Equal Opportunities

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets his Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year. [199923]

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not have targets for increasing diversity.

In 2012 the MOD published its strategic equality objectives in accordance with the statutory requirements flowing from the Equality Act 2010 to promote equality. These objectives, including the advancement of equality of opportunity, were endorsed by the Defence Board to reflect the fact that the duty to promote equality sits squarely at the top of the Department.

In September 2013, the permanent secretary and chief of the defence staff announced the establishment of a Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme, with the aim of making a tangible and meaningful change in the MOD’s approach to diversity and diversity outcomes.

The primary aim of the programme is to make the work force more representative of society at all levels, and metrics will be used to measure success.

The MOD publishes a biannual breakdown of diversity statistics which contains analysis of all diversity categories for both civilian and service personnel. The most recent report, published on 29 May 2014, can be found at the following address:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php/publications/personnel/combined/diversity-dashboard

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HMS Ocean

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS Ocean will be declared fit to deploy; and when she will depart on Exercise Cougar 14. [200900]

Mr Francois: HMS Ocean is completing refit and will soon put to sea. However, I am withholding precise details of HMS Ocean's future programme as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases funded by legal aid against his Department where public interest lawyers have represented clients were won by his Department in each of the last 10 years. [198663]

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to give a definitive answer to this question, since in a number of cases where there were multiple issues before it, the court found for the claimant on some issues and for the defendant on others.

Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in how many cases against his Department funded by legal aid public interest lawyers represented clients in each of the last 10 years. [198664]

Anna Soubry: All of the judicial review proceedings relating to Iraq and Afghanistan brought by the firm Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) in the last 10 years have been publicly funded through the legal aid budget. According to available records, PIL has represented approximately 200 clients in issued judicial review proceedings. It is not possible to provide a meaningful annual breakdown as some claims made in one year have had further claimants joined to them in subsequent years.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for reviewing the conduct of and representation on local liaison committees for defence nuclear sites. [200398]

Mr Dunne: There are no plans for the Ministry of Defence to review the conduct of, or representation at, local liaison committees relating to defence nuclear sites. The operation of such committees is a matter for agreement between the individual site operator (the licensee and/or authorisee) and the appropriate local authorities.

Travel

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department were in receipt of excess fare allowance in each year for which figures are available. [198840]

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Anna Soubry: The following table provides the numbers of Ministry of Defence civilian staff in receipt of excess fares allowance (EFA) by financial year, from the earliest date that figures are available:

Veterans

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential costs and benefits of bringing forward legislative proposals similar to those in the US Servicemen’s Readjustment Act 1944. [198839]

Anna Soubry: We have made no assessment of legislative proposals along these lines. We have robust measures in place to prepare our service personnel for civilian employment as well as addressing any accommodation, welfare, health and domestic needs and concerns. As Lord Ashcroft highlighted in his recent review of transition arrangements, these measures ensure that the vast majority of service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life.

All service leavers are entitled to resettlement assistance from the Ministry of Defence funded Career Transition Partnership (CTP), and around 85% of those who use the CTP are employed within six months of leaving. In addition, all service leavers are entitled to housing and financial advice and, through the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association, lifetime job finding support.

While in service, our personnel can receive skills, qualifications and experience accredited to nationally recognised standards to ease the transition back into the civilian workplace. In addition, we provide financial support to conduct vocational as well as professional advancement.

We also support a range of schemes to help veterans and their families secure appropriate accommodation. For information about the guidance and support the Department provides, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Adam Afriyie), on 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 442-43W.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 200-3WH, what representations he has made to the Government of the

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Democratic Republic of the Congo on the recent acquittal of 14 officers of the armed forces of that country on charges of mass rape and murder. [200235]

Mark Simmonds: I welcome efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prosecute perpetrators on charges of mass rape and murder—but more must be done to deliver justice for the victims. I met the Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the DRC in London last week when he was attending the global summit on ending sexual violence in conflict. I emphasised to him that ending impunity was fundamental to tackling the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence. He confirmed his Government's commitment to tackling sexual and gender based violence and to ending impunity for the perpetrators.

The British embassy in Kinshasa sponsors a range of projects to tackle sexual violence in the DRC focusing on security sector reform and improving service provision for survivors. During his visit to eastern DRC in March 2013 the Foreign Secretary announced over £1 million in funding to a range of organisations tackling rape and sexual violence. The UK has supported the deployment of an international expert to build capacity of health and legal professionals to address accountability and the investigation and documentation of sexual violence crimes.

The Foreign Secretary has publicly called on the Congolese authorities to continue in their efforts to seek out and prosecute the remaining perpetrators. Senior officials at our embassy in Kinshasa have, jointly with EU Heads of Mission and independently, also raised the issue directly with the Government of the DRC.

The International Protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict, which was field tested in the DRC, was launched at the global summit on 12 June. I hope that the Protocol will be deployed widely, helping to ensure that more and more perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence the world over will be brought to justice.

Official Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was. [200485]

Mr Lidington: Details of Ministers' visits overseas are published quarterly and can be found at:

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

South Sudan

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the meeting between President Salva Kir and Riek Machar in Addis Ababa on 10 June 2014. [200552]

Mark Simmonds: The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit on 10 June saw President Salva Kir and Riek Machar recommit to their earlier cessation of hostilities agreement, and agree to “expedite and complete dialogue on the formation of a transitional

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government of national unity within 60 days”. This is an important step in the peace process. Both leaders must continue to respect the commitments they have made by reining in their fighters on the ground and engaging constructively in the Addis peace talks. The UK, along with our troika (UK, US and Norway) and EU partners, continues to support IGAD efforts to resolve the crisis.

Sri Lanka

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Sri Lanka has not been included as a priority country for the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. [200735]

Mr Swire: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) is global in reach. It aims to address impunity for crimes of conflict-related sexual violence wherever these occur. We remain concerned at reports of a culture of impunity for rape and sexual violence and a lack of support for victims in Sri Lanka, as well as reports of the use of sexual violence as a means of torture in custody. We have engaged significantly with Sri Lanka on this issue. When the Foreign Secretary visited Sri Lanka in November 2013 to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), he hosted an event to highlight concerns about allegations of sexual violence in Sri Lanka during and after the conflict, and urged Sri Lanka to sign up to the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. The UK is also supporting projects to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to rape and sexual violence in Sri Lanka. Our presence at CHOGM also ensured that the final communiqué at the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Colombo in November 2013 contained the first ever commitment by member states to take action to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of prevalence of sexual violence in conflict in Sri Lanka. [200736]

Mr Swire: We remain concerned at reports of a culture of impunity for rape and sexual violence and a lack of support for victims in Sri Lanka, as well as reports of the use of sexual violence as a means of torture in custody. We are clear that rape and sexual violence whether during conflict or afterwards is unacceptable and must stop and we are committed to tackling sexual violence in conflict wherever it happens.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I have urged Sri Lanka to sign up to the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, and we are supporting projects to ensure a zero tolerance approach to rape and sexual violence in Sri Lanka. On 27 March, the UN Human Rights Council agreed a resolution on Sri Lanka that establishes an international investigation into allegations

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of violations of international law of both sides of the military conflict, and calls upon the Sri Lankan Government to make progress on reconciliation and human rights. The resolution also expresses serious concern at continuing reports of sexual and gender-based violence.

Sudan

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on co-ordinating efforts to secure the release from prison of Meriam Ibrahim. [200554]

Mark Simmonds: Through our embassy in Khartoum, the UK has been co-ordinating international efforts, including EU, Troika and others, to secure the release of Meriam Ibrahim from prison. We are also working with EU partners in Brussels to ensure an effective EU response.

My ministerial colleagues and I will continue to lobby forcefully, bilaterally and with other partners, for Meriam’s release.

USA

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, on USA, whether either government places restrictions on the use of data shared between the UK and the US. [200608]

Hugh Robertson: Britain has a strong and long-standing intelligence relationship with the US. In both countries, intelligence work takes place within a strong legal framework. Our intelligence-sharing work with the US is subject to ministerial and independent oversight and scrutiny by the Intelligence and Security Committee. As referred to in my answer to the hon. Member on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, the Interception Commissioner in his latest annual report addresses the issue of intelligence sharing between the UK and its partners, including recording that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 strictly limits the lawful dissemination of intercept material to the minimum that is necessary for the authorised purposes.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings he has had with world leaders to discuss the situation in Yemen since 1 January 2013. [200356]

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), as well as other FCO Ministers, has regular discussions on Yemen with their counterparts, particularly with those from the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Friends of Yemen Ministerial Group, which the UK hosted in London most recently on 29 April.

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Justice

Aarhus Convention

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department collects data on the number and success rate of Aarhus claims made in England and Wales since 1 April 2013; and if he will make a statement. [200769]

Mr Vara: The Ministry of Justice does not collect judicial review data to this level of detail.

Capita

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what financial penalties have been incurred by Capita in relation to its contract for provision of language services since 31 October 2011. [199484]

Mr Vara: Capita TI only gets paid for completed bookings, so if it cannot supply an interpreter, it does not get paid. The Ministry of Justice manages service delivery and performance through a number of methods and remedies open to it under the contract. The Ministry is continually working with the supplier to improve performance delivery standards.

Service credits can be imposed on Capita in line with the terms of the contract when performance falls below the contractual level of 98% success rate. This level was set to drive very high levels of performance.

The service credit amounts for January 2012 to March 2014 is:

£53,777.00

The new interpreting contract was introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system and it has already saved taxpayers £15 million in its first year. We have seen dramatic improvements over the life of the contract so far, with performance currently at 94% success rate. Record numbers of bookings are now being made and fulfilled, and we continue to drive further improvement in performance.

Compensation

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to address any growth of a compensation culture in the UK. [199674]

Mr Vara: The Government are committed to turning the tide on fraudulent personal injury claims, and we have introduced a raft of measures to discourage unnecessary or frivolous claims and tackle inflated costs. Most recently, I announced on 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 27WS, a number of steps that the Government intend to take to reduce the volume of fraudulent claims. These include the power for courts to dismiss fundamentally dishonest claims and a ban on lawyers offering inducements to bring personal injury claims.

Prisoners: Sanitary Protection

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which types and brands of sanitary products female prisoners may purchase from the National Product List; and at what cost. [200774]

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Simon Hughes: Female prisoners can purchase the following sanitary products from the National Product List:

Sanitary pads—Always Ultra Normal 32s—price £2.69

Sanitary towels—Tena Lady Normal 12s—price £2.69.

Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons operated on half regime during (a) January, (b) February, (c) March, (d) April and (e) May 2014. [200712]

Jeremy Wright: The information regarding how many prisons operated on half regime during (a) January, (b) February, (c) March, (d) April and (e) May 2014, is not collated centrally. The term 'half regime' is not used in prison establishments, and is unlikely to be interpreted consistently. The processes required to collect this data would incur disproportionate costs.

Work Capability Assessment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have currently been waiting (a) up to one month, (b) one to two months, (c) two to three months, (d) three to four months, (e) four to five months and (f) more than six months for their appeal against their being deemed fit for work to be determined. [199818]

Mr Vara: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits including a person's entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA).

While a work capability assessment (WCA) can be a key factor in an ESA decision, it is not the only consideration. Appeals are brought against ESA refusals, and not WCA decisions themselves. The tribunal does not record information on those ESA appeals in which the WCA decision is a factor, and as such HMCTS does not hold the specific information requested.

Information on appeals against ESA decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014

Youth Custody

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders under the age of 18 were held in the adult secure estate in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013. [200713]

Jeremy Wright: The Youth Justice Board commissions a distinct secure estate in which children and young people under the age of 18 are placed. Under-18s will

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only ever be placed in the adult estate in exceptional circumstances, after a thorough risk assessment, and when it is in the best interests of the young person concerned.

Information on the number of young people aged under 18 years who were authorised to move into the over-18 estate between 2010 and 2013 is set out in the following table.

International Development

Infrastructure Projects: Jordan Valley

8. Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that the funding of infrastructure projects in the Jordan valley is not dependent on approval from the Israeli Government. [904300]

Justine Greening: We continue to believe the best approach to development in Area C is to engage constructively with Israel to help Palestinian communities to plan and build for their future without fear of demolition. We consistently emphasise the need for unfettered humanitarian provision, including necessary infrastructure.

10. Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that the funding of infrastructure projects in the Jordan valley is not dependent on approval from the Israeli government. [904302]

Justine Greening: We continue to believe the best approach to development in area C is to engage constructively with Israel to help Palestinian communities to plan and build for their future without fear of demolition. We consistently emphasise the need for unfettered humanitarian provision, including necessary infrastructure.

South Sudan

9. David Rutley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. [904301]

Lynne Featherstone: I am deeply concerned about the man-made tragedy in South Sudan. The UN estimates that 1.1 million people are displaced within the country and almost 370,000 are refugees. Food security is deteriorating with the risk of famine. Four million people are in need of assistance.

14. Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the scale of the threat of rape

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faced by women in South Sudan; and what steps her Department plans to take to reduce such threats. [904306]

Lynne Featherstone: Sexual violence has been widespread during the conflict. We have pressed the Government and Opposition to act to prevent sexual violence. Our humanitarian programmes help protect vulnerable women and girls, and provide support for case management for the victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

Overseas Development

11. Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes her Department operates to improve the criminal justice system of countries in receipt of overseas development assistance. [904303]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID currently funds security and justice work (i) through 26 bilateral programmes in 13 developing countries, (ii) through the tri-departmental conflict prevention pool and (iii) through multilateral agencies and non-governmental organisations. Some of these programmes include work on criminal justice system reform.

Post-2015 Development Framework

12. Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her health priorities are in discussions on the post-2015 development framework. [904304]

Justine Greening: The UK objective for post-2015 is to agree a simple, inspiring, measurable set of goals centred on eradicating extreme poverty that should finish the job that the millennium development goals started. The goal should be outcome focused, measuring reductions in preventable death and disease and giving women and girls sexual and reproductive health rights.

Bangladesh

13. Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes and activity her Department undertakes in Bangladesh. [904305]

Justine Greening: DFID funds a wide range of programmes to reduce poverty and support progress towards the millennium development goals in Bangladesh. Our programmes are improving the provision of basic services, supporting private sector development and helping to reduce risks to development, including from natural disasters. We are also focused on improving working conditions and building safety in the garment sector.

Palestine

15. Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of illegal settlements on the economic development of Palestine. [904307]

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Justine Greening: Denying Palestinians access to the resources of area C, whether through expanding illegal settlements, declaring closed military zones and national parks, or restricting movement and access, is crippling the Palestinian economy. The World Bank estimates that easing these restrictions could increase Palestinian GDP by 35%.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress her Department has made in promoting development relating to water sanitation and hygiene; and if she will make a statement. [198841]

Lynne Featherstone: DFID aims to meet our commitments to support 60 million people to gain access to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH), through a range of programmes delivered by our Country Offices and from central teams. Details of our current WASH programmes are available on the DFID website:

http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk

Progress made through our on-going WASH programmes is detailed in the ‘DFID Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13’. Results from the implementation of more recent commitments will be detailed in the next Annual Report.

Iraq

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she plans to increase the UK's humanitarian contribution to Iraq. [200571]

Justine Greening: As I announced on Saturday, the UK is providing an initial £3 million of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the ISIL advance in Northern Iraq. Following an assessment of needs on the ground by DFID humanitarian experts who deployed to Erbil last Thursday, this includes:

(i) Activation of the UK’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF), which provides emergency support via pre-approved organisations in the event of a humanitarian crisis overseas. This initial package of UK support comprises clean water and sanitation, essential medicine, women-friendly hygiene kits and basic household items, which will be provided from £2 million of RRF funding to NGOs in the region.

(ii) Protection for vulnerable girls and women through the deployment of dedicated UN safety and welfare teams in key internally displaced person and refugee camp sites and areas, secured through £1 million of funding to the UNHCR.

The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely and we are considering urgently what other assistance we could provide.

Syria

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Syria. [200347]

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

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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.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Animal Experiments: Yorkshire and the Humber

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has had with B&K Universal Ltd, Yorkshire Evergreen or its associates relating to its planning application for a facility at Grimston, Yorkshire for the breeding of dogs and other animals for laboratory use in the last 12 months. [200262]

Mr Willetts: UK Trade and Investment and BIS officials provided general planning advice to B and K Universal in the last year at the company's request. BIS officials met with B and K's parent company Marshall and signposted other sources of advice and information. Officials were also asked to provide advice on EU Directive 2010/63 and referred this query to the Home Office as the Department with responsibility for implementing the Directive in the UK.

The use of animals in scientific research remains a vital tool in improving our understanding of how biological systems work both in health and disease and in the development of new medicines and treatments vital for human health and for that of animals. It also underpins the success of the UK's life science sector which has one of the strongest and most productive industries in the world.

The UK has a rigorous regulatory system which ensures that animal research and testing is carried out only where no practicable alternative exists, and under controls which keep suffering to the minimum.

The Government are committed to working to further reduce the use of animals in scientific research and in February 2013 published its delivery plan. This demonstrates our commitment to the “3Rs”: where possible to replace animal use, reduce the number of animals used and to refine the procedures involved so as to find additional ways to minimise suffering

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-to-reduce-the-use-of-animals-in-research-delivery-plan

Apprentices

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what the average annual cost of training an apprentice aged 16 to 18 is; and what proportion of such costs is borne by (a) the public purse, (b) individuals and (c) employers; [200239]

(2) what the average unit cost per year to train an apprentice aged 19 to 24 is; and what proportion of such costs is borne by (a) the public purse, (b) apprentices and (c) employers; [200240]

(3) what the average unit cost per year to train an apprentice aged 24 is; and what proportion of such costs is borne by (a) the public purse, (b) apprentices and (c) employers. [200293]

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Matthew Hancock: The cost of providing an apprenticeship is highly variable.

In 2012, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) commissioned a report from The Institute for Employment Research entitled: ‘Employer Investment in Apprenticeships and Workplace Learning’:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32306/12-814-employer-investment-in-apprenticeships-fifth-net-benefits-study.pdf

The report gives details of the costs of apprenticeships to employers in several sectors for 16 to 18-year-olds and for 19 to 24-year-olds. It also compares the contribution of employers to that of the state.

Apprentices: Staffordshire

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships commenced in each sector in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire in the last 12 months. [200236]

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by sector subject area and geography is published in a supplementary table to a Statistical First Release (SFR):

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships--2

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308418/apprenticeship-starts-by-region-and-sector-subject-area.xls

Business

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of Scottish independence on businesses in the North East and Cumbria. [200254]

Michael Fallon: I have not made such an assessment. The UK Government’s Scotland Analysis Programme identified benefits for UK businesses from common rules and institutions that create a larger domestic market, reduce administrative burdens and encourage fair competition. Diverging regulatory regimes and new burdens created by an international border may affect the level of trade (£48 billion from Scotland to rest of UK in 2012, and £59 billion in the opposite direction) and the 30,000 people who currently travel freely between Scotland and north England each day to work.

China

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had on human rights during his recent visit to China. [200693]

Michael Fallon: My Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met civil society organisations during his visit and discussed a range of human rights issues, including the rule of law, labour and trade union rights.

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Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who has been invited to the UK-China business summit scheduled during the visit of the Chinese Premier, Li Keqian, to the UK. [200694]

Michael Fallon: A number of business events were arranged to coincide with Premier Li's visit to the UK. These included a business lunch hosted by the Prime Minister at No.10 with Ministers, business leaders from UK and Chinese companies and senior Government officials from both sides.

A number of other events were arranged by the China Britain Business Council and others including over 600 UK and Chinese businesses, large and small, from a range of sectors. These were open to all with companies being able to book tickets for the event.

Disabled Students’ Allowances

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his written statement of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 1WS, on higher education, what public consultation he has undertaken on the proposed changes to disabled students’ allowance. [200271]

Mr Willetts: We are currently consulting with a wide range of stakeholders to help inform both the equality analysis and disabled students’ allowances Guidance for 2015/16.

Disabled Students’ Allowances: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Birmingham Northfield constituency qualify for the disabled students’ allowance (DSA); and how many such people will be negatively affected by proposed changes to DSA. [200253]

Mr Willetts: Information on students awarded and paid disabled students’ allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release “Student Support for Higher Education England”. The latest statistics are available at the following link:

http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf

A further breakdown for Birmingham Northfield constituency has been provided in the table for the academic year 2012/13. Equivalent figures for the academic year 2013/14 will be available from November 2014.

Current DSA recipients and disabled students applying for DSAs in 2014/15 will not be affected by these changes in 2015/16.

We are currently consulting with a wide range of stakeholders and are working through the detail of how the changes will work in practice, including the number of students affected.

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Disabled Students’ Allowances: West Midlands

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many disabled students allowance recipients there are in (a) Birmingham, Hodge Hill constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands. [200291]

Mr Willetts: Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students’ Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England’. The latest statistics are available at the following link:

http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf

A further breakdown for Birmingham, Hodge Hill constituency, Birmingham local education authority and the West Midlands has been provided in the table for the academic year 2012/13. Equivalent figures for the academic year 2013/14 will be available from November 2014.

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Employment Tribunals Service

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department’s press release of 1 November 2013 entitled Government considering new powers to tackle non-payment of tribunal awards, what progress he has made in considering the various policy options for improving enforcement of unpaid employment tribunal awards. [200177]

Jenny Willott: It is wrong that where an employment tribunal has found in favour of a claimant and ordered that an award should be made to them by the respondent, so few awards are actually paid.

The Government are committed to tackling this issue and there is already a lot of work under way. We are aware, however, that there is no single solution and are instead working on a number of different measures to ensure that people get what they are owed. We will be able to say more about developments in this area shortly.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the written statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, what additional funds will be provided to help assess the feasibility of the Green Investment Bank managing UK International Climate Fund projects. [200329]

Michael Fallon: This work will be funded from the UK's £3.87 billion International Climate Fund and has no effect on the £3.8 billion available to the Green Investment Bank for investment within the UK.

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the written statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, what estimate he has made of the staff resource the additional responsibilities on the Green Investment Bank will require. [200330]

Michael Fallon: The Green Investment Bank (GIB) expects that the business planning work will require two people and has taken on two individuals with experience in investment in developing economies to complement GIB's in-house expertise in green investment. The costs of these extra staff will be met by the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the written statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, whether the UK Green Investment Bank will be able to invest in green projects overseas. [200331]

Michael Fallon: The proposal is that the Green Investment Bank might help to invest funds allocated to the International Climate Fund in green projects in developing

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economies overseas. The £3.8 billion that has been allocated to GIB remains available solely for investment within the UK.

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the written statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, when he expects the assessment and feasibility stage to be finished; and when he expects to make a further statement on the Bank. [200332]

Michael Fallon: This business planning phase of work is expected to take a number of months. I hope to be able to provide an update in the autumn.

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the written statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, whether funds additional to the £3.87 billion allocated to the UK International Climate Fund will be provided to the (a) Bank and (b) Fund. [200333]

Michael Fallon: No. The total amount of funding allocated to the International Climate Fund remains unchanged. The proposal being explored is that the Green Investment Bank would help the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to invest a limited amount of those funds.

Higher Education

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the externally audited copies of the last three years' accounts supplied by alternative learning providers who sought specific course designation under his Department's financial sustainability, management and governance checks. [200269]

Mr Willetts: The audited accounts of alternative providers submitted to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) as part of the specific designation application process are commercially confidential information. They are only shared with parties involved in the assessment of that application. BIS will not be publishing this information.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what individual student number controls his Department has set for each provider which has been granted specific course designation under his Department's financial sustainability, management and governance checks. [200270]

Mr Willetts: Provisional student number allocations have been issued to providers. However, those numbers will only be confirmed and where necessary adjusted when the provider has received designation or re-designation for the 2014/15 academic year. For the majority of providers that process is still ongoing. We will publish student number control data when that process has been completed for all providers.

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Minimum Wage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the employers issued with a notice of underpayment of the minimum wage by HM Revenue and Customs since 1 October 2013 have been considered for naming and shaming by his Department; how many of those employers have successfully appealed against being named and shamed; how many employers have been named and shamed; and how many cases remain under consideration. [200277]

Jenny Willott: Under the revised Naming Scheme the Government will name all employers that have been issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NoU) unless employers meet one of the exceptional criteria or have arrears of £100 or less.

Employers have 28 days to appeal against the NoU. If the employer does not appeal or unsuccessfully appeals against this NoU, BIS will consider them for naming. The employer then has 14 days to make representations to BIS outlining whether they meet any of the very exceptional criteria: naming by BIS carries a risk of personal harm to an individual or their family, or there are national security risks associated with naming, or there are other factors which suggests that it would not be in the public interest to name the employer or company. Of these, the public interest criteria will only apply in very exceptional circumstances. If BIS does not receive any representations or the representations received do not meet the criteria, the employer will be named via a BIS press release.

One employer has made a representation that was successful and four employers have had arrears of under £100. We are unable to release information on how many cases are under consideration.

The Government have already named 30 employers under the revised scheme. Between them they owed workers over £50,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over £24,000.

Nigeria

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian Government. [200207]

Michael Fallon: Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at Gov.uk.

Information on meetings by other officials is not held centrally.

Sign Language

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have begun learning British Sign Language in each of the last three years. [200117]

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Matthew Hancock: The published National Aims Report shows the number of Further Education and Skills enrolments on each Learning Aim title, 2005/06 to 2011/12. This report will be updated with final data for the 2012/13 academic year soon.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284252/January2013_NationalAims2011_12.zip

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills

Space Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Space Agency in promoting the UK space industry; and if he will make a statement. [200304]

Mr Willetts: The UK Space Agency (UKSA) was created in April 2011 to lead and foster the growing UK space sector. It does so through funding and delivery of civil space projects and downstream space related activities, developing space policy including advice to Ministers and regulating UK space activities to meet international obligations.

The UKSA formally tests its performance against such objectives in a number ways and includes amongst these a measure of its effectiveness in promoting the UK space industry. This is primarily through an independent bi-annual “Size and Health” survey of the UK industrial sector which assesses the growth of the UK space economy. The agency also monitors contracts that flow back to UK industry from Agency-targeted subscriptions to the European Space Agency as well as monitoring where agency-supported research and development work has positioned UK industry for success in future operational contracts. More recently the agency has extended its role in actively supporting and promoting UK industrial exports of both satellite and emerging space-related data services.

All objective measures from these activities point to a growing success story for our space industry. Indeed it is one of our economy’s fastest growing sectors, with an average growth rate of almost 7.5%, and it has ambitions to increase its annual turnover to £40 billion by 2030. The role of the agency in this development is significant and it has developed close relationships with industry.

The Size and Health survey due to be published in autumn 2014 is expected to show that the space economy has continued to grow between 2011 and 2013.

Its co-ordination of a business-driven industrial space policy has provided leadership for the UK industrial community (acknowledged by the UK space Innovation and Growth Strategy published in 2013) and this has been recognised by the parliamentary Select Committee report into the UKSA which was published in October 2013.

The agency serves as an effective platform to raise awareness of the successes of the UK space sector. BIS and agency officials continue to evaluate its success in promoting that work using Government Communications Service best practice.

A further key measure of success is the increasing number of overseas space companies choosing to invest in the UK and so growing the UK’s wider space capability and economic development.

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Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the return on public investment in the UK Space Agency; and if he will make a statement. [200305]

Mr Willetts: The return on investment delivered by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) is subject to biennial assessment as part of the Agency survey of the size and health of the space industry. Results of the 2014 survey are due to be published in the autumn of 2014, though I hope to be in a position to announce headline figures such as turnover and employment numbers at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2014.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is the primary route for Government R and D space investment.

Several economic analyses of investment impact have been undertaken, drawn together in BIS Economics Paper No3 . The Agency's biennial survey of the size and health of the UK space industry has shown growth from £3.4 billion turnover in 1999-2000 to £9.5 billion in 2011, reflecting the results of sustained investment as well as the growth of the market.

UKSA investment through the European Space Agency (ESA) in the last five years is as follows:

In addition, national expenditure averaging £20 million a year has been invested within the UK to build and operate scientific instruments carried on ESA spacecraft. The funding to ESA has been used to contribute to missions and technology in the fields of space science and exploration, earth observation for science and applications, telecommunications and broadband delivery, access to microgravity facilities for life and physical sciences, space weather, navigation technologies, human spaceflight and weather monitoring. As well as resulting expenditure in the UK due to the “juste retour” principle, wider benefits have accrued in economic growth; new scientific knowledge and improved delivery of public services.

Students: Loans

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the cash value of the student loan book in each year to 2050 (a) before and (b) after sales of student loans. [200265]

Mr Willetts: The information is as follows:

(a) We estimate the cash value of ICR student loans to follow approximately this profile going forwards:

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These estimates assume that fees will increase in line with inflation from 2016 onwards. These forecasts also take account of the freeing up of student number controls in the autumn statement, increases in loan take-up rates, demographic changes over time and updated earnings modelling.

(b) The Government are a stated aim to sell the pre-2012 loan book. However, the exact programme of sales has yet to be determined. Consequently, it is not possible to estimate the yearly value of the student loan book after these sales have taken place.

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the RAB charge for student loans issued after 2012. [200292]

Mr Willetts: We estimate the RAB charge on these loans to be around 45%.

The actual cost of issuing student loans will be dependent on future macro-economic circumstances, in particular earnings and we will continue to update our forecasts on a regular basis to take account of changes to short term and long term macro-economic assumptions.

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what projections his Department has made of the future (a) face value and (b) carrying value of the student loan book. [200294]

Mr Willetts: The information is as follows:

(a) We estimate the cash, or face, value of ICR student loans to follow approximately this profile going forwards.

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These estimates assume that fees will increase in line with inflation from 2016 onwards. These forecasts also take account of the freeing up of student number controls in the autumn statement, increases in loan take-up rates, demographic changes over time and updated earnings modelling.

(b) We estimate the current carrying value of the student loan book, which is used in the BIS accounts. However, we do not forecast the future carrying value of the loan book, as this is not required for the purposes of accounting or budgeting. Our estimate of the carrying value for loans when they are issued is based on the RAB charge, which we currently estimate is around 45%.

Unionlearn

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what annual budget has been allocated to Unionlearn in each year since 2010. [200266]

Matthew Hancock: The annual budget allocated to Unionlearn in each year since 2010 has been as follows:

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish all forecasts held by his Department of the annual budget to be allocated to Unionlearn. [200268]

Matthew Hancock: The Skills Funding Statement published annually, sets out the funding priorities and available budget to support the further education (FE) and skills sector.

Annual budgets allocated to individual programmes from the FE and skills budget, including Unionlearn is not published separately.

As FE and skills budgets for future years have not been agreed, no annual budget has been forecast for unionlearn.

Transport

Bus Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the extent of compliance of operators with point 30 of the Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain guidance in Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services. [198843]

Stephen Hammond: ‘Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services’, which was drafted by and consulted on by the Senior Traffic Commissioner, has not yet been finalised following the consultation period. There is, therefore, no ‘point 30’ within existing guidance on which to make any assessment.

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Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 8 May 2014, Official Report, column 276W, on motor vehicles: exhaust emissions, if he will place the data from his Department's 2006 study of liquefied petroleum and petrol vehicles in the Library. [200008]

Stephen Hammond: The report produced for the Department at the end of the study (Ref: M. Clark, P. Sayer, Euro 3 LPG Retrofit Emissions Factor Testing, Tickford Powertrain Test Ltd., ER07/015, June 2007) contains the data captured by the testing. Copies of the report will be placed in the in the Libraries of the House.

Official Cars

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles built by Nissan are in the Government car pool. [198961]

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Stephen Hammond: There are 84 vehicles operated by the Government Car Service for ministerial use. None of these are currently built by Nissan. The Government Car Service trialled the use of a Nissan Leaf in 2012 and it operated the Nissan Primera within the ministerial fleet until 2005. The ministerial fleet is scheduled for review later this year.

Railways: Kingston Upon Hull

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work on the electrification of the railway line between Hull and Selby to begin. [200317]

Stephen Hammond: Feasibility work on the project continues. Subject to further development and implementation funding and confirmation of the business case the scheme's promoter, First Hull Trains, anticipates that certain physical works could commence in 2015.