New Businesses: Disability

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance is available to disabled people who wish to start their own businesses. [198945]

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Matthew Hancock: We continue to work hard to provide the right support to make life easier for all people setting up and growing a business, including disabled people.

The website:

www.gov.uk/business

is the home for Government services and information online. One of the tools available is the ‘Business Finance and Support Finder' that can provide a customised source of Government backed support and finance for business. The website:

www.greatbusiness.gov.uk

also provides support and advice for anyone trying to grow a business as well as for entrepreneurs starting out.

In addition to online support, the Business Support Helpline (0300 456 3565) is available to provide a quick response on queries about starting a business, or a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs. For those looking for start-up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: 19 loans worth a total of £53,855 have been drawn down in Kilmarnock and Loudoun to date.

Finally, the New Enterprise Allowance helps people claiming certain out of work benefits to start up their own business. As of March 2014, 7,420 disabled people (or a total of 40,420) had started a new business with the help of the NEA.

Students: Loans

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider changing student loan payments from three termly instalments to monthly instalments; and what steps his Department has taken to help students learn to budget. [198825]

Mr Willetts: The Government are not currently intending to change student loan payments from three termly instalments to monthly instalments. Payments of living costs support for full-time students in higher education at the start of each term give students the flexibility to meet up-front costs such as accommodation costs.

Advice on effective budgeting is available through the BIS Student Finance Tour where recent graduates share their personal experience with prospective students on how to manage their living costs spending while at university. Around 120,000 prospective students attended the Tour in 2013, and the aim is to increase this number to 140,000 in 2014. Budgeting advice is also available through university student support services including the Money Doctors Initiative. Additional resources are available through the National Union of Students and the National Association of Student Money Advisers.

Defence

Air Force

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 636W, on the Air Force, (1) whether any such UK personnel are embedded or otherwise interact with the (a) 22nd, (b) 30th, (c) 867th and (d) 732nd Air Force Reconnaissance Squadrons; [199004]

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(2) whether any such UK personnel are embedded or otherwise interact with the US Air Force's 17th Reconnaissance Squadron. [199005]

Mr Francois: 732^nd is an Operations Group which comprises four Reconnaissance Squadrons—17^th, 22^nd, 30^th and 867^th. No UK Remotely Piloted Air System personnel are embedded with, or interact with the 732^nd Operations Group Squadrons.

Astute Class Submarines

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts are outstanding in the Astute programme. [198946]

Mr Dunne: The following table describes the current Ministry of Defence contracts solely for the Astute class submarine programme. All contracts, except serial 9, are with BAE Systems Marine Ltd. Once in service, platforms, including the Astute class, are supported via extant Fleet wide arrangements.

Cyprus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to decide whether Cape Pyla in the Cyprus sovereign base area of Dhekelia will be designated as a protected area. [198677]

Mr Francois: Designation of Cape Pyla as a Special Area of Conservation under the Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance 2007 is being considered. As part of this process, the Administration must take account of representations about the proposed designation before making a final decision. It is hoped that a decision on designation can be achieved in 2015, following the consultation period and work to determine the precise boundaries of the designated area.

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Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the through life cost is for each of the 14 Voyager aircraft. [198947]

Mr Dunne: We do not possess through life cost information for individual aircraft in the Voyager fleet. Under the Voyager PFI solution the MOD is not buying aircraft but a 27 year integrated Air Transport and Air to Air Refuelling service which is underpinned by the provision of 14 aircraft, the infrastructure, personnel, training and training school (including a full mission simulator), aircraft maintenance and engineering, spares, despatch and ground support. The outturn value of the contract is £10.5 billion over 27 years, excluding fuel and other associated usage costs.

HMS Montrose

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when HMS Montrose will take over the Fleet Ready Escort task; and what ship it will replace in that role; [199112]

(2) what maintenance HMS Montrose will undergo before being assigned to the Fleet Ready Escort task; and whether such tasking after a long deployment is a regular occurrence. [199149]

Mr Francois: HMS Montrose was previously deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean. She returned to the UK for a period of planned maintenance and post-deployment leave before conducting a short port visit in London and then participating in a NATO Exercise.

Royal Navy ships are programmed in accordance with our operational requirements, but for security reasons we do not discuss specific future operational tasking.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any RAF pilot has flown the Joint Strike Fighter B at (a) supersonic speeds, (b) above 18 degrees angle of attack and (c) past 4.5 g-force. [199142]

Mr Dunne: The RAF test pilot at NAS Patuxent River routinely flies the Joint Strike Fighter B at supersonic speeds, above 18 degrees angle of attack and past 4.5 g-force.

Libya

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish his Department's assessment of lessons learned from the recent Libyan campaign. [199068]

Mr Francois: The Department has a very thorough lessons learned process which is normally applied when an operation is initiated. However, due to operational security sensitivities we do not, as a matter of course, publish the findings of such processes. We have no plans to publish any lessons learned from Op Ellamy.

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Nigeria

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide an update on the use of his Department's resources to help efforts to locate abducted girls in northern Nigeria. [199093]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence is contributing to the international effort to find the missing school girls through the deployment of a Sentinel surveillance aircraft to help improve the intelligence picture, complementing other international intelligence and surveillance assets. UK military personnel have also been deployed to a multi-national intelligence fusion team based in Nigeria, whose role is to assist the Nigerians in their efforts to locate the girls.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total disposal cost of the Nimrod MRA4 airframes. [199145]

Mr Dunne: The Nimrod MRA4 airframes were dismantled on the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) behalf by Metal and Waste Recycling Ltd at a cost of around £500,000. As part of the contractual arrangements with the company, the MOD received receipts from the sale of the dismantled airframes to the value of just over £1 million.

Treasury

Air Passenger Duty: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue accruing to the Exchequer from air passenger duty in respect of (a) domestic and (b) international flights from each airport in Scotland in 2013-14. [198983]

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collect information on the contribution to air passenger duty (APD) revenues made from flights to or from specific airports or countries.

HMRC has published a set of statistics presenting estimates of the disaggregation of tax receipts between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disaggregation-of-hmrc-tax-receipts

The estimate for the total amount of APD revenues attributable to Scotland in 2012-13 was £227 million. This estimate is not broken down by revenues from domestic and international flights.

Information on APD revenues and passenger numbers by band is available at:

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

Information on the number of passengers flying to and from UK airports is available at:

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=80&pagetype =88&pageid=3&sglid=3#Data

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Banks: Loans

Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received about the publication of personal and business lending data by postcode; and if he will make a statement; [199106]

(2) if he will require banks and their financial institutions to release further personal and business lending data by postcode; and if he will make a statement; [199138]

(3) if he will require banks to publish data on the number of new small business accounts in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14; and if he will make a statement; [199107]

(4) if he will require the Prudential Regulation Authority to conduct an analysis of recently released personal and business lending data by postcode to examine (a) levels of disparity in lending and (b) progress in achieving financial inclusion; and if he will make a statement. [199137]

Andrea Leadsom: In July 2013 the Government announced that they had reached an agreement with the major UK banks to publish lending data across 10,000 individual postcodes.

The first dataset was published in December 2013 and shows the outstanding stock of lending that has been committed to customers across three categories: loans and overdrafts to SMEs, mortgages and unsecured personal loans (excluding credit cards).

The data will allow challenger banks, smaller building societies, credit unions and community development finance institutions (CDFIs) to find areas where there is a lack of lending so they can offer finance to those customers who are crying out for support to help their business grow.

Cash Dispensing

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve access to free-to-use cash machines. [198801]

Andrea Leadsom: 95% of communities in the lowest quartile of the Government deprivation index now have free-to-use ATMs within their area or less than two thirds of a mile from the area’s centre. This has brought access to free-to-use ATMs to over 1.5 million people and progress towards covering even more communities continues.

LINK has established a Financial Inclusion Programme to provide free-to-use ATMs where they are needed, by installing ATMs that are subsidised to make their operation commercially viable for operators. The cost of this subsidy is shared out among LINK member banks. 1,400 target areas now have access to an industry subsidised ATM through the programme.

I am aware Toynbee Hall is due to complete research on this issue shortly.

Gaming Machines: Taxation

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the threshold charge payable for a type 2 machine for the purposes of calculating machine gaming duty was set at £5. [199029]

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Mr Gauke: I refer the right hon. Member to the Explanatory Note for Clause 117 of Finance Bill 2014, which can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298680/ENs_Finance_Bill_2014__1_.pdf

Gold: Prices

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 29W, if he will make an assessment of the effect of US regulatory authorities' interventions in the gold market on gold market-related securities in ISAs. [199054]

Andrea Leadsom: The Government monitor developments in the gold market including, where relevant, regulatory action in other jurisdictions. The Government are committed to taking action, whenever necessary, to ensure the efficient functioning of these essential markets.

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Bank of England has engaged in any selling, leasing, loaning, hypothecating or re-hypothecating either independently or in conjunction with other parties, which could have had the effect of lowering or suppressing the quoted market price of gold since May 2010. [199055]

Andrea Leadsom: The Bank of England has not been active in the gold market during or since May 2010, either in its own capacity, or acting as agent for Her Majesty's Treasury for the UK's official reserves (the "Exchange Equalisation Account" or EEA).

As a result, the Bank did not engage in any selling, leasing, loaning, hypothecating or re-hypothecating of gold during this period.

Mortgages: Huntingdon

Mr Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications have been made (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully under the second stage of the Government's Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme in Huntingdon constituency. [199061]

Andrea Leadsom: The Government publishes quarterly official statistics relating to the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme. The first of these were published on 29 May 2014.

This report, along with accompanying tables, can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-march-2014

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to exempt people in receipt of attendance allowance from paying vehicle excise duty. [199105]

Nicky Morgan: Consistent with the approach taken by successive Governments there are no plans to exempt attendance allowance recipients from Vehicle Excise Duty. However, all taxes are kept under review as part of the annual Budget process.

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Personal Savings: Young People

Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage young savers. [198958]

Mr Gauke: At the Budget it was announced that, from 1 July 2014, the limits for Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds (CTFs) will rise from £3,720 to £4,000.

Following a public consultation, the Government have decided to allow the transfer of savings from CTFs to Junior ISAs. We are committed to ensuring that there is a clear and simple way to save for all children and believe that parents should be allowed the opportunity to transfer from a CTF to a Junior ISA if they consider this to be the most appropriate account for their child.

The Government have clauses in the Deregulation Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, which will enable the transfers. We hope this option to transfer will be available by April 2015.

Remittances

Angie Bray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent progress has been made on enabling the continuation of money transfer abroad from UK financial institutions; and if he will make a statement; [198756]

(2) what discussions his Department has had with its Somali counterpart on ensuring that remittances can continue from UK financial institutions; [198752]

(3) when the action group on remittances will next meet to consider the issue of money transfer abroad. [198754]

Andrea Leadsom: The UK Government are committed to supporting a healthy and legitimate remittance sector, and ensuring that UK citizens are able to continue to remit funds safely to family abroad. The progress of the Action Group on Cross Border Remittances is on track and the group is next due to meet on 27 June 2014. Further information on the Action Group, including future meeting dates can be found on the group’s web page:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-developing-countries-economies-to-grow/supporting-pages/enabling-the-continued-flow-of-remittances

A key output of the group is improved guidance, both for financial institutions which provide banking facilities for MSBs and for MSBs themselves on how to comply with their anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism obligations. These two key pieces of guidance were endorsed by the Action Group in its most recent meeting and are subject to normal approval processes.

The UK Government are liaising closely with the Somali Government on activity under way to ensure the continued flow of remittances from the UK to Somalia. The ambassador of Somalia to the UK (or his representative) has attended all of the Advisory Group Meetings for the UK-Somali Safer Corridor. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and World Bank have also held bilateral meetings with the ambassador.

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Tax Allowances: Pensions

Mr Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of equalising the tax relief given on employee contributions to pension schemes at 30%. [198645]

Mr Gauke: Estimates of the Exchequer effect of equalising the tax relief given on employee contributions to pension schemes at 30% are not available.

Justice

Buses: Accidents

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions coroners have attributed motor accidents involving fatalities to the age and deterioration of tyres on coaches since 1994. [198902]

Simon Hughes: The Ministry of Justice collects data from coroners on the deaths reported to them for the annual Coroners Statistics bulletin.

The bulletin is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coroners-statistics-2013

The statistical information is collected in summary form and does not include data at the level of detail requested.

Claims Management Services

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of how many claim management companies operated in each region since 2008; [198901]

(2) how many claims management companies were operating in the Yorkshire and Humber region in each year from 2008 to 2014. [198875]

Mr Vara: With rigorous new measures being brought in across the board, we are taking strong action to rein in the rogue firms operating in this sector.

Continued action to remove licences from companies with poor practices alongside forthcoming claims management regulation reforms proves just how much work is going on to get tough on companies that defy the rules and bombard the public with unwelcome calls and misleading information.

We are changing the law to further toughen the regime, including introducing fines, and ensuring firms cannot buy in any contact details which have been gathered unlawfully.

The number of claims management companies (CMCs) operating in each region between April 2008 and April 2014 were as follows:

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Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many unfilled posts of each grade there were in the Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust in (a) April and (b) May 2014; [198934]

(2) how many unfilled posts of each grade there were in the Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust in each month since January 2012. [198978]

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.

Vacancies were managed locally by probation trusts which have now ceased to exist.

International Development

Acanchi

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answers of 12 May 2014, Official Report, column 328W, on developing countries: marketing and of 21 June 2004, Official Report, coumn 1215W to question to 179188 on ACTIS/CDC, what the nature of the work conducted by Acanchi was; and how much was paid for that work. [198767]

Justine Greening: CDC is a public limited company with an independent management and Board. DFID is not involved in CDC operational matters and therefore does not hold the information requested.

Afghanistan

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on contracts for consultancy groups on the Bost Agri-Business Park and Airfield projects in Afghanistan in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013. [198786]

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to him on 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 967-68W.

9 Jun 2014 : Column 35W

Consultants

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria her Department uses for decisions on contracts to consultancy groups on development projects. [198788]

Justine Greening: Procurement tendering processes conducted by my Department are completed in accordance with EU directives. Contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering process. Invitations to tender are specific to the nature of the intervention required.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many consultancy groups currently have global contracts with her Department as development implementers. [198789]

Justine Greening: Procurement tendering processes conducted by my department are completed in accordance with EU directives. Contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering process. Invitations to tender are specific to the nature of the intervention required.

DFID has no contracts providing global services.

Developing Countries: Females

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which countries in receipt of her Department's funds in each of the last two financial years women are known to have been murdered (a) for apostasy and (b) in honour killings with impunity; and if she will make a statement. [198986]

Lynne Featherstone: Given that globally one in three women will experience violence in her lifetime, preventing violence against girls and women in all its forms is a priority for DFID. While DFID does not collect or hold the information in the form requested, the UK has prioritised addressing violence against women and girls around the world. We are also committed to help 10 million women access justice through the courts, police, and legal assistance by 2015.

India

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to investigate allegations that employees of programmes in Bihar State funded by her Department are not receiving their salaries. [199094]

Mr Duncan: DFID is aware of a contractual dispute between a contractor to the Government of Bihar and its sub-contractors. We have looked into this, and are clear that this is now a matter for the Government of Bihar.

Nigeria

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 549-50W, on Nigeria, whether her Department collects these data on a state-by-state basis. [199097]

Lynne Featherstone: The 2008 Demographic and Health Survey is conducted by the National Population Commission. The data requested are collected on a national basis rather than state by state.

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Overseas Aid

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is her Department's policy to send only departmental development experts to oversee development projects overseas. [198787]

Justine Greening: DFID sends a variety of developmental experts to oversee projects overseas.

Syria

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she made of the humanitarian situation in Syria; and if she will make a statement. [198809]

Justine Greening: The humanitarian crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic proportions. The UN estimates that 9.3 million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid within Syria. At least 6.5 million people in Syria have been forced to flee their homes to other areas of the country and there are now over 2.8 million refugees in the region.

Home Department

Asylum: Children

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 66W, on asylum: children, which local authorities have used the fund and how much to support asylum seekers who are care leavers in each of the last five years. [198605]

James Brokenshire: The total amount of funding provided in each of the five years is set out in the following table:

The figures for 2009-13 inclusive are taken from the audited accounts of the UK Border Agency. Figures for 2013-14 are provisional and subject to audit and possible adjustment.

The following lists the local authorities that receive the leaving care funding.

Local authorities receiving leaving care funding, 2009-14

Barking and Dagenham

Barnet

Bexley

Bedfordshire

Birmingham

Brent

Brighton and Hove

Bromley

Cambridgeshire

Camden

City of London

Croydon

9 Jun 2014 : Column 37W

Ealing

Enfield

Greenwich

Hackney

Hammersmith

Hampshire

Haringey

Harrow

Havering

Hertfordshire

Hillingdon

Hounslow

Islington

Kensington and Chelsea

Kent

Kingston

Lambeth

Leeds

Leicestershire

Lewisham

Lincolnshire

Liverpool

Manchester

Newcastle

Newham

Northamptonshire

Oxfordshire

Redbridge

Richmond

Sheffield

Slough

Solihull

Southwark

Staffordshire

Suffolk

Surrey

Thurrock

Tower Hamlets

Waltham Forest

Warwickshire

West Sussex

Westminster

Worcestershire.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases funded by legal aid taken against her Department where public interest lawyers have represented clients were won by her Department in each of the last 10 years; [198661]

(2) in how many cases against her Department funded by legal aid public interest lawyers represented clients in each of the last 10 years. [198665]

Karen Bradley: The Home Office does not keep a central record of which cases brought against it are legally aided, or of the law firms that represent litigants.

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Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Immigration and Security Minister dated 7 April 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Asif Khan Uriakhel. [198698]

James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 20 May 2014.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 8 April 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Naraendra Singh Bhati. [198699]

James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 20 May 2014.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Immigration and Security Minister dated 7 April 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M. Frimpong. [198701]

James Brokenshire: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 20 May 2014.

Private Investigators

Sir Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, 462W, on private investigation, whether she plans to consult upon the terms and conditions of licences for private investigators prior to their implementation under the new statutory licensing requirement. [198722]

Karen Bradley: The Security Industry Authority (SIA)—the regulator of the private security industry—will engage with the private investigations sector on the development of licensing criteria and conditions prior to the implementation of the new licensing regime.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken with UN Women in the planning of the June 2014 summit to end sexual violence in conflict. [198823]

Mr Swire: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working closely with a broad range of UN agencies who work on sexual violence, including UN Women. UN Women have provided a valuable contribution to Summit planning, as well as the wider development of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative and will have an active role at the Summit. The FCO will continue to work with UN partners, including UN Women, to ensure that Summit outcomes and ongoing work on this agenda are supportive of the UN Action 2014-2017 Strategic Framework.

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Balkans

Sir John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has provided to (a) Serbia and (b) Bosnia-Herzegovina following recent flooding in those countries. [199098]

Mr Lidington: I discussed the impact of the floods with Prime Minister Vucic of Serbia in Belgrade on 2 June and with Prime Minister Bevanda in Sarajevo on 3 June. During my visit to the region I also met the Serbian Red Cross and travelled to Maglaj in Bosnia-Herzegovina to meet the Mayor and representatives of World Vision.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), between 18 and 23 May a 33 person water rescue team from the British Fire Service was deployed to work alongside EUFOR Operation Althea and local rescue efforts. They rescued nearly 200 people, delivered large amounts of humanitarian aid, and helped restore power in villages North of Bijeljina.

In Serbia, the UK provided 64 radios for the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, to assist with the coordination of their response teams, and donated £280,000 worth of heavy lift and transport vehicles to the Serbian Red Cross to aid their relief distribution effort.

A team from the UK flew out to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the week commencing 20 May to assess likely humanitarian and recovery needs. During my visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina I was able to announce that the UK had approved £250,000 to support a World Vision flood response project in the region focusing on sanitation and health and providing support for 140,000 people made homeless by the floods.

In addition to this bilateral support, the UK provided support to BiH, Serbia and Croatia through the EU, UN and other international organisations. In BiH, EUFOR Operation Althea, to which the UK contributes troops in-theatre and in reserve, assisted the BiH Armed Forces in their response to the flooding. The First Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, who provide part of EUFOR’s intermediate reserve, and are in BiH for a routine operational rehearsal, will assist the BiH Armed Forces in this regard.

The UK has worked closely with the EU European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), and offered advice and assistance during all phases of the flood response effort. ECHO have released €3.2 million in humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable population in BiH and in Serbia (to which the UK will have contributed 15%).

The Government will work closely with the UNDP, the EU and other international organisations to assess what further help might be given to help both Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina recover from the impact of the floods.

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which women's organisations from Burma have been invited to the global summit on sexual violence in conflict being held in London in June 2014. [198824]

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Mr Swire: Women's organisation representatives from the Karen Women's Action Group, the Gender Equality Network and the Women's League of Burma have all been invited and are attending the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. In addition, faith leaders and other civil society activists are attending as part of a Burmese civil society delegation. I will be hosting this delegation in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 10 June.

Central African Republic

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken in response to the recent violence in the Central African Republic. [198837]

Mark Simmonds: The UK is working closely with international partners to ensure an effective and co-ordinated international response to the current humanitarian and security crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR). The UK will continue to work with the AU and UN to ensure the effectiveness of the AU mission as well as the effective deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation. The UK has also provided airlifts to help with deployment of the EU security mission (EUFOR); has provided a planning officer to the Operational Headquarters; and is providing a share of EUFOR’s common costs as well as engaging with EU partners on EUFOR’s approach and rules of engagement. We remain the second largest provider of humanitarian aid, having given £23 million since the crisis began. I last spoke with interim President Catherine Samba-Panza on 23 May.

Colombia

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether officials from the British Embassy have visited Huber Ballesteros in La Picota prison in Bogota; [198773]

(2) how many times officials from the British Embassy have asked to visit Huber Ballesteros in La Picota prison in Bogota; [198774]

(3) what representations his Department has made to the Colombian authorities over the treatment of Huber Ballesteros in the last eight months; [198775]

(4) whether officials from the British Embassy will observe the trial of Huber Ballesteros in Colombia; [198776]

(5) what preliminary hearings in the case of Huber Ballesteros officals from the British Embassy in Bogota have attended. [198777]

Mr Swire: The UK cannot interfere in Colombia’s judicial process but will continue to raise any concerns regarding due process and conditions with the Colombian authorities.

The embassy is currently awaiting authorisation from the Municipal Criminal Court to visit Huber Ballesteros in prison.

To date, the British embassy has not yet been authorised to visit Huber Ballesteros in prison, this is despite requesting permission on six different occasions.

No representatives of the British embassy were able to attend the preliminary hearings in the case of Huber

9 Jun 2014 : Column 41W

Ballesteros due to unrelated security concerns. His trial will take place on 26 and 27 of June and the British embassy intends to send officials to observe this.

Commonwealth

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions on (a) collective action to promote human rights and (b) accountability for violations of the Commonwealth Charter were held at the Commonwealth Law Ministers' Meeting in May 2014. [198835]

Mr Swire: The Commonwealth Law Ministers discussed a wide range of issues relating to human rights, rule of law and preventing violence against women, as well as the Commonwealth's activities in these areas, during their meeting in May 2014. We welcomed their acknowledgement that a number of challenges and gaps remain in the Commonwealth, particularly in members' ratification of the nine core international human rights treaties, their engagement with the United Nations Universal Periodical Review (UPR) mechanism and in their establishment of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles.

The UK underlined the need for the Commonwealth and its members to adhere to the values and principles in the Commonwealth Charter at all times and secured improved wording in the final communiqué—not least agreement that the fundamental values of the Commonwealth Charter must be taken into account in the context of work to tackle violence against women and a commitment to review implementation of the Latimer House Principles.

We continue to encourage the Commonwealth Secretariat and member states to uphold the commitments in the Commonwealth Charter. We also continue to urge the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, as the custodian of Commonwealth values, to take action where infringements of the charter occur.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the resources and effectiveness of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit; and what discussions he has had with (a) his Commonwealth counterparts and (b) the Commonwealth Secretariat on the role of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit. [198836]

Mr Swire: We support the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit and welcome the Secretariat’s recent statement confirming that the budget and staffing for the Unit has more than doubled under the Commonwealth’s four-year Strategic Plan, which was agreed by all Commonwealth members in May 2013.

We monitor the work of the Human Rights Unit through our membership of the Commonwealth Executive Committee and Board of Governors. The Board of Governors last met on 29 May.

The Human Rights Unit undertakes valuable work in assisting member states with the adoption of international standards on human rights; providing support to member states in the Universal Periodic Review process; and in

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enhancing the capacity of Commonwealth members’ national human rights institutions. Through our regular dialogue with the Secretariat on human rights, we urge them to work across the Commonwealth to uphold the values and principles agreed in the Commonwealth Charter.

Egypt

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of (a) exports to and (b) imports from Egypt was in each of the last three years. [199103]

Hugh Robertson: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK imports from Egypt were worth £1.36 billion in 2010, £1.41 billion in 2011 and £1.21 billion in 2012. Over the same period, UK exports to Egypt were worth £1.77 billion in 2010, £1.70 billion in 2011 and £1.59 billion in 2012. ONS figures from 2013 will be published in October 2014.

Iran

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart about the destruction of an historically important Bahá'í cemetery in Shiraz. [198727]

Hugh Robertson: I was deeply concerned to learn of the destruction of a Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz, where approximately 950 Baha'is are buried. On 14 May 2014, I made a statement on this issue, calling for Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians are free to practise their religion without fear of persecution. This includes protection of religious sites.

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call on the Iranian authorities to halt the destruction of an historically important Bahá’i cemetary in Shiraz; and if he will make a statement. [198766]

Hugh Robertson: I was deeply concerned to learn of the destruction of a Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz. On 14 May 2014, I made a statement on this issue, calling for Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians are free to practice their religion without fear of persecution. This includes protection of religious sites.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards negotiating a peaceful solution with Iran on the nuclear issue. [199124]

Hugh Robertson: The November interim agreement between the E3+3 and Iran was a significant first step to resolving the nuclear issue. It has created time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement. On this we are making progress although we are under no illusion about the difficulty of reaching a successful outcome. Talks resume on 16 June in Vienna, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the 20 July which is when the interim deal currently expires.

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Members: Correspondence

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 13 May 2014 from the hon. Member for Harrow West regarding Mr Dipesh Vadera of Harrow; and if he will make a statement. [199006]

Mr Lidington: The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), responded to the right hon. Member on 9 June 2014.

Morocco

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on allegations of human rights violations perpetrated by the Moroccan Security Forces. [198926]

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of the allegations against the Moroccan Security Forces, particularly when policing demonstrations. We regularly emphasise to Morocco the importance of respect for human rights in Western Sahara, including when policing demonstrations. I raised this during my visit to Rabat in March this year.

Pakistan

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to address human rights abuses in Pakistan. [198808]

Hugh Robertson: Pakistan is included as a “country of concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report. We regularly raise the subject of human rights for all Pakistan’s citizens with the Government of Pakistan in accordance with their constitution and international standards. The Prime Minister and other Ministers raised human rights concerns with the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his recent visit.

Thailand

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Thai government on the restoration of democracy in that country. [198807]

Mr Swire: Following a statement by the Foreign Secretary on 22 May, I made a statement on 25 May expressing my strong concerns about the situation in Thailand and calling for a clear timetable for elections and the restoration of democracy.

Our ambassador to Thailand has communicated through senior Thai civilian officials our serious concerns about the military takeover. Through them, he has urged the Thai military authorities to provide a clear and detailed timetable for the restoration of civilian government. Most recently he met with the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 June. The Head of ASEAN Department in London met the Thai chargé d’affaires, also on 3 June to deliver the same message. Our Defence Attaché in Bangkok meets members of the Thai military on a daily basis and repeats these points each time.

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We have made it clear to the Thai authorities that we will not continue to have normal bilateral relations until an elected government is in place. We are currently reviewing the scope of our cooperation with Thailand.

We are consulting with EU members, the US, Australia and other allies, to ensure that the international community speaks with one voice on this.

Ukraine

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of political developments in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement. [198804]

Mr Lidington: On 25 May the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) congratulated the Ukrainian people on the conduct of the presidential election. The high turnout showed the Ukrainian people's determination to decide their own future without outside interference, and sent a decisive signal of their support for unity, reform and a new future for their country. The Foreign Secretary also paid tribute to election commission staff who were subjected to appalling levels of intimidation by illegal armed groups who sought to deny the citizens of Donetsk and Luhansk their right to vote but who strove to do their duty, and to the citizens in eastern Ukraine who overcame all obstacles to vote or who tried to do so. Each vote cast there was an individual act of courage.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to Mr Petro Poroshenko on 30 May, congratulating him on his election as the President of Ukraine and welcoming his clear messages on democracy and financial and political reform. The Prime Minister also praised the Ukrainian people for their determination to hold elections in such difficult circumstances and choose their own future, offering his continued support in helping Mr Poroshenko to build a secure and prosperous Ukraine through an inclusive national dialogue.

On 4 June G7 Leaders welcomed the successful conduct under difficult circumstances of the 25 May Ukrainian presidential election, and commended Mr Petro Poroshenko for reaching out to all the people of Ukraine. G7 Leaders stand by the Ukrainian government and people in the face of unacceptable interference in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs by the Russian Federation, and call upon the illegal armed groups to disarm. G7 Leaders continue to encourage the Ukrainian authorities to maintain a measured approach in pursuing operations to restore law and order and fully support the substantial contribution made by the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the de-escalation of the crisis through the Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE instruments. The G7 remains committed to continuing to work with Ukraine to support its economic development, sovereignty and territorial integrity and encourages the fulfilment of Ukraine's commitment to pursue the difficult reforms that will be crucial to support economic stability and unlock private sector-led growth.

G7 Leaders confirmed the decision by G7 countries to impose sanctions on individuals and entities who have actively supported or implemented the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and who

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are threatening the peace, security and stability of Ukraine. G7 countries are implementing a strict policy of non-recognition with respect to Crimea/Sevastopol, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 and stand ready to intensify targeted sanctions and to implement significant additional restrictive measures to impose further costs on Russia should events so require.

The Prime Minister met President Putin on 5 June and reiterated that there is an opportunity for a successful, peaceful and stable Ukraine, but the current situation needs to change. He said that Russia must properly recognise and work with this new president and there must be action to stop arms and people crossing the border.

USA

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the full release of the United States Select Intelligence Committee’s report on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. [199056]

Hugh Robertson: The release of the Committee’s report is a matter for the United States.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have made representations or had discussion or meetings with (a) the United States Select Intelligence Committee or (b) others on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. [199057]

Hugh Robertson: The British Government have an ongoing dialogue with the United States over its detention and interrogation programs. As part of engagement with the US Congress, our embassy in Washington has met with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to discuss its work, including in relation to the detention and interrogation program.

Western Sahara

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will issue a statement cautioning UK businesses against investing in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. [198630]

Hugh Robertson: The British Government advise companies considering investing in Western Sahara to obtain independent legal advice. We make companies aware that such investment raises complex and sensitive issues.

We consider Morocco to be the de facto administering power of Western Sahara. We therefore consistently encourage Morocco to meet its commitments under Chapter XI, Article 73 of the UN Charter by ensuring that it acts to protect and further the interests of the people of the territory. This includes ensuring that the resources of the territory are used for the benefit of the people of the territory.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of MINURSO in implementing its role in Western Sahara. [199050]

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Hugh Robertson: MINURSO is effective in implementing its role in Western Sahara. MINURSO is mandated to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the POLISARIO: the situation in Western Sahara is generally calm and the ceasefire continues to hold.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of changes in the number of Moroccan troops along the Berm in Western Sahara from the levels specified in the 1991 agreement. [199052]

Hugh Robertson: In its 2014 report to the UN Security Council, the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara (MINURSO) recorded that the estimated number of troops along the Berm has not recently changed. It also states that this number is believed to exceed the provisions of the 1991 agreement.

Work and Pensions

Access to Work Programme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of providing a BSL interpreter for each individual needing one to fill an access to work position adequately. [199095]

Mike Penning: Access to Work is a discretionary grant award designed to assist disabled people and their employers to overcome individual barriers encountered at work. We assess the costs for all awards, including those for BSL interpreter support, against the specific needs of individual customers. As such, there is no single estimate of the cost of the support the scheme provides.

Employment and Support Allowance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time taken for decisions on requests for reconsideration of fit for work decisions in relation to applications for employment and support allowance has been since October 2013. [198667]

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of mandatory reconsideration periods have exceeded 14 days; and if he will make a statement. [198805]

Mike Penning: The Department is collecting information to understand how the introduction of mandatory reconsideration is operating, including completion timescales. However, these data are not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.

In the production of new statistics, which all the above would be, the Department works to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet the high quality standards expected. Departmental statisticians need to assure themselves of the quality of administrative data sources before releasing information as official statistics, and before the exact timing and format of statistics can be confirmed.

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Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a statutory limit on the length of time decision makers in his Department can take to respond to a request to reconsider a refusal of employment and support allowance. [198908]

Mike Penning: We have no plans to introduce a statutory time limit for deciding a mandatory reconsideration.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange for replies to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North to his letters to the Chief Operating Officer, Pension, Disability and Carers Service of 7 April and 7 May; and if he will arrange for a substantive reply to be sent to that hon. Member to his letter to the Chief Executive, Capita-PIP ref PIP100 34851/101 of 7 April 2014 on behalf of a constituent. [198876]

Mike Penning: A reply to all of the issues that you raised in both of your letters will be sent to you by one of our directors by 13 June 2014.

Personal Independence Payment

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people who have submitted a claim for personal independence payment and have been waiting for more than six months for a medical assessment in (a) the UK, (b) London and (c) the London Borough of Harrow; and if he will make a statement; [198779]

(2) how many people in each (a) region of England and (b) London borough had been waiting six months or longer for a medical examination as part of their assessment of entitlement to a personal independence payment on 1 May 2014; and if he will make a statement. [199111]

Mike Penning: We are committed to ensuring personal independence payment (PIP) claimants receive high quality, objective, fair and accurate assessments. Since the introduction of PIP new claims in April 2013, we have been closely monitoring all aspects of the process.

As personal independence payment (PIP) is a new benefit, processes are currently bedding in. Our latest analysis is telling us that the end-to-end claimant journey is taking longer than expected. We are working closely with the assessment providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience. We are also seeking to ensure that all the steps in the process run as smoothly as possible and that there are no barriers in our processes and systems that contribute to claims taking longer than necessary to progress.

The first official statistics for the number of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) were published on 5 June alongside updated statistics on PIP new claim registrations, decisions and awards.

Statistics on clearance times are not being published at this stage. Statistics on clearance times are intended for future publication but releasing them at this stage

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would give a skewed representation of the process since steady state has not yet been reached and natural reassessment has yet to roll out across the country.

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects Mr Andrew Cottrell of Prenton, to undergo his medical examination as part of his application for the personal independence payment. [199007]

Mike Penning: The Department cannot respond to the House of Commons with regards to a specific case. I will write to the right hon. Gentleman.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of applicants who have faced delays to their personal independence payment claim because of partial PA4 IT failures in the past 12 months. [199096]

Mike Penning: The requested data are not held by the Department.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households have been subject to the benefit cap in (a) each parliamentary constituency and (b) each local authority area in Scotland. [198982]

Esther McVey: Information on the number of households subject to the benefit cap in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland has not yet been published as Official Statistics. We intend to include this information as part of an upcoming release in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Information on the number of households subject to the benefit cap in each local authority in Scotland has been published and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-march-2014

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households subject to the benefits cap in (a) each parliamentary constituency and (b) each local authority area in Scotland have received transitional support via discretionary housing payment to date. [198984]

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Unemployed People: Travel

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of refunding travel expenditure by jobseekers to jobcentres in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency was between January 2014 and May 2014. [198918]

Esther McVey: The cost of refunding travel expenditure by Jobseekers to Jobcentres in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency between January 2014 and May 2014 was :

January 2014 to May 2014: £1,456.88

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Work Capability Assessment

Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants died in each month of the last three years (a) after attending a work capability assessment and (b) having been assessed as fit for work and then appealed, but died before that appeal was heard. [198772]

Mike Penning: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects Atos to appoint new agency staff to administer appeals on reassessment of eligibility for disability benefits. [198778]

Mike Penning: Appeals on the disability benefits are administered and heard by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. Atos has no role to play.

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration is given to fibromyalgia in the work capability assessment; and how many and what proportion of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia have been declared fit for work following such an assessment. [198802]

Mike Penning: As with any medical condition, DWP recognises fibromyalgia as a potentially significantly disabling condition. The statistical information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Health

Ambulance Services

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions his Department has had with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on its emergency ambulance cover; [198954]

(2) what assessment he has made of the quality of emergency ambulance cover in the North West; [198948]

(3) what recent discussions his Department has had with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on its ability to meet emergency 999 calls in the Greater Manchester area. [198949]

Jane Ellison: There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on these matters. Decisions about ambulance services are a local matter and it is for clinical commissioning groups to ensure appropriate services are provided to their populations.

Patients have a right to high quality and reliable urgent and emergency care, whenever they call on it, and we expect all ambulance trusts to provide this.

The North West Ambulance Service met the three ambulance performance standards for 2013-14 and in April 2014.

Arthritis

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis received treatment within three months of symptom onset in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; [198815]

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(2) what average number of GP visits was required prior to diagnosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013. [198812]

Norman Lamb: Information concerning the number of patients diagnosed with either rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis on an annual basis is not collected.

Asthma

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that patients discharged from hospital following a severe asthma attack receive appropriate care and support in the community; and if he will make a statement; [198829]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of patients with asthma who have received an asthma care plan; and when he expects all patients with asthma to have received such a plan; [198832]

(3) what steps he is taking to improve the quality of care given by GPs to people with asthma. [198830]

Jane Ellison: Information on the number of asthma patients with a care plan is not collected. However, the Government’s mandate to NHS England says that by 2015, everyone with a long term condition should be offered a personalised care plan.

NHS England is supporting clinical commissioning groups to improve out of hospital treatment for those with asthma by giving doctors more control over the commissioning of asthma services and improving information links between general practitioners and hospitals. The implementation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence asthma quality standard, that sets out what good quality care looks like, will also raise the standard of care people with asthma receive.

NHS England, through its National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease, will continue to work with Asthma UK and professional groups in both primary and secondary care to improve outcomes for all those with asthma.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the National Review of Asthma Deaths, published on 6 May 2014. [198831]

Jane Ellison: We welcome the report of the UK National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) which provides a wealth of information about the causes of mortality from asthma.

While death rates from asthma have fallen steadily over the past three decades, and the number of deaths is small compared with those from cancer and heart disease, we are concerned about the proportion of deaths in children and young people that, in theory, could be preventable.

Patients (including children and young people) should be reviewed regularly and have personal action plans in place. They and their families or carers should know the right medications to use at the right times and how to use them, and understand the importance of monitoring their condition and how to do this. NHS England has a

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programme of work in place through a “house of care” model to help ensure that patients with long term conditions such as asthma, can largely self-manage their condition with appropriate support from health care professionals.

Carers

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve support for carers. [198796]

Norman Lamb: Carers are central to the Government’s reform of social care and support, with significant improvements in the Care Act 2014 which extends carers’ rights to an assessment which will be based on the appearance of a need for support. For the first time, local authorities will be required to meet carers’ eligible needs for support.

We have provided £400 million to the national health service over four years from 2011 for carers to have breaks from their caring responsibilities. For 2015-16, the carers’ breaks funding will be in the Better Care Fund.

We have also provided more than £2 million in recent years to the professional bodies such as the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, Carers UK and the Carers Trust to develop initiatives to raise early awareness of carers among health care professionals and to help identify and support carers. We have committed more than £1 million in 2014–15 to enable these organisations to build on this work and to develop new initiatives.

We set out our vision for transforming primary care in ‘Transforming Primary Care: Safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most’. It recognises the importance of involving and supporting carers and sets out a clear expectation for general practitioners to identify carers as a matter of course.

Carers are also central to the work that NHS England is leading to improve the quality of life of people with long term conditions. Their action plan, ‘NHS England’s Commitment to Carers’ includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, including raising the profile of carers.

Dental Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of the General Dental Council's fitness to practise regime. [198885]

Dr Poulter: The Department has made no recent assessment of the efficacy of the General Dental Council's fitness to practise regime.

It is the role of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to independently review the performance of the regulators on an annual basis, to check how effective the regulators have been in protecting the public and promoting confidence in health and care professionals.

Further information on the PSA reviews can be found on their website using the following link:

www.professionalstandards.org.uk/

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Diabetes

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support, advice, guidance and funding his Department makes available for children and adults diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. [198820]

Jane Ellison: Our overall aim is for all people with diabetes to have the right support to manage their condition, with access to specialist care when they need it. To help deliver this, NHS England has set out in “Action for Diabetes” how it will support improvements in outcomes for people with diabetes, focusing on earlier diagnosis of all diabetes, and support for people to manage their diabetes and so improve their quality of life.

In addition, NHS England has recently piloted a sample service specification for the management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes based on the NICE Quality Standard for Diabetes with a number of clinical commissioning groups. This is a tool that commissioners can choose to use to deliver high quality care and offers a model for commissioning integrated care for those with diabetes. It highlights the specific care needs for those with Type 1 diabetes where they differ from those with Type 2 diabetes.

Also, the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) makes a significant contribution to global research on Type 1 diabetes, in particular through its world-class research infrastructure. The NIHR Clinical Research Network is currently recruiting to 32 studies in Type 1 diabetes, in addition to 58 studies relevant to both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Expenditure by the NIHR on research on Type 1 diabetes through research programmes, research centres and units, and research training awards rose from £1.8 million in 2011-12 to an estimated £2.8 million in 2013-14.

Endometriosis

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to help women suffering from endometriosis; [198726]

(2) what steps he is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis. [198731]

Dr Poulter: Information on endometriosis is readily available to health care professionals and the public. Both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and NHS Choices have published information for the public on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Further information can be found on the RCOG website:

www.rcog.org.uk/womens-health/clinical-guidance/endometriosis-what-you-need-know

and NHS Choices website:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/Endometriosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

To support women with endometriosis all obstetricians and gynaecologists have been trained in the diagnosis, investigation and management of the condition, which is specifically listed as a topic in the core curriculum for obstetrics and gynaecology. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has published clinical guidelines on the management of women with endometriosis to assist clinicians.

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In addition, NHS England has developed a service specification for severe endometriosis under the specialised commissioning area of complex gynaecology. NHS England expects all units providing a service to women with severe endometriosis to provide care which meets the standards laid out in a specification which can be found on their website:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/e10-comp-gynae-endom-0414.pdf

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome in each of the last four years. [199090]

Jane Ellison: The following table contains the number of finished admission episodes where there was either a primary or secondary diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome in England.

It should be noted that these figures are not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within any given time period.

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Health Professions

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology his Department uses to calculate workforce requirements for (a) community physiotherapists, (b) podiatrists and (c) occupational health therapists; and what future projection he has made of staffing levels in such professions. [198814]

Dr Poulter: Health Education England (HEE) was established to ensure a greater connection between the needs and demands of local employers and education and training commissions. HEE holds information contributing to, and is responsible for, the secure supply of the England NHS funded workforce.

Health: Business

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which companies that have been asked to report on progress relating to the Responsibility Deal have not yet done so. [199066]

Jane Ellison: Reports from Responsibility Deal (RD) partners are published on the RD website as they are submitted and processed, which takes place throughout the year. Full details of the 675 partners signed up to the RD, the pledges they have signed up to and their annual updates are available on the RD website at:

https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/partners/

As at 5 June 2014, more than 70% of expected reports had been submitted for the 2013-14 reporting cycle.

Partners new to the RD (signed up after 1 October 2013) and those signed up to new pledges launched during 2013, were not expected to provide an annual update. Other partners signed up to one or more of the majority of collective pledges were asked to provide an annual update.

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The RD reporting cycle does not always map with organisations’ cycles (for example clearance at board level) and end of fiscal year is a busy period for most partners. Some updates will also be in a ‘draft’ status where they are partly completed by partners and not yet submitted. This means there can be delays, and we expect further submissions over the next few months. Partners can also update their submissions in-year, reporting on further progress made.

Heart Diseases: Children

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the recommendations of the Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Services Review, published on 13 March 2014, if he will make it his policy that continuing audits of performance should be conducted at all children's heart surgery units. [198761]

Jane Ellison: NHS England and the regulators constantly monitor the outcomes at all children's cardiac centres. These data are provided regularly by the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research. Specialised commissioning is currently reviewing the type of information that it analyses as part of the ongoing new Congenital Heart Disease Review into these services.

Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of women who are receiving IVF treatment who have been diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhoea. [198746]

Jane Ellison: The information requested is not held centrally.

Medical Records: Databases

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Health and Social Care Information Centre takes to ensure that all its registers are complete and can be easily cross-referenced. [198884]

Dr Poulter: As part of continuous improvement, the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) will continue to review the completeness of all the registers that are being released. The HSCIC has committed to publishing details of all approved data releases including the purpose for which data were released, on a quarterly basis and continues to welcome scrutiny of these registers and feedback and will ensure that any genuine omissions are incorporated within these updates.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 330W, on medical records: data protection, for what reason the Health and Social Care Information Centre's register of approved data releases does not contain entries on the Data Access Advisory Group (DAAG) register of approved applications for (a) Department of Health Dental and Eye Care Analytical Team DAAG application reference 240413-a, (b) HCV Research UK DAAG application reference MR1316, (c) Hull and East

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Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust section 251 notification DAAG application reference MR1320 and

(d)

UK Biobank DAAG application reference MR1109. [198887]

Dr Poulter: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) register as published on 3 April 2014 only covers data releases approved and data released by the HSCIC within the period 1 April 2013 to 31 December 2013.

The applications the hon. Member refers to have been approved by the Data Access Advisory Group (DAAG) but are not included on the HSCIC Register of Approved data releases as they are not within the scope outlined for the following reasons:

(a) Department of Health Dental and Eye Care Analytical Team DAAG application reference 240413-a, this request was for additional access for an individual field by Department of Health through the Business Objects online system, access to which was approved prior to 1 April 2014. This means of access has subsequently been replaced, and the Department’s access to the new system is covered by row id 373 in the approved release register;

(b) HCV Research UK DAAG application reference MR1316—the release of data to this customer has not yet been approved by the HSCIC;

(c) Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust section 251 notification DAAG application reference MR1320—the applicant has received no data from the HSCIC within the time period; and

(d) UK Biobank DAAG application reference MR1109—this was approved prior to 1 April 2013.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which mental health services he and each Minister in his Department have visited since they were appointed; and what the date of each such visit was. [199088]

Dr Poulter: The following list provides details of the visits undertaken by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) and his ministerial team to mental health services in an official capacity, since their appointment.

Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt):

6 February 2014

Redwoods Centre, South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust

13 March 2014

Springfield Hospital, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

1 May 2014

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Minister of State for Care and Support (Norman Lamb):

13 November 2012

Raid Birmingham Heartlands Hospital

19 December 2012

South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Trust

7 February 2013

The Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme and Child and Adolescent, Mental Health services project, Oxford

4 July 2013

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust

9 Jun 2014 : Column 57W

19 August 2013

Leicester Mental Health Triage Care Project

5 September 2013

Gnosall Surgery, Stafford

12 September 2013

Yeovil Hospital

12 September 2013

Royal United Hospital, Bath

31 October 2013

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust

19 December 2013

Broadmoor Hospital

3 January 2014

Bethnal Green Police Station (Bi-lateral visit with Damian Green MP Home Office), London (A Liaison and Diversion scheme, this scheme brings together three large mental health trusts)

17 February 2014

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Crisis Resolution Service

12 March 2014

Humphrey Booth Resource Centre, Manchester

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (Dr Daniel Poulter):

11 July 2013

Disraeli School and Children’s Centre, High Wycombe

17 October 2013

Parkview Clinic, Birmingham Children's Hospital

8 May 2014

Bethlem Royal Hospital—Channi Kumar Mother and Baby Unit (Perinatal mental health)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (Earl Howe):

18 April 2012

BuddyApp—Mental health innovation product launch—Maudsley Hospital

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health (Jane Ellison):

15 April 2014

Roshni Ghar Mental Health Charity, Keighley.