26 Mar 2014 : Column 235W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel in 2013. [193028]

Hugh Robertson: The Israeli Defence Force assess that 43 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel in 2013.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the recent Peace Now report entitled A Disaster-in-the-Making: The (Potential) New Settlements in Hebron. [193074]

Hugh Robertson: We have made no formal assessment of the report referred to.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on a potential new Israeli settlement in the city of Hebron. [193140]

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.

Ukraine

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for consular assistance as a result of public disturbances have been made by UK citizens at the UK embassy in Kiev since February 2013. [193002]

Mr Lidington: The UK embassy in Kiev has received 78 requests for consular assistance from UK nationals resulting from public disturbances in Ukraine.

Wales

Manufacturing Sector

11. Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the future performance of the manufacturing sector in Wales. [903228]

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Stephen Crabb: The manufacturing industry in Wales is performing strongly and has great prospects for the future. We are encouraged that the economic recovery is broad based and balanced, with the main industry groups predicting the sector to grow across the UK.

Zero-hours Contracts

12. Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of workers in Wales employed on zero-hours contracts; and what assessment he has made of trends in that number since 2010. [903230]

Stephen Crabb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently considering the responses to our consultation on zero-hours contracts. Unlike the previous Government, we want to hear what businesses and employees have to say on this matter.

Scotland

Industry

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of Scottish independence on industry in Scotland. [192673]

David Mundell: ‘The Scotland analysis: business and microeconomic framework’ paper outlined that the UK is a true integrated domestic single market. Businesses in Scotland have easy access to customers across all parts of the UK and sales to the UK represent almost a third of Scottish GDP.

Independence would cause divergence in this framework, making trade across the UK more difficult and more costly.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the financial benefits of Scotland remaining part of the UK. [192675]

David Mundell: ‘The Scotland analysis: macroeconomic and fiscal performance’ paper outlined that the Scottish economy is successful as part of the UK. We benefit from being part of a large, integrated UK domestic market.

As part of the UK Scotland benefits from the UK's broad tax base, which help to smooth the impact of volatile sources of revenues such as oil and gas.

Northern Ireland

Security

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the comments made on 11 March 2014 by Dr Richard Haass to the US Congressional Sub-committee of Foreign Relations on the likelihood of violence returning to daily life in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [192702]

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Mrs Villiers: As Dr Haass suggested in his recent comments, there are people who seek to push Northern Ireland back to the violence of the troubles. While these individuals have virtually no public support and no mandate, the UK Government remain vigilant regarding the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland which continues to be severe.

It is in the interests of Northern Ireland for its political leaders to continue to make progress on reconciliation and addressing sectarian division in order to underpin political stability and support economic recovery and rebalancing. Continued discussion on a way forward on flags, parading and the past is an important component of efforts to deliver a reconciled society and a shared future.

Terrorism

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 1830W, on terrorism, if she will amend her Answer to take account of the testimony given by Dr Richard Haass to the US Congressional Sub-committee of Foreign Relations on 12 March 2014 on the extent of her knowledge of on-the-runs; and if she will make a statement. [192745]

Mrs Villiers: I was made aware of the OTR scheme by NIO officials when I became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. It was not an issue I discussed with Dr Haass. I cannot comment on his other meetings, or what may or may not have been said to him by others.

Attorney-General

Conditional Cautions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many conditional cautions were issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last three years and in 2013-14 to date; how many such cautions were breached; how many prosecutions of such breaches there were; in how many cases the conditional caution was varied; and in how many cases no action was taken. [192845]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recommended the issuing of a conditional caution in the following number of cases:

Conditional cautions
 Number

2010-11

6,935

2011-12

4,982

2012-13

3,781

2013-14

478

The number of breaches and the action taken by the CPS are shown as follows:

  Non-compliance:
 Total breachesProsecutionNo prosecutionContinue with variation

2010-11

997

684

158

155

2011-12

912

630

155

127

2012-13

593

399

115

79

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2013-14

242

190

36

16

Since 8 April 2013 the police are now able to authorise the offer of a youth or conditional caution in any summary or either way offence without reference to the CPS.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what plans the Crown Prosecution Service has to change or upgrade the tablet computers provided to its prosecutors. [192846]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service is currently reviewing the options to ensure that all IT equipment remains fit for purpose.

Freedom of Information

Paul Flynn: To ask the Attorney-General what the total cost to his Department has been of challenging the decision of the Information Commissioner on the publication of letters from HRH the Prince of Wales. [192074]

The Attorney-General: This case raises issues of constitutional significance, including upholding Parliament's intentions for the Freedom of Information regime and the Government's ability to protect information in the public interest. Litigation initiated by The Guardian newspaper has taken place over a four-year period including hearings in the Upper Tribunal, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. Eight Government Departments have had to work together on the Government's response, at a total cost of £274,481.16 (excluding VAT). These costs encompass all costs billed by the Treasury Solicitor, including counsels' fees and disbursements. If we are successful in the next stage of legal proceedings the Government would seek to recover a substantial proportion of these costs from The Guardian.

Legal Profession: Industrial Disputes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 370W, on legal profession: industrial disputes, whether he (a) advised on the content of and (b) approved the letter that the Director of Public Prosecutions sent to members of the independent Bar on action against cuts to legal aid. [192879]

The Attorney-General: I neither advised on the content of, nor approved, the letter that was sent by the Crown Prosecution Service to members of the independent Bar about action against cuts to legal aid. I was however aware that the letter was to be sent.

I have said on more than one occasion that there is no justification for barristers failing to honour their professional obligations to the CPS because there is no dispute with the CPS about the level of prosecution fees. It was perfectly proper for the CPS to send this letter reminding barristers of these obligations.

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Terrorism

Mr Dodds: To ask the Attorney-General when he was first made aware of the existence of the administrative scheme for on-the-runs. [190834]

The Attorney-General: I was first made aware of the existence of the administrative scheme for on-the-runs when in opposition.

Culture, Media and Sport

Press: Regulation

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library all her correspondence on press regulation sent to or received from (a) the Press Complaints Commission, (b) the Independent Press Standards Organisation, (c) the Press Standards Board of Finance, (d) the Press Industry Working Group, (e) Peter Wright, (f) Paul Vickers, (g) Guy Black and (h) David Hunt between 1 November 2013 and 18 March 2014. [193095]

Mr Vaizey: It is not usual practice to publish correspondence in this way. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), has no current plans to place correspondence received in this period in the House Library.

Communities and Local Government

Community Assets: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made in (a) Lancashire and (b) Pendle constituency to list (i) facilities and (ii) buildings as assets of community value; and how many such applications were approved. [192433]

Stephen Williams: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 310W.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and Humber are (i) entitled to and (ii) receiving council tax relief. [192393]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 20 March 2014]: Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration. Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people into work. We are ending the last Administration's ‘something for nothing' culture and making work pay.

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The Department has published experimental statistics which show the number of claimants receiving council tax support in each local authority area in England in 2013-14. These statistics are produced using information provided by local authorities on the Revenue Budget returns. These statistics are available on the Department's website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257016/RA_2013-14_LCTS_Publication.xls

No figures are available for parliamentary constituencies and we do not collate regional statistics.

Industrial Health and Safety

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefits of local authorities charging businesses for enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Food Safety Act 1990 as is currently allowed for the Health and Safety Executive. [191362]

Brandon Lewis [holding answer 13 March 2014]:My Department has not carried out such an assessment. However, I would observe that local authority trading standards statutory services are funded through central Government grant, council tax receipts and business rate receipts. While councils have the discretionary power to charge for added value services on top of statutory services, it is not the policy of my Department under this Government to seek to encourage charges to be increased on local firms. This is because it would add to regulatory costs, make firms less competitive, harm economic growth and ultimately increase costs for consumers.

This is a different attitude to charging than that of the previous Administration, who pushed for more money to be raised from charges on households and local firms.

Local Government Services: Leisure

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to discounted local authority leisure services to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out. [193246]

Brandon Lewis: This information is not centrally held. Local authorities decide on entitlements to discounted local authority leisure services based on their local needs and priorities; there is no national scheme.

Public Expenditure

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish data for his Department's spending over £250 for December 2013. [191934]

Brandon Lewis: Data for December 2013 were published on 21 March 2014 and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-spending-over-250

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Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the current value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. [192840]

Brandon Lewis: The value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is published in the Department's annual report and accounts. It was valued as at 31 March 2013 by independent valuers at £26,500,000, but with a value of £25,292,929 in the Department's books because of the Conference Centre's trading fund's interest in the property. It will be re-valued as at 31 March 2014 in accordance with the Department's accounting policies and this will be published in the annual report and accounts for 2013-14.

I would note that the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is a trading fund. Part of the yearly trading fund surplus is returned to the Exchequer and it contributed £2.3 million to the Exchequer in 2012-13.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which responsibilities for tackling animal welfare crimes are handled by (a) his Department and (b) non-governmental organisations. [191995]

George Eustice: DEFRA is the lead Government Department for policy and legislation in relation to animal welfare. Legislation relating to welfare on-farm, at livestock markets and in transport is enforced by local authorities. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, an agency of DEFRA, undertakes an inspection and regulatory role in these areas. Legislation on welfare at slaughter is enforced by the Food Standards Agency. In relation to companion animals, the principal legislation in this area is the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The police and local authorities have powers to enforce the Act, but any person or organisation (such as the RSPCA) can initiate criminal proceedings under it.

Dogs: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 269W, on dogs: imports, what advice is given to local authorities by (a) UK Border Force and (b) the AHVLA on steps to take if concealed pets are discovered. [192574]

George Eustice: UK Border Force and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) will advise the relevant local authority whenever concealed pets are discovered. This advice will depend on the circumstances of the case. The local authority will investigate and take the appropriate enforcement action.

Environment Agency

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) in what work streams job losses in the Environment Agency have taken place in each year since 2009-10; [188609]

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(2) how many job losses there have been in the Environment Agency in each year since 2009-10. [188610]

Dan Rogerson: Data in the table are shown for the total number of people (full-time equivalent) employed by the Environment Agency (including employment agency staff and contractors). The data are split by directorate. All data are on 31 March for each of the last four financial years.

FTE numbers
 2009-102010-112011-122012-13
 31 March 201031 March 201131 March 201231 March 2013

Assets, Human Resources (HR) and Legal

316

658

637

676

Chief Executive’s Office, Communications and Corporate Strategy

214

165

151

161

Environment and Business

368

338

350

399

Evidence

325

224

224

269

Flood and Coastal Risk Management

173

164

182

193

Finance and Information Technology (IT)

938

567

556

567

Operations

9,825

8,397

8,528

9,092

Work force total excluding Wales

12,158

10,512

10,628

11,358

     

Wales

1,086

1,030

1,043

1,170

     

Work force total

13,244

11,542

11,671

12,528

Notes: 1. Total numbers of work force include employment agency staff and contractors. 2. Environment Agency Wales left the Environment Agency to form Natural Resources Wales on 1 April 2013. 3. All FTE numbers are rounded to whole numbers. 4. In October 2013, the National Trading and Regulation Service and National Compliance and Technical Service moved from the Operations Directorate to the Environment and Business Directorate. 5. The majority of front-line posts sit within the Operations Directorate. Operations includes front-line work in areas and regions such as regulation and enforcement, protecting and monitoring the environment, flood risk management and communicating with customers. It also includes nationwide services such as customer contact centres, incident planning and response and environmental monitoring. 6. The Flood and Coastal Risk Management Directorate primarily works on funding allocation, strategy, engagement and the strategic management of incident response. 7. The Assets, Human Resources (HR) and Legal Directorate also includes estates and fleet. There was a restructure in 2009-10 which brought together all these functions under one directorate.

In the last four years, the FTE staff number of the Environment Agency, including Wales, has reduced by 716. There were further reductions of 1,170 following the creation of NRW (Natural Resources Wales) on 1 April 2013. Other significant reductions have been in:

 FTE reduced by (number)

Finance

94

IT

371

HR

109

Evidence

62

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FTE reductions have been managed to ensure that the Environment Agency has the right skills in the right place and priority flood and coastal risk management posts retained.

Meat: Ritual Slaughter

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for a mandatory scheme for labelling meat to ensure that religious consumers know that slaughter was appropriately carried out. [192827]

George Eustice: Most halal and kosher meat is already voluntarily labelled in accordance with the requirements of relevant certification bodies. Where any information of this nature is provided it must be accurate and not mislead the consumer.

The Government are firmly of the view that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food. We are awaiting the results of an EU Commission study on method-of-slaughter labelling, which is due this summer. We will look at possible options in the light of that report.

Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was provided to the lionfish response strategy implemented in the Overseas Territories. [192779]

George Eustice: Since 2011, we have looked for opportunities to work with Caribbean Overseas Territories to get a better understanding of the scale and nature of the lionfish problem, including economic and ecological impacts.

Since then, DEFRA, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have provided funding totalling £80,000 to help Caribbean Overseas Territories tackle this increasingly serious threat. This includes two seminars in 2013 (organised by the JNCC) to enable the UK Overseas Territories to address sustainable control of lionfish in the longer term. Work is also being funded in the Cayman Islands to assess the economic impact of the lionfish invasion.

We will also be funding a Darwin Plus project in Bermuda over the next two years totalling £169,898 which will address lionfish control.

Nature Conservation: Tristan da Cunha

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria his Department applied before agreeing to a biosecurity review in Tristan da Cunha. [192764]

George Eustice: The Government attach a high priority to addressing biosecurity, bio-control and invasive species issues in the UK Overseas Territories. We welcome the attention drawn to this issue by the Environmental Audit Committee in its recent report on Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories and the recent session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Biodiversity.

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The Government of Tristan da Cunha identified a specific need to review its biosecurity and sought DEFRA support. In light of the high priority attached to biosecurity and the specific need identified by the Tristan da Cunha Government, DEFRA has agreed to contribute £15,000 towards a review that will examine and make recommendations on border biosecurity systems and requirements, and consider the biosecurity facilities and protocols needed for the Tristan Archipelago.

River Medway

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibilities the Environment Agency has for the River Medway from Allington Lock to Tonbridge; and what action they have taken to limit vegetation impeding the flow of the (a) river traffic and (b) water. [192930]

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency is the competent navigation authority for the River Medway from Allington Lock to Tonbridge, and is responsible for navigational use and Flood Risk Management.

To make sure that capacity for boat use and water flow is maintained, the water levels through the lock pens are dropped and visual inspections carried out. If sediment builds up, Environment Agency teams schedule sediment removal with a dredger. This helps to maintain a deep channel so very little vegetation grows.

The Environment Agency also inspects for fallen trees that will reduce the river flow and arranges removal of them in partnership with the riparian owner. Following the recent storms, Environment Agency teams are removing fallen trees from the River Medway that increase flood risk to properties in Tonbridge.

Any overhanging vegetation that is a hazard to navigation is removed using an Environment Agency contractor between March and May each year. Outside this period the Environment Agency removes any overhanging hazards as they occur.

Transport

A1

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to paragraph 2.246 of the Budget 2014, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the Scottish Government matchfunding expenditure on a feasibility study on A1 improvements north of Newcastle. [192881]

Mr Goodwill: The Department has committed to undertaking six feasibility studies as part of the process of identifying and funding solutions to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country. The studies include work on the problems on the A1 north of Newcastle.

The Department has commenced conversations with the Scottish Government regarding the offer made as part of the Budget 2014 to extend the study further north into Scotland if the Scottish Government matchfund the costs.

The Government expect to report back at autumn statement 2014 with solutions to alleviate congestion and tackle the problems on this route.

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A19 and A1058

Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a report on the consultation on the A19/A1058 coast road junction improvement will be published. [192869]

Mr Goodwill: The A19/A1058 coast road junction improvement's pre-application consultation report will form one of the documents being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as part of the Development Consent Order application. This is currently planned for October 2014 and will be published on its website at that time.

Aviation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to paragraph 2.42 of Budget 2014, whether the Regional Air Connectivity Fund will only be available to new domestic routes; which regional airports will be eligible; when funding is likely to become available; and if he will make a statement. [193243]

Mr Goodwill: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London—first announced in the 2013 spending round last June—will increase from £10 million to £20 million per year. The Chancellor also announced that support from this funding will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports. European Union aviation state aid guidelines allow for start-up aid to be provided under certain conditions to facilitate the development of new routes from airports which handle fewer than 5 million passengers per year. This currently includes Newcastle airport.

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 state aid guidelines, and explain how the funding process will operate.

Bus Services: Visual Impairment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department's review of the proposed EU bus and coach regulation will consider representations from guide dog organisations about the needs of disabled people who use guide dogs on public transport. [193193]

Stephen Hammond: EU Regulation 181/2011 on bus and coach passenger rights came into force in all member states on 1 March 2013. The Government took the decision to make use of a number of time-limited exemptions, including one exempting drivers from mandatory disability awareness training. However, we committed to review the use of this exemption in March 2014.

In order to inform the review, my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer wrote to the bus and coach industry on 24 February to establish the structure and effectiveness of disability awareness training courses used by various organisations and to assess whether a significant upward trend in the provision of disability awareness training among drivers has occurred since the exemption's application. Baroness Kramer

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has also sought input from a number of disability groups and charities (including Guide Dogs for the Blind and the RNIB) on the effectiveness of disability awareness training.

Driving: Diabetes

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued on the interpretation of nocturnal hypoglycaemic events for the purposes of EU Directive 2009/112/EC and 2009/113/EC; how that guidance differs from that issued for daytime hypoglycaemic events; and what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for those guidelines. [192888]

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency provides guidance on hypoglycaemia to all drivers who notify they have insulin treated diabetes. Advice is also available on gov.uk.

Drivers who experience recurrent episodes of severe hypoglycaemia cannot be issued with a licence. Severe hypoglycaemia is defined as needing the assistance of a third party to treat the episode. Recurrent severe hypoglycaemia is more than one episode of severe hypoglycaemia in 12 months. These standards are specified in the Third European Union Directive on driving licences, which does not distinguish between events while a person is awake or asleep. The European Commission has confirmed that hypoglycaemia occurring at night cannot be discounted when considering the number of occurrences of severe hypoglycaemia in 12 months.

The guidelines are based on standards determined by experts from across the European Union and agreed by the Secretary of State for Transport's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes Mellitus.

Driving: Licensing

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the introduction of a graduated driving licensing scheme for young drivers. [192782]

Mr Goodwill: Improving the safety and ability of young drivers is a key priority for the Government which is why we have made the driving test more realistic. The Department is considering several other options to ensure that newly qualified drivers are properly prepared and drive safely.

This is a difficult topic and it is important that we get this right. Once we are confident that we have struck the right balance between driver safety and restricting the freedom of our young people we will come forward with our proposals.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 139W on driving: licensing, how many cases handled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that required medical decisions were returned within the 90 working days target in each of the last five years. [193254]

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Stephen Hammond: The information the hon. Member has requested is not readily available. I have asked officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to collate the required information and I will write to the hon. Member when it is available. I will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

Durham Tees Valley Airport

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support Durham Tees Valley Airport has received from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; and whether Durham Tees Valley Airport will benefit from the expansion of this fund announced in the Budget 2014. [192880]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport has received no applications in connection with Durham Tees Valley Airport for the funding set aside in last year's spending round for supporting air services. The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that support will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from the UK's regional 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 aviation state aid guidelines on start-up aid, and explain how the funding process will work.

Electric Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to encourage people to purchase low-emission electric vehicles. [193194]

Mr Goodwill: The UK already has one of the most comprehensive packages of support in place to encourage the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles. This includes grants towards the purchase price of the vehicle, and a home chargepoint, tax incentives, and support for an ever increasing network of rapid chargepoints. We have just launched a joint industry-Government communications campaign to dispel some of the myths around these vehicles, and recently announced a further £500 million of support for the period 2015-20. We currently plan to announce how this funding will be allocated in the spring.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to enable better services, longer battery life and better performance of low-emission electric vehicles in urban areas. [193195]

Mr Goodwill: The ultra-low emission vehicles on sale now are perfectly suited to a significant proportion of typical journeys, 99% of which are under 100 miles. The motor industry is investing billions of pounds into low carbon research and development and the Government recently committed £500 million, to be matched by industry, for the new Advanced Propulsion Centre. This is in addition to the £82 million already committed for research and development through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. We are also working with industry to develop one of the largest rapid chargepoint networks in Europe.

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Railways: North-West

Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new trains to run on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line. [193227]

Stephen Hammond: We expect the electric powered rolling stock to begin services on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line from the December 2014 timetable.

Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date orders were placed for rolling stock to operate on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line. [193229]

Stephen Hammond: The electric powered rolling stock being supplied for the operation on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line will be cascaded rolling stock. We are currently in negotiations with the current operator with regard to this matter, and will confirm full details in due course.

It will be for bidders for the new long-term franchise beginning in February 2016 to propose new rolling stock beyond that date.

Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects training for train drivers to operate rolling stock on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line to begin. [193234]

Stephen Hammond: Northern have informed the Department that the process for such training began last year.

Road Traffic: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the level of traffic congestion in Harlow constituency in each year since 1997. [193022]

Mr Goodwill: Estimates of road congestion levels for parliamentary constituencies are not held centrally.

We do however hold data at the local authority level. Road congestion is measured in the Department by morning peak speeds, defined as 7 am to 10 am. In 2013, the average weekday morning peak speed, on locally managed A roads in Essex (local authority), which contains Harlow constituency, was estimated to be 30.5 miles per hour. The equivalent figure for the whole of England in 2013 was 24.7 miles per hour.

Equivalent figures for earlier years back to 2007, and all other local highway authorities in England, can be found on the Department for Transport's website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279125/cgn0206.xls

Roads: Dudley

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's £140 million fund to repair weather-damaged roads he plans to allocate to Dudley metropolitan borough council. [192924]

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Mr Goodwill: The Department announced on 20 March 2014 that we had allocated a total of £318,757 to Dudley metropolitan borough council to help repair their roads damaged by the recent severe wet weather. A breakdown of the allocations we have made to all councils can be found at the following weblink:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/294497/extra-funding-to-repair-roads.csv/preview

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the £183.5 million funding commitment to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather announced by him on 20 March 2014 is the same allocation as the £140 million of spending for pothole repair announced by him on 9 March 2014. [193242]

Mr Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh) on 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 6W.

Taxis: Licensing

Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will estimate the number of private hire cabs granted their licence by one local authority operating predominantly in a different local authority area. [192894]

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this information as licensing enforcement is a matter for local licensing authorities. The crucial point about the lawful operation of private hire vehicles is that a licensed private hire operator must, when fulfilling a booking, use vehicles and drivers licensed by the same local licensing authority as granted the operator licence. Actual journeys can start outside, or go beyond, or be wholly outside, the local authority's boundary.

Treasury

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the difference between paragraph 1.6 of Tax-Free Childcare: consultation on design and operation, which states that tax-free childcare will ultimately be available to up to around 2.5 million working families in the UK and paragraph B.4 of the Government's response to that consultation, which states that around 1.9 million families will be eligible for tax-free child care; and what the difference is between being eligible for the scheme and having qualifying child care costs. [193217]

Nicky Morgan: The high-level estimates from the consultation document have been refined using the latest survey data, removing overlaps with families with access to other policies, and reflecting the final policy following formal consultation.

Details of the number of families who are eligible for the scheme, what makes someone eligible for the scheme, and the definition of qualifying child care costs can be

26 Mar 2014 : Column 250W

found in Delivering Tax-Free Childcare: the Government's response to the consultation on design and operation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293084/PU1607_Tax_free_Childcare_response.pdf

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase (a) the ex gratia payment of £5,000 to holders of Equitable Life with-profits annuities dating from before 1 September 1992 and (b) the additional £5,000 to those policyholders who are in receipt of pension credit; and if he will make a statement. [192645]

Sajid Javid: The Government have no plans to make any changes to these payments, which have now been issued to eligible annuitants.

Fixed Interest Securities: Pensioners

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK pensioners resident abroad will be eligible to subscribe to the proposed fixed-rate savings bond for pensioners. [192857]

Sajid Javid [holding answer 24 March 2014]:National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has over 25 million customers, many of whom access their investments from overseas.

The fixed-rate savings bonds announced at Budget 2014 will be open to UK pensioners living abroad aged 65 and over, provided they have a UK bank account in their name, and subject to the terms and conditions of the products which will be decided in advance of launch.

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether interest paid on the proposed fixed-rate savings bonds for pensioners announced in his Budget will be classed as debt interest for the purpose of analysing Government spending. [192866]

Sajid Javid: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will determine the classification of this product. At Budget 2014 the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) assumed that as with all other National Savings and Investments (NS&I) products, customer deposits into the NS&I bonds will constitute a form of public borrowing and interest payments will be a debt interest cost.

In addition, given that the bonds are a Budget measure designed to offer targeted support to a particular group of savers, the costs of raising funding through these bonds, rather than gilts, was also represented in Table 2.1 of the Budget 2014 document.

Housing

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the Capital DEL budget for CLG Communities how much investment and of what type was (a) allocated for and (b) spent on housing investment for each of the last five years; and what allocation he has made for future years. [192932]

26 Mar 2014 : Column 251W

Danny Alexander: DCLG's capital spend from 2010-11 to 2012-13 is set out in the Department's annual report and accounts for these years.

DCLG's capital budgets for housing from 2013-14 to 2014-15 are set out in the Department's 2013-14 Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum.

The Government have committed to invest significant capital funding in housing beyond 2014-15. Spending round 2013 included £3.3 billion of support for new affordable housing over three years from 2015-16, and Budget 2014 provided £6 billion of additional investment to extend the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to March 2020.

Income Tax: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual underpayment of income tax as a result of not all pensioners being sent tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13. [192773]

Mr Gauke: No such estimate has been made.

Not all individuals of state pensionable age need to complete a self-assessment (SA) tax return. The majority of people with reasonably straightforward tax affairs pay their income tax liability through their Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax code.

Public Expenditure

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast for net debt in 2015-16 was made in (a) June 2010, (b) December 2013 and (c) March 2014. [192974]

Nicky Morgan: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out forecasts for public sector net debt in the publication “Economic and fiscal outlook”. Figures can be found in Table C6 of the June Budget 2010 available at:

http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/budget-2010/

Table 4.38 for December 2013 available at:

http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-december-2013/

and Table 1.4 for March 2014 available at:

http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2014/

Social Security

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount welfare spending was forecast to grow each year in the absence of the welfare cap announced in the 2014 Budget. [192949]

Nicky Morgan: The welfare cap has been set at the level of the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecast, as published in the OBR's March 2014 “Economic and fiscal outlook”.

Tax Allowances: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance is provided by HM Revenue and Customs to those of pensionable age to ensure that all allowances and reliefs due to them are provided; and

26 Mar 2014 : Column 252W

what such reliefs are automatically attributed when reconciling the tax liabilities of those of pensionable age. [192772]

Mr Gauke: All PAYE customer records are reconciled at the end of the tax year to check whether they have paid the correct amount of income tax due via their PAYE tax code throughout the tax year. The tax calculations are based on the most up to date information held on the customer's record by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Information about the tax allowances and reliefs available along with details of where customers can seek additional help and guidance is available on the HMRC and gov.uk websites.

Taxation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of total tax paid by people of (a) pensionable and (b) non-pensionable age in the UK; and what proportion of that total taxable income was derived from (i) employment, (ii) private pension, (iii) state pension and (iv) interest on dividends in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11, (C) 2011-12 and (D) 2012-13. [192770]

Mr Gauke: Information about employment and pension incomes is published in the HMRC National Statistics table. 3.6 which is available at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/earned-income-2010-to-2011

Information about dividend income is published in table 3.7 which is available at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-income-2010-to-2011

Information about incomes and tax liabilities for taxpayers of state pension age is published in table 3.12 which is available at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-and-tax-for-individuals-of-pension-age-by-gender-region-and-country-2010-to-2011

These tables are available for 2009-10 and earlier years from the National Archives through the following address:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http:/hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm

This information is not currently available for the year 2012-13 because the Survey of Personal Incomes has not been finalised.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) taxpayers and (b) taxpayers of pensionable age were represented by a tax agent in the latest year for which data are available. [192781]

Mr Gauke: The information is as follows:

(a) It is estimated that 61% of individuals who file an income tax return have authorised an agent to administer their tax affairs.

(b) Approximately 20% of the individuals who file an income tax return are of state pension age and 60% of them have authorised an agent.

These estimates are based on self-assessment tax returns filed for the year 2011-12, which is the latest and most complete year available.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 253W

Taxation: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who (a) applied to be paid investment income without deduction of tax at source in the last year and (b) qualify for this relief but do not apply for it. [192769]

Mr Gauke: No estimate is made by HMRC of either the number of pensioners who register with an account provider to receive savings or investment income gross, or the number of eligible pensioners who could but have not done so.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the total number of retired taxpayers asked to submit tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 were (i) pensioners and (ii) not yet of state pensionable age in each of the tax years. [192785]

Mr Gauke: The information is available only at a disproportionate cost.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of pensionable age were asked to submit tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13. [192786]

Mr Gauke: Around 20% of individuals required to complete a self-assessment (SA) tax return are of state pension age.

Young People: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Financial Statement of 19 March 2014, if he will fund the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust in Northern Ireland on the same basis as the funding announced for the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace and the Lockerbie Scholarships; and if he will make a statement. [192969]

Nicky Morgan: I understand that liquidators were appointed to the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust in June 2013. Decisions on funding such bodies in Northern Ireland remain a matter for the devolved Administration.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 254W

Health

Abortion

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints about abortion clinics were made to the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 12 months; what action was taken on each such complaint; and if he will make a statement. [192774]

Jane Ellison: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on (i) the earliest point in its development an unborn child will experience pain, (ii) the earliest gestational age at which an unborn child may be capable of being born alive, (iii) the number of occasions when an unborn child is wrongly diagnosed as being handicapped and is subsequently born without disability or handicap and (iv) the suicide rate among women who have had an abortion since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [192778]

Jane Ellison: In 2008, the Department commissioned the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to update its 1997 report “Fetal Awareness, Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice”. This was published in 2010 and a copy has already been placed in the Library.

The British Association of Perinatal Medicine published guidance not commissioned by the Department in October 2008 entitled “The Management of Babies born Extremely Preterm at less than 26 weeks of gestation: A Framework for Clinical Practice at the time of Birth”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.

The Department does not hold information on the other aspects raised.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged (a) 18 to 24 years and (b) 25 to 30 years old in each strategic health authority area who had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four, (v) five, (vi) six, (vii) seven, (viii) eight, (ix) nine and (x) 10 or more previous abortions had an abortion in 2012. [192780]

Jane Ellison: The numbers of abortions requested are set out in the following table.

Abortions for age groups 18-24 and 25-29, by number of previous abortions and Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of residence, 2012
 Number of previous abortions
 01234567
SHA18-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-2918-2425-29

East

4,516

1,886

1,434

1,070

311

327

50

78

10

21

0

10

0

2

0

2

East Midlands

3,654

1,516

998

768

178

208

25

45

8

15

1

0

0

1

0

0

London

9,876

6,447

4,178

3,639

1,038

1,162

229

356

60

89

18

36

6

16

3

4

North East

2,139

805

622

449

108

133

19

46

2

8

1

0

1

0

1

0

North West

7,337

3,057

2,554

1,843

436

452

71

122

19

34

5

10

0

1

0

3

South Central

3,373

1,585

1,095

787

179

211

30

51

5

13

1

1

1

0

1

0

26 Mar 2014 : Column 255W

26 Mar 2014 : Column 256W

South East Coast

3,648

1,398

1,319

826

299

226

36

54

6

24

2

2

0

2

0

1

South West

3,803

1,508

1,157

787

183

210

28

43

10

15

1

2

0

1

0

1

West Midlands

5,435

2,313

2,107

1,483

427

449

75

116

28

34

5

10

0

3

1

0

Yorkshire and the Humber

4,386

1,797

1,490

1,031

268

288

39

58

4

22

2

4

2

1

0

0

From 2012, the Department of Health has published abortion figures by Clinical Commissioning Group and local authority (LA) of residence. SHA totals are therefore approximations based on an aggregation of the relevant LAs.

There were no abortions to women aged 18 to 29 who had had eight or more previous abortions.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) statutory instruments, (b) departmental circulars and (c) other documents his Department has published consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 since October 2013; and if he will make a statement. [192801]

Jane Ellison: Since October 2013 the Department has issued the following documents consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.

Consultation on Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy. This also sought views on the proposed updated “Required Standard Operating Procedures”. The consultation ended on 3 February 2014.

Letter from the chief medical officer for England to all medical practitioners to remind them of the provisions of the Abortion Act and that abortion on grounds of gender alone is illegal.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in 2012; and how many and what proportion of such procedures were performed to save the life of the mother. [192804]

Jane Ellison: In 2012, there were 185,122 abortions performed on residents of England and Wales. None of these abortions was performed under Ground F, to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Alcoholic Drinks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings his Department had with representatives of (a) the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, (b) the Scotch Whisky Association, (c) the British Beer and Pub Association, (d) Diageo, (e) SAB Miller and (f) The Portman Group between 1 November 2013 and 19 March 2014. [193240]

Jane Ellison: Officials in the alcohol policy team meet drinks industry representatives on a regular basis in the course of their normal activities, primarily through the Responsibility Deal.

Since November 2013, meetings with representatives of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, the Scotch Whisky Association, the British Beer and Pub Association, Diageo and the Portman Group have covered a range of topics including, the Responsibility Deal, alcohol labelling, the EU Alcohol Action Plan and the EU Alcohol Strategy.

Officials in the alcohol policy team have not met SAB Miller between 1 November 2013 and 19 March 2014.

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

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

Electronic Cigarettes: Northern Ireland

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on electronic cigarettes. [192841]

Jane Ellison: Electronic cigarettes have been the subject of much debate in recent years both domestically and at the European Union level, particularly since the European Commission published its proposal for a revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in December 2012.

The Department of Health (England) led the negotiations on the revised TPD, including the regulation of electronic cigarettes, for the United Kingdom Government. Common positions were agreed through regular discussions between officials in the Department and those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Epilepsy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether prescribing physicians receive specialised training about prescribing anti-epileptic medications to pregnant women. [192940]

Dr Poulter: All doctors, during undergraduate and postgraduate training, are made aware of all of the current evidence when prescribing in pregnancy. Prescribers must weigh up the risk of prescribing anti-epileptic medications in pregnancy against the risk of poorly controlled epilepsy in the pregnant woman.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 257W

NHS England has advised that it would expect clinicians to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG137

In addition, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists provides training on prescribing anti-epileptic medicine during pregnancy.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds pre-conception counselling for women taking anti-epilepsy medications was removed from the Quality and Outcomes Framework. [192941]

Dr Poulter: The changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are part of a wide ranging set of changes to the general practitioner (GP) contract for 2014-15. It is intended that these contract changes will encourage GPs and their practice teams to provide more personalised and proactive care for patients.

Changes to the QOF were negotiated with the General Practitioners Committee, which is part of the British Medical Association.

We understand that NHS England is currently developing procedures and protocols for continued data analysis and reporting for the indicators that will be retired from the QOF in April 2014. NHS England is committed to utilising this information to promote quality improvement in the care patients receive.

Female Genital Mutilation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to provide services to support midwives reporting cases of female genital mutilation. [193253]

Jane Ellison: The Government published the guidance ‘Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation’ on 24 February 2011, which provides advice to health professionals on when they should report cases under section 47 of the 1989 Children Act.

Guidance is also available from various, professional bodies, for example, the General Medical Council and the Royal College of Midwives. In addition, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children female genital mutilation (FGM) helpline, co-funded by the Home Office, is a resource for health professionals and young people with concerns about safeguarding issues.

The Department is also working with NHS England, Health Education England and the Royal Colleges to develop materials and training to support national health service staff including midwives to better identify and support girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Further announcements on this work will be made in due course.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to point 12 of the minutes published from the JCVI's meeting of October 2013 whether the Joint PHE-JCVI-DH-NICE working group has been established. [192939]

Jane Ellison: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Workington (Sir Tony Cunningham) on 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 578W.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 258W

Malnutrition

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of malnutrition in people with a learning disability; and what steps his Department is taking to address that matter. [192943]

Norman Lamb: No assessment has been made by the Department of the prevalence of malnutrition in people with a learning disability.

Maternity Services: Foreign Nationals

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what primary research his Department has conducted in the last five years on the incidence of maternity health tourism. [192787]

Jane Ellison: As part of the consultation, to better understand the impact of treating visitors and migrants, the Department commissioned two independent reports which included research on both the incidence of health tourism and the use of maternity services by different groups of visitors and migrants. The first of these, “Qualitative Assessment of Visitor and Migrant use of the NHS in England: Observations from the Front-Line” by Creative Research, consisted of primary research, conducting interviews with staff on the front-line. The second, “Quantitative Assessment of Visitor and Migrant Use of the NHS in England” by Prederi, was a quantitative report which consisted of secondary analysis, using existing data to model the potential sizes of population groups and the cost of their use of the national health service. These were both published on 22 October 2013. Copies of both these reports have been placed in the Library.

Previous to this, an internal review “2012 Review of overseas visitors charging policy”, on the current rules and procedures for charging visitors and migrants for NHS health care, including maternity care, was published on 3 July 2013. This formed the basis of a departmental consultation on a range of proposals to make a new, fairer and simpler charging system. A copy of this review has already been placed in the Library.

The Department published its response to the consultation on visitor and migrant free access to the NHS on 30 December 2013 setting out initial decisions and next steps.

Mental Health Services

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take over the next 12 months to improve care for mental health patients in the NHS in Essex; and if he will make a statement; [192565]

(2) what recent steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to increase the number of mental health specialists in the NHS; and if he will make a statement; [192663]

(3) what recent steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to improve detection of mental health illnesses in people under 24 years of age; and if he will make a statement; [192664]

26 Mar 2014 : Column 259W

(4) what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of people younger than 65 years old with mental health problems who receive adequate care; what steps he plans to take in each of the next 12 months to ensure that such people receive adequate care; and if he will make a statement; [192665]

(5) what steps he plans to take in the next 12 months to improve care for mental health patients within the NHS; and if he will make a statement; [192666]

(6) what steps he (a) has taken in each year since 2010 and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to expand the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme; and if he will make a statement; [192667]

(7) what steps he (a) has taken in each year since 2010 and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to make cognitive behavioural therapy more widely available; and if he will make a statement. [192668]

Norman Lamb: Improving mental health and well-being is a priority for this Government. A significant programme of activity within Government and by our system partners supports the delivery of our over-arching priority: to ensure mental health has equal priority with physical health, and that everyone who needs it has timely access to the best available mental health provision.

We have made improving mental health, and treating mental illness, a key priority for NHS England. One of NHS England's 24 objectives is to put mental health on a par with physical health, and close the health gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole. We will hold the national health service to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients through the NHS Outcomes Framework.

We are setting up a new, national Mental Health Intelligence Network to provide comprehensive, up-to- date information about mental health and well-being, mental health problems and what the most pressing needs are in each area. Public Health England (PHE) is embedding mental health across its work in support of improving the public's health and has made mental health one of its five health impact priorities.

PHE is also leading a programme of activity aimed at strengthening both the role of local authorities, schools and colleges, health services and others in early intervention and prevention.

Early intervention will also be a topic addressed at the national summit on psychosis which the Department is convening in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness. This will bring together a range of stakeholders to determine the best ways to support local commissioning of best practice care for psychosis and severe mental illness.

By improved co-ordination between emergency and mental health services, we are working to deliver a fast, effective and safe response to people experiencing mental health crisis through delivery of the action plan set out in our new Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat and via our street triage schemes.

Our mental health action plan, Closing the Gap, shows how changes in local service planning and delivery will make a difference, in the next couple of years, to the lives of people with mental health problems, setting out 25 priority areas where people can expect to experience the fastest changes.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 260W

The Government have committed to the continued roll-out of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme for people with depression and anxiety. We have invested over £400 million to give thousands of people, in all areas of the country, access to approved psychological therapies. We are also investing £54 million over four years (2011-15) in the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, giving children and young people improved and timely access to the best mental health care. Cognitive behavioural therapy is included in the suite of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended, evidence-based therapies offered through IAPT.

Our mandate to NHS England explicitly identifies the delivery of the IAPT programme as a key priority for the NHS.

In our mandate to Health Education England (HEE), we have asked HEE to ensure that there are sufficient therapists and other staff with the right skills to support the delivery of the IAPT programme. HEE will also look at the mental health work force more widely to ensure sufficient numbers of psychiatrists. It will also have a pivotal role in the achievement of our goal of equal priority for mental as well as physical health by developing training programmes that will enable employers to ensure that staff have an awareness of mental health problems and how they may affect patients.

HEE is working closely with NHS England to ensure that training for the IAPT work force is commissioned to meet the service needs identified by providers of IAPT services. Overall commissioning of IAPT training is on course to meet the 2013-14 plan. The published IAPT plan for 2014-15, detailed in the work force plan for England, published in December 2013, will take us past the 6,000 additional IAPT practitioners level in 2015. HEE and NHS England are working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre to ensure that routine data relating to this important work force are collected and analysed to support future planning and training commissioning.

The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey series provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorder in the English adult population (aged 16 and over). The Government have made no specific, recent assessment of the number of people under 65 in receipt of care for mental health problems. A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is the means by which clinical commissioning groups and local authorities are expected to identify and describe the health, care and well-being needs of their local populations and to identify the strategic direction of service delivery to meet those needs.

In respect of care and treatment for patients in North Essex, it is a matter for local NHS commissioners to plan, develop and improve services locally.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints about mental health care were received by his Department in each year since 2010; what response was given by his Department to each such complaint; and if he will make a statement. [192871]

Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of complaints about mental health care received since

26 Mar 2014 : Column 261W

1 January 2010 identified in a search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database. These are minimum figures which represent correspondence received by the Department's ministerial correspondence unit only.

Details of the responses given by the Department to these complaints could only be made available at disproportionate cost and may be subject to patient confidentiality.

Mental health complaints
 Year received
Keyword20102011201220132014

Mental Health Complaint/Access to services

-

69

81

103

34

Mental Health Complaint/Allegations of fraud

-

1

-

1

-

Mental Health Complaint/CAMHS

-

7

12

24

11

Mental Health Complaint/Cleanliness/maintenance

-

2

3

1

1

Mental Health Complaint/ Equality issues (specify in subject)

-

1

1

4

-

Mental Health Complaint/MHA-Community treatment

-

21

20

27

8

Mental Health Complaint/MHA-Hospital detention

-

56

55

52

7

Mental Health Complaint/Multiple complaint

-

41

36

35

11

Mental Health Complaint/Non-DH

-

2

1

5

5

Mental Health Complaint/Non-specific complaint

-

28

30

16

2

Mental Health Complaint/Older people-standards of care

-

5

1

3

-

Mental Health Complaint/Poor governance/management

-

13

16

9

1

Mental Health Complaint/Poor nursing/clinical practice

-

29

59

72

19

Mental Health Complaint/Reconfiguration/access

-

5

10

4

1

Mental Health Complaint/Security

-

2

6

13

2

Mental Health Complaint/Third party

-

12

7

11

3

Mental Health/Complaints

529

216

-

-

-

Total

529

510

338

380

105

Note: The Department changed its correspondence keywords in June 2011 in response to the recommendations in the Francis Report. Source: Department of Health Ministerial Correspondence Database

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the services available to support the transition of mental health patients from an early intervention team to a community mental health team; [193251]

26 Mar 2014 : Column 262W

(2) what assessment his Department has made of patient satisfaction (a) during and (b) after the delivery of mental health services. [193252]

Norman Lamb: The Department has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of services available to support the transition of mental health patients from early intervention to community mental health teams.

Responsibility for a number of national surveys previously carried out by the Department passed to NHS England on 1 April 2013. There are a number of ways in which the national health service and other bodies capture patient satisfaction with mental health services. For example, the Community Mental Health Survey, which is carried out annually by the Care Quality Commission, looks at the experiences of people who have received care or treatment for a mental health condition. NHS England is using this information to understand the service users' experiences and to drive improvement.

In addition, the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) in Mental Health asks people who use NHS funded services whether they would recommend that service to friends and family who need similar treatment or care. NHS England is currently supporting a number of pathfinder sites to further test guidance on conducting the FFT in mental health services. This guidance will be published at the end of June 2014. NHS England is aware that a number of mental health services are already using the FFT to gain feedback from their patients during and after their treatment. The FFT will be live in all mental health services by the end of December 2014.

Patient satisfaction surveys form part of the NHS England contracts with mental health service providers.

Mental Health Services: Essex

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services: (south-east Essex), what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Care Quality Commission on its work; what response was received in such discussions; and if he will make a statement; [192788]

(2) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what changes his Department has made to the work of the Care Quality Commission; what such changes are planned in each of the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [192789]

(3) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what progress his Department has made in implementing changes to 25 areas in mental health services in which essential change is needed; and if he will make a statement; [192790]

26 Mar 2014 : Column 263W

(4) how many complaints were received by the NHS about mental health care in each health authority area in each year since 2010; [192799]

(5) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what his timetable is for the introduction of the new inspection regime; and if he will make a statement; [192847]

(6) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what areas of health the new inspection regime will cover; who will be appointed to the inspection regime; what relevant specialist qualifications each such appointee will hold; and if he will make a statement; [192849]

(7) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), how much his Department plans to spend on the new inspection regime; what recent discussions he has had with HM Treasury on this issue; and if he will make a statement; [192850]

(8) what representations he has received since October 2013 from the Mental Health Foundation; what response he gave to such representations; if he will place in the Library copies of any such response; and if he will make a statement; [192864]

(9) what recent assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of increased spending on mental health care; and if he will make a statement. [192872]

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body accountable to the Secretary of State for discharging its functions, duties and powers efficiently and effectively. The Department monitors CQC's financial and operational performance and risks at a general and strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings. It does not assess CQC's inspection or monitoring of specific providers. Regular meetings are also held between both Ministers and the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Executive of the National Health Service and the Chair and the Chief Executive of CQC, as well as meetings at officials level.

26 Mar 2014 : Column 264W

CQC is responsible for assessing and ensuring the quality of its inspection and monitoring of specific providers on a day-to-day basis. CQC's annual accounts and annual report are laid before Parliament and it is publicly accountable through parliamentary scrutiny, including Select Committees.

The CQC is currently piloting a new approach for Mental Health inspections. The schedule of pilot inspections will be complete by the end of September 2014 and the new inspection regime will be in place by 1 October 2014.

The new inspection regime will assess Mental Health services for people of all ages, health services for people with learning disabilities and health services for substance misuse across the NHS and independent sector.

The CQC intends every inspection team to include clinical experts, namely Health and Social Care professionals, people with experience of managing services in the NHS and independent sector and ‘experts by experience' (current and ex-service users). Each team will be led by a senior figure from the NHS, for instance a Chief Executive, Chair or Medical Director of a provider organisation.

The CQC intends to ensure that the clinical expertise of inspection teams is appropriate to the range of Mental Health services delivered by the provider under inspection.

The Department has issued CQC with an indicative Grant in Aid allocation for 2014-15. However, this is subject to formal approval as part of the annual business planning process. The CQC has calculated the indicative cost of its new Mental Health inspection regime for the financial year 2014-15 at £10.7 million. The CQC has taken a robust approach to understanding the resources required by Mental Health inspectors. This reflects the transition from a generic to a more authoritative clinically-led inspection model. In 2014-15 the CQC is planning to recruit up to 79 inspectors with a Mental Health focus.

Closing the Gap, our mental health action plan was launched in January this year. Progress will be measured and monitored by a variety of mechanisms including the Mental Health System Board, which is responsible for overseeing delivery of our mental health strategy.

The Department does not collect specific data on complaints relating to NHS mental health care. However, we have general information about NHS Mental Health Services, though this is very broad and cannot be broken down further and covers only written complaints so other expressions of dissatisfaction with care services are not recorded or collected centrally.

Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Written Complaints for Mental Health Services within each Strategic Health Authority (SHA) Area, England
Numbers
 EnglandNorth East SHANorth West SHAYorkshire and the Humber SHAEast Midlands SHAWest Midlands SHAEast of England SHALondon SHASouth East Coast SHASouth Central SHASouth West SHA

2012-13

11,749

543

1,415

777

1,197

824

1,157

2,427

1,066

721

1,622

2011-12

10,439

427

1,345

617

1,423

813

1,130

2,239

883

552

1,010

2010-111

8,752

412

1,109

630

1,392

828

454

1,711

754

594

868

1 Prior to 2011-12 Foundation Trust participation was voluntary.

NHS England has established a Parity of Esteem programme with the aim of putting mental health on a par with physical health, and of closing the gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole. Key objectives within this programme are to improve the data, information and intelligence

26 Mar 2014 : Column 265W

available to commissioners to support decisions on investment being made. This will include continuing to build the evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of interventions.

The Mental Health Foundation wrote to the Secretary of State for Health the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), in December 2013 to express concerns regarding early mortality rates among people with mental health conditions compared with the general population.

The Mental Health Foundation also met the Secretary of State and me on 22 January this year along with the Chief Executive Officers of Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists,

26 Mar 2014 : Column 266W

the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Network and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Mental Health.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatrists were employed in each hospital in Essex in each year since 2010; what the grade and average salary was of such staff; and if he will make a statement. [192800]

Dr Poulter: Information is not available in the format requested. Data are available by organisation, not at individual hospital level. The following tables show the requested information for provider organisations in Essex.

Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical staff within the psychiatry group of specialties, by grade, for specified organisations, as at 30 September each year
Full time equivalents (FTEs)
 Organisation nameOrganisation codeAll staffConsultantAssociate specialistSpeciality doctorStaff grade

2010

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

RDD

1

1

1

1

1

 

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

RDE

1

2

2

2

2

 

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

RQ8

1

2

2

2

2

 

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

RQW

1

1

1

1

1

 

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

RRD

120

46

6

12

1

 

Provide

NQA

1

1

1

1

1

 

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

RWN

181

79

21

13

12

 

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

RAJ

1

1

1

1

1

        

2011

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

RDD

1

1

1

1

1

 

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

RDE

1

1

1

1

1

 

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

RQ8

1

2

2

2

2

 

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

RQW

1

1

1

1

1

 

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

RRD

119

42

5

15

1

 

Provide

NQA

1

1

1

1

1

 

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

RWN

183

81

19

19

2

 

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

RAJ

1

1

1

1

1

        

2012

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

RDD

1

1

1

1

1

 

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

RDE

1

1

1

1

1

 

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

RQ8

2

2

2

2

2

 

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

RQW

1

1

1

1

1

26 Mar 2014 : Column 267W

26 Mar 2014 : Column 268W

 

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

RRD

119

46

5

13

2

 

Provide

NQA

1

1

1

1

1

 

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

RWN

188

81

16

23

2

 

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

RAJ

1

1

1

1

1

        

2013

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

RDD

1

1

1

1

1

 

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

RDE

1

1

1

1

1

 

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

RQ8

1

2

2

2

2

 

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

RQW

1

2

2

2

2

 

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

RRD

117

47

5

12

2

 

Provide

NQA

1

1

1

1

1

 

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

RWN

187

84

14

28

2

 

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

RAJ

1

1

1

1

1