Highways Agency has no dedicated resources to provide direct customer welfare in the event of traffic being trapped for an extended period. The agency's efforts are concentrated on getting the traffic moving as quickly as possible and it plays a full part in multi-agency major incident response plans which are owned by the Local Resilience Forums.

Roads: Northampton

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will release funds to enable improvements to the condition of the roads and reduction of the number of potholes in Northampton North constituency. [902935]

Mr Goodwill: I welcome the initiatives set up by Northamptonshire county council to help tackle the pothole problem in their area.

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The Department for Transport is providing more than £18 billion for highway maintenance for both the strategic and local road network between 2011 and 2021.

This includes additional funding of £140 million we announced on 9 March 2014 to help councils address road damage caused by the severe wet winter the country has encountered. This funding will help address the issue of potholes, which we know can cause problems for all highway users, including cyclists.

Shipping: Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, columns 721-3W, on shipping: employment, for what reasons projections of future numbers of UK seafarers were not included in the UK Seafarer Statistics 2013; and if he will take steps to publish such projections of the UK seafarer workforce in 2014. [191051]

Stephen Hammond: Indicative projections of seafarer numbers were not published in the UK seafarer statistics 2013 due to an ongoing methodological review of the projections. The methodological review will assess whether the assumptions used to project seafarer numbers, based upon past recruitment and retention rates are robust. Projections of seafarer numbers are not National Statistics.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, columns 721-3W, on shipping: employment, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on the (a) collection and (b) use of data on future numbers of UK seafarers in the annual Seafarer Statistics publication; and what the outcomes were of any such discussions. [191052]

Stephen Hammond: The Department has not held any discussions with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the (a) collection or (b) use of data on future numbers of UK seafarers in the annual Seafarer Statistics publication.

The Office for National Statistics has a statistical methodology unit who are able to advise on specialist statistical matters and during the course of the Department's review of Seafarer Statistics they may be consulted.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, columns 721-3W, on shipping: employment, what recent forecast his Department has made of the number of UK seafarers active at sea in the next 20 years; [191053]

(2) what baseline data his Department uses to forecast UK seafarer numbers over the next two decades; [191054]

(3) what baseline data his Department uses to forecast the number of trainee UK seafarers who will be required to maintain a skilled seafarer workforce over the next decade. [191055]

Stephen Hammond: Indicative projections of UK Seafarers from 2011 to 2031 were published by the Department on the 26 February 2012. The details of

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these projections and the data used in their production are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seafarer-statistics-2011

The Department for Transport makes further reference to the independent review commissioned of the economic requirement for trained seafarers in UK, undertaken by Oxford Economics and Deloitte, which contains extensive forecasts for the next decade. The results of this report, published in December 2011, are given at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3540/economic-requirement-report.pdf

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, columns 721-3W, on shipping: employment, (1) if he will take steps to increase the amount of data his Department (a) collects and (b) publishes on (i) trainee and (ii) employed UK seafarers; [191056]

(2) whether he has initiated a review of the (a) collection and (b) use of data projecting future numbers of UK seafarers in the annual Seafarer Statistics publication. [191074]

Stephen Hammond: The Department intends to undertake a review into both the collection of and use of data in the annual Seafarer Statistics publication. This review is at the initiation stage and the intention is to engage a wide range of interested parties.

Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton Railway Line

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of hybrid trains operating between Aberystwyth and Birmingham International on the need for electrification of the line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. [190601]

Stephen Hammond: No such assessment has been made by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin). Further electrification of the rail network is under consideration by the rail industry. Network Rail is currently updating the industry electrification strategy which will inform future Government decisions on further investment in electrification.

House of Commons Commission

Lambeth Palace

Andrew Selous: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will estimate the potential savings from collaboration with Lambeth Palace on conservation of archives; and if the Commission will confirm that there are no obstacles to such collaboration on the grounds that Lambeth Palace is a faith organisation. [190923]

John Thurso: The Parliamentary Archives is a bicameral service led by the House of Lords. It has collaborated very successfully with Lambeth Palace Library in the past; for example, through mutual lending of items for

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exhibition and the sharing of professional expertise, and is of course keen to continue this aspect of their relationship.

The Archives is currently developing a business case for the future of its accommodation. A long list of 36 options was assessed against a range of strategic benefits sought from any relocation outside the Palace of Westminster. The option of joining forces with another nearby archive or archives to create a shared service in a single building was ruled out as it did not score highly enough in terms of fostering a greater understanding of Parliament among the public, or providing benefits to other parliamentary heritage collections.

Given that a shared service would not meet the Archives' requirements, no estimate of savings has been made.

Parliamentary Tours

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, for how long Tour Guides Ltd has held a contract with the Palace for commercial tours; and what the value of that contract has been in each year of its operation. [190771]

John Thurso: The first contract with Tour Guides Ltd started in summer 2000. The current contract with Tour Guides Ltd began on 14 April 2010.

Total expenditure by Parliament with Tour Guides Ltd for the last three years was as follows:

Since the contract was awarded, there has been an increase in the services provided by Tour Guides Ltd as a result of the introduction of year-round Saturday tours and new specialist tours. The contract is subject to public tender, and has recently been retendered.

Pest Control

Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what discussions the Commission has had with hon. Members on the effects of mice on the Parliamentary Estate; and what assessment the Commission has made of whether there has been an increase in the numbers of mice on the Estate over the last three years; [190825]

(2) how much the Commission spent on countering the negative effects of infestation by mice on the Parliamentary Estate in each year since 2010; [190826]

(3) what contracts the Commission has held with firms to catch mice on the Parliamentary Estate in each year since 2010; and what the value of these contracts is; [190827]

(4) what estimate the Commission has made of the number of mice present in (a) the Members' Tea Room and (b) the Terrace Cafeteria. [190830]

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John Thurso: The size, age and location of the Parliamentary Estate make controlling mice and pests a major undertaking. As well as proactively dealing with mice on the Estate, the pest control team responds to comments received from Members and other occupants of the Estate by focusing on particular areas where mice are a problem.

The number of mouse sightings reported on the Estate over the last four years has been:

2010: 246

2011: 195

2012: 254

2013: 221

The following sightings of mice have been recorded in the Members' Tea Room and the Terrace Cafeteria.

Pest proofing work was undertaken in the Christmas recess in the Terrace Cafeteria and in the February recess in the Members' Tea Room. This work includes sealing entry points to stop mice getting in.

The cost of pest control (including mice) in 2012-13 was £73,522.12, shared 60:40 with the House of Lords.

Pest control on the Estate is currently contracted from Shield Pest Control. A full briefing on pest control, including the costs, is published on the Parliament website at:

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/facilities/Pest-control-on-the-Parliamentary-Estate.pdf

Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what assessment the Commission has made of the potential effectiveness of a cat in reducing infestation by mice on the Parliamentary Estate; and what steps it has taken in response to that assessment; [190828]

(2) what discussions the Commission has had with representatives of Number 10 Downing Street on the effectiveness of housing a cat permanently on the premises to deal with mouse infestations; [190829]

(3) what discussions the Commission has held on the offer of a cat from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to counter the mouse infestation on the Parliamentary Estate; and what decisions it has reached on that offer. [190831]

John Thurso: Mr Speaker wrote to the hon. Member on 8 November 2013 setting out the Commission's view. Practical problems include:

A cat would be at risk from the 1,748 poisonous bait stations used across the estate to control pest populations.

The effect on people who are allergic to cats.

There would be no reliable way to stop the cat getting on to the busy roads which surround us, nor of looking after the cat responsibly.

The likelihood that well-meaning colleagues would feed a cat, making it unlikely that it would catch mice.

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The Director General of Facilities wrote to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in similar terms on 3 February to decline the offer to house a Battersea rescue cat on the parliamentary estate.

There has been no discussion with Number 10 Downing street on the effectiveness of housing a cat permanently on the premises to deal with mouse infestations.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the Rural Development pillar within the common agricultural policy envelope has been allocated in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms to date. [190488]

George Eustice: The total budget available from the European Union under the common agricultural policy for the current Rural Development programme for England (RDPE) is €3.225 billion. The amount spent in cash to the end of December 2013 is €2.625 billion, representing 81%.

Dredging: Somerset

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response his Department made to the recommendation of the Association of Drainage Authorities in July 2013 on dredging key rivers in Somerset. [189685]

Dan Rogerson: We are not aware of any specific recommendations made by the association at that time in relation to dredging in Somerset.

Emergencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have established a programme to support and encourage individuals and communities to be better prepared and more self-reliant during emergencies. [190420]

Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Yes. In 2011, after consulting communities, the Cabinet Office set up the Community Resilience Programme. This enables communities and individuals to better access local resources and expertise to help themselves in an emergency, and to complement the response of the emergency services. A series of online resources have been developed and are available at:

www.gov.uk

This work was shown to good effect in the recent severe weather, with flood wardens in Cornwall and other areas helping vulnerable residents protect their properties. Part of the 20 year plan for the Somerset Levels and Moors is to enhance community resilience to enable Somerset to better withstand future flooding.

Floods: EU Grants and Loans

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what parameters the UK is eligible for funding from the

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EU's Solidarity Fund; and whether he plans to make an application for funding under the Fund following recent cases of severe weather. [190507]

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had on the UK receiving funding from the European Union Solidarity Fund following the recent floods. [189865]

Dan Rogerson: EU Solidarity Fund money is offered to all member states, but is subject to a number of eligibility requirements, including on the level of direct damages. Comparing the damage today to the 2007 floods, our assessment is we have not met these high thresholds.

The Government continue to explore whether other external mechanisms are available to support the existing package of Government support.

Floods: Housing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance his Department makes available to enable people to protect homes from flooding; and if he will make a statement. [188806]

Dan Rogerson [holding answer 26 February 2014]: Following the Prime Minister's announcement on 20 February of the Repair and Renew Grant, help will be available for people whose properties have suffered internal damage from flooding since the beginning of December 2013. The grant of up to £5,000 will contribute to making improvements to the fabric of their premises that would help reduce the impact and cost of any subsequent flooding. The scheme, which only applies to England, opens on 1 April 2014.

Further Government funding for flood risk management is channelled as grant in aid through regional flood and coastal committees who prioritise schemes on the basis of local need. Local schemes involving installation of property level measures into groups of properties can be developed by the Lead Local Flood Authority or the Environment Agency. Local authorities can also provide discretionary assistance for repairs and adaptations to properties which could include resilient repair and resistance measures.

Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many houses built on a flood plain have flooded in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Greater London in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [189198]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA does not hold information specifically on how many houses have been built on flood plains and flooded in the last 10 years in England, Greater London and Wales. In the case of Wales, flood risk management policy is a devolved responsibility.

Development in areas of flood risk is only permitted exceptionally where there are wider sustainability considerations, and must in all cases be safe, must not increase flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, overall flood risk should be reduced. Local planning authorities

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(LPA) might consider development in flood risk areas necessary for wider sustainability considerations. The Environment Agency are a statutory consultee for such planning applications and will provide advice to the LPA. Where the agency knows the final outcome, over 95% of planning decisions are in line with the agency's advice.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether flood risk has been made part of the mandatory search requirements for property purchase; and whether flood risk has formed part of home information packs. [190460]

Kris Hopkins: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 10 March 2014, Official Report, column 41W.

This Government have cut the cost of moving home by abolishing the requirement to commission a home information pack. The red tape increased the cost of selling a home, deterring sellers from putting their homes on the market, and the Packs were not trusted by buyers, so duplicating costs.

In this context, the Pitt Review recommendation on home information packs is redundant.

Natural Disasters

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether his Department has begun its systematic programme to reduce the disruption of essential services resulting from natural hazards by publishing a national framework and policy statement, setting out the process, timescales and expectations; [190416]

(2) what work Government departments and the Environment Agency have undertaken with infrastructure operators to identify the vulnerability and risk of assets to flooding; and if he will publish a summary of the analysis found in sector resilience plans; [190417]

(3) what work his Department and infrastructure operators have done to build a level of resilience into critical infrastructure assets that ensures continuity during a worst-case flood event; [190418]

(4) whether the Government have extended the duty to undertake business continuity planning to infrastructure operating Category 2 responders to a standard equivalent to BS25999, which is ensured through an annual benchmarking exercise within each sector; [190419]

(5) whether the Government have established a Cabinet Committee with a remit to improve the country's ability to deal with flooding and implement the recommendations of the Review following the 2007 floods; [190455]

(6) whether the Government have established a National Resilience Forum to facilitate national level multi-agency planning for flooding and other emergencies. [190456]

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

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These recommendations were put forward by Sir Michael Pitt following the floods of summer 2007 as part of the independent Pitt Review. This review included 92 recommendations aimed at improving the way the risk of flooding is managed in the UK. The final progress report on the implementation of these recommendations was published on 27 January 2012. The full report can be found on Gov.uk here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-s-response-to-sir-michael-pitts-review-of-the-summer-2007-floods-final-progress-report

Since the Pitt Review was published in 2008, Cabinet Office, working with other Government Departments, has followed a systematic programme to enhance the resilience of the UK. As such the majority of recommendations made by Sir Michael Pitt have now been implemented. This includes the production of Sector Resilience Plans, classified documents which have been produced annually since 2010, the establishment of a Cabinet Committee on Flooding, and ongoing work with industry and local resilience forums to ensure essential services can continue in the face of disruptive challenges, including worst case flooding events.

Nature Conservation

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will rewrite the counter-invasive species strategy to reduce the cost of management of non-native invasive species. [190491]

George Eustice: In September 2013, DEFRA commenced a review of the Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain. The review is expected to complete this summer, at which point we will publish a revised strategy.

Poultry

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on poultry beak trimming with EU officials; and what assessment he has made of the opinion expressed by the National Farmers Union on this matter. [190606]

George Eustice: Neither DEFRA's Ministers nor officials have held discussions with the European Commission about beak trimming. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is represented on the Beak Trimming Action Group, which comprises representatives from industry, welfare groups, DEFRA, scientific and veterinary professions looking to develop an action plan and implement strategies to reduce injurious pecking in flocks of laying hens. The views of the NFU and others will feed into an evidence review in 2015 on whether to ban beak trimming of laying hens.

Attorney-General

Immunity From Prosecution

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Attorney-General whether his Department is aware of any undertakings of (a) amnesty, (b) immunity and (c) implied immunity from prosecution given to any (i) former or serving members of the security forces, (ii) person who has acted as an agent of the security forces or Government intelligence services and (iii) member of a paramilitary organisation. [191085]

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The Attorney-General: The scope of the information requested is very wide ranging. In the absence of any parameters for a search of its records, investigating if any relevant material is held by the Department would require an extensive manual examination of a very large number of archived files. It would not be possible to do this without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Work and Pensions

Children: Maintenance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he will publish statistics on the performance of the Child Maintenance Service in collecting statutory maintenance liabilities under the 2012 scheme; and whether such statistics will include information on the amount and proportion of liabilities not collected each month; [190494]

(2) whether his Department plans to carry out a public consultation on the statistics being developed to give information on the new 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme. [190495]

Steve Webb: Experimental statistics on the 2012 scheme administered by the Child Maintenance Service were published in November showing results for August and September 2013. These can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/260599/2012-child-maintenance-scheme.pdf

An update to the experimental statistics will be released on 26 March 2014.

These statistics are still in the early stages of development with assurance ongoing. Management information regarding compliance and collections is currently under development and, while not included in the next publication, once assured, will be included in future experimental statistics publications.

While we always welcome feedback on our publications, we are at a very early stage in the development of 2012 scheme statistics and as such have yet to plan any formal consultation.

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the results of the reclassification of arrears trial run by the Child Maintenance Group which began in June 2012 and ended in October 2013. [190496]

Steve Webb: While the initial trial of the process of reclassifying arrears has now concluded, the department is still considering the results and how best the process might be used in future. At present there are no plans to publish the results of the trial but we will consider this as part of our wider publications strategy.

Employment Schemes: Chelmsford

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Chelmsford constituency have found work through back-to-work schemes in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [190689]

Esther McVey: The information as requested is not available.

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Employment: Disability

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to assist people with a disability to return to employment; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle disability discrimination in the workplace. [190884]

Mike Penning: The Government are committed to ensuring that all disabled people have the opportunities, chances and support that they need to get a job and remain in employment and there is a range of provision to help them including Access to Work and Work Choice. In addition, disability employment advisers in Jobcentre Plus can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment.

For disabled people who need help to return to work, the Government are introducing the Health and Work Service in late 2014, which will provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GPs to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.

In December 2013, the Government published ‘the disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far’. This paper reiterates the Government's strong commitment to enabling more disabled people and people with health conditions to get into, stay in and progress in work and sets out a range of proposals to further improve our employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions.

Disabled people are protected against disability discrimination in the workplace by the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled employees and potential employees. An employer is also required to make any reasonable adjustments to any element of the recruitment process and/or job which places a disabled applicant or employee at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person.

International Citizen Service

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that British nationals taking part in the International Citizen Service are exempt from undergoing the habitual residency test. [190531]

Esther McVey: The International Citizen Service is designed to allow individuals, who might not otherwise be afforded the opportunity to volunteer overseas, a structured route of doing so. International Citizen Service volunteers are usually abroad for between 10 and 12 weeks. The habitual residence test already allows for short periods abroad, of up to 13 weeks, to be disregarded in such circumstances.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what headings made up the Jobcentre Plus administrative budget in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on (a) staff salaries, (b) premises, (c) IT and (d) external contractors for jobseeker support in each of those years. [191015]

11 Mar 2014 : Column 143W

Mike Penning: Jobcentre Plus ceased to be an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions from October 2011; consequently no budget was allocated from 2012-13. Audited information on the administrative budget and spend by category can be found in the Jobcentre Plus annual report and accounts for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, the last years these accounts were lodged.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130102205834/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp/customer-delivery/jobcentre-plus/publications-jobcentre-plus/

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget for Jobcentre Plus was in the last financial year; and how it was allocated between the regions of the UK. [191016]

Mike Penning: Jobcentre Plus ceased to exist as an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions from October 2011. No budget has therefore been allocated in the last financial year. When Jobcentre Plus existed as an Executive agency, budget was not allocated on a regional basis.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what conclusions his Department has drawn from the jobseeker's allowance skills conditionality pilot. [190715]

Esther McVey: It is important to attend to skills needs and support those with low levels of skills or qualifications. Where this has been identified as a barrier to getting or keeping a job, jobcentre advisers can refer claimants to careers advice, to an initial interview with a training provider followed by training, or direct to training to help them obtain the skills they need.

Where claimants are referred to careers advice or training, skills conditionality is designed to ensure that they turn up and do not drop out without good reason. Skills conditionality policy puts activity to address an employability skills need onto the same basis as jobseeking activities and other benefit conditionality requirements.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance customers had their benefit sanctioned as a result of not applying for 50 jobs per week in 2013. [190844]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

The Jobseekers Act 1995 provides that a person claiming JSA must actively seek employment in each week of their claim. This means that they must take those steps each week which are reasonable in their case, and which offer the best prospects of securing employment. Job search activity and the number of jobs per week to apply for is not set generically, but is agreed specifically with each individual in their claimant commitment or jobseekers agreement.

When an actively seeking employment doubt is identified the case must be referred to a labour market decision maker to consider the evidence provided.

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Local Welfare Assistance Fund

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the removal of the Local Welfare Assistance Fund on (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness. [190638]

Steve Webb: In the next spending round period, from April 2015, central Government will continue to provide support to local authorities through general funds, as part of the coalition Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.

It was always the intention that 2014-15 would be the last year of separate funding for local welfare provision from the Department for Work and Pensions. Councils will continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances.

In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, councils can now choose how to best support local welfare needs within their areas. No assessment has been made of the effects of this change on (a) child poverty or (b) homelessness.

The Government remain committed to our goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020 and to the Child Poverty Act 2010. Our approach, set out in the draft Child Poverty Strategy 2014-17, is to tackle the root causes of child poverty, rather than simply funding extra welfare payments.

The Government have invested £470 million in homelessness prevention over four years and delivered 170,000 new affordable homes over the past three years. By maintaining a strong legislative safety net in England, homeless families with dependent children are given priority homelessness assistance.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a first lower tier sanction which was subsequently overturned in the most recent year for which data are available. [190530]

Esther McVey: DWP statisticians identified an error in the JSA sanctions appeal outcomes data. In line with normal practice for official statistics the Department has withdrawn this particular set of information. The data will be made available again as soon as possible pending investigations by DWP statisticians who will, if necessary, make corrections to this data.

For further information see here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jobseekers-allowance-sanctions

Telephone Services

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with mobile telephone companies on making mobile telephone calls to the Child Maintenance Options Service 0800 telephone line free of charge. [190897]

Steve Webb: There have been no discussions with mobile telephone companies on making mobile telephone calls to the Child Maintenance Options Service 0800 telephone line free of charge.

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Callers contacting the Child Maintenance Options Service from a mobile phone are informed that calls from BT landlines are free of charge.

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of calls to the telephone lines operated by (a) the Child Support Agency, (b) the Child Maintenance Service and (c) the Child Maintenance Options Service are from mobile telephones. [190898]

Steve Webb: For the period January 2013 to December 2013:

(a) 38.4% of calls to the telephone lines operated by the Child Support Agency were from mobile telephones.

(b) 37.4% of calls to the telephone lines operated by the Child Maintenance Service were from mobile telephones.

Information for the proportion of calls to the telephone lines operated by the Child Maintenance Options Service from mobile telephones is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Note:

Data for the Child Support Agency and the Child Maintenance Service were sourced from BT Analyser.

Welfare State

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on devolution of welfare support services, commissioning and performance management to (a) combined authorities and (b) local enterprise partnerships. [190615]

Esther McVey: The Government want to see a radical shift in the balance of power away from Whitehall and aim to push power downwards and outwards to the lowest possible level, including local councils, local communities and individuals. The Department's commitment to localism ensures that local services are both responsive to individual and local needs (including employers) and are effective in supporting people finding, moving and progressing through work.

We are already working with local enterprise partnerships supporting them in the development of their strategic economic plans to ensure initiatives for skills and increasing employment enable local economic growth, as well as help people find, stay and progress in work.

Work Capability Assessment

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the accuracy of decision-making during the initial assessment phase of the work capability assessment. [190883]

Mike Penning: In recent years we have through the Appeals Reform Programme been taking steps to improve decision making across the board. These include:

Reviewing and enhancing the existing quality assurance programme; providing improved learning and development; enhancing the existing guidance for decision makers.

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The introduction of Mandatory Reconsideration. This will ensure decisions are looked at again thoroughly, giving claimants every opportunity to provide new evidence much earlier in the process, avoiding unnecessary and costly appeals.

Working with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service we now receive summary reasons of First-tier Tribunal ESA decisions—feedback which is already feeding through to the quality of initial decision making.

Responding positively to the recommendations made by Professor Harrington.

Overall we are developing a more structured and consistent way of assuring decision quality. The Department recognises the importance of encouraging its decision-makers to get it right first time and of ensuring that we continue to innovate and improve the current system to that end.

Cabinet Office

Cobra

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what points he has identified from the recent flooding crisis to enable COBR to work more effectively. [191057]

Mr Maude: COBR has met regularly over the past three months to ensure that affected communities get the support they need quickly and effectively.

As the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), announced in his written statement to House on 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 54WS, in future whenever there is a significant risk we will use COBR systems to ensure that all organisations at national and local level are adequately prepared and ready to respond.

Emergencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Cabinet Office has provided advice to ensure that all local resilience forums have effective and linked websites providing public information before, during and after an emergency. [190463]

Mr Letwin: These recommendations were put forward by Sir Michael Pitt following the floods of summer 2007 as part of the independent Pitt Review. This review included 92 recommendations aimed at improving the way the risk of flooding is managed in the UK. The final progress report on the implementation of these recommendations was published on 27 January 2012. The full report can be found on Gov.uk here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-s-response-to-sir-michael-pitts-review-of-the-summer-2007-floods-final-progress-report

Since the Pitt Review was published in 2008, Cabinet Office, working with other Government Departments, has followed a systematic programme to enhance the resilience of the UK. As such the majority of recommendations made by Sir Michael Pitt have now been implemented. This includes the production of Sector Resilience Plans, classified documents which have been produced annually since 2010, the establishment of a Cabinet Committee on Flooding, and ongoing work with industry and local resilience forums to ensure essential services can continue in the face of disruptive challenges, including worst case flooding events.

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Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will review his Department's civil contingencies response. [190934]

Mr Letwin: As part of the UK's integrated approach to emergency management, the Cabinet Office works with other Government Departments, devolved administrations, emergency responders and other organisations to enhance the UK's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. The effectiveness of these arrangements is regularly reviewed.

HMS Dasher

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether any records relating to the loss of the escort aircraft carrier HMS Dasher in March 1943 have (a) been retained from transfer to and (b) remain closed in the National Archives; and if he will make a statement. [189731]

Mr Maude: Cabinet Office holds no records relating to HMS Dasher.

Housing

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how the Office for National Statistics (ONS) can best estimate the number and trends of the stock in the leasehold domestic premises in (a) Worthing West constituency, (b) Worthing borough, (c) Arun district, (d) West Sussex county, (e) South East England region, (f) England and (g) England and Wales; what data collection the ONS makes on housing tenure types; and if he will make a statement. [191128]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated March 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how the Office for National Statistics (ONS) can best estimate the number and trends of the stock in the leasehold domestic premises in (a) Worthing West constituency, (b) Worthing borough, (c) Arun district, (d) West Sussex county, (e) South East England region, (f) England and (g) England and Wales; what data collection the ONS makes on housing tenure types; and if he will make a statement. (191128)

ONS does not ask questions about the type of lease and therefore it is not possible to estimate the stock of leasehold domestic premises from ONS household surveys.

A series of questions are asked on the majority of ONS household surveys to establish Housing Tenure. These questions include;

Details about the accommodation

(Owned outright; being bought with a mortgage or loan; part rent, part mortgage, rented, rent free, squatting)

Is the accommodation tied to a job?

Who is the landlord?

(Housing association, charitable trust or local housing company; employing organisation; another organisation; relative of household member; individual employers; other individual private landlord)

Is the accommodation furnished?

The number of bedrooms (not all surveys collect information on the number of bedrooms).

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LIBOR

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the Autumn Statement of 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 1106, which police service-related charities will receive funds from LIBOR fines in 2014; and what criteria are used to determine which organisations receive such funds. [190981]

Mr Hurd: In the autumn statement the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that LIBOR fines will be invested in providing support for emergency services personnel and their dependants who are injured, suffering ill-health, or bereaved, during or as a result of active service for the public. £10 million will be sustainably invested through Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise organisations across the UK.

Public Sector: Land

Martin Vickers: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the amount of surplus public land sold to support house building and development to date. [190435]

Mr Maude: Since 2010 the Government have raised over £1.25 billion in capital receipts for the taxpayer through freehold land and property sales.

In the 2013 spending round we committed to identifying at least £5 billion of land and property assets for disposal between 2015 and 2020. The Strategic Land and Property Review, led by the Government Property Unit (GPU), will identify sites to release into the private sector to further support house building and development across the country.

Unemployment: Young People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of 24-year-olds have not been in employment, education or training but have been looking for and available for work for (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five and (f) six of the last six years. [190979]

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of 24-year-olds have not been in employment, education or training but looking for and available for work for (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five and (f) six of the last six years. 190979

People not in employment who are looking for and available for work are defined as unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Unemployment estimates for those Not in Employment, Education or Training (‘NEET') can be derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). It is not possible to provide estimates for the categories requested as the survey only records the respondent's labour market activity at the point of interview. Therefore previous instances of unemployment and their duration during the last six years are not available.

11 Mar 2014 : Column 149W

The table below provides estimates based on those reporting that they are currently unemployed and their duration of unemployment. These are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated in the table.

Treasury

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme

16. Mr Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the charitable and third sectors extending to those sectors the tax advantages offered by the seed enterprise investment scheme. [902945]

Mr Gauke: The Government are introducing the Social Investment Tax Relief in Finance Bill 2014. It extends the venture capital tax incentives to investment in social enterprises.

The new scheme is based on the enterprise investment scheme rather than the seed enterprise investment scheme to enable more organisations to benefit. Unlike either of those schemes it will also be available for debt as well as equity investments. The rate of income tax relief will be announced at Budget.

Bank Lending: Businesses

17. Mark Tami: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of bank lending to businesses since May 2010. [902946]

Sajid Javid: Since 2010, the Government have introduced several measures aimed at improving lending to businesses, notably the Business Bank and the Funding for Lending Scheme. While there is still some way to go, recent evidence shows that lending has picked up, and credit conditions have improved for businesses of all sizes.

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In November 2013, the Government and the Bank of England announced that the Funding for Lending Scheme will be refocused on business lending, particularly to SMEs.

High-value Properties: Taxation

18. Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the level of taxation on high-value property. [902947]

Mr Gauke: The Government introduced a new Stamp Duty Land Tax (or SDLT) rate of 7% rate applying to residential properties worth more than £2 million at Budget 2012.

The Government have also taken robust action against the avoidance of SDLT to ensure that those buying expensive residential properties using corporate envelopes pay their fair share.

Borrowing: UK Economy

19. Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effect of further borrowing on the UK economy. [902948]

Nicky Morgan: High levels of public debt risk undermining growth and economic stability in the UK through a number of channels, by: (i) crowding out private investment and increasing uncertainty; (ii) limiting the scope of the economy to absorb the impact of future shocks; (iii) high debt interest payments which crowd out spending on public services. As a result the UK faces a long-term challenge in reducing debt to sustainable levels. The Government are committed to returning the public finances to a sustainable position.

Economic Growth

22. Mr Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the rate of economic growth. [902951]

Nicky Morgan: Over the year to the fourth quarter of 2013, UK gross domestic product grew by 2.7%. This is the highest rate of growth since the first quarter of 2008, and, along with Canada and Japan, the fastest growth in the G7 economies.

Small Businesses

23. George Freeman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent fiscal steps he has taken to support small businesses. [902952]

Mr Gauke: Government are very supportive of small businesses, and demonstrated this support again at autumn statement 2013 by extending the small business rate relief, which takes 350,000 small businesses out of business rates, until April 2015. A new £2,000 employment allowance for businesses and charities will be in place from April 2014, helping up to 1.25 million employers reduce their national insurance bill and take on new staff. We have also increased the funding available for the British Business Bank's new schemes to £1.25 billion, which will improve access to finance for UK SMEs.

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Budgets

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what comparative assessment he has made of the impact on (a) women and (b) men of (i) the measures in the Autumn Statement 2013 and (ii) the combination of measures in the Autumn Statement and Budget in 2010 to 2012 and the 2013 Budget; and if he will make a statement. [190796]

Nicky Morgan: The Government have taken full account of the impact on women and men of individual measures taken at each fiscal event since we took office in 2010.

For instance, women have especially benefited from a series of Budget announcements since 2010 to increase the personal allowance—due to reach the promised £10,000 level in April 2014. 58% of the 2.7 million low earners who have been taken out of income tax altogether since 2010 are women.

Economic Policy

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of his long-term economic plans on (a) employment and (b) tax paid by individuals in (i) Kettering constituency and (ii) the UK since May 2010. [190745]

Nicky Morgan: Since May 2010, employment in the UK has increased by 1.2 million. Latest data available show that employment in Kettering has increased by 4,800 (or 11%) between the 12 months to March 2010 and September 2013.

Between 2010-11 and 2012-13, the total of income tax, capital gains tax and national insurance contributions grew by 1.7%. In 2011-12, Kettering constituents had an income tax liability of £192 million in tax.

Exports

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's largest export industry by value is. [190685]

Mr Gauke: The UK's largest exporting industry for 2013 by value is: machinery and transport equipment. This industry has a combined EU and non-EU exports value of £110.2 billion.¹

This value is provisional until July 2014 when the 2013 trade statistics data are finalised.

¹Source:

Overseas Trade Statistics, HM Revenue and Customs.

Floods: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether recently announced additional funding for anti-flooding measures has a consequential funding implication for Wales. [190493]

Danny Alexander: The additional funding which has been made available in response to the recent floods is being provided from existing contingencies. The devolved Administrations will have already received Barnett consequentials on this spending through the normal spending review process.

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However, if any additional funding outside of these settlements is provided then Barnett consequentials will be provided in the usual way.

Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what services his Department provides that are (a) available online only and (b) planned to move to online only. [190372]

Nicky Morgan: Due to the nature of its work, the Treasury does not provide any services or transactions that are subject to the Digital by Default agenda. But the Department does use a variety of digital tools and channels to provide clear, engaging information about its work, and the Department is working on opening up its policy-making processes to make better use of online channels.

Mortgages: Chelmsford

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many house sales have been completed in Chelmsford constituency using the Help to Buy scheme since that scheme's introduction. [190690]

Sajid Javid: On 2 January, the Prime Minister announced that in the first three months of the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme more than 6,000 people had put in offers on homes and applied for a Help to Buy mortgage. The mortgages, once approved, would represent nearly £1 billion of new lending to aspiring home owners who may have previously found the property market out of reach because of the size of the deposit required.

Now the scheme is open, the Government are collecting data on the mortgages supported by the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme and will report in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Newry

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the future of the HM Revenue and Customs centre in Newry. [191077]

Mr Gauke: Newry is one of 21 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) locations across the UK where some employees were offered and have accepted voluntary exits. No decision has been made about office closures and HMRC will keep all occupied offices open in these locations until at least April 2015, in line with previous commitments.

Although there has been no decision to close the general HMRC office at Newry, the department confirms that the Enquiry Centre in Newry will close later this year. This is a result of the announcement made on 12 February that HMRC would be introducing a new service, supporting customers who need extra help getting their tax and benefits right. This service will offer customers who need extra help more in-depth support on the phone and a mobile advisory service if they need a face-to-face appointment. HMRC will roll out the new service across the UK from 31 May 2014, followed by the closure of Enquiry Centre network by 30 June 2014.

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Staff

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of staff recruited to his Department since 5 May 2010 identified their ethnicity as (a) white British and (b) from a minority ethnic background. [188083]

Nicky Morgan: The following table gives the proportion of staff recruited to the Treasury who identified their ethnicity as (a) white British and (b) from a minority ethnic background.

Taxation

Guy Opperman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal steps he has taken to reduce the amount of tax paid by families. [190183]

Mr Gauke: As part of our long term economic plan this Government are cutting taxes for hardworking people.

Since 2010 the Government have increased the income tax personal allowance by over 50% to £10,000 in 2014-15. As a result a family with two basic rate taxpayers will pay up to £1,410 less income tax than in 2010-11. This tax cut also means that this Government will have taken 2.7 million low earners out of income tax altogether by April this year.

In addition, we will introduce an income tax allowance for married couples worth up to £200 a year in 2015-16, have provided funding to local authorities to freeze council tax in every year of this Parliament and have frozen fuel duty for the remainder of this Parliament.

We can take these steps because we have a long term plan to secure Britain's future.

These tax cuts mean people keep more of the money that they earn, and can feel more financially secure for the future.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will fix the carbon floor price for the next period. [188726]

Nicky Morgan: Carbon price support rates necessary to meet the carbon price floor trajectory are announced two years in advance. The carbon price support rate for 2016-17 will therefore be announced at Budget 2014.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to warn people of the dangers of using lookalike websites when completing their tax return online; and if he will make a statement. [191012]

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Mr Gauke: HMRC takes customer confidence in their online services very seriously. HMRC will continue to publish information through various media channels to help point customers to free to use online services. We are also working with industry experts to mitigate the risks posed by copycat websites to our customers.

The issue of copycat websites is not limited to tax returns and a relevant update has been published at:

www.gov.uk/government/news/misleading-websites-to-face-the-squeeze

Defence

Armed Forces

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support the Government will be providing to the Invictus Games for wounded servicemen. [191090]

Dr Murrison: The Combined Services Adaptive Sport Association (CSASA) is working with Help for Heroes and the single Services (through the Defence Recovery Capability) to identify, train and select the British armed forces team. The team will likely comprise some 100 serving and veteran wounded, injured and sick personnel. For the serving wounded, injured and sick personnel, their involvement will form part of their individual recovery plans and will exploit the value of adaptive sport in their recovery.

The games are being run by a Community Interest Company set up jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry, chaired by Sir Keith Mills. The Chief of Defence Personnel is a Director.

In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, has seconded two representatives from the Ministry of Defence to the Community Interest Company's executive team. They will support the detailed planning and ensure we have early sight of any appropriate requests for support.

As announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 6 March 2014, the Government will provide £1 million from the LIBOR Fund to support the Games' delivery.

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made on translating and accrediting skills, experience and qualifications gained in the armed forces to the civilian world. [190537]

Dr Murrison: The core of the Defence accreditation offer is delivered through armed forces apprenticeships. Defence is the largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK, with approximately 10,000 new starts every year across a range of industrial sectors. This approach means that young people joining the armed forces have the opportunity to gain valuable, industry recognised qualifications and skills, which they apply on operations and continue to develop throughout their careers. At the launch of the recent Veteran's Transition Review, Lord Ashcroft stated that,

‘…the armed forces are perhaps the biggest and best training and apprenticeship scheme we have, and a remarkable engine of social mobility.’

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Defence is currently engaged in the ‘Apprenticeship Trailblazer’ initiatives being conducted as part of the ongoing Apprenticeship Reform programme to ensure our training standards and requirements remain aligned with industry. We work closely with a range of bodies including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; the Department for Education; the Skills Funding Agency, the National Apprenticeship Service; Sector Skills Councils and Awarding Organisations, to ensure we continue to develop accreditation opportunities. Beyond apprenticeships, the most recent enhancements include the Army's new suite of Level 1 to Level 3 courses which cover the period from trainee to senior soldier. These courses accredit, within the National Qualifications Framework, the development of the fundamental values, standards and work-based skills that are acquired between the start of initial training and the period of eligibility for a soldier's first promotion.

Training is an integral part of our broader efforts to help service personnel make the transition into civilian life. In addition to the annual Standard Learning Credit financial assistance scheme, service leavers may qualify for a Resettlement Training Costs grant and a Government-sponsored Enhanced Learning Credit scheme, to help towards the cost of further training to help them make a successful transition to civilian life.

The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) provides a resettlement programme including up to 35-days retraining time and access to a wide range of accredited vocational training courses and workshops. The CTP service, including resettlement support, is available for up to two years after individuals have left the armed forces.

Immunity From Prosecution

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is aware of any undertakings of (a) amnesty, (b) immunity and (c) implied immunity from prosecution given to any (i) former or serving members of the security forces, (ii) person who has acted as an agent of the security forces or Government intelligence services and (iii) member of a paramilitary organisation. [191097]

Dr Murrison: The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any such undertakings.

Military Aid: Floods

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operational contingency plans he has made for future armed forces capability requirements in the event of further severe flooding in the UK. [191091]

Mr Francois: The personnel allocated to assist with flooding were selected in such a way that their participation in Operation Pitchpole will have no direct impact on military units’ preparedness for future operations. This includes contingency operations, should civil authority assistance be requested in the event of future flooding or other effects from severe weather.

The forces which remain committed to Op Pitchpole include an enhanced network of liaison officers working with local authorities, to ensure a rapid response in the event that flooding recurs.

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Military Decorations: World War II

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Sir John Holmes review into the award of the Bomber Command pin for aircrew who flew on bomber aircraft will be complete. [191063]

Dr Murrison: As part of his independent medal review, Sir John Holmes recommended that the aircrews of Bomber Command should be awarded a clasp similar to that established for the Fighter Command aircrew who were awarded a Battle of Britain clasp. Additionally, Sir John Holmes is now considering whether the clasp should be extended to aircrew that flew on bomber aircraft from European airbases. The review is being led by the Cabinet Office, but we understand that no specific end date has been set.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Myanmar about the Fortify Rights report, Policies of Persecution and discrimination and violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. [190555]

Mr Swire: I have not had any discussions specifically about the Fortify Rights report with the Government of Burma (Burma remains the designation officially used by Her Majesty's Government). I did however raise our concerns about the situation in Rakhine State both in a public speech and with senior Ministers during my visit to Burma in January.

We have long shared many of the concerns that Fortify Rights raise in their recent report on the plight of the Rohingya, not least the restrictions on their basic human rights. We are currently implementing many of the recommendations that the report makes to the international community. We will continue to press the Burmese Government to find a long term solution to bring peace and reconciliation to the communities in Rakhine State.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent rape being used as an instrument of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [190859]

Mr Lidington: The Government recognise the urgent need to address rape and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We work closely with the DRC Government and authorities to support the implementation of their national strategy as part of our Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. We welcome President Kabila's recent announcement that he will appoint a special representative on sexual violence and child recruitment, and hope this leads to the Government taking clear action to stop sexual violence.

During his visit to eastern DRC in March 2013, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced over £1 million in funding to a range of organisations tackling rape and sexual violence. This includes over £200,000 for Physicians

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for Human Rights to support their work strengthening the capacity of local health, legal and law enforcement professionals to investigate crimes of sexual violence and over £800,000 to better document acts of sexual violence and provide much needed assistance and support to the survivors. We have also supported capacity building efforts in the military justice system by funding an expert who helped investigate the alleged mass rape in Minova by the Congolese army in November 2012. Last month the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), visited the HEAL Africa hospital in Goma to launch ‘Silent No More' which will train local faith leaders to support efforts to tackle sexual violence and promote gender equality.

In June, the Foreign Secretary and the Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner of Refugees will co-host a global summit—End Sexual Violence in Conflict: London 2014. This summit—the largest ever staged on this issue—will bring together Governments, legal experts, militaries, police forces, international organisations and civil society representatives from around the world. All countries present will be asked to make practical commitments to ending the use of rape as a weapon on war. I hope the DRC Government will reaffirm their determination to tackle this issue and prioritise their national action plan to focus on the most important areas for progress over the coming years.

Egypt

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Egyptian government about trafficking of East African refugees in the Sinai Peninsula; and if he will make a statement. [190553]

Hugh Robertson: We have raised our concerns about the treatment of migrants, including refugees in the Sinai, with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also been in contact with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cairo, which deals with asylum seekers in Egypt, a task delegated to them by the Egyptian Government.

In July 2013, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), met with the Eritrean Foreign Minister, and in January this year, FCO officials, along with officials from the National Crime Agency and West Yorkshire police, held discussions about the growing problem of human trafficking in East Africa.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on any inquiry into the death of Sky News cameraman Mick Deane in Cairo on 14 August 2013. [190718]

Hugh Robertson: The Egyptian authorities have informed us that they are still investigating Mr Deane's tragic death and will update our embassy in Cairo when they conclude their findings. We will continue to press for their investigation to be completed as quickly as possible—

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calling for it to be robust, independent and impartial. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised this with his Egyptian counterpart last year and I have also done so with the Assistant Minister for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December. We continue to work closely with Sky News and remain ready to meet with Mr Deane's family at any time.

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the position of Christians in Egypt. [190840]

Hugh Robertson: We are concerned about the scale of attacks against Christians in Egypt over the past year; at least 40 churches were burnt down in 2013. In September, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made a statement condemning the violence against Christian churches. The new constitution, adopted in January 2014, contains improved provision for the protection of religious freedom.

I met Bishop Yulios and other senior Coptic Bishops when visiting Cairo in December 2013, who were supportive of the new constitution and its safeguards for religious minorities. We continue to raise the importance of respect for religious beliefs and the protection of religious minorities, with the Egyptian authorities.

Eritrea

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on UN Security Council Resolution 2023 on Eritrea and the diaspora tax. [190886]

Mr Lidington: The UK supports United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 2023, which condemned Eritrea's use of the diaspora tax to destabilize the Horn of Africa region or violate relevant resolutions and called on Eritrea to cease using illicit means to collect the tax.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has received letters from the diaspora, interested members of the public and MPs about the tax. On 8 November 2013, officials from the FCO, the National Crime Agency and West Yorkshire police met members of the Eritrean diaspora. Those present were urged to report any use of coercion or other illicit means to collect the tax to the police. We will continue to engage with the diaspora on this issue.

Iran

Mr Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many executions there were in Iran of (a) adults and (b) minors in 2013. [R] [190539]

Hugh Robertson: Obtaining accurate figures on executions in Iran is difficult. There were credible reports of at least 400 executions in Iran in 2013, but this figure is likely to be conservative and the true figure may be far higher. This represents the highest rate of executions

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per capita in the world. Details of individual executions are limited. However, reports suggest that two minors were sentenced to death in 2013.

Iraq: Iran

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the applications for re-admission of residents of Camp Ashraf submitted by the UN High Commission for Refugees. [190713]

Hugh Robertson: The readmission of former residents of Camp Ashraf to the UK is a decision for the Secretary of State for the Home Department and their applications have not been discussed at ministerial level.

Libya

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent reports he has received on the level of societal cohesion in Libya; what assessment he has made of the likelihood of a constructive outcome from the work of the Constitutional Committee in Libya; and if he will make a statement; [190639]

(2) what recent discussions he has had with his Libyan counterpart on the constitutional situation in Libya and the stability of that country; [190641]

(3) what his policy is on the re-adoption by Libya of the constitution of 1951; [190642]

(4) what assessment he has made on the level of support in Libya for the constitution of 1951; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood of success of the implementation of other constitutional options aside from the re-adoption of the constitution of 1951; [190643]

(5) if he will take steps to encourage Libya to re-adopt the constitution of 1951 as a prelude to stability in that country; [190644]

(6) what support his Department is providing the Constitutional Committee of Libya; and whether such support incorporates work towards encouraging the re-adoption of the constitution of 1951; [190645]

(7) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) the EU and (c) other North African countries on steps to take to encourage stability in Libya and to establish a common position on the adoption by Libya of the constitution of 1951. [190646]

Hugh Robertson: On 6 March, I attended the Rome Ministerial meeting on Libya where the international community, including the US, EU and regional partners, reaffirmed support for the Libyan democratic transition, which includes agreeing a new constitution. It is for Libyans to decide on the constitutional arrangements that apply in Libya. The British Government do not take a view on any one particular model, although we believe firmly in the principle of a democratic constitution as an important way to ensure all Libyans are able to play an active role in deciding the future of their country.

The British Government, with international partners, are supporting the constitutional drafting process, in particular the work of the constitution-drafting committee (Committee of Sixty), to ensure the democratic transition

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protects the rights of all Libyans. We welcome the elections for this committee that took place on 20 February as a positive step forwards, although we are concerned that 13 of the seats remain unfilled and some groups are not represented. We hope that the final outcome of the process is representative of all Libyans. We provided funding, through the UN and an international organisation with expertise on elections, to help organise the elections. In addition, we have provided advocacy support to women, through international non-governmental organisations. We will be funding technical assistance to support the on-going constitution-drafting process.

We receive regular reports from the British embassy on the state of affairs in Libya, including on the level of societal cohesion. After four decades of misrule, Libya faces significant challenges, including national reconciliation. The international community, through the work of the UN, is supporting efforts aimed at facilitating a National Dialogue to address these issues. Other organisations, including the National Democratic Institute and the University of Benghazi have also conducted polling which may be of relevance.

Nigeria

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Nigerian counterpart on the recent spate of attacks in that country by Boko Haram. [190609]

Mr Lidington: The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), met the President of Nigeria in Abuja on 27 February 2014. They discussed the security situation in the north east of Nigeria and the recent series of horrific attacks on civilians there. My hon. Friend also reaffirmed our commitment to assist Nigeria in its fight against terrorism, while stressing the importance of Nigerian forces respecting human rights during their operations.

North Korea

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding the treatment of prisoners in North Korean concentration camps. [190868]

Mr Swire: On 23 January I met the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, along with fellow parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations, to discuss UK policy towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and to explore how we could use the Commission of Inquiry report to maintain pressure on the DPRK to address its human rights record. The issue of concentration camps was raised at this meeting. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I also receive regular letters from parliamentary colleagues and members of the public on this topic. Together we will keep the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea and interested Members of Parliament updated on this issue.

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Syria

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage Syrian opposition groups to work together. [190533]

Hugh Robertson: We recognise the National Coalition as the sole, legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. The National Coalition champions the aspirations of the Syrian people for a free, stable, democratic and united Syria. Since its formation, we have provided the National Coalition with practical and political support designed to help it become ever more credible and inclusive. We encourage other opposition groups and activists to work with and through the National Coalition to help realise its vision for Syria, including through the Geneva II process. A negotiated political transition in Syria is the only sustainable way to end the conflict, alleviate the humanitarian suffering and protect UK national security by addressing the threat posed by terrorists.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Syrian counterpart on the protection of the Christian minority in Syria. [190608]

Hugh Robertson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no contact with his Syrian counterpart since the. Syrian embassy in London and the British embassy in Damascus closed in 2012. In that period officials have had only very limited contact with the Assad regime, all of which has been related to consular cases involving British Nationals. We continue to actively engage through other states, including Russia, as well as the UN in order to try to influence regime behaviour.

We are deeply concerned about the situation of Christians in Syria. President Assad's actions include a deliberate attempt to stir up sectarian tensions in his effort to hold on to power. As part of this he is cooperating with terrorist groups so extreme and out of control that even Al Qaeda have disowned them. The longer the Assad regime remains in power, the more vulnerable Christians, and all of Syria's minority communities, will become.

The opposition National Coalition, who we recognise as the only legitimate representatives of the Syrian people, have committed to protecting the rights and interests of all of Syria's communities. These commitments have been acknowledged by the UN Commission of Inquiry's report of 5 March, which recognised that the Supreme Military Council, the armed wing of the National Coalition, supports a democratic and pluralist state. We have provided more than £20 million worth of support to the National Coalition and other elements of the moderate opposition to help them protect the Syrian people both from the tyranny of the Assad regime and the threat posed by extremist groups. Ultimately the position of Syrian Christians can only be truly secured by finding a solution to the crisis through a political transition.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Statement on Syria of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 584, to which groups the £200,000 provided to enable Syrian women's groups to take part in the

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Geneva II conference has been allocated; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such on the contribution of such groups in the Geneva II talks. [191061]

Hugh Robertson: We are providing £200,000 to the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), an international non-governmental organisation. British support is strengthening the capacity of Syrian civil society groups to engage in discussions on political transition, including the Geneva II talks. During the opening rounds of the Geneva II conference, a delegation of Syrian women met my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as well as Joint Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, and the Syrian Opposition to discuss how Syrian women could support peace negotiations. We will continue to call for the active and meaningful participation of Syrian women throughout the transition process, as an essential part of achieving an inclusive, sustainable political settlement that represents the needs and wishes of all Syrian people.