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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 28 April 2014
Scotland
Joint Ministerial Committee
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the next Joint Ministerial Committee (a) Plenary, (b) Domestic and (c) Europe meeting will take place; and what will be discussed at each such meeting. [195133]
Mr Alistair Carmichael: The Joint Ministerial Committees take place in their Plenary, Domestic and European forms on a regular basis. Dates for future meetings are subject to agreement with the devolved Administrations, as are the agendas which are agreed in advance via the JMC joint secretariat.
Tourism
Lindsay Roy:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on maximising tourism opportunities in Scotland. [194116]
David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers to discuss a range of matters, including tourism.
As a part of the UK, Scotland’s tourism industry benefits from the UK’s integrated single market; the ability of visitors to move freely across its constituent parts; and the work of VisitBritain, the GREAT Campaign and UKTI to promote the whole of the UK as a destination for tourism and overseas investment.
In recent months, the Government have been actively working to help ensure the successful delivery of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the World War 1 commemoration programme and Armed Forces Day, all of which present excellent opportunities to promote Scotland on the world stage.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband: Schools
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many schools will benefit from his broadband roll-out for schools. [196097]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have committed £780 million to help deliver superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by 2017. We do not have data on the specific number of schools that would benefit from the programme. Public sector broadband requirements would be the managed by the Department or local authority with responsibility for delivering the relevant policy.
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Consultants
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which 10 consultancy firms were paid the most by his Department in the last financial year; and how much each of those firms was paid. [195570]
Mrs Grant: The 10 professional services firms that were paid the most in 2013-14 are shown in the following table:
Supplier Name | Total paid in 2013-14 (£) |
These are unaudited figures from the Department's financials systems, net of recoverable VAT. The Department uses professional services firms for a variety of purposes. In addition to consultancy services, they include expenditure on external legal support and advice on programmes, research fieldwork, evaluation, specialist technical advice and the provision of interim managers. Legal services from the Treasury Solicitors and providers of recruitment services have been excluded in order to arrive at a list of firms that are predominantly providers of consultancy.
Direct Selling
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to prevent or reduce nuisance telephone calls. [196456]
Mr Vaizey: Tackling nuisance calls is a priority for the Government and we are pursuing a range of options for reform, both legislative and non-legislative, which will help to make a significant difference. On 30 March 2014, we published our Nuisance Calls Action Plan, which sets out proposals including legislation that will enable Ofcom to share information more easily with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and we will also be consulting on lowering the legal threshold, to enable the ICO to issue more monetary penalties to organisations that break the rules. Further details of the Action Plan can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nuisance-calls-action-plan-unveiled
Steps taken so far include having improved signposting and information, clearer advice for consumers, a simpler complaints process, greater use by regulators of their powers, including the ICO and Ofcom having issued monetary penalties totalling £2.59 million for calls and SMS text messages and work on improving the ability of communication service providers to trace calls. We will continue to work with regulators, consumer groups and industry to deliver better protection for consumers.
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English Heritage
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many heritage sites English Heritage has declined to take control of as custodian of last resort in the last 30 years; and what the reasons were for declining in each such case. [195645]
Mr Vaizey: To the knowledge of its current management team, English Heritage has not declined to take control of any heritage sites as custodian of last resort in the last 30 years. English Heritage has occasionally been offered properties that it has declined on the basis that there were other more suitable solutions available.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make the business plan for the new English Heritage charity available. [195646]
Mr Vaizey: We intend to make further information available in the summer, alongside the Government’s response to the recent consultation on the English Heritage new model.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (a) the English Heritage charity or (b) Historic England will fulfil a historic preservation research role under the proposed remodelling of English Heritage. [195649]
Mr Vaizey: Historic England will continue to undertake research and offer advice on the practical conservation of historic buildings, guided by the priorities in the National Heritage Protection Plan. The agreements between Historic England and the English Heritage charity will enable such research to be carried out on sites within the National Heritage Collection.
European Citizens Programme
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the delay in debating the draft Council Regulation on the European Citizens Programme on funding for civil society organisations in UK planning (a) events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and (b) other events; what the time scale for implementation and release of monies under the programme is; and if he will make a statement. [195810]
Mr Vaizey: No formal assessment has been undertaken. Following completion of the parliamentary scrutiny process the UK voted in support of the programme, which is now ready for implementation. The timing of the release of monies under the programme is a matter for the EU Commission, and it is expected that details will be made available in due course on the Commission website, which is:
http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/about-the-europe-for-citizens-programme/future-programme-2014-2020/index_en.htm
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Film
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government funding is given to the UK film industry; what contribution the UK film industry makes to the UK economy; and what steps the Government are taking to attract overseas film production and investment to the UK. [196182]
Mr Vaizey: In 2012-13 the Government provided around £80 million in grant in aid and lottery funding to the British Film Institute (BFI) to support film in the UK, and paid out £205 million in Film Tax Relief. The UK film industry makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, directly generating 43,900 jobs and contributing £1.6 billion to national GDP (Oxford Economics Report 2012). The UK has one of the world's most generous film tax reliefs which attracted over £1 billion in inward investment in 2013. Recent changes to the Film Tax Relief announced at Budget 2014 will also encourage further film production to the UK.
Gambling
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from the charity sector about the effect of gambling addiction; and if he will make a statement. [196003]
Mrs Grant: I meet with a number of stakeholders to discuss their concerns. These stakeholders include problem gambling charities, faith groups and the Gambling Commission. The Government also received a number of representations from the charity sector for their 2013 consultation on the Triennial Review of Gaming Machine Stake and Prize Limits.
Gaming Machines
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which research studies used by his Department in formulating policy on fixed odds betting terminals (a) have and (b) have not received industry funding or support; and if he will make a statement. [196046]
Mrs Grant: The Government consider a wide range of available research when formulating gambling policy. The Government are mindful of the provenance of research, and its funding source, when interpreting findings.
Greyhound Racing
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if his Department will take steps to encourage Betfair to recommence making payments to the voluntary British Greyhound Racing Fund. [195801]
Mrs Grant: The Government would like to see greyhound racing remain a successful sport and encourage the greyhound and betting industries to continue to work constructively together, not least because they have a mutual interest in promoting effective welfare and integrity measures. However, the Government will not intervene in voluntary funding arrangements, which are a matter for the greyhound industry and its funders.
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Lotteries
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it a condition of the award of a licence for a lottery that financial details of people playing that lottery should not be sold to third parties. [195742]
Mrs Grant: Any person or organisation handling personal information about individuals (including financial details) has a number of legal obligations to protect that information under the Data Protection Act 1998. These obligations are amplified in the current National Lottery licence (section 22 on data protection), which runs until 2023. In addition, Camelot states in its privacy policy
http://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/p/privacypolicy.ftl
‘The Company will not sell your personal information to third parties.’ As far as other lotteries are concerned, the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 apply as usual, but there are no specific licence conditions, and there are no plans to introduce any.
Policy
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what circumstances he uses a calculation of the (a) value of preventing a fatality, (b) willingness to pay and (c) cost-per-quality adjusted life year approach to quantify the value of a policy intervention; what other tools he uses to quantify the benefit of a policy intervention; and if he will make a statement. [196460]
Mrs Grant: To answer each of these points in turn:
(a) DCMS uses Department for Transport cost of fatality estimates where relevant to policy development. For instance, this valuation technique was used recently as part of the assessment of costs associated with allowing motor sport on closed roads.
(b) DCMS follows valuation guidance set out in HM Treasury's Green Book, including the use of willingness to pay techniques, to proportionately assess the impact of policy interventions. Willingness to pay has been used as part of the DCMS cost-benefit analysis of Digital Radio Switchover, for example. DCMS also recommends Green Book valuation techniques are used by our ALBs to inform spending decisions.
(c) DCMS uses the quality adjusted life year approach where relevant to policy development. To take an example, the Culture and Sport Evidence programme that DCMS shares with a range of ALB partners has developed a quality adjusted live year approach for physical health benefits of sport, which Sport England use to assess local impacts.
Other techniques used to assess benefits of interventions include macro-economic modelling to assess the impacts of both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and superfast broadband investment funded by the Department.
Stationery
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables. [196200]
Mrs Grant: DCMS holds a minimal stock of stationery to supply staff, and orders items as required.
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Tate Modern
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the reasons are for the time taken to complete the Tate Modern project; and what the current projected completion date is for that project. [196172]
Mr Vaizey: The building has always been scheduled to open by the end of 2016 and remains on course to do so. It is a large and ambitious project to establish a new model for museums of modern and contemporary art that will stand to the nation's benefit.
Telecommunications
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with mobile network operators about shared infrastructure; and if he will use the forthcoming review of the Electronic Communications Code to reform wayleaves and rights of way for the implementation and maintenance of shared infrastructure. [195917]
Mr Vaizey: The former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), and I had a number of representations from mobile network operators about shared infrastructure. DCMS is considering the implications of the Law Commission's report on the Electronic Communications Code which was published in February 2013. The analysis work is ongoing and I will make public the plans to reform the Electronic Communications Code in due course.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to Law Commission Report No. 336 published on 28 February 2013, what progress his Department has made on reforming the Electronic Communications Code. [196024]
Mr Vaizey: Since the Law Commission published its report on the reform of the Electronic Communications Code in February 2013, DCMS has been considering the implications of the recommendations on network roll-out and service provision to consumers. In January 2014 we published an economic analysis of the impact of various wayleave valuation regimes. A copy of this report has been placed in the House of Commons Library. The analysis work is ongoing and I will make public the plans to reform the Electronic Communications Code in due course.
Tourism: South East
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps he has taken to increase tourism to (a) Berkshire and (b) the South East; and if he will make a statement. [195452]
Mrs Grant:
DCMS is responsible for the policy that supports the growth of domestic and international tourism, working in partnership with other Government Departments and our arm’s length bodies, VisitBritain and VisitEngland. Between 2011 and 2015, Government are investing more than £105 million in tourism through the GREAT and other international campaigns. Investment
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to date is showing positive results. 2013 was a record year for inbound tourism with 32.9 million international visits being made, which generated a record £21 billion into the UK in 2013.
In terms of Berkshire specifically, VisitBritain’s public-facing website includes a range of tourism information relating to Windsor which is available via the following link:
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Destinations-and-Maps/History-and-heritage/Windsor.htm
VisitBritain’s “Heritage is GREAT” advertising campaign also prominently featured Highclere Castle, which is the setting for “Downton Abbey”.
The South East region will benefit from a number of thematic campaigns currently being run by VisitEngland which can be found at:
http://www.visitengland.com/
It will also benefit from VisitEngland’s “Holidays at Home are GREAT” campaign, which has been broadcast on mainstream terrestrial channels since 1 April, while those areas in the South East region affected by the recent floods are also benefiting from both VisitEngland’s “Spot on England” marketing campaign and business support events.
UN Convention for Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ratify the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols. [196240]
Mr Vaizey: The Government, along with the British Red Cross, have pledged to facilitate the UK’s ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and believes ratification of the Convention and its two Protocols will strengthen our commitment to the protection of our own heritage, and highlight our respect for the cultural property of other nations. However, as yet it has not been possible to secure the parliamentary time needed to pass the relevant legislation.
Home Department
Advocacy: Children
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to publish the terms of reference for the trial advocate scheme; [196473]
(2) if her Department will consider extending the trial advocate scheme to unaccompanied children; [196474]
(3) whether the pilot scheme for advocates will be independent of local authorities; [196475]
(4) what powers advocates will have during the pilot advocate scheme; [196476]
(5) when the pilot advocate scheme will begin. [196477]
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Karen Bradley: In January 2014 the Home Office announced proposals to trial specialist, independent advocates for trafficked children, which is due to begin this summer. This trial forms part of the Government’s work to eradicate modern-day slavery and as such there are no plans for this trial to be extended to unaccompanied children.
The child trafficking advocate will be fully independent from the local authority, but will need to work with the existing structures around the child trafficking victim, such as children’s services, education, the criminal justice system and the immigration system. The advocate role is intended to deliver the best outcomes for children. The advocate’s role will include the following activities but this is not an exhaustive list and we expect the advocate to respond to the specific needs of the child:
being a consistent point of contact for the child trafficking victim;
assisting the local authority to assess the needs of the child trafficking victim as a victim of trafficking, thereby promoting the safety and wellbeing of the child trafficking victim (in particular in light of the risk of re-trafficking);
making recommendations for referrals to other services (e.g. mental health services) to ensure the child trafficking victim receives educational, medical, practical and legal support they need and deserve;
accompanying the child trafficking victim to certain meetings—e.g. with an immigration lawyer;
supporting the child trafficking victim in any age assessment process;
supporting the child trafficking victim in overcoming language and cultural barriers;
supporting witnesses through the criminal justice system;
supporting looked after children and children in need through the care system, in particular in safety planning, age assessment and future planning;
assisting the local authority to plan for the child trafficking victim’s future and receive any compensation that they may be entitled to;
helping prevent the child trafficking victim from facing further exploitation or harm from traffickers (and the risks of going missing);
providing advice on immigration, criminal justice and welfare matters to the child trafficking victim and arranging effective legal representation;
involvement in the key decisions relating to the child trafficking victim (but final decisions would remain the responsibility of the local authority or Home Office, where relevant).
The Home Office is commissioning an independent evaluation of the trial which will report six months after the trial commences. The evaluation will include the terms of reference for the trial.
Asylum
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum cases were awaiting decision for travel documents on 1 February 2014. [189239]
James Brokenshire: We are unable to provide figures specific to asylum cases awaiting travel documents. This information is only held within paper case files, which would mean this question could be answered only through a disproportionately expensive manual case search.
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Asylum: Finance
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she intends to take in response to the judgment in the High Court of 9 April 2014 by Lord Justice Popplewell on asylum support; and by what date she plans to set out that response. [196385]
James Brokenshire: The Government plan to review asylum support rates. That review will take account of the judgment and other information. The review will be completed by 9 August 2014.
Asylum: Syria
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long funding will be made available to local authorities for accepting refugees from Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme. [194925]
James Brokenshire: Central Government will meet the full first year costs of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, including integration support, education and healthcare costs. These time scales are consistent with those applied to our funding of the Gateway Protection Programme. The level of support provided will depend on the individual needs of beneficiaries, and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Costs will be recovered wherever possible, including from the EU.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to allow the most vulnerable Syrian refugees to come to Britain. [195778]
James Brokenshire: The first group of Syrian refugees arrived in the UK on 25 March as part of the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) Scheme. The next group of refugees is expected to arrive this month, with further groups to follow on a regular basis. We continue to work with UNHCR to establish a steady flow of cases.
While there is no set quota we predict that the VPR scheme will support several hundred people over the next three years.
Asylum: Uganda
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on granting asylum to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people from Uganda. [194821]
James Brokenshire: All asylum and human rights claims are considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. We recognise that, in general, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons may be at risk of persecution and warrant protection, and that this may have increased in particular for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons following the signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. However, each case needs to be considered on its individual facts. In light of the Act, which specifically targets ‘homosexuality’, we published updated guidance covering lesbian, gay and bisexual claims on the Gov.uk website on 10 April.
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We are monitoring the situation and will publish updated guidance on LGBTI persons once it is clear how the law is being applied in practice.
Deportation: Children
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied migrant children have been forcibly removed to another country in each of the last five years. [193591]
James Brokenshire: No unaccompanied child under the age of 18 can be forcibly removed from the UK unless adequate care and reception arrangements are in place in their country of origin. The difficulty of setting up suitable reception arrangements has meant that, with the exception of transfers to other European Union countries under the Dublin Regulations1, the Home Office does not routinely enforce the return of unaccompanied children to any country. The majority of unaccompanied children whose asylum claims are rejected are granted temporary leave which is reviewed when they reach 17 and a half years of age. We believe that the vast majority of enforced returns of unaccompanied children undertaken between 2006 and 2010 were transfers under the Dublin Regulations.
1 The Dublin Regulation EC No. 343/2003 is a binding measure of European Community law to determine which State should be responsible for examining an application for asylum made within the EU territory.
Table 1: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children removals 2009 to 2013 | |
Date of removal | Total |
‘Migrant children’ have been interpreted as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in answering this question.
Domestic Violence
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of moves to gender-neutral services on support for women victims of domestic violence; and if she will make a statement. [194616]
Norman Baker: Decisions on how best to fund services for victims of domestic violence are most effectively addressed at a local level, based on the needs of local communities. This includes an assessment of the need for gender-specific services.
The Home Office has received representations from voluntary sector organisations raising concerns about local commissioning of generic and gender-neutral services for victims of domestic violence. The updated Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan, published on 8 March 2014, accordingly makes supporting effective local approaches a priority area. The plan sets out clear commitments to:
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deliver a programme of regional engagement to support all local commissioners;
establish a cross-Government task and finish group to drive good practice in the commissioning of local services; and,
part-fund a series of dedicated commissioning masterclasses to support the women’s sector to engage with the new commissioning landscape.
Progress on supporting effective local approaches to commissioning of services will be monitored by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Violence Against Women and Girls, chaired by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).
EU Immigration
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to publish reports on the review of the balance of competences relating to EU migration; and if she will make a statement. [193695]
James Brokenshire: Free movement of persons is a complex area with a number of different issues to examine, and this deserves to be done thoroughly. We will publish this report once it is completed.
Homicide: Convictions
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Crown Prosecution Service conviction rate was in cases of homicide involving (a) two, (b) three, (c) four and (d) five or more defendants in each of the last five years. [195840]
Norman Baker: The requested conviction rates are given in the table. The information is taken from the Home Office Homicide Index. Data for 2013/14 will be published in early 2015.
The circumstances surrounding a homicide can be complex and it can take time for cases to pass through the criminal justice system. As a result, the conviction rates in the table for recent years will be lower (than for earlier years) but will rise as more of these cases flow through the system and will therefore be higher in future publications.
Table A: Conviction rate1 for offences currently recorded as homicide by number of suspects, 2008-09 to 2012-132, England and Wales | |||||
Conviction rate (percentage) | |||||
Number of suspects | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-132 |
1 Conviction rate is the proportion of homicide offences that resulted in a conviction for at least one of the suspects. 2 As at 8 November 2013. The circumstances surrounding a homicide can be complex and it can take time for cases to pass through the criminal justice system. As a result the figures for convicted suspects will increase as the cases pass through the criminal justice system. Source: Home Office Homicide Index |
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Human Trafficking
Sir John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answers of 7 January 2014, Official Report, column 277W, on human trafficking and of 14 January 2014, Official Report, columns 481-86W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, what information she has on the whereabouts of each of the (a) 92 victims of human trafficking found in the UK in November 2013 and (b) 113 victims of human trafficking found in UK in December 2013. [194902]
Karen Bradley: The information requested is published by the Salvation Army in an annual ‘Anti-Human Trafficking Report’. The latest report, which covers the period July 2012 to June 2013, can be found at:
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uki-cache.salvation army.org/fdda0251-4ab6-4bf8-9fc0-4837891ad1c7_Fourth+ draft+Year+2+AHT+VICTIM+Contract.pdf
The report covering the period July 2013 to June 2014 will be published later this year.
Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 114-15W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, how many of those referred were (a) men and (b) women, by country; what steps are taken to ensure after the victim exits the shelter into which they have been placed by the Salvation Army they are not re-trafficked or contact their former traffickers; and if she will make a statement; [196158]
(2) pursuant to the answers of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 114-15W and of 14 January 2014, Official Report, columns 481-86W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, for what reason information on each individual, whether male or female, and location found, is excluded from the figures for January 2013; and if she will provide this information for future questions on the subject. [196155]
Karen Bradley: The requested information on the gender of potential victims and the regions in which they were found in January 2014 was provided in the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 114-15W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes. However, the data were provided in a number of separate tables. The information was not withheld and is provided below in an alternative format, giving the same data broken down by individual case, in one table.
The victim care contract does not require support providers to maintain any form of formal contact after the recovery and reflection period. However, some survivors do maintain informal contact with their support provider. All support providers will work with victims throughout their support period to help them move on from the service. We are looking at what more we can do to help victims reintegrate effectively.
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Nationality | Gender | Region | Agency type |
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Illegal Immigrants: Employment
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual prosecutions for employing an illegal worker under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 have been (a) brought and (b) successful in each year since 2010. [192793]
James Brokenshire: Employers have a responsibility to check that their employees have the right to work in the United Kingdom and this duty is underpinned by criminal and civil sanctions.
The Home Office only holds data on individual prosecutions on its national operations database from 2012.
(a) Five employers were charged in 2012 and five employers were charged in 2013 for an offence of knowingly employing illegal workers under section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
2. Figures relate to employers charged (offence recorded as IAN 2006 S21) between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013 recorded on the national operations database (NODMMX).
3. Figures relate to individuals who may have been charged for more than one offence under section 21.
4. Figures rounded to nearest five. In compliance with legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998 and principle 5 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, we are required to preserve the confidentiality of the data we collect, process and disseminate. In order to prevent the disclosure of personal information counts of individuals are rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
5. Data extracted on 20 March 2014.
(b) Under section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, fewer than five employers were successfully prosecuted in 2012 and five employers were successfully prosecuted in 2013.
1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
2. Figures relate to employers successfully prosecuted (offence recorded as IAN 2006 S21) between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013 recorded on the national operations database (NODMMX).
3. Figures relate to individuals.
4. Years refer to date of prosecution and charges may have been laid in the same or a previous year.
5. In compliance with legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998 and principle 5 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, we are required to preserve the confidentiality of the data we collect, process and disseminate. In order to prevent the disclosure of personal information counts of individuals are rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
6. Data extracted on 20 March 2014.
The civil penalty notices in the table below were issued to employers for breaching the illegal working provisions in section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 in each year since 2010.
The figures are based on the number of civil penalties served at visited business addresses.
Please note the figures are for penalties levied at the initial decision stage which may be reduced, cancelled, increased or reissued at the objection or appeal stage.
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1 January to 31 December each year | Number of civil penalties issued |
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many maximum fines have been levied under the Immigration (Employment of Adults Subject to Immigration Control) (Maximum Penalty) Order 2008 in each year since it was enacted. [193753]
James Brokenshire: The maximum penalty of £10,000 has been levied with regards to 22 employers. The breakdown of employers levied with the maximum penalty for each financial year is shown in the table.
Please note the figures are for penalties levied against employers at the initial decision stage and may relate to more than one worker. A penalty may be reduced for a number of reasons, including if it was a first visit to the business; if the employer co-operated with the visit; or if the employer can provide evidence that a partial check has been undertaken. We propose to tighten and clarify the use of mitigating factors in the calculation of civil penalties with an increased focus on employer co-operation with the Home Office.
Table of maximum penalties levied | |
Number of civil penalties levied at maximum penalty of £10,000 | |
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines have been levied under The Immigration (Employment of Adults Subject to Immigration Control) (Maximum Penalty) Order 2008 of a value of (a) up to £1,000, (b) between £1,000 and £2,000, (c) between £2,000 and £5,000 and (d) between £5,000 and £10,000 to date. [194134]
James Brokenshire: Enforcement operations against illegal working have increased significantly, with a 47% increase in 2013 compared with 2012. The administration of the penalty scheme and administrative debt recovery processes have been reviewed, including with Cabinet Office input, and are being streamlined and further improved.
The information on the number of civil penalties levied is provided in the following table. Data have been provided from £2,500 upwards as this is the minimum penalty value that is levied in line with the published penalty calculation framework. The table includes values of £10,000 upwards to account for multiple workers per penalty.
Please note that the figures are for penalties levied at the initial decision stage which may be reduced, cancelled, increased or reissued at the objection or appeal stage.
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Value of penalty | £2,500-£5,000 | £5,000-£10,000 | £10,000 plus |
Immigration Controls
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost to her Department is of providing UK border control services at (a) Paris Gare du Nord station, (b) Bruxelles Midi station and (c) Calais port and Eurotunnel terminus. [195249]
James Brokenshire: The annual costs of providing UK border control services are as follow:
Paris Gare du Nord station—£4.6 million
Bruxelles Midi station—£3.3 million
Calais port—£21.8 million
Eurotunnel terminus (Coquelles)—£21.2 million
The above resource costs are based on the last financial year’s data (2013-14) and are taken from the Home Office accounting system Adelphi. These have not yet been audited. Publication of the annual set of accounts will not present these costs in this level of detail.
Offences against Children: Internet
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the communiqué of the internet safety summit at Downing Street, published on 18 November 2013, what progress has been made by internet companies on ensuring that child abuse images are not returned following search engine requests. [195676]
Karen Bradley: Child abuse is a horrific crime and the Government are determined to tackle it. We have made real progress through our work with the internet industry. Following this work, internet search engines have made changes to their search mechanisms, and these new measures have been effective in making it harder to access child abuse images. For example, Google has implemented changes that prevent child abuse results against 100,000 unique searches worldwide. National Crime Agency testing of these new measures shows that they have been effective in making it harder to access child abuse images, videos or pathways. This is now a constantly evolving approach that tracks the latest terms being used by paedophiles and cuts off access to child abuse material.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the budgets for criminal justice and emergency services will be devolved to police and crime commissioners; and what the total budget is that police and crime commissioners will inherit. [196088]
Damian Green: There are no current plans to transfer responsibility, and the budgets, for the criminal justice system or the emergency services to police and crime commissioners.
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The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 contains a duty to co-operate for police and crime commissioners and criminal justice partners which—although broad—sets the framework for commissioners to play a substantial local leadership role. Commissioners are taking a prominent role in local justice matters and are, for example, taking seats (sometimes even as Chair) at their local criminal justice boards.
The Government are further extending the remit of PCCs who will assume responsibility for commissioning local victims’ services in October 2014, complementing their other responsibilities to respond to local views and needs when drawing up plans to cut crime.
The Government are also driving collaboration between local emergency services to deliver more effective services and better value for money for the public. We are providing funding through the Home Office Police Innovation Fund and DCLG’s Transformation Challenge Award and Fire Transformation Fund to support emergency services collaboration projects.
Russia
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes have been made in the issuing of visa applications at the Visa Application Centre in Moscow. [194580]
James Brokenshire: In March 2014 the management of the UK’s network of Russian Visa Application Centres passed from VFS Global to Teleperformance. We are offering a full visa service in Russia and our global customer service standards continue to apply.
Teleperformance opened all five new Visa Application Centres in Russia on time in March 2014. There was no break in service between the closure of the VFS centres and the opening of Teleperformance centres. The new Visa Application Centres are all fully functioning and there are appointments available at all of them.
Stationery
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what levels of stock her Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables. [196209]
Karen Bradley: The Home Department does not centrally hold information on the levels of stock for (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables. The Home Department has in place a contract under a Crown Commercial Service Framework Agreement for the provision of office stationery and stock management, which is managed by each business area.
Stock management on (b) printer cartridges is delivered through the Department’s Facilities Management providers.
Telecommunications: Databases
Dr Huppert:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the consequences for the UK of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-293/12 and C-594/12 (Digital Rights Ireland and Seitlinger
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and Others); what implication that decision has for
(a)
enforcement of the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 and
(b)
her powers to reimburse any expenses incurred by a public communications provider in complying with those regulations. [195918]
Karen Bradley: As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), stated to the Home Affairs Committee in answer to a question from the hon. Member on 8 April, we are considering the judgment and its implications carefully. The retention of communications data is absolutely fundamental to ensure law enforcement agencies have the powers they need to investigate crime, protect the public and ensure national security.
Tobacco: Smuggling
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of links between tobacco smuggling and organised crime. [903701]
Karen Bradley: Tobacco smuggling is a global, highly profitable business, dominated by organised crime groups with the resources to continually adapt their methods in an attempt to evade UK controls. Border Force and HMRC are working collaboratively across Government and with overseas partners to disrupt tobacco smuggling and implement civil penalties and sanctions against criminals.
Verne Prison
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the number of individuals held at HM Prison The Verne solely for immigration purposes as part of the quarterly immigration statistics. [195428]
James Brokenshire: Published figures on people detained in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers include those held in short-term holding facilities, pre-departure accommodation and immigration removal centres. However, figures exclude those held in police cells, Prison Service establishments, short-term holding rooms at ports and airports (for less than 24 hours), and those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants.
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people detained in the United Kingdom for immigration purposes, within Immigration Statistics: October-December 2013, from the GOV.UK website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
The provisional date for HMP The Verne to become an Immigration Removal Centre is September 2014 and following that change specific figures for the Verne would be regularly published alongside those for other Immigration Removal Centres.
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Victims: Advocacy
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of young person’s advocates in supporting young victims of crime; [195859]
(2) if she will publish a list of young person’s advocates in each region. [195860]
Norman Baker: The Home Office is funding 13 young people’s advocates posts for three years (April 2012 to March 2015) to provide direct support to young women who have been victims, or are at risk of, sexual violence by gangs. The full breakdown of posts, organisations and areas covered is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/support-for-young-victims-of-sexual-violence-and-gangs
Measures are in place to conduct an assessment of perceptions of the scheme among young people’s advocates and local practitioners in the areas where they are based.
Defence
Air Force: Pay
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that RAF medics are placed on the same pay band as their equivalents in the Army and Navy. [195684]
Anna Soubry: The RAF medic trade is currently undergoing a job review which will inform future pay arrangements. We expect this to be completed by summer 2014. In parallel, the Department is considering the introduction of a new pay structure across all other rank trades, including RAF medics and the closest equivalent trades in the Royal Navy and Army, as part of the Department’s New Employment Model programme. If approved, the new structure would be introduced no earlier than April 2016.
Armed Forces
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what comparative assessment he has made of the long-term effects on the level of war pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments being uprated annually in line with (a) price inflation, (b) average earnings and (c) whichever is the higher of consumer price index price inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent; and if he will make a statement. [196185]
Anna Soubry: No comparative assessment of the kind suggested has been made. The aim of uprating is to protect war pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments against rising prices. In line with other public sector schemes, payments through the armed forces pensions and compensation schemes have increased with reference to the consumer price index.
Mrs Moon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many equal opportunities investigation officers there are in each branch of the armed forces; what their
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qualifications are; what training is provided to them; and if he will make a statement; [196361]
(2) how many members of the service complaints investigation teams there are in each branch of the armed forces; what their qualifications are; what training is provided to them; and if he will make a statement. [196362]
Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence maintains a cadre of Harassment Investigation Officers who investigate complaints raised within the Services and by MOD civilians concerning bullying and harassment, and who are not permanent employees of the Department; Appendix six to the 2013 Annual Report of the Service Complaints Commissioner provides further details. Beyond this centrally managed team, the three Services maintain teams of investigators, many of whom are drawn from their own Service police force, who can investigate complex complaints.
The Royal Navy has one Complaints Investigation and Mediation Team (CIMT), comprising two members of the Royal Navy Police with many years of investigative experience. In addition to their extensive police investigative training, they are Equality and Diversity Advisers, and have undertaken the MOD Harassment Investigation Course and professional Mediation Training (through an external training provider).
The Army currently has six permanent members and three temporarily assigned (12 months) soldiers in its Service Complaints Investigation Team (SCIT), which replaced the Equal Opportunities Investigation Team. All members of the SCIT are serving Senior Non-Commissioned Officers from the Royal Military Police, and hold the following qualifications:
Initial Military Police Investigation Course
Volume Crime Investigation Course
Management Investigation Course
Police and Criminal Evidence Act Interviewing Course
Disclosure Officers Course
Equality and Diversity Advisor Course
On arrival in the SCIT, investigators receive work place training and are allocated a supervising investigator for a period of three months or as necessary.
The RAF has a Service Complaints Team, and an Equal Opportunities Investigation Team (EOIT), which investigates complex equality and diversity complaints. The latter team comprises a Warrant Officer and a Flight Sergeant, both members of the RAF Police, and an administrator. The investigators complete the following courses as part of their role training:
Equality and Diversity Adviser
Harassment Investigation Officer
Fundamentals of Employment Law (through CIPD)
Preparing for Employment Tribunal (through CIPD)
Certificate in Bullying and Harassment Investigation-City and Guilds Level 4.
Armed Forces: Death
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is held on the value of the residual estates of service men and women killed in action who were not married at the time of their death. [195777]
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Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not have visibility of the residual value of the estate of a Service person, as it is the responsibility of the executor or personal representative to collect information on any monies due (such as bank accounts, insurance payouts) or owed (such as bank loans).
The MOD would inform the executor of any money owing to the estate from the Department. This can comprise: arrears of pay; arrears of allowances (operational allowance, council tax refund); credit for untaken annual leave; cash found in effects and the death in service lump sum payment if this falls due to the estate (rather than being paid to a qualifying beneficiary under the pension scheme).
Payment is made to the executor once they obtain either a Grant of Representation or Confirmation or Letters of Administration or for small amounts only (under £5,000) on completion of a Form of Declaration supplied by the MOD.
Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service complaints have been received following armed forces personnel being disciplined after receiving a police caution; and if he will make a statement. [195707]
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 650W, on armed forces: disciplinary proceedings, what the (a) number and (b) total sum was of ex gratia or other payments made to armed forces personnel incorrectly doubly punished following a police caution; and if he will make a statement; [195414]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 650W, on armed forces: disciplinary proceedings, how many and what amount of ex gratia payments were made to armed forces personnel incorrectly disciplined following receipt of a police caution; and if he will make a statement; [195821]
(3) whether agreement was received from HM Treasury to the Top Level Budget holder in his Department making ex gratia payments to members of the armed forces wrongly disciplined under AGAI 67 following a police caution; what estimate the Treasury made of the cost of such payments; and if he will make a statement. [196175]
Anna Soubry: No such ex gratia payments have been made.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to contact members of the armed forces wrongly disciplined in addition to receiving a police caution; and if he will make a statement. [195811]
Anna Soubry: No such steps have been taken.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior members of each branch of the armed forces missed a promotion following the receipt of a police caution in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; and if he will make a statement. [195813]
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Anna Soubry: None. Administrative action is no longer taken against Service personnel who receive a police caution.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, columns 619-20W, on army: disciplinary proceedings, how many of the individuals discharged in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011 under AGAI 67 (i) were discharged as a result of cautions and (ii) have been notified that they were wrongly discharged; and if he will make a statement. [195820]
Anna Soubry: The information requested can only be gained through a manual search of personnel records and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
No steps have been taken to notify individuals.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 442W, on armed forces: complaints, how many service complaints taken to an employment tribunal were settled (a) by out of court or other payments and (b) at Army Board CO Level 2 complaints appeal; what the total of those payments was; and if he will make a statement. [195823]
Anna Soubry: The following table sets out details of Employment Tribunal (ET) cases brought by Service personnel since 2008 which were subject to an out of court settlement. I am unable to answer the second part of this question as the internal appeal process does not include any separate complaints appeal stage which is distinct from the Superior Officer or Defence Council levels.
Calendar year | Number of ET cases settled out of court (of those lodged in each year) | Total settlement monies (paid against ET claims lodged in each year) (£) |
1 Withheld Notes: 1. Data refer to the date of submission of the ET claim. ET settlements and monies paid may have occurred in different years, but are presented in this format to show the outcomes of the claims which were lodged in each calendar year. 2. Settlement payments made are covered by Compromise Agreements which contain a confidentiality clause. For this reason the figure for the single case settled out of court in 2012 is withheld. 3. The figure for 2008 includes the Royal Irish class action Industrial Tribunal cases in which 21 of the 22 complainants received a settlement. 4. Not all cases lodged in 2013 have reached their conclusion. |
Armed Forces: Housing
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance and support his Department provides to military veterans and their families on securing stable housing; and if he will make a statement. [195453]
Anna Soubry: The £200 million Forces Help to Buy scheme commenced on 1 April 2014, meaning that Servicemen and women can now borrow up to 50% of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000, interest-free, providing a boost to those needing to find a deposit to buy their own home.
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To assist the transition of serving personnel to civilian life, the MOD offers a wide-ranging resettlement programme which includes a briefing by the Joint Services Housing Advice Office. This offers advice and information about a range of topics that armed forces personnel may find useful relating to an individual's housing needs before they leave the armed forces.
Once a person leaves service, any need for social housing becomes a local authority matter. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure the fair treatment of service families in need of social housing and ensure they are given proper priority on housing waiting lists.
The Government recognises that there is more that can be done to provide practical support to our veterans and their families in this area. In February I announced LIBOR funding of £40 million to support charities which assist veterans with housing needs in order to build new homes, buy new accommodation and renovate old facilities. Projects are expected to include hostels and half way houses for veterans who have fallen on hard times, supported housing for the wounded, injured and sick, and long-term care homes.
Armed Forces: Northern Ireland
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the names and causes of death of all UK service personnel who died in the course of or in connection with operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007. [196154]
Mr Francois: A definitive central list of those Service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007 has not been formally produced to date, though the respective regimental or service histories and records are available, together with MOD’s central data and the armed forces Memorial lists maintained by the tri-Service Joint Casualty and Compassionate Cell. The Department intends to produce a single centrally collated document in due course, however, which will be made available through gov.uk once complete.
Armed Forces: Offenders
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 443W, on armed forces: offenders, when he was first informed of this issue; what potential options are being considered; if he will ensure that the options under consideration do not disadvantage personnel who have been wronged; when he will update the House on any decision; and if he will make a statement; [195819]
(2) when his Department first became aware that they had been wrongly allowing armed forces personnel to be subjected to a double punishment under (a) AGAI 67 and (b) summary hearings; and if he will make a statement; [195812]
(3) when his Department first became aware that it had illegally subjected armed forces personnel to double punishment under (a) AGAI 67 and (b) summary hearings; and if he will make a statement. [196174]
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Anna Soubry: The Department first recognised the implications of changes to rehabilitation legislation relating to police cautions in September 2011, since when no administrative action has been taken against service personnel who receive a police caution. Officials brought the issue to the attention of Ministers in early December 2011 and have provided further advice at intervals since then.
It would be inappropriate to disclose the options that officials have presented for consideration. This is a complex matter, and I will update the House when I have reached a judgment
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) armed forces recruitment and (b) armed forces recruitment marketing in 2012-13. [196069]
Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence does not report the costs of recruitment marketing separately. The costs detailed in the following table show the total cost of regular recruiting by service and include manpower costs; marketing campaigns (specific advertising); marketing operations (provision of the recruiting process i.e. call centres and website maintenance), and contract costs (i.e. medical and fitness testing). It should be noted that despite the redundancy notices, the armed forces are required to constantly recruit every year to maintain the levels of young personnel entering the three services.
£ million | ||||
Financial year | Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | Total |
AWE
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff from the US Departments of (a) Energy and (b) Defense are currently on secondment to the AWE facilities at (i) Aldermaston and (ii) Burghfield. [195905]
Mr Dunne: There are two US staff from the Department of Defense on secondment to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston. No US staff are on secondment to AWE Burghfield.
Bridges
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) trucks for bridging, (b) medium girder bridges, (c) medium over girder bridges, (d) air portable ferry bridges, (e) pontoon sets, (f) LSB bridge and ramp sets and (g) launch sets are owned by his Department; how many are stored at MOD Ashchurch; and if he will make a statement. [195410]
Mr Dunne: The following table summarises the requested vehicles and bridging equipment, and the quantity currently held by the Defence Support Group at Ashchurch:
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Equipment asset | Total assets held | Quantity held by DSG at Ashchurch |
British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of readiness to defend its Overseas Territories in the event of attack. [196321]
Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly consults with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments and intelligence agencies, as well as our allies and partners, constantly to review or identify potential threats to UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). In the first instance the MOD seeks to deter such attacks using deterrence measures including, where necessary, permanently based military garrisons or dedicated patrols, visits by deployed military forces, and more broadly the maintenance of world class deployable military forces. Should deterrence fail to prevent an attack, the Department remains confident that it has the necessary contingency plans and high readiness deployable forces in the UK and elsewhere to respond accordingly to any attack on a UKOT.
DSG Ashchurch
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 182W, on Defence Infrastructure Organisation, whether there are any covenants on the use of DIO Ashchurch; and if he will make a statement. [195744]
Dr Murrison: There are two covenants on the site at Ashchurch. These relate to:
The erection and maintenance of stock proof fences; and
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The reservation of mines and minerals and rights of access to light and air.
Joint Exercises: Aberdeen
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason an Apache helicopter had to make an emergency landing outside Aberdeen during Exercise Joint Warrior. [196036]
Mr Dunne: The Apache helicopter was taking part in a biannual joint multi-national exercise and was travelling from West Freugh to Kinloss when the crew were given a warning notice. They followed correct flight procedures and safely conducted an emergency landing.
An engineering fault investigation report identified a failure with the oil pump and the engine is now being replaced before further engineering checks are conducted and the aircraft is cleared to fly.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty with his counterparts from the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement. [196027]
Dr Murrison: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discusses a range of topics with his counterparts from the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, including subjects related to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. However, engagement with our international partners on this treaty is led by the Foreign Secretary.
Private Sector
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs have been transferred from the public to the private sector as a result of privatisations or outsourcing by his Department since May 2010. [195507]
Mr Dunne: Transfer of work from the public to the private sector continues to be considered, among other options, as a way to deliver the savings set out at the spending review and to increase the efficiency of Government. The Department ensures that the staff involved in such transfers are treated fairly and consistently and that their terms and conditions are protected through Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) arrangements.
A full breakdown of civilian outflow from the MOD, including through privatisation of function, is provided in the MOD Quarterly Civilian Personnel Reports. The latest version (as at 1 January 2014, published on 6 February 2014) can be found at the following address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284487/civilian-personnel-report-1_january_2014.pdf
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Public Expenditure
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funds his Department has returned to the Exchequer as a result of underspend in each year since 2010. [192644]
Mr Philip Hammond: In 2010-11, the Ministry of Defence returned no funds to the Exchequer; in 2011-12, the MOD returned £300 million; and in 2012-13, the MOD returned no funds. Final accounts for 2013-14 are not yet available but the MOD has an agreement with the Treasury for carry-forward of underspend at Supplementary Estimates.
Reserve Forces
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to encourage full-time regular soldiers to join the reserves after they leave the Army. [195899]
Anna Soubry: We are keen to see ex-members of the Regular Army join the Army Reserve and have two schemes in place to support this:
£10,000 over four payments.
Payable from 1 April 2014, backdated to 1 January 2014.
The Scheme will run until 31 March 2017.
Ex-Regular Reduced Commitment Incentive. This allows ex-Regulars to serve on a reduced commitment for up to three years from when they join the Army Reserve:
Reduced annual training requirement (19 days, down from 27 for Regional units).
Reduced call-out liability (except under section 52 of RFA 96, no call-out liability, aside from national emergencies).
Reduced Military Annual Training Tests.
Ex-Regulars who participate in the Commitment Bonus scheme are ineligible to benefit from the Army Reserve Reduced Commitment scheme.
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual saving to the defence budget will be from the disbandment of the Second Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. [193518]
Mr Francois: The annual cost of a Regiment will depend on that Regiment’s size, role and manpower mix and will comprise a combination of personnel, training, infrastructure and equipment. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, based on manpower capitation rates, the average annual cost of a Light Infantry Battalion is in the region of £27.5 million.