Mondelez International

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the objectives were of his visit to the Mondelez factory on 13 March 2014; and if he will make a statement. [192312]

George Eustice: Increasing the competiveness and growth in the food and drink sector is a priority. A skilled work force can make this happen. One way is through apprenticeships.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), went to the Mondelez factory to hear first-hand from apprentices and their employers about how apprenticeships can secure the best results for the apprentices, the employers and the wider economy. He also went to 'The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair in Birmingham' to understand how other companies are promoting the opportunities the sector has to offer.

Nurseries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [192444]

Dan Rogerson: There are three workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) core DEFRA and (b) the Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies at the following locations:

Core DEFRA—York;

Food and Environment Research Agency—Sand Hutton; and

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency/Veterinary Medicines Directorate—Weybridge.

All three nurseries were in operation in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and are all expected to be in operation in (iii) 2014-15.

Public Footpaths

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the needs of small landowners who have had public footpaths wrongfully placed on their property; and what steps his Department has taken to mitigate the effects of such footpaths. [192477]

Dan Rogerson: I am very much aware that small landowners can experience problems with public rights of way that pass over their land.

All public rights of way are required to be recorded on a definitive map and statement, which is the local authority’s legal record on public rights of way. If a landowner believes that a public right of way has been

24 Mar 2014 : Column 36W

wrongly recorded, then that landowner may make an application to their local authority to have the definitive map and statement modified.

Where a landowner is unable to establish that the definitive map and statement should be modified, then it may be possible to have the right of way diverted or extinguished.

Through clauses in the current Deregulation Bill, we are making effective legislation that provides for a statutory ‘right to apply’ for landowners. This would enable landowners to make a formal application for diversion or extinguishment of a right of way on their land and appeal to the Secretary of State should the local authority refuse the application or fail to consider it. Clause 16 of the Bill would enable the ‘right to apply’ to be extended to land use types other than agriculture, forestry and the keeping of horses, to which current legislation restricts it.

In addition, a stakeholder working group on rights of way reforms has developed draft guidance for local authorities setting out how a presumption in favour of a landowner’s request for a diversion should operate, where a public right of way passes through a family home, working farmyard or commercial premises where privacy, safety and security are a concern.

Rivers

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for managing overhanging vegetation which may impede the flow of a river and increase flooding risk. [192929]

Dan Rogerson: Under common law, the person who owns the land or property next to a river or other watercourse is responsible for maintaining the bed and banks of the watercourse.

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what enforcement powers exist in relation to overhanging vegetation impeding a river's flow; and how many times such enforcement action has taken place in the last five years. [192931]

Dan Rogerson: Overhanging vegetation is not a specific offence. The impedance of flow in a main river is covered by section 107 (3) of the Water Resources Act 1991. Impedance in itself is not an offence under the Act, but section 107 allows the Environment Agency to serve notice on the landowner to remove the impedance. Failure to comply with a notice is an offence, although there is a right of appeal.

For ordinary watercourses, powers similar to those under section 107 of the Water Resources Act for use by both local authorities and internal drainage boards, are contained in section 25 of the Land Drainage Act 1991.

There are also local byelaws enacted under section 210 and 211 of the Water Resources Act 1991, which give the Environment Agency powers to serve notice on landowners to “remove growth” on main river banks for the purpose of preventing obstruction to flow.

The Environment Agency does not currently keep central records of notices served.

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The Environment Agency is in the process of introducing a case management system which will include the ability to capture electronically data relating to enforcement actions.

Rural Areas: Broadband

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2014, Official Report, columns 77-78W, on rural areas: broadband, how much of the £15.5 million funding is for projects (a) granted, (b) under pre-contract approval and (c) still under consideration for funding. [192611]

George Eustice: The breakdown for funding to date under the rural community broadband fund is as follows:

(a) Projects granted (contracted) total £0.459 million;

(b) Projects with pre-contract approval total £0.646 million; and

(c) Projects under consideration total £14.2 million.

Until contracted, all costs are estimated and subject to revision.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2014, Official Report, columns 77-8W, on rural areas: broadband, whether there will be a requirement to return unspent funds from the rural community broadband fund. [192612]

George Eustice: There is no requirement to return unspent European funding under the rural community broadband fund if it can be spent elsewhere under the Rural Development Programme for England. Where possible, any remaining EU funds will be utilised elsewhere across the programme.

Sharks

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on how many sightings of white sharks there have been in the seas around the UK in each of the last five years. [192467]

George Eustice: Some information on shark sightings is kept by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, an Executive agency of DEFRA. We also work very closely with non-governmental organisations, such as the Shark Trust, which also keep records of possible sightings.

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There have been no confirmed sightings of white sharks in the seas around the UK.

Water Abstraction

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value is of the fund accumulated from water abstraction charges through the environmental improvement unit charge by each water region; and how much has been (a) paid from, (b) committed from this fund since its inception and (c) how much remains. [192566]

Dan Rogerson: The total value of the environmental improvement unit charge funds accumulated up to the end of the financial year 2012-13 is £56.04 million. The value of these funds for each Environment Agency region is shown in the following table.

The Environment Agency cannot say how much it has paid in compensation because it may prejudice future negotiations.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been raised by the licence fee and environmental improvement unit charge in each region by (a) volume and (b) amount in the last three years. [192567]

Dan Rogerson: The annual subsistence charge, which comprises the standard unit charge (SUC) and the environmental improvement unit charge (EIUC), is usually payable by everyone who holds a full licence to abstract water. The total amounts for the SUC and EIUC for each Environment Agency region collected over the last three years is shown in the following table:

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Annual licensed volume is one of a number of variables used in calculating charges. Consequently it is not been possible to calculate charge income based on volume alone.

Scotland

Conditions of Employment

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of zero-hours contracts in Scotland; and in which areas of employment such use is most prevalent. [192674]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) recently concluded a consultation on zero-hours contracts with proposals on exclusivity clauses, transparency and guidance. A summary of consultation responses will be published in due course.

Nurseries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15. [192451]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office did not operate a workplace nursery in (a) 2010 or in (b) 2013-14, and has no plans to do so in (c) 2014-15.

Submarines

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his policy is on the cost of the decommissioning and safe dismantling of the remains of the nuclear powered submarines anchored at Rosyth if Scotland votes for independence. [192546]

David Mundell: The Ministry of Defence's Submarine Dismantling Project aims to deliver a safe, secure, environmentally responsible and cost-effective solution for dismantling the UK's nuclear powered submarines, including those in afloat storage at Rosyth and Devonport dockyards.

The UK Government's position is clear: Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. We are not planning for Scottish independence and have not conducted work to consider the implications that independence would have for submarine dismantling. It is in everyone's interest for dismantling to take place as soon as possible.

Attorney-General

Confiscation Orders

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2014, Official Report, columns 125-6W, on taxation: fraud, how much of the total value of confiscation orders imposed by the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13 has been recovered. [192859]

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The Solicitor-General: The answer of 10 March 2014, Official Report, columns 125-26W, provided the number of and value of confiscation orders obtained for cases categorised as tax and benefit fraud or VAT fraud for the past three financial years. The following table provides the amounts paid to date against those orders:

These data have been taken from the JARD database which reflects the status of the orders reported at the time the data are extracted. As a result, the amounts reported represent the total amounts paid up to the date at which the data were extracted.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Money

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Attorney-General how many people have been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service for the counterfeiting of (a) coins and (b) banknotes in each year since 2006. [192758]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of offences charged under section 14(1) and 22 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 that reach a first hearing in the magistrates court, however offence based data are not held by defendant or outcome.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report columns 545-6W, on Crown Prosecution Service, on which date the lease of each of the closed offices expired; and how much was paid by the Crown Prosecution Service in rent for each such office between closure and expiry of the lease. [184062]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estate rationalisation programme began in 2009 and is set to be completed in 2016. The CPS is forecasting annual running cost savings of £20 million by 2016 compared to estate running costs when the programme began. The CPS has reduced annual estate running costs from £52.47 million in 2008-09 to £45.13 million in 2012-13.

It is not unusual for an office to be vacated before lease expiry. Often a period of time is needed to decommission a building, removing IT systems, infrastructure and furniture and allowing time for any works to be carried out in accordance with dilapidations obligations.

The following table includes details of the lease expiry, office closure dates and rent paid between lease expiry and closure or to 24 January 2014 where the lease is still live, for all properties listed in my answer of 17 December.

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Since 2010 the CPS has also vacated a number of police stations some of which involved a formal agreement to occupy space. Since vacating these sites, the CPS has made payments totalling £339,430 in respect of such properties.

In addition to amounts paid to date the CPS estimates future liabilities of £3.5 million in respect of vacant properties.

Notwithstanding these payments the CPS is forecasting annual running cost savings of £20 million by 2016 compared with estate running costs when the programme began.

Rental payments to leaseholders are made through the Department's property managing agents (DTZ). This answer is based on information provided by DTZ. Every effort has been made to ensure that information is complete and accurate but a full reconciliation has not been completed as it would not be cost effective to do so.

Crown Prosecution Service: Northamptonshire

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General what cost savings have been made by the Crown Prosecution Service in Northamptonshire in each of the last three years. [192910]

The Solicitor-General: The CPS does not record expenditure separately for Northamptonshire. Expenditure for Northamptonshire is recorded under the CPS's east midlands area which also includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

Expenditure and savings for east midlands in the last four financial years are shown in the following table.

Life Imprisonment: Scotland

Mr Chope: To ask the Attorney-General what guidance he gives the judicial system on the prosecution of cases in the Court of Session which were previously resolved via a sentence of life imprisonment by an English court before transfer of the defendant to a Scottish prison. [192642]

The Attorney-General: I have not given any guidance on this matter.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of successful Crown Prosecution Service rape-flagged prosecutions were for (a) rape or attempted rape, (b) any other kind of sexual assault, (c) a non-sexual offence against the person and (d) another offence in each of the last six years. [192873]

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The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of cases flagged as rape through the electronic Case Management System. A rape flag is applied to the electronic record at the outset of a case, and remains in place if the charges are subsequently amended or dropped. As a result, it is not possible to disaggregate defendants convicted of rape offences from those who were convicted of other non-rape charges.

Official crime and court proceedings and sentencing statistics are maintained by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice respectively.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the statement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland of 28 February 2014, Official Report, columns 38-40WS, on the on-the-runs scheme, what assessment he has made of the legal status of the administrative letters issued to on-the-runs; and if he will make a statement. [192837]

The Attorney-General: I have made no assessment. The status of the letters is a matter that may be considered by the right hon. Dame Heather Hallett in her review.

Energy and Climate Change

Fracking

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to regulate hydraulic fracturing to minimise the leakage of methane from shale gas production into the environment. [192703]

Michael Fallon: The Environment Agency has set out its regulatory controls over leakage of methane from shale gas exploration in its draft technical guidance. The agency expects operators to aim for 100% containment of fugitive emissions of methane on shale gas exploration sites and the operator will need to provide details of how their monitoring, inspection and maintenance regime will achieve this. The Environment Agency is assessing its regulation of full production facilities and the expectation is that the requirement for 100% containment will remain in place.

Green Deal Scheme

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what savings would accrue to Green Deal customers if Green Deal providers were able to access the supporting data for Green Deal reports held by his Department. [192767]

Gregory Barker: Green Deal customers receive a Green Deal advice report which provides energy savings estimates for the package of improvements recommended by a Green Deal adviser. These savings are calculated by approved Green Deal software. The Green Deal advice report can subsequently be tailored by Green Deal providers using the Green Deal improvement package tool and following discussions with customers of the improvements they want to take up. Providers will also

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discuss the detail of any financing arrangement that the customer wants. Providing customers with access to supporting data held on the Green Deal Register is unnecessary as part of the Green Deal process and would not change the savings that accrue to customers.

A list of approved Green Deal software can be found at:

http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/SAP/2009/GD_OA_software.pdf

The Green Deal improvement package tool can be found at:

https://www.gdsap.org.uk

Nurseries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [192443]

Gregory Barker: Since its establishment in 2008, neither the Department for Energy and Climate Change nor its non-departmental public bodies have had workplace nurseries available to staff.

Communities and Local Government

Affordable Housing: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable houses were built in Harlow in each of the last 15 years. [192244]

Kris Hopkins: The Department collects information about the number of affordable houses delivered in each local authority district, which are published in table 1008 here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

These figures include both newly built and newly acquired affordable houses.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the number of people who face reduced work incentives as a result of changes to council tax support. [191529]

Brandon Lewis: We do not collect this information centrally. These are local schemes, and it is for local authorities to ensure that their schemes incentivise work.

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

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

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Disabled Facilities Grants

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the median time was for applicants to Disabled Facilities Grants funding to find out whether they are eligible in the latest period for which figures are available. [192521]

Kris Hopkins: This information is not held centrally.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish Birmingham city council's bid for funding for a weekly refuse collection. [191552]

Brandon Lewis: The weekly collection support scheme's prospectus told bidding local authorities:

“we will not disclose the nature, scale and scope of individual bids... Once offer letters have been issued the department may publish top line information about bids where this is deemed to be in the public interest (for example, the name of the successful lead bidding authority, the amount that will be awarded and nature and scale of the successful proposal(s))”.

The reasoning for this stance is that such information is closely linked to tendering and procurement processes in local authorities. Waste management is an area which is frequently outsourced, and where robust financial negotiations are needed by local authorities during the procurement stages to obtain value for money.

In that context, disclosure of such bids could have an adverse effect on competition between companies in this process and put local authorities in a disadvantageous position. For example, the disclosure of budget set aside for a purchase could encourage suppliers to raise their prices and prejudice the bargaining position of a local authority.

While some time has now passed since the bids were made, I believe that disclosure, contrary to the commitments made in the prospectus, could discourage local authorities from applying to other commercially-sensitive funding opportunities in the future; it would therefore not be in the public interest to break that commitment.

Housing: Construction

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what proportion of all new housing in each local authority area since March 2010 was classed as (a) social and (b) affordable; [192103]

(2) how many and what proportion of housing starts in each English local authority area since March 2010 were classed as (a) social and (b) affordable. [192101]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 20 March 2014]:The Homes and Communities Agency publishes information about the number of affordable housing starts on site and completions for programmes it funds, broken down by local authority and by tenure. This information can be found here:

http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics

From April 2012, the Mayor of London has had strategic oversight of housing, regeneration and economic development in London. This means that the Homes and Communities Agency no longer publishes affordable

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housing statistics for London and this responsibility has been taken over by the Greater London Authority. Affordable housing starts on site and completions for programmes they fund, broken down by London borough and by tenure can be found here:

http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/increasing-housing-supply/gla-affordable-housing-statistics

These statistics do not include information on any affordable housing started on site that has not been reported to either, such as some affordable housing funded solely through developer contributions.

The Department also collects information about the total number of houses started and completed in each local authority district. This information is published in table 253 here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

Over 170,000 new affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010 (to the end of September 2013). Our affordable housing programme will lever in £19.5 billion of public and private investment over the current spending review period. Over 2015-18, we will be investing a further £23 billion in public and private funding for affordable housing.

Housing: Floods

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in each local authority area have been flooded during the recent severe weather; and if he will make a statement. [189226]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 27 February 2014]: In response to the Government’s severe weather recovery scheme, local authorities have been reporting the number of residential and commercial properties flooded in their areas.

Information on properties flooded between 5 December and 7 February, the period covered by the first tranche of the recovery scheme payments, as at 21 March, are given in the following table.

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Local authorities have until 6 June to submit applications for the second tranche of funding, which covers the period from 8 February to 30 May.

Local Government

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what recent representations he has received on filming of local authority public meetings by the media and members of the public; and if he will make a statement; [192330]

(2) what consultation he has had with volunteers on parish councils and other local authorities on proposals to allow local authority public meetings to be filmed; and if he will make a statement. [192276]

Brandon Lewis: We recently invited comments from the National Association of Local Councils and the Local Government Association and other key partners on a draft of regulations which make provision for members of the public to film any council meetings which are open to them. In the light of comments received, we are now finalising the draft regulations which we intend to lay before Parliament shortly. If approved, these regulations will ensure that councils open their doors to the digital age so that citizen journalists can film, blog, or tweet to hold their council to account.

Local Government: Pensions

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of each non-confidential individual response to the consultation on local government pension funds. [191959]

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Brandon Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to the Local Government Pension Scheme Shadow Advisory Board's website, where the non-confidential information that has been released is easily accessible:

http://www.lgpsboard.org/index.php/structure-reform/responses-public-view

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when he plans to respond to the consultation on the local government pension scheme launched in May 2013; [192186]

(2) if he will publish the three commissions provided by Hymans Robertson LLP, Squire Sanders (UK) LLP and CEM Benchmarking on the local government pension scheme. [192185]

Brandon Lewis: My Department and the Local Government Association jointly issued a call for evidence on the future structure of the local government pension scheme in June 2013. I have been considering the submissions to the call for evidence alongside the shadow scheme advisory board's advice and recommendations and the further analysis that I commissioned from Hymans Robertson and its subcontractors using the contestable policy fund. I intend to consult on my proposals for reform, which have been developed in the light of all of this evidence, shortly.

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the governance arrangements of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to make its members more accountable to the Mayor of London. [191587]

Brandon Lewis: In the Government response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee Report: “Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Greater London Authority Act 2007 and the London Assembly” (Cm 8761, December 2013), we stated that the Government accept that there is scope for reform in this area and are willing to listen to alternative governance models for fire in London.

I understand that the Greater London Assembly is currently undertaking a consultation on reform of fire service decision making in London. The outcome of this consultation will help inform the Mayor as to whether he should ask the Secretary of State to use his order-making power under the Greater London Act 1999 to amend the membership of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

If and when we receive the Mayor's request we will consider it in accordance with the legislative requirements set out in schedule 28 of the Greater London Act 1999.

Public Sector: Pensions

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals relating to the transitional protection regulations for England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [191220]

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Brandon Lewis: The Local Government Pension Scheme (transitional Provisions, Savings and Amendment) Regulations 2014 were made on 5 March 2014, laid before Parliament on 10 March and will come into effect on 1 April 2014.

The regulations make transitional provision between the existing local government pension schemes in England and Wales and the new scheme which will come into effect on 1 April 2014. They preserve benefits accrued by members under the existing schemes and make provision to ensure that members within 10 years of their normal retirement age on 31 March 2012 do not suffer any detriment. The reformed scheme will ensure that local government pensions are fair, affordable and sustainable in the long-term, and are justifiable to taxpayers who foot the bill for employer contributions.

Smoke Alarms

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of (a) privately rented, (b) social and (c) owner-occupied homes in England with at least one working smoke alarm in each of the last three years. [192095]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 20 March 2014]: The latest available estimates, taken from the English Housing Survey, are in the following table.

These figures show there is still more to do to encourage households to have a working smoke alarm.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the effect on the likelihood of (a) death and (b) non-fatal injury as a result of fire in a domestic dwelling of being without a smoke alarm. [192097]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 20 March 2014]: The Department has carried out analysis looking at the relationship between rates of fatal fires and ownership of a working smoke alarm. This combined fire incident record details of whether a working smoke alarm was present in fatal dwelling fires with national estimates of rates of ownership of a working smoke alarm. This concluded that the likelihood of dying in a fire was at least four times greater in a household with no working smoke alarm, and possibly as high as eight times greater.

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The Government remain committed to ensuring the fire safety of people in their own homes. The long-running Fire Kills campaign works closely with fire and rescue authorities to promote fire prevention messages and also encourage householders to have working smoke alarms installed in their homes. Ownership has increased from 8% in 1988 to 88% in 2011. The current national advertising campaign—“Tick Tock Test”—commenced on 17 March and will run through to 30 March, encouraging people to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks at the start of British summer time.

We are also consulting on the requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the private rented sector.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) privately rented, (ii) social and (iii) owner-occupied homes in England with no working smoke alarm in each of the last three years. [192524]

Kris Hopkins: The latest available estimates, taken from the English Housing Survey, are in the following table.

The Government remain committed to ensuring the fire safety of people in their own homes. The long-running Fire Kills campaign works closely with fire and rescue authorities to promote fire prevention messages and encourage householders across all forms of tenure to have working smoke alarms installed in their homes. The current national advertising campaign, ‘Tick Tock Test', commenced on Monday 17 March and will run through to 30 March, encouraging people to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks at the start of British summer time.

Women and Equalities

Equality

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will press for adoption of a specific goal on gender equality in the post-millennium development goals framework when she attends the 2014 UN Commission the Status of Women; and if she will make a statement. [192977]

Mrs Grant: The UK has been clear in its call for a standalone goal on gender equality and girls’ and women's empowerment, as well as ensuring that these issues are addressed throughout the goals and targets in the

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framework to be agreed by members of the United Nations. The UK's statement at the Commission on the Status of Women clearly set out the need for a standalone goal on gender equality, and the empowerment of girls and women in the post-2015 framework.

We are working with others across the international community, including civil society, to ensure that this is achieved.

Higher Education: Females

Martin Horwood: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will highlight the importance of places for girls in higher education in science and technology at the next Commission on the Status of Women; and if she will make a statement. [192492]

Mrs Grant: On 11 March the UK delivered its national statement at the EU Commission on the Status of Women. The statement drew attention to the need for more women to be empowered and achieve economic independence. We took the opportunity to highlight the importance of enabling more women and girls to participate in education and training, preparing them for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

At the Commission the Minister for Women and Equalities my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller) co-hosted an international event with Glaxo SmithKline and the Tanzanian Government, specifically to promote women working in STEM industries.

A panel session entitled “The transition of women from education to full employment and decent work, with a particular focus on employment in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)” was held at the UN on 18 March. UK officials attended the session.

UN Commission On the Status of Women

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what representations she has received from civil society organisations on preparations for the 2014 UN Commission on the Status of Women. [192978]

Mrs Grant: Active engagement with civil society has been a key element of our preparations and plans for the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. A robust programme of consultation and engagement with a wide range of civil society organisations has been put in place by my officials in the Government Equalities Office. As part of this, we have been able to take account of the views and representations of UK NGOs in our negotiations at CSW. These have included representations on the following:

i. A priorities paper on the post-2015 agenda from the UK NGO CSW Alliance; ii. A submission from the Gender and Development Network; and, iii. Statements on millennium development goals and the post-2015 framework from faith-based organisations and international civil society organisations.

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Defence

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the UK has spent on construction and maintenance of Camp Bastion in each financial year since 2012. [192971]

Mr Francois: Camp Bastion was constructed in 2006, so information prior to this date, does not exist. Nor is it possible to identify all Bastion construction and operation and maintenance costs since 2006, as a number of the relevant contracts covered all of our larger bases. These costs are therefore accounted for collectively for all bases in Afghanistan and, updated for 2013-14 to date, are as follows:

The 2013-14 costs include those associated with drawdown and remediation, as well as force protection measures responding to the evolving threat. Significant infrastructure has been created at Camp Bastion to repatriate vehicles and material back to the UK.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people left the armed forces in 2012-13. [192398]

Anna Soubry: The number of personnel who left the armed forces in financial year 2012-13 was 23,520. This figure has been rounded.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have been made compulsorily redundant since May 2010; and what proportion of those soldiers were within one year of receiving a pension. [192382]

Dr Murrison: A total of 6,330 Army personnel have left on compulsory redundancy between May 2010 and 1 February 2014. This figure comprises both applicants and non-applicants.

Of these, we estimate that approximately 1.3% of redundees were within one year of their immediate pension point (IPP).

Defence Equipment and Support

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of staff in Defence Equipment and Support who will see their terms and conditions change as a result of introducing the private sector into the procurement process. [192373]

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Mr Dunne: The terms and conditions of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) staff will not change as a result of the recruitment of managed service providers to support the acquisition process.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned timetable for the sale of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation is; and if he will make a statement. [193099]

Dr Murrison: The Defence Infrastructure Organisation is not for sale.

Defence: Procurement

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 4 December 2013 to the hon. Member for Moray, Official Report, column 674W, and of 25 November 2013 to the hon. Member for Poole, Official Report, columns 36-7W, on defence: procurement, how much defence procurement expenditure was placed with small and medium-sized enterprises with a billing address in each of the English regions and in the other constituent parts of the UK in the last three financial years. [180821]

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Mr Dunne: Details of overall Ministry of Defence expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are available at the following link:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/finance-and-economics/MOD-contracting-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises/financial-year-2012-13

A breakdown of SME expenditure by UK region is not, however, routinely produced as part of this publication. This information will take additional time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Substantive answer from Mr Dunne to Alison Seabeck:

Further to the answer I gave on 6th January 2014, (Official Report, column 13W) to your recent question about expenditure with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), I am now able to provide you with a substantive response.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not routinely record information on the geographic location of its supply chain. The information extracted from the management information systems picks up payments made by the MOD to individuals and businesses by their billing address, which therefore does not necessarily identify the location where the work was undertaken.

The level of direct MOD expenditure placed with SMEs in each of the English regions and other constituent parts of the UK in each of the last three financial years (FY) for which data is available is shown in the following table. This also shows the number of SMEs in each region that were paid directly by the MOD in each of these years. The rise in the number of SMEs engaged by MOD across these years reflects the availability of more accurate data to enable SMEs to be correctly categorised.

The analysis is based on direct expenditure with companies positively identified as SMEs who have a UK billing address with a valid postcode recorded by the MOD. It does not include payments made (a) on behalf of other government departments, (b) by the MOD'S Trading Funds and Executive Non Departmental Public Bodies, (c) locally by the Department, or (d) through third parties such as prime contractors or other government departments. For these reasons, it only provides a partial assessment of total direct MOD expenditure by region and does not represent a replication of the official statistics on direct MOD expenditure by Government Office Region which were discontinued in 2008. These statistics were based on a different methodology and coverage including MOD personnel costs by region and adjustments for pan-MOD or pan-Government expenditure, amongst other items.

You should also note that, unlike the answers I previously gave to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson), on 12th December 2013 (Official Report, column 343W), on SME expenditure in Scotland and to the hon. Member for Poole (Robert Syms) on 25th November 2013 (Official Report, column 36W), on SME expenditure in the South West, the above figures include miscellaneous non-contract payments and are not restricted to contracts worth over £5 million.

A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Dounreay

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) was informed of the leak of radiation which occurred at the Vulcan nuclear test reactor at Dounreay in January 2012; and for what reason there was a delay in informing ONR of that incident; [191350]

(2) pursuant to the statement of 6 March 2014, Official Report, columns 1077-79, on nuclear submarines, what consultations his Department undertook with the

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Scottish Environmental Protection Agency on measurable levels of increased radiation at the Vulcan test reactor between the leak at that reactor and the date of that statement. [191371]

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department informed (a) the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, (b) the Office for Nuclear Regulation and (c) the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency of the incident at the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment in January 2012. [191604]

Mr Dunne: There has been no leak of radiation from the reactor at the Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) at Dounreay.

The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR), the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have different regulatory responsibilities in relation to the Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE). They were each informed at a time appropriate to those responsibilities.

DNSR was informed in January 2012, immediately after the detection of low levels of radioactivity in the cooling water within the reactor, due to its responsibility for the regulation of the safe operation of the site and of the safety of operational submarines.

The ONR regulates emergency planning at the NRTE, under the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001, and radiation doses to workers on site, under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999. The ONR was first made aware of the issue in May 2012, shortly after the most probable cause was identified as a breach in a small area of the metal cladding that surrounds one fuel element within the core of the reactor, at which point the MOD and the ONR were able to make an informed judgment on issues relating to ONR responsibilities.

SEPA regulates discharges from the NRTE under a memorandum of understanding on matters relating to radioactive substances. SEPA was first made aware of the issue in October 2012, shortly after the relevant site regulators had assessed and agreed the way ahead, including modifications to the plant to further improve monitoring and sampling, and plans to restart the reactor, at which point the MOD and SEPA were able to make an informed judgment on issues relating to SEPA responsibilities.

Since SEPA was first made aware, there have been a number of site inspections and meetings at which updates were provided.

Electronic Warfare

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings he has had with industry on UK cyber hygiene policy in the last three years. [192082]

Mr Francois: Work to improve wider UK cyber hygiene is being undertaken by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and it leads on industry engagement in this area. The Ministry of Defence is also involved with industry in the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP), which reports to the Defence Suppliers’ Forum (DSF).

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The DSF is chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and first met in July 2011. There have been seven meetings in total and cyber was an agenda item on three occasions.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the physical fitness criteria are for recruitment to the cyber reserve force. [192334]

Mr Francois: The naval service, Army and Royal Air Force have defined physical fitness criteria for all new recruits, regular and reserve. Given the specific skills required of cyber reservists and the fact that for many their normal place of duty will be in the UK, derogation from normal service medical and physical fitness standards is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many firms with contracts with his Department employ cyber reservists. [192340]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence places many thousands of contracts; therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cyber reservists have been recruited to the Joint Cyber Reserve Force to date; and when he expects to meet his recruitment target. [192357]

Mr Francois: Recruitment for the Cyber Reserve began in October 2013 and is on track to deliver the Cyber Reserve at full operational capability within the next two years. Specific details of the Cyber Reserve capability are being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security. However, I am able to confirm that applications far exceeded the numbers required.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cyber incidents were recorded by firms with contracts with his Department in 2013. [192358]

Mr Francois: This information is not held in the format requested and we do not comment on the specific detail of cyber security incidents.

Our armed forces depend on a wide range of equipment and services provided by industry and we recognise the importance of that. With the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and Government Communication Headquarters, we are working closely with industry to ensure they are aware of the changing nature of the threat and have effective counters in place. The Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) aims to meet the emerging threat to the UK defence supply chain by increasing awareness of cyber risks, sharing threat intelligence, and defining risk-driven approaches to applying cyber security standards.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. [192359]

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Mr Francois: During December of last year, the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), visited the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence located in Tallinn, Estonia, ahead of the UK's official joining of the centre. He was briefed by the centre of excellence on the benefits to the UK as a sponsoring nation and the programme of research and development work that takes place there. The UK has a permanent staff member seconded to the centre, demonstrating our commitment and close ongoing relationship.

HMS Victory

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of artefacts and cargo found within HMS Victory 1744. [192555]

Anna Soubry: We have no reason to change the assessment made by Wessex Archaeology in 2009 that it is unlikely that bullion or other cultural assets of monetary value, with the exception of cannon, exist at the site. We have made no estimate of their potential value.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which individuals or organisations his Department consulted before the transfer of the wreck of HMS Victory 1744. [192557]

Anna Soubry: On 25 March 2010, under the previous Government, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport launched a public consultation on the future management approach that should be adopted towards the wreck of HMS Victory 1744. The results of that consultation were published in July 2011 and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/105731/victory_response.pdf

The Government's response included a list of contributors:

Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites; Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology; Alderney Maritime Trust; Archaeologist -Bournemouth University; Archaeologist-University of St Andrews; Augurship 320 Ltd; Representatives of the Balchin Family; Representative of the Temple-West Family; BG Energy Holdings Ltd; British Sub Aqua Club; Council for British Archaeology; Diver-British Sub Aqua Club; English Heritage; Falmouth Divers Ltd; Former Premier of Bermuda G P Resorts (USA); History Hunters International; International Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage; Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee; Lecturer in Archaeology-Institute of Archaeology; Maritime Historian Mary Rose Trust; Members of the Public, from the UK and overseas (mainly USA); Ministry of Defence-Defence Equipment & Spares (Salvage and Moorings Operation); National Maritime Museum Nautical Archaeology Society; Nelson Society; Odyssey Marine Exploration; Ordnance Historian; Ordnance Researcher; Planet Electronics Ltd; ProMare UK; Professional Association of Diving Instructors; Professor of Archaeology-Institute of Archaeologists; Receiver of Wreck; Rescue-The British Archaeological Trust; Retired Archaeologist; Seaquest Ltd; Searex Inc; Society of Antiquaries; Student of Archaeology-Warwick University; UNESCO; USA Publisher; Wreck Watch.

Malaysia Airlines

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance has been provided by the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Air Force in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. [192199]

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Mr Francois: HMS Echo, a Royal Navy survey vessel, is currently en route to support the search effort. It will take some time to arrive and the exact role will depend on the status of the investigation when it arrives.

Experts from the Ministry of Defence, the Hydrographic Office, the Department for Transport and the Meteorological Office are working in close co-operation with Malaysian and other international partners to analyse available satellite, weather and sea data to help locate the aircraft.

Royal Air Force loan personnel on secondment to the Royal New Zealand Air Force are actively involved in maritime search operations.

Military Aid: Floods

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of military support provided during the recent winter floods; and from which budget Operation Pitchpole will be funded. [190169]

Mr Francois: In line with the standard arrangements for the deployment of military personnel, we are discussing with HM Treasury the budget from which the Ministry of Defence's net additional costs for Operation Pitchpole will be funded.

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a Minister of his Department last visited a defence establishment in Northern Ireland. [192500]

Mr Francois: Since January 2012 Defence Ministers have visited Northern Ireland defence establishments on five occasions. It is important to note that the Secretary of State for Defence was unfortunately obliged to postpone his planned visit of 20 March 2014, owing to unexpected developments beyond his control. Arrangements are being made to reschedule this visit.

The following visits have taken place since January 2012:

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Military Police

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to bring the service police force under the remit of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. [192671]

Anna Soubry: I can confirm that the scope for independent oversight of complaints against the service police forces is currently under consideration. No decisions have yet been taken, including on the question of whether the IPCC would be best placed to provide such oversight.

Navy: Disciplinary Proceedings

Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary proceedings have been put in place following the incident at Devonport Naval base regarding the Test Variant Torpedo. [192480]

Mr Francois: This incident is the subject of an ongoing MOD investigation. It is, therefore, inappropriate to comment at this time.

Nuclear Submarines

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the longevity of fuel rods used in the Vanguard and Astute class submarines under normal patrol conditions since the leakage incident at Dounreay. [192376]

Mr Dunne: There has been no leak of radiation from the reactor at the Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) at HMS Vulcan, Dounreay.

We have not identified any issues with our operational submarines. The decision to refuel HMS Vanguard is a responsible and prudent precaution to help mitigate the risk to deterrent operations until the Successor submarines enter service starting in 2028.

The implications for the three remaining Vanguard class submarines and for the Astute class will be the subject of further analysis, particularly once we have had the opportunity to examine the reactor core from the NRTE.

Nurseries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [192441]

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2014, Official Report, column 720W, to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson).

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking to recruit more cadet engineers to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; [192462]

(2) how many engineers there are in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; [192463]

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(3) how many personnel are employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; [192465]

(4) how many ships are operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [192466]

Anna Soubry: The current Royal Fleet Auxiliary recruiting campaign targets engineers through a number of advertising mediums including radio, digital media, specialist publications and a virtual careers fair.

As of 1 January 2014, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary employs 1,860 personnel of which 550 are engineers (rounded in accordance with Defence statistics rounding policy).

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary operates 13 ships.

Service Prosecuting Authority

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times civilian counsel have been briefed by the service prosecution authority in each year since 2006; and if he will make a statement. [191444]

Anna Soubry: The Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) did not become fully operational until 2009. The following table shows the number of cases in each year since 2009 that the SPA has instructed civilian counsel.

The SPA may have instructed civilian counsel on a number of occasions for each case.

The SPA, in the same way as the Crown Prosecution Service, instruct counsel on complex, serious and high- profile cases.

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service prosecutors there were in the service prosecution authority of each branch of the armed forces in each year since 2006, what the length of their service in each authority was; how many have received specialist training in the investigation of sexual offences; and if he will make a statement. [191530]

Anna Soubry: Since the formation of the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) on 1 January 2009, the SPA has had an establishment of 36 military prosecutors and one civilian prosecutor (the director of service prosecutions). The military establishment can be broken down by service as follows:

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Since January 2009, there have been periods where posts have been gapped for various reasons, such as operational deployments and maternity leave.

The length of assignment varies within the SPA, dependent primarily on rank, but other factors can, and have, made standard ‘tour’ lengths fluctuate from time to time. Generally OF2s (Army captains, Royal Navy lieutenants and RAF flight lieutenants) will be assigned to the SPA for 18 to 24 months. OF3s (Army majors, Royal Navy lieutenant commanders and RAF squadron leaders) are assigned for two to three years. OF4s (Army lieutenant colonels, Royal Navy commanders and RAF wing commanders) are generally assigned for three years. However, the SPA currently has four OF4s who have spent between four and five years in post. OF5s (Army colonels, Royal Navy captains and RAF group captains) are on average in post longer than three years.

In addition, the majority of OF3s and above will have previously served in the SPA (or the previous individual service prosecution authorities) and have returned to carry out a further tour; in some cases a third tour.

16 SPA prosecutors have attended the Crown Prosecution Service rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) course and other specialist training since 2010. The following table shows the breakdown by year.

It is the SPA policy that only suitably trained and experienced prosecutors conduct rape and sexual assault prosecutions. Currently the SPA has 10 prosecutors who have attended the RASSO course and other specialist training.

United Arab Emirates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons HMS Tireless was refused permission to dock in the United Arab Emirates. [192900]

Mr Francois: As a matter of routine we do not discuss submarine operations, but I can give assurances that HMS Tireless's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not for any maintenance-related issues or repairs. HMS Tireless paid a successful visit to the UAE between 15 and 20 March.