Deputy Prime Minister

Individual Electoral Registration

9. Mr Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government plan to take to register tenants in the private rented sector when individual electoral registration is introduced. [903242]

Greg Clark: Five national organisations and every Electoral Registration Officer in Great Britain are sharing £4.2 million funding aimed at maximising the rate of voter registration, as part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.

These organisations have received funding to find new ways of reaching a range of under-registered groups such as private renters and encouraging them to register to vote. Electoral Registration Officers have been asked to concentrate on areas of under-registration which have historically included private renters,

Online registration will make it more convenient to register, which will help mobile sections of the population.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (Strategic Economic Plan)

10. Annette Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of progress on Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership's Strategic Economic Plan. [903243]

Greg Clark: I met with the Dorset LEP on 14 January to discuss their draft Strategic Economic Plan. Their final Plan will be submitted on 31 March and will be fully assessed as part of the Growth Deal negotiation.

Ministerial Visits

11. Mr Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which countries he has visited in an official capacity in the last 12 months; and which countries he plans to visit in the next 12 months. [903244]

The Deputy Prime Minister: Information regarding ministerial visits is published on a quarterly basis.

25 Mar 2014 : Column 177W

Electoral Register

12. Wayne David: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government plan to take to improve the accuracy and completeness of the electoral register. [903245]

13. Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government plan to take to improve the accuracy and completeness of the electoral register. [903246]

Greg Clark: Individual electoral registration will help enhance the accuracy of the register; from June applications will be verified against government records. We will ensure the completeness of the register during the transition to IER by 'confirming' the vast majority of existing electors by matching their records with other public databases.

Moreover, five national organisations and every local authority in Great Britain are sharing £4.2 million in funding aimed at maximising registration. The introduction of online registration will improve accessibility for groups such as overseas voters and home-movers.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to collect data on (a) the proportion of attainers in each region of Great Britain registered to vote, (b) the proportion of people aged 18 to 25 years old and pensioners registered to vote and (c) the proportion of people in receipt of benefits registered to vote. [192564]

Greg Clark: The Government have no plans to collect these data.

Devolution and Decentralisation

14. Mr Lilley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the Government's policy on devolution and decentralisation. [903247]

Greg Clark: I meet regularly with ministerial colleagues to discuss the Government's policy of devolution and decentralisation.

Electoral Register: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2014, Official Report, column 570W, on the electoral register: young people, how many times the Student Forum has met since its creation; and what the main outcomes of the forum have been in the last three years. [192084]

Greg Clark: The Student Forum has met 16 times across all regions since its launch on 18 July 2013.

The Forum has secured the involvement of the Higher Education sector to support Electoral Registration Officers in reaching students on an individual basis after the transition to Individual Electoral Registration and promoting the use of online electoral registration after it is launched in England and Wales in June.

25 Mar 2014 : Column 178W

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 510W, on Electoral Register: young people, (1) what steps his Department has taken to circulate the Rock Enrol! resources to (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the European Parliament, (c) members of the Scottish Parliament, members of the Legislative Assembly and Assembly members, (d) local councillors, (e) schools, colleges and universities and (f) local education authorities; [192328]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of young people who have been added to the electoral register as a result of Rock Enrol!; [192086]

(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of young people registered through Bite the Ballot; what the average cost to the public purse was of each registration through Bite the Ballot; and what the average cost to the public purse has been of each registration arising from the registration campaigns of (a) the Electoral Commission and (b) his Department. [192310]

Greg Clark: The Government have made available £4.2 million funding to all 363 local authorities (LAs) and valuation joint boards (VJBs) in Great Britain. The Government have written to Electoral Registration Officers and encouraged them to use this funding to support the delivery of Rock Enrol! in their area. Officials will continue to work closely with LA/VJBs in order to monitor and measure the outcomes.

The Government are supportive of organisations that promote democratic engagement such as Bite the Ballot and welcomes lessons from their experiences. The Rock Enrol! learning resource is freely available on the gov.uk and Times Education Supplement websites among others. The Government are also working with a range of organisations, including the Association of Citizenship Teachers, to promote the use of Rock Enrol!

For details of the Electoral Commission's registration activities I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter), on 22 January 2014, Official Report, column 209W.

Politics and Government

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which political and constitutional reform policies contained in the Coalition Agreement are yet to be delivered. [903237]

Greg Clark: The Government continues to work on political and constitutional reform, particularly devolving more powers from Whitehall to our cities and regions.

Work also continues on the implementation of individual electoral registration, recall of MPs and implementing the statutory register of consultant lobbyists.

Electoral Commission Committee

Electoral Register: Doncaster

Ms Winterton: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent

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confirmation dry run conducted in

(a)

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and

(b)

Doncaster Central constituency. [193008]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.

Results for all wards are available on the Commission's website here:

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls

The ward results for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council were as follows:

The ward results for the Doncaster Central constituency were as follows:

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Defence

Africa

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any RAF officers are embedded in host forces or otherwise stationed in Niamey, Nigeria or the Seychelles. [R] [193038]

Mr Francois: There are no RAF officers embedded in host forces or otherwise stationed in Niamey, Nigeria or the Seychelles.

Air Force: Deployment

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which RAF personnel of each (a) rank, (b) duty and (c) location are currently serving overseas. [193207]

Mr Francois: The information will take time to collate. I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 818W, on Burma, what the name and rank is of the Burmese Army officer visiting the UK for training; and when that officer will be visiting the UK. [192456]

Mr Francois [holding answer 20 March 2014]: The officer is attending the UK version of the managing defence in the wider security context course, from 10 March to 25 April 2014 which will take place at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

The Burmese officer is of OF 5 (Colonel) rank. I am withholding his name as this is personal information.

D-Day Landings: Anniversaries

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government regarding the 70th anniversary of the D-day landings; [192482]

(2) what steps he is taking to enable veterans of the D-day landings who are currently living in Scotland to participate in the Normandy 70 commemorations. [192487]

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence is working very closely with partners across Government and with external agencies, including the Normandy Veterans Association and the Royal British Legion (RBL), to deliver a fitting programme of commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-day landings. Veterans planning to attend events in Normandy are being asked to register their interest with the RBL, to allow an estimate of numbers planning to travel and to ensure that they have the necessary information and passes that will be required.

Veterans resident in Scotland, or anywhere else in the UK or Republic of Ireland, who wish to make the trip to Normandy are invited to apply for financial support from the Big Lottery Fund, which has extended its

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Heroes Return 2 programme until 31 December 2015. This enables veterans, widows, spouses and carers to apply for travel and accommodation expenses to make trips back to places across the world where they served, or make a commemorative visit within the UK.

No specific discussions have been held with the Scottish Government or other devolved Administrations on these arrangements, which apply equally to all veterans of the Normandy campaign wherever they live in the UK.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 652W, on D-Day landings: anniversaries, (1) how many (a) veterans, (b) widows, (c) spouses and (d) carers of veterans have registered their interest with the Royal British Legion regarding their attendance of the 70th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in Normandy; [193144]

(2) how many (a) veterans, (b) widows, (c) spouses and (d) carers of veterans of the D-Day operations currently reside in the UK; [193145]

(3) how many (a) veterans, (b) widows, (c) spouses and (d) carers are expected to receive financial support from the Big Lottery Fund for the Heroes Return 2 programme; [193146]

(4) how much financial support from the Big Lottery Fund for the Heroes Return 2 programme will be given to (a) veterans, (b) widows, (c) spouses and (d) carers wishing to travel to Normandy for the 70th anniversary commemorations of D-Day. [193147]

Anna Soubry: The information is not held as the Royal British Legion is the national point of contact for the registration of veterans.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the contribution to the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 549W, whether there are plans to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day beyond those he outlined. [193148]

Anna Soubry: In addition to the events in Normandy to mark this significant anniversary, the three services will be heavily involved in supporting the D-day events in Portsmouth on 5 June 2014. The services will also be supporting the Normandy Veterans Association event at the Cenotaph on Sunday 22 June, a service at York Minster on 20 July, and a final event which will be the laying up of the National Standard at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey on 16 October 2014.

Defence Academy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what courses are currently taught at the Defence Academy. [193208]

Mr Francois: There are a large number of courses presented at the Defence Academy to develop professional skills and knowledge for defence and security. The course prospectus for 2014 can be found at the following link:

http://www.da.mod.uk/da-news/defence-academy-courses-at-a-glance/

and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

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Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) a bat, (b) a dormice, (c) a crested newt and (d) an owl survey has been carried out on any Defence Infrastructure Organisation site; what the result of each such survey was; and if he will make a statement. [193101]

Dr Murrison: Many protected species surveys are undertaken each year across the Defence estate. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any covenants exist on the use of any of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation sites; and if he will make a statement. [193102]

Dr Murrison: There are covenants on the use of some Defence Infrastructure Organisation sites but the details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DSG Ashchurch

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the historic features of DSG Ashchurch. [192997]

Dr Murrison: English Heritage undertook a survey of the historic features of Defence Support Group (DSG) Ashchurch and reported their findings in November 2013. Nothing at DSG Ashchurch was identified for listing or scheduling.

East Africa

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on (a) how many attempts were made by pirates to seize ships in the seas off East Africa in each of the last five years and (b) how many such attempts were successful. [192464]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not hold its own record of piracy incidents off the coast of East Africa. Instead it relies on figures produced by specialist bodies who work in consultation with international task forces.

The UK military remains an active member in countering piracy off the coast of East Africa, either as part of national tasking or when working within a coalition force. For example, the UK participates in three international counter-piracy operations: the European Union's Naval Force Operation ATALANTA; the NATO Operation Ocean Shield; and the multinational Combined Maritime Task Force 151. Collectively these operate off the coast of Somalia, in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

There has been a significant reduction in the number of reported piracy incidents off the coast of East Africa in recent years, in large part due to these international anti-piracy operations. By way of illustration, the European Union's Naval Force hold the following numbers for piracy incidents off the horn of Africa since 2009:

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HMS Victory

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers and officials in his Department had with Lord Lingfield about HMS Victory 1744. [192558]

Anna Soubry: Since notification of the HMS Victory 1744 wreck site (by Odyssey Marine Exploration) and its transfer to the Maritime Heritage Foundation a number of meetings have been held between officials and Lord Lingfield.

The Under-Secretary of State and Lords Spokesman on Defence, my noble friend Lord Astor of Hever, has recently attended two meetings chaired by the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), with Lord Lingfield (and his representative) and the Government's Advisory Group (consisting of English Heritage, the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Receiver of Wreck, and the Marine Management Organisation), to discuss the wreck of HMS Victory 1744.

NATO

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many NATO training exercises in Europe UK forces have been involved in each year since 2010. [192634]

Mr Francois: The number of NATO training exercises that the UK's armed forces have participated in each year since 2010 is as follows:

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Typhoon aircraft will be provided for the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission; where they will be based; whether they will replace the USAF F-15 aircraft from RAF Lakenheath; and when they will arrive. [192902]

Mr Francois: The UK has offered up to four Typhoons to NATO. These would augment the Polish Baltic Air Policing rotation which runs from 1 May-31 August 2014, after the current US rotation. No decision has been made on where we would base our aircraft if our offer is accepted. We expect a response from NATO by 1 April 2014.

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Nuclear Installations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the future cost of the decommissioning of facilities at (a) AWE Aldermaston, (b) AWE Burghfield and (c) Sellafield once the operating life of those facilities has come to an end. [192653]

Dr Murrison: The cost associated with the decommissioning, care and maintenance of current facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston and Burghfield was estimated to be in the order of £1.1 billion as at 31 March 2013, at 2012-13 prices. This figure includes the conditioning, retrieval and storage of contaminated materials.

The MOD has no responsibility for decommissioning the Sellafield site, facilities or equipment. This falls to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The nuclear provision for NDA sites, including Sellafield, is set out in the NDA annual report and accounts, the latest version of which was published in June 2013.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times his Department has provided top-cover fixed wing search and rescue assets for a search and rescue mission in each of the last two years; and what aircraft were used in each case. [192970]

Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2013, Official Report, column 401W. There have been no further requests for top-cover fixed wing search and rescue assets since 4 November 2013.

Type 23 Frigates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions an (a) inert Test Variant and (b) armed torpedo was accidentally fired from a Type 23 frigate in the last 15 years, by location. [192901]

Mr Francois: One incident has been recorded of an (unarmed) training variant torpedo unexpectedly jettisoning from a Type 23 frigate in the last 15 years, which occurred at Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport on 12 March 2014. There are no incidents recorded of any armed torpedoes being accidentally fired from Type 23 frigates in the last 15 years.

Ukraine

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department had with the US authorities about the decision to send F-15s from RAF Lakenheath to Ukraine; and whether the Government's permission was requested by the US Air Force. [192817]

Mr Francois: United States Air Force F-15 aircraft from RAF Lakenheath have not been deployed to Ukraine.

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Uranium

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution has been made by the UK to the remediation of uranium mines and milling sites abroad from which uranium has been procured for military uses. [192651]

Dr Murrison: We are unaware of any UK funding provided for remediation of uranium mines and milling sites from which uranium was procured.

USA

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give consideration to contributing to the remediation of the US nuclear warhead test site in Nevada in proportion to the usage permitted at the site to the UK nuclear warhead testing programme. [192652]

Dr Murrison: No.

Wrecks

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what shipwrecks discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration have been referred to his Department. [192554]

Anna Soubry: Odyssey Marine Exploration has contacted the Ministry of Defence in regard to two wreck sites—HMS Sussex and HMS Victory (1744).

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many wrecks other than HMS Victory his Department has transferred to third parties, charities or other organisations since 1984. [192556]

Anna Soubry: None.

International Development

Bilateral Aid: Nutrition

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to her Department's policy of moving towards multilateral investment, how she plans to ensure that money for nutrition funded through bilateral channels is used effectively. [192724]

Lynne Featherstone: The Department does not have a policy of moving towards multilaterals. More on multilaterais can be found in the Multilateral Aid Review which is published on the Government website.

The Department has rigorous internal systems to ensure that funds are used effectively. A business case is mandatory for all new funding proposals, which have been strengthened by the Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening). All businesses over £5 million are submitted to the Secretary of State for approval. Formal reviews of programmes are required annually and at completion, to assesses and record the results delivered. These documents are published on DFID's development tracker website.

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Gurkha Welfare Trust

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects the Gurkha Welfare Trust have delivered since June 2010; and how often the trust reports on its work. [193149]

Justine Greening: The Gurkha Welfare Trust is an independent charity.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources her Department has given to the Gurkha Welfare Trust since June 2010. [193150]

Justine Greening: DFID has given no money directly to the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT). DFID Nepal co-finances the Rural Water and Sanitation Programme (RWSP) with the GWT.

International Co-operation: Nutrition

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to (a) participate in the 2012 International Conference on Nutrition and (b) help shape the agenda on (i) stunting and wasting and (ii) other aspects of malnutrition. [192723]

Lynne Featherstone: The Nutrition for Growth event took place in 2013 and International Conference on Nutrition is due to happen in November 2014.

My Department is fully engaged with colleagues across Government and member states in preparatory work for the second International Conference on Nutrition due to be held in Rome this November. The UK is seeking to build on the international consensus and commitments made at the 2013 Nutrition for Growth event in London to reduce stunting by 20 million children by 2020.

Jordan

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her Jordanian counterpart on access of Syrian refugees to work permits in Jordan. [193154]

Justine Greening: DFID is in regular contact with Jordanian Government officials and local and international non-governmental organisations.

Non-governmental Organisations

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development(1) how much her Department has spent on non-governmental organisations operating in each country in each year since 2010; [192868]

(2) what proportion of work funded by her Department and carried out by non-governmental organisations since 2010 has been concerned with (a) peace building, (b) environmental issues, (c) health issues and (d) provision of food and water. [192861]

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) through a range of centrally managed funds and country programmes. Details of funding provided

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to UK based CSOs can be found in Table 19 of Statistics on International Development which is available on the UK Government website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/table-19-dfid-expenditure-through-uk-csos-2011-12

DFID's overseas offices also provide support to local civil society organisations.

In 2010-11 the UK Government introduced the Aid Transparency Guarantee. This commits DFID to making details of all the projects we fund available for public scrutiny. Details can be found through the Development Tracker on the UK Governments website:

http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/

Overseas Aid: Nutrition

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in how many countries other than Ethiopia and Yemen her Department has developed nutrition programmes to bridge the gap between short-term emergency aid and longer-term nutrition programmes to prevent severe acute malnutrition; and to which countries she plans to expand these programmes in 2014. [192725]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is funding multi-year nutrition-related programmes in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda in addition those in Ethiopia and Yemen. These programmes aim to bridge the gap between humanitarian aid and longer-term funding. The programmes treat and prevent acute malnutrition and are linked to the objective of building resilience, for example, against economic shocks or climate related natural disasters.

Sri Lanka

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she had with her Sri Lankan counterpart on the resettling of the population of Myliddy village. [193152]

Justine Greening: DFID closed its bilateral programme in Sri Lanka in 2006. HMG Ministers continue to raise the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs) with the Sri Lankan Government, including the Prime Minister during his visit last November.

Tanzania

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Tanzanian Government about addressing the issue of informal school fees that make completion of basic education unaffordable to poor families. [192719]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID and other development partners have had discussions with the Government of Tanzania and have made support conditional on the Government of Tanzania releasing their capitation grants in full.

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Tanzanian Government about improving teacher salaries and conditions to attract more new teachers to the profession. [192721]

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Lynne Featherstone: DFID has engaged the Government of Tanzania on the issue of teachers' salaries and conditions of work in the context of delivery of quality public services through the General Budget Support dialogue, Public and Civil Service reform programme and Education Sector Dialogue.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether the production of illegal drugs in Burma is decreasing; and which countries illegal drugs produced in Burma are exported to. [192972]

Mr Swire: At the invitation of the Burmese Government, officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency, now the National Crime Agency, visited Burma in May 2013. During this visit, the issue of drug production and trafficking was discussed with the Burmese authorities and separately with the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) country representative. Other organised crime issues were also discussed, including child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and money laundering.

We have not received reports that illegal drug production in Burma is decreasing. Reports indicate that Burma remains the world's second highest producer of opium, after Afghanistan. The UNODC reported in its South East Asia Opium Survey 2013 that poppy cultivation rose from 51,000 to 57,800 hectares between 2012 and 2013. The main transiting countries for Burmese opium are those which border Burma to the east, namely China, Laos and Thailand. The production of methamphetamine is also a growing concern in Burma, with the majority of the production in Burma exported to neighbouring countries.

Iran

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the (a) report to the Human Rights Council by the UN Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran of 11 March 2014 and (b) human rights (i) generally, (ii) of Bahá'ís and (iii) of other religious minorities in Iran since the election of President Rouhani; and if he will make a statement. [192819]

Hugh Robertson: We welcome the report by the UN Secretary-General on human rights in Iran and agree with its assessment.

We are yet to see any overall improvement in human rights under President Rouhani although there have been some positive steps. We are in particular concerned by Iran's use of the death penalty and the treatment of religious minorities.

Members of the Baha'i faith face persecution and arbitrary arrest and detention. Some Christian minorities also suffer similar treatment. We regularly express our concern—both publicly and in our diplomatic contacts—about the human rights situation in Iran. We call on the Iranian Government to ensure that all Iranian citizens enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms.

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Kashmir

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of human rights in Kashmir. [193044]

Mr Swire: We are aware of allegations of human rights abuses on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir. We are clear that such allegations of human rights abuses must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. We regularly raise concerns through our high commissions in Islamabad and Delhi as appropriate.

Nuclear Security Summit

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers and officials will represent the UK at the third nuclear security summit in The Hague on 24 and 25 March 2014; which think-tanks, academics or research institutes have been consulted in preparing the UK submission for the summit; and if he will post on his Department's website all submissions made by the UK to the preparatory meetings for the summit and at the summit itself. [192541]

Hugh Robertson: The Prime Minister will represent the UK at the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague on 24 and 25 March 2014. Several organisations have contributed suggestions for the UK's contributions to the Summit. The UK's written statements will be published on the Summit website.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed new settlement in Hebron on the freedom of movement and human rights of the local Palestinian population; [192705]

(2) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed new settlement in Hebron on peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians; [192706]

(3) what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on potential new settlements in Hebron; [192707]

(4) what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on potential new settlements in Hebron. [192708]

Hugh Robertson: Our ambassador to Tel Aviv has raised our strong concerns over the recent verdict by the Israeli Supreme Court on the “House of Contention” in Hebron with the Israeli Ministry of Justice, in line with the UK's clear and long-standing position on the illegality of all settlements. The UK considers that settlements undermine trust, prospects for peace and the viability of the two-state solution. We regularly discuss the issue of settlements with our EU partners.

Palestinians

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has given to the Palestinian Authority in tackling incitement in the Palestinian Territories. [R] [192588]

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Hugh Robertson: The UK regularly condemns incitement and we register our concerns with both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. We encourage both sides to do more to promote a culture of tolerance and to prepare their populations for peace. We warmly welcome a recent agreement to re-form a trilateral committee, involving Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the US, to prevent incitement.

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on recent comments by senior Fatah official Abbas Zaki who said God will assemble Jews to be killed by Palestinians. [R] [192619]

Hugh Robertson: We have not made representations to the Palestinian Authority about comments made by Abbas Zaki. We deplore all incitement to violence and continually urge the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, the type of action and language which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the Palestinian Authority's adherence to its road map commitment to end incitement against Israel. [192717]

Hugh Robertson: We deplore all incitement to violence and continually urge the leadership on both sides to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, the type of action and language which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. We consider that the Palestinian Authority under President Abbas and Prime Minister Hamdallah has demonstrated genuine commitment to non-violence and a negotiated two-state solution.

Syria

Mr Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether senior commanders from Iran's Quds Force are assisting President Bashar Assad in Syria. [192579]

Hugh Robertson: Iran continues to support the Assad regime through the provision of Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Qods Force personnel, weaponry and billions of dollars of financial support. In June 2011, the following senior IRGC commanders were sanctioned under EU Syria sanctions: Brigadier Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, General Commander, IRGC; Major General Qassem Suleimani, Commander of Special Forces, IRGC Qods; and Hossein Taeb, Deputy IRGC Commander for Intelligence. We continue to monitor Iranian activity in Syria.

Ukraine

Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department currently posted to Kiev are classified as extensive speakers of Ukrainian. [192692]

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Hugh Robertson: British diplomats abroad are required to speak local languages to differing degrees and levels, and the requirements assessed for each job. “Extensive” is a very high level of near native fluency, and only a small number of positions are classed as requiring fluency to "Extensive" level. The majority of positions for which language proficiency is required are classed as requiring an "Operational" level, meaning that staff have degree-level skills and are able to conduct business in the language effectively. The ambassador to Kyiv is classed as requiring operational Ukrainian, and the current ambassador is judged to perform at that level. The embassy employs 60 staff, both UK-based and locally-employed. Six of the UK-based diplomatic staff currently at post speak Russian to an operational level, and our 42 local staff all speak Ukrainian and Russian.

United Arab Emirates

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the detention of Osama al-Najjar in the UAE. [192844]

Hugh Robertson: We have received no specific reports of the detention of this individual.

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for posts made on social media networks. [192851]

Hugh Robertson: We do not hold information on the number of individuals imprisoned on charges relating to their use of social media.

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the treatment in custody in the United Arab Emirates of Jamal al-Hammadi. [192933]

Hugh Robertson: We have received no specific reports of the imprisonment or detention conditions of this individual.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 417W, on unmanned air vehicles, what steps his Department has taken to respond to the UN Special Rapporteur's recommendation on the urgent and imperative need to reach a consensus on reapplicable legal principles between states. [R] [193039]

Hugh Robertson: We welcome the report of the UN Special Rapporteur which identifies a number of interesting legal questions. The Government's position is that existing international law sufficiently covers the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems. We are carefully considering the recommendations.

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Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee

Matrix Chambers

Mr David Davis: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what procurement process was conducted by IPSA in advance of the decision to engage Matrix Chambers to prepare and advise on High Court action in May 2013 in respect of their case against the hon. Member for Peterborough; and if he will make a statement [190702]

Mr Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Substantive answer from Charles Walker to David Davis:

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.

Letter from Andrew McDonald, March 2013:

As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the engagement of Matrix Chambers. Counsel from Matrix Chambers were identified as one of IPSA's preferred legal Counsel as part of a tender exercise for legal services in 2010.

Accordingly, Counsel from Matrix Chambers were instructed by IPSA's solicitors, Addleshaw Goddard LLP, in connection with the matter in March 2013.

Transport

Aviation

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the £20 million of annual funding for the Regional Air Connectivity Fund referred to in The Budget 2014, paragraph 2.42 is additional to the £20 million of funding to improve regional air links referred to in, Investing in Britain's Future, produced by HM Treasury in June 2013, paragraph 8.8; [193175]

(2) what grants have been approved under the Regional Air Connectivity Fund since its launch; [193176]

(3) whether (a) Manchester Airport, (b) Newcastle Airport, (c) Birmingham Airport and (d) Liverpool Airport will meet the requisite passenger number specifications to receive the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; [193177]

(4) pursuant to Investing in Britain's Future produced by HM Treasury in June 2013, paragraph 8.8, how much of the £20 million referred to has been allocated already; and for what purposes such funding has been issued. [193178]

Mr Goodwill: As part of the 2013 spending round announcement on 27 June 2013, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), announced that £10 million would be made available in each of financial years 2014-15 and 2015-16 to maintain regional air access to London through the establishment

25 Mar 2014 : Column 193W

of a Public Service Obligation (PSO), where there was the probability that an existing air service would be lost. The Department for Transport is in detailed discussions with regional councils regarding two routes that might qualify for support through a PSO under these conditions. Of these, Dundee council are currently tendering for an airline to operate a service between Dundee airport and London.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London would increase from £10 million to £20 million per year. The Chancellor also announced that support will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports. European Union aviation State aid guidelines allow for provision of start-up aid to facilitate start up of new routes from airports which handle fewer than five million passengers per annum. This currently includes Liverpool and Newcastle airports, but not Birmingham and Manchester airports. The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union guidelines, and explain how the funding process will work.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle crossings of the Thames were made through the Rotherhithe and Blackwall tunnels in 2013. [192748]

Mr Goodwill: Data for 2013 are not yet available; the remainder of this answer refers to 2012 data.

A table providing the 2012 estimated annual average daily flows (AADFs) for road links covering the Rotherhithe and Blackwall tunnels (for both directions combined) are shown in the following table:

These figures give estimates of the number of vehicles travelling along individual sections of road on an average day of the year.

To calculate an estimate of the annual usage of the tunnels (for both directions combined); these daily AADF estimates would be multiplied by the 365 days in a year.

AADF data for individual motorway and 'A' road links for 2000-12 are available on our website, here:

http://data.gov.uk/dataset/gb-road-traffic-counts

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the Barking Riverside extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line will be funded. [193043]

Stephen Hammond: The Government have committed to work with the GLA to develop proposals for an extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside to help unlock the construction of up to 11,000 new homes but at this stage of development no decision has been taken on funding options.

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Great Western Railway Line

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what agreement his Department has reached with the Welsh Government regarding the funding of electrification of the Great Western Line to Swansea and the Valleys Lines. [192659]

Stephen Hammond: The Welsh and UK Governments agreed in 2012 to fund the electrification of the Valley Lines and the South Wales Main Line between Cardiff and Swansea. That agreement still stands and Network Rail is developing plans for electrification.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect of an extension to Crewe of the first phase of High Speed 2 on the (a) route through Lichfield constituency and (b) need for an additional railway line north of the City of Lichfield connecting the end of Phase one to the West Coast mainline. [192537]

Mr Goodwill: No decision has yet been made on Phase Two as we are still considering the responses to the public consultation. Sir David Higgins's proposals would see the Government's preferred route to Crewe, which formed part of the recent Phase Two consultation, constructed earlier. Therefore, it is not anticipated that Sir David's proposal alone would affect the route through the Lichfield constituency. However, the route of Phase Two through the Lichfield constituency is clearly subject to the outcomes of the recent public consultation.

The powers for Phase Two, including the section of line to Crewe, are proposed to be sought via a second hybrid Bill. As such the connection to the West Coast Main Line as part of the Phase One Bill is still required to allow Phase One to operate effectively and to enable destinations such as Stafford to benefit from high speed services.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the London to Holyhead railway service will remain an express service after the creation of High Speed 2; [192658]

(2) what plans he has to develop the North Wales line from Crewe to Holyhead in conjunction with the building of High Speed 2; [192660]

(3) what assessment his Department has made of whether the London to Holyhead line will become a local stopping service following the building of High Speed 2. [192661]

Stephen Hammond: No such assessment has been made. The opening of High Speed 2 will release capacity for train services on existing lines, including on the West Coast Main Line. Precise details of stopping patterns will be resolved when the relevant rail franchises are let in due course.

In the meantime, we will shortly announce a transparent and participatory process to consider long-term issues, opportunities and options for rail services on HS2 corridors.

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We are also working with the Welsh Government who are developing a business case for the electrification of the North Wales Main Line.

Level Crossings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of steps taken to improve the safety of level crossings since the death of Emma Lifsey in Bassetlaw constituency on 4 December 2012. [193085]

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has made no assessment of the steps taken to improve the safety of level crossings. The safety of level crossings is a matter for Network Rail. The industry recommended further investment be provided in the 2014-19 period for level crossing closures and safety measures and a £109 million ring fenced fund was agreed by the Government for this period.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many level crossings have wig-wag lights which are so old that they present a danger to the public. [193091]

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport does not hold this data. Prosecutions are a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation, the independent safety regulator for the railways, as the relevant enforcement authority.

More information can be obtained from:

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London

N1 9 AG

Telephone: 020 7557 8000

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Office of Rail Regulation plans to prosecute Network Rail in relation to the conclusions of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch that the wig-wag lights in place on 4 December 2012, in relation to the incident which killed Emma Lifsey, were old and could not be seen. [193092]

Stephen Hammond: Prosecutions are a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation, the independent safety regulator for the railways, as the relevant enforcement authority.

More information can be obtained from:

The Office of Rail Regulation

One Kemble Street

London

WC2B 4AN

Telephone: 020 7282 2000

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the treatment of Emma Lifsey's family by Network Rail following her death on a level crossing. [193133]

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Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has had no discussions with Network Rail on this matter. Level crossing safety policy matters are discussed on a regular basis with Network Rail at an official level.

Merchant Shipping (Diving Safety) Regulations 2002

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 335W, on the Merchant Shipping (Diving Safety) Regulations 2002, (1) what discussions (a) Ministers in his Department and (b) officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have held with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the implications for diver safety or revoking the regulations; and what the outcomes were of those discussions; [192713]

(2) whether it is still his policy to pursue revocation of the regulations. [192714]

Stephen Hammond: It is still our policy to revoke the Merchant Shipping (Diving Safety) Regulations 2002.

There have been no specific discussions between Ministers or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regarding the implications for diver safety or revoking the regulations since May 2013. However, the proposal was raised by the MCA at a meeting with HSE's Offshore Division in July 2013 to consider a range of regulatory issues affecting the offshore sector, and it was agreed to discuss in more detail as the proposals are developed, and prior to any changes to the regulations.

Offshore Industry

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current level of (a) use and (b) availability is amongst offshore helicopter passengers in the oil and gas industry of emergency breathing systems that meet Category A of the Civil Aviation Authority's relevant technical specifications. [192715]

Mr Goodwill: There are currently no Category ‘A’ emergency breathing systems (EBS) in use by, or available to, passengers on UK offshore helicopter flights. The EBS currently in use in the UK sector of the North sea does not meet the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) higher Category ‘A’ specification contained in CAA Publication CAP 1034, primarily because it takes too long to deploy. The EBS used in the Norwegian sector also does not meet the Category ‘A’ requirement, primarily as it cannot be deployed underwater.

EBS that would likely meet Category ‘A’ is commercially available. In particular the passenger short term air supply system (P-STASS) developed for the UK military, which the CAA understands is currently being considered by the industry, has previously been used for civilian operations (e.g. the Marine Incident Response Group).

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of implementing the recommendations in the Civil Aviation Authority's safety review of helicopter operations in the offshore oil and gas industry on the annual number of passenger-carrying helicopter flights in that industry. [192716]

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Mr Goodwill: The primary concern of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the safety of the public, and the absolute focus of its recent Offshore Helicopter Review has been to make safety improvements in that sector. I am satisfied that implementing the recommendations in the CAA Review will lead to improvements in safety and that all the changes proposed are both realistic and achievable. The CAA is directly engaging with the oil and gas industry, helicopter operators and workforce representative groups through its new Safety Action Group. I do not see that recommendations contained in the Review will have any significant effect on the annual number of offshore helicopter operations.

Railways: Kent

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to improve the rail infrastructure on the North Kent rail line. [192670]

Stephen Hammond: The Government are working with Network Rail, train operators and Kent county council to progress the case for journey time reductions between Ashford and Ramsgate by 2019 through infrastructure improvements. Funding is available for this, subject to a satisfactory business case.

River Thames: Bridges

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department used in the decision to include the Garden Bridge in the Government’s National Infrastructure Plan. [192746]

Stephen Hammond: The National Infrastructure Plan 2013 sets out the Government's long-term plan to ensure that it can deliver the investment required to meet the UK's infrastructure needs to 2020 and beyond. The Garden Bridge is not one of the Government's ‘Top 40’ projects as set out in the plan, but it is part of the 'infrastructure pipeline', which includes large capital programmes of investment worth £50 million or over.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a study of the case for a new cycle and pedestrian crossing of the Thames east of Tower Bridge. [192749]

Stephen Hammond: Transport in London is the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) as per the terms of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Any decision to commission a study into a new cycle and pedestrian Thames crossing would therefore be a matter for the Mayor of London.

Road Traffic Offences

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to exempting motorists from being prosecuted for traffic light offences if they have committed the offence while making way for an emergency vehicle. [192542]

Mr Goodwill: The law is specific on a driver's requirement to comply with traffic signs, which include signals, as defined in section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. There is no exemption for members of the public from this, even to give way to emergency vehicles.

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Clear passage should always be given (where possible) to prevent delay to emergency vehicles responding to calls, by taking reasonable action such as pulling into the side of the road. If a driver were to go through a red light to allow an emergency vehicle to pass, in most cases where no danger was caused to other road users and it was done reasonably a police officer would not be expected to enforce this. Should a red-light running camera record a traffic light violation, any claim would be supported by the emergency vehicle also being captured in a similar way. The courts would be likely to listen to mitigating circumstances and again, if done safely and or reasonably it is unlikely there would be any prosecution.

Rotherhithe Tunnel

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys through the Rotherhithe tunnel were made by bicycle in 2013. [192750]

Mr Goodwill: Data for 2013 are not yet available; the remainder of this answer refers to 2012 data. A table providing the 2012 estimated pedal cycle annual average daily flow (AADF) for the road link covering the Rotherhithe tunnel (for both directions combined) is shown in the following table:

This figure gives an estimate of the number of pedal cycles travelling along the individual section of road on an average day of the year.

To calculate an estimate of the annual pedal cycle usage of the tunnel (for both directions combined); this daily AADF estimate would be multiplied by the 365 days in a year.

AADF data for individual motorway and ‘A’ road links for 2000-2012 are available on our website, here:

http://data.gov.uk/dataset/gb-road-traffic-counts

Travel: Concessions

Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the level of cross-subsidy between fare paying passengers and those using the concessionary travel scheme (a) generally and (b) in rural areas. [192473]

Stephen Hammond: Concessionary travel schemes are considered to be public service obligations.

Legislation requires bus operators to accept statutory concessionary bus pass holders for free travel on off-peak journeys within England, and are reimbursed fordoing so. Bus operators may not solicit or accept payment for such journeys.

Reimbursement is provided on the basis that operators are “no better and no worse off” for carrying concessionary pass holders, and we therefore do not believe this to constitute a subsidy.

The Department publishes guidance to help authorities calculate appropriate reimbursement rates. We are unaware of any cross-subsidy between fare paying and concessionary pass holding passengers occurring in rural areas or elsewhere.

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Health

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information Public Health England collects from health and well-being boards about their current and future spending on drugs and alcohol treatment services. [193084]

Jane Ellison: Local authorities (LAs) are required to report to Public Health England (PHE) and national Government on their actual spend on interventions for adult drugs, adult alcohol and young people’s substance misuse from their public health grant allocations on an annual basis.

Drug treatment continues to be a key priority for the Government. In a letter announcing the 2013-14 and 2014-15 public health ring-fenced grants, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and PHE’s chief executive, Duncan Selbie, highlighted substance misuse as one of the key non-mandated services and described the major opportunity for LAs to work in partnership with the voluntary sector, police and crime commissioners and the private sector to deliver these critical services resulting in better outcomes for local populations.

On 28 February 2014, PHE in conjunction with the Association of Directors of Public Health, announced a one-off review of LAs in England to ascertain their commissioning intentions for improving prevention programmes and rates of drug and alcohol recovery. This will describe the approaches undertaken by LAs and provide evidence to inform Government policy.

Cancer

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to align the questions in

25 Mar 2014 : Column 200W

the Cancer Patient Experience Survey with the quality statements of the NICE Breast cancer quality standard. [192514]

Jane Ellison: Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES). The 2014 survey is currently under way and publication is expected later in the year.

The questions in the survey are designed to capture the experience of patients with all types of cancer at different stages of their care and are therefore deliberately not 'cancer type specific'. However, some questions in the NCPES, such as those about being given the name of a clinical nurse specialist and the provision of a written care plan, are relevant to the statements in the Breast Cancer Quality Standard on those issues.

The development of the survey is overseen by the cancer patient experience advisory group, run by NHS England, which has members from a range of cancer services, charities and experts.

Diabetes

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes have had a major lower limb amputation in each of the last five years in each clinical commissioning group area. [192594]

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.

The following table shows data on the number of finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes with a main or secondary procedure involving the amputation of a lower limb, by strategic health authority (SHA) of residence, 2008-09 to 2012-13.

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25 Mar 2014 : Column 202W

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that insulin pump therapy is available to people with diabetes. [R] [192596]

Jane Ellison: It is the responsibility of NHS England to ensure that commissioners and providers make insulin pumps available for those people with diabetes who meet the criteria recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

NICE 2008 guidance recommends pump therapy as an option for adults and children over the age of 12 years with Type 1 diabetes, provided that multiple-daily insulin therapy has failed. It also recommends that insulin pump therapy can be used for children younger than 12 years with Type 1 diabetes, provided specific criteria are met.

Insulin pump therapy is not appropriate for everyone as it requires self-management and regular close monitoring. People who commence insulin pumps need to have a detailed structured education programme and good clinical support to maintain and support them on this therapy. All decisions about insulin pump therapy must be made in consultation between the patient (and/or their parents or carer) and their health care professional.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned or undertaken on links between mental health conditions and Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. [R] [192599]

Dr Poulter: There is a range of current and recent research on this topic funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) or by the Department's Policy Research Programme.

The NIHR has funded a £0.8 million clinician scientist award investigating the relationship between severe mental illness, metabolic disease and second generation antipsychotic drugs.

The NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) Greater Manchester is conducting a trial to test the effectiveness of collaborative care for people with depression and diabetes and/or coronary heart disease.

The NIHR (CLAHRC) Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland has carried out a study of the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of screening and management for depressive symptoms and diabetes distress for the prevention of deteriorating glycaemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes.

The Policy Research Unit in Economic Evaluation of Health and Care Interventions is carrying out a project on modelling of care pathways for people with diabetes and depression.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment NHS England has made of links between eating disorders and diabetes; what steps NHS England is taking to ensure that eating disorder services provide support to people (a) diagnosed with and (b) at risk of developing diabetes; and if he will make a statement. [192600]

Norman Lamb: NHS England has not undertaken a specific assessment of the links between eating disorders and diabetes, however it is aware of the increased risk around eating disorders for people with diabetes and this is something that the Eating Disorders Clinical Reference Group (CRG) will discuss further.

NHS England has a CRG specific to specialised services for eating disorders. The CRG has developed a national service specification which covers intensive treatments (in-patient and intensive day-patients) and some outreach/out-patient work for adults with very severe and intractable eating disorders. It does not cover community eating disorder services commissioned by clinical commissioning groups. The aims of the service are to:

Limit the physical and psychiatric morbidity, social disability and mortality levels caused by eating disorders.

Effectively treat people with very complex eating disorders and/or severe morbidity.

Minimise the length of time between referral and admission to the inpatient service.

All patients are managed with a Care Programme Approach. Patients with eating disorders may require care in a Specialist Adult Eating Disorder Centre if they experience rapid and/or sustained weight loss with evidence of system or organ failure, which is potentially life threatening; have had out-patient psychological treatment that has not been sufficient to effect a change or improvement, and/or are very low weight (usually chronically unwell), are not able to manage in daily life and require help with weight stabilisation or modest weight restoration. Around 900 individuals each year need access to this service.

Eating disorder patients accessing tier 4 (in-patient) services, including patients with diabetes, will receive support from a variety of specialist clinicians.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetes-related limb amputations took place in the NHS in each year since 2008; what assessment he has made of the proportion of those amputations which may have been preventable; and if he will make a statement. [R] [192601]

Jane Ellison: The table shows the number of finished consultant episodes¹ with a primary diagnosis² of diabetes and a primary or secondary procedure³ of amputation, by year for 2008-09 to 2012-13.

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The Department has made no recent assessment of the proportion of these amputations which may have been preventable. However, NHS England recently published ‘Action for Diabetes’, which sets out that in many cases amputation as a result of diabetes is avoidable.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of geographical variations in the rate of limb amputations among people with diabetes; what steps he has taken to reduce such variations; and if he will make a statement; [R] [192602]

(2) if he will undertake a review of amputation rates for people with diabetes for each year since 2010. [R] [192624]

Jane Ellison: Through the mandate, we have called on NHS England to make improvements in how people with long-term conditions, such as diabetes, are supported.

NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have responsibility for determining the overall approach to improve clinical outcomes from health care services for people with diabetes.

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It is for CCGs to ensure services meet the needs of their community, including the provision of podiatry and specialist multidisciplinary foot care teams for people with diabetes. There are various actions at a national level to help ensure that all patients with diabetes receive good quality care:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard on diabetes requires that people with diabetes who have foot ulcers, or are at risk of developing them, have regular check-ups from a team specialising in foot protection. It also requires that people are seen and treated by a specialist health care team within 24 hours if they have foot problems needing urgent medical attention.

NICE guidelines recommend annual foot checks. This is included in the Quality and Outcomes Framework which incentivises general practitioners to perform and record a foot examination in people with diabetes.

NHS Improving Quality is supporting a project to reduce the high mortality associated with diabetic foot disease which should have an impact on the number of patients needing amputations.

NHS England advises that in July 2014, it plans to launch the National Diabetes Footcare Audit, which aims to establish the extent to which national guidelines on the management of diabetic foot disease are being met. It also advises that there are ongoing discussions within the Cardiovascular Strategic Clinical Networks around promoting high quality diabetic foot care across the country, but these discussions are still at an early stage.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment Public Health England has made of and what evidence that body has collected on the effectiveness of the NHS Health Check programme in helping to diagnose diabetes; and if he will make a statement; [192604]

(2) what plans Public Health England has to increase the number of people diagnosed with diabetes through the NHS Health Check programme; [192605]

(3) what representations his Department has received from experts in diabetes on the NHS Health Check programme in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [192606]

Jane Ellison: Economic modelling has demonstrated the potential for the NHS Health Check programme to prevent 4,000 people a year from developing diabetes and detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease. Public Health England (PHE) recognises that empirical evidence of the programme's impact is limited and in July 2013 set out “Our Approach to the Evidence”:

www.healthcheck.nhs.uk/commissioners_and_healthcare_professionals/national_guidance/

As part of this approach both PHE and the Department are committed to encouraging the development of evidence. PHE is currently developing a research and evaluation strategy that will be published later this year and the Department's Research and Development division have already commissioned two independent studies.

In the last 12 months, PHE has also established an Expert Scientific and Clinical Advisory Panel (ESCAP) involving representatives from relevant experts in the fields of academia, medicine and public health. One such member is NHS England's National Clinical Director for diabetes. The purpose of ESCAP is to act in an advisory capacity to support successful roll-out,

25 Mar 2014 : Column 205W

maintenance/evaluation and the NHS Health Check programme's continued improvement based on emerging and best evidence.

Improving the detection of diabetes has already been raised as an item at ESCAP and the panel is currently considering a proposal to update the NHS Health Check diabetes filter.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps Public Health England is taking to encourage investment by local authorities in services which will help prevent the onset of diabetes. [192607]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) recognises the important role of tackling obesity and encouraging physical activity in both the primary prevention of diabetes and as part of disease management to prevent complication. PHE has commissioned e-learning modules on physical activity and obesity to raise awareness and understanding amongst professionals of the role that these risk factors can play in both prevention and treatment.

As obesity is a key risk factor for diabetes, PHE is also currently developing a programme of work to support local authorities, which will comprise of five pillars: systems leadership; community engagement; monitoring and the evidence base; supporting delivery; and tackling the obesogenic environment.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how Academic Health Science Networks improve the care of people with diabetes. [R] [192608]

Jane Ellison: In January 2014, England became the first country in the world to implement a system of Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) universally. By working across joint objectives and tailoring work programmes to local needs, AHSNs have been set up as network organisations that can leverage and combine existing funding in health as well as local, national and international development work.

The work programmes of AHSNs include a range of clinical and cross-cutting projects. Each AHSN is unique as they have been specifically designed to respond to regional variations in population health needs and take full advantage of the local resources at their disposal.

On this basis, six AHSNs have diabetes currently listed as a core clinical priority area (East Midlands, Eastern, Oxford, South London, South West Peninsular and Yorkshire and Humber). In addition, there are also a range of cross-cutting programmes across the networks that are intended to benefit patient care more generally, and will therefore include patients with diabetes (for example programmes around telecare and long term conditions).

All AHSNs are currently in the process of finalising their 2014-15 annual business plans which will outline their programmes and expected outcomes in detail. Once completed and agreed by NHS England, further information on AHSN work programmes and expected benefits for patients will be made available on their websites.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to collect accurate figures on the costs of treating diabetes. [192609]

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Jane Ellison: NHS England is currently working with a small number of clinical commissioning groups to get a better estimate of the expenditure on health care conditions such as diabetes. This work will inform development of the programme budgeting collection to improve the estimate of overall national health service expenditure on diabetes in future years.

NHS England is also reviewing the ‘other miscellaneous’ expenditure in the programme budgeting data to see if this can be presented in a more useful and meaningful way for commissioners.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with diabetes through the NHS Health Check programme in each year of its operation. [R] [192625]

Jane Ellison: The NHS Health Check is a locally implemented programme; the number of diabetes cases diagnosed as a result of the NHS Health Check Programme is not monitored nationally. Economic modelling has demonstrated the potential for the programme to prevent 4,000 people per year from developing diabetes and detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease.

The recent NHS Health Check Implementation review recommended taking action to improve the flow of data across the system, improve evidence and the evaluation of the programme. Public Health England is currently developing a research and evaluation strategy that will be published later this year.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if NHS England will develop a template Commissioning for Quality and Innovation scheme to improve the care of people with diabetes; [R] [192626]

(2) if NHS England will recommend an indicator relevant to diabetes for the outcome indicator set used by clinical commissioning groups. [R] [192627]

Jane Ellison: The Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set for 2014-15, which has been published by NHS England, includes a number of indicators relevant to people with diabetes and can be found at:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ccg-ois-1415-at-a-glance.pdf

NHS England does not currently have plans for a national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme for diabetes care. NHS England will consider whether there is a need for a CQUIN scheme for diabetes alongside its other possible priorities for 2015-16.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many requests for the funding of insulin pump therapy have been made to individual funding request panels in each year since 2010. [R] [192628]

Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued technology appraisal guidance (TA151, June 2008) which recommends continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII or 'insulin pump') therapy as a treatment option for adults and children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, subject to certain clinical criteria. The therapy is not recommended for the treatment of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

25 Mar 2014 : Column 207W

For patients not covered by NICE'S recommendations, funding decisions should be made by the relevant national health service commissioner based on an assessment of the available evidence.

Prior to April 2013, primary care trusts were responsible for dealing with individual funding requests and information on individual funding request decisions was not collected centrally.

From April 2013, NHS England assumed responsibility for commissioning specialist endocrinology and diabetes services for children and young people and insulin-resistant diabetes services for adults and children, with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) responsible for commissioning other diabetes services for adults.

We are advised by NHS England that information on the number of individual funding requests for the funding of insulin pump therapy made to NHS England and CCGs is not collected centrally.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes in each of the last 10 years. [R] [192635]

Jane Ellison: Aggregate annual primary care trust (PCT) expenditure data for diabetes, calculated from programme budgeting returns for 2004-05 to 2012-13, is shown in the following table.

The programme budgeting data return is an analysis of commissioning expenditure by health care condition and care centre based on figures provided to NHS England by PCTs and PCT successor organisations.

Further information on how these figures were calculated can be found at:

www.networks.nhs.uk/nhs-networks/health-investment-network

at the link headed “2003/4 - 2012/13 Summarised Programme Budgeting Aggregate PCT Figures”.

The figures are not available in the format requested as NHS England do not collect the spend information broken down by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and there are no figures available for diabetes for 2003-04.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Care Quality Commission has to assess the quality of care delivered to people living with (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes. [R] [192646]

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. All providers of regulated activities must be registered and continue to meet registration requirements setting out levels of safety and quality.