Electoral Register: Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in East Lothian constituency. [192011]

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

The ward results for the East Lothian constituency were as follows:

27 Mar 2014 : Column 334W

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

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

Electoral Register: Luton

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were for each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in Luton borough council. [191733]

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

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

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

The ward results for Luton borough council were as follows:

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps are being

27 Mar 2014 : Column 335W

taken by the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland to promote electoral registration in rural areas where residents live some distance from permanent electoral offices. [191770]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it runs public awareness campaigns across Northern Ireland to encourage electors to register to vote. Its most recent campaign was conducted during the 2013 canvass of electors when all households in Northern Ireland were contacted. It also plans to conduct a public awareness campaign ahead of the upcoming elections this May.

The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for maintaining the electoral register in Northern Ireland and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland run a number of registration and electoral identity clinics throughout Northern Ireland.

Electoral Register: Scotland

Dame Anne Begg: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in (a) Aberdeen city council and (b) Aberdeenshire county council. [191721]

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

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

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

The ward results for Aberdeen city council were as follows:

The ward results for Aberdeenshire county council were as follows:

27 Mar 2014 : Column 336W

Electoral Register: Wandsworth

Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in the London Borough of Wandsworth. [191641]

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

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

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

The ward results for Wandsworth were as follows:

27 Mar 2014 : Column 337W

Electoral Register: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in Warrington North constituency in the recent confirmation dry run. [191487]

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

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

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

The ward results for the Warrington North constituency were as follows:

Electoral Register: West Midlands

David Wright: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in Telford and Wrekin. [191714]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department

27 Mar 2014 : Column 338W

for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.

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

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

The ward results for Telford and Wrekin council were as follows:

Polling Stations

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the potential benefits of using (a) student unions and (b) other university and college venues as polling stations. [191354]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that between 2002 and 2007 a number of English local authorities piloted the use of alternative locations as polling stations, although these did not include student

27 Mar 2014 : Column 339W

unions or other university and college premises. The locations included railway stations, supermarkets, libraries and other local authority venues.

The Commission's statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes concluded that the convenience of voting at alternative locations was appreciated by some voters, although the impact on turnout was minimal.

At present, the legislation provides that returning officers may use certain publicly-funded schools or “rooms funded out of any rate” free of charge as premises for polling stations. The Electoral Commission has recommended that returning officers should be permitted to use a wider range of publicly-funded buildings as polling stations.

Voting Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made on the viability of permitting people to vote in any polling station in their constituency or local authority area. [191353]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that permitting people to vote electronically at any polling station within a specific ward or local authority area was piloted by a number of English local authorities between 2002 and 2007 as part of the previous UK Government's electoral pilot scheme programme.

The Commission's statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes concluded that while some people welcomed the convenience of “vote anywhere” polling stations, the impact on turnout was minimal and there were significant technical problems associated with the facility in some areas.

The Commission has recommended that there should be no further piloting of electronic voting—including “vote anywhere” polling stations—without the development of a wider electoral modernisation strategy, which should take account of the specific risks related to electronic voting, as well as its cost-effectiveness and likely impact on public trust.

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what percentage of those registered to vote by post did so in (a) police commissioner elections and (b) the local European elections in each electoral area; and what the percentage turnout was at polling stations in each election and in each area. [191355]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the turnout figures at the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were as follows:

27 Mar 2014 : Column 340W

The turnout figures at the 2009 European Parliament elections were:

27 Mar 2014 : Column 341W

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with members of the US Administration on recent developments in Northern Ireland. [193668]

Mrs Villiers: I and officials in the NIO have remained in close contact with the US Administration on Northern Ireland matters such as the discussions to make progress on flags, parades and dealing with the past.

I have also discussed with representatives of the US Government the importance of rebalancing the economy and building a genuinely shared future for everyone in Northern Ireland. I am grateful for all their support for a better future for Northern Ireland.

Terrorism

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people on remand or on bail in connection with terrorism-related charges are recipients of letters as part of the on-the-run scheme. [193412]

Mrs Villiers: Responsibility for the arrest and charging of an individual rests with the police and the prosecuting authorities. The judiciary holds responsibility for remand and bail conditions.

On 11 March, Lady Justice Hackett was appointed to undertake an independent inquiry to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for dealing with so called “on-the-runs” that was established by the previous Government. This will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of funding was allocated to (a) London and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last three years to support creative industries from Arts Council England. [193011]

Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England's (ACE) funding is not aimed directly at supporting the creative industries.

Treasury

Excise Duties: Fuels

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) UK employment levels and (b) Gross Domestic Product of a cut in fuel duty of (i) three pence and (ii) one pence; [193067]

(2) how many meetings have taken place between (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department with FairFuelUK in each of the last two years. [193068]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 342W

Nicky Morgan: Since 2011, the Government have taken action on fuel duty to support both households and businesses. At autumn statement 2013 the Government cancelled the increase that was planned for September 2014, freezing fuel duty for remainder of Parliament. As a result of this Government's action, a typical motorist will save £680 in total by 2015-16, compared to the previous Government's plans.

All fuel duty cuts and freezes since Budget 2011 have had to be fully funded, through tax rises or spending cuts elsewhere. The impact of any reductions will need to be considered in the context of the wider public finances.

The Government regularly meet a range of stakeholders on fuel duty.

Gaming Machines

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of tax changes to fixed-odds betting terminals on (a) the number of betting shops and (b) the number of people employed in betting shops. [R] [193019]

Mr Gauke: The assessment of the impact of the changes to Machine Games Duty on B2 machines is available in the relevant Tax Information and Impacts Note published at Budget 2014. This document is accessible at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293860/TIIN_8074_machine_games_duty_higher_rate.pdf

The main responses from consumers and bookmakers are explained in the relevant Policy Costing, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293740/PU1638_policy_costings_budget_2014.pdf

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value of loans have been issued under the Help to Buy equity loan scheme; how many loans have been issued to date; and what proportion of recipients are first-time buyers in each (a) region and (b) local authority area. [193179]

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

This Government are committed to supporting people's aspirations to own their own home.

In the first 11 months of the scheme, 16,465 households purchased a new build home with the support of the Help to Buy equity loan scheme.

By January 2014, the time of the last quarterly statistical release, first time buyers accounted for 89% of sales. The total value of these equity loans was £600 million.

A local authority breakdown in transaction level data with a breakdown of the value of equity loans are available as Official Statistics at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-january-2014

27 Mar 2014 : Column 343W

My Department does not publish statistics at a former Government office regional level, as outlined in the written statement of 18 December 2012, Official Report, columns 31-33WS.

An additional table, with a breakdown of first-time buyers in each local authority has been created and will be deposited in the Library of the House.

We have taken a conscious policy decision to make the Help to Buy equity loan scheme accessible to those other than first-time buyers: this is since we want to help “second steppers” move on and up the housing ladder, and since the scheme directly supports new build housing and helps boost housing supply and construction.

Notwithstanding, individuals cannot rent out their existing property to buy a second home through the scheme, nor can the Help to Buy home be sub-let.

The average price of a property bought under the scheme was £184,000, reflecting the fact that the scheme is supporting abroad spectrum of hard-working people.

Tax Evasion: Fuels

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions illegal fuel plants in Northern Ireland have been uncovered (a) when the fuel plant has still been operating and (b) at times when the plant had ceased being operational in the last two years. [193402]

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) fights fuel fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. The UK has recently announced, jointly with Ireland, an improved new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it much harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.

In 2011-12 HMRC dismantled 29 fuel laundering plants in Northern Ireland, and 22 in 2012-13. As far as HMRC are aware, all plants were operational.

VAT

Julie Hilling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what response HM Revenue and Customs plans to make to the European Court of Justice judgment made in the case of the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club on 19 December 2013 in relation to VAT refunds on green fees charged to non-members; [189449]

(2) if he will make an assessment of the effect on competition between proprietary and private members' golf clubs of being charged different rates of VAT as a result of the European Court of Justice judgment made in the case of the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club on 19 December 2013 relating to VAT refunds on green fees charged to non-members. [189450]

Mr Gauke: HMRC intends to issue a Revenue and Customs brief in due course explaining its position following Bridport.

There has been no assessment of the impact on competition. The different rates of VAT arise out of the application of EU law as determined by the European Court of Justice and the UK is bound to implement the court's decision

27 Mar 2014 : Column 344W

Justice

Judges: Housing

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the budget for judges' lodgings was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14; and how much is so budgeted for 2014-15; [188744]

(2) what the budget was for each judges' lodging in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14. [188839]

Mr Vara: The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice are currently reviewing spend on judges' lodges, and intend to report the findings this spring. The most serious or complex cases are heard in courts nearest to where events took place so it's as convenient as possible for the victims or witnesses involved. This means High Court judges can spend long periods away at different courts around England and Wales, and they need secure and suitable accommodation when doing so. But, given the current financial climate, it is also vital we take a long, hard look at all departmental spending to ensure better value for hardworking taxpayers' money. That is exactly what we are doing.

The budgets for judges' lodgings are provided as follows. All budget figures exclude payroll and other staff costs with exception for 2010-11 which excludes payroll costs but includes budget of £86,000 for agency staff. Payroll costs are met from the central budget for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) estate directorate, which provides a shared service function for the management of the wider MOJ estate.

The budgets for different years cannot be compared as they are not on a like for like basis. The 2010-11 figure includes a budget for maintenance (£842,000) and the 2013-14 budget includes maintenance (£815,000) and total facilities management (£470,000). For 2011-12 and 2012-13, a decision was taken to include maintenance and total facilities management within the regional budgets for the whole estate.

The budget for 2014-15 is not available as it has not been finalised. Budgets for individual lodgings are not produced as judges' lodgings are managed as a single service.

Business, Innovation and Skills

British Standards Institution

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to make access to BSI British Standards free to all UK businesses. [193004]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 345W

Mr Willetts: The Government have no plans to make access to BSI British Standards free to all UK businesses. There is a cost associated with developing standards for use within the UK and also for enabling UK stakeholders to participate in and shape European and international standards. However, BSI enables smaller businesses to benefit from discounted membership rates, and the cost of membership is offset by the savings made against the full price of standards. Users of large numbers of standards can also choose subscription modules.

UK Trade and Investment

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of businesses using UK Trade & Investment's services are either fairly satisfied or very satisfied with the service they have received in 2013-14 to date. [193031]

Michael Fallon: UKTI monitors the performance and effectiveness of its trade services through Performance and Impact Monitoring Surveys (PIMS).

In the 12 months to June 2013 (the most recent period for which results are available), PIMS reported that 76% of clients were very or fairly satisfied with UKTI support.

For further information on UKTI's Performance and Impact Monitoring Survey (PIMS) please see the UKTI website:

http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/ourperformance/performanceimpactandmonitoringsurvey/quarterlysurveys.html

Communities and Local Government

Green Deal Scheme

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will enable Green Deal providers to access the supporting data for Green Deal reports held by his Department. [192762]

Stephen Williams: The Department does not hold data on Green Deal Advice Reports or Green Deal Finance Plans. DCLG is responsible for the data that produce Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates and Air Conditioning Inspection Reports (ACIRs). This data are stored on the Energy Performance of Buildings Registers and are managed on DCLG's behalf by Landmark Information Group. The Registers currently contain data related to over 11 million energy certificates.

In 2012 the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 were amended to make some of the data contained in the above documents publicly available. The data are available in bulk to authorised recipients (set out in regulations, and including Green Deal relevant persons) who have a need to process and analyse the data for purposes also set out in regulations. Authorised recipients are charged for the cost of supplying the data, and the disclosure of data to them is subject to conditions intended to protect certain types of information, including personal data. This data can be made available to promote energy efficiency improvements pursuant to a Green Deal plan and to determine whether these improvements have been made.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 346W

The Department for Energy and Climate Change has a separate contract with Landmark Information Group to operate the Green Deal Register (i.e. separate to the contract that DCLG has with Landmark to operate the Energy Performance of Buildings Registers). The Green Deal Register contains lodgement data for Green Deal Advice Reports (and Green Deal Improvement Packages) as well as the data supporting Green Deal Finance Plans.

Rented Housing: Smoke Alarms

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to landlords of fitting smoke alarms in all rented properties. [193341]

Kris Hopkins: An estimate of the cost to landlords of fitting smoke alarms in their properties has not been made. The English Housing Survey shows that 92% of homes in the social rented sector and 82% of privately rented properties have a smoke alarm. The cost of a smoke alarm ranges from about £5 for the most basic model to more than £25 for a hard-wired device. We recently published a discussion document on how we can improve property conditions in the private rented sector. Among other things, it invites views on whether landlords should be required to install smoke alarms in their properties.

Road Signs and Markings

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether there is a requirement for local authorities to remove apostrophes from street names and street signs. [193156]

Brandon Lewis: No. I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 670W.

Work and Pensions

Employment and Support Allowance

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of initial employment and support allowance claims have taken over 91 days in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [187843]

Mike Penning: The table estimates, for all new employment and support allowance (ESA) claims made in each of the last three years, which have had a determination in relation the work capability assessment (WCA), the proportion of claims that were completed in over 91 days.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 347W

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of female-headed households which have had to relocate as a result of the under-occupancy penalty. [193236]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

A consortium has been commissioned to carry out a two year monitoring of the effects of the removal of the spare room subsidy measure across Great Britain. This consortium is led by Ipsos-MORI and includes the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research.

The evaluation is taking place over a two year period, starting from April 2013 with a final report published in late 2015. The evaluation includes research with claimants, social landlords, local authority staff and voluntary organisations.

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people paying the under-occupancy penalty who have fallen into rent arrears. [193395]

Esther McVey: In order to monitor the long term effects of the policy the Department has commissioned an independent, two year evaluation. The research will cover the full range of responses by claimants including the issue of rent arrears. The final report will be published in 2015

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much additional funding each local authority will receive to enable it to investigate whether claimants are eligible for refund of under-occupancy penalty payments in 2014-15. [193441]

Esther McVey: The Department has allocated a total of £18.4 million to local authorities to support the ongoing administrative costs of implementing welfare reform changes in 2014-15. This includes £2.1 million

27 Mar 2014 : Column 348W

for the estimated costs of identifying claimants affected by the unintended exemption, which will be allocated to local authorities in line with the published number of claimants affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy in each local authority. Further details are included in a housing benefit circular at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s22014-additional-funding-to-meet-the-costs-of-implementing-welfare-reform-changes-in-apr-2014-to-mar-2015

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria will be used by his Department to determine how much funding each local authority will receive to investigate those eligible to receive a refund of under-occupancy payments. [193456]

Esther McVey: An estimate of the overall costs has been made based on discussions with individual local authorities and local authority representative organisations. The allocation of funding has been based on the total number of claimants who currently have their spare room subsidy removed. The estimate reflects the work likely to be undertaken by local authorities, including the inspection of claim records to identify those potentially affected, collect further information, and make a decision.

Information Officers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers his Department employed in each of the last six years. [193508]

Mike Penning: We have been able to provide the information dating back to 2011. The number of press officers employed by the Department is as follows:

By way of comparison in March 2010 the Department employed 54 press officers.

Social Security Benefits

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of female-headed households which have had to relocate as a result of the benefit cap. [193250]

Esther McVey: The information requested on what estimate has been made of the number of female-headed households that have had to relocate as a result of the benefit cap is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many assessments have been conducted of 16 and 17 year olds to establish whether they are estranged from their parents in order to determine eligibility for benefits; how many of those assessed (a) were and (b) were not accepted as estranged; how many such decisions were appealed; and how many such appeals were successful in each of the last five years. [193016]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 349W

Esther McVey: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Unemployed People: Social Rented Housing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he has to tackle worklessness among social housing tenants. [193504]

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus provides personalised support to help all unemployed people, including social housing tenants, into work. If claimants are at risk of long term unemployment, they are referred to tailored help offered by the Work programme.

Where Jobcentre Plus district managers identify gaps in skills or other provision they have discretion to work with partner organisations, like social landlords, to support the provision of extra help to meet particular needs.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on tackling worklessness among social housing tenants. [193507]

Esther McVey: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has met the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on a number of occasions and they have discussed a variety of issues.

Vacancies

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of zero-hours contract positions advertised in Jobcentre Plus in England in the last 12 months. [193443]

Esther McVey: We do not advertise in jobcentres, all vacancies are now advertised on Universal Jobmatch. JSA claimants are not required to apply for zero hour contract jobs and are not penalised if they leave such a job.

Work Capability Assessment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are currently awaiting work capability assessments. [186209]

Mike Penning: In May 2010 there were 225,000 cases with Atos Healthcare and as of 28 February 2014 there were around 766,000 outstanding cases awaiting work capability assessments being completed. This figure does not include cases yet to be referred to Atos or cases referred to Atos but where the claimant has yet to return the claimant questionnaire.

This includes:

(a) around 371,000 new claimants of employment and support allowance who should be receiving the assessment rate of the benefit;

(b) around 293,000 existing recipients of employment and support allowance awaiting a review; and

(c) around 102,000 existing incapacity benefit recipients awaiting reassessment.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 350W

This figure is based on operational management information received from Atos Healthcare and is rounded to the nearest thousand.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average waiting time for applicants for employment and support allowance is between submission of the ESA50 form and the date of the work capability assessment. [186212]

Mike Penning: The average time from submission of an ESA50 to the completion of a face-to-face work capability assessment (for both employment and support allowance and incapacity benefit reassessment), for the period from February 2013 to January 2014, was 64 working days.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people on the Work Programme with (a) no qualification, (b) a qualification below Level 2, (c) a qualification at Level 2 and (d) a qualification at Level 3, 4 or above secured a sustained job outcome within two years of starting on the programme. [193506]

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

Energy and Climate Change

All Party Groups

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups. [193555]

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 26 March 2014, Official Report, column 300W.

Energy: Meters

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the smart meter central delivery body to set out plans for assisting microbusinesses to use smart meters. [193679]

Gregory Barker: The Smart Meter Central Delivery Body intend to publish an updated Consumer Engagement Plan before the end of the year, where they will set out their plans for assisting microbusinesses.

Energy: Prices

Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his written statement of 11 March 2014, Official Report, columns 14-15WS, on EU Energy Council, what the evidential basis is for his statement that climate policy had had little impact on energy prices across Europe. [193273]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 351W

Gregory Barker: The written statement made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) on 11 March 2014 was based on evidence drawn from the European Commission Staff Working Document “Energy prices and costs in Europe” and the International Energy Agency report, “World Energy Outlook 2013”.

“Energy prices and costs in Europe” indicates that increases in network costs, taxes, and levies have contributed to rises in EU energy prices. However, the report also identifies that for 22 of the 27 member states surveyed, support for renewable electricity generation accounts for less than 10% of the household electricity price. It also finds a relatively small impact of the EU ETS carbon price on electricity retail prices either for industry or households.

The International Energy Agency report, “World Energy Outlook 2013”, concludes that the recent widening of the gap between EU and US energy prices is mainly as a result of the sharp drop in wholesale gas prices in the United States due to soaring shale gas production, an increase in oil indexed gas prices in other regions, and higher spot prices for liquefied natural gas.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce the effect of rises in rural and off-grid energy bills on the cost of living. [903328]

Gregory Barker: In addition to the £50 reduction in energy bills we have delivered, we are committed to helping the most vulnerable, including those in rural areas and off-grid. This year's Buy Oil Early campaign, coordinated by DECC, was launched by industry in September. DECC has also worked with industry and consumer representative organisations to provide guidance on forming oil buying clubs which will allow savings through bulk buying.

Making homes more energy efficient is vital in order to reduce energy bills. The Green Deal offers a way for homeowners to identify and pay for the most effective energy efficiency measures for their home, such as insulation and more efficient boilers.

Customers on a low income or in a hard-to-insulate property may be able get additional support through the energy company obligation. We are also currently consulting on changes to the energy company obligation that will drive greater delivery to off-gas households and make it easier for suppliers to deliver to rural areas.

Renewable heating systems allow off-gas grid householders to switch from more expensive fossil fuels. The launch of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive by Easter will provide payments to homeowners and help drive the uptake of such systems.

DECC is also working to ensure the fuel poverty strategy will reflect the needs of the most severely fuel poor in off-gas grid areas when it is published later this year.

Energy: Social Enterprises

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on the community energy sector of removing eligibility for Enterprise Investment Scheme awards from business qualifying for renewable obligation certificates. [193453]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 352W

Michael Fallon: Eligibility for the Enterprise Investment Scheme is a matter for HM Treasury who will be consulting stakeholders on the proposals in due course.

Lighting

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress he has made in negotiations with the European Commission on a derogation from the ban on the import or manufacture of incandescent bulbs; and if he will make a statement. [903331]

Gregory Barker: Responsibility for energy-using products policy, including negotiations for product-specific regulations under the ecodesign for energy-related products directive, was transferred from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 3 March 2014.

There are no provisions allowing the European Commission or individual member states to create exemptions from Regulation 244/2009, which phases out incandescent bulbs.

The UK has been proactive in pressing to ensure EU policy and legislation takes full account of the potential health implications of artificial lighting, and has raised the issue in two recent meetings in Brussels. EC regulation 244/2009 will be reviewed later this year and we will continue to press for potential health implications to be considered.

Cabinet Office

Conditions of Employment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of the figures for zero-hour contracts in the Labour Force Survey. [193442]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills asking what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of the figures for zero-hour contracts in the Labour Force Survey. (193442)

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) information on zero-hours contracts currently comes from a question regarding flexible working. People in employment are asked what variable working arrangements, if any, they have and to select from a list which has “zero-hours contract” as an option. The results from the LFS therefore depend on respondents recognising correctly their employment contract type.

To address this ONS is currently working to produce an employer based estimate of the number of jobs where the contract does not guarantee a minimum number of hours (sometimes referred to as “zero-hour contracts”). This will provide a robust estimate of the number of jobs with this type of contract.

At end April 2014 ONS plans to produce a comprehensive report, bringing together estimates from the employer based survey alongside data from the LFS, and considering the definitional differences that exist.

Alongside this ONS is also developing and testing new questions for the Labour Force Survey regarding the guaranteed contracted hours of employees, which will identify those who have no guaranteed hours. If testing is successful, the new questions will be introduced to the LFS from January 2015, as this is the month when annual changes are made to the LFS questionnaire.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 353W

Employment: Rossendale

Jake Berry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector. [193530]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector. (193530)

Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts definition and are not available for areas smaller than regions.

Table 1 shows the percentage of people in employment aged 16 years and over who were employed in the public or private sectors. Table 2 shows the number of people aged 16 years and over employed in the public and private sectors resident in Rossendale and Darwen constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2013 to December 2013, the latest period available.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

27 Mar 2014 : Column 354W

Ovarian Cancer: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many women in Warrington were (a) diagnosed with ovarian cancer and (b) had ovarian cancer listed as a cause of death in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [193340]

(2) how many and what proportion of women in (a) the UK and (b) the North West were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the last five years for which figures are available. [193396]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking the Secretary of State for Health:

1) How many women in Warrington were (a) diagnosed with ovarian cancer and (b) had ovarian cancer listed as a cause of death in each of the last five years for which figures are available [193340]

2) How many and what proportion of women in (a) the UK and (b) the North West were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the last five years for which figures are available. [193396].

The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2011. The latest available figures for deaths registrations are for the year 2012. Table 1 provides the number of (a) newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer, for the years 2007 to 2011, and (b) deaths with an underlying cause of ovarian cancer, for the years 2007 to 2012, for women in Warrington local authority. Six years of mortality data have been provided to present the most recent year available with the figures for the five years of incidence data available.

Table 2 provides (a) the number of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer and (b) the proportion (per cent) of the female population with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, for the years 2007 to 2011, for women in the North West and the United Kingdom.

The latest published figures on cancer incidence for the UK constituent countries are available on the following websites:

England:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html

Wales:

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=242&pid=70275

Scotland:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Female-Genital-Organ/#ovary

Northern Ireland:

http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerData/OnlineStatistics/Ovary/

27 Mar 2014 : Column 355W

Unemployment: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) 18 year olds and (b) people under 25 have been out of work for over a year; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last six years. [193505]

27 Mar 2014 : Column 356W

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Caron Walker, dated March 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) 18 year olds and (b) people under 25 have been out of work for over a year; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last six years. 193505

Estimates of unemployment by age are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The table provides estimates for period 2008 to 2013 for the number of people aged 25 and under who have been unemployed for over 12 months. Due to the small sample size, it is not possible to provide estimates for 18 year olds.

As with any sample survey, estimates from LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated by the guide to quality in the table.