Free Schools
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on making the process for schools leaving local education authority control to become free schools easier. [198076]
Mr Timpson: Free schools are a type of academy, established either as new provision or by independent schools joining the state sector. Maintained schools cannot become free schools, but they can convert to become academies, which enjoy broadly the same freedoms as free schools. The Department for Education is continually refining the academy conversion process. Guidance has been shortened, documentation simplified and standardised, including a ‘plain English’ version of the funding agreement, and an online application form introduced in March, saving schools time in submitting information to the Department.
The number of converter academies continues to increase, with 2,795 converter academies open as of May 2014.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assistance his Department provides for small independent schools making applications for free school status; and if he will take steps to increase such assistance. [198078]
Mr Timpson: The Department for Education provides comprehensive guidance for all free school applicants on the criteria that successful applications need to meet. The Department also provides a grant to the New Schools Network to provide free expert support to applicants to develop their free school application.
Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to reform faith-based admissions to free schools. [903211]
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Michael Gove: Faith designated free schools can use faith as a criterion for admitting up to 50% of their pupils, when oversubscribed. I have no plans to change this rule.
Free Schools: North Herefordshire
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in North Herefordshire have unsuccessfully applied for free school status. [198057]
Mr Timpson: There have been two applications to establish free schools in North Herefordshire: one in 2012 was successful and one in 2013 was unsuccessful.
A list of all applications to establish free schools is published online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/name-local-authority-previous-school-name-and-faith-designation-of-applications-to-open-a-free-school-waves-1-and-2
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/name-local-authority-previous-school-name-and-faith-designation-of-applications-to-open-a-free-school-wave-3
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-wave-4-application-information
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-wave-5-application-information
Pre-school Education
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 414W, on pre-school education, who the 43 early years providers are who have been granted full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. [197216]
Elizabeth Truss: Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure free early years provision for eligible children in their area. Local authorities determine which providers should receive early education funding in accordance with statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education. Since September 2013, local authorities have been expected to base their decision on whether to fund providers to deliver early education places solely on a provider’s most recent Ofsted judgment.
Exemptions to the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can be made only in one of two circumstances:
When the provider is a good or outstanding independent school.
When the provision is governed by established principles relating to learning and development and those cannot be reconciled with an element or elements of EYFS, for example in Steiner schools.
Exempt providers remain subject to inspection and any independent school which subsequently falls below ‘good’ loses their exemption. The first exemption was introduced in 2012. The second exemption was in place under the previous Government.
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The answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 414W, on pre-school education, explained that departmental records showed there were 43 early years providers with full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS that were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at the time the exemption was granted to the provider.
34 of these are still in receipt of local authority funding for early education. A further five providers with a full or partial exemption are now in receipt of early education funding but were not at the point their exemption was granted. One further provider has received an exemption since the previous PQ was answered and is in receipt of early education funding. Of these 40 providers, 33 are exempt under the exemption in place under the previous Government, only seven are exempt under the exemption introduced in 2012. These 40 providers are shown in the following table.
Providers who were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at the time their exemption was granted and continue to receive such funding:
| Reasons for exemption | |
|
1. Apple Star Early Years (Community Interest Company), Reading | |
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The following five providers are now in receipt of early education funding, but were not at the point their exemption was granted:
| Reasons for exemption | |
One further provider has received an exemption since the previous PQ was answered and is in receipt of early education funding:
| Reasons for exemption | |
Schools: Land
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 63W, on schools: land, what his policy is on requiring school land which has been transferred to a person involved in the running of an academy to be returned to the local authority should that academy trust cease to operate a state-funded school. [198386]
Mr Timpson:
If an academy trust ceases to operate a state-funded school, the Department for Education would normally identify another academy trust to take responsibility for the academy. Land would be transferred to the new trust—either as a leasehold or freehold. In the unlikely event that an academy closes entirely, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend
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the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), can exercise his powers to protect public land, which include returning former local authority land to the relevant authority or ensuring the land remains in educational use by transferring it to another school.
Sixth Form Education: Student Numbers
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what advance estimate he made of the number of students enrolled in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms and (c) 16 to 19 years free schools established since September 2011 in 2012-13; and what the number of students was in each case; [198071]
(2) what the cost was of student places that were not filled in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms and (c) 16 to 19 free schools established since September 2011 in 2012-13. [198072]
Michael Gove: The total number of students funded in 2012/13 in school sixth forms, academy sixth forms and 16-19 free schools established since September 2011 was 9,610 and the total actual number of students enrolled was 7,775. The numbers by institution type are as follows:
| Institution type | 2012/13 funded students | 2012/13 actual students |
The majority of academies and all maintained schools are funded on a lagged basis so that numbers recruited in one year will then determine the allocation in the following year. Some academies are funded on the basis of estimated numbers, and their funding is then adjusted based on actual recruitment. The impact on sixth form funding of any such adjustments is included in these figures.
The approximate total net cost of unfilled places in respect of the above in 2012/13 was £5.76 million. Institutions with unfilled places will have their funding reduced in the following year. The costs by institution type are as follows:
| Institution type | Net cost of unfilled places (£ million) |
Special Educational Needs
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much special educational needs funding has been allocated per pupil in special schools in (a) Staffordshire, (b) Birmingham, (c) Wolverhampton and (d) the UK in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15. [198383]
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Mr Laws: Special schools funding is not allocated on a per-pupil basis. Special schools funding is part of the overall Dedicated Schools Grant allocated to each local authority to fund its schools’ budget. It is for local authorities to determine the individual allocation to schools.
Young People: Apprentices
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure more employers offer apprenticeships to 16 to 18-year-olds. [903193]
Matthew Hancock: We are building on the success of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers by providing an additional £170 million over the next two years. This additional support will fund over 100,000 incentive payments of £1,500 to employers. Grants will be targeted where they will be most effective.
Apprenticeship reforms are putting employers in the driving seat of designing world-class standards for apprenticeships, making it easier for them to offer more apprenticeships in the future.
Young People: Unemployment
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of young people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 were not in full-time education or training in (i) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (ii) Suffolk, (iii) the East of England and (d) England and Wales in each of the last five years. [198332]
Matthew Hancock: The Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Participation in education, training and employment, age 16 to 18’ published on 13 March 2014 shows estimates of both the numbers and proportions of 16 and 17-year-olds not in full-time education or in work-based learning (almost exclusively apprenticeships). As well as those not participating in any education or training, the numbers include young people who were in part-time education and/or those undergoing training with a privately-funded training provider. Estimates are not available at sub-national level for 18-year-olds.
The SFR shows estimates for Suffolk Local Authority, the East of England, and England. The data are not available at parliamentary constituency level nor does an estimate exist that includes Wales.
The SFR is published online and is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-by-16-to-18-year-olds-in-england-end-2012
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department has provided through the Family Fund to support access to short breaks and respite provision for children, young people and their families experiencing all types of disadvantage in each of the last five years. [198434]
Mr Edward Timpson: Over the last five years, the Department for Education has provided £132,661,000 to the Family Fund to support families who live on the lowest of incomes while caring for disabled or seriously ill children. This includes supporting access to short breaks and respite provision for disadvantaged children, young people and their families. A breakdown of the total amounts awarded by the Department for Education is provided in the table below:
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| Financial year | 2009 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | Total |
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing: Greater London
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average proportion of market rent of all affordable housing is in each London borough. [184627]
Kris Hopkins: I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing affordable and social rents as a proportion of market rents, for each London borough.
The affordable rent model allows for more new affordable housing to be delivered with lower levels of taxpayer capital subsidy and by levering in more private investment. The programme is helping deliver £15 billion of private investment in new affordable housing over the current spending review, alongside £4.5 billion of public investment. Social rent and affordable rent go hand in hand; both help provide accommodation for those on low incomes.
As the National Audit Office has observed: “the Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available” and “the Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding” (National Audit Office, “Financial viability of the social housing sector: introducing the Affordable Homes Programme”, 4 July 2012, HC465, pp. 6-7).
I note in his recent Fabian Society pamphlet, the right hon. Member has complained that affordable rent would result in rents of 80% of market rents in London. Whilst it varies by borough, as the table shows, for example, affordable rent levels are 38% of average local market rents in Camden, 48% in Islington, 54% in Southwark and 35% in Westminster, reflecting local circumstances.
I also observe that the housing policy announced at the Labour party conference in October 2012 also endorsed the use of affordable rents to build new homes; albeit this point is frequently lost on many Labour hon. Members who proceed to attack the basic principle of affordable rent in allowing more new affordable homes to be built using taxpayer capital subsidy.
Allotments
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many applications to dispose of statutory allotments have been (a) submitted, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each local authority area in each year since 2010; [191956]
(2) how many applications he has (a) received and (b) approved for the disposal of allotment sites in each year since 2010 in England; and in what local authority each such site was located. [196310]
Stephen Williams: Further to the Allotments Act 1925, applications for consent to dispose of allotment land are submitted to the Department by local councils (parish councils and principal authorities). The following table shows the breakdown of applications since May 2010.
| Granted | Withdrawn | Refused | |
To place this in context, the Secretary of State granted 34 allotment disposals in 2007, granted 22 in 2008 and granted 18 in 2009, while only two were declined, which is a greater rate than under this Administration.
I observe that the right hon. Member has been quoted in the media attacking such consents. He would have been wiser however to have undertaken a closer examination of the 68 individual consents granted to the local councils since May 2010.
The following table provides some context to help explain why there was a reasonable case by the representative local bodies for changing the statutory status of the land.
In January 2014, my Department published Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives, replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council’s waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.
Notwithstanding, I have taken the opportunity to analyse these previous cases in the table. The National Allotment Society was consulted in every case, and nine out of 10 decisions were consistent with advice from the National Allotment Society (where advice was given); the remaining cases where the advice diverged related to land not actually in use as allotments, requiring a judgment call on whether it was realistic to bring the land back into productive use.
Having analysed these approvals, I can note that half of the land disposed was not actually in use as allotments. Moreover, in every case where existing allotment plot holders were displaced, evidence from local authorities indicates that alternative plots were made available to them.
More new plots were proposed to be created and/or vacant sites proposed to be brought back into use than the number of proposed disposals of in-use allotment plots. Consequently, the statutory disposal process overseen by the Secretary of State since May 2010 should have resulted in an increase in allotment provision not a reduction. This reflects this Government’s commitment both to supporting local communities grow their own food and to protecting important community assets.
| Local Authority or Parish Council | Background | Decision Date |
|
Temporary easement to construct a drain, and permission for a mobile mast on small area which will not affect waiting lists. |
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Allotments: Waiting Lists
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the average length of time a person has been on a waiting list for an allotment in each year since 2010 in England; [196309]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average number of people on a waiting list for an allotment for every 100 plots available in England; [196308]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of people on a waiting list for an allotment in England in each year since 2010. [196311]
Stephen Williams: My Department does not estimate allotment waiting list times, as it is individual local authorities which have the legal responsibility for the management and provision of allotments in their area, ensuring that those who want to start an allotment can do so.
Notwithstanding, a survey of allotment waiting lists was carried out by the National Allotment Society and Transition Town West Kirby in July 2013. Whilst there is a degree of difficulty in creating precise estimates, their research indicated that there was an average of 52 people waiting for every 100 plots (as of January 2013). These waiting list figures were down on their previous surveys, which indicated an average of 57 people waiting in January 2011 and 59 people waiting in January 2010.
The 2013 survey also noted that that 65 new allotment sites had been created in the previous two years, across 51 councils, creating roughly 2,000 new allotment plots.
The coalition Government have introduced a range of measures to help communities who want land to grow fruit and vegetables. Through new community rights, local residents have increased opportunities to protect existing allotments from development and increase provision of green spaces. For example, in Thame, in Oxfordshire, the new neighbourhood plan will create an additional hectare of allotment land. Allotments have also been listed as assets of community value.
As part of our commitment to supporting local community groups, my Department has also published a best practice guide for community groups wanting to find land to grow fruit and vegetables, as well as an additional guide on establishing community orchards and other spaces for food growing. These can be found at:
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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide
In January 2014, my Department published Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives, replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council’s waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.
I also refer the right hon. Member to my answer today to him of questions 191956 and 196310, which explains how the decisions the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on allotments since May 2010 have resulted in an increase in usable allotment land.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in England received a weekly general, all-purpose rubbish collection service in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013. [184873]
Brandon Lewis: The information is as follows:
The last Labour Government had a policy of actively pushing fortnightly bin collections and hitting hard-working families with new bin charges. Their ‘Household Waste Prevention Policy Side Research Programme’ advocated “collection limitations in terms of rubbish bin size or the interval between collections”, and sought to “nationalise this policy among local authorities”. Cutting weekly rubbish collections was not a locally-led initiative, but an explicit Whitehall mission pursued with the zeal of a convert.
Legislation in 2005 allowed the introduction of bin fines for minor breaches of complex and confusing bin rules; further legislation in 2008 watered down councils’ legal duties to collect rubbish. Guidance issued in 2005 advised town halls that councillors should be bullied to stop them opposing the axing of collections or proposing to restore weekly collections. It also recommended that cutting collections should be done after local elections—to avoid the nuisance of democratic opposition. The Government funded the covert imposition of “bin brother” microchips into families’ bins. The 2009 pre-Budget report made clear that a further wave of bin cuts were being planned. In short, the “Town Hall Taliban” doubled council tax and halved bin collections.
We disagree. This Government believe that households deserve a frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service in return for the £122 a month in council tax that a typical household pays (Band D), especially given the typical refuse collection service only costs councils £6 to £7 per month to provide.
We have taken a series of steps to help households:
Issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling;
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Stopped the Audit Commission inspections that marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected the Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections (“Waste Management: The Strategic Challenge and Waste Management Quick Guide”);
Abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services;
Scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a “valid efficiency” and allowed revenue from bin fines to be classed as a “cashable efficiency gain”;
Scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the “eco-standards”;
Safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice;
Supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement);
Through the Localism Act 2011, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes;
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Issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal ‘backdoor bin charging’ on households bins;
Stopped funding the ‘Waste Improvement Network’ which told councils to adopt fortnightly collections as best practice;
Challenged the incorrect interpretation by some bodies that European Union directives require fortnightly collections, and resisted the imposition of bin taxes by the European Union;
Removed powers of entry and snooping powers from “Binquisition” inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families’ bins;
Changed building regulations to tackle ‘bin blight’; and
Changed the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines.
In short, this has been a fundamentally different approach from the Labour Government: we are working with families to help them go green, but we believe in proper, regular and comprehensive collections for taxpaying households.
The configuration of services is complex. The following table, based on available estimates from WRAP, provides the most detailed information held on the breakdown of refuse and recycling collections of ‘smelly’ rubbish across councils in England.
| Weekly collections of smelly rubbish | ||||||
| Councils | Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste | Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste | Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste | Weekly Residual and no separate food waste collection | Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual | Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual |
| Households | Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste | Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste | Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste | Weekly collection and no separate food waste collection | Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual | Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual |
| Fortnightly collections | ||
| Councils | Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual | Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection |
| Households | Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual | Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection |
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Some councils may have a combination of the categories in the table and have been counted under each one that they provide.
This shows that 14 million households in England have some form of weekly collection of smelly rubbish. Had the Government not taken the actions they had, weekly collections would have disappeared in England by 2015. This simple assertion can be illustrated by the extinction of weekly collections in most of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have devolved Administrations and policies of supporting fortnightly bin collections. Indeed, in Wales, the Labour-led Welsh Government now have a policy of supporting monthly bin collections (Welsh Government, “Municipal Sector Plan Part 1”, March 2011 and Welsh Government, “Cabinet decision, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Additional Funding for Zero Waste Gurnos”, February 2012).
We have stopped the rot, but there is more to do to support weekly bin collections. Many town hall jobsworths, over-zealous NGOs and vested interests in the waste industry remain blindly obsessed with restricting bin collections as a perverse policy goal in itself, and this is reflected in the figures in the table above. Indeed, even Keep Britain Tidy—which one would think would want regular rubbish collections to keep the streets clean—has been taken over by an NGO (Waste Watch) which campaigns for fortnightly bin collections. Bin collections are not viewed as a public service, but as a policy tool to deliver other arbitrary policy goals.
One option which should be considered is a minimum service standard—for example, the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 already lays down minimum service requirements for recycling, and indeed, the Public Health Act 1875 introduced a duty on local authorities to collect rubbish; this duty was enhanced by the Public Health Act 1936, obliging them to collect household waste weekly until 1974.
Moving forward, we are open to representations on how best to support frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service; stand up for taxpayers’ interests from arbitrary state charges and taxes; and protect the local environment, public health and local amenity from the nuisance of stinking rubbish.
Homelessness
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless households were accepted as being owed a duty of accommodation by their local authority in each year since 2010; and how many such acceptances were the result of domestic violence. [194443]
Kris Hopkins [holding answer 3 April 2014]:I refer the hon. Member to Live Table 773 available on my Department’s website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286822/Table_773.xlsx
for data on homelessness acceptances and households with a priority need category of domestic violence.
Data at local authority level can be found in our “Detailed local authority level homelessness figures” spreadsheets, which can be found on my Department’s website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
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The average numbers since 2010 are far less than under the last Administration, but there is no case for complacency or tolerance of domestic violence. The coalition Government have ring-fenced nearly £40 million of stable funding for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services until 2015. This funding is used to part-fund 54 multi-agency risk assessment conference co-ordinators and 144 independent domestic violence advisers. We have piloted and rolled out Clare’s Law and Domestic Violence Protection Orders; extended the definition of domestic abuse to cover controlling behaviour and teenage relationships; run two successful campaigns to challenge perceptions of abuse; and placed domestic homicide reviews on a statutory footing to make sure lessons are learned from individual tragedies.
The dynamics of domestic abuse mean that accommodation can play an important role in the resolution of interpersonal abuse and conflict. It is the foundation to ensuring that adult and child victims are afforded safety and security. This is why this Government have invested £470 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness over the spending review period. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.
There is a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but sanctuary schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.
My Department also funds UKRefugesOnline, a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24-hour free phone domestic violence helpline. It enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.
This Government have also made common sense changes to the law to allow local authorities to end the main homelessness duty with offers of accommodation in good-quality private sector accommodation. This helps homeless households move to settled accommodation more quickly and means they spend less time in temporary accommodation. Indeed, we have reduced the average stay in temporary accommodation from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now.
Roads: Lighting
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library research he has commissioned on the effect that turning off street lighting and relying on ambient lighting has on levels of crime. [198326]
Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn), on 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 535-36W.
Social Rented Housing: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the average satisfaction rating given by tenants relating to maintenance service in public housing in each of the last five years. [198259]
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Kris Hopkins: Information on tenants’ satisfaction in relation to repairs and maintenance in local authority housing for England is reported in the English Housing Survey. The data collected since 2008-09, which cannot be broken down by local authority area, are as follows:
| Percentage | |||
| Satisfied | Dissatisfied | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | |
Data for 2012-13 are expected to be published in July 2014.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 196308, tabled on 10 April 2014 for answer on 28 April 2014. [197920]
Stephen Williams [holding answer 12 May 2014]: Question 196308 has been answered today.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Staff
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many staff were employed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) at its London headquarters on 1 June 2010; and of those employees how many are currently employed by IPSA. [195887]
Mr Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
Letter from Paul Hayes, dated May 2014:
As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the number of staff employed by IPSA.
The below data include individuals on permanent and fixed-term contracts and on secondment. Data are not available for temporary staff, who in June 2010 made up the majority of our workforce.
| Number | |
Cabinet Office
Digital Technology
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to improve digital skills within the Government. [198327]
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Mr Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 12 May 2014, Official Report, column 378W.
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the electoral registration rates were in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK in each of the three years after the introduction of individual electoral registration in Northern Ireland. [198464]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated May 2014:
On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Deputy Prime Minister what the electoral registration rates were in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK in each of the three years after the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland (198464).
Table 1 shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over, for Northern Ireland and Great Britain (rest of the UK) in 2002, 2003 and 2004. These are the first three years for which data are available following the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland in 2002.
This percentage is the nearest approximation to the percentage registered to vote that can be provided but is not an electoral registration rate. This is because the estimated resident population is not the same as the population who are eligible to vote. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident overseas (who are not included in the UK resident population) and excludes foreign citizens from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland resident within the UK (who are included in the estimated resident population).
In addition, figures for the registered electorate may include people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This can potentially affect the comparability of figures across different areas of the UK.
| Table 1: Number of persons registered to vote as a percentage of resident population aged 18 and over for Northern Ireland and Great Britain, 2002-04 | |||
| Percentage rate | |||
| Area | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| Notes: 1. The rates have been calculated using the number of people registered to vote (excluding attainers aged under 18) in parliamentary elections on 1 December 2002, 1 December 2003 and 1 December 2004 and population estimates of those aged 18 and over in mid-2002, mid-2003 and mid-2004. 2. The UK electoral statistics for 1 December 2002, 2003 and 2004 were published on 27 February 2003, 26 February 2004 and 24 February 2005 respectively. They are available on the ONS website at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/electoral-statistics-for-uk/index.html 3. UK population estimates for 30 June 2002, 2003 and 2004 (revised to be consistent with 2011 Census results) were published on 17 December 2013. They are available on the ONS website at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/mid-2001-to-mid-2010-revised/index.html Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, and Electoral Office for Northern Ireland | |||
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EU External Trade: USA
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in what areas of policy the governments of the British Overseas Territories have been consulted ahead of negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. [198381]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Graduates
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent assessment he has made of levels of unemployment amongst recent university graduates in the North East; [198292]
(2) how many university graduates in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK were (i) employed and (ii) unemployed in each of the last five years; [198294]
(3) how many university graduates in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK secured (i) graduate level and (ii) non-graduate level employment in each of the last five years. [198296]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated May 2014:
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On behalf 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 for the level of unemployment amongst recent university graduates in the North East (198292); how many university graduates in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK were (i) employed and (ii) unemployed in east of the last five years (198294); and how many university graduates in (a) Jarrow constituency (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK secured (i) graduate level and (ii) non-graduate level employment in each of the last five years. (198296).
Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Unfortunately, due to small sample sizes the level of unemployment amongst recent university graduates in the North East is not available.
Table 1 shows the number of graduates who were in employment or unemployed for the requested geographies. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2013 to December 2013, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2009 to 2011.
Information is not available on the number of graduates who secured employment in each year. As an alternative table 2 shows the number of graduates in graduate and non-graduate level employment in each of the last 5 years. As no official definition exists of which jobs are graduate or non-graduate we have classified jobs consistent with the report by Elias, P. and K. Purcell (2013) “Classifying graduate occupations for the knowledge society”1.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
1 Graduate and non-graduate jobs as defined by Elias, P. and K. Purcell (2013) “Classifying graduate occupations for the knowledge society”.
| Table 1: Number of graduates employed or unemployed | ||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||
| Jarrow | South Tyneside | North East | UK | |||||
| 12 months ending December: | Employed | Unemployed | Employed | Unemployed | Employed | Unemployed | Employed | Unemployed |
| n/a = Not available. 1 Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey. | ||||||||
| Table 2: Number of graduates employed in graduate and non-graduate jobs1 | ||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||
| Jarrow | South Tyneside | North East | UK | |||||
| 12 months ending December: | Graduate | Non-graduate | Graduate | Non-graduate | Graduate | Non-graduate | Graduate | Non-graduate |
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| 1 Graduate and non-graduate jobs as defined by Elias, P. and K. Purcell (2013) “Classifying graduate occupations for the knowledge society” 2 Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey. | ||||||||
Health
Ambulance Services: West Midlands
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the West Midlands Ambulance Service's system's indicators performance in 2012-13; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in that level of performance. [198247]
Jane Ellison: A copy of West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (FT) system indicators performance data for 2012-13 has been placed in the Library.
The Department is aware that West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS FT met all three response time targets for the full year in 2012-13; despite a challenging winter period; a 6.9% rise in emergency calls; and a delay to the launch of the 111 system by NHS Direct in the West Midlands.
Antibiotics
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has allocated for antibiotic related research in each of the last five years. [198404]
Dr Poulter: The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not to allocate funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available.
The NIHR funds a wide range of research relating to infection, antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This includes over £4.9 million invested annually in translational research in infection in its Biomedical Research Centres, in addition to research funded through the Health Technology Assessment programme and Programme Grants for Applied Research.
Two new NIHR Health Protection Research Units focusing on healthcare associated infections and AMR will receive total funding of £7.4 million over five years. These units are partnerships between universities and Public Health England.
The NIHR is also running a themed call on AMR research across eight different funding programmes. Successful research bids will be announced between summer 2014 and spring 2015.
Arthritis
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the early intervention in and treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. [198399]
Norman Lamb: Through the Mandate we have asked NHS England to make measurable progress towards making our health service among the best in Europe at supporting people with ongoing health problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, to live healthily and independently, with much better control over the care they receive.
In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published clinical guidance on the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults, which sets out best practice on the diagnosis, care, treatment and support of patients. The guidance makes clear the importance of early diagnosis and is explicit that suspected cases should be referred as an urgent priority for specialist assessment and that early initiation of treatment can prevent irreversible damage to joints.
In addition to this, information on the diagnosis and treatment of RA can also be accessed via the NICE Clinical Knowledge summaries website at:
http://cks.nice.org.uk/rheumatoid-arthritis
More general information for the public can be found on the NHS Choices website at:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis
Breast Cancer
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding has been allocated by each of the 12 strategic clinical networks for the running of a breast network site specific group in 2014-15; [198401]
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(2) how much funding is planned to be provided to cancer strategic clinical networks in 2014-15; [198402]
(3) how much funding was allocated by each of the 12 strategic clinical networks for a breast network site specific group in 2013-14; [198403]
(4) how much was spent on operating breast network site specific groups in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [198405]
Jane Ellison: Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) are funded by NHS England and managed through Area Teams. Their role is to support clinical commissioning groups, Health and Wellbeing Boards and NHS England to make the best decisions about health care for the populations they serve by providing advice and leadership at a strategic level. NHS England advises that it does not routinely hold detail on SCN funding in the format requested.
The Department does not hold information centrally on how much was spent on operating breast network site specific groups prior to the establishment of SCNs on 1 April 2013.
Breast Cancer: Lancashire
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has made available in Lancashire to improve the early diagnosis of breast cancer. [198388]
Jane Ellison: ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published in January 2011, committed over £450 million over the four years up to 2014-15 to achieve earlier diagnosis of cancer. The earlier diagnosis money also included central funding for Be Clear on Cancer campaigns.
The Department provided £2.5 million in 2010-11 to support 18 local awareness campaigns, including seven intended to raise awareness of breast cancer in women over 70. Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Network area was one of the pilot areas. In 2014, we funded a national campaign on breast cancer in women over 70 at a cost of around £2.2 million.
Cancer
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent staff were employed to work on cancer policy in his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14. [198265]
Jane Ellison: The number of full-time equivalent staff (FTE) in the Department working on cancer policy for each of the past three years has been presented in the following table:
| FTE staff | |
Other departmental staff work on related issues, such as cancer prevention, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and the Cancer Drugs Fund.
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From 1 April 2013, NHS England (rather than the Department) has been responsible for delivering improvements in all cancer services, with Public Health England (PHE) responsible for aspects of cancer screening, immunisation, prevention and symptom awareness.
To reflect new structures, a number of posts were created in NHS England and PHE, taking on some of the responsibilities of the previous Departmental Cancer Policy team.
Cancer: Drugs
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended for cancer treatment through either single or multiple technology appraisals in (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014; [198317]
(2) if he will publish the final calculated cost per quality adjusted life year of each pharmacological treatment and associated indications which the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended for cancer treatments; and which such treatments and indications have been recommended under the end-of-life criteria in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014; [198318]
(3) what (a) pharmacological treatments and (b) associated indications the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended against in (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014; [198319]
(4) if he will publish the final calculated cost per quality adjusted life year of each pharmacological treatment and associated indications which the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has not recommended for cancer treatment in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014; [198324]
(5) if he will publish the determined population size for each pharmacological treatment and associated indications which the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has (a) recommended for cancer treatment and (b) recommended for cancer treatment under the end-of-life criteria in (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014. [198325]
Norman Lamb: Information on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal recommendations relating to cancer treatments published in 2012, 2013, and 2014, including the estimated size of the eligible patient population and the applicability of the end-of-life flexibilities, is provided in the following table.
NICE has advised that it publishes a list on its website that includes information on its technology appraisal decisions on cancer treatments. The list, which is updated monthly, includes each appraisal number, year of publication, the appraisal process used, name of the technology, the disease or condition for which it has been appraised, the recommendation category and any comments. This information can be found at:
www.nice.org.uk/newsroom/nicestatistics/TADecisions.jsp?domedia=1&mid=CB611E43-19B9-E0B5-D471DEC569F73B12
NICE does not operate a fixed cost per quality-adjusted life year threshold in its appraisals, but uses a range that allows other factors to be taken into account in deciding
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whether to recommend a treatment. We are advised that the most likely cost-effectiveness estimate, given as an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, is published on the NICE website and can be found in the ‘Summary of the Appraisal Committee’s key conclusions’ table within section four of each appraisal’s final technology appraisal
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guidance documents. The same section of this document also sets out whether a treatment was considered under end-of-life criteria. Further information can be found at:
www.nice.org.uk
Chiropody: Diabetes
Mr Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the quality of foot care provided in primary care to patients with diabetes; [198163]
(2) who is responsible for auditing compliance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines relating to the care of patients with diabetes; [198188]
(3) what guidance his Department has issued to GPs on the assessment and treatment of foot conditions where a patient has diabetes. [198189]
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Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation established by Government to provide national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. It has published clinical guidance and quality standards on the treatment of diabetes and its complications. The NICE Diabetes Quality Standard is clear that people with diabetes who are at risk of foot ulceration should receive regular reviews by a foot protection team in accordance with its clinical guidance. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) places a duty on NHS England to have regard to the NICE Quality Standards. Clinical commissioning groups (CCG) should also have regard to them in planning and delivering services, as part of a general duty to secure a continuous improvement in quality.
As part of the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF), general practitioners are remunerated for assessing nerve damage and poor blood supply to the feet in people with diabetes on an annual basis. Information is collected annually both through QOF returns and through the National Diabetes Audit (NDA).
The NDA provides information of local practice against NICE guidelines and can be used by local areas to compare their own performance over time and against others, helping to drive service improvement. The latest published NDA report shows that more than 85% of all those with diabetes in England and Wales, received these checks in 2011-12.
In July 2014, NHS England will be launching the National Diabetes Footcare Audit. This is a new module of the NDA, and will provide information on the effectiveness and quality of the entire diabetes foot care pathway, including the elements delivered in primary, community and secondary care settings.
College of Emergency Medicine
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the Chair of the College of Emergency Medicine; what subjects were discussed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement. [198029]
Jane Ellison: The last meeting between the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and the Chair of the College of Emergency Medicine was held on 2 April 2014. At that meeting, their views on the health system, and emergency medicine in particular, were discussed.
Counselling
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scrutiny arrangements the Care Quality Commission applies to (a) abortion and (b) other counselling. [198157]
Jane Ellison:
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for monitoring the providers of abortion services in England, to make sure they comply with the regulations set out under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (HSCA). If a CQC inspection identifies instances of non-compliance with the HSCA and Regulations then appropriate regulatory action will be taken. The CQC’s Essential Standards of quality and safety require that women undergoing termination of pregnancy know that “they are able to discuss their choices and decisions
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with a trained counsellor” and “where services are provided to children or people with a learning disability, the counsellor available has relevant experience in discussing termination of pregnancy with them”. For other forms of counselling which are registered activities under the 2008 Act and regulations, CQC takes a similar approach to judgement and action.