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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Attorney-General

Proceeds of Crime

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how much money subject to a Crown Prosecution Service restraining or confiscation order has been diverted to meet the costs of a private-sector receiver in each of the last three financial years; and what proportion that amount was of all assets subject to such orders. [195842]

The Solicitor-General: The following table contains data from the last three financial years on the total amount restrained under restraint orders, the total fees paid to management receivers and the percentage of receivership fees as a proportion of the restrained amount.

The following table contains data from the last three financial years on the total confiscation order amount (i.e. the sum of all assets included in confiscation orders), total fees paid to enforcement receivers and the percentage of receivership fees as a proportion of the confiscation order amount.

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Stationery

Mr Redwood: To ask the Attorney-General what levels of stock the Law Officers’ Departments hold of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables. [196196]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service has reduced its expenditure on stationery substantially since 2010, however, inventories of stationery items and office consumables are not maintained and to calculate the stock levels held would incur a disproportionate cost.

The remaining Law Officers’ Departments operate “Just in Time” purchasing for most stationery items and do not therefore keep details on the exact levels of stock of stationery, printer cartridges, treasury tags and other fasteners or other office consumables. Providing such information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's Executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies. [195212]

Matthew Hancock: I have asked chief executives of the Executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.

Until 2013, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills did not keep a record of the age of internal apprentices. The table shows the age of both externally recruited apprentices since 2010 and ages of those apprentices embarking on the Department’s internal apprenticeship programme in 2013. The 2013 figure refers to the ages of those on the Department’s internal programme. There are no externally recruited apprentices in the 25 years or over category.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently has 53 apprentices. We have had 4 successful completions this year.

16 of these 53 apprentices are under the age of 21 with a further 6 apprentices under 21 expected to join the Department later in the year.

Letter from John Alty, dated 7 April 2014:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 3rd April 2014, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which you ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies. (195212)

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The Intellectual Property Office is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). It does not currently employ any apprentices, but is in the process of introducing a scheme to bring 8 in from September 2014.

Letter from John Hirst, dated 7 April 2014:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 3 April 2014, DIN 195212 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

There are no apprentices working at the Met Office. The Met Office primarily meets its needs for trainees through graduate recruitment campaigns. In addition, the Met Office runs an innovative IT Trainee Scheme, training individuals from A-Level standard upwards. It also offers paid summer placement opportunities to those who have just completed the first year of A' levels, current undergraduates or those who have completed their studies.

I hope this helps.

Letter from Richard Judge, dated 8 April 2014:

In response to PQ 2013/3483, I confirm that the Insolvency Service has twelve existing members of staff who are undertaking an apprenticeship. The age breakdown is provided in the table.

The Agency does not have any new hire apprentices in its employment at present.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 8 April 2014:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to your parliamentary question numbered 195212 tabled on 03 April 2014 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies.

I can confirm that Land Registry does not currently employ any apprentices but that we are working on proposals to take on apprentices in future.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

Letter from Barbara Spicer, dated 7 April 2014:

Thank you for your question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies. (195212)

Please be advised that the Skills Funding Agency has 28 apprentices in total aged (a) 16 to 18-2 (b) 19 to 24-24 (c) 25 years or over-2.

I hope this satisfactorily addresses your question. If you have any follow up queries, please let me know.

Letter from Sarah Glasspool, dated 4 April 2014:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 3 April 2014, asking the BIS Secretary of State how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies.

The National Measurement Office (NMO) employs one apprentice who falls into age bracket (a).

Letter from Neil Hartley, dated 4 April 2014:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 3 April 2014, UIN 195212 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

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Companies House does not employ any apprentices.

Letter from Vanessa Lawrence, dated 4 April 2014:

As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies.

(a) No apprentices aged 16 to 18 are employed by Ordnance Survey.

(b) No apprentices aged 19 to 24 are employed by Ordnance Survey.

(c) No apprentices aged 25 or over are employed by Ordnance Survey.

Should you have any further questions, please let me know.

I hope this information is helpful.

Letter from David Parker:

Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed at each of his Department's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies and agencies.

The UK Space Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and has no apprentices employed.

Government Departments: Secondment

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to Lord Adonis of 3 June 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, column 122WA, on Government Departments: secondments, of those secondments to his Department listed on that date, how many of these secondments related (a) wholly, (b) partly and (c) incidentally to the privatisation of Royal Mail; and how many of those secondments took place primarily for the purpose of helping with the privatisation of Royal Mail. [195632]

Michael Fallon: Of the secondees listed in the answer given to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis on 3 June 2013, two worked on the Royal Mail privatisation in the Shareholder Executive.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in how many secondments from the private sector to his Department and its agencies the secondee's work-related (a) wholly, (b) partly or (c) incidentally to the privatisation of Royal Mail; from which firms those secondments were made; and on what dates they began and ended. [195633]

Michael Fallon: In the Shareholder Executive teams are put together to work on specific projects bringing together appropriate skills and experience; such teams regularly include secondee appointments. Three secondees from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Lazard and KPMG spent varying degrees of time working at the Shareholder Executive on the Royal Mail IPO. The Freshfields secondee worked on various projects, and worked wholly on the Royal Mail privatisation for the second half of the secondment. The Lazard and KPMG secondees were engaged to work principally on Royal Mail. No secondee held a senior position in the team.

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The KPMG secondment started in June 2013 and is continuing. The Freshfields secondment started in December 2012 and ended in November 2013. The Lazard secondment ran from January 2013 to January 2014.

Royal Mail

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what due diligence was undertaken by officials in his Department in relation to the reliability of the gentlemen's agreement on the holding of Royal Mail shares by priority investors. [195593]

Michael Fallon: There was no agreement—gentleman's or otherwise—on the holding of Royal Mail shares by priority investors.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what safeguards were (a) sought and (b) put in place to ensure that priority investors would continue to invest over a longer period of time in respect of the privatisation of Royal Mail. [195594]

Michael Fallon: More than 500 would-be investors in Royal Mail were approached in the lead up to the sale including potential long term institutional investors.

As is standard practice for any flotation, we did not seek to lock in any investors as they would have paid less for a stock they could not trade.

We understand that the majority of the shares, other than those owned by Government, the Royal Mail workforce and retail investors, are currently held by long term institutional investors.

Shipping: Training

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reform of apprenticeships resulting from the Richard Review on the cost of training new (a) ratings and (b) officer cadets in the maritime industry; and if he will make a statement. [195525]

Matthew Hancock: Different apprenticeship programmes operate in England and Scotland. Doug Richard’s Review focused on English apprenticeships and he made a number of recommendations to make the programme more rigorous and responsive to employers’ needs. The Government accepted the Richard Review principles and set out their apprenticeship reform programme in the October 2013 Implementation Plan.

The reforms include employers developing new apprenticeship standards, requiring employers to co-invest, putting the Government funding for the external training and assessment of apprentices in the hands of their employers and setting maximum Government contribution levels. With direct access to funding, employers will be able to negotiate a price for the training with their provider, and this means it is not possible in advance of the reforms to say what the costs of training apprentices in specific occupations will be.

The Maritime sector has a long tradition of apprenticeships which we wish to continue. English apprenticeships are currently available for Maritime

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occupations and employers in the sector are currently designing a new apprenticeship standard for ratings as part of our Phase 2 Trailblazer programme.

The Government have recognised through Alternative Completion Conditions Regulations that, in some maritime occupations, apprentices may be trainees rather than employees. The apprenticeships funding reform technical consultation is open until 1 May 2014 and this includes a question about how, or to what extent, the new funding principles and mechanism can be applied to non-employed apprentices.

Cabinet Office

Consultants

Chris Leslie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) which 10 consultancy firms were paid the most by No. 10 Downing Street in the last financial year; and how much each of those firms was paid; [195582]

(2) 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; [195568]

(3) which five companies were used most often to provide temporary workers for his Department in the last financial year; and how much in agency fees was paid to each of them; [195546]

(4) which five companies were used most often to provide temporary workers for No. 10 Downing Street in the last financial year; and how much in agency fees was paid to each of them. [195560]

Mr Maude: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Before the last general election, including for the entire period while the hon. Member was a Minister in this very Department, there were no effective cross-governmental controls on consultancy spend. Nor were spending controls exercised on other areas such as procurement, advertising and marketing, and IT spend.

That’s all changed and ministers—supported by Cabinet Office officials—now closely scrutinise what we spend on consultants and temporary labour. Departments saved over £1 billion in 2012-13 (the last year for which we have audited figures) compared to the spending levels in the final year of the last administration, 2009-10. This helped us save taxpayers £10 billion in 2012-13 against a 2009-10 baseline.

We will continue to spend money on consultants and temporary labour when there is an appropriate business need to do so. Indeed in some cases engaging temporary labour is more flexible and cheaper for the taxpayer than taking on new staff. But we are also ensuring that the civil service has the skills needed. Our Capabilities Plan is designed to address long-standing gaps in four particular areas: digital skills, project management skills, commercial skills, and the leadership and management of change.

We publish all spend data over £25,000 and contracts over £10,000 on Gov.uk and Contracts Finder.

Domestic Violence

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what analysis of the victim profile in domestic abuse cases his Department has undertaken. [196559]

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what analysis of the victim profile in domestic abuse cases has been undertaken. (196559)

The Office for National Statistics publishes an annual report which focuses specifically on violent crime and sexual offences. Within this publication, there is a subset of information which covers profiles of victims of domestic abuse, for offences occurring in the previous year as well as those taking place since age 16.

A copy of the most recent of these reports, ‘Focus On Violent Crime and Sexual Offences 2012/13’, can be found here:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences--2012-13/index.html

Ethnic Groups: Latin America

Mr Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, (1) what plans his Department has to ensure that the Latin American community is better recognised in official statistics; [196455]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of people of Latin American ethnicity in (a) the UK, (b) England and Wales, (c) London, (d) each London borough and (e) Streatham constituency. [196454]

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

Letter from Caron Walker, dated April 2014:

In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people of Latin American ethnicity in (a) the UK, (b) England and Wales, (c) London, (d) each London borough and (e) Streatham constituency (196454) and what plans his Department has to ensure that the Latin American community is better recognised in official statistics. (196455)

196454

Table 1 provides the information you require using 2011 Census data for Northern Ireland, England and Wales, London boroughs and Streatham constituency. Equivalent data was not collected for Scotland by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) therefore I am not able to provide information at the UK level.

196455

The 2011 Census data for Latin American was collected through ‘write in’ responses to the ethnic group question. A consultation was undertaken to determine the ethnic group tick boxes to be included in the England and Wales 2011 Census. ONS recommends that this ethnic group question be used in all social surveys, though organisations may want to adapt it to incorporate specific data requirements. While the Office for National Statistics (ONS) received requests for approximately 20 new tick boxes, there was no strong policy need highlighted for a Latin American tick box. There are currently no plans to relook at the recommended ethnic group standards.

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Government Departments: Video Conferencing

Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether it is his policy to encourage civil servants to use video conferencing in order to reduce costs; and if he will make a statement. [195411]

Mr Maude: Yes. Video conferencing can be used to reduce costs but specialist equipment can be required. Officials and ministers also make use of telephone conferencing.

Private Sector

Lucy Powell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many jobs have been transferred from the public to private sector from (a) his Department and (b) the Office of the Leader of the House as a result of privatisation or outsourcing since May 2010. [195522]

Mr Maude: The Leader of the House’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Since May 2010, twenty-two jobs have been transferred to the Private Sector.

Six posts through the SWIRL joint venture and 16 posts with the mutual joint venture of the Behavioural Insights Team.

We know that joint ventures and mutuals can help drive up productivity and we will continue to support innovative business models.

Trade Unions

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings his Department has had for which the check off system of paying trade union fees was on the agenda. [196720]

Mr Maude: As was the case under the previous administration, details of internal meetings are not normally published.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications.

Communities and Local Government

Natural Gas: Safety

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to promote gas safety among leaseholders in local authority-managed properties. [187486]

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not provide advice on gas safety specifically for leaseholders in local authority–managed properties. However, the lease of a property will set out the responsibilities of the freeholder and the leaseholder, including responsibility for maintenance of gas appliances.

In the private rented and social rented sectors, landlords are required by law to: repair and maintain gas pipework, keep flues and appliances in safe condition; ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue; and keep a record of each safety check.

For the social housing sector, the Homes and Communities Agency ‘Home Standard’ says that registered providers must “meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes”. The Homes and Communities Agency has recently issued three ‘serious detriment’ notices against Gallions, Your Housing Group and the Guinness

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Partnership for failing to maintain gas safety and they have all had their Governance ratings downgraded partly based on that.

The Home Standard is a ‘consumer’ standard and therefore applies to all registered providers, including local authorities.

Non-domestic Rates: East Sussex

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to help shops in (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (b) East Sussex with their business rate bills; and if he will make a statement. [196009]

Brandon Lewis: At the autumn statement we announced a £1 billion package of business rates support to help shops and local firms. This included a £1,000 discount for two years for shops, pubs and restaurants with a rateable value of below £50,000. We do not hold figures for numbers benefitting from that measure in the Kemptown constituency. However, based on local authority reports of the amount of relief awarded in the Brighton and East Sussex areas, we estimate that 2,270 properties will benefit in Brighton and Hove, 890 in Wealdon, 810 in Lewes, 750 in Rother, and 720 in Eastbourne. We do not yet have an estimate for Hastings.

The support package also included a 50% discount for businesses taking on long-term empty shops, the doubling of small business rate relief for another year, a 2% cap on RPI increases for 2014-15, and allowing businesses to spread their rate payments over 12 months.

Secularism and Humanism

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) secularist and (ii) humanist organisations since May 2010. [195487]

Stephen Williams: Ministers have regular meetings with a range of different partners and organisations. Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on the Department's website.

Wind Power

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, where within his Department information on the energy capacity of schemes is held. [195380]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 9 April 2014]: The individual details of each appeal are submitted by the parties within a variety of documents, stored separately on the individual case files.

My Department does not analyse or keep running totals of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals, and it would incur disproportionate cost to create such information retrospectively. The main consideration in wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area.

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Details on renewable energy projects are held on the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Planning Database at:

https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/

Culture, Media and Sport

Aerials: Planning Permission

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average time taken to grant planning permission for mobile telephone base stations in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [196025]

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

The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Last August, to support the roll-out of superfast mobile broadband (4G), I brought forward changes to permitted development rights which grant planning permission for specific types of mobile development. These changes apply to England only.

Defence

Air Force

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 490W, on the Royal Air Force, if he will provide details of (a) each base at which RAF personnel from the Remotely Piloted Air System division are stationed and (b) the branch and specialisation of every such person. [195004]

Mr Francois: RAF Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) personnel are based at RAF Waddington and Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

RAF personnel are from the following branches or specialisation:

Branch/Specialisation

Pilot

Sensor Operator

Mission Intelligence Coordinator

Operations

Engineer

Administration

RAF RPAS Squadrons can also include personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of armoured fighting vehicles which will be (a) returned to the UK, (b) destroyed or (c) sold by the time of the main withdrawal from Afghanistan; and what the costs associated with each of those categories are to date. [196076]

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Mr Francois: All armoured fighting vehicles deployed to Afghanistan will be returned to the UK. None of these have been destroyed and none are currently due to be sold.

The information on costs associated with this activity cannot be readily broken out from the wider costs of all equipment and personnel recovery.

Baltic States

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Latvia, (b) Lithuania and (c) Estonia about strengthening defence and security relationships with those countries. [196264]

Mr Philip Hammond: I regularly engage with my Baltic counterparts, including through EU and NATO meetings. I visited Latvia and Lithuania in September 2013; and I intend to visit the region again in the very near future.

In December 2013 I visited Estonia where I signed the General Defence Engagement Memorandum of Understanding between our two countries.

European Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air proximity incidents by classification took place with a Typhoon aircraft in each of the last three years; and what the other aircraft involved was in each incident, broken down by location. [194524]

Mr Francois: Details of the air proximity incidents involving Typhoon aircraft in 2011, 2012 and 2013 have been published online and can be obtained from the UK Airprox Board website at:

http://www.airproxboard.org.uk/default.aspx?catid=423&pagetype=90&pageid=5639

Scandinavia

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Ministers in his Department last met their counterparts from (a) Norway, (b) Finland and (c) Sweden. [196262]

Dr Murrison: Defence Ministers meet their counterparts regularly at multinational meetings throughout the year. The Secretary of State for Defence most recently met the Defence Ministers of Norway, Finland and Sweden at the Northern Group meeting in Helsinki in December 2013, and I had a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of Sweden at the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) meeting in Luxembourg in April 2014.

Ukraine

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK is deploying any military assets to assist the NATO patrol over Ukraine. [196181]

Mr Francois: NATO is not patrolling Ukranian airspace. Therefore, nor is the UK. However, the UK is contributing an E3-D aircraft to the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force flying in NATO airspace and it will be deploying four Typhoon aircraft to enhance the Polish rotation of NATO's peacetime Baltic Air Policing mission, which polices NATO airspace.

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Education

Youth Work

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to promote the reputation and status of youth work. [196223]

Matthew Hancock: Responsibility for youth policy, including youth work, transferred to Cabinet Office on 3 July 2013. Cabinet Office co-ordinates cross-government work on youth policy and is also responsible for policy on international youth issues, youth voice and democracy, and the role of local authorities as well as working with the youth sector.

The Department for Education continues its commitment to all young people through its responsibilities for education and children’s services in England; and works closely with the rest of Government on key issues such as reducing risky behaviour and increasing participation in education, employment and training.

Electoral Commission Committee

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answers of 3 February 2014, Official Report, columns 59-62W and 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 892W, on the electoral register, what the average planned cost for each download target for each voter registration campaign was for each of the last five elections. [191081]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it did not set specific targets for the cost per download of each registration campaign during the last five elections but that these campaigns were carefully planned to be as cost effective as possible.

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 892W, on electoral register, if the Electoral Commission will set more rigorous targets for expected registration downloads in future registration campaigns. [191082]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it always seeks to set stretching targets for its registration campaigns based on exceeding targets set for the nearest equivalent previous campaign.

The Commission will be undertaking a thorough review of how best to increase voter registration ahead of the 2015 UK General Election. This will look at lessons from previous campaigns as well as exploring new and potentially more cost efficient ways of generating public awareness about voter registration, including how best to support the work of other organisations. Rigorous targets will be set to reflect the objectives of the campaign and the fact that it will be possible to register online for the first time in Great Britain.

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Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission which local authorities in Great Britain failed the Standard Three performance standard for the completeness and accuracy of electoral registration records in 2013. [191114]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that this information was published and tabled in a written statement to the House on 31 March. The Commission has written to the hon. Member with a copy of the report.

Parliamentary Advisory Group

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, columns 338-9W, on Parliamentary Advisory Group, on what date each member of the Parliamentary Advisory Group was appointed; and what the attendance record of each member has been at meetings of that Group since their appointment. [191075]

Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that its Parliamentary Advisory Group is made up of politicians whose expertise it uses to help it consider a range of different issues. The group has no formal status so there is no specific date of appointment for Members. The minutes of each Advisory Group meeting, which includes a record of the attendance at each meeting, are published on the Commission’s website here:

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/who-we-are/governance-and-decision-making/parliamentary-advisory-group

Energy and Climate Change

Energy Companies Obligation

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons he deleted Question 10 in the current consultation exercise on the reductions in the size of the Energy Company Obligation; and what his policy is on the Obligation and its size after March 2017. [195736]

Gregory Barker: As stated on page 6 of the consultation document, the Government have confirmed that ECO is intended to be ambitious and long term, extending through at least until 2022. The precise shape of the obligation beyond 2017 will be consulted on in due course, and is not in scope of the current consultation exercise which focuses on the period through to 2017.

The original question 10 was unclear, in that it requested views on the proposed ECO target in the obligation period to March 2017, but followed a series of specific questions (now questions 10, 11, 12 and 13 in the amended consultation document) seeking views on targets for each of the ECO sub-obligations in that period. As explained on the DECC website, the question was therefore removed in the interests of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition.

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Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the renewable heat incentive scheme is targeted on households most in need of help with their energy bills. [196236]

Gregory Barker: The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is targeted at, but not limited to, homes off the gas grid, which are more expensive to heat than those with mains gas. Households without mains gas have the most potential to save on their fuel bills and decrease their carbon emissions. The RHI is funded through general taxation rather than through a ‘green levy’ on energy bills.

As well as homeowners, the domestic RHI is also open to social landlords and private landlords. Following the very successful renewable heat premium payment social landlords’ competitions, with over 4,200 installations to date, we expect to see significant take-up in the social housing sector.

Solar Power

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 81W, on solar power, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the solar industry regarding changes to the 250-5MW FiT band for the purpose of encouraging greater deployment of mid-size rooftop solar PV. [195701]

Gregory Barker: I have been in regular contact with representatives of the Solar Trade Association and British Photovoltaic Association over the last few months, in the lead-up to the publication on 4 April 2014 of the UK Government’s Solar Strategy, the first of its kind in Europe.

I have discussed with the industry a range of options for removing the barriers to greater deployment of mid-scale building mounted solar PV. As set out in the strategy, we will be considering specific proposals for doing this in the coming months.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Exports

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase agricultural exports as part of the export-led recovery. [195698]

George Eustice: DEFRA and UKTI with industry are working together to increase exports in the agri-food sector. We launched a refreshed Exports Action plan last October. It commits us to deliver £500 million of value to the UK economy by supporting 1,000 companies by October 2015. Food and drink exports in 2013 reached £18.9 billion, against £18.2 billion in 2012, and are now 50% higher than 10 years ago. UKTI has established a dedicated team with civil servants and industry experts to improve the value and volume of

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inward investment and exports in agricultural technology. This team is working with UKTI posts overseas to help UK-based agri-technology companies succeed in international markets.

Air Pollution

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which key delivery partners his Department has met to inform a second consultation on local air quality management as mentioned in the Local Air Quality Management in England: Review-Summary of Responses and Government Reply. [195709]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA officials have met with lead officials at the Department for Transport and Greater London Authority, and, through the Regional Coordinators Group, local air quality practitioners and environmental health officers from across England. This group, which meets at least twice a year, includes representatives from other Government Departments and key stakeholders. We will continue to engage fully with these and other delivery partners to help inform our second consultation on revised regulations and guidance for local authorities.

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have adopted a formal position on the EU air package; and if he will make a statement. [195711]

Dan Rogerson: The Government welcome the European Commission’s Clean Air Package which was published on 18 December last year. The Commission has recently published several reports updating its impact assessment for the package, and we are in the process of analysing the proposals. The Government are committed to working with the Commission, the European Parliament and other member states to ensure the package is proportionate, deliverable and achievable.

Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to his Department's biodiversity offsetting schemes, what spatial constraints will be placed on the location of such schemes. [195680]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA is currently considering its policy options on offsetting which include what spatial constraints there might be on the location of offsets.

These considerations are being made in light of feedback and evidence from several sources. These include our public consultation on biodiversity offsetting in England, the Environmental Audit Committee’s report and evidence from the six offsetting pilots.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to ensure that the ongoing monitoring of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire is independently scientifically evaluated. [195732]

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George Eustice: DEFRA is currently working closely with Natural England and AHVLA to develop the detail of how the monitoring will be implemented, including auditing and evaluation procedures. The results and outcome of the monitoring of the pilot cull will be made publically available after they have been completed.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the ongoing monitoring of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire will be independent and (b) their effectiveness, humaneness and safety is based on rigorous scientific methodology. [195733]

George Eustice: Monitoring of compliance with licence conditions will continue to be carried out by the licensing authority, Natural England. AHVLA will continue to carry out post-mortem examinations of carcases. DEFRA is currently working closely with Natural England and AHVLA to develop the detail of how the monitoring will be implemented, including auditing and evaluation procedures.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his statement of 3 April 2014, Official Report, columns 1034-7, on bovine TB, what the evidential basis is for the statement that about a third of badgers in TB hotspot areas are infected with TB. [195920]

George Eustice: The prevalence of M. bovis in badgers based on post-mortems and a subsequent analysis of the post-mortem protocol following the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) showed prevalence of around 33%.

In the long-running study of badgers at Woodchester park TB prevalence in badgers has increased to over 30%.¹

In a separate study in Gloucestershire between 35% and 53% of badgers tested positive to a TB test.²

¹ Delahay et al. Epidemiol. Infect. (2013), 141, 1445-1456. Long-term temporal trends and estimated transmission rates for Mycobacterium bovis infection in an undisturbed high-density badger (Meles meles) population

² Carter SP, et al. (2012) PLoS ONE 7(12): e49833. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049833 BCG Vaccination Reduces Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Vaccinated Badgers and Unvaccinated Badger Cubs.

Dredging and Cockle Fishing

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received from bodies supporting (a) hydraulic dredging and (b) hand-raking methods of cockle fishing; and if he will make a statement. [196276]

George Eustice: In the last 12 months DEFRA has received two e-mails from two different individuals regarding cockle fishing methods. The correspondents asked for confirmation that the use of hydraulic dredging for cockle fishing is legal and to express their support for hand-raking methods of cockle fishing. Officials responded to both individuals and advised them to contact the local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) which is responsible for managing the inshore

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area (1-6 nautical miles) around the English coast. Officials also made the local IFCA aware of both emails. In addition, I will be responding shortly to correspondence I have received expressing concerns on behalf of the commercial cockle fishermen from King’s Lynn, Norfolk.

Fisheries: Norfolk

Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) police the shell fisheries industry in the Wash area. [196277]

George Eustice: The shellfisheries in the Wash are managed by the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) through a combination of the Wash Fishery Order 1992 Regulations and local IFCA Byelaws. This includes the introduction of closed seasons, gear restriction and the use of permits to control access to certain fisheries. This is in addition to EU and UK regulations. The IFCA officers also work closely with Marine Management Organisation officers on enforcement operations within the Wash area.

Fisheries: West Africa

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on renegotiating overseas fishing agreements with Guinea-Bissau and other countries along the West African coast. [196130]

George Eustice: The fisheries agreement between the European Union and Guinea-Bissau has been inactive since 2012 when the protocol was suspended due to political tensions in the country. I am unaware of any further discussion about this agreement since that time.

At present, the EU has active fisheries agreements with the following countries in Western Africa: Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, São Tomé e Príncipe and Mauritania. In addition, there are a number of agreements which are currently dormant.

The UK plays an active role within the EU when these agreements are negotiated. Our views are based on the following principles: that agreements allow EU fleets only to fish against genuinely surplus stocks; that best available scientific advice is taken into account to fish sustainably; that due consideration is given to human rights issues; and that agreements be financially beneficial to the EU and the third country in question, with sufficient controls in place to ensure funds received by third countries are used in appropriate ways. Furthermore, the UK also believes that the financial burden of agreements should be moved towards vessel operators, from the EU taxpayer, taking into account the profitability of the stock.

Flood Control

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Environment Agency staff have been redeployed to inspect flood defence assets in each of the last five months. [195064]

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Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency has 100 members of staff fully trained in asset inspection who have all been deployed in the last five months. Only trained staff are used to inspect assets.

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government’s report into the condition of all flood defence assets following the winter floods will be published; and if he will make a statement. [195126]

Dan Rogerson: The Government’s report into the condition of flood defence assets will be published when the results of the national assessment have been analysed by the Environment Agency. This is currently expected to be in May.

Floods

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Official Report, column 1005, what assessment he has made of how the farming and forestry improvement scheme might help those affected by flooding. [196340]

George Eustice: The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme was reviewed at the end of February and revised to offer support to rural businesses affected by flooding.

The scheme now funds additional items, such as pumps, that will help businesses to become more resilient to future flooding. It also offers an increase in grant rates.

Applications from those affected by flooding are being prioritised and the deadline for applications has been extended.

Forests

Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in the development of the Woodland Carbon Code. [195355]

Dan Rogerson: The Woodland Carbon Code, developed by the Forestry Commission, was introduced in July 2011 following a pilot phase that began in September 2010. Subsequently, a group scheme has been launched to enable financial costs to be shared by participating schemes, alongside a shared responsibility for ensuring that Woodland Carbon Code requirements are met at all sites. In July 2013 the Code was launched on the Markit Environmental Registry to provide open and transparent project registration as well as Woodland Carbon Unit issuance, tracking and retirement. As of 31 March 2014, 202 projects covering an area of 15,401 hectares had registered with the Woodland Carbon Code, of which 67 projects had been validated.

Fracking

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which chemicals are authorised for use in the fracking process in the UK; what assessment he has made of the potential risk

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posed to humans and the natural environment from those chemicals before their authorisation; and if he will make a statement. [194996]

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency will require full disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

Operators will not be able to use chemicals for well stimulation unless the agency considers them acceptable for use. The Environment Agency will assess the hazards presented by fracking fluid additives on a case-by-case basis.

Allowing the use of a chemical at one site does not automatically mean the agency will allow it to be used elsewhere. This is because the environmental risks may be different, for example, due to local geological conditions.

Private Sector

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [195510]

Dan Rogerson: Since May 2010, 202 core DEFRA staff have transferred to the private sector.

Water: Meters

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy that householders may choose a conventional or analogue water meter instead of a wireless smart water meter where their water supplier is rolling out water metering; and if he will make a statement. [195780]

Dan Rogerson: Metering can be a fair way of charging for limited water resources. As circumstances are very different in different regions, the Government do not take a blanket approach to metering policy. In areas of serious water stress where there may not be enough water available to meet demand, a water company can include plans for metering all of their customers in their Water Resources Management Plan. In all other areas, household customers are entitled to have a meter installed free of charge by their water company on request, but cannot be required to have one fitted. The type of water meter to fit is a matter for the water company to decide.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Consultants

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [195575]

Mr Lidington: For the past financial year (2013-14) the 10 organisations paid most by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for consultancy and the associated spend figures were as follows:

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Health

Cerebral Palsy

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that children under the age of two years old who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy may be assessed for an education, health and care plan; [195464]

(2) how many children under the age of two years old have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the latest period for which figures are available; [195465]

(3) how many children aged between the ages of two and 18 years old have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the latest period for which figures are available; [195466]

(4) how many people have had a selective dorsal rhizotomy performed in NHS hospitals the latest period for which figures are available; [195467]

(5) what information his Department holds on how many people have had a selective dorsal rhizotomy in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; [195521]

(6) how many people have had a selective dorsal rhizotomy paid for by the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available. [195523]

Dr Poulter: Information concerning the number of Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) procedures that have been paid for by the national health service, performed in NHS hospitals or carried in the United Kingdom cannot be provided. In the OPCS Classification of Interventions and Procedures used in the NHS there is no coding for SDR and so this procedure cannot be identified in hospital episode statistics data. In addition to this, SDR is not currently routinely funded by the NHS in England following the publication of a single national policy in April 2013.

Information concerning the number of people diagnosed with cerebral palsy is not collected. However, it is estimated that the condition affects three in 1,000 live births.

Finally, NHS England's Paediatric Neurosciences (Neurology) service specification clearly defines what NHS England expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services for children with cerebral palsy. It ensures equity of access to a nationally consistent, high quality service for patients.

This specification sets out that the optimal management of patients with neurological conditions improves health outcomes and can also help to minimise other, often

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detrimental, impacts on social, educational and employment activity. It also makes clear that the children in the care of paediatric neurology multi-disciplinary teams should have access to non-clinical staff, including: neuromuscular family care officers; hospital teachers; and, play therapists.

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to clarify the responsibilities of health services in ensuring the early clinical and educational intervention for children under two with cerebral palsy; [195853]

(2) what steps he is taking to clarify the responsibilities of health services in the identification of cerebral palsy in children under two years. [195854]

Dr Poulter: Diagnosis of cerebral palsy can take time and there is no single test that confirms it or rules it out. In some cases, when a baby requires special care after being born, it may be possible for a confident diagnosis of cerebral palsy to be made relatively quickly. Other cases will be initially identified through routine screening and monitoring.

We understand from NHS England that babies diagnosed with cerebral palsy have multi-disciplinary team surveillance and an action plan, which includes support with whatever service is needed, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy in the community, and regular follow up. Ongoing neurological problems are reviewed and referral to other specialists such as paediatric orthopaedic specialists made as necessary.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, health bodies identifying a 0-5 year old child with special educational need or disability must discuss this with the parent and bring the child to the attention of the local authority so they can consider whether an education health and care plan is needed. The Department is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to support health commissioners and clinicians to play their part in the special educational need reforms.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what early screening protocols by specialist services and paediatricians are in place for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. [195703]

Dr Poulter: Diagnosis of cerebral palsy can take time and there is no single test that confirms it or rules it out. In some cases, when a baby requires special care after being born, it may be possible for a confident diagnosis of cerebral palsy to be made relatively quickly. Other cases will be initially identified through routine screening and monitoring.

We understand from NHS England that babies diagnosed with cerebral palsy have multi-disciplinary team surveillance and an action plan, which includes support with whatever service is needed, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy in the community, and regular follow up. Ongoing neurological problems are reviewed and referral to other specialists such as paediatric orthopaedic specialists made as necessary.

Employment Agencies

Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which five companies were used most often to provide temporary workers for his Department in the last

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financial year; and how much in agency fees was paid to each of them. [195555]

Dr Poulter: The following table provides information on the five companies most used by the Department in terms of the volume and value of purchase orders placed in 2012-13 for temporary (non-payroll) staff. The Department uses the Crown Commercial Services definition of contingent labour, which includes administrative and clerical, interim manager and specialist contractors.

General Practitioners

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients who have been diagnosed via a telephone appointment with their GP in each of the last three years; and how many such diagnoses have (a) resulted in sending a prescription without a face-to-face appointment and (b) needed a face-to-face appointment at a later date. [195686]

Dr Poulter: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Although there are no specific national requirements on telephone consultations, general practitioners (GPs) must act in accordance with the good practice guidance from the General Medical Council and should apply the same standards of quality they would for a face to face consultation. When undertaking a consultation over the telephone, GPs should only provide a diagnosis or prescription drugs or treatment where it is clinically safe and appropriate.

Health Services

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, columns 792-3W, on health services, what is meant by the statement in that answer that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commissioning resources page signposts to NICE products of value to commissioners, including NICE pathways, referral advice, cost savings, NICE do not do recommendations database, social value judgments and the NICE field team; and what steps his

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Department takes to ensure that written answers to parliamentary questions are in comprehensible English. [195670]

Jane Ellison: The Department makes every effort to ensure that answers to parliamentary questions can be readily understood, and to respond to any requests for clarification.

The statement,

“(the) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commissioning resources page signposts to NICE products of value to commissioners, including NICE pathways, referral advice, cost savings, NICE ‘do not do’ recommendations database, social value judgments and the NICE field team”

describes the range of information which can be accessed from the NICE commissioning resources webpage. This information can be used by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to support their efforts to commission high quality services for patients.

A more detailed description of each of these resources follows:

‘NICE pathways’ is a website which brings together all relevant NICE recommendations, quality standards and commissioning advice for each clinical topic or condition;

The NICE ‘referral advice’ recommendations database contains current advice on primary-to-secondary care referral from all NICE'S guidance products, including clinical guidelines, cancer service guidance and public health guidance;

The NICE list of cost-saving guidance contains a list of recommendations from NICE guidance that may either deliver savings or free up resources and capacity that can be used for other-services;

The NICE ‘do not do’ recommendations database identifies clinical practices that NICE recommends should be discontinued completely in the NHS, or not used routinely;

The NICE publication ‘Social value judgments’ describes the principles that NICE follows in developing its guidance and processes; and

The ‘NICE field team’ is a team of consultants who work with local NHS organisations to support implementation of NICE'S guidance.

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Further details of these resources can be found at:

www.nice.org.uk/usingguidance/implementationtools/howtoguide/nicesupportforcommissioners.jsp

Hospices: Children

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the current transitional funding arrangements for children's hospices to support the sector during the change to the per-patient funding system for children's hospices beyond 2015. [195773]

Norman Lamb: We have committed to continuing the annual grant of over £10 million, allocated by NHS England, while they and Monitor develop a per-patient funding system to ensure that from 2015 hospice services can be funded locally on an equitable and transparent basis. No decision has been made on an extension of the grant beyond 2015.

It will be important that there is a smooth and managed transition from the current system to the new payment system.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients were on a waiting list for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests in January in each of the last five years; [195517]

(2) how many and what proportion of patients waited 13 weeks or longer for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests in January in each of the last five years; [195518]

(3) how many and what proportion of patients waited six weeks or longer for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests in January in each of the last five years. [195519]

Jane Ellison: The information is shown in the following table:

Medical Records: Databases

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patient records from private healthcare providers will be extracted as part of care.data. [195850]

Dr Poulter: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 empowers the Health and Social Care Information Centre to require organisations providing care funded by the national health service to submit data to it when directed by the Secretary of State for Health or by NHS England. This does not extend to private providers unless they are providing NHS care.

Medical Records: Internet

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to allow people to view their medical records online; and if he will make a statement. [196077]

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Dr Poulter: NHS England has outlined the steps it will use to drive the use of information and technology in the national health service (NHS) in the published plan, ‘Putting Patients First: Business plan 2014-15 to 2016-17’.

By March 2015, NHS patients will have the opportunity of online access to their medical records from 95% of general practitioner practices.

A copy has been placed in the Library.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Leicester

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on providing consultant support in Leicester for people with muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions; and if he will make a statement. [195682]

Norman Lamb: NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised services, including neuromuscular services.

In July 2013, NHS England published the service specification Neurosciences: Specialised Neurology (Adult). This describes the service to be commissioned by NHS England for patients with a neuromuscular disorder.

We are advised that NHS England commissions specialist consultant-led neuromuscular services for the east midlands from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The hon. Member may wish to approach the NHS England Leicestershire and Lincolnshire Area Team for further information.

Palliative Care

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) cost and (b) savings to (i) the NHS and (ii) local authorities of supporting more people to die in their preferred place. [195759]

Norman Lamb: The Department has made no specific assessment of the potential cost and savings to the NHS and local authorities of supporting people to die in their preferred place.

However, Public Health England, in its report ‘What we know now 2013’, published in November 2013, detailed a series of studies undertaken by both independent and NHS organisations looking into the costs of deaths in hospitals against deaths in usual place of residence. The report is available at:

www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk/resources/publications/what_we_know_now_2013

The Government are committed to extending patient choice in end of life care, and a review will be looking into this issue this year.

Private Sector

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [195512]

Dr Poulter: The Department's central procurement system does not have a separate category for business

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process outsourcing (private companies delivering services previously provided by the public sector), nor any central means of consistently identifying outsourced services.

Home Department

Asylum

Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many rejections of asylum seekers, by country of origin, there have been in each of the last five years; [196228]

(2) how many asylum seekers there were, by country of origin, in each of the last five years; [196226]

(3) how many asylum seekers, by country of origin, have been waiting for a decision on their application for asylum for (a) one and (b) more than five years. [196227]

James Brokenshire: Figures for asylum applications for main applicants, by nationality, from 2009 to 2013 are published in Table as_01 (Asylum data tables Volume 1) in the release Immigration Statistics.

The number of asylum applications from main applicants pending an initial decision, by nationality, for (a) more than one year and (b) more than five years, as at the end of 2013, can be found in the table, “Asylum application from main applicants pending an initial decision as at 31 December 2013” which I will place in the House Library.

These figures are a subset of those also published in Table as_01 (Asylum data tables Volume 1) of the release Immigration Statistics.

Figures for asylum applications from main applicants refused a grant of asylum, humanitarian protection, discretionary leave or other grants of leave, at initial decision, by nationality, from 2009 to 2013 are published in Table as_01 (Asylum data tables Volume 1) of the release Immigration Statistics.

The latest release Immigration Statistics October to December 2013 is available from

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2013

and from the Library of the House.

Asylum data tables volume 1 is available from

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/283693/asylum1-q4-2013-tabs.ods

Asylum: Repatriation

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's total budget for assisted voluntary returns projects is for the current financial year, and what has been the total budget for such projects in each of the last five years. [196222]

James Brokenshire: The information requested is shown below.

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The figures quoted relate to the UK Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, and the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programmes operated in Greece and Turkey.

The figures for years 2009-10 to 2013-14 relate to actual spend and the figures for 2014-15 are projected spend.

The Home Office also receives funding from the European Union for the UK Assisted Voluntary Return programme. Due to a change in financial reporting the amounts for 2011-12 onwards are shown net of the amounts received or expected from this source, while the amounts for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown gross although the yearly total budget allocation remains broadly the same.

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The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programmes in Greece and Turkey also receive funding from the British Government’s Return and Reintegration Fund. The figures quoted incorporate this funding stream.

The figures provided are sourced from a Home Office management information system and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and is subject to change due to internal data quality checking. Figures provided from this source do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional.

Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004 in each of the last four years. [196431]

James Brokenshire: The following table provides the number of defendants proceeded against for offences under Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 in England and Wales from 2009 to 2012.

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The statistics on defendants proceeded against for offences under Immigration Acts 1971 to 2007 in England and Wales are supplied by the Ministry of Justice for the Home Office to publish annually within Immigration Statistics. Annual data are available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: October December 2013, table pr_01, from the Library of the House and from the gov.uk website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2013

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in each of the last four years. [196440]

James Brokenshire: The table below provides the number of defendants proceeded against for offences under section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in England and Wales from 2009-12.