Government Departments: Internet
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to incentivise departmental officials to bring old Government data sets online in accessible formats. [193287]
Mr Maude: The UK has been recognised as the international leader in data transparency. During our presidency of the G8 in 2013 we led Members to commit to publishing data openly by default as a matter of principle through the Open Data Charter.
Departments are engaging the public and special interest groups about the most important data held by Government (whether old or new); publishing open data strategies and reporting to Parliament on progress on a quarterly basis.
Those data sets that are judged to have the most significant economic and social impact we refer to as the national information infrastructure, and are our priority for making available and accessible.
Government Procurement Service
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to encourage the Government Procurement Service to adopt (a) UN Global Compact and (b) ILO standards; and if he will make a statement. [193994]
Mr Hurd: This Government's procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money, which means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of the project.
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires commissioners to consider the economic, environmental and social benefits of their approaches to procurement before the process starts, at the pre-procurement stage.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 457W
Wider socio-economic criteria can be taken into account at tender evaluation stage if they relate directly to the subject matter of a contract from the point of view of the contracting authority.
Minimum Wage
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the annual survey of hours and earnings published on 12 December 2013, if he will estimate the number and proportion of (a) men and (b) women in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time work in each (A) local authority area and (B) parliamentary constituency earning the national minimum wage in April 2013 defined as (1) adults aged 21 years and over earning less than £6.24, (2) youths (aged 18 to 20) earning less than £5.03 and (3) 16 to 17 year olds earning less than £3.73. [193516]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated March 2014:
On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the annual survey of hours and earnings, published on 12 December 2013, if he will estimate the number and proportion of (a) men and (b) women in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time work in each (A) local authority area and(B) parliamentary constituency earning the national minimum wage in April 2013 defined as (1) adults aged 21 years and over earning less than £6.24, (2) youths (aged 18 to 20) earning less than £5.03 and (3) 16 to 17 year olds earning less than £3.73. (193516)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Hourly levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose earnings for the survey pay period were not affected by absence. However, estimates for the number and proportion of national minimum wage jobs at the sub-Regional geographies defined above are not available from ASHE for reasons of quality.
Related information is available in the National Minimum Wage Low Pay Commission Report 2014, which contains some estimates for minimum wage jobs, as defined above, by Regions, gender and full-time/part-time:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_ LPC_Report_2014.pdf
Ovarian Cancer: Brigg
Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of women in Brigg and Goole constituency were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in each of the last five years. [193908]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated March 2014:
On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of women in Brigg and Goole constituency were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in each of the last five years [193908].
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2011. Table 1 provides the number of (a) newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer, and (b) the proportion
31 Mar 2014 : Column 458W
(per cent) of the female population with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, for the years 2007 to 2011, for women in Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency.
The latest published figures on cancer incidence for England are available in the following link:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html
| Table 1: Number of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer and the percentage of the female population with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency 2007 to 20111, 2, 3, 4 | |||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| 1 Cancer of the ovary is coded as C56 (Malignant neoplasm of ovary), according to the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10). 2 Cancer incidence figures are based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. 3 Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2014 and exclude non-residents. 4 Percentages are calculated using mid-year population estimates for Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) | |||||
Personal Savings
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average personal savings in each year from 2010 to 2013. [193745]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated March 2014:
On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average personal savings in each year from 2010 to 2013 (193745).
The Office for National Statistics does collect information on the personal savings of households and individuals from the Wealth and Assets Survey; a longitudinal study of the economic circumstances of households in Great Britain. However, currently only data pertaining to the first two waves of the survey (2006/08 and 2008/10) are available. The main findings for the period 2010/12 will be published in May 2014.
Table 1 below presents gross financial wealth for eligible adults for the years 2006/08 and 2008/10.
| Table 1: Estimated gross financial wealth1 of individuals2: Great Britain, 2006/08 and 2008/103 | |
| Median (£) | |
| 1 Gross financial wealth for individuals includes any formal financial assets held such as: current accounts in credit, savings accounts, ISAs, fixed-term investment bonds, unit trusts, shares, saving bonds and gilts, life insurance; plus any informal financial assets such as monies either loaned or saved with friends and family. It does not include endowments associated with a mortgage as this is only collected at a household level. 2 Includes eligible adults only i.e. those over the age of 16 and not in full-time education. 3 The distribution of wealth is highly skewed. Therefore, the median is a better measure of average. The mean, which provides the arithmetic average, is likely to be influenced by high values so it does not reflect the experience of most individuals and is therefore not presented within the table. Note: The figures quoted are estimates and are based on a responding sample of 54,951 individuals at wave one and 36,218 at wave two. Source: Wealth and Assets Survey, Office for National Statistics. | |
31 Mar 2014 : Column 459W
International Development
Afghanistan
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of risk experienced by female human rights defenders in Afghanistan; and what arrangements are in place to support their work and create a safer environment. [193460]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East (Mr Brown), on 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 398W.
Africa
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what commitments the UK has to support people with learning disabilities in Africa. [193406]
Lynne Featherstone: Learning difficulties are just one of many different types of disability that DFID supports through its overseas programmes. The UK does not have a separate commitment around this.
For example, as highlighted in the recent DFID education position paper, DFID is committed to ensuring that all children are able to complete a full cycle of quality education and is increasingly focusing on the most marginalised, including those children with disabilities. For example, in Zimbabwe, through UNICEF, DFID is supporting 32 special schools nationwide to provide technical equipment for visual and hearing impaired, physically and mentally challenged and children with speech and language difficulties. In Ethiopia, through the General Education Quality Improvement Programme, DFID provides larger grants to schools which have a higher percentage of children with special educational needs.
Developing Countries: Abortion
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the contribution of the Prime Minister of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 781, what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in the next six months to ensure that UK aid is not used to facilitate or procure gender-based abortions; and if she will make a statement. [193296]
Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government do not promote or support abortion on the grounds of gender alone. Our work on girls' education, women's empowerment, skills and jobs aims to increase the ‘value' of girls and women in society and therefore tackle the pressures and incentives that drive preferences for male children.
In 1994 over 180 states including the UK, signed the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, agreeing to “eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child”. To this end, we support and will continue to support Governments' efforts to prevent sex selective abortion. We do this through our own reproductive health programmes, and through key partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
31 Mar 2014 : Column 460W
Developing Countries: Forests
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2014, Official Report, columns 187-88W on developing countries: forests, in which of her Department's sponsored projects afforestation is used to minimise the risk of flooding. [193374]
Lynne Featherstone: DFID does not fund any projects which have a primary aim of using afforestation to minimise the risk of flooding.
Some DFID projects involve afforestation that may have a secondary effect of minimising flooding. For example, DFID is supporting upland communities in Nepal to reforest slopes above their villages. This provides important benefits to local livelihoods and also reduces the risks of flooding and landslides.
Developing Countries: Sanitation
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children's Fund report entitled Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea; and whether she intends to take the steps recommended in this report to support integrated healthcare solutions, incorporating water, sanitation and hygiene strategies. [193676]
Lynne Featherstone: The report outlines a clear action plan for preventing and controlling pneumonia and diarrhoea. The UK's approach is in line with this plan. Overall the UK provides £1 billion in bilateral health aid. This supports targeted, cost-effective interventions, delivered through strengthened, more efficient and effective health systems in a total of 34 countries. In addition the UK aims to tackle the broader determinants of health such as water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition. DFID has a target to reach 60 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene interventions by December 2015, recognising that the benefits from these are multiplied when delivered through an integrated approach.
Palestinians
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what processes are in place to ensure that (a) individuals and (b) non-governmental organisations in the Palestinian Territories receiving UK aid payments are not associated with terrorist organisations. [193825]
Mr Duncan: There are comprehensive safeguards in place to ensure UK money is not used to benefit terrorist organisations, either directly or indirectly. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories we work with trusted partners including the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which regularly checks staff names, suppliers and other payees against a recognised database of names of persons listed as being associated with terrorist organisations. All our partners commit to taking appropriate steps to ensure that the funds we provide are not used to provide assistance to, or otherwise support, terrorists or terrorist organisations, in full compliance with UK and EU anti-terror legislation.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 461W
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) whether any Palestinian Authority civil servant has been refused UK aid payments on the grounds of links with terrorist organisations; [193984]
(2) what processes are in place to ensure Palestinian Authority civil servants in receipt of UK aid payments are not associated with terrorist organisations and have no previous record of terror offences. [193826]
Mr Duncan: The UK only supports salaries of Palestinian civil servants on the EU's list of vetted beneficiaries who meet strict eligibility criteria and are not linked to terrorist organisations. Recipients are taken from an EU list of eligible civil servants. The EU regularly checks all names on the list against a recognised database of persons listed as being associated with terrorist organisations.
South Sudan
Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Jonglei and the Upper Nile in South Sudan; and what steps she is taking to support those who are being displaced or affected by the conflict. [193318]
Lynne Featherstone: The humanitarian situation in South Sudan remains extremely serious. There are rising humanitarian needs, but access constraints, including active hostilities, continue to hamper the humanitarian response in some areas. DFID has provided direct funding to NGOs operating in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, to provide shelter, water and sanitation facilities and emergency medical care; and also funded emergency logistics to airlift aid works and humanitarian supplies to those in need across the country. The World Food Programme has started airdrops of food supplies this week to both Jonglei and Upper Nile states, in sites with high concentrations of people.
The UK has so far committed £12.5 million of new funding to the response since December 2013, and redirected £19 million of earlier commitments to be reprioritised to the crisis. We are reviewing with the humanitarian country team and donors on the ground how to best reach and support the displaced populations, particularly in difficult to reach areas and within the current security context.
Special Olympics
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department has given to Special Olympic projects in the last five years. [193315]
Lynne Featherstone: DFID has not provided support for any special Olympic projects in the last five years.
West Africa
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to improve the capacity of governments and civil society in the west African coastal region to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and protect local artisanal fishing. [193478]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 462W
Lynne Featherstone: DFID supports the International Partnership for African Fisheries Governance and Trade (PAF), a programme led by the African Union. It aims to improve how fisheries are managed throughout Africa and to tackle problems such as illegal fishing.
The programme has helped to set up the ‘Stop Illegal Fishing’ (SIF) initiative. The SIF website is now a major source of information and news used by African countries on the issue. One of the activities SIF has supported in West Africa has been to work with the fishing industry in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to develop a regional agreement against illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to support (a) creative, (b) film, (c) music and (d) video games industries. [190855]
Mr Vaizey: Government are committed to working with the creative industries, primarily through the Creative Industries Council, to further boost their economic worth. Examples of support include creative content tax reliefs: last year Government introduced new tax reliefs for the animation and high end TV production sectors, a tax relief to support video games production will be introduced pending EU state aid clearance. At autumn statement 2013 the Government also announced a package of changes to the existing Film Tax Relief to support the sector and its cultural and economic contribution, subject to state aid approval.
Specific Government initiatives for the music industry include the £2.5 million Music Export Growth Scheme, announced in September 2013 and funded by UKTI.
Government also support the creative sectors through funding for arm’s length bodies including the Sector Skills Councils, the BFI and the Arts Council of England. For example, Government are providing an additional £16 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for Creative Skillset to match fund skills initiatives in the film, television, animation, visual effects and video games sectors. The Arts Council is providing funding to the music industry through a range of programmes, including the £500,000 Momentum Music Fund which helps sustain and develop the careers of talented emerging artists and bands. In total, the Arts Council will invest around £70 million a year in music organisations up until 2015.
Betting Shops
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on changes to planning regulations relating to betting shops and changes of use for business premises; and if she will make a statement. [193728]
Mrs Grant: The Government are undertaking a policy review of gambling, which will report before Easter. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I have consulted with Ministers from a number of different Departments as part of this review.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 463W
Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government plan to ratify the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. [193466]
Mr Vaizey: The UK Government are currently considering the recently published Impact Review on the 2001 UNESCO Convention and a decision on whether we should review our position will then be made.
Cycling
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department makes available to allow non-elite disabled cyclists to acquire specialist sporting equipment. [193574]
Mrs Grant: Sport England's Get Equipped fund is investing £1.1 million into 141 community sports clubs to provide specialist sports equipment for disabled people. This includes £107,490 invested into specialist cycling equipment across 12 projects.
Direct Selling
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's fourth report of Session 2013-14 on Nuisance Calls, HC 636. [190995]
Mr Vaizey: We will shortly provide a substantive response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee's recommendations and conclusions, which were set out in their report of 5 December 2013.
Football
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will hold the first meeting of the working party to discuss the future of football governance; and if she will make a statement. [193729]
Mrs Grant: A proposal from Supporters Direct for an expert group on supporter ownership in football is under consideration by Government and the football authorities, including terms of reference and timeframes of any resulting work in the area.
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Government departments will be represented on the working party to discuss the future of football governance; and if she will make a statement. [193730]
Mrs Grant: All aspects of a potential expert group on supporter ownership in football are under consideration, including suitable Government representation on the group.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 464W
Gaming Machines
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on her Department's reviews of regulation of fixed odds betting terminals; and if she will make a statement. [193290]
Mrs Grant: The Government are undertaking a policy review of gambling, which is considering the regulation of category B2 gaming machines. This will report before Easter.
Public Libraries
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on support for community-run libraries. [193592]
Mr Vaizey: No guidance has been issued by the Department, however, the Arts Council England and the Local Government Association publication ‘Community Libraries research Learning from experience: guiding principles for local authorities' (January 2013) identified factors which local authorities might find helpful when considering how best to design and manage their own library services. In addition, Locality, a registered charity that receives funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government, provides an online platform and resource for the community library network, bringing together advice and guidance, peer networking and access to a range of resources and remote support.
Religious Broadcasting
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the BBC Trust on the BBC's exercise of its responsibilities to provide religious broadcasting. [193545]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with the BBC Trust about religious broadcasting. Under the terms of its Charter and Agreement the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government.
Special Olympics Great Britain
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding Special Olympics Great Britain has received from her Department in each of the last five years. [193353]
Mrs Grant: Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) received the following sums from Sport England during the past five years
| Award (£) | Programme | |
31 Mar 2014 : Column 465W
Sports: Learning Disability
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions are in place as part of the Government's Olympic Legacy commitments for people with learning disabilities. [193316]
Mrs Grant: A key part of the legacy from London 2012 is securing lasting benefits for disabled people, and this includes people with learning disabilities. The key aims of the legacy for disabled people were set out in “London 2012: a Legacy for Disabled People”, a report published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Office for Disability Issues in April 2011, which outlined the key legacy opportunities from the Olympic and Paralympic games for disabled people. These key aims were to:
support opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity;
promote community engagement through the games;
transform the perception of disabled people in society.
Sport England have provided funding to Mencap Sport/Special Olympics GB to help them support and guide governing bodies as they create opportunities for people with learning disabilities, and to help deliver the Special Olympics summer games. 42 out of 46 National Governing Bodies funded by Sport England have specific targets for the participation of disabled people.
The recently launched campaign to secure a physical activity legacy from the games, “Moving More, Living More” aims to promote physical activity for all, and specifically highlights the importance of interventions and opportunities to help disabled people become more active.
The Paralympic Legacy Advisory Group has been established by Government and the Mayor of London to bring fresh insight, challenge and new ideas to ensure that the legacy for all disabled people is as strong as possible. This group is made up of representatives from disabled people's user-led organisations, leading disability charities, Paralympians, broadcasters and business.
Tourism
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she plans to take to promote tourism in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) the UK. [193211]
Mrs Grant: This Government are doing much to promote tourism in both North Yorkshire and the UK as a whole. North Yorkshire will benefit from a number of thematic campaigns currently being run by VisitEngland which can be found at
http://www.visitengland.com/
North Yorkshire will also feature in VisitBritain's forthcoming Countryside is GREAT campaign.
For the UK as a whole, VisitEngland's Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign, has been launched and will be shown on mainstream terrestrial channels from 1 April 2014. The GREAT campaign, led by VisitBritain, showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer in order to encourage the world to visit, study and do
31 Mar 2014 : Column 466W
business with the UK. VisitBritain also do a number of specific and bespoke campaigns to encourage overseas visitors to the UK. These can be found at
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/EN/
Treasury
Annuities
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes announced in the 2014 Budget Statement on the price of annuities; and if he will make a statement. [193587]
Mr Gauke: At Budget, the Government announced significant reforms to the pensions market, giving people greater choice about how to access their defined contribution pension savings. The Government expect the change to the pensions market to stimulate innovation and new competition in the retirement income market. This new flexibility will help consumers choosing to buy an annuity to get a better deal in a much more competitive market place.
The shape of the market will be driven by the choices consumers make, placing power back into the hands of savers. As retirement changes, many people may opt to buy an annuity later in life, allowing them to benefit from higher annuity rates or at a time that better suits their individual circumstances.
The Government are currently consulting on these reforms, and intends to respond to the consultation before the summer recess.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to protect those who wish to take out an annuity against a significant deterioration in the annuity market reducing the pool of resources and both raising the cost of annuities and reducing their rate of return. [193898]
Mr Gauke: At Budget, the Government announced significant reforms to the pensions market, giving people greater choice about how to access their defined contribution pension savings. For many people, purchasing an annuity will remain the best way to secure an income in retirement.
Rather, the new flexibility will help consumers choosing to buy an annuity to get a better deal in a much more competitive market place. The Government expect the change to the pensions market to stimulate innovation and new competition in the retirement income market. The shape of the market will now be driven by the choices consumers make, placing power back into the hands of savers.
As retirement changes, many people may, for example, opt to buy an annuity later in life, allowing them to benefit from higher annuity rates or at a time that better suits their individual circumstances.
Assets: Russia
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the value of Russian financial assets held in the UK; [193415]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 467W
(2) what estimate he has made of the value of UK financial assets held in Russia. [193414]
Sajid Javid: Consolidated external claims and unused commitments of UK-owned monetary financial institutions (excluding central bank) and their branches and subsidiaries worldwide are available from the Bank of England website,
www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/Documents/bankstats/current/tabc4.2.xls
External business of monetary financial institutions operating in the UK are also available, from
www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/Documents/bankstats/current/tabc3.2.xls
These include data about the UK financial sector's claims on and liabilities to Russia. No equivalent official data is available for Russian firms' assets and liabilities in respect of the UK.
Aviation
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the amount allocated to the regional air connectivity fund in line 37 of Table 2.1 of Budget 2014 is £10 million per annum and the increase in funding listed at paragraph 2.42 for that fund is £20 million per annum. [193327]
Nicky Morgan: The Government announced a £10 million per annum regional air connectivity fund at the 2013 spending round. At the Budget the Government increased this by £10 million per annum to double the size of the fund to £20 million per annum.
Aviation: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on extending the scope of the existing Regional Air Connectivity Fund. [193664]
Danny Alexander: We announced in the Budget that the Regional Air Connectivity Fund will be increased to £20 million per year, and extended to include the provision of start-up aid for new routes from regional airports. This support will be available to airports in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.
As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all meetings and discussions. But I regularly meet with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth to discuss matters that are relevant to Scotland.
Children: Day Care
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision he has made in funding for the tax-free child care scheme beyond 2015 for increased take up from child care resulting from maternal employment. [192992]
Nicky Morgan: Information on the behavioural effects accounted for in the expenditure of tax-free child care can be found in the Budget 2014 policy costings document:
31 Mar 2014 : Column 468W
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293740/PU1638_policy_costings_ budget_2014.pd
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with Atos and employers providing workplace-based child care before the announcement of his policy on tax relief for child care. [193517]
Nicky Morgan: As part of the process of policy development Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders.
As was the practice with the previous Administration, the Government do not disclose the details of these meetings.
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the effects of the introduction of tax relief on child care on existing employer-provided child care schemes in each of the next four financial years. [193535]
Nicky Morgan: Delivering tax-free child care: the Government’s response to the consultation on design and operation confirmed that employer-supported child care (child care vouchers and directly-contracted child care) will be closed to new entrants when tax-free child care is introduced. Parents who already receive support through that scheme will be able to continue receiving support for as long as they continue to be employed by their current employer, and the employer continues to offer the scheme. Workplace nurseries will not be affected by the changes.
The document can be viewed at:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tax-free-childcare
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the administration costs of the introduction of tax relief on child care in each of the next four financial years. [193536]
Nicky Morgan: Information on how the cost of managing child care accounts in tax-free child care can be found in the Budget 2014 policy costings document, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293740/PU1638_policy_costings _budget_2014.pdf
Coinage
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment has made of the overall cost to the economy of conversion to the new £1 coin; [193131]
(2) what assessment he has made of the cost to the vending sector of converting all vending machines to accept the new £1 coin; [193130]
(3) what assessment he has made of the cost to the gaming industry of converting all video games machines, slot machines and other arcade machines to accept the new £1 coin; [193129]
(4) if he will make funding available to help the (a) retail sector, (b) gaming industry and (c) vending machine operators meet the cost of the introduction of the new £1 coin; [193128]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 469W
(5) what assessment he has made of the cost to the telecommunications industry of converting all telephone boxes to accept the new £1 coin; and if he will make funding available to this industry to help meet such costs; [193027]
(6) what assessment he has made of the cost to (a) local authorities and (b) other parking operators of converting all ticket machines and meters to accept the new £1 coin; and if he will make funding available to help meet such costs; [193026]
(7) what assessment he has made of the cost to the retail sector of converting all shopping trolley anti-theft guards to accept the new £1 coin. [193025]
Nicky Morgan: The Budget announced that the existing £1 coin will be replaced with a more modern and secure design. After 30 years in circulation, the current coin has become vulnerable to counterfeiting.
There will be a public consultation this summer that will focus on how to manage impacts on industry and other affected parties. The Government are committed to working with these organisations to minimise costs and disruption.
The Government plan for the new coin to be introduced in 2017. This timeline was decided expressly to allow industry three years to plan for the change.
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation process is being held on the new £1 coin; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such a consultation includes representation from all parts of the country, charities and other non-industry groups. [193321]
Nicky Morgan: The Budget announced that the Government will introduce a new, highly secure £1 coin.
The Treasury will undertake a public consultation in the summer focusing on managing impacts on industry and other affected parties. The consultation will be open to views from all parts of the country and all stakeholders. More details of the consultation process will be published in due course.
Credit Unions
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many credit unions were operating in the UK in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [193285]
Sajid Javid: The Government do not hold information on the numbers of credit unions operating in the UK. The data are held by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Currencies
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to support the development of virtual currency exchanges in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [193416]
Sajid Javid:
The Government are working with the broader financial technology industry to identify the barriers to entry and growth that financial technology
31 Mar 2014 : Column 470W
businesses in the UK experience and to identify potential ways for lowering them. Virtual currency exchanges have been involved in this work.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the risk of virtual currencies facilitating money laundering and other financial offences. [193417]
Sajid Javid: We are engaging with law enforcement and others across Whitehall to assess the exact nature of financial crime risks posed by virtual currencies. We are also working with international bodies on the issue, such as the Financial Action Task Force.
Financial Services
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulatory standards he plans to put in place to ensure people have access to high quality financial advice. [193280]
Sajid Javid: At Budget 2014, the Government announcement that all those retiring with a defined contribution pension pot will be offered free and impartial face-to-face guidance at the point of retirement.
The Government have asked the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), working closely with the Pensions Regulator and the Department for Work and Pensions, to co-ordinate the development of robust standards for this guidance and a framework for monitoring compliance. In developing these standards the FCA will work in partnership with consumer groups, the Pensions Advisory Service, and the Money Advice Service.
The Government are now consulting on how this guarantee is best delivered through its consultation document, ‘Freedom and Choice in Pensions', available here:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freedom-and-choice-in-pensions
Gift Aid
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much gift aid was reclaimed by charities in (a) 2009 and (b) 2013. [193744]
Nicky Morgan: HMRC publishes data on repayments of gift aid to charities in table 10.1 of its National Statistics at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/256802/table10-1.pdf
Housing: Taxation
Mr Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether flats will be liable for the possible introduction of a levy on higher value homes. [193787]
Mr Gauke: The Government do not intend to introduce a new levy on higher value homes.
Income Tax
Mr Gordon Brown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish, using the 2011-12 data for higher rate taxpayers, how many and what proportion
31 Mar 2014 : Column 471W
of the taxpaying population were in each taxpaying category in each region and nation of the UK; and what tax receipts accrued to the Exchequer from each such group in the last year for which data are available. [193030]
Mr Gauke: The information is given in the following table.
Insolvency: Civil Proceedings
John Glen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of how much will be collected annually by HM Revenue and Customs through successful insolvency litigation with the use of damages-based agreements. [193369]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 472W
Mr Gauke: No estimate of the amount that will be collected annually under these agreements has been made.
John Glen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to HM Revenue and Customs of the reforms to insolvency litigation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. [193370]
Mr Gauke: No estimate of the annual cost to HM Revenue and Customs has been made.
John Glen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs collected following successful insolvency litigation cases in each year since 2010. [193371]
Mr Gauke: HMRC does not define whether insolvency litigation is a success or not purely in terms of what is collected. There are a number of other reasons for embarking on such action, for instance compliance and the protection of other creditors. HMRC does not hold information in the format requested.
Investment Trusts
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government have taken to ensure that investment trusts are excluded from legislation on packaged retail investment products presently being considered by the European Parliament. [193988]
Sajid Javid: The Packaged Retail Investment Products (PRiPs) Regulation will create a standardised disclosure document, called a Key Information Document, that will apply to all PRIPs manufactured in Europe regardless of the legal form (with the exception of UCITS, which have their own regime). This will create a level playing field for investment products and make it easier for investors to compare substitutable products. Since investment trusts companies are substitutable with other packaged retail investment products, the Government support their inclusion in the regulation. The Government have however advocated a transitional exemption for those investment trust companies which have recently adopted the disclosure regime designed for UCITS.
Mortgages
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many endowment mortgage complaints have been rejected by insurance companies and upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service since 2010. [193862]
Sajid Javid: The Government do not collect data on the number of cases upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS routinely collects and publishes statistics about the complaints referred to it, which it makes publicly available on its website.
Mortgages: Interest Rates
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking against mortgage lenders who breach the terms of tracker-rate mortgage contracts and unilaterally increase the interest rate charged. [193279]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 473W
Sajid Javid: The independent Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for the conduct regulation of residential mortgages, and sets the rules lenders are required to meet to ensure that consumers are treated fairly.
It is worth being aware that when mortgage regulation was introduced in October 2004, it drew a distinction between owner-occupiers who face losing their home if things go wrong and buy-to-let landlords, whose properties are investments and who do not face the same risk. The Government are committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so, in order to avoid putting additional costs on businesses that would ultimately lead to higher costs for customers.
Pensions
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that free and impartial guidance will be available to those (a) drawing down their pensions at 55 and (b) taking partial retirement. [193747]
Mr Gauke: Alongside the more flexible pension reforms, the Government announced a new guarantee that everyone with a defined contribution pension will be offered free and impartial face to face guidance on their financial choices in retirement when they retire.
It is important that this guidance ensures that consumers are empowered and equipped to make the most of their pension savings, and to make decisions that best suit their personal circumstances and risk appetite for the duration of their retirement. That is why the Government are introducing a new guarantee that all individuals with a defined contribution pension in the UK approaching retirement will be offered guidance at the point of retirement. How best to deliver this guidance forms part of the Government's consultation, “Flexibility and Choice in Pensions”.
Revenue and Customs
Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the guidance given to HM Revenue and Customs on how that body should exercise its new powers to directly remove money from an individual's bank account; [193549]
(2) what steps HM Revenue and Customs is required to take to prove that a debt is owed before officials directly extract money from a person's bank account. [193550]
Mr Gauke: The Government will publish a consultation on the implementation of this measure shortly.
As announced at Budget 2014, the Direct Recovery of Debts will focus on debtors who owe at least £1,000 and have been contacted multiple times by HMRC to pay. A minimum aggregate balance of £5,000 will be left across all accounts, including ISAs, after the debt is recovered.
Roads: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the allocation of funds from the Potholes Challenge Fund. [193666]
31 Mar 2014 : Column 474W
Danny Alexander: The Potholes Challenge Fund will be open to bids from local authorities in England.
The Scottish Government received Barnett Consequentials based on additional funding for the Department for Transport associated with the Fund at Budget 2014.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Nick de Bois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many sales of properties that qualified for the 15% stamp duty land tax rate have taken place in (a) England and (b) London to date; [190752]
(2) how many sales of properties that qualified for the 7% stamp duty land tax rate have taken place in (a) England and (b) London to date; and if he will make a statement; [190754]
(3) what the average stamp duty yield in London is; and what this figure is as a proportion of the average London house price in the most recent month for which data are available; [190758]
(4) what the average stamp duty yield is in the UK; and what this figure is as a proportion of the average UK house price in the most recent month for which data are available; [190759]
(5) how much revenue accrued to the Exchequer from stamp duty land tax in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; [190767]
(6) how much revenue accrued to the Exchequer from stamp duty land tax (SDLT) from properties in Greater London in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what this figure represents as a proportion of total SDLT receipts; [190768]
(7) what estimate he has made of the number of first time buyers in London who did not pay stamp duty land tax on the purchase of a new home between 1 April 2010 and 24 March 2012; [190769]
(8) how many sales of properties in each London borough qualified for the (a) 3%, (b) 4% and (c) 5% stamp duty land tax in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; [190770]
(9) how many sales of properties that qualified for the (a) 3%, (b) 4% and (c) 5% stamp duty land tax rate took place in London in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; and what proportion such sales represent of the total property sales in England at these bands. [190777]
Mr Gauke: HMRC has published stamp tax statistics for 2012-13 and we are therefore able to provide estimates for that year.
The number of properties chargeable at the 15% rate is less than 100 nationally and is too small to break down into smaller geographical areas.
The number of properties chargeable at the 7% rate in England is estimated to be approximately 3,100 and in London approximately 2,300.
Stamp tax statistics for 2013-14 will be published on 27 September 2014 and thereafter will be available for supplementary analysis.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 475W
The average stamp duty land tax yield in London and the UK for 2012-13 can be derived from the HMRC publication ‘UK Stamp Tax statistics 2012-13', which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-stamp-tax-statistics
The total number of transactions, value of transactions and stamp duty land tax yield can be found in table 4.2. The average yield for residential properties in London is approximately £16,230, which represents 3.6% of the average residential property transaction.
The average yield for the UK is approximately £5,283, which is 2.3% of the average residential property transaction.
Total yield from stamp duty for the past 10 years can be found in the HMRC publication ‘Tax and NICs receipts: statistics table’ at this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk
Yield attributable to residential property for the UK and by Government office region is published in table
31 Mar 2014 : Column 476W
2.2 of ‘UK Stamp Tax statistics 2012-13', linked above. Yield for non-residential properties for the most recent year is contained in table 4.2 of that publication and historic data are held in the National Archives:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/*/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/menu.htm
Relief from stamp duty land tax was available for residential property transactions where the consideration was more than £125,000 and not more than £250,000 and where the effective date of the transaction was on or after 25 March 2010 and before 25 March 2012. HMRC estimates that approximately 37,000 purchasers claimed First Time Buyer's relief in London during that period.
The following table contains estimates of the number of transactions that took place in each London borough, the total for London and what that represents as a proportion of the total for England. Figures for the 3% and 4% bands are given for 2010-11. For 2011-12 and 2012-13 figures are also given for the 5% band.
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | ||||||
| 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 5% | |
| 1 Figures suppressed to protect taxpayer confidentiality | ||||||||
31 Mar 2014 : Column 477W
Estimates are rounded to the nearest 10 transactions at borough level and 100 for London. Small estimates have been suppressed in order to maintain taxpayer confidentiality.
Stock Market: Channel Islands
Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission on its investigation into the Channel Islands Stock Exchange over its recognised status and the recent reported allegations of wrongdoing. [193331]
Mr Gauke: There have been no discussions with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission in relation to the Channel Islands Stock Exchange's Recognised Stock Exchange designation.
Tax Allowances: Personal Pensions
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income tax relief was payable in respect of personal pension contributions for income taxed at (a) 40 per cent and (b) 20 per cent in 2012-13; and how many people in each category received such relief. [193743]
Mr Gauke: Tax relief on pension contributions is the primary means by which the Government incentivise saving for retirement. The estimated contributions made to personal pensions and total tax relief in 2012-13 may be found in the published National Statistics produced by HMRC here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285089/PEN6.pdf
The latest available estimates (from 2011-12) of the number of people receiving income tax deductions for their personal pension contributions and the value of deductions by different income levels can be found in Table 3.8 at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276037/tables3-1_3-11.pdf
Tax Evasion
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many evasion referrals were made by the taskforces established by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to crack down on tax evasion and tax avoidance to the HMRC Evasion Referral Team in each tax year from 2011-12; and how many of those referrals were adopted as working cases by the HMRC's (i) Criminal Investigation, (ii) Specialist Investigation and (iii) Local Compliance Fraud business units. [193119]
Mr Gauke: The figures requested are in the following table:
| Number | ||||
| Taskforce Evasion Referrals received | Adopted by Criminal Investigations or the Criminal Taxes Unit | Adopted by Specialist Investigations | Adopted by Local Compliance Fraud | |
31 Mar 2014 : Column 478W
The figures only cover the period up to 28 February 2014. As at that date there were still 118 referrals being reviewed some of which may subsequently be adopted.
The referrals are made by HMRC officers when they suspect or discover evasion. The process is designed to escalate this type of case to a specialist team—Criminal Investigation, Specialist Investigation or Local Compliance Fraud—for review. If the case is not adopted by one of these teams it is returned to the referring officer to deal with.
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many evasion referrals were made to the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Evasion Referral Team in each tax year since 2011-12; and how many of those referrals were adopted as working cases by HMRC's (a) Criminal Investigation, (b) Specialist Investigation and (c) Local Compliance Fraud business units in each such year. [193124]
Mr Gauke: The figures requested are in the following table:
| Number | ||||
| Tax Evasion Referrals received | Adopted by Criminal Investigations or the Criminal Taxes Unit | Adopted by Specialist Investigations | Adopted by Local Compliance Fraud | |
The figures only cover the period up to 28 February 2014. As at that date there were still 565 referrals being reviewed some of which may subsequently be adopted.
The referrals are made by HMRC officers when they suspect or discover evasion. The process is designed to escalate this type of case to a specialist team—Criminal Investigation, Specialist Investigation or Local Compliance Fraud—for review. If the case is not adopted by one of these teams it is returned to the referring officer to deal with.
Tax Evasion: Travellers
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual amount of tax evasion attributable to Gypsies and travellers. [193018]
Mr Gauke: In ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2013' HMRC estimated that evasion accounted for around £5.1 billion (15%) of the total tax gap in 2011-12. This can be found at the following link:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps/mtg-2013.pdf
These estimates cannot be disaggregated by Gypsies and travellers.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 479W
Taxation: Environment Protection
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 2.30 of Budget 2014, what the (a) total and (b) annual monetary value will be of the compensation package for higher electricity costs for energy intensive industries resulting from the renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs; what the eligibility criteria for this scheme will be; and what estimate he has made of the number of energy intensive industries that will meet these criteria. [193580]
Nicky Morgan: These schemes will begin in 2016-17. Departments’ spending plans for years beyond 2015-16 will be set out at future spending reviews. The detailed design of the scheme will need to take account of EU state aid guidelines. The final policy design, compatible with state aid, will determine which companies are eligible and how many there will be.
Taxation: Pensions
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis the projection in the Budget 2014 that the pension proposals will generate £1.2 billion in marginal taxation by 2018-19 was calculated. [193892]
Mr Gauke: The Government estimate that the greater flexibility, announced for pensioners at Budget 2014, will result in faster withdrawal of pension income than would otherwise have been the case. The methodology behind this costing—which was certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility—can be seen in the “Budget 2014: Policy Costings” document (p. 11), available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/295067/PU1638_policy_costings_bud_ 2014_with_correction_slip.pdf
31 Mar 2014 : Column 480W
Taxation: Rebates
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many tax refunds were withheld for inquiry to be made in the tax years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 for (i) income tax, (ii) value added tax, (iii) corporation tax and (iv) national insurance; [193120]
(2) what part by value of the tax refunds paid without being held for inquiry subsequently were reclaimed from the taxpayer to whom they were paid in the tax years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 for (i) income tax, (ii) value added tax, (iii) corporation tax and (iv) national insurance; [193121]
(3) what the value of tax refunds withheld for inquiry to be made was in the tax years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 for (i) income tax, (ii) value added tax, (iii) corporation tax and (iv) national insurance; and what part by value was subsequently remitted to the taxpayer making the claim. [193122]
Mr Gauke: We are unable to provide the level of analysis asked for in these questions. HMRC does not have case tracking systems that can generate reports at the level of detail requested and any attempt to collate the information manually could only be done at disproportionate cost.
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax refunds were made in the tax years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 for (i) income tax, (ii) value added tax, (iii) corporation tax and (iv) national insurance; and what the total value of refunds was in each such category in each such year. [193123]
Mr Gauke: The figures shown represent the value of repayment figures as included in the accrued net revenue figures in the Statement of Revenue, Other Income and Expenditure which are published in the Annual Report and Accounts. We hold only the total value not number of repayments made by tax type.[Official Report, 7 April 2014, Vol. 579, c. 2MC.]
| HOD | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
Children: Day Care
Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of the provisions of the Consumer Rights Bill on the administration and provision of child care vouchers; and if he will make a statement. [193161]
Jenny Willott: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Where child care services are provided by a trader (eg a nursery school) to a consumer (eg a parent) under a contract, then Chapter 4 (the Services Chapter) of the Consumer Rights Bill will apply.
This chapter requires that these traders provide services with reasonable care and skill and in line with certain information given about the service. If that is not the case, the chapter sets out remedies which the consumer is entitled to, such as a repeat performance or, failing that, a reduction in price. Consumers may also be entitled to damages under the common law and the Bill makes this clear. Where there are other enactments which apply, this chapter makes clear that those take precedence (clause 53), which ensures that current standards still apply where they are set out in existing enactments.
In the case of child care vouchers offered under an employer-supported child care scheme, the contract for provision of child care is between the parent (consumer) and the child care provider (the trader), therefore child care provided using the voucher scheme is covered by this chapter of the Consumer Rights Bill.
31 Mar 2014 : Column 481W
We expect that, overall, consumers will benefit from the proposed reforms to the services regime. We estimate quantified benefits of £33 million per annum, of which £9 million is from the reduced risk of consumer detriment. In addition to these quantified benefits there are a range of economic benefits that have not been quantified. The reforms would deliver market-wide changes through promoting confident consumers, experimenting with new products or services and switching suppliers, which in turn should drive innovation, greater competitiveness and deliver new opportunities for economic growth.
The Government are also committed to improving the accessibility, affordability and quality of child care. To that end we are encouraging schools to offer more nursery provision, making it easier for people to take up childminding by introducing childminder agencies, and have introduced a new entitlement to funded early education for the least advantaged two-year-olds.
Health
Botulinum Toxin
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to protect people against health problems arising from operations involving the use of botulism toxin. [193542]
Dr Poulter:
As a licensed medicine the safety of botulinum toxin itself is not under question and I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by the Minister of State, Department of Health on 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 492W, which sets out the
31 Mar 2014 : Column 482W
current arrangements for regulation of botulinum toxin products. However, as with other injectable products patients may experience adverse outcomes.
Brain: Injuries
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of cases of concussion in (a) football and (b) other contact sports. [193544]
Jane Ellison: The NHS Choices website provides the public with general advice on reducing the risk of concussion when participating in sport. This advice includes wearing a helmet, where appropriate, and ensuring participation is supervised by a properly qualified and trained person.
However, matters concerning action to prevent concussion cases in sport would be the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Cancer
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of total funding for cancer research carried out in the UK that came from government in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14. [193693]
Dr Poulter: The following figures provide an estimate of funding for cancer research, provided by the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database 2010 to 2013. This includes only direct spend on cancer research, or spend which directly supports cancer research.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on research into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in each of the last five years. [193220]
Dr Poulter: Expenditure by the Department through research programmes, research centres and units, and research fellowships on research on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is shown in the following table.
| £ million | |
| 1 Estimated. | |
Total spend is higher than the figures shown because expenditure by the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (CRN) on COPD cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.
Stephen McPartland:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of pulmonary rehabilitation services that
31 Mar 2014 : Column 483W
were at full provision in
(a)
2010,
(b)
2011 and
(c)
2012; [193223]
(2) how much the NHS spends on provision of pulmonary rehabilitation services in England; and how much the NHS spends on provision of cardiac rehabilitation services in England. [193224]
Jane Ellison: No estimate has been made of pulmonary rehabilitation services that were at full provision in the years requested as this information is not held centrally. It is for local commissioners to determine the requirements to meet the needs of their local populations.
The current national chronic obstructive pulmonary disease audit will provide some information on the range and quality of pulmonary, rehabilitation services when it reports next year. Further information can be found at:
www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/national-copd-audit-programme-starting-2013
The Department does not collect data on how much the national health service spends on the provision of pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation services in the format requested.
The Department collects reference costs annually from NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in England. However, these costs cover a broader range of procedures and some costs associated with cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation may relate to different services.
Cost data related to providing cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation services for 2012-13 to NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts are listed in the following table.
| Description | Total cost (£ million) |
|
Rehabilitation for Acute Myocardial Infarction and Other Cardiac Disorders | |
The following table shows the total cost to NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in 2012-13 for out-patient attendances for the service descriptions of cardiac rehabilitation and programmed pulmonary rehabilitation.
| Service description | Total cost (£ million) |
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department provided for awareness-raising work for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013. [193235]
Jane Ellison:
The Department did not run any specific public awareness campaigns on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2011, 2012 or 2013. However, the Department's Marketing team spent £460,000 in financial year 2010-11, £3,160,000 in 2011-12 and £8,210,000 in
31 Mar 2014 : Column 484W
2012-13 on mass media to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, which is one of the main causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In addition Public Health England recently ran a pilot campaign in Oldham and Rochdale to raise awareness amongst the public about the importance of visiting their general practitioner with symptoms of breathlessness. The campaign ran from 24 February for four weeks. The key messages of the campaign were
“If you get out of breath doing things you used to be able to do, tell your doctor. Getting out of breath could be a sign of heart or lung disease. Finding it early makes it more treatable, so don't ignore it, tell your doctor.”
It is too early to have results for the Breathlessness campaign yet.