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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 17 March 2014

Home Department

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of online sales of alcohol to minors since 2010. [191031]

Norman Baker: The Home Office does not collect or hold statistics on under-age sales of alcohol and no assessment has been made of the number of online sales of alcohol to minors.

The Government has made it clear that under-age selling cannot be tolerated. All licensed premises, including those conducting online sales, are required to have an age verification policy in place. The Government has doubled the maximum fine to £20,000 for persistent under-age sales and increased the powers available to the police and local authorities to deal with the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children. It has also issued statutory guidance for licensing authorities under the Licensing Act 2003, which specifically covers online sales.

Asylum: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many properties she has allocated for dispersed asylum seekers in the area of Wrexham county borough council. [191151]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 March 2014]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department does not allocate properties for dispersed asylum seekers in Wrexham or any other region in the United Kingdom.

Accommodation and transport services for asylum seekers is provided under the COMPASS Contracts awarded in February 2012 to G4S Care and Justice (UK) Ltd, Serco Ltd and Clearel Ltd.

Clearel Ltd is the COMPASS provider in Wrexham and is operating 14 properties there. According to published statistics (see following link), at the end of quarter 3 2013, there were 38 asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation in Wrexham.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tables-for-immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2013

Dogs: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department has in place to (a) safeguard biosecurity and (b) protect against animal welfare violations regarding the importing of dogs from eastern Europe to the UK. [190489]

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George Eustice: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Every dog, cat and ferret entering the UK must be vaccinated against rabies, with the details of the treatment recorded in an EU pet passport or third country certificate. Dogs, cats and ferrets entering from the EU or from lower risk non-EU countries must wait 21 days after vaccination before travelling. More stringent rules are in place for those coming from higher risk non-EU countries. These include a blood test 30 days after vaccination followed by a three-month wait before travelling. Dogs travelling from countries other than Ireland, Finland, and Malta and Norway must also be treated against the Echinococcus multilocuiaris tapeworm one to five days prior to arrival in the UK. Dogs, cats and ferrets imported for sale or rehoming under the commercial import rules are subject to the same requirements as well as additional rules, including a clinical examination by an authorised veterinarian prior to travel.

The UK operates a robust checking regime to make sure that dogs entering the UK do not pose a risk to animal and human health. Ferry, rail and air operators are approved to carry pets on the basis that they check every pet dog, cat or ferret travelling with its owner for compliance with the rules of the EU Pet Travel Scheme. Meanwhile dogs, cats and ferrets imported for sale or rehoming are subject to risk-based post-import checks.

The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 includes a provision that pet animals should not be transported “in a way which causes or is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering”. Transporters of dogs imported in connection with an economic activity are subject to the requirements of Council Regulation 1/2005.

Drugs: Misuse

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the sale of legal highs. [191139]

Norman Baker [holding answer 12 March 2014]: The coalition Government has already banned hundreds of so-called ‘legal highs’, more accurately termed new psychoactive substances. We work closely with law enforcement to tackle this reckless trade.

Concerted action, started in November, has so far resulted in over 40 arrests and seizures of new psychoactive substances, including 9 kilograms by Kent police.

On 12 December 2013, Official Report, columns 57-8WS, I laid a written ministerial statement before Parliament announcing a review to look at how the UK's response to new psychoactive substances can be further strengthened by enhancing our legislative, health and educational response. The terms of reference for the review can be found on the Home Office website.

Entry Clearances

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what preparations and resources her Department has put in place to address the backlog of deferred visa applications following a decision on her Department's appeal against the judgment of Mr Justice Blake on 5 July 2013 on the Government's visa income threshold. [191099]

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James Brokenshire [holding answer 11 March 2014]: UK Visas and Immigration are closely monitoring the number of applications on hold pending the outcome of the appeal. The appeal was heard at the Court of Appeal on 4 and 5 March 2014 and the Home Secretary awaits the final determination of the courts. It would be wrong to pre-empt the court's decision in this matter, or indeed when the court is likely to make that determination.

These are factors that will inform the Department's approach to clearing the applications placed on hold. Policy and operational teams are considering a range of options that may best accommodate a clearance programme once the court finally determines the case.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people on Tier 2 visas studying medicine left the country in each year since 2010; [191339]

(2) how many people entered the UK on Tier 2 visas to study medicine in each year since 2010. [191340]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2014]: Tier 2 is a route in which applicants are sponsored for skilled work, not for study. Students coming to the UK to study degrees in medicine normally apply in Tier 4.

Postgraduate doctors can be sponsored for work-based training in Tier 2, but it is not possible to identify the number of these without reviewing individual case records.

EU Law: Firearms

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from (a) the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and (b) the Countryside Alliance on the review of the EU Firearms Directive. [191382]

Norman Baker: Representations regarding the review of the EU firearms directive have been received from the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation (FACE UK) and from the British Shooting Sport Council, of which both the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Countryside Alliance are members.

Firearms: Licensing

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she or Ministers in her Department have had with (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) about HMIC conducting a review of police forces' performance in issuing and monitoring firearms certificates; and if she will make it her policy to request HMIC undertakes such a review. [191516]

Damian Green: Firearms licensing is one of the thematic inspections that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) is currently considering for its 2014-15 inspection programme.

HMIC is required by law to seek the approval of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), before laying its annual inspection programme before Parliament. The possible need for a thematic inspection

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on firearms licensing will be one of the issues the Home Secretary will take into consideration when deciding whether to approve the Inspectorate's programme of work for 2014-15.

This decision will be partly based on advice from the National Policing Lead for Firearms and Explosives on the benefits of an inspection as a means of assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of the licensing process.

Immigration Bill

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to conduct a full child rights impact assessment of the Immigration Bill covering (a) its effect on both migrant and British children, (b) the implications of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights for Clause 14, (c) healthcare charges and (d) immigration checks by landlords in the private rental sector; and if she will make a statement. [191550]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is committed to considering the impact of all new policies and legislation, including where they impact specifically on children. Careful regard has been had to the best interests of children in the UK in framing the provisions of the Immigration Bill. We are satisfied that the Bill, including the provisions on article 8, healthcare charges and landlords, is compatible with our obligations under the UN convention on the rights of the child and with the children's duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. The Home Office has published an impact assessment of the Immigration Bill and a European Convention on Human Rights Memorandum, and has no plans to conduct a separate child rights impact assessment.

Immigration Controls

Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the security risk caused by the boarding pass exchange at Gatwick arrivals, where Irish and Channel Islands passengers mix with passengers needing passports to go through UK Border Control. [191204]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2014]:Irish and Channel Islands passengers share the International Arrivals Hall at Gatwick South but are dealt with separately. Intelligence-led exercises undertaken at Gatwick airport by the Border Force since 2011 have not identified any specific abuse of the Common Travel Area but nevertheless the Border Force has local standard operating procedures in place to mitigate any new threats as they emerge.

Gatwick Airport Ltd has responsibility for the security and integrity of the CTA Channel and operates it robustly to the satisfaction of the Border Force.

Passports: Databases

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of passengers (a) leaving the UK and (b) entering the UK had their passport details checked against Interpol's SLTD database in each year since 2010. [191337]

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James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2014]:It is long-standing policy not to disclose details of records which may be held in relation to arrivals in the United Kingdom, as to do so would not be in the interests of border and national security.

Passports: Theft

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions passengers or potential passengers have been arrested as a result of Interpol identifying stolen passports used or about to be used on (a) flights to and (b) transit flights through UK airports in each of the last 10 years. [191347]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 March 2014]: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2014, Official Report, column 713, on police integrity, what progress has been made towards ensuring that those officers under investigation for misconduct are not allowed to avoid sanctions or charges through leaving the force; and if she will make a statement. [188204]

Damian Green: If an allegation is criminal, an investigation will always be pursued to conclusion. When the allegation concerns a breach of professional standards and a case to answer for gross misconduct has been established, officers who submit their resignation will be added to a list of struck-off officers held by the College of Policing. The Home Office and the College of Policing are currently finalising arrangements to make that list public. Officers who are under investigation for gross misconduct, but who leave a police force before a case to answer has been established, will also be added to this list where the chief officer of the force feels that this would be appropriate having reviewed the case, including where the resignation is a ploy to evade the finding of a case to answer.

Social Networking: Radicalism

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking via social media to help tackle misinformation from extremist and radicalisation groups. [191190]

James Brokenshire: We know terrorist and extremist groups make extensive use of the internet and social media to spread their propaganda. The PM-chaired Extremism Taskforce established in the wake of the Woolwich attack made a number of recommendations for combating extremist propaganda, particularly online. The report from the ETF can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-extremism-in-the-uk-report-by-the-extremism-taskforce

Under the Government's Prevent strategy, which aims to stop people becoming involved in and supporting terrorism, our approach to challenging extremism online involves working with industry, law enforcement, civil society groups and the public. We have worked with

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digital communications experts to help civil society groups exploit the potential of the internet, and we will be expanding this work in line with ETF recommendations.

This Government take action against illegal terrorist content online. The police's Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) has removed over 26,000 pieces of illegal terrorist content online since February 2010. Under the proposed EFT measures, we are looking to further restrict access to illegal content hosted overseas. We are also working with industry to identify harmful extremist material to include within family friendly filters, to try to bring consistency to industry terms of use in respect of extremist content and to make it easier for the public to refer material of concern.

Visas

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people working through an ICT visa in the UK have applied to move from a short-term to long-term visa in each year since 2010. [191314]

James Brokenshire: It is not possible to switch from a short-term to a long-term Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa from within the UK.

Short-term ICT workers may apply to return to the UK as long-term ICT workers, providing they will be paid at least £40,600 per year on their return. Home Office systems do not record the number of applicants who make such applications to return in an easily identifiable way.

Northern Ireland

Terrorism

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many royal pardons have been granted to terrorists convicted of offences in connection with the Northern Ireland troubles. [191234]

Mrs Villiers: The Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted 18 times since 1998 in respect of individuals convicted of terrorist offences relating to Northern Ireland.

The RPM has not been used since 2002.

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters of comfort have been sent since May 2010. [191259]

Mrs Villiers: The term “letter of comfort” is not the appropriate terminology in this instance. Under the administrative scheme for dealing with so called ‘on-the-runs', 12 letters have been issued since May 2010 advising the recipients that they were not wanted for arrest on the date the letter was issued.

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision there will be for members of the public to contribute to the independent inquiry into the on-the-run scheme announced by the Prime Minister on 27 February 2014. [191761]

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Mrs Villiers: The independent review by Lady Justice Hallett will welcome submissions from members of the public. Details of how these submissions can be made will be announced shortly by the judge's secretariat.

Scotland

Currencies

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish organisations and businesses on their preferred currency in an independent Scotland. [191554]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), and I regularly engage with Scottish organisations and businesses on a wide range of issues.

Dounreay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when his Department was first informed of the problem with the reactor cooling system at the Dounreay Naval Reactor Test Establishment; [191633]

(2) whether his predecessor was informed of the problem with the reactor cooling systems at the Dounreay Naval Reactor Test Establishment when he visited the facility on 2 April 2012; [191634]

(3) whether he was informed of the problem with the reactor cooling system at the Dounreay Naval Reactor Test Establishment on taking office. [191635]

Mr Alistair Carmichael: The Scotland Office was first notified in September 2012. With no safety or environmental risk in Scotland, there is no reason why the Scotland Office should have been notified at an earlier stage. As recognised by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, this occurrence was classed Level 0 (below scale—no safety significance) on the International Atomic Energy Agency scale. As made clear in the Secretary of State for Defence’s, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), statement to the House on 6 March 2014, Level 0 events are not routinely made public and are not routinely reported in either the civil or military nuclear sectors.

The previous Secretary of State for Scotland visited the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) at Dounreay on 2 April 2012 for a meeting with Rolls Royce on its business priorities in Scotland. He did not meet MOD officials during the visit and the matter was not discussed with Rolls Royce.

I was informed of the decision to refuel HMS Vanguard, including the background on the prototype core at Dounreay in February 2014 ahead of the Secretary of State for Defence's announcement to the House on 6 March 2014.

Energy: Billing

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the change in average household energy bills in Scotland since 2010. [191827]

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Mr Alistair Carmichael: We know rising energy bills are a serious concern for consumers in Scotland and across the rest of the UK. We are sustaining vital financial support for the most vulnerable consumers and have delivered a £50 reduction in energy bills by driving down the cost of the green levies.

DECC publishes bill estimates for Scotland in the DECC statistics publication Quarterly Energy Prices:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/annual-domestic-energy-price-statistics

The following table shows annual average domestic fuel bills in Scotland from 2010 to 2013:

Attorney-General

Legal Profession: Industrial Disputes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he had with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) about the decision by the DPP to send prosecutors at the independent Bar a letter discouraging them from supporting industrial action over reductions in criminal legal aid. [190864]

The Attorney-General: I was made aware that a letter was to be issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) areas to heads of chambers prior to the 7 March action. The letter did not discourage barristers undertaking legal aid work from participating in the industrial action but reminded barristers of their professional obligations to appear as instructed in criminal cases where they are acting on behalf of the prosecution. Given that the CPS is not a party to any dispute, there is no justification for failing to do so and therefore it is entirely legitimate for CPS areas to remind barristers of their obligations to the CPS.

Theft: Metals

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the effects on prosecutions of the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Pace and another v. R on 18 February 2014, EWCA Crim 186. [191677]

The Solicitor-General: I have made no personal assessment of the case of Pace and Another v. R. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), however, has considered the implications of the judgment for similar prosecutions. The CPS recognises that in future cases of this nature, prosecutors will need to ensure there is sufficient evidence to show an accused believed the property was stolen.

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Culture, Media and Sport

Direct Selling

Mr Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to publish an action plan for tackling nuisance calls. [188959]

Mr Vaizey: Tackling nuisance calls is one of my top priorities and we have achieved greater co-operation between the two regulators (the Office of Communications and the Information Commissioner's Office), improved guidance and information for consumers and also ensured more effective enforcement of the existing regulations. We will be publishing our action plan for nuisance calls shortly, which will set out the substantial progress that has been made so far, work under way and our future plans.

Empty Property

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) her Department and (b) any Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of her Department in the current financial year. [191804]

Mrs Grant: The Department does not have any vacant properties.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 424W, on secondments, to which private sector organisations the civil servants in 2011-12 were seconded. [181348]

Mrs Grant: In 2011-12, one civil servant in my Department was seconded to the following private sector organisations:

In the answer I gave on 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 424W, I stated that two civil servants were seconded to private sector organisations. This answer was based on financial years, rather than calendar years. In fact, since 2010, three civil servants in the Department were seconded to the following private sector organisations.

No civil servants were seconded to trade unions.

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Trade Union Officials

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department provided for staff to carry out trade union activities in each of the last three years; and how many days staff spent on those activities in each of those years. [190237]

Mrs Grant: The following table shows the total funding provided for staff in each of the last three financial years.

The following tables show the percentage of time that Trade Union representatives spent to carry out industrial relations and trade union activities, in the last three financial years.

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Treasury

Bus Services

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the introduction of a salary sacrifice scheme for bus commuters. [191295]

Mr Gauke: Bus commuters, including the lowest earners, can already benefit from targeted tax incentives where employers provide free or subsidised work buses or they subsidise public bus services.

Salary sacrifice arrangements can be operated in conjunction with these tax exemptions as long as all the statutory conditions are met. In particular, they cannot be used by the lowest earners working at or close to the national minimum wage.

Additionally, there is a tax exemption for small employment-related loans provided at less than commercial rates of interest which are often used to purchase season tickets. At Budget 2013 it was announced that the threshold for the small loans exemption limit would double from £5,000 to £10,000.

Business: Government Assistance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further fiscal steps he plans to take to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector. [191157]

Mr Gauke: The Government are committed to making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business, and are taking steps to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector. At the autumn statement, the Government announced a package of business rates measures, including extending the doubling of the small business rate relief for a further year from 1 April 2014. For two years from April 2014 there will be a new £1,000 business rates discount for small retail properties (including pubs, cafes and restaurants) with rateable values of below £50,000.

To help with staff costs, from April 2014 the employment allowance will enable every business to deduct up to £2,000 from their employer NICs bill each year. From April 2015, employer national insurance contributions (NICs) for under 21-year-olds (i.e. aged 20 and under) on earnings up to £813 a week will be abolished, benefiting many employers in the hospitality sector.

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Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will include measures in the 2014 Budget statement to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector. [191273]

Mr Gauke: In accordance with the practice of all Administrations, it would not be proper to pre-empt the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement. However, the Government are committed to making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business, and are taking steps to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector.

At the autumn statement the Government announced a package of business rates measures, including extending the doubling of the small business rate relief for a further year from 1 April 2014. For two years from April 2014 there will be a new £1,000 business rates discount to support small retail properties (including pubs, cafes, and restaurants) with rateable values of below £50,000.

To help with staff costs, from April 2014 the employment allowance will enable every business to deduct up to £2,000 from their employer NICs bill each year. From April 2015, employer national insurance contributions (NICs) for under 21-year-olds (ie aged 20 and under) on earnings up to £813 a week will be abolished, benefiting many employers in the hospitality sector.

Corporation Tax: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in corporation tax by businesses registered in Wrexham constituency in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of such taxation was paid by small and medium-sized enterprises. [191108]

Mr Gauke: The amount of corporation tax liable for payment by businesses with a registered address in the Wrexham parliamentary constituency for accounting periods ending in financial year 2011-12 was £15 million. This is the latest year for which figures are available.

Figures on the amount of tax paid, broken down by company size, are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. HMRC does hold information on corporation tax liability by the rates at which corporation tax is charged on companies’ chargeable profits. However, we are unable to disclose the proportionate breakdowns for Wrexham, as this would be a breach of HMRC’s statistical disclosure control policy to protect taxpayer confidentiality.

Excise Duties

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the average UK consumer pays per year in (a) fuel duty and (b) alcohol excise duty; and if he will make a statement. [191592]

Nicky Morgan: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on 28 February 2014, Official Report, column 591W.

Exports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK’s largest export industry by value is. [191161]

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Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies), on 11 March 2014, Official Report, column 151W.

Housing: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to address levels of negative equity and home repossessions in Northern Ireland. [191505]

Sajid Javid: The Government recognise that many homeowners in Northern Ireland faced a significant fall in the value of their homes following the financial crisis, and that although the housing market is now showing signs of improvement, prices have been slower to recover these than in some other parts of the UK.

In terms of policies the UK Government are responsible for, the Pre-Action Protocol legislation, as well as the Financial Conduct Authority's rules, require that the repossession of a property must always be the last resort for lenders. This means that lenders must consider alternatives to repossession before they can take possession of a property.

It is also worth being aware that the Financial Conduct Authority's rules prevent mortgage lenders from taking commercial advantage of customers who are in negative equity and therefore may not be able to remortgage to another provider. For example, lenders cannot charge customers higher fees and interest rates than other similar customers because they are in negative equity.

The Northern Ireland Executive has devolved responsibility for social security and welfare-related policies related to support for homeowners, including the administration of Support for Mortgage Interest in Northern Ireland.

Income Tax: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) higher rate taxpayers and (b) people who earn over £1 million there were in Wrexham constituency in the last year for which figures are available. [191119]

Mr Gauke: It is estimated that 3,000 individuals in the Wrexham constituency were higher rate taxpayers where the higher rate of income tax was their highest marginal rate for 2011-12.

Reliable estimates for individuals with total income over £1 million in the Wrexham constituency are not available due to small sample sizes.

Estimates are based on Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) data for 2011-12.

Minimum Wage: South East

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines have been issued to employers in (a) Portsmouth South constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) the South East for non-payment of the national minimum wage in each year since 2010; and what the total value of such fines was in each such area. [191668]

Mr Gauke: The Government take the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC enforces the national minimum wage legislation on behalf of the Department

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for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). It does that by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, in addition carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole of the UK.

HMRC does not capture complaints or the outcomes of its investigations by reference to Government regions, constituencies or county. Its management information relates to the work of teams who are multi-located. Additionally, because it resources to risk, work relating to a specific geographical area is not always done by the NMW team based in that area.

Prior to 6 April 2009, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued penalty notices to those employers who failed to comply, within 28 days, with an enforcement notice. A new enforcement regime, introduced in April 2009, saw the introduction of automatic penalties for employers who are found to have underpaid their workers.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Corby (Andy Sawford) on 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 30W, for the number of companies that have received financial penalties from HM Revenue and Customs for non-payment of the minimum wage across the UK in the financial years 2010-11 to 2012-13. Between 1 April 2013 and 28 February this year, HMRC has issued 561 penalties across the UK for non-payment of the national minimum wage, with a combined value of £671,524.

Monetary Policy Committee

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many women have been short-listed for positions on the Monetary Policy Committee since 2010; how many of those on each (a) short-listing panel and (b) appointments panel were women; and what steps he has taken to identify qualified female candidates and encourage them to apply; [191539]

(2) how many women were short-listed for the position of Deputy Governor of the Bank of England; how many of those on the (a) short-listing panel and (b) appointments panel were women; and what steps he took to identify qualified female candidates and encourage them to apply for that position. [191680]

Sajid Javid: Positions on the Monetary Policy Committee are advertised widely and are subject to open competition. Diversity is always an important consideration and the Government are always very keen to attract candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.

Four women have served on the MPC:

Rachel Lomax;

Marian Bell;

DeAnne Julius; and

Kate Barker.

The Government would like to see a greater number of women apply for future vacancies on the MPC and will continue to encourage them to do so.

When Ian McCafferty was appointed in 2012, the chief economic adviser at the Treasury and chair of the Interview Panel sent a standard email to 66 people, of whom 48% were women, who may have been interested and suitable for the position. The purpose was to draw

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peoples' attention to the vacancy without prejudice. Of the five appointments made to the MPC since 2010, three had a woman sitting on the panel.

The process to appoint the new Deputy Governor is ongoing, and it would not be appropriate to reveal information of this kind before the process has concluded. The appointment panel, as published when the role was advertised, comprises:

Sir Nicholas Macpherson;

Sharon White;

Dave Ramsden; and

Sir David Lees.

Mortgages: Succession

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had on the effects of shared appreciation mortgage schemes on the status of estates left behind after the death of the loan applicant. [191780]

Sajid Javid: The Government are aware that approximately 15,000 shared appreciation mortgages were sold in the late 1990s, with the subsequent increase in property prices resulting in many people owing more money than they had expected.

The Financial Ombudsman Service has received a number of complaints from people who purchased shared appreciation mortgages and are alert to the issues involved. The Financial Ombudsman Service said in its Annual Review for 2003-04 that in most cases it had not upheld the shared appreciation mortgage mis-selling complaints it had received because it had concluded that the documents were extremely clear and the terms had been fully explained to the borrowers.

Shared appreciation mortgages have been subject to conduct regulation since 2004. The Financial Conduct Authority has rules regarding the information that has to be disclosed before, during and after sale and, in addition, rules in respect of the advice that should be given to consumers.

Non-domestic Rates: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses in Brigg and Goole constituency which will be affected by the extension of the small business rate relief scheme to March 2015. [191639]

Mr Gauke: No estimate has been made by the Treasury of the number of small businesses in Brigg and Goole constituency that will be affected by the extension of the small business rate relief (SBRR) scheme to March 2015, which was announced at the Autumn Statement 2013.

The Government estimate that around 540,000 small businesses in England will benefit from the extension of the SBRR and that around 60,000 of these small businesses will be in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Taxation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which consumer goods products sold in the UK are subject to the highest levels of tax per product; what the level of tax is on each such product; and if he will make a statement. [191591]

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Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consumer goods products sold in the UK attract the highest levels of tax per product; and what level of tax is so levied. [191559]

Nicky Morgan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 227W.

Taxation: Mothers

Dr McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that the tax system does not disadvantage families with stay-at-home mothers. [191887]

Mr Gauke: The Government have taken a number of steps to help all families. For example, we have increased the income tax personal allowance, helping 25 million people. We have cut fuel duty. It now costs £7 less for a typical motorist to fill their tank, and it will cost £11 less by the end of the Parliament. We have also made funding available to help local authorities in England freeze their council tax for a third year in a row.

Additionally, the Government will introduce the transferable tax allowance for married couples from April 2015. This will allow married couples and civil partners to transfer a fixed amount of their personal allowance to their spouse. Doing so will benefit couples where one spouse does not currently use their full personal allowance.

VAT

Pauline Latham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings have accrued to the Exchequer as a result of lowering the low value consignment relief threshold in the 2011 Finance Bill from £18 to £15. [191497]

Mr Gauke: The low value consignment relief threshold for imports from non-EU countries was reduced from £18 to £15 in November 2011.

This information request can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Wine and Spirit Trade Association

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will include in his Budget 2014 measures included in the wine and spirit trade association submission. [191799]

Nicky Morgan: The Government carefully consider all the representations we receive ahead of the Budget.

Working Tax Credit: Scotland

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in working tax credits payments to recipients in (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Dundee and (d) Aberdeen in the last year. [191622]

Nicky Morgan: Using finalised annual tax credits awards data, total entitlement to working tax credits in the respective local authority areas for 2011-12 is shown in the following table:

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Education

Chemistry: Teachers

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many secondary school chemistry teachers have a chemistry degree. [191324]

Mr Laws: The Department for Education estimates that in November 2012, 66% of chemistry teachers in publicly-funded secondary schools in England had a degree level or higher qualification in the subject. This is an increase from 60% in 2010. 89% of chemistry teachers in publicly-funded secondary schools in England had a degree level or higher qualification in science, an increase from 85% in 2010.

This information is from the School Workforce Census and is published in Table 13 of the School Workforce in England Statistical First Release, November 2012. It is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012

Children's Centres

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effects of children's centre closures on the long-term development of children from disadvantaged families. [191750]

Elizabeth Truss: It is for local authorities, in line with their statutory duties, to ensure there are sufficient children's centres to meet local need and to consult, particularly with disadvantaged families, before opening or closing a children's centre or making significant changes to children's centre services. A recent survey by 4children showed that more families—over a million— than ever before are benefiting from children’s centre services.

Information from local authorities shows that at 30 November 2013, 3,055 children's centres were open, and a further 501 additional sites were designated as children's centres in April 2010 that remain open and offer services to families and children as part of a network of children's centres. Information from local authorities show that only 65 have closed since April 2010 and six new centres have opened.

Commonwealth: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure children are taught about the Commonwealth during their primary school years. [191407]

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Elizabeth Truss: Primary schools are free to decide whether pupils should be taught about the Commonwealth. The national curriculum for history at key stage 2 states that pupils should study an aspect or theme in British history beyond 1066, which schools can use to teach about the Commonwealth. At key stage 3 pupils should study British history from 1745 to 1901, including the development of Empire, which can include an in-depth study, for example of India. Later, they should study the challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world from 1901 to the present day, which can include the end of Empire and Britain's place in the world since 1945. Key stage 4 citizenship education covers the United Kingdom's current relations with Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.

Faith Schools

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will continue to provide additional funding for the security requirements of Jewish faith schools after 2015. [191586]

Mr Laws: We will carefully review this issue in the spring.

Free Schools

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure free schools do not teach intolerance to their students. [191408]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education has put in place robust processes to ensure the integrity of the free schools programme. Only free school applications that promote fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs in their teachings and policies will be approved. Extensive checks are also carried out on those setting up and running free schools.

Free schools' funding agreements explicitly require them to promote fundamental British values and community cohesion, and preclude the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school. Free schools are also subject to the public sector equality duty, which requires them to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.

Free schools are subject to regular inspections by Ofsted. Ofsted's inspection framework includes a focus on pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which enables inspectors to identify inappropriate practice.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools officials in his Department have visited in connection with finding (a) permanent and (b) temporary sites for free schools due to open in September 2014. [191589]

Mr Timpson: We do not hold the information requested centrally and collating it would incur disproportionate cost.

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Officials, agents and contractors working for the Department for Education regularly visit potential permanent and temporary sites, including former school buildings, for free schools approved to open in September 2014 and beyond.

Head Teachers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the application process will (a) open and (b) close for the Champions League of Head Teachers scheme. [191778]

Mr Laws: The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 24 October 2013, in his speech on education and outstanding leaders, that the Government will be setting up a programme to get outstanding leaders into the schools that need them the most. At the North of England Education Conference, I announced the new Talented Leaders Programme.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is currently leading an open and competitive tender process to contract a provider to deliver the Talented Leaders Programme. The tender process started in January 2014 and will end in April 2014 when the contract will be awarded.

Once the contract has been awarded, the provider will work in partnership with the NCTL to finalise the delivery model. The precise dates relating to the opening and closing of the application process will be confirmed after the contract is awarded. It is expected that the first application round will open in the autumn term 2014. The first cohort of talented leaders will be deployed in schools by September 2015.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's target is for the number of (a) applications and (b) recruits to the Champions League of Head Teachers scheme. [191779]

Mr Laws: The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 24 October 2013, in his speech on education and outstanding leaders, that the Government will be setting up a programme to get outstanding leaders into the schools that need them the most. At the North of England Education Conference, I announced the new Talented Leaders Programme.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is leading an open and competitive tender process to contract a provider to deliver the Talented Leaders Programme. The tender process started in January 2014 and will end in April 2014 when the contract will be awarded.

The programme has a target within its first two years to recruit and deploy 100 talented leaders to headship positions in schools facing challenging circumstances.

Health Education: Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure school children are taught about the harmful effects of drugs. [191410]

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Elizabeth Truss: Pupils will learn about the effects of drugs on behaviour and health as part of the new science national curriculum at key stages 2 and 3 from September 2014. Teachers can also cover the issue through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) lessons, drawing on specialist resources such as the PSHE Association draft programme of study, and the new drug and alcohol information and advice service for practitioners (ADEPIS), delivered by Mentor UK.

Independent Schools

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what means the National College for Teaching and Leadership agency gathers information on child protection issues in independent schools. [191691]

Mr Timpson: The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) does not gather information on child protection issues except when it receives referrals regarding serious teacher misconduct. The NCTL can receive referrals regarding allegations of child abuse at independent schools from the employer, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and the police. Where an offence is involved, it is likely that the referral will come from the police under the Notifiable Occupations Scheme. Where an employer makes a referral to DBS, DBS will send a copy of the referral to NCTL where serious misconduct of a teacher is involved.

Music: Curriculum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps his Department is taking to encourage the study of classical music in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; [191404]

(2) what steps his Department is taking to encourage the study of a musical instrument in both (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [191477]

Elizabeth Truss: Under the new national curriculum music will continue to be taught to all pupils in maintained schools from key stages 1 to 3.

Under the new curriculum, there is a greater focus on the historical development of music, and on listening to the work of great composers and musicians. As pupils progress they will be taught to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon. From key stage 2 they will also be taught to use and understand staff notation.

The new national curriculum will also ensure that pupils will be taught how to play tuned and untuned instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression; and how to perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts. They will also be taught how to improvise.

Although academies do not have to follow the national curriculum, they are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and to provide for pupils' cultural development.

At key stage 4, music remains within the arts ‘entitlement' area, within the national curriculum. Maintained schools must provide access to at least one course in each entitlement area.

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We have continued to provide substantial amounts of funding for music education programmes from 2012 to 2015. This includes £171 million for the new network of 123 music education hubs which are working to improve the quality and consistency of music education in schools across the country. One of their core roles is to ensure that every child aged five to 18 has the chance to learn a musical instrument through whole class ensemble teaching. Hubs are also expected to provide opportunities for children to play in ensembles and to perform, and to ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people.

We additionally fund the music and dance scheme, which supports exceptionally talented young musicians and dancers; National Youth Music Organisations, which allow talented pupils to perform in national ensembles; Music for Youth, which provides opportunities for young musicians to perform in some of the UK's most prestigious venues; and the In Harmony programme, which aims to inspire and transform the lives of children in six of the most deprived areas of the country through community-based orchestral music making.

National Curriculum Tests

Mr Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department has given on the proportion of the questions in the revised key stage 2 mathematics tests which should be (a) real life problems and (b) abstract arithmetical calculations. [191746]

Elizabeth Truss: At present, no guidance has been published on the tests of the new national curriculum to be administered from the academic year 2015 to 2016. Guidance on the nature of the revised key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests, including mathematics, will be published by the Standards and Testing Agency in the form of test framework documents. The frameworks are due to be released as part of the Government's response to the primary assessment and accountability consultation. In addition, some example test questions will be made available to schools this summer and a full sample test will be made available in the summer of 2015.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had on introducing compulsory sex and relationship education in schools with (a) teachers, (b) parents, (c) religious bodies and (d) organisations with an interest in young people's welfare; and if he will publish the results of those discussions. [191787]

Elizabeth Truss: Sex and relationship education (SRE) is compulsory in maintained secondary schools and many academies choose to teach it. Primary schools do not have to teach sex and relationship education but many choose to do so in later years. When teaching SRE, all schools (including academies through their funding agreements) must have regard to the Secretary of State's statutory guidance.

Schools are encouraged to develop their SRE practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals who are best placed to provide schools

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with up-to-date materials and advice on changing technologies that fit within the framework of our sex and relationship education guidance.

Primary Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the provision of guaranteed reception class places for children aged five who were born between 1 August and 1 September. [191359]

Mr Laws: Parents of all summer-born children (children born between 1 April and 31 August) can request that their child is offered a reception class place following their fifth birthday. It is for the admission authority and school head to consider the individual circumstances of each case in arriving at a decision.

Pupil Exclusions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students were permanently excluded from school for violence against a member of staff in 2013. [191405]

Elizabeth Truss: Any form of violence in school is completely unacceptable. The Government expect schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur.

Data collected on the reasons for exclusion include information on physical assault and verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult, but not specifically against members of staff. The terms ‘physical assault' and ‘verbal abuse', as collected in the school census, cover a range of offences. Further detail on the reasons covered under each of these terms is published as part of the Schools Census Guidance¹.

The number of permanent exclusions for these reasons has been falling in recent years. In the 2011/12 academic year there were 550 permanent exclusions for physical assault against an adult, compared with 580 in 2009/10. In addition, there were 470 permanent exclusions for verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult² in 2011/12, compared with 630 in 2009/10. Exclusion data for the 2012/13 academic year will be available in summer 2014.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-census

² Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-2011-to-2012-academic-year

Pupils: Absenteeism

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in which (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area more than (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 30 and (iv) 40 per cent of pupils were classified as persistent absentees in the latest year for which figures are available. [190543]

Elizabeth Truss: The requested information has been placed in the House Library.

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The last full year for which data are available is 2011/12. Overall persistent absence fell by 15% from 2010/11 to 2011/12, from 379,035 pupils missing 15% of school time in 2010/11 to 320,880 in 2011/12.

In 2011/12, there were 300 state-funded primary schools and 661 state-funded secondary schools with a persistent absentee rate of 10% or higher compared to 700 state-funded primary schools and 981 state-funded secondary schools in 2010/11.

The number of pupils missing 15% or more of school is down from 450,330 in the first two terms of 2010/11 to 310,580 in the first two terms of 2012/13.

Religion: Education

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of religious education lessons were taught by non-subject specialists in each of the last five years. [191439]

Mr Laws: The following table shows the proportion of hours of religious education lessons taught by teachers with no relevant post A-level qualification in religious education. The data were collected in November 2010, 2011 and 2012 and represent a typical week's lessons in religious education as taught by publicly funded secondary schools in England. Data are not available on a consistent basis before 2010.

This information is from Table 14 of the Statistical First Releases ‘School Workforce in England', November 2010, 2011 and 2012. The tables are published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2011

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2010-provisional

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many specialist religious education teachers there were in England in each of the last five years. [191442]

Mr Laws: The following table shows the estimated total number of teachers who teach religious education (RE) and the proportion who are deemed to be a “specialist” as they hold a relevant post A-level qualification in the subject. The figures provided are for November 2010 to November 2012 and represent teachers working in publicly-funded secondary schools in England.

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While the table shows that the majority of RE teachers are non-specialist, we know specialist teachers tend to teach more hours. Specialist RE teachers taught 71.1% of the hours taught in November 2012, compared to non-specialists who taught 28.9% of the hours.

This information is from Table 13 of the Statistical First Releases ‘School Workforce in England’, November 2010, 2011 and 2012. They are available at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2011

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2010-provisional

School Meals

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in reception, year one and year two will be provided with a hot, nutritious meal at lunchtime from September 2014. [191776]

Mr Laws: All state-funded schools in England will be required to offer free school meals to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 from September 2014. The legal requirement will be to offer a meal that meets the relevant school food standards. We expect that pupils will routinely be offered a hot option.

For schools that need support in delivering the new entitlement from September, we are investing £9.6 million in an implementation support service staffed by school food experts.

Details of the service can be found at:

http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/schoolfoodplan/uifsm

We have also published a toolkit which can be found at:

http://www.schoolfoodplan.com/toolkit/

Schools

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools he and other Ministers in his Department have visited since May 2010. [191588]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not hold a list of school visits made. To compile a comprehensive list of all visits would incur disproportionate cost.

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Schools: Admissions

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the Statistical First Release Admission appeals in maintained primary and secondary schools in England: academic year 2011 to 2012. [191777]

Mr Laws: There were no admission appeals data collected for 2011/12 or 2012/13 while improvements were made to the collection process. These improvements were to make the collection more timely and to include admission appeals for academies, which were not previously included.

Data on admission appeals for the 2013/14 academic year are currently being collected and are scheduled for publication in July 2014.

Schools: Closures

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is his policy immediately to close schools which refer themselves to the National College for Teaching Leadership on the grounds of suspicions of child abuse. [191703]

Mr Timpson: Schools have a duty to consider referring teachers to the National College for Teaching Leadership (NCTL) who have been dismissed for serious misconduct, or would have been dismissed had they not resigned. In such cases involving child abuse, schools have a duty to refer the teacher to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) who will share the referral with the NCTL. In these circumstances, schools should also report the case to their local authority designated officer, who will co-ordinate the case locally and refer to the Department for Education where necessary.

The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), will always consider closure when there is evidence that that is the right course of action. He expects schools to take appropriate action to refer cases to either the DBS or the NCTL where there are suspicions of child abuse.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of school governing bodies in holding head teachers to account; and what plans he has to review the guidance his Department issues to school governors. [191825]

Mr Laws: The evidence is that school governing bodies' effectiveness varies across the country. That is why we have sharpened the role of governing bodies in the new Roles, Procedures and Allowances regulations, which came into force in September 2013. Earlier this year we issued advice on those regulations, together with a revised version of the Governors' Handbook which contains detailed guidance for governors on all aspects of their role. We will keep the Handbook under review and plan to publish the next update in September 2014.

Through the school inspections framework, Ofsted assesses the effectiveness of school governance. Where inspectors find governance to be weak they will recommend

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an external review of governance, and will report on the review's effectiveness when they next inspect the school. The National College for Teaching and Leadership provides advice for governing bodies on how to conduct a good external review:

Science: Teachers

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary school teachers who are science subject leaders have a science degree. [191323]

Mr Laws: The information requested is not held centrally.

Teachers: Job Satisfaction

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the importance of the morale of teachers. [191762]

Mr Laws: We routinely receive representations about teacher morale in the course of our ongoing discussions with teachers' representatives, including trade unions. We also regularly receive public correspondence relating to the issue.

The Government place enormous value on good quality teachers, and we are committed to supporting the profession by reducing bureaucracy, trusting teachers to exercise their professional judgment, and ensuring that good teaching is properly recognised and rewarded.

It is very encouraging that so many good people are choosing a career in teaching; for example, teaching is now the number one destination for graduates from Oxford university. We are proud to have many thousands of dedicated, hard-working individuals in our schools, delivering high-quality education to their pupils.

A recent survey for TheTimes Educational Supplement found that teachers generally feel positive about the work they do. Last year, the Varkey GEMS Foundation's Global Teacher Status Index found levels of public respect for the teaching profession in England were higher than in Finland or Germany.

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to assess the morale of teachers. [191763][Official Report, 9 April 2014, Vol. 579, c. 3MC.]

Mr Laws: We have enormous respect for teachers and the vital role they play. We continue to support teachers by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. We trust them to use their professional judgment and we reward good quality teaching, including through pay flexibilities which allow heads to pay good teachers more.

A recent survey for the Times Educational Supplement found that teachers generally feel positive about the work they do. Last year, the Varkey GEMS foundation's Global Teacher Status Index found levels of public respect for the teaching profession in England were higher than in Finland or Germany.

It is very encouraging that so many good people are choosing a career in teaching. 74% of new teachers now have a 2:1 or a first degree—the highest ever recorded. 14% of Oxford graduates go into teaching, and the annual Graduate Market in 2014 report identified Teach First as Britain's biggest graduate recruiter.

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Teachers: Political Impartiality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department provides to teachers to be politically neutral when teaching subjects pertaining to current affairs, politics and history. [191411]

Elizabeth Truss: Section 406 of the Education Act 1996 requires head teachers and governing bodies of maintained schools, as well as local authorities, to forbid the pursuit of partisan political activities by pupils and the promotion of partisan political views on the teaching of any subject in the school. Section 407 also provides that, where political views are brought to the attention of pupils, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views.

Teachers: Qualifications

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department provides on the required level of experience a substitute teacher must have to provide leave cover. [191409]

Mr Laws: The Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 set out the circumstances where someone (other than a qualified teacher) can teach and be used to cover teacher absence under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher. The head teacher must be satisfied that the staff member has the appropriate skills and experience.

Teachers: Training

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 914W, on teachers: training, how many bursaries for initial teacher training were offered for each subject where there was not a shortage of fully qualified subject specialists in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [191526]

Mr Laws: The purpose of bursaries is to incentivise applications to initial teacher training in key subjects

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which are struggling to recruit enough trainees. The criteria for eligibility do not relate to whether or not someone is a fully qualified subject specialist. The largest bursaries are given in the subjects which are most difficult to recruit for.

Electoral Commission Committee

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2014, Official Report, columns 209-10W, on electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of (a) which were the most cost-effective campaigns and (b) what the reasons were for that cost-effectiveness. [187332]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it carries out evaluations at the conclusion of each of its campaigns to encourage voter registration, including consideration of cost-effectiveness. Consideration is given to the most cost-effective media channels, the impact of the campaign creative and costs of production, and the timing and amount of media purchased. Improvements made as a result of these evaluations are likely to have contributed to an increase in the cost-effectiveness of our campaigns.

The cost of each campaign divided by the number of voter registration forms downloaded during the campaign period (cost-per-download) provides a useful indicator of overall cost-effectiveness. These costs are presented in the following table.

A significant factor beyond the Commission's control that affects the cost-effectiveness of different campaigns is the level of public interest in the elections they relate to. Within the table the elections are therefore grouped together on a ‘most similar' basis to provide an indicative point of comparison. However, no two sets of elections are entirely comparable, in part due to the different combinations of elections taking place on the same day. None the less, there has been a general trend of increasing cost-effectiveness over the past nine years.

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In this table, costs per download are based purely on the costs of running campaign media advertisements because some campaigns draw on existing resources while others require the production of new materials.

The total campaign expenditure (including producing material and other costs such as research and call centre provision) is shown in the final column.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Emergencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether category 1 and 2 responders currently assess the effectiveness of their emergency response facilities, including flexible accommodation, IT and communications systems. [190423]

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

In 2012 the Government reported that Pitt Review Recommendation 44, that:

“Category 1 and 2 responders should assess the effectiveness of their emergency response facilities, including flexible accommodation, IT and communication systems, and undertake any necessary improvement works”

had been implemented.

In addition, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 statutory guidance, ‘Emergency Preparedness’, and the non-statutory guidance, ‘Emergency Response and Recovery’, set out what is expected of category 1 and 2 responders in terms of planning for emergencies. There is an explicit requirement to test and exercise plans, which includes the testing of supporting infrastructure.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have issued clear guidance on expected levels of category 2 responders' engagement in planning, exercising and response; and what assessment the Government have made of the case for strengthening enforcement arrangements. [190432]

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

The Government confirmed in 2012 that Pitt recommendation 56, that:

“the Government should strengthen and enforce the duty on Category 2 responders to share information on the risks to their infrastructure assets, enabling more effective emergency planning within Local Resilience Forums”

had been implemented.

In addition the statutory guidance, ‘Emergency Preparedness’, which supplements the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, sets out clearly the legislative requirements and the role expected of category 2 responders in planning and exercising. The non-statutory guidance, ‘Emergency Response and Recovery’, and other sectoral guidance and legislation sets out their expected roles in response.

The Government believe the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 already enables effective enforcement. Government Ministers have powers to require information about actions taken by category 2 responders; and an explanation as to why a responder has not taken appropriate action. Where he or she is not satisfied with the information given, the Minister may choose to take enforcement proceedings. Additionally, another responder may itself take court action, in respect of a failure by a responder body to fulfil its responsibilities.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the degree to which, for emergencies spanning more than a single local authority area, Government offices have ensured coherence and co-ordination between recovery operations. [190451]

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

The Government offices for the regions closed between 2010 and 2011. In this context, this specific recommendation from the Pitt Review is redundant and no longer applies. Current arrangements for responding to and recovering from incidents, including co-ordination of emergencies spanning more than a single area, are set out in the Government's Concept of Operations, available at:

www.gov.uk

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether local recovery co-ordination groups have made early recommendations to elected local authority members about longer-term regeneration and economic development opportunities. [190452]

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

This Government reported in 2012 that Pitt Review Recommendation 85—that

“local Recovery Coordination Groups should make early recommendations to elected local authority members about longer-term regeneration and economic development opportunities”

had been implemented. It is for the local area to agree the priorities for recovery in their communities. The Government are supporting local recovery through a number of financial support packages including for businesses and farming. Details of all schemes can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-support-schemes-funding-available-from-central-government

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Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether all Government guidance has been updated to reflect the new arrangements for recovery; and whether local resilience forums have planned, trained and exercised on this basis. [190453]

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

Yes. The Government reported in 2012 that Pitt Review Recommendation 80—that

“all central Government guidance should be updated to reflect the new arrangements for recovery and Local Resilience Forums should plan, train and exercise on this basis has”—

has been implemented.

The non-statutory Emergency Response and Recovery guidance describes the multi-agency framework for responding to and recovering from civil emergencies in the UK and was revised in October 2013. The guidance is not prescriptive and can be adapted in light of local circumstances, experiences and priorities. Local authorities are responsible for the planning, training and exercising for the recovery of the community following any major emergency, working with other agencies in the Local Resilience Forum.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether and when local resilience forums have evaluated and shared lessons from both the response and recovery phases to inform planning for future emergencies. [190458]

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

Yes. The Government reported in 2012 that this recommendation from the Pitt Review had been implemented. In addition, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 statutory guidance “Emergency Preparedness” includes guidance to local resilience forums to evaluate lessons post-exercise and post-operation to inform planning for future emergencies.

The timing is up to the local resilience forum to determine; notwithstanding, the last National Capability Survey (2012) found that 91% of respondents had used lessons to modify and improve plans after they had been exercised or invoked.

Floods

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether local authorities have co-ordinated a systematic programme of community engagement in their area during recovery phases. [190414]

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

The Government reported in 2012 that Pitt Review Recommendation 76—that

“local authorities should coordinate a systematic programme of community engagement in their area during the recovery phase”—

had been implemented.

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My Department's resilience and recovery advisers have been in frequent contact with local areas as they start to recover from the recent severe weather. I have also met leaders of local authorities of most of the areas that have been impacted. All areas have kept us informed of the arrangements in place to engage with their citizens.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether, in all cases relating to the recent flooding, upper tier local authorities have become the lead responders to multi-agency planning for severe weather emergencies at the local level and for triggering multi-agency arrangements in response to severe weather warnings and local impact assessments. [190421]

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

The Government reported in 2012 that Pitt Review Recommendation 41 had been implemented. Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 statutory guidance “Emergency Preparedness” local authorities and other responders work together as a local resilience forum to draw up multi-agency plans. It is for these forum meetings to discuss local arrangements for who will lead on planning for different emergencies and how the multi-agency plans will be triggered.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work the Environment Agency has done with its partners to progressively develop and bring into use flood visualisation tools that are designed to meet the needs of flood-risk managers, emergency planners and responders. [190429]

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency has produced an Incident Management Map Viewer for use in Strategic (Gold) and Tactical (Silver) Co-ordination Centres.

The viewer allows responders to view and share incident mapping data consistently and can be used during a flood event to visualise what areas are at risk of flooding, using current and forecast information.

Flood visualisation tools have been used effectively during the recent winter flooding (2013-14) to help the Environment Agency and its partners make better decisions about where and how to respond during a flood incident.

The Environment Agency continues to work on new visualisation systems which are due to be implemented later this year.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the Government have made towards creating a fully-funded national capability for flood rescue, with fire and rescue authorities playing a leading role. [190430]

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

The Government reported in 2012 that Pitt Review Recommendation 39—that

“the Government should urgently put in place a fully funded national capability for flood rescue, with Fire and Rescue Authorities playing a leading role, underpinned as necessary by a statutory duty”—

has been implemented.

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Over 100 specialist flood rescue teams and associated equipment are on standby across the country as a result of the 2011 Flood Rescue National Enhancement project. These teams are drawn from a mix of organisations, including Fire and Rescue Authorities and voluntary organisation’s, with new assets added to the register on a regular basis.

All asset holders have signed up to deploy as required nationwide in a flood emergency, with local requests for assistance being managed by the Fire and Rescue Service National Co-ordination Centre. To be included on the register of assets, specific equipment and crew training standards must be met. A quality assurance of all flood rescue assets is currently under way to confirm compliance with these standards.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether all upper tier local authorities have established Oversight and Scrutiny Committees to review work by public sector bodies and essential service providers in order to manage flood risk and implement the suggestions of the Review following the 2007 floods; and whether any such reports have been made public and reviewed by Government Offices and the Environment Agency. [190457]

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

In January 2012 the Government reported that Pitt Review recommendation 90 had been implemented. In addition, pursuant to Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000, a local authority that is a lead local flood authority must review and scrutinise the exercise by risk management authorities of flood risk management functions related to flood or coastal erosion risk management. Where such a lead authority undertakes any such reviews or scrutiny, it may publish reports or recommendations.

The Department does not monitor the review and scrutiny activities of lead authorities or the report or recommendations that may be provided.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether local authority contact centres have taken the lead in dealing with general enquiries from the public during and after major flooding and redirecting calls to other organisations when appropriate. [190461]

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

In January 2012 the Government reported that the Pitt review recommendation 66 had been implemented.

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I have not since made any assessment of whether local authority contact centres have taken the lead in dealing with general enquiries from the public during and after major flooding. It is up to local authorities to meet their statutory obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Reservoirs Act 1975, and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to prevent and plan for flooding.

Floods: Crops

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department plans to make available to farmers whose crops are late or reduced as a result of severe wet weather. [191383]

George Eustice: The Government have introduced the Farming Recovery Fund (FRF), which provides up to £10 million to support farm businesses affected by flooding.

While the fund does not provide financial support for loss of income related to late or reduced crops, it does provide farmers who have been affected by the floods with a one-off grant to restore flooded land. This will help to bring land back into production as quickly as possible and to secure future production once the land is restored.

Additionally, the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) has been widened to provide support for rural businesses in flood affected areas to become more resilient in future.