Source: Association of Chief Police Officers (Does not include discharges for animal destruction or during police training).

Notes for tables:

1. Revised figures supplied for 2008/09 to 2011/12 by Metropolitan Police Service.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 49WS

2. Revised figures supplied for 2006/7 to 2011 /12 by West Yorkshire Police.

3. Revised figures supplied for 2010/11 by South Wales Police.

4. Cheshire did not record ARV operations for 2009/10.

5. Cleveland did not record ARV operations for 2011/12.

6. Revised figures supplied for 2011/12 by Metropolitan Police Service.

7. Revised figures supplied for 2006/7 to 2011/12 by West Yorkshire Police.

8. Revised figures supplied for 2010/11 to 2011/12 by South Wales Police.

9. Revised firearms discharge figure for 2010/11.

Source: Home Office Public Order Unit, based on information aggregated from figures provided by individual police forces as part of the Home Office annual data requirement. This was followed by a further quality assurance process involving the Home Office asking individual forces to verify and sign off their figures.

The information provided is a regular annual update of figures previously published and available on the Home Office website here:

http://tna.europarchive.org/20100419081706/http:/www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/firearms/index.html.

Home Office guidance to forces for providing these figures is contained within the booklet “Annual Data Requirement, Police Personnel and Performance Data, Notes for Guidance”. For the purpose of this statistical return AFOs are deemed to be deployed when “they are required to conduct a specific task during which their possession of a firearm (with appropriate authorisation) is a required element” (Chapter 3, paragraph 3.1 “ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms”).

In addition to the total number of operations, a further sub-category is required regarding those operations where the initial or sole response is by armed response vehicle (ARV).

Each incident will be classed as only one operation regardless of the number of personnel/deployments or tactics employed to deal with the incident.

Deployments also include those incidents where AFOs “self-authorise”.

The number of officers authorised to use firearms is at 31 March 2013.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mrs Theresa May): Section 19(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 (the Act) requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of every relevant three-month period on the exercise of her TPIM powers under the Act during that period.

The level of information provided will always be subject to slight variations based on operational advice.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 50WS

As Parliament is aware, one individual subject to a TPIM notice (Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed) absconded on 1 November. The TPIM notice against him was revoked during this reporting period.

Section 16 of the Act provides rights of appeal in relation to decisions taken by the Secretary of State under the Act. No appeals were lodged under section 16 during the reporting period. No judgments were handed down by the High Court in relation to appeals under section 16 of the Act.

The TPIM review group (TRG) keeps every TPIM notice under regular and formal review. The TRG has convened once during this reporting period.

Justice

Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information (Triennial Review)

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes): I am today announcing the triennial review of the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information (APPSI), an advisory non-departmental public body (NDPB).

Triennial reviews of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring, and improving, the accountability and effectiveness of public bodies.

The Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information (APPSI) is an advisory NDPB of the Ministry of Justice whose remit applies to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its role is to:

review and consider complaints under the reuse of public sector information regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No. 1515) and advise on the impact of the complaints procedures under those regulations;

advise Ministers on how to encourage and create opportunities in the information industry for greater reuse of public sector information; and

advise The National Archives and Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office—an official within The National Archives—about changes and opportunities in the information industry, so that the licensing of Crown copyright and public sector information is aligned with current and emerging developments.

The review will be conducted in accordance with Government guidance for reviewing NDPBs, and will focus on the core questions of effectiveness and good governance. It will be carried out in an open and transparent way, and interested stakeholders will be given the opportunity to contribute their views.

I shall announce the findings of the review in due course.

Balance of Competences (Review)

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling): I wish to inform both Houses that, further to the Foreign Secretary’s oral statement launching the review of the balance of competences in July 2012 and the written statements on the progress of the review in October 2012 and May 2013 the Ministry of Justice is launching its call for evidence in the area of information rights.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 51WS

The report will cover the European Union’s action in the area of information rights. It will focus on the specific information rights expressed by the treaties and cover two key areas: the protection of personal data, and access by individuals to public information.

The call for evidence period will last at least 12 weeks. The Ministry of Justice will draw together the evidence and policy analysis into a first draft, which will go through a process of scrutiny before publication, which is due to take place at the end of 2014.

The Ministry of Justice will take a rigorous approach to the collection and analysis of evidence. The call for evidence sets out the scope of the report and includes a series of broad questions on which contributors are asked to focus. Interested parties are invited to provide evidence in relation to the impact or effect of the competence in their area of expertise. The evidence received (subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act) will be published alongside the final report and will be available through the balance of competences review webpages on gov.uk.

The Department will pursue an active engagement process, consulting widely across Parliament and its relevant committees, business, civil society, the devolved Administrations and legal practitioners. Our EU partners and the EU institutions will also be invited to contribute evidence to the review. As the review is to be objective and evidence based, we will encourage the broadest possible range of interested parties to contribute.

The report will be a comprehensive, thorough and detailed analysis of EU action in this area that will aid our understanding of the nature of our EU membership; it will provide a constructive and serious contribution to the wider European debate about modernising, reforming and improving the EU. The report will not, however, produce specific policy recommendations.

I am placing this document and the call for evidence in the Libraries of both Houses. The call for evidence will also be available through the balance of competences review pages on gov.uk

Judicial Appointments Commission (Triennial Review)

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling): In March 2011 the Government responded to the Public Accounts Select Committee report “Smaller Government: Shrinking the Quango state” setting out the coalition’s plans for reforming the public bodies sector. It includes the requirement to undertake triennial reviews of Executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

The Judicial Appointments Commission is an independent commission that selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and for some tribunals whose jurisdiction extends to Scotland or Northern Ireland. It was established on 3 April 2006 as one of the major changes brought about by the Constitutional Reform Act (CRA) 2005, which also reformed the office of Lord Chancellor and established the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary of England and Wales.

To deliver the coalition Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability across our public bodies, the Judicial Appointments Commission will be

27 Mar 2014 : Column 52WS

subject to a triennial review. The Ministry of Justice, as the sponsoring Department, has today launched a consultation, which will last until 30 April 2014, inviting views. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, the review will consider the following:

the continuing need for the Judicial Appointments Commission—both its functions and its form; and

where it is agreed that it should remain, to review the control and governance arrangements in place to ensure that the public body is complying with recognised principles of good corporate governance.

In conducting the triennial review, officials will be engaging with a broad range of Judicial Appointments Commission stakeholders, including the Lord Chief Justice and the judiciary. The review will be aligned with guidance published by the Cabinet Office: “Guidance on Reviews of Non Departmental Public Bodies”. The final report and findings will be laid in this House.

Female Offenders

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes): As promised during Parliamentary passage of the Courts and Crime Act 2013, I am today publishing an update on the progress that has been made in delivering the Government’s strategic objectives for female offenders, which we published a year ago. These set out our intention to make sure that:

there are robust and effective sentencing options in the community;

services in the community address the specific needs of female offenders, where these differ from those of male offenders;

the women’s custodial estate is tailored to their needs; and

the transforming rehabilitation reforms support better life management to reduce women’s reoffending.

In the last year we have established a Minister-led advisory board on female offenders which brings together key stakeholders, criminal justice partners and senior officials across Government to provide expert support and challenge as we deliver our strategic objectives for female offenders. The board met formally four times last year and also held workshops with a focus on the women’s custodial estate reconfiguration and guidance for future service providers under our transforming rehabilitation reforms.

In October 2013, we published our response to the Justice Select Committee report, “Women Offenders: After the Corston Report” together with a review of the women’s custodial estate and a stocktake of community services available for female offenders.

Following the women’s custodial estate review, we have established a new dedicated team to oversee the care and supervision of a small number of women with complex needs in custody which aims to guarantee that these women benefit from the most appropriate interventions and regimes available for their particular needs.

In addition, we have put in place safeguards to make sure that the gender-specific needs of women are provided for as part of the transforming rehabilitation reforms. This included an amendment to the now Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 to make sure that contracts with future providers under transforming rehabilitation

27 Mar 2014 : Column 53WS

identify specific provision to meet the particular needs of female offenders. We have made available guidance to steer providers so that they understand the gender-specific needs of women. We have written into contracts that providers should give female offenders the option, where practicable, of a female-only interview space, female-only supervisors and not to be the only woman in an all male unpaid work group or attendance centre group.

In addition, I am pleased to announce today that, in partnership with the Clink Charity, we are going to expand the employment opportunities which we provide to female offenders. Subject to planning permission, we will open a restaurant at HMP/YOI Styal. Here, offenders will be employed to prepare and serve the food while working towards accreditation which is recognised in the industry. The restaurant will be run by the Clink Charity, which has successful restaurants already established in the men’s estate—at HMPs High Down, Cardiff and Brixton. A disused chapel has been identified as a suitable building for the restaurant within the grounds of HMP/YOI Styal and we are looking forward to opening the doors of the restaurant to the public in spring 2015. The Clink Charity and HMP Send are also developing a horticultural training project where the female prisoners will be growing speciality vegetables and salad. Starting in May 2014, the project will employ 20 women who will be trained to gain their NVQ City and Guilds qualifications in horticulture. The produce will be used within the Clink restaurants at HMP High Down and HMP Brixton.

Over coming months, we will continue to look at how we can create a better resettlement system for female prisoners which will help all those who want to do so, to serve their sentence as close as possible to where they will live on release which will increase opportunities to establish resettlement links with their local communities. With criminal justice partners in Greater Manchester we will continue to develop a new approach to female offenders in the criminal justice system which will refer women into community services at the earliest opportunity. We believe this model of working with female offenders can be extended to other parts of the country and we are supporting colleagues in Wales in developing a version of this work. To support this we will also continue to spread awareness of the gender specific needs of female offenders among criminal justice partners, including the development of a DVD in conjunction with the advisory board for circulation amongst police, judiciary and other front-line practitioners within the criminal justice system.

In the year ahead, we will continue to deliver our strategic objectives through the transforming rehabilitation programme. We will establish, throughout England and Wales, sustainable rehabilitation services appropriate for women in the community. We will also deliver changes to the custodial estate and, in particular, develop new open accommodation units at HM/YOIs Drake Hall and Styal and improve employment opportunities for female offenders across the estate.

We will improve opportunities for female prisoners to maintain important links with their families. We will continue to explore ways in which local police, courts and community services can work together to reduce the need for custodial solutions for female offenders. We will work with other Government Departments to make sure that more women find suitable housing at the

27 Mar 2014 : Column 54WS

time of their release. We will also work to understand better the drivers and solutions for women at risk of offending, including in particular those who engage in acquisitive crime and who may be under serious financial strain.

The full update can be found at: Advisory Board on Female Offenders—Policy advisory groups—gov.uk and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Transport

Executive Agencies

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond): I am pleased to announce the publication of the 2014-15 business plans for all of the Department for Transport’s Executive agencies—the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Vehicle Certification Agency (VGA), the Highways Agency (HA) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The business plans set out:

the services each agency will deliver and any significant changes they plan to make;

the resources they require; and,

the key performance indicators (KPIs) by which their performance will be assessed.

These plans allow service users and members of the public to assess how the agencies are performing in operating their key services, managing reforms and the agency finances.

The business plans will be available electronically on gov.uk and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses in due course.

Drug Driving

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Robert Goodwill): In May 2012 the Government introduced primary legislation to Parliament that would create a new offence of driving with a specified controlled drug in the body above the specified limit for that drug. The Crime and Courts Act 2013 inserted a new section 5A in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and sets out the framework for the new offence.

Regulations now need to be made to specify the drugs to be included in the legislation and the limits to be specified. I have today published the summary of responses to the two consultations which sought views on these regulations.

The summary concludes that overall there is support for the Government’s proposed approach and I intend to lay regulations in Parliament on this basis.

However, the Government have also concluded that there are significant concerns on the proposed limit for amphetamine. I have therefore asked my officials to reconsider the limit for this drug, with a view to consulting again later in the year and including the new limit in further regulations at a subsequent date.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 55WS

By taking this approach to the new offence our roads will be safer by making it easier for the police to tackle those who drive after taking illegal drugs and clarifying the position for those who take medication.

Copies of the summary of responses will be laid in the Libraries of both Houses.

Extension of Crossrail

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond): I am pleased to inform the House that following agreement with the Mayor of London, my co-sponsor on the Crossrail project, it is now intended that Crossrail services will be extended to serve Reading from 2019. This marks a change in Crossrail’s western terminus, which was previously Maidenhead.

My Department has worked closely with Transport for London, Crossrail Ltd and Network Rail to determine the best use of capacity on the Great Western line. This work has considered how to maximise capacity on the route while ensuring Crossrail services can operate efficiently enabling the best possible overall mix of passenger and freight services on this highly congested part of the national rail network.

The decision to extend Crossrail services to Reading will achieve this while also offering greater flexibility for future timetabled services. Once Crossrail services begin across the whole line in 2019, passengers travelling to London from Reading and the other Thames valley stations will be able to travel to more destinations across London without the need to change at Paddington.

Once operational, Crossrail services are expected to serve Maidenhead on a four trains per hour basis as originally planned, with two of these services continuing to Reading via Twyford.

In addition, the planned future Great Western franchise service pattern from Reading to London will not change. Twice hourly semi-fast services and existing fast mainline services will continue, calling at the same stations as today.

Passengers will continue to benefit from the service frequency enjoyed today between Reading and Hayes and Harlington, maintaining connectivity with Heathrow and to Ealing Broadway, for interchanges with the Central and District lines.

The Reading extension will also generate some cost savings from reduced infrastructure enhancements at Maidenhead and Slough, and only minor works will be required at Twyford and Reading to accommodate Crossrail services.

When fully operational, Crossrail will boost London’s rail-based capacity by 10%, connecting Reading and Heathrow in the west and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, through 21 km of newly built twin tunnels under central London. Transport for London will run Crossrail as part of its integrated transport services.

Northern Direct Award

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond): Today I have announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a new directly awarded franchise agreement with Northern Rail Ltd. Northern Rail will continue to run passenger rail services on the Northern franchise for a period of 22 months, from the

27 Mar 2014 : Column 56WS

end of the current franchise on 1 April, to the start of services on the new competed franchise, expected in February 2016.

The five passenger transport Executives in the region are cosignatories to this agreement and are continuing to work in partnership with Government on the management of services and the specification for the new franchise.

The Northern franchise serves some of the country’s biggest cities including Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The new agreement sets challenging new targets for passenger satisfaction, punctuality and reliability, which will see continued improvement in the services provided to passengers, at reduced cost to the taxpayer.

This award is a key step in securing the benefits to passengers from the north of England investment programme, which will see substantial Government investment over the next five years. This programme includes the electrification of a large part of the network, which will allow for cleaner, quicker and more reliable journeys for passengers.

Traffic Commissioners (Triennial Review)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond): I am today announcing the start of a review of the traffic commissioners. Triennial reviews are part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that non-departmental public bodies continue to have regular independent challenge, including to their objectives and governance.

In the case of the traffic commissioners, the review will also contribute to delivering the Government’s response, published last October to the Transport Select Committee’s inquiry into the work of the Vehicle and Operating Standards Agency—which has since become part of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. I have sought and considered stakeholder views about the review’s coverage.

This is planned to be an in-depth review of the traffic commissioners, involving an independent consultant. I will inform the House of the outcome of the review when it is completed.

Work and Pensions

Atos

The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mike Penning): The previous Government appointed Atos the sole provider for carrying out work capability assessments in 2008. Since this Government inherited the contract to deliver the work capability assessment, we have been committed to a process of continuous improvement.

When this Government took over responsibility for the work capability assessment we were concerned about the nature of the contract and the process we inherited from the previous Government. We immediately identified the need for considerable improvements and we undertook a series of reviews to improve the balance. When I took over responsibility, I decided to build on the work identified by my predecessors who engaged Professor Harrington, a respected occupational physician, to

27 Mar 2014 : Column 57WS

undertake the initial independent review. We have taken forward the recommendations from the three Harrington reviews and these have significantly improved the assessment. Today I am pleased to announce we are publishing our response to the first review by his successor Doctor Litchfield.

My commitment to performance is why my Department took immediate action last summer when we identified significant quality failures in the written reports produced by Atos following assessments.

Today I am announcing that following detailed negotiations with Atos, the Government have reached a settlement for Atos to exit the contract to deliver work capability assessments before it is due to end in August 2015.

I am pleased to confirm that Atos will not receive a single penny of compensation from the taxpayer for the early termination of their contract. Quite the contrary, I can also confirm that Atos has made a substantial financial settlement to the Department for Work and Pensions.

It is important to outline that we have learnt from the mistakes of the last contract agreed by the previous Government. We have negotiated an agreement covering the remaining term that is more robust, with an agreed performance regime that gives us confidence delivery goals will be achieved. It is that same commercial rigour that will underpin the new procurement for these services that I am announcing today.

I will shortly be issuing a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking a new provider to deliver health and disability assessments including work capability assessments. My Department will now withdraw the notice issued in the Official Journal of the European Union last September.

To ensure protection for claimants and a smooth transition, I believe the most effective way to stabilise and then increase delivery is to bring in one national provider to deliver the work capability assessment, initially using elements of the Atos infrastructure. In the longer term, I am committed to moving to multiple providers to increase competition. My Department is committed to learning the lessons from these past failures and ensuring they are reflected in the design and management of future contracts, as well as the Department’s own commercial capability.

The plan is for the new contract to be awarded later this year, with a view to the new provider taking responsibility for delivery of work capability assessments by 2015. It is expected that the transfer of undertakings protection of employment regulations will apply and most of the Atos employees will transfer to the new provider. The new provider should therefore be able to step into the contract without disrupting the service. My absolute priority for the new provider will be to deliver the best service possible for claimants, increase the volume of assessments carried out and reduce waiting times. In the meantime, we will focus on delivery of assessments for those making new claims and those who have changes in their condition.

Atos is announcing today that the company will be withdrawing from delivery of work capability assessments in Great Britain (Atos will continue to deliver these assessments under its separate contract in Northern Ireland). Atos will continue to deliver personal independence payment assessments in two regions of Great Britain.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 58WS

Atos will continue to deliver work capability assessments until contract exit and will be subject to a rigorous quality and service credit regime. To that end, I am appointing a remedial advisory team to work with the Atos health care management during this period to assist Atos in meeting their contractual obligations, ahead of awarding the contract to a new provider. This is being accomplished with the full co-operation of Atos who will meet all related costs.

There is strong evidence that work is good for physical and mental well-being, and that being out of work can contribute to poorer health and other negative outcomes. While we will always support people who genuinely cannot work, this Government are committed to getting as many people as possible into work. Notwithstanding the considerable improvements that we have had to make to the work capability assessment process we inherited, our reforms mean that over 650,000 people are now looking for, or preparing for, work. I am committed to ensuring that the assessments are fair and accurate and, together with robust contract management, the recommendations made by Dr Litchfield in his independent review will help us continue to improve the work capability assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mike Penning): The Government will be publishing today the response to the fourth independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA).

Dr Paul Litchfield carried out the review, and I welcome his findings. In carrying out his review Dr Litchfield gathered a range of evidence to provide invaluable insight into how the WCA is working.

I strongly support the principle of the work capability assessment and am committed to continuously improving the assessment process to ensure it is as fair and as accurate as possible—Dr Litchfield’s recommendations allow us to build on improvements already made to the assessment to achieve this aim.

Government have accepted or accepted with certain caveats all but one of the 32 recommendations that fall within the scope of DWP. As a result of Dr Litchfield’s recommendations we will:

Carry out a full impact assessment into the alternative approach of decision-maker triage outlined by Dr Litchfield;

Continue work already begun with the British Medical Association (BMA) to develop and co-design a new ESA113 for the collection of further medical evidence; and

Comprehensively review all letter and forms—including the ESA50 form—used in the WCA process.

As announced on 6 March, Official Report, column 67WS, I am delighted that Dr Litchfield has agreed to lead the fifth and final independent review of the WCA and I look forward to receiving his findings before the end of 2014.

Finally, the Government response to Dr Litchfield’s review also sets out what we will do as a result of the evidence-based review of the WCA descriptors.

The evidence-based review did not provide evidence that changes to the WCA descriptors would significantly improve the overall assessment. However, the findings do indicate that it might be possible to make practical improvements to the assessment process.

27 Mar 2014 : Column 59WS

As such we intend to build on the experience of using a semi-structured interview topic guide during the evidence-based review and examine the possibility of health care

27 Mar 2014 : Column 60WS

professionals carrying out face-to-face assessments using prompts from a topic guide in WCA discussions with claimants generally.