Coinage

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 625W, on coinage, whether he has fixed the dates for the public consultation on the impact of the introduction of a new one pound coin. [200779]

Nicky Morgan: The Budget announced that the existing £1 coin will be replaced with a more modern and secure design. After 30 years in circulation, the current coin has become vulnerable to counterfeiting.

There will be a public consultation this summer that will focus on how to manage impacts on industry and other affected parties. The Government remain committed to this timetable, and to working with industry to minimise costs and disruption.

The precise dates of the consultation period will be published in due course.

Credit: Interest Rates

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to mandate that APR figures be displayed in cash terms. [200662]

Andrea Leadsom: The Government believe it is important for consumers to be able to compare the cost of credit products easily.

The consumer credit directive (CCD) requires the APR to be stated in pre-contract credit information and in the credit agreement itself, as well as in advertising where triggered. In addition, firms must state the total amount payable (TAP), which is the sum of the amount borrowed and the total charge for credit (TCC).

As the CCD is full harmonisation in the relevant areas, it is not open to member states to require disclosure of the TCC in addition—although the consumer can work this out as the difference between the TAP and the amount borrowed. Lenders can also include the TCC on a voluntary basis.

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As previously shared with the Public Accounts Committee, the Government raised the issue of how to present cost information with the European Commission as part of its current review into the implementation of the CCD.

Delegated Legislation

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department takes to ensure that delegated legislation brought forward by his Department is consistent with EU directives. [201212]

Nicky Morgan: In 2010, this Government committed to ensuring the effective implementation of EU legislation so that British businesses are not put at a disadvantage relative to their European competitors.

This Department follows the Government’s Guiding Principles for EU legislation, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/185626/bis-13-774-guiding-principles-for-eu-legislation.pdf

HM Treasury is committed to ensuring that no unnecessary legislative burdens are placed on UK businesses when transposing EU law.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British; [199894]

(2) what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British. [199916]

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 433W, by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

Dover Priory Station

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long he expects discussions to be ongoing between Mapeley, Network Rail and HM Revenue and Customs on the sale of land on the western perimeter of the Priory Court site and the construction of new parking facilities for Dover Priory railway station. [201340]

Mr Gauke: Previous replies have explained that further discussions in relation to the land at Priory Court in Dover are a matter for Mapeley who own the land. While HMRC occupy the property under the STEPS contract and will consider any reasonable proposals, resolution of commercial considerations are for Network Rail and Mapeley.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to increase the compensation paid to Equitable Life policyholders. [200648]

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Andrea Leadsom: The Government have no plans to alter the design or rules of the Equitable Life Payment Scheme, including those which relate to the level of payments. Decisions on the level of ex-gratia payments took account of the fiscal situation and wider fairness concerns across all taxpayers. The payments for different types of policyholder were made on the basis of recommendations made by the Independent Commission on Equitable Life Payments.

Financial Markets

Cathy Jamieson: To ask Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve regulation of the UK securities market. [200646]

Andrea Leadsom: The Government have consistently taken action to improve regulation of financial markets since 2010.

The Government put in place a new architecture for financial regulation through the Financial Services Act 2012, with the aim of delivering stability, protecting consumers and enhancing the integrity of financial markets. The Financial Policy Committee in the Bank of England is responsible for protecting and enhancing financial stability, while the Prudential Regulation Authority is responsible for the prudential regulation of deposit-takers, insurers and certain investment firms. The Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for protecting consumers, promoting competition, and enhancing integrity in markets.

Following findings of attempted manipulation of LIBOR in summer 2012, the Government took quick action to make the administration of, and contribution to this key financial benchmark, a regulated activity. Furthermore, on 12 June 2014 the Government announced further steps to raise standards of conduct in the financial system with a joint review by the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority into the way wholesale financial markets operate. Led by Bank of England Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking, Minouche Shafik, the review will run for 12 months, and will focus on those wholesale markets where the bulk of concerns about misconduct have arisen-fixed income, currency and commodity markets. The Terms of Reference for the Review have been published

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fair-and-effective-markets-review-terms-of-reference/fair-and-effective-financial-markets-review-terms-of-reference

Financial Ombudsman Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding of the Financial Ombudsman Service came directly from the levy on the Office of Fair Trading licences on consumer credit firms in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; how this funding will be levied in future; and if he will make a statement. [200700]

Andrea Leadsom: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is an independent, non-governmental body and questions about its funding are a matter for the FOS or, as the case may be, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who approve the FOS budget and fee rules. This question has been passed on to the FOS, and the FOS will reply directly to my hon. Friend by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he is taking to improve regulation of the shadow banking sector; [200642]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of the shadow banking sector on the UK economy; [200643]

(3) what steps his Department is taking to ensure the stability of the shadow banking sector. [200644]

Andrea Leadsom: When appropriately conducted, shadow banking can benefit the economy by increasing the availability of credit to a range of individuals or firms, and provide a valuable alternative to bank funding. It provides credit and liquidity to the real economy and can improve efficiency and drive innovation in the financial system through firms developing expert knowledge in a particular area.

However, the Government are aware of the risks shadow banking activities pose to financial stability when things go wrong. The crisis showed that some shadow banking entities created pro-cyclical build-ups of leverage, did not fully transfer credit risk, were susceptible to rapid sell-offs, and were very complex. It also became clear that the shadow banking sector had very complex interconnections with the traditional banking system.

Recognising the need to improve the transparency and supervision of the shadow banking sector, the Government have taken steps to improve the way shadow banking entities are regulated.

Domestically, the Government have created new Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed. In September last year, the Committee agreed as one of its medium term priorities the identification and management of potential systemic risks from shadow banking.

At the international level, the Government are actively supporting the effective regulation of the sector in EU policymaking, and the UK is instrumental in shaping the global regulatory response at the Financial Stability Board.

Income Tax: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change there was in the numbers of taxpayers in Northern Ireland who had employment income in the last four years for which figures are available. [201211]

Mr Gauke: Estimates for the number of taxpayers in Northern Ireland with income from employment are published in HMRC's National Statistics Table 3.11 which is available at the following internet address for 2010-11 to 2011-12:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-and-tax-by-gender-region-and-country-2010-to-2011

Table 3.11 for 2009-10 and earlier can be found in the internet address below from the National Archives website:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120609145917/http://hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#311

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These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes for which 2011-12 is the latest year available. Figures for 2008-09 are not currently available.

Insolvency

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times HM Revenue and Customs has met with (a) the Ministry of Justice and (b) the Insolvency Service to discuss the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 reforms to insolvency litigation on creditors since 2012. [200898]

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs regularly meet with other Departments as a matter of course.

Insurance: Unfair Practices

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps the Government are taking with banks and credit card companies to ensure PPI repayments are made in full. [201034]

Andrea Leadsom: It is important that consumers get the redress which they are due. Ensuring that banks provide appropriate redress for their customers is a matter for the independent regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

The Government are supportive of action taken by the FCA to recompense customers for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) and prevent cases of mis-selling in the future through regulatory action. The FCA has stated that it is keeping a close eye on how the industry handles all PPI complaints and will be quick to challenge anything it thinks is unfair.

I have asked the FCA to write to the Member in more detail about action being taken in regard to PPI. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Minimum Wage: Northern Ireland

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed in the HM Revenue and Customs national minimum wage enforcement team based in Belfast; and how many complaints have been reeived by the Pay and Work Rights helpline relating to Northern Ireland-based employers in each year since 2010. [200738]

Mr Gauke: The Government take the enforcement of the national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC reviews every complaint that is referred to it by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, by collating and analysing data received from various sources, HMRC ensures targeted enforcement through robust risk assessment processes to identify employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.

HMRC deploys resources to risk, so work relating to a specific geographical area may not always be undertaken by the NMW team based in that area. In addition, the NMW Dynamic Response Team (DRT) provides a multi-agency response to emerging risks, high profile casework and compliance initiatives across the UK.

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Responsibility for the administration of the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) sits with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). At present, the PWRH is not able to provide aggregated information on calls relating to specific locations.

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken to to tackle the problem of employees being paid below the minimum wage in Northern Ireland. [200743]

Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to my answer provided previously to his question of 30 April 2014, Official Report, column 725W.

Money Advice Service and Financial Ombudsman Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the expected increase in the fees and levies on regulated consumer credit firms that will go towards the funding of the Money Advice Service and Financial Ombudsman Service in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017 under the new Financial Conduct Authority regulated fees and levies regime. [200701]

Andrea Leadsom: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) consumer credit regulatory regime is far better resourced and has wider objectives than the previous Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regime. The FCA is an independent, non-governmental body, and it is entirely funded by the fees it charges on the financial services industry. As a result, specific questions around fees are a matter for the FCA.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is funded by a combination of industry levy and case fees. The FOS is an independent, non-Governmental body and questions about its funding are a matter for the FOS or, as the case may be, the FCA (who approve the FOS budget and fee rules). The FOS budget is proposed by FOS annually and approved by the FCA.

The Money Advice Service's (MAS) budget is proposed by MAS annually, based on demand for money and debt advice, and approved by the FCA. Consumer credit firms will pay the MAS levy once authorised by the FCA. The FCA has approved MAS's 2014-15 budget, but MAS's budget for future years has not yet been determined.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for the Help to Buy scheme have been received in respect of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from applicants who (a) reside in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and (b) do not reside in either place. [201367]

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

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

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

The Government have also recently published statistics on the completions supported by the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme. Full statistics covering the period April 2013 to March 2014 have been published as well as the number of completions, by local authority, to April 2014:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-march-2014

www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics

Under both the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee and the Help to Buy: equity loan schemes borrowers need to declare that the property will be their sole residence.

Revenue and Customs

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been made about HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years; and how many such complaints related to mistakes in calculated tax liability. [200897]

Mr Gauke: The following table shows the number of complaints received by HM Revenue and Customs (excluding the VOA) for each of the years 2009-10 to 2013-14. The figure for 2013-14 will be published in the HMRC Annual Report later this month.

HMRC’s complaints database does not currently distinguish between complaints about mistakes in calculated tax liability from mistakes in other functions. HMRC is developing a robust process for learning from customers’ complaints which aims to reduce or eliminate mistakes made.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the last assessment was carried out of the perceived community background of HM Revenue and Customs staff recruited in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years. [200993]

Mr Gauke: HMRC assesses annually the community background information relating to its Northern Ireland staff. This is done as part of the annual reporting arrangements to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and helps inform HMRC's Equality Analysis work and Northern Ireland Equality Scheme.

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Tax Avoidance

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that public sector organisations should not be allowed to be associated with tax avoidance schemes. [201172]

Mr Gauke: “Managing Public Money”, is published by HM Treasury and provides advice and guidance to central Government on the use of public funds. It confirms that public sector organisations should not engage in tax evasion, or tax avoidance.

Tax Avoidance: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of changes in the extent of (a) fuel smuggling and (b) other organised revenue avoidance schemes in Northern Ireland in the last three years. [200991]

Nicky Morgan: Estimates of the non-UK duty paid market for petrol and diesel fuels in Northern Ireland are published in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2012-13’. The non-UK duty paid estimate covers both the illicit market and cross border shopping. These estimates cannot be disaggregated into its component parts or by the type of illicit activity e.g. through smuggling or other fraud.

The excise duty losses due to the non-UK duty paid diesel market for 2010-11 were £110 million and for 2011-12 were £120 million. The excise duty losses due to the petrol non-UK duty paid market for 2010-11 were £30 million and for 2011-12 were £30 million. Figures for 2012-13 will be published in the autumn.

The information on other organised revenue avoidance schemes in Northern Ireland is not available. The figures cannot be disaggregated by country. UK figures are available from “Measuring Tax Gaps 2012-13”.

The methodologies for producing the estimates are provided in the ‘Methodological Annex for Measuring Tax Gaps 2013’.

Both documents can be accessed via the following page on the HMRC website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps.htm

Tax Evasion

Mr Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions have been brought for tax offences in each year since 2008-09. [201005]

Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is not a prosecuting authority. Where cases do proceed to the criminal courts, the prosecution is carried out by the relevant independent prosecuting authority. This is the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in England and Wales, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in Scotland, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI).

Please note that figures for tax evasion exclude those cases prosecuted for money laundering, other prohibitions and restrictions and other non-fiscal offences.

We can provide the following information in respect of totals of tax evasion prosecutions.

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HMRC is not able to supply a time series of full year prosecution decisions and convictions resulting from their criminal investigations for years up to 2009-10. Complete, comparable data are only available from 2010-11 onwards.

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each such number has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at BT local rates are available in each such case. [201390]

Andrea Leadsom: HM Treasury do not use 0845, 0844 or 0830 telephone numbers.

Wind Power

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid under the Enterprise Initiative Scheme to members of each qualifying wind farm co-operative in each of the last three years. [201095]

Nicky Morgan: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

International Development

Developing Countries: Carbon Emissions

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to introduce instruments and incentives for investments in low-carbon solutions in infrastructure, industry and other sectors in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals. [201117]

Justine Greening: We have already been clear that we agree with the importance of instruments and incentives for investments in low-carbon solutions in infrastructure and industry, and welcome consideration of these in the Open Working Group discussions on the SDGs.

The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to integrate climate adaptation and emissions reductions into development plans and poverty reduction strategies in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals. [201118]

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Justine Greening: The UK supports integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into development plans and poverty reduction strategies. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the post-2015 development framework includes a sustainable development goal on water and sanitation that includes universal access to sanitation by 2030. [200860]

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government are committed to supporting 60 million people to gain access to sustainable water, sanitation and/or hygiene services in the developing world. We are on track to achieve this target.

The UK supports the inclusion of universal access to sanitation as a target under a water related goal. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Girl Summit

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether Ministers from the devolved Administrations have been invited to the Girl Summit co-hosted by the Prime Minister and UNICEF on 22 July 2014. [200766]

Justine Greening: I confirm that Ministers from the devolved Administrations are being invited to Girl Summit 2014.

India and Pakistan

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes and projects her Department funds which aim to promote trade and transit between India and Pakistan. [200747]

Mr Duncan: Through the South Asia Regional Trade and Integration Programme, DFID is working with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to promote trade in the region. This includes support to modernise procedures and infrastructure at the Wagah border post between India and Pakistan (to reduce transit times and business costs), and to develop an electricity connection between the two countries.

In Pakistan, DFID is also supporting, through the World Bank, the development of a regional trade strategy with India, advice to small and medium enterprises on cross-border trading, and innovative youth programmes aimed at reducing trade barriers between Pakistan and India.

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Finally, the tri-departmental conflict pool is providing support to increase co-operation and dialogue between the Governments and the public and private sectors of both countries on trade liberalisation.

Indian Subcontinent

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what recent discussions she has had with regional organisations in Pakistan and neighbouring countries about honour killings; [200670]

(2) what recent discussions she has had with non-governmental organisations in Pakistan and neighbouring countries about honour killings; [200671]

(3) what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in Pakistan and neighbouring countries about honour killings. [200672]

Justine Greening: Following the brutal murder of Farzana Parveen in Lahore on 27 May, I raised this issue at various levels in the Government of Pakistan. The Foreign Secretary and senior HMG officials in Pakistan have also publically and privately condemned the appalling crime of ‘honour killings’ and called for immediate action to bring the culprits of the 27 May attack to justice.

HMG regularly engage with the Government and civil society in Pakistan on women’s rights and violence against women, including so-called 'honour killings'. Across DFID’s programmes in Pakistan we are helping women and girls to live healthy and secure lives.

Kashmir

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) unilateral, (b) bilateral and (c) multilateral projects her Department is sponsoring in Kashmir. [200750]

Mr Duncan: UK aid to Kashmir is largely delivered through national programmes in Pakistan and India which the UK helps fund. This includes support to promote economic growth, improve maternal and new born health and increase access to education. The tri-departmental conflict pool also funds joint programmes in Kashmir, supporting conflict prevention and peace building.

It is not possible to disaggregate our multilateral support to Kashmir.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Bahrain about the death of Syed Mahmood. [200652]

Hugh Robertson: We are concerned about the death of Syed Mahmood on 21 May 2014. The Ministry of Interior has launched an investigation and we await

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their findings. We urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure the investigation is thorough, transparent and timely.

Chief Scientific Advisers

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings he has had with his Department's chief scientific adviser in the last 12 months. [200788]

Mr Swire: I have regular meetings with the Department's chief scientific adviser in my capacity as Foreign and Commonwealth Office Science Champion. However, as was the case under previous Administrations, details of these internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

India and Pakistan

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with their (i) Indian and (ii) Pakistani counterparts on the increase of trade and transit between the two countries. [200751]

Mr Swire: Ministers engage regularly with their counterparts in both India and Pakistan to discuss these and many other issues. We welcome the recent meeting between the countries two Prime Ministers in Delhi and subsequent exchange of letters.

Iran

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the Iranian Government on (a) the need to respect trade union rights and International Labour Organisation conventions and (b) the detention and abuse of Shahrokh Zamani. [200641]

Hugh Robertson: Independent unions and labour organisations have been heavily repressed in Iran, and many members have been jailed or harassed. The UK has repeatedly called on Iran to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of expression to all Iranians.

We are aware of the detention of Shahrokh Zamani, a member of the Founding Board of the Syndicate of Paint Workers of Tehran, who was sentenced to prison for “acting against national security by establishing and or being a member of groups opposed to the system”. The UK has called for Iran to release all political prisoners.

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress made by the President of Iran towards granting greater civil rights to religious minorities; and if he will make a statement. [200881]

Hugh Robertson: The UK welcomed President Rouhani’s comments in 2013 that all Iranians, including religious minorities, should “feel justice.” Unfortunately, there has been little noticeable change in the approach taken by Iran’s security and judicial authorities.

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The UK has repeatedly called on the Iranian Government to end all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith, and to guarantee the human rights of all Iranians.

Iraq

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent offers of assistance his Department has made to the Government of Iraq. [200992]

Hugh Robertson: The UK was the first to deploy a team to assess the humanitarian situation following the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant's attack on Mosul. On 14 June 2014 the Department for International Development (DFID) announced £3 million of emergency assistance to help around 500,000 displaced Iraqis, and a further £2 million was allocated on 17 June.

Italy

Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent complaints he has received on the handling of correspondence on passport delays by HM ambassador to Italy. [201003]

Mr Lidington: I am not aware of complaints on the handling of correspondence by our ambassador in Rome. Passport renewal is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Passport Office under the responsibility of Home Office Ministers. Any related correspondence received in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is therefore transferred to that Office for response.

Peacekeeping Operations

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UN peacekeeping missions established since 1990 do not have a human rights mandate. [200874]

Mark Simmonds: 21 out of 51 peacekeeping missions established since 1990 did not include a human rights mandate to monitor and intervene. Of these 21, only the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is still in operation.

Human rights mandates or components in peacekeeping missions vary depending on the context, and are common in newer peacekeeping missions. The UK Government have supported these human rights mandates wherever possible. This is part of our broader efforts to mainstream human rights into the UN's peace and security work.

South Asia

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department allocated to the Conflict Pool for South Asia in each of the last three years. [201188]

Mark Simmonds: The Conflict Pool is part of an HMT settlement which is distinct from departmental budgets. It is tri-departmentally managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, and the Department for International Development. In financial year 2013-14, the South Asia allocation was £20 million.

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In the two preceding years, it was £15.5 million per annum. The allocation for this financial year will be laid before Parliament shortly in a written ministerial statement.

Written Questions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled. [200591]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received 2,331 Commons written questions in the 2013-14 Session. All received a substantive answer before Prorogation. Questions tabled just before Prorogation, which had invalid notice periods, were not able to be answered.

Home Department

Asylum

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to speed up claims by asylum seekers. [200219]

Karen Bradley: Claims for asylum are increasing. In 2013 the number of asylum applications within the EU was the highest it has been since 2002. The UK has experienced an increase of 30% between 2010 and 2013—with an 8% increase between 2012 and 2013 alone.

We are committed to resolving these quickly, while continuing to improve the quality of our decision-making, and we are making changes to our processes and management to make sure we do so.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with the National Farmers Union on the details of the injunction relating to protestor activities around the badger culls scheduled to take place in Gloucestershire and Somerset in 2014. [200838]

Damian Green: Home Office officials have had discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Farmers Union about the use of civil injunctions, in the context of a broader engagement with both organisations, on the badger culling activity for 2014.

Home Office officials have had discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Farmers Union about the use of civil injunctions, in the context of a broader engagement with both organisations, on the badger culling activity for 2014.

Disclosure of Information

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who within her Department authorised the passing of information about forthcoming proscription orders to The Sun newspaper; and whether that authorisation was agreed by a Minister or special adviser in her Department. [201134]

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James Brokenshire: No Minister or special adviser at the Home Office authorised the release of information about the forthcoming proscription to The Sun newspaper.

I have written in response to the point of order reiterating that we take parliamentary business very seriously and always seek to follow Mr Speaker’s preference that the House is informed first of the Home Secretary’s intention to proscribe terrorist groups. This was our intent on this occasion.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were seized by the police as a result of being driven without insurance in (a) Dartford constituency and (b) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years. [201324]

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information.

The police have the power under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to seize vehicles driven without insurance. Enforcement of vehicle seizures is an operational matter for the police.

Entry Clearances

Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family visas were granted (a) in each year since 2011 and (b) in the current year up to the latest available quarter for which figures are available; and what the (i) category of family visa and (ii) UK nation of residence of the sponsor of each such visa was. [201341]

Karen Bradley: The available information requested is given in the following table:

The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on entry clearance visa grants by category in table be_01_q (Before Entry tables volume 2) within the ‘Immigration Statistics' release. The numbers are broken down by nationality in table be_06_q_f (Before Entry tables volume 4). It is not possible to separately identify those granted visas under the old family rules and those granted visas under new family rules implemented on 9 July 2012.

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A copy of the latest release, ‘Immigration Statistics January - March 2014' is available from the Library of the House and from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The figures provided relate to family members issued visas in the family immigration route. Statistics on the dependants of migrants issued visas in other routes, such as the Points Based System, can be found within the published data at the above link.

The information requested in part (ii) on the UK nation of residence of the sponsor of each of the family visas of interest is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, not all sponsors are based in the UK and not all individuals granted a visa in the family route have a sponsor.

Marriage

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has given to local authorities about churches and same sex marriage. [198732]

Karen Bradley: Guidance on how to certify a building for religious worship and register for the solemnization of marriages was issued on 18 February 2014 by the General Register Office and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/281332/D0550_F78L.pdf

The guidance sets out the different options that are available for places of worship and registration for the solemnisation of marriage. Registration of individual

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places of worship takes place through local registration services attached to local authorities and they are expected to adhere to the guidance.

Modern Slavery Bill

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she expects to respond to the recommendations of the Report by the Joint Committee on the draft Modern Slavery Bill by the time of Second Reading of that Bill. [201114]

Karen Bradley: The Government’s response to the report from the Joint Committee on the draft Modern Slavery Bill was published on 10 June 2014. Copies of the report are available in the House Library. The response was also published on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-modern-slavery-bill--2

Police Community Support Officers

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there were in (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last five years. [201195]

Damian Green: The following table contains the requested data for police community support officers in:

(a) Coventry Basic Command Unit, from 31 March 2009 to 31 March 2011. Figures at basic command unit level ceased to be collected from then to reduce the administrative burden on the police.

(b) figures for Coventry North East constituency are not collected by the Home Office.

(c) (d) The West Midlands police force, the West Midlands region and England, from 31 March 2009 to 30 September 2013.

Radicalism

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has provided to local authorities (a) to help understand the threat from extremism and (b) relating to statutory powers available to them to challenge extremist speakers. [199827]

Karen Bradley: The Home Office provides ongoing support for local authority Prevent co-ordinators funded by the Home Office in priority areas (currently 30 local authorities, based on assessment of risk), to ensure that they understand the threat of extremism and are equipped to deal with it effectively. This is done through regular regional events, issuing briefings on specific issues, and sharing best practice across different authorities. The police, including police prevent co-ordinators, also work closely with local authorities and share appropriate information with them.

The Home Office issued advice in 2013 to help local authority prevent co-ordinators manage the challenges posed by extremist speakers. This included an overview of the duties placed upon public bodies under the Equalities Act 2010 and the regulations that events must comply with.

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Additionally, the Department for Communities and Local Government gave Blackburn with Darwen borough council and Luton borough council funding to lead a national special interest group of local authorities across England affected by the activities of the English Defence League and similar groups, which has supported them in sharing knowledge about what works best in tackling extremist groups.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any UK citizens would involuntarily lose resident citizenship as a result of Scottish independence. [198712]

Karen Bradley: In the event of a vote for independence, decisions about UK citizenship would rest with the UK Government; the basis for entitlement to Scottish citizenship would be for the Government of an independent Scottish state to decide.

The UK has historically been tolerant of plural nationalities, and therefore it is likely that it would be possible for an individual to hold both British and Scottish citizenship. However, under current rules, British citizens living outside the UK cannot pass their British nationality on more than one generation. So, the children of British citizens living in an independent Scotland would be British citizens, but their children and subsequent generations would not be.

The Government of the continuing UK would also need to consider whether all British citizens living in Scotland could retain their British citizenship upon independence. This cannot be guaranteed and could be dependent on any residence requirements or proof of affinity to the continuing UK. It is not possible to predict now what the decision of a future Government of the continuing UK might be in this area.

House of Commons Commission

Clerk of the House

Mr Simon Burns: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the criteria were for the choice of members of the panel of selection to consider the appointment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive; and who selected those members. [201113]

John Thurso: The selection panel that will consider the appointment of the next Clerk of the House was chosen by Mr Speaker and its composition was considered by the House of Commons Commission at its meeting on 16 June. The criteria for selection of panel members included party balance, gender balance and the need for external independent input.

Committees

Mr Chope: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many meetings of the Audit Committees has been held in each of the previous sessions of the current Parliament; and how many meetings each member has attended. [201083]

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John Thurso: The House of Commons has two Audit Committees with the same membership, one for each of its Estimates: the Administration Estimate Audit Committee (AEAC) and the Members Estimate Audit Committee (MEAC). The House of Commons Administration Estimate covers the staff of the House and its running costs (the “House of Commons Service”). The Members Estimate covers certain expenditure relating to members such as members pensions and “Short money”.

Information about the committees’ activities is recorded on the basis of financial year, rather than parliamentary sessions. Both committees met six times during the financial year 2013–14. Committee members’ attendance at these meetings is set out, and was the same for both committees.

Information on previous financial years is in the committees’ annual reports which are at:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/other-committees/administration-estimate-audit/publications/

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/other-committees/members-estimate-audit/publications/

Individual members’ attendance has been recorded in the annual reports only since financial year 2011–12. For earlier years this can be derived from the minutes of the meetings, which are also available on the Parliament website.

Palace of Westminster

Mark Hendrick: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost to date has been of the contract for the independent assessment of options to take forward a restoration and renewal programme for the Palace of Westminster awarded to Deloitte Real Estate and AECOM together with HOK in December 2013. [201103]

John Thurso: The full cost of the independent options appraisal is expected to be £2,423,000, including VAT. The cost incurred to 18 June 2014 was £2,213,000, including VAT, and a sum accrued but not yet invoiced. The cost is shared 60:40 between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Attorney-General

Crime

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library the numbers of cases of (a) rape, (b) domestic violence, (c) child abuse and (d) human trafficking referred by each police force in England and Wales to each regional division of the Crown Prosecution Service in 2013. [201071]

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The Solicitor-General: Tables have been deposited in the Library of the House showing the number of requests for a charging decision referred to the CPS from each police force split by the categories requested.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the proportion of cases of domestic and sexual violence that were prosecuted in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to increase the prosecution rate for such crimes. [201158]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has no data on the total number of incidents of domestic violence and sexual violence that have occurred in each of the last five years and is unable, therefore, to provide an answer to the first part of the question.

Increasing the number of rape convictions continues to be a priority for the CPS. On 6 June 2014, a Rape Action Plan was jointly published by the police and CPS which sets out a series of actions designed to improve the criminal justice response in rape cases. This followed a Rape National Scrutiny Panel led by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the National Policing lead for rape, which considered the investigation and prosecution of rape cases including their referral from the police to the CPS. The prosecution of domestic violence also remains a high priority for the CPS and prosecutors receive regular training, and are provided with relevant guidance. The Rape Action Plan can be found on the CPS website at:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/equality/vaw/rape_action_plan.pdf

Northern Ireland

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether invoices for legal or other work carried out in connection with the Savile Inquiry have been submitted for payment since January 2013. [200995]

Mrs Villiers: No invoices have been submitted for payment in respect of legal work in connection with the Saville Inquiry. An invoice was submitted in March 2013 for hosting of the inquiry website.

Overseas Trade

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on how the UK's overseas posts may be used more effectively to promote Northern Ireland trade and investment. [200760]

Mrs Villiers: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, including in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on the importance of promoting Northern Ireland trade and investment.

Our embassies abroad regularly work with InvestNl and the Northern Ireland Executive to assist with trade missions led by Northern Ireland Ministers. I shall be

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discussing with the incoming UKTI chief executive shortly how best UKTI posts abroad can work even closer with their counterparts in InvestNl.

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 her Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each such number has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at BT local rates are available in each such case. [201388]

Mrs Villiers: My Department operates one telephone line with the prefix 0844 for the purpose of updating staff in the event of an emergency situation. Details of the number of calls to this line are not recorded and no alternative number is available at the BT local rate. My Department does not operate or sponsor any telephone lines with the prefix 0845 or 0843.

Terrorism

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 762W, on terrorism, what steps she is taking to recover information for the period 1987-97 for which records could not be found; and if she will make a statement. [199283]

Mrs Villiers: The review of departmental records I ordered in May is ongoing.

This includes seeking information on the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) for the years 1987 to 1997 from Departments where relevant material might be held.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who the beneficiaries in Northern Ireland of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy granted by means of a Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual were in the last 25 years; and if she will make a statement. [200854]

Mrs Villiers: As the hon. Member is aware, the assessment of my Department is that to release the names of individuals granted the RPM years ago would not be appropriate, given the time that has passed since the RPM was last used and the potential legal issues this would raise. There are, of course, means by which names of RPM recipients become public, including in the course of legal proceedings, which is a matter for the courts.

World War I

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps she is taking to support the progress of the First World War legacy project in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [200782]

Mrs Villiers: The Northern Ireland Office sits on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Programme Board for First World War Centenary commemorations and plays a coordination role in ensuring the Government’s programme for the First World War commemorations is implemented in Northern Ireland in a manner that

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promotes reconciliation and enhances prospects for a peaceful, shared future. This includes plans to implement the Government’s commemorative paving stones project in the home towns of Victoria Cross recipients.

I am working closely with the Irish Government to participate in a series of joint commemoration events for the centenary of the First World War, and the wider decade of centenaries.

My officials also provide support for local centenary commemoration plans by sitting on, and working closely with, the Northern Ireland First World War Centenary Committee chaired by the right hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Mr Donaldson). I receive regular updates on this work and lend it my full support.

Prime Minister

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Prime Minister if he will attend (a) Ban Ki Moon's Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York and (b) the European Council meeting in October 2014 to finalise the EU's climate and energy goals for 2030. [201332]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 176W.

It is my normal practice to attend Heads of Government EU Council meetings.

Scotland

Official Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was. [200493]

David Mundell: Details of Ministers' visits are published quarterly and can be found at:

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

Public Expenditure

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of the adjusted funding arrangement in the Scotland Bill on per capita spending in Scotland. [201239]

David Mundell: The Scotland Act 2012 provides the Scottish Government and Parliament with new tax and borrowing powers. The effect of these powers on public spending in Scotland will therefore depend on the decisions taken by the Scottish Government and Parliament.

UK Membership of EU

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the

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effects of membership of the EU on jobs in

(a)

Glasgow North West constituency,

(b)

Glasgow and

(c)

Scotland. [200756]

David Mundell: The Government do not collate figures for the number of jobs in Scotland that depend on UK membership of the EU. However, independent analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 suggested that, in 2011, approximately 335,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with Scottish exports to the EU. The analysis was not broken down to the level of individual UK cities or by parliamentary constituency.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent estimate he has made of the level of investment in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow and (c) Scotland that resulted from EU membership in each of the last five years. [200767]

David Mundell: The Government do not collate figures for the level of investment in Scotland that results from UK membership of the EU.

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the net benefit to people in Scotland of the UK's membership of the EU. [201064]

David Mundell: The Government do not collate data which would allow calculation of a net benefit to the people of Scotland arising from the UK's membership of the EU. However, independent analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 suggested that, in 2011, approximately 335,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with Scottish exports to the EU.

Cabinet Office

Business Premises: West Midlands

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium-sized enterprises have premises in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry and (c) the West Midlands. [201191]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium sized enterprises have premises in a) Coventry North East constituency b) Coventry and c) West Midlands. [201191]

The table below has been produced using extracts from the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR). It shows the count of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs are defined as enterprises with employment of less than 250) with premises in a) Coventry North East constituency b) Coventry and c) West Midlands in 2013. The figures in the table have been rounded to protect confidentiality. Please note that these numbers do not include very small businesses, typically those below the threshold for VAT and PAYE.

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Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which sector of the economy made greatest use of employee contracts that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent year for which information is available. [201281]

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

Letter from Glen Watson:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which sector of the economy made greatest use of employee contracts that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent year for which information is available. (201281)

Estimates of the numbers and characteristics of people in employment on zero-hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a survey of people resident in households. The LFS asks people in employment if their job has any flexible working arrangements and, if so, to identify them from a list of employment patterns. "Zero-hours contract" is listed and is described as a contract ‘where a person is not contracted to work a set number of hours, and is only paid for the number of hours that they actually work’.

Further to this, in January 2014 the ONS undertook a survey of businesses to obtain an employer-based estimate to complement the existing LFS employee-based figure. Results from this survey were published on 30 April 2014:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/contracts-with-no-guaranteed-hours/zero-hours-contracts/art-zero-hours.html

This adopted a slightly different definition to the LFS, and reported on the number of employee contracts that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours, which provided work in the survey reference period. This estimate includes, but is not exclusively, “zero-hours contracts” and covers some other contract types that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours.

According to the LFS for the three-month period October to December 2013, there were an estimated 583,000 people on a zero-hours contract in the UK. For the ONS business survey, there were 1.4 million employee contracts that did not guarantee a minimum number of hours, which provided work in the survey reference period of the fortnight beginning 20 January 2014. This is higher than the LFS figure for a number of reasons:

i. employers and employees will have differing perceptions and awareness about the types of employment contracts used;

ii. the employer survey will count employee contracts, not people, and will provide higher estimates (as one person can have more than one contract);

iii. employers in the business survey may report multiple contracts for each job;

iv. the questions asked of respondents differed slightly, with the business survey asking about contracts not guaranteeing any hours, while the LFS question uses the term “zero-hours contracts”;

v. the LFS includes all people in employment (including the self-employed) while the business survey only includes employees.

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As for the original question, information on contracts that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours is available from an ONS survey of businesses carried out in January 2014. Information is not available for earlier years. The business survey showed that the industry which made greatest use of these contracts was Accommodation and Food Services for each of the following measures:

proportion of businesses using these contracts (45 per cent);

number of contracts (358,000); and

proportion of workforce on these contracts (19 per cent).

Debts

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what change there has been in the level of household (a) borrowing and (b) debt since May 2010. [200994]

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

Letter from Glen Watson:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what change there has been in the level of household (a) borrowing and (b) debt since May 2010. (200994)

The Office for National Statistics publishes details of the combined financial liabilities of households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH). NPISH is a relatively small contributor to the sector. The most recent analyses can be found in tables A53 and A64 of the United Kingdom Economic Accounts (UKEA) 2013 Q4, published on 28 March 2014. The UKEA is available on the National Statistics web site at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/united-kingdom-economic-accounts/q4-2013/index.html

Household ‘debt’ can be interpreted as the accumulated ‘Total financial liabilities’ of the household and NPISH sector. These are predominantly made up of short and long term loans. The UKEA shows that for households and NPISH, the combined ‘Total financial liabilities’ in 2013 Q4 was £1,555.0 billion. This compares with a 2010 Q2 figure of £1,530.8 billion. Household and NPISH ‘Total financial liabilities’ have, therefore, risen £24.2 billion between 2012 Q2 and 2013 Q4.

Household ‘borrowing’ can be interpreted as the ‘Net lending or borrowing’ of the sector. This measures the acquisition of ‘Total financial assets’ less ‘Total financial liabilities’ by the household and NPISH sector within a period. As such, it is not a level but a current budget of the household account.

If a household is a net lender it has acquired more financial assets than financial liabilities in that period. It is effectively, saving. Likewise, if a household is a net borrower it has acquired more financial liabilities than financial assets in that period. In this instance it is overspending and effectively adding to its debt.

The UKEA shows that the combined net borrowing in 2013 Q4 was £4.3 billion, meaning that the household and NPISH sector increased its debt on the quarter. The comparable data in 2010 Q2 saw the sector as net lenders of £6.5 billion, meaning in that quarter it reduced its debt. These data are only relative to the quarter prior. In the period between 2010 Q2 and 2013 Q4, the household and NPISH sector were both net lenders and net borrowers on a number of occasions.

Alternative data for household debt for Great Britain can be obtained from the ONS’ Wealth and Assets survey. Data are currently available for the periods 2008/10 - 2010/12.

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Employment: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the number of people in Dartford constituency in employment in each of the last five years. [201322]

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

Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2014:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the number of people in Dartford constituency in employment in each of the last five years. (201322)

The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).

Table 1 shows the number of people aged 16 years and over who were employed in Dartford constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period April 2013 to March 2014, the latest available period and the 12 month period ending in March for each of the previous four years.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Homeworking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employed people worked from home in each of the last five years. [201033]

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

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Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated June 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employed people worked from home in each of the last five years. (201033)

Estimates of home workers are available from the Annual Population Survey (APS), a survey of people resident in households in the UK.

The APS follows the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of employment and then asks respondents who are employees, self-employed, or unpaid family workers whether they work mainly:

(1) in their own home;

(2) in the same grounds or building as their home;

(3) in different places using home as a base;

(4) Somewhere quite separate from home.

Those responding either 1, 2 or 3 are classified as ‘home workers’.

The table provided contains estimates for the total number of persons in employment who are defined as home workers for the period January to December 2009 to 2013. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value for the total number of home workers is likely to be within 2 per cent of the estimate given.

Self-employed: Young People

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of 16 to 24 year olds declared themselves self-employed in each year between 2008 and 2013. [201337]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated June 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of 16 to 24 year olds declared themselves self-employed in each year between 2008 and 2013. (201337)

The table provides estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the number and proportion of people aged 16 to 24 who report themselves as self-employed. Estimates are the period January to March 2008 to 2014 and are not seasonally adjusted.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated by the guide to quality in the table.

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Shared Services Connected

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of potential savings to the public purse from the Shared Services Connected Ltd venture. [200758]

Mr Maude: There has been cross-party agreement on the need for Shared Services for a decade but until recently all too little was achieved.

Independent Shared Service Centres will deliver a lower cost better quality of service, helping us to deliver a faster, smaller and more unified Civil Service.

Shared Services Connected Ltd will contribute to the savings delivered to the taxpayer by the transformation of back office functions, which will total over £400 million by 2015-16.

Social Security Benefits: Females

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes there have been in the claimant count for women claiming for over 12 months since May 2010. [201197]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated June 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes there have been in the claimant count for women claiming for over 12 months since May 2010. (201197)

The ONS compiles data on the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance from the Jobcentre Plus Administrative System.

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Table 1 shows the number of females aged 18 years and over claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for more than 12 months since May 2010 to May 2014, the latest period available.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Beef: Imports

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much beef was imported into the UK from (a) the Republic of Ireland, (b) the rest of the EU and (c) non-EU countries in each of the last 18 months. [200990]

George Eustice: The following tables provide details of UK imports of beef and veal as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for the period January 2012 to April 2014.

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Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from environmental groups regarding beef consumption and the countries from which the UK imports beef. [201345]

George Eustice: As of 19 June, no such representations have been received from environmental groups.