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The CQC has provided the following information.

The CQC is currently conducting a thematic data review looking at diabetes care across the country. Thematic data reviews analyse existing data to produce intelligence at national, local or provider level, in areas where data are scarce or additional analysis will give insight.

The reviews enhance the CQC’s understanding of a theme which helps to improve inspection planning and the CQC’s ability to promote improvement at a system level. This review will bring together information on diabetes care from a wide range of sources such as National Audits, the National Diabetes Intelligence Service, Public Health England, among others, and combine this with additional analysis conducted by the CQC to explore how outcomes for people with diabetes vary across the country.

The work will also aim to identify variations in patterns between different population groups and whether some service providers or areas of the country are exceptions. Overall, the review will provide the CQC with an improved baseline understanding of the state of diabetes care that can then be used to target inspection activity and develop key lines of inquiry for assessing the quality of care for people with diabetes.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the quality of care provided to people with diabetes (a) living independently and (b) resident in nursing or care homes. [R] [192647]

Jane Ellison: The Patient Experience of Diabetes Services (PEDS) survey will measure the health care experiences of people with diabetes in England and Wales.

It will test an online approach to collecting information from people with diabetes about their care, using a short validated questionnaire. The first PEDS survey results will be published in June 2014.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with diabetes in each commissioning area were assessed under all nine of the annual checks recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to assist in managing their condition in each of the last three years. [R] [192648]

Jane Ellison: All patients with diabetes aged 12 years and over, including those living independently or in nursing or care homes, should receive all of the nine National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) recommended care processes for diabetes monitoring.

The National Diabetes Audit (NDA) includes the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes that received eight of the nine care processes as recommended by the NICE in primary and secondary care. However, participation in the audit is not mandatory.

The 2011-12 NDA data for diabetes care (published in late 2013) showed a 60% completion rate of all the eight measureable NICE-recommended care processes, a 5% improvement on 2010.

Information concerning the number of the eight care processes checks provided by the NDA for the years 2009-10 to 2011-12, at commissioning area level, has been placed in the Library.

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Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in each of the last five years; [192685]

(2) what estimate he has made of the total number of people with (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes in each year since 1997; how many finished episodes of care relating to the treatment of diabetes there have been in each year since 1997; what estimate he has made of the total number of patients who will have (i) Type 1 and (ii) Type 2 diabetes in 2020; and if he will make a statement. [R] [192686]

Jane Ellison: An estimate of the total number of people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in each year since 1997 has not been made.

However, the number of people registered with diabetes taken from the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), by type and audit year between 2009-10 and 2011-12 is provided in the following table. Data prior to 2009-10 are not currently held and participation in the NDA is not mandatory.

Data regarding the number of finished episodes of care relating to the treatment of diabetes since 1997 are provided in the following table. These data are not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one finished consultant episode.

An estimate of the number of people with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in each of the last five years has not been made. However, it is estimated that there are 850,000 people with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom.

An estimate of the total number of patients who will have Type 1 and 2 diabetes in 2020 has not been made.

The National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network (NCIN), which is now part of Public Health England, publishes a Diabetes Prevalence Model that estimates both diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes prevalence

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for each local authority and clinical commissioning group. More information is available on the NCIN's website:

www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=154049

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged (a) under 10 years and (b) 10 years and over were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of diabetes in each year since 1997-98. [192687]

Jane Ellison: The following table gives the number of finished admission episodes for children aged under 10 years and 10-18 years in England regarding all forms of diabetes for the years 1997-98 to 2012-13.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) level of uptake and (b) proportion of successful completions of the Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating structured education programme among NHS and social care staff in each year since 2010. [R] [192694]

Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Standard for diabetes, published in July 2011, sets out that people with diabetes should receive a structured educational programme.

There are a number of different structured education courses available and it is up to individual clinicians to assess whether Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) is suitable for the patient on a case-by-case basis.

No estimate has been made of the level of uptake or the proportion of successful completions of the DAFNE structured education programme among national health service and social care staff.

Diabetes: Prisoners

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the proportion of prisoners with (a) Type 1 and (b) Type 2 diabetes. [192598]

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Norman Lamb: The information requested is not held centrally.

However, all health services in prison have a health information system that supports patient care.

A recent survey on a single day of such data, in one NHS England region showed that of a population of 4,460 prisoners, 26 (0.58% of regional prison population) had Type 1 diabetes mellitus and 138 (3.09%) had Type 2 diabetes. This is not necessarily representative of the whole prison estate.

Diseases

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the next meeting of NHS England's Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group will take place; and whether consideration of applications for highly specialised services for rare diseases like Alpha One-Antitrypsin Deficiency will be on the agenda for that meeting. [192654]

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken on the services available in the NHS for patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. [192711]

Norman Lamb: The commissioning of services for people with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency is a matter for individual clinical commissioning groups. The Department has made no assessment of these services locally.

The Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group (PSSAG) is a Department of Health expert committee which was set up to provide regular advice to Ministers on the services that are specialised and should be prescribed in regulations for national commissioning by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England).

We understand the Alpha 1 Alliance is working with NHS England and the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group to develop a proposal on alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency for the next PSSAG meeting, which will be held on 16 May.

Drugs: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to combat the sale of fake drugs in the UK. [193070]

Norman Lamb: Counterfeit and falsified medicines pose tangible risks to the health of the United Kingdom public and Her Majesty's Government take the issue extremely seriously.

In the UK, counterfeit and falsified medicines rarely reach patients through the regulated supply chain and are more commonly available to consumers via unregulated websites. Although no fatalities have been attributed to counterfeit medicine in the UK, the protection of patients is paramount. In response, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an Executive Agency of the Department of Health with responsibility for regulation of medicines for human use and medical devices, has developed and implemented a comprehensive Anti-Counterfeiting Strategy to combat the threat posed by the infiltration of counterfeit and falsified medicines and devices onto the UK market.

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A number of public awareness campaigns have been delivered, both by the MHRA and also by the MHRA in conjunction with other stakeholders such as the General Pharmaceutical Council, patient groups and the pharmaceutical industry.

The MHRA monitors the internet for websites operating within the UK supplying medicines illegally, makes test purchases from these sites and, as a result, has successfully prosecuted a number of individuals. All referrals involving suspected counterfeit and falsified medicines are investigated thoroughly and all necessary action is taken to protect public health. Enforcement activity is closely co-ordinated with other enforcement authorities around the world and the MHRA regularly engages in international initiatives to tackle this issue.

The MHRA also chairs an anti-counterfeit stakeholders group, with representatives from, among others, UK police forces, regulators and industry, where intelligence concerning counterfeit and falsified medicines is regularly reviewed and assessed.

New requirements for wholesalers and distributors of medicines introduced by the Falsified Medicines Directive were implemented in the UK in August 2013.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of regional discrepancies in the provision of drug intervention programmes to provide continuity of drug treatment programmes for those leaving prison. [193083]

Jane Ellison: As part of a new approach to devolving responsibility and delivery to local partners, the Home Office ended drug intervention programmes (DIP) as a centrally managed, nationally run programme on 31 March 2013. Home Office funding for DIP was devolved to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) via their locally held Community Safety budgets.

DIP funding that was previously routed to local authorities through the Pooled Treatment Budget was included in the un-ringfenced Public Health Grant available from 1 April 2013. From this date decisions relating to the continuation of DIP services have been subject to local determination by both PCCs and local authority based public health commissioners.

This will inevitably lead to local variations in the shape of drug intervention programmes as commissioners develop services that work for local circumstances. Public Health England is encouraging local authorities to link with PCCs and their community safety partners, and map out pathways and provision for offenders, both in the community and on release from prison.

Electronic Cigarettes

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK of the planned EU ban on e-cigarettes with over 20mg/ml of nicotine. [193005]

Jane Ellison: The revised European Union tobacco products directive does not ban electronic cigarettes with a strength greater than 20 mg/ml. The directive subjects electronic cigarettes to consumer products legislation, unless they fall under the definition of a

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medicinal product. Under the directive, electronic cigarettes defined as consumer products will be subject to a maximum strength of 20 mg/ml. Electronic cigarettes regulated under medicines legislation will not be subject to a maximum strength, and so could be available at strengths greater than 20 mg/ml.

Food

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with food manufacturers on achieving reductions in the salt, sugar and carbohydrate content of their products. [192468]

Jane Ellison: Through the Public Health Responsibility Deal, the Department works with the food and drink industry to encourage them, amongst other things, to reduce salt and calories, including sugar, in the food they produce and retail.

Details of all ministerial meetings with external parties are published quarterly in arrears on the Department's website. The latest publication which covers meetings up until September can be found on the Department's website:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-external-meetings-2012-to-2013?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

In addition, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), met with representatives of retailers on 7 October 2013 and with representatives of food manufacturers on 18 November 2013 to discuss what more they could do to help reduce obesity and improve people's diet through the Responsibility Deal.

Food: Safety

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effect of reductions in the budget of Trading Standards on its monitoring of food safety in the UK. [193009]

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has carried out a review of local authority delivery of food safety controls. High level findings of this review were discussed by the FSA Board in March 2013. The evidence from this review indicated that despite significant pressures on budgets, local authorities were prioritising and resourcing food safety official controls.

Local authority returns to the FSA on their food enforcement activity, confirms that local authorities are increasingly using a risk based approach to target their resources. For food standards enforcement there has been an increased emphasis on co-ordinating resources through regional and national sampling programmes, and a greater use of intelligence to ensure better targeting. The FSA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are supporting this approach and provide additional funding for complex investigations, training and prioritised sampling programmes.

Consumer protection is a key priority for the FSA and local authorities. While it is for local authorities to decide on their priorities, the FSA monitors and audits local authority services to ensure appropriate resources are put in place for food safety controls and consumer protection, and intervenes with authorities where this does not appear to be the case.

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Health: Screening

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if Public Health England will develop a template national service specification for the delivery of NHS health check services. [192603]

Jane Ellison: As the local delivery lead for the NHS Health Check programme, local authorities are best placed to determine the needs of their local population and, in turn, the best way of commissioning the programme in order to meet local need. A 'one size fits all' service specification is unlikely to be helpful in supporting them in this role.

Public Health England (PHE) has sought to disseminate best commissioning practice by publishing service specifications used by local authorities successfully commissioning the programme. These examples can be accessed and tailored for use by other NHS Health Check commissioners. PHE has also disseminated learning on commissioning arrangements at the recent NHS Health Check conference, which can found at:

www.healthcheck.nhs.uk/commissioners_and_healthcare_professionals/learning_network/presentations_and_resources/nhs_health_check_conference_feb_27th_2014/

Heart Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of how many people (a) used atrial fibrillation and (b) died as a result of not having access to atrial fibrillation in each of the last five years. [192470]

Jane Ellison: This information is not collected centrally.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of sustained heart rhythm disturbance. It occurs as a result of rapid, disorganised, electrical activity within the heart’s upper chambers, the atria, resulting in an irregular heart rhythm. It is a major predisposing factor for stroke, accounting for approximately 14%¹ of all strokes.

The Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy, published in March 2013, estimates that around 600,000 people in England have atrial fibrillation, although we know that not all cases of atrial fibrillation are diagnosed.

¹ Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy (March 2013) page 65. Estimate from “Commissioning for Stroke Prevention in Primary Care: The Role of Atrial Fibrillation (2009)” NHS Improvement

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-cardiovascular-disease-outcomes-strategy

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps Public Health England has taken to ensure that information captured through the National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network is used to improve delivery of NHS services. [192629]

Jane Ellison: Since its formal launch at a stakeholder engagement event in December 2013, early National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network (NCVIN) deliverables include a web portal:

www.ncvin.org.uk

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a series of factsheets with information and data about cardiovascular risk factors and disease areas and PDF profiles presenting a baseline position at Strategic Clinical Groups (SCNs); clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities (LAs) geographies.

A key strategic priority of NCVIN will be to bring together the rich clinical data currently collected through a range of national clinical audit programmes which sit in organisations including the Royal College of Physicians, the Renal Registry, Health and Social Care Information Centre and National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research. These organisations are significant partners in the NCVIN.

NCVIN will invest in supporting health professionals such as CCGs, LAs and clinicians in ensuring that this knowledge and evidence translates into quality improvement. NCVIN has invested in a programme of masterclasses developed and delivered with the NHS England SCNs and national audit programme partners. They will provide practical interpretation and increased understanding of the knowledge and evidence available across the cardiovascular family of diseases. The masterclasses will be a series of 12 workshops, one in each SCN region, to explore the breadth of cardiovascular information through a combination of presentation and practical exercises.

This will provide front line members of staff the opportunity to explore and increase their understanding of cardiovascular data and information and think about how they can apply it in everyday planning and practice.

Hospital Beds

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that home help, meals-on-wheels and other social security benefits which are cancelled when individuals are taken into hospital in an emergency are re-instituted immediately when the patient is ready for discharge. [192655]

Norman Lamb: For people who are in receipt of local authority funded social care at the time they are admitted to hospital and will require the same level of provision on discharge, the relevant national health service organisation is required to provide the local authority in advance with a copy of the discharge notice so that an effective transfer of care can take place. Once in receipt of the Discharge Notice the local authority must ensure that the services needed are re-instituted to facilitate a safe transfer of care.

Where, during their hospital stay, the NHS organisation considers that the person will need a different package of care on discharge compared to what they were receiving when admitted, the NHS organisation is required to issue an Assessment Notice to the local authority so that they can consider and put in place, in discussion with the person, what care and support will be needed on discharge. The authority is required to undertake this assessment within two days of receiving the notice from the NHS.

Issues in relation to welfare benefits are a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions.

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Hospitals: WiFi

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to increase and improve the availability of (a) free and (b) chargeable WiFi access for patients within NHS Hospitals; [192509]

(2) how many NHS Hospitals in England provided (a) free and (b) chargeable wireless internet access for patients at the most recent date for which figures are available. [192510]

Dr Poulter: The availability of free and chargeable WiFi access for patients is a matter for local decision making by national health service organisations. There is no centrally collected information on the number of NHS hospitals in England provided with free and chargeable wireless internet access for patients.

Lung Diseases: Transplant Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on whether people who smoke should be eligible to receive lung transplants. [192460]

Jane Ellison: People who smoke are not accepted onto the transplant waiting list for either heart or lung transplants. Nor if they continue to smoke would they be offered formal assessment—the precursor to listing. They would, however, be offered every support to stop smoking before being seen at the transplant centre.

Listing patients for transplant is a complex process, and the final decision rests with a multidisciplinary team including transplant surgeons and physicians, psychiatrists and support counsellors where necessary.

Medical Records: Databases

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether Commercial Re-use Licences for Hospital Episode Statistics will be revoked; and whether all data received by the licensees and all of their customers will be deleted; [192570]

(2) how the process for the revocation of Commercial Re-use Licences for Hospital Episode Statistics will be (a) undertaken and (b) audited to provide reassurance to patients that their confidential medical information is no longer being commercially exploited. [192571]

Dr Poulter [holding answer 24 March 2014]: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has confirmed that a very limited number of re-use agreements do remain in place, for specific organisations in relation to approved purposes. The purpose of each application is carefully considered by HSCIC before it is agreed, including its benefit to the health and care system.

Following concerns expressed by the Health Select Committee in its meeting of February 25, Sir Nick Partridge, a newly-appointed Non-Executive Director on the HSCIC Board, has agreed to conduct an audit of all the data releases made by the predecessor organisation, the NHS Information Centre, and report on this to the HSCIC Board by the end of April. Furthermore, a report detailing all data released by the HSCIC from

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April 2013, (including the legal basis under which data was released and the purpose to which the data are being put), will be published by HSCIC on April 2. This report will be updated quarterly.

Additionally, the HSCIC is writing to all recipients of HSCIC data releases to remind them of their responsibilities under their HSCIC data sharing agreements and of HSCIC's right to audit their use of data and, where appropriate, revoke licence agreements. Proposed amendments to the Care Bill would ensure that organisations which misuse data provided under licence would not in future be able to receive HSCIC data releases.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will arrange for a reply to be sent to the Member for Walsall North to the letter that he wrote to the chief executive, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust on 18 February 2014 concerning the father of a constituent. [193093]

Jane Ellison: This is a matter for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Nutrition

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the medical profession on steps to ensure that middle-aged people follow a healthy diet to reduce the incidence of dementia. [192469]

Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not had discussions with the medical profession, however Public Health England has a comprehensive work programme which addresses healthy diet, including in relation to dementia risk.

Obesity: Surgery

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bariatric procedures have been performed in hospitals in each clinical commissioning group area (a) overall and (b) per 100,000 inhabitants in each of the last five years. [192595]

Jane Ellison: The Health and Social Care Information Centre has provided the number of finished consultant episodes and the rate per 100,000 of the population with a primary diagnosis of obesity and a procedure code of bariatric surgery broken down by primary care trust of residence. These data predate the formation of clinical commissioning groups.

This information has been placed in the Library.

Palliative Care

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 30 October 2012, Official Report, column 149W, on palliative care, whether the planned review of a national choice offer for people who want to die at home began in 2013; what the scope of the review and its timetable for publication is; and what funding has been allocated for the review. [192618]

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Norman Lamb: We are committed to undertaking a review of choice in end of life care which we aim to complete in 2014. The Department, together with the National Council for Palliative Care, recently held a workshop involving a full range of experts and stakeholders on what a review into a choice offer should look like. The formal arrangements for the proposed review, including its terms of reference, timetable and composition are currently being developed and will be made available shortly.

Parkinson's Disease

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that social care providers are aware of the medication needs of people with Parkinson's. [192689]

Norman Lamb: The Department does not issue guidance to social care providers to make them aware of the medication needs of people with specific conditions, including Parkinson's.

Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, against which the Care Quality Commission registers and regulates all providers of health and adult social care services in England, requires providers to:

“protect service users against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines, by means of the making of appropriate arrangements for the obtaining, recording, handling, using, safe keeping, dispensing, safe administration and disposal of medicines used for the purposes of the regulated activity”.

Social care providers may only assist service users to take medicines under the direction of or in accordance with the instructions of prescribers.

In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued a clinical guideline, ‘Parkinson's disease. Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care’ (CG35). It includes guidance on potential issues associated with sudden withdrawal of anti-parkinsonian medicines. This guideline is in the process of being updated.

Perinatal Mortality

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of the Perinatal Institute’s Growth Assessment Protocol programme in the three pilot regions in reducing the number of stillbirths; if he will make this policy to introduce a wider roll-out of this scheme across the whole NHS; and if he will make a statement. [193153]

Dr Poulter: NHS England is aware of the Growth Assessment Protocol (GAP) programme and the encouraging results achieved in the three regions where uptake of the programme is most prevalent. NHS England strategic clinical networks have reduction of stillbirths as one of their key priorities. Network leads invited the GAP programme team to discuss the work, and following this meeting, NHS England is encouraging the uptake of the programme across the national health service in England.

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Pregnancy: Vitamins

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefits of increasing access to Healthy Start vitamins available to pregnant women (a) from all chemists and (b) without not means-testing. [193132]

Dr Poulter: The Department recognises that permitting the sale of Healthy Start vitamins through community pharmacies could be beneficial and is currently exploring the options for enabling this to happen. We hope to have arrangements in place for supplying the vitamins to community pharmacies later this year.

With regards to the removal of means-testing access to the vitamins, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing a guideline on the implementation of existing guidance on the prevention of vitamin D deficiency. As part of the development of the guideline, activities are being considered to (i) increase the provision of vitamin D supplements in a range of settings for all at risk groups and (ii) increase the uptake of Healthy Start supplements for those eligible. While this will address all population groups previously identified as at risk, it includes a particular focus on the groups covered by Healthy Start (pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under age four). The draft guideline will be out for consultation in May 2014 and the final guidance will be published in November 2014.

During the development of the guideline, the chief medical officer (CMO) recommended in her annual report 2013, “Prevention pays—our children deserve better”, that NICE should

“examine the cost-effectiveness of moving the Healthy Start vitamin programme from a targeted to a universal offering”.

Due to the difficulties in assessing the cost-effectiveness of Healthy Start per se as part of the development of the current guideline, NICE has agreed to undertake the CMO’s recommendation as a separate, stand-alone piece of work. The proposed work will focus on the cost-effectiveness of moving the Healthy Start vitamin supplements (for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under age four) from a targeted to a universal offering. The work is currently being scoped and the report will be published in 2015.

Salt

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to encourage people to reduce their salt intake; [192458]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died as a result of consuming too much salt in their diet in each of the last five years. [192459]

Jane Ellison: Two sets of new and challenging targets for levels of salt in a wide range of foods that are commonly consumed both in and out of the home were issued through the Public Health Responsibility Deal earlier this month. Work is now underway to engage with businesses to adopt and work towards these targets.

The Change4Life programme gives information to families and others on the benefits of reducing salt intakes and easy ways to do this through advertising,

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published materials and its website. Consumers are also able to easily identify levels of salt in foods through the front of pack labelling scheme which was launched last June. Together these actions will enable people to develop healthy eating habits including reducing their salt intakes.

It is not possible to estimate the number of individual people who have died as a result of consuming too much salt. However, through actions to date, salt intakes in the United Kingdom have already reduced by 15%—from 9.5 grams in 2001 to 8.1 grams in 2011. For each 1 gram reduction in population average salt intakes achieved, around 4,100 premature deaths are prevented in the population and the national health service saves £288 million every year.

Strokes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) under 21 and (b) 21 to 30 years old had a stroke in each of the last five years; and how many such people died as a result of that stroke. [192471]

Jane Ellison: The following table shows data on the number of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of stroke and the number of finished admissions episodes ending in the death of the patient in hospital by age groups 0 to 20 years old and 21 to 30 years old in each of the last five years.

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Education

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that the contracts for the Building Schools for the Future programme include provisions to ensure prompt payment to small and medium-sized businesses. [193063]

Mr Laws: The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is coming to a close, with the final schemes moving in to construction. The Government's main programme to address the condition needs of the school estate is the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) and the majority of work will be procured using the Education Funding Agency's (EFA) Contractors' Framework, which commenced in November 2013.

All PSBP procurements carried out by the EFA through this Framework will require the use of project bank accounts (PBAs)

PBAs differ from traditional construction industry payment arrangements whereby the procuring party under the building contract makes payment to the main contractor, who in turn makes payment down his supply chain. This can lead to delay and cash-flow problems for small and medium-sized businesses, who typically make up a significant proportion of the supply chain.

Instead, the procuring party will make payment into a trust account established specifically for the project. The majority of members of the supply chain are nominated as beneficiaries of that trust account, and the building contract requires that payment must be made from the PBA to the supply chain as soon as possible after the PBA is placed in funds, typically within three to four working days (although varying slightly depending on the specific banking arrangements).

There are a small number of PSBP projects being procured through a private finance route. For these projects, the project agreement does not deal with construction payments as no payment is made until the project is operational. Before that, payments for construction works are made by the single-purpose company (SPC) set up to carry out the project, to its subcontractors, and then down the contractual chain. The SPC's solvency is, in its contracts with first-tier subcontractors, protected by industry-standard provisions with which PBAs are not compatible. We are considering whether more can be done to encourage prompt payment further down the contractual chain.

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Departmental Expenditure Limits

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's planned capital departmental expenditure limit will be in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16. [192822]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education's latest published planned capital departmental expenditure limit is set out in the recently published 2013-14 'Supplementary Estimate Memorandum' (Annex D), which can be accessed via the following link.

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/DFE%20201314%20Supp%20 Estimate%20Memorandum%20FINAL.pdf

A copy has been placed in the House Library.

The information will be updated when the Main 2014-15 Estimate is published in due course.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requests for information relating to (a) abortion and (b) sex and relationships education were made to his Department under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each year since 2011; whether each such request was (i) agreed to and (ii) refused; if he will place in the Library a copy of the information provided in response to each request; and if he will make a statement. [192865]

Elizabeth Truss: A search of the Department for Education's central database for all correspondence, including Freedom of Information (FOI) requests using 'abortion' and 'sex and relationship' as search terms, found five FOI requests tabled in the period since 2011. In four cases no information was held. A copy of one response has been placed in the House Library.

A more detailed search could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Teachers: Training

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many graduates from each Russell Group university applied to the Teach First programme in each year since 2010. [193047]

Mr Laws: The following table, supplied to the Department for Education by Teach First, sets out how many applications were received for the Teach First initial teacher training programme for each cohort since 2010 from applicants holding first degrees from Russell Group universities.

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Teachers: Veterans

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of service leavers (a) applied to and (b) were accepted on initial teacher training in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11, (iv) 2011-12, (v) 2012-13 and (vi) the current academic year to date. [192175]

Mr Laws: In the 24 month period between March 2011 and April 2013, 322 service leavers applied to postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT). 132 of these were successful. This is an average of six successful applicants per month.

In the current academic year we have introduced the new Troops to Teachers undergraduate route. This is not comparable to previous years as it is a dedicated undergraduate route which is only for service leavers.

982 service leavers applied to Cohort 1, and the application process ran for 4 months. 41 service leavers joined the programme in January 2014. This is an average of 10 successful applicants per month. We expect a higher acceptance rate for Cohort 2 as we develop this new programme.

Truancy

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent research has been commissioned into truancy in schools; and if he will make a statement. [192479]

Elizabeth Truss: From the 2011/12 absence data, we know that pupils who have regular attendance at school are four times more likely to achieve five or more A*-C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, than those pupils who are persistently absent. Persistent absence has fallen by 15% under this Government, from 392,305 pupils missing 15% of school time in 2010/11 to 333,850 in 2011/12. The former Government Adviser on behaviour, Charlie Taylor, published his report on improving school attendance in April 2012. It can be found at:

http://tinyurl.com/crt8nok

University Technical Colleges

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to visit university technical colleges. [192511]

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), visited JCB Academy shortly before that university technical college (UTC) opened. Lord Nash has visited both Hackney and Aston UTCs since his appointment as an Education Minister. The Minister for Skills and Enterprise, my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock), recently visited South Devon UTC, which has now been approved for pre-opening.

This Government has already opened 17 UTCs, and approved a further 33 for pre-opening. These UTCs are introducing innovative ways of combining academic subjects with high quality technical education giving young people the skills and experience that industry wants.

The Secretary of State regularly visits all types of schools and plans to visit a UTC in due course.

Young People: Training

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Government announcement entitled New opportunities for young people on 27 February 2014, by what date he expects a new website providing information on training and apprenticeship opportunities for young people to be operational. [192985]

Matthew Hancock: The Government’s aim is to ensure that in every local area, young people aged 16 have access to an online portal that gives them access to a range of education and training opportunities.

Over the coming weeks, we will be discussing with local authorities and others interested in this area how this portal can most effectively be delivered and will make further announcements in due course.

25 Mar 2014 : Column 225W

Home Department

Asylum: Syria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) children and (b) adults have been granted asylum in the UK under the Vulnerable Person Relocation Scheme from Syria. [192532]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 24 March 2014]:The first Syrians relocated under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme arrived into the UK on 25 March 2014. The scheme prioritises women and children at risk or in need of medical care, and survivors of torture and violence; given the particular vulnerability of these individuals, it has been essential to work with partners including UNHCR and local authorities to ensure that the support, services and accommodation they need are in place before they arrive in the UK. We expect the scheme to support several hundred people over the next three years.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 325W, on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, how many NCA employees who work in Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command have arrest powers. [192070]

Damian Green [holding answer 20 March 2014]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 326W.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command is fully integrated within the National Crime Agency (NCA). As part of the NCA, the CEOP Command is able to draw on the whole of the NCA's resources. The NCA works as a flexible organisation and as such there will be NCA officers whose work covers a range of serious and organised crime threats.

In total the NCA has 1,900 officers who currently hold arrest powers who can be called upon to tackle child exploitation. This number is for NCA permanent officers and does not include secondees or those attached to the NCA.

Crime: Nature Conservation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Declaration of the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, what consideration her Department has given to ensuring that wildlife crime offences are made recordable offences. [192539]

Norman Baker: Offences relating to the illegal purchase and sale of the world's most highly endangered species are already included in the Home Office Counting Rules for police recorded crime, with the specific crime recording code of 99/3. This includes the illegal trade in iconic species such as elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers, which provided the focus to the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the outcome of the recent Illegal Wildlife

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Trade conference and the resulting London Declaration; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that animal welfare is a key element of her Department's response to that declaration. [192662]

Norman Baker: The Home Office recognises that the illegal wildlife trade is not only a serious threat to our environment, but is also a transnational criminal industry worth billions of pounds every year, and one which drives corruption and insecurity and undermines efforts to cut poverty and develop sustainable economic opportunities.

I was therefore pleased that world leaders from over 40 nations, including key states such as Botswana, Chad, China, Gabon, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Vietnam, alongside the United States and Russia, gathered in London on 13 February 2014 and made a political commitment to take actions to eradicate the demand for illegal wildlife products, strengthen law enforcement, ensure effective legal frameworks, and to reduce the incentive for communities in source countries to get involved in the trade by supporting the development of alternative, sustainable livelihoods. I co-chaired part of the proceedings to underline the Home Office's commitment to this issue.

The Home Office will continue to work with other Departments to ensure that the Government deliver on the UK Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Domestic Violence

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of domestic violence were recorded in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [192377]

Norman Baker: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of domestic violence and abuse incidents at the local authority level.

Drugs: Misuse

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the control of legal highs; and if she will make a statement. [193090]

Norman Baker: My officials and I have been having ongoing discussions with a number of international partners regarding new psychoactive substances to help inform the review, which I announced to Parliament on 12 December 2013, and which is considering how the UK's domestic response can be strengthened. This has included discussions during the UK presidency of the G8, in the EU on the Commission's latest proposals for controlling new psychoactive substances at EU-level and more recently, at the Commission for Narcotic Drugs 57th Session in Vienna.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what criteria the UK Visa and Immigration Service uses to withdraw a licence from a Tier 4 sponsor; and how proper notice is given to students with Tier 4 visas; [192890]

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(2) what help or advice her Department gives to students with Tier 4 visas whose sponsor loses their licence in relation to (a) mitigating loss of tuition paid and (b) finding another course. [192891]

James Brokenshire: A Tier 4 licence may be revoked if we find that a sponsor has not been complying with any, or all, of its sponsorship obligations and responsibilities.

We will support the students who were not actively involved in the circumstances which led to the licence being revoked, by giving them up to 60 days to find a new course and sponsor.

We will write to the above students at the contact address the student provided on their visa application. This will advise them that their permission to study in the UK has been curtailed.

We are not able to offer students direct assistance on the issue of tuition fees. This is a commercial arrangement between the student and the college and is the subject of the refund policy of the college.

Full detailed reasons why a licence may be revoked and how revocation affects sponsored students are set out in the Tier 4 Sponsor Guidance which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270492/sponsor-guidancet4.pdf

Human Trafficking

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to appoint an anti-slavery commissioner; and whether such an appointment will be a full-time post. [193045]

Karen Bradley: An announcement will be made on the anti-slavery commissioner after the Modern Slavery Bill as been introduced to Parliament.

Immigration Controls

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when someone, held at a Border Force checkpoint, is officially considered a detainee. [192474]

James Brokenshire: For immigration purposes, a person is considered detained on service of an IS81 form, pending examination or further examination for a decision on a grant, refusal or cancellation of leave.

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what circumstances all members of a group of travellers are detained following the retention of one member of the group at a Border Force checkpoint; [192475]

(2) what guidance her Department issues on dealing with people who have had one member of their group detained at a Border Force checkpoint. [192476]

James Brokenshire: All members of a group of adult travellers are assessed individually on arrival to ensure that they qualify for admission in line with immigration legislation. If one member of the group is detained for further enquiries but the rest of the group are granted admission then they are free to proceed without the detained person if they so wish.

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National Wildlife Crime Unit

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what strategic priorities her Department has given to the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the last five years; and on what key areas her Department has instructed that unit to focus until 2016. [192538]

Norman Baker: The Home Office recognises the importance of wildlife crime, and is providing specific funding of £136,000 for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years.

The Home Office does not set specific priorities for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, other than to tackle wildlife crime. The Unit produces a tactical assessment of wildlife crime across the UK every six months. This assessment is then considered by the UK Tasking and Co-ordinating Group, which includes the Home Office and DEFRA.

Organised Crime

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the (a) average life span and (b) health outcomes of members of gangs. [192630]

Norman Baker [holding answer 24 March 2014]: We know that young people, including gang members, who are exposed to violence have poorer health outcomes. This is set out in a practical guide we recently produced with the NHS Confederation on reducing violence, and in the Department of Health report 'Protecting people, promoting health'.

To address these issues, the Ending Gang and Youth Violence annual report 2013 includes 'youth violence and health' as a key priority.

Seized Articles

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what amount of (a) tobacco and cigar products, (b) Class A and B drugs and (c) alcohol products were recovered by the Border Agency or its predecessor (i) in total value and (ii) from all ports and airports in the UK in each of the last three years. [191690]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 17 March 2014]: Statistics on drugs, alcohol and tobacco seized at the border are published by the Home Office on a quarterly basis and can be found at the following links. We do not hold data on the total value of these seizures.

Tax revenue protected by the detention of undeclared goods—publications:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-revenue-from-undeclared-goods

Drug seizures by Border Force in the UK, 2011 to 2013—publications:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-seizures-made-by-border-force-in-the-uk

Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, 2010 to 2011—publications:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-2010-to-2011

Please note the 2010 to 2011 seizure of drugs statistics are for England and Wales only.

25 Mar 2014 : Column 229W

Trade Union Officials

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided for staff to carry out trade union activities in each of the last three years; and how many days staff spent on those activities in those years. [191025]

Karen Bradley [holding answer 20 March 2014]:The Department did not provide specific funding for staff to carry out trade union activities in 2011, 2012 or 2013.

Information on the amount of paid time spent on trade union activities by staff who are union representatives has only been centrally recorded since November 2012. Between November 2012 and September 2013 our central records show that 1,345 paid days were spent by union representatives on such activities. These central records are based on returns submitted by union representatives to account for the time they have spent on their union roles. Information on the amount of paid time spent on trade union activities prior to November 2012 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Since October 2013 the Department has not permitted members of staff elected as union representatives to be granted paid facility time for any trade union activities and in future will only grant paid facility time for such activities in exceptional circumstances and with approval from the Secretary of State. In line with our legal obligations members of staff elected as union representatives are able to request time away from their work to undertake trade union activities but any time off granted for this purpose will be unpaid.

Written Question: Government Responses

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer Named Day written question 185520 tabled on 28 January 2014 for answer on 3 February 2014; and what the reasons are for the delay in answering this question. [191536]

James Brokenshire: I replied to the hon. Member on 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W.

Work and Pensions

Conditions of Employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date his Department's statutory consultation on the transfer of staff to the Single Fraud Investigation Service began; when that consultation is due to end; and which trades unions are being consulted. [193046]

Mike Penning: DWP's legal advice states that Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) do not apply. As TUPE does not apply, there is no statutory consultation duty arising out of the TUPE provisions.

DWP wants to offer TUPE protections to local authority staff transferring to DWP and will affect the staff transfer by way of Section 38 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 (s38 ERA 1999). There is no statutory consultation requirement under s38 ERA 1999.

In the absence of any statutory requirement, DWP have agreed a six-week consultation period on the staff transfer scheme under s38 ERA 1999.

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DWP started consultation on the transfer of staff on 3 March 2014 and is due to complete on 14 April 2014.

DWP formally engaged with LA Trade Unions as a stakeholder on 7 March 2014 by sending Unite, GMB and Unison trades unions copies of their letter to local authority chief executives inviting comments on the transfer of staff. Further engagement will be scheduled to agree consultation arrangements going forward.

Correspondence

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of complaints made to his Department about lost correspondence in each of the last four years. [193013]

Esther McVey: The Department takes its responsibilities to protect information very seriously. Where instances of lost correspondence arise and are reported to the Department, they will be investigated and dealt with by local management as appropriate. Records of such cases are not collated centrally, and to provide the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to allow applications to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance by children under three years old who cannot travel without ventilators and similar large amounts of equipment. [193155]

Mike Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) of 28 February 2014, Official Report, column 561W.

Employment Schemes: Hearing Impairment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to assist deaf people in seeking employment. [192486]

Mike Penning: We do not target our employment support exclusively at individuals with particular impairments. Instead, through a range of programmes, we aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including the needs of deaf people.

The Work programme is the biggest single Welfare to Work programme, which provides personalised back-to-work support for unemployed people, including disabled people. For those that have more complex needs, we have a range of specialist disability employment programmes, including access to work, work choice and residential training colleges, all of which support deaf people to take up and remain in employment. In particular, access to work can provide funding towards tailored support for deaf people such as specialist aids and equipment and British sign language interpreters.

Jobcentre Plus disability employment advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment.

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Employment: Females

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities about highlighting the importance of women in the workplace in discussions on decent work at the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2014; and if he will make a statement. [193277]

Esther McVey: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has met the Minister for Women and Equalities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), on a number of occasions and they have discussed a range of issues.

Habitual Residence Test

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have taken the new Habitual Residence Test since its launch in December 2013. [193094]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hearing Impairment

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the deaf community. [192590]

Mike Penning: I met representatives from the Deaf Community (Sir Malcolm Bruce MP, David Buxton British Deaf Association, Jim Edwards Signature and Susan Daniels National Deaf Children's Society) on 23 October 2013. As part of the continuing commitment from that meeting to consider Government services for deaf people, officials have recently met and have remained in contact with representatives of the deaf community, including BDA and Action on Hearing Loss. Action on Hearing Loss is a member of the Disability Charities Consortium who I met on 26 February 2014.

Housing Benefit

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authorities applied for additional financial assistance to cover discretionary housing payments in 2013-14; and what assistance such local authorities received. [192823]

Steve Webb: 86 local authorities applied for additional financial assistance to cover discretionary housing payments in 2013-14.

A breakdown of the amount awarded to 85 local authorities can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-circular-s32014-confirmation-of-funding-and-overall-expenditure-limits-for-discretionary-housing-payments-in-apr-2013-to-mar-2014

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of total Government expenditure on housing benefit in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each of the last 30 years. [192828]

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Steve Webb: The information requested is published and can be found in the table entitled “Housing Benefit” at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/273833/outturn-and-forecast-expenditure-201213.xls

Housing Benefit: Older People

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of households in which there is one or more person over the state pension age and in receipt of housing benefit are under-occupying their property. [192883]

Esther McVey: Social sector housing benefit recipients who have reached the age for state pension credit are not affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy. As a consequence, no households would be classed as under-occupying.

Independent Living Fund

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that key information from his forthcoming announcement on the future of the Independent Living Fund is clearly communicated to recipients of payments from the Fund. [193001]

Mike Penning: I announced on 6 March that the Independent Living Fund will close on 30 June 2015 and that responsibility and funding for all the care and support needs of current users will transfer to English local authorities and to the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales.

The Independent Living Fund took immediate and comprehensive action to ensure that this decision was communicated to users of the fund. Details of the decision, including a link to the written statement, were published on its website on 6 March. Individual letters and an information sheet were issued by post to all users (or their representatives), on 12 March. For the following week, the Independent Living Fund also operated extended telephone hours to handle any follow-up questions from users.

Social Security Benefits: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit sanctions in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency were (a) issued and (b) dropped following requests for reconsideration or appeal in the last year for which figures are available. [192798]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on assessing whether 16 and 17 year olds were estranged from their parents in order to determine eligibility for benefits in each of the last five years. [193017]

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Esther McVey: The information you require is not available in the format requested.

Telephone Services

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the revenue raised in each of the last four years through the use of premium rate public enquiry lines by his Department. [193012]

Mike Penning: DWP does not use premium rate numbers and does not directly receive any revenue from telephone service providers for 0845 numbers.

Vacancies: Internet

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has held with Monster on the administration of checks and safeguards on the Universal Jobmatch website; and what the outcomes of those discussions were. [192824]

Esther McVey: DWP meets regularly with the service provider to discuss all aspects of the service. Universal Jobmatch already has checks in place including additional checks that have been introduced since the launch of the service.

Work Capability Assessment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of work capability assessments appeals that were found in favour of the claimant heard by January 2014, were awarded zero points at the initial decision; and what proportion of such decisions were awarded to (a) the WRAG and (b) the Support Group. [192577]

Mike Penning: The information requested for all work capability assessments is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of those who undertook a work capability assessment in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in the last six months were declared fit for work. [192797]

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Mike Penning: The information requested by parliamentary constituency is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) payment group 1, (b) payment group 2 and (c) payment group 6 have completed two years on the Work Programme since that programme started; and how many of those people secured a job outcome within two years. [193048]

Esther McVey: Statistics on how many people in the payment groups 1, 2 and 6 have completed two years on the Work programme and how many of those have secured a job outcome can be found using the ‘Monthly Completers’ option at:

http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html

Guidance for users is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the fall in Work Programme referral numbers reported in the Work Programme Official Statistics to December 2013; and what his forecast is for future referrals. [193049]

Esther McVey: Work programme referrals are likely to have declined due to the generally improving economic situation leading to lower numbers hitting the referral points. We plan to release our next estimates of referrals in April 2014.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to prevent the practice of creaming and parking in the Work Programme. [193050]

Esther McVey: Unlike previous employment schemes, the Work programme already pays more to providers for them to support those claimants furthest from the labour market, ensuring that providers are incentivised to help all claimants.

In addition, minimum service levels act as a safety net to ensure all claimants, regardless of their barriers, can get the support they need to return to work.