British Nationality

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, column 730W, on British nationality, how many orders stripping people of citizenship have been made since 4 March 2014; what the nationality of each person so affected was; and what the grounds of the decision were in each additional case. [R] [204031]

Karen Bradley: Since March 2014 fewer than five individuals have been deprived of their British citizenship.

The grounds for the deprivation orders made during this period were either that:

The Secretary of State was satisfied that such deprivation was conducive to the public good and the person would not be made stateless as a result, or; the individual obtained their British citizenship by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of material fact.

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Due to the small number of cases involved, revealing the other nationalities of the individuals deprived may make it possible to determine their identity and so this detail will not be released.

This information has been provided from local management information and is not a national statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

British Nationality: Assessments

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department makes reasonable adjustments to require the needs of individuals with learning difficulties who want to apply for citizenship but are unable to pass the life in the UK test. [203669]

Karen Bradley: There is discretion within the British Nationality Act 1981 to waive the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement for a naturalisation application if, because of a person’s age, physical or mental condition, it would be unreasonable to expect them to meet it.

Entry Clearances: Married People

Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of the minimum income threshold requirement on pensioners who wish to sponsor their partner's visa to settle in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [203685]

Karen Bradley: The minimum income threshold for sponsoring a partner under the family Immigration Rules aims to prevent burdens on the taxpayer and promote integration. It is appropriate that the requirement to meet the income threshold should not be affected by the age of the sponsor. The income threshold rules make provision for the counting of a wide range of both employment and non-employment income, including pensions, and of cash savings. They also exempt the applicant from the income threshold requirement where the sponsor is in receipt of a specified disability-related benefit or carer’s allowance.

HM Passport Office

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed by HM Passport Office on 1 January (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014. [200368]

James Brokenshire: The formal record for workforce data is made on the last day of each calendar month.

The data as of 31 December in each year were as follows.

These figures are for permanent civil servants employed by HMPO, including part-year appointments and permanent members of staff employed on contracts for

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nine months of the year. This excludes staff on secondment or loan, and agency and temporary staff—with these staff included, the March 2014 figure is 3,444.

Illegal Immigrants: Deportation

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants have been sent back from the UK to their country of origin in each calendar year since May 2010. [203741]

Karen Bradley: The following table provides the total number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK to their country of origin in each year since 2010. The information provided is a subset of the total number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK as others may be removed or depart voluntarily to a country that is different to their country of origin.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within Immigration Statistics. The data on removals and voluntary departures are readily available in the latest release, “Immigration Statistics: January to March 2014”, from the gov.uk website:

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

Immigration

Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the request by Rupert Ogwuezor dated 13 June 2011 for reconsideration of his case (HO reference: 01085860/2) will be determined; and what the reasons are for the time taken to process this case. [204014]

Karen Bradley: On 13 November 2012, we published our policy on reconsiderations.

Mr Ogwuezor’s case will be considered in line with this policy.

A number of factors have contributed to delays in dealing with such reconsideration requests including a higher than expected increase in charged applications for leave to remain following the tightening of policy. We have now focused more resource towards providing swifter decisions and improved customer service.

Mr Ogwuezor’s case has now been considered and we wrote to him on 4 July 2014 notifying him of the outcome.

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Ministerial Policy Advisers

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all her Department's special advisers have undergone developed vetting. [203251]

Karen Bradley: I can confirm that the Department's special advisers are security cleared to the appropriate national security vetting level deemed necessary for the requirements of the post.

Offences against Children: Internet

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 666W, on offences against children: internet, whether the intelligence packets were divided up into police authority areas based on the address of the suspected purchaser; and how many intelligence packages were sent to each police force in the UK. [203249]

Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 30 June 2014, Official Report, column 377W.

National Crime Agency intelligence packages are disseminated to the most appropriate police force based on information drawn from an investigation. This was the case in Operation Rescue/Calando.

The information requested on the number of intelligence packages sent to each police force in the UK is operational and cannot be released because of the possibility that there are related investigations or judicial processes ongoing.

Passports

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) new passport applications and (b) passport renewal applications have been received by HM Passport Office since the beginning of the current financial year; and what proportion of such applications were completed and dispatched within (i) three and (ii) four weeks. [200199]

James Brokenshire: During April and May 2014, Her Majesty's Passport Office received:

(a) 319,639 new passport applications.

(b) 1,044,840 passport renewal applications.

Her Majesty's Passport Office does not hold passport application processing data in the format requested, although we can advise that 96.1% of straightforward applications were processed within three weeks and 96.9% of non straightforward passport applications were processed within the six-week target.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints her Department has received regarding delays to the issuing of a passport in each of the last four years. [200216]

James Brokenshire: The following table shows the number of complaints related to delays in receiving a passport.

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Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) new passports and (b) passport renewals there have been in the last year; and what the annual change in such figures has been. [200217][Official Report, 1 September 2014, Vol. 585, c. 7MC.]

James Brokenshire: During the period between 1 June 2013 and 31 May 2014, Her Majesty's Passport Office received 1,446,983 first time passport applications and 4,528,751 passport renewal applications.

This compares with 1,346,246 first time applications and 4,036,267 passport renewal applications during the period between 1 June 2012 and 31 May 2013.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the recently employed additional staff in passport offices are estimated to cost. [200287]

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty's Passport Office has been training and redeploying staff from other duties within the Agency, from other parts of the wider Home Office, and in the case of one individual another Government Department, to meet the exceptional levels of passport demand. There will be some additional costs relating to staff where they will be temporarily working away from their normal workplace and where overtime is worked by staff from other parts of the Department. At this time it is not possible to put a reliable estimate on these additional costs.

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) adult and (b) child passport renewal applications were processed within the three-week service standard in each of the last six months. [200841]

James Brokenshire: The following table shows the number of straightforward passport applications received within the UK which were processed within three weeks.

Her Majesty's Passport Office does not hold a further breakdown of this information by application type. The cost of bringing that information together would be disproportionate and so it is not possible to provide the information you have requested.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much HM Passport Office has

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paid in compensation for delays in customers receiving passports in each year since 2004. [201353]

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty's Passport Office began recording data on complaints and compensation paid by various categories in 2005 so data are not held relating to 2004. Compensation paid to passport applicants relating to complaints concerning application processing delays amounted to:

Recorded Crime: Thames Valley/Milton Keynes

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of trends in recorded crime in (a) Thames Valley Police area and (b) Milton Keynes since 2010. [904659]

Mrs May: Our police reforms are working and crime is continuing to fall. Under this Government crime in Thames Valley police area has fallen by over 24%. Recorded crime has also fallen in Milton Keynes by 24%.

In the same period, overall crime has fallen by more than 10% according to both the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales, and police recorded crime.

Exit Controls

Sir Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on the reintroduction of exit controls from the UK. [904665]

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is committed to introducing exit checks by April 2015. The Government have introduced powers through the new Immigration Act 2014 to enable carriers to carry out these checks. We have carried out trials at ports and made positive progress on implementation with commercial partners.

Energy and Climate Change

Carbon Sequestration

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many members of staff have been employed on a full-time basis at the Office of Carbon Capture and Storage in each month since June 2010. [203882]

Michael Fallon: The number of staff employed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to work full-time in the Office of Carbon Capture and Storage since June 2010 is shown in the following table:

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Figures for June, August and September 2010 are not available due to organisational restructuring at this time.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much public funding is being provided in 2014-15 for research and development projects examining industrial carbon capture and storage. [204016]

Michael Fallon: The Government and their partners (the Energy Technologies Institute, Technology Strategy Board and Research Councils) are investing £125 million in the current spending period (2011-15), in around 100 CCS research and development projects. Many of these projects are researching aspects of transporting, utilising and storing carbon dioxide—research which is equally relevant to carbon capture projects on both power generation and industrial emitters.

Full details of individual projects can be found on our website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cross-government-carbon-capture-and-storage-r-d-programme-2011-2015-list-of-projects

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department of Energy and Climate Change jointly commissioned a techno-economic study of Industrial Carbon Capture for Storage and Capture for Utilisation in October 2013 to assess the technical potential and likely cost of applying different CO2 capture technologies to a range of energy intensive industries. This was published in May 2014 on our website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-capture-in-the-uk-cement-chemicals-iron-steel-and-oil-refining-sectors

Dounreay

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent changes the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has approved to the baseline decommissioning plan for the Dounreay site; and what the additional cost is of such changes. [203133]

Michael Fallon: Since the award of the contract for the Dounreay site in 2012, additional scope has arisen, covering:

1. Differences between the condition of the site at the time of contract award and its condition when the tender documents were published;

2. Physical enhancements to the site, arising from evolving national standards;

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3. Removal of nuclear fuels from Dounreay to Sellafield for long-term storage, in line with Government policy that was subject to consultation at the time of the contract award.

The full scope of all changes to the contract is not yet fully costed. The NDA has, however, announced that it will make available £50 million from savings elsewhere in its estate in the current financial year and in 2015-16 to enable work to continue including additional scope. Funding in subsequent years will be subject to the next spending review.

Electricity: Storage

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will develop a strategy on electricity storage across the UK. [202972]

Michael Fallon: A DECC report ‘Electricity System: Assessment of Future Challenges’, published August 2012, concluded that:

“increasingly, technologies that can be used to help balance the supply and demand of electricity (demand side response (DSR), electricity storage and interconnection) and smarter networks are likely to be required to help match the supply and demand of electricity efficiently and cost-effectively under the changing generation and demand profiles”.

The extent of deployment of storage will depend on the composition of future electricity systems—both supply and demand—as well as the cost and availability of storage and the other balancing technologies.

The Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group (LCICG), which includes the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the other major public-sector backed organisations that invest in low carbon technology innovation, published a Strategic Framework in February 2014, which prioritises future innovation needs in 11 key technology areas-including electricity storage. While the Strategic Framework highlights the uncertainty about the exact role for storage in the future energy system and the role of different storage technologies, it has identified strategic priorities for continued and future UK innovation investment in electricity storage. DECC, working with the other LCICG members, will use the Strategic Framework to help develop and co-ordinate future spending plans for innovation in storage and other low carbon technologies.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effect of effective electricity storage capacity on energy costs. [202974]

Michael Fallon: DECC has identified energy storage as one of the possible balancing mechanisms, alongside other mechanisms, including demand-side response and interconnectors. Different mechanisms are expected to be needed to meet different balancing needs in the transmission and distribution networks, depending on the characteristics they offer, such as their peak power; duration of storage; and response times. The extent of deployment and effect of storage on energy costs will depend on the composition of future electricity systems—both supply and demand—as well as the cost and availability of storage and the other balancing technologies.

Research carried out for the Carbon Trust by Professor Goran Strbac and a team at Imperial College and published in June 2012 in a report titled ‘Role and Value

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of Energy Storage Systems in the UK Low Carbon Energy Future’, concluded that:

“energy storage can bring benefits to several sectors in the electricity industry, including generation, transmission and distribution, while providing services to support real-time balancing of demand and supply, network congestion management and reduce the need for investment in system reinforcement”.

The Imperial College report estimated that in a

“2050 high renewables scenario, application of energy storage technologies could potentially generate total system savings of £10bn/year”.

The Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group, which includes the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the other major public-sector investors in low carbon technology innovation, published a Strategic Framework in February 2014 which concluded that successful innovation in electricity storage technologies could save the UK energy system about £4.6 billion in total by 2050.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what support his Department provides to encourage the production of electricity storage capacity in the UK. [202975]

Michael Fallon: The Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group’s (LCICG) Strategic Framework, published February 2014, notes that innovation in storage is important to realising the enabling benefits of electricity storage technologies. In the Strategic Framework, the LCICG concludes that successful innovation in electricity storage technologies could save the UK energy system about £4.6 billion by 2050.

DECC is providing significant innovation support for energy storage technologies by funding seven research and four large-scale demonstration energy storage projects-with a total budget of about £18 million.

DECC also regards storage-along with demand side response (DSR)-as essential for a better functioning electricity market and both play an important role in ensuring security of supply. The Government are implementing measures to establish broader and more flexible DSR and Storage sectors as part of the Electricity Market Reform programme. Specifically, DECC will run two Capacity Market transitional auctions in 2015 and 2016, ahead of the Capacity Market’s first full delivery year in 2018-19. These “transitional arrangements” will help grow the demand side and sub-50 MW storage industries and ensure effective competition between traditional power plants and new forms of capacity, driving down future costs for consumers. The Irish Single Electricity Market already uses a capacity mechanism so the UK Government and Northern Ireland have agreed that the Capacity Market will only apply across Great Britain with any associated costs being borne by GB customers only.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his contribution of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1191, on energy prices, what the evidential basis is for his statement that there was under-investment in the UK's energy infrastructure. [203383]

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Michael Fallon: The Government face the challenge of securing up to £100 billion in investment in electricity generation and networks by the end of the decade to keep the lights on and decarbonise energy, having already attracted £45 billion since 2010. This is a higher level of investment than previously achieved, based on ONS investment data going back to 2004.

Energy: Cybercrime

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the extent to which the UK’s energy infrastructure was exposed to the recent Energetic Bear cyberattack. [203265]

Michael Fallon: Cyber-security is one of the Government’s top four national security priorities. DECC is working with Government Departments and agencies, as well as with industry partners, to ensure that the risks to the energy sector are understood and that appropriate mitigations are established. It would not be appropriate to comment on specific cases.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his contribution of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1193, on energy prices, what assessment his Department has made of the rocket and feather effect in energy prices. [203384]

Michael Fallon: Ofgem has carried out a detailed assessment of the rocket and feather effect, first in a research paper in 2011 and more recently, along with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in the State of the Market Assessment. Evidence that large suppliers raise prices more quickly when costs increase than they reduce prices when costs fall was one of the issues underpinning Ofgem’s recent referral of the energy markets to the CMA.

Fracking: East Yorkshire

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any fracking, or explorative work relating to fracking (a) is currently taking place and (b) has recently taken place in East Yorkshire, and where; and if he will make a statement. [203258]

Michael Fallon: No applications have been received for hydraulic fracturing of shale gas in East Yorkshire. However, small scale testing to determine rock characteristics is planned; these are a routine part of oil and gas operations.

Nuclear Installations

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 507W, on nuclear installation, what approval mechanisms he (a) has and (b) intends to put in place to ensure that costs are minimised. [203142]

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Michael Fallon: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for running the competition to secure a new Parent Body Organisation for Magnox Ltd and Research Sites Restoration Ltd, and will be responsible for ensuring that the benefits of the contract, including cost savings, are realised subsequently.

The NDA has run the competition using the Competitive Dialogue procedure, under which the evaluation must identify the most economically advantageous tender. The NDA invited tenders on the basis of an estimated scope of activities required over a 14-year period, with an indicative cost forecast of up to £7 billion. Savings were sought against this target, together with proposals for innovative solutions that would generate efficiencies and/or optimise the decommissioning process.

The successful bid was selected from four tender submissions which were subject to comprehensive evaluation and scrutiny by the NDA against a range of criteria including cost, health, safety and security, underpinning technical rationale, commercial terms and approach to socio-economics. The preferred bid represents a saving of at least £1 billion compared with the original baseline.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) with reference to the application by EDF Energy to relax safety limits at Dungeness nuclear power station, what his Department's policy is on possible changes to safety limits at other nuclear power stations; [203046]

(2) for what reasons safety limits at Dungeness nuclear power station were set at their present level. [203045]

Michael Fallon: The UK’s nuclear licensing regime, which is underpinned by statute, requires nuclear facility operators to put in place arrangements to protect the health and safety of workers and the wider public from the hazards of the industry. Such arrangements are set out in safety cases which are subject to review by the independent nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

The law requires that the licensee demonstrates, via the safety case of which safety limits are part, that risks have been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Therefore ONR does not set safety limits but reviews key parts of the safety case to ensure the ALARP principle has been met.

The ONR assessed the relevant aspects of the safety case for Dungeness B and was satisfied that the licensee had demonstrated that the proposed changes were acceptable. Similarly, ONR carries out assessment of safety cases submitted by all licensees to satisfy itself that the justification made, in support of the safety limits, is adequate. The ONR would not allow continued operation of any civil nuclear site unless it was safe to do so.

Oil: Exploration

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which (a) Government Departments and (b) external stakeholders were consulted in the determination of the 1981 licence application made by British Petroleum to drill in the firth of Clyde; and (i) on what date and (ii) for what reason the application was ruled unsuccessful. [203688]

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Michael Fallon: The only relevant records which the Department holds indicate that BP held an onshore production licence (PL262) between 1984 and 1988 which included acreage in the firth of Clyde. This information was released in response to a freedom of information request—which can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oil-gas-exploration-in-the-firth-of-clyde-foi-130568

The Department does not hold any other documents relating to licence PL262 or oil exploration in the firth of Clyde.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his contribution of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1191, on energy prices, (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Bloomberg new energy finance analysis; [203382]

(2) what the evidential basis is for his statement that the UK had the highest level of renewable investment in Europe in 2013. [203381]

Michael Fallon: In the answer I gave to the right hon. Member on 12 May 2014, Official Report, columns 344-5W, I confirmed that a copy of the Bloomberg new energy finance analysis of new investment in UK renewable electricity was placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This analysis shows that average annual investment in renewables has more than doubled in this Parliament, compared with the previous one.

I have today also placed the Bloomberg new energy finance analysis of new investment in renewable electricity in 2013 in the Libraries of both Houses. This shows that UK had the highest level of renewable investment in Europe in 2013.

Transport

A14

Mr Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motor vehicle accidents occurred on the A14 in each month in 2013. [203201]

Mr Goodwill: The numbers of reported personal injury motor vehicle accidents on the A14 for each of the 12 months in 2013 are given in following table; by severity:

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A428

Mr Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motor vehicle accidents occurred on the A428 in each month in 2013. [203202]

Mr Goodwill: The numbers of reported personal injury motor vehicle accidents on the A428 in each of the 12 months in 2013 are given in the following table; by severity

Cycling: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2014, Official Report, column 295W, on cycling: children, what criteria his Department uses to measure whether a mode of transport is safe and secure. [204040]

Mr Goodwill: Anyone killed or seriously injured on our roads is one too many. The Department collects and publishes statistics annually (and sub-annually) and uses those to monitor road safety. Where there is an existing or emerging road safety challenge, the Department works hard to ensure the right policy solutions are in place to minimise those road safety risks.

Cycling: Safety

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the road safety behaviour of pedal cyclists; what steps he is

8 July 2014 : Column 209W

taking to make it more likely that those cyclists who ride through red traffic lights are prosecuted; and if he will make a statement. [203261]

Mr Goodwill: The Department recognises that everyone who uses the highway has a responsibility to behave safely and with consideration for others. Cyclists who commit offences can be prosecuted for riding dangerously or carelessly.

The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. Officers can issue verbal warnings, fixed penalty notices or report the road user for formal prosecution.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints have been received from members of the public about employees of (a) HS2 Ltd, (b) his Department or (c) any member of staff seconded to either HS2 Ltd or his Department in relation to the High Speed 2 project; what the grade was of the person against whom the complaint was made; and what the (i) substance and (ii) result was of each such complaint. [204010]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport’s complaints officer has not investigated any complaints against DfT staff working on HS2 or referred any such complaints to be considered by the Department’s independent complaints assessors.

HS2 Ltd has received a total of 12 complaints since the start of April 2014, two of which have been referred to the parliamentary and health services ombudsman (PHSO). These are ‘complaints about service’ and not necessarily complaints about particular employees. The 10 complaints not referred to the ombudsman are considered to be resolved by HS2 Ltd.

M1

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the gantry cameras on the M1 motorway in Nottinghamshire and Hertfordshire are only used to police the variable speed limit when operational in those areas and for no other purpose. [203259]

Mr Goodwill: The gantry cameras on the M1 in Nottinghamshire and Hertfordshire are provided to encourage compliance with the variable mandatory speed limit when operational.

The operation of these gantry cameras for enforcement purposes is a matter for the Hertfordshire and Nottinghamshire police respectively and may include enforcement of the national speed limit as well as the variable speed limits.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the total number of ministerial replies from his Department to hon. Members in a parliamentary Session; and what proportion of such replies are sent (a) by letter and (b) by email. [203312]

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Stephen Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 7 July 2014, Official Report, columns 5-6W.

Network Rail

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Framework Agreement between his Department and Network Rail on the reclassification of Network Rail will ensure that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to Network Rail. [R] [203914]

Stephen Hammond: On 17 December 2013, the ONS announced that under new EU statistical rules (ESA10) which come into force on 1 September 2014, Network Rail will be reclassified to the public sector.

The Department for Transport is currently working with Network Rail to decide on the details of how Network Rail will operate in the public sector. A Framework Agreement explaining these decisions will be published before 1 September.

This Framework Agreement will address a number of issues, and this is likely to include our intended approach to the FOIA.

Railway Stations: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on the possible closure of Denton and Reddish South stations. [203347]

Stephen Hammond: The specifications for both the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises have not yet been decided. A public consultation exercise is being conducted, which will inform these specifications. The consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-of-northern-and-transpennine-express-rail-franchises

No decisions on services will be made until the consultation process has finished.

The consultation document states that there are no plans for station closures in the new franchises. At this stage we have not had any formal discussion with Network Rail on the subject.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with Northern Rail on the future use of the Stockport-Stalybridge line. [203346]

Stephen Hammond: The specifications for both the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises have not yet been decided. A public consultation exercise is being conducted, which will inform these specifications. The consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-of-northern-and-transpennine-express-rail-franchises.

No decisions on services will be made until the consultation process has finished.

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The consultation document states that there are no plans for station closures in the new competition. Therefore, we have not had any formal discussion with Northern Rail on the subject.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on the future use of the Stockport-Stalybridge line. [203424]

Stephen Hammond: The specifications for both the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises have not yet been decided. A public consultation exercise is being conducted, which will inform these specifications. The consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-of-northern-and-transpennine-express-rail-franchises

No decisions on services will be made until the consultation process has finished.

The consultation document states that there are no plans for station closures in the new franchises. At this stage we have not had any formal discussion with Network Rail on the subject.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any new Northern Franchise will take account of increased connectivity to Reddish South and Denton from the retention of the Stockport-Stalybridge line. [203425]

Stephen Hammond: The specifications for both the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises have not yet been decided. A public consultation exercise is being conducted, which will inform these specifications. The consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-of-northern-and-transpennine-express-rail-franchises

No decisions on services will be made until the consultation process has finished.

Railways: North West

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss the possible increase in the use of Denton and Reddish South stations from the re-routing of existing services resulting from the Northern Hub improvements. [203426]

Stephen Hammond: I would be happy to meet the hon. Member.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential increase in the use of Denton and Reddish South stations from the re-routing of existing services as a result of the Northern Hub improvements. [203427]

Stephen Hammond: The specifications for both the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises have not yet been decided. A public consultation exercise is being conducted, which will inform these specifications. The consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-of-northern-and-transpennine-express-rail-franchises

8 July 2014 : Column 212W

No decisions on services, including the possible re-routing of existing services, will be made until the consultation process has finished.

Roads: Lancashire

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to Lancaster City Council's Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031: Strategic Options for Land Allocations, what assessment his Department has made of whether it would be necessary to re-allocate junction 33 of the M6 to serve the university and 5,000 new homes that would be required under Option 1 of that plan. [203504]

Mr Goodwill: The Highways Agency has not carried out any assessments of the possible impact on M6 junction 33 of the of the Lancaster City Council’s Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-31: Strategic Options for Land Allocations, Option 1.

The local plan is still in the consultation period which ends on 31 July 2014. It is the council’s responsibility to assess the transport implications of their options and the agency will work with them as part of this process.

SESAR

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to oppose the recent decision of the European Parliament to exclude Gibraltar from the Single European Sky project. [203394]

Mr Goodwill: The Government are disappointed that the European Parliament voted to suspend Gibraltar from the Single European Sky dossier. This position is inconsistent with the EU treaties—which are clear that Gibraltar is part of the EU—and inconsistent with the approach taken earlier this year on Air Passenger Rights, where the European Parliament correctly amended the legislation so it applied to Gibraltar.

The UK cannot accept a return to the pre-2006 practice of suspending Gibraltar Airport from EU aviation measures. Gibraltarians, and other EU citizens who pass through Gibraltar airport, should benefit fully from the rights accorded elsewhere, in the EU.

The proposed measure needs to be agreed by both the Council and the European Parliament. The Council is currently discussing text proposed by the European Commission on the amended Single European Sky legislation (known as SES II+), which does not exclude Gibraltar. The UK will continue to oppose any proposals to exclude Gibraltar from the scope of this legislation.

West Coast Railway Line

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there will be in the daily number of new standard class passenger seats on West Coast Main Line passenger services during the term of the franchise directly awarded to West Coast Trains Ltd on 19 June 2014. [203343]

Stephen Hammond: An additional 5,500 standard class seats will be provided each day.

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Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many operators' licence applications for new services on the West Coast Main Line have been submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation since May 2010 to date; and which services the applicants wished to operate in each case. [203344]

Stephen Hammond: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has received six new applications for passenger and freight train operator licences since May 2010. Train operator licences allow a train operator to run services throughout Great Britain or, if a European licence has been issued, Europe. Operator licences are not route specific.

ORR also approves rights for specific train services which are held in track access agreements between Network Rail and train operators. Information about previous applications at route level is not readily available, however ORR advises it has one current track access application for new services using the West Coast Main Line (WCML). This is from Alliance Rail Holdings for new services between: London Euston and Leeds via Crewe, Stalybridge and Dewsbury; Bradford Interchange via Newton-le-Willows and Rochdale; Blackpool North via Preston; and Carlisle via Barrow-in-Furness and the Cumbrian Coast. ORR is able to provide further information about previous track access applications on the WCML should the hon. Member wish to contact the office at One Kemble Street, London, WC2B 4AN.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which services on the West Coast Main Line will receive extra standard class seating as part of the new franchise agreement with West Coast Trains Ltd. [203345]

Stephen Hammond: The additional standard class seats will be offered on the routes currently served by the Pendolino trains. These include services between London and Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Deputy Prime Minister

Member Recall

8. Mr Hanson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the recall of hon. Members. [904715]

Greg Clark: The Government's intention to bring forward a recall Bill in this session was announced in the Queen's speech on 4 June.

Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership

9. Mark Pawsey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions has he had with the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership on devolving powers and responsibilities from central Government. [904716]

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Greg Clark: I met with the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP on 24 March to sign the City Deal, and we have now agreed a Growth Deal with Coventry and Warwickshire LEP.

The deal has secured £74 million from the Government's Local Growth Fund to support economic growth in the area—with nearly £14 million of new funding confirmed for 2015/16. This includes projects such as a new grow-on space for innovative businesses at Ansty Park near Rugby.

Business Growth: Newark

10. Robert Jenrick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what support the Government are giving to business growth opportunities in Newark. [904717]

Greg Clark: Yesterday I announced that we have concluded a growth deal with the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire LEP, which includes Newark.

The deal involves £172 million of Government investment in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire area, a substantial commitment that will benefit businesses in Newark and throughout Nottinghamshire. A significant part of this investment will go towards a new Southern Link Road in Newark, which will help to alleviate congestion in the area and create 2,400 jobs.

Business Growth: Medway

11. Rehman Chishti: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what support the Government are giving to business growth opportunities in Medway. [904718]

Greg Clark: As I announced yesterday, the Government are awarding the South East LEP a total of £6.8 million to help develop a Growth Hub in Kent and Medway which will simplify and better co-ordinate the range of services delivered to businesses in the area.

The Government have also funded the TIGER RGF programme which has been allocated £20 million to support businesses seeking finance for growth in north Kent and Thurrock, Essex. The scheme extends beyond Medway but the largest concentration of eligible employers is in the Medway area.

Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership

12. Jason McCartney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Leeds City Region local enterprise partnership on devolving powers and responsibilities from central Government. [904719]

Greg Clark: I have been in regular dialogue with Leeds City Region LEP to discuss its Strategic Economic plan we have now concluded a Growth Deal with Leeds City Region.

This deal will include £571 million from the Government's Local Growth Fund to support economic growth in the area—with £60 million of new funding confirmed for 2015-16. This will lead to investment in local transport, housing sites and colleges.

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Devolution: Humber

13. Martin Vickers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on further devolution of power from Westminster and Whitehall to the Humber region. [904720]

Greg Clark: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on devolution and decentralisation which have culminated in the Government's announcement of one of the biggest steps in decentralisation in a generation. Yesterday we announced individual deals with all 39 local enterprise partnerships with a total investment of more than £6 billion. The growth deal heralds a new era for the Humber economy.

City Deals

15. Chris White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of how city deals are working. [904722]

Greg Clark: Cities and Local Enterprise Partnerships are making excellent progress in implementing their City Deals.

The Coventry and Warwickshire City Deal was signed on 12 December 2013 and the Skills for Growth pilot has already registered 37 graduates, exceeding its targets.

European Parliament Elections

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what mechanisms are in place to ensure that UK citizens only vote in one EU state in European elections. [203260]

Greg Clark: It is a criminal offence under UK law for a person to vote more than once in a European parliamentary election. This is clearly stated on polling cards.

In addition, UK citizens resident in another EU member state are required by European law to complete a declaration if they wish to vote in their member state of residence at European parliamentary elections.

The EU Council directive 93/109/EC places an obligation on all EU member states in the run-up to a European election to share information on other member states’ citizens residing within their boundaries who have completed such a declaration.

Leader of the House

Sinn Fein

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House what his policy is on hon. Members of the Sinn Fein Party formally taking their seat in the House. [203966]

Mr Lansley: The Government's view is that all Members elected to Westminster should take their seats.

However, whether or not elected Members choose to participate fully in the business of the House of Commons once elected is a decision for MPs themselves.

While the Government are of the view that their constituents would be more fully represented if Sinn Fein MPs participated in all aspects of business at Westminster, it is a matter for the electorate if they choose to vote for candidates who have expressed an alternative view.

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Written Questions: Government Responses

Meg Hillier: To ask the Leader of the House what guidance he has given to his ministerial colleagues about providing substantive answers to written questions. [203894]

Mr Lansley: I regularly remind ministerial colleagues of their obligations to give accurate and truthful information to Parliament as set out in the Ministerial Code.

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering parliamentary questions. The guidance advises that all parliamentary questions should be accurate, brief and clear.

The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work

Communities and Local Government

Derelict Land

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of development land required to meet current net additional demand for housing that could come from brownfield sites. [203825]

Nick Boles: Much brownfield land is not suitable or readily available for housing. Much of this land is already in use, and of the brownfield land that is available much has further constraints based on demand (for example sufficient housing need in the right location), or developer ambition. Using these constraints we estimate that there could be housing for up to 200,000 homes on brownfield land. Of course, there may still be other restrictions on this land (such as contamination, green belt designation and risk of flooding).

Ministers want to see permissions for homes in place on more than 90% of suitable brownfield land by 2020 and will be consulting on measures to underpin this ambition.

Housing: Lancashire

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to Lancaster City Council's Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031: Strategic Options for Land Allocations, what assessment his Department has made of the logistics of providing the services for the 5,000 new homes in the rural area of the Lune Valley that would be required under Option 5 of that plan. [203506]

Nick Boles: We have not made any specific assessment; the drafting of a Local Plan is a matter for the local council. Planning guidance issued on 6 March is clear that infrastructure requirements must be considered by councils in plan making when they assess the suitability of sites.

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Local Government: Trade Union Officials

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason the Local Government Transparency Code 2014 requires publication of the names of union representatives who spend over 50 per cent of their time on union duties, in addition to the number of such representatives and estimates of their cost as a percentage of the total pay bill; and if he will bring forward proposals to amend the code so that the identity of individuals is not published. [203951]

Brandon Lewis: The code does not require local authorities to publish the names of individual members of trade unions.

The hon. Member may find it useful to read paragraph 31 of the code which clearly outlines the new provisions on increasing transparency on taxpayer-funding of trade unions.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-transparency-code-2014

Members: Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will estimate the total number of ministerial replies from his Department to hon. Members in a parliamentary session; and what proportion of such replies are sent (a) by letter and (b) by email; [203299]

(2) what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members. [203523]

Brandon Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 5-6W.

Planning Permission

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what process planning decisions can be reversed at the discretion of a court. [203429]

Nick Boles: Challenges to planning appeal decisions are made under Section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

If a challenge is successful the High Court will normally return the case to the Planning Inspectorate for it to be decided again. This does not necessarily mean that the original decision will be changed or reversed.

Planning Permission: Gateshead

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons he reversed the appeal decision in Gateshead Borough, ref 2193211. [203360]

Nick Boles: When appeal 2193211 was first received by the Planning Inspectorate in February 2013, the agent, acting for the appellant, indicated in the appeal form the hearing method as the preferred choice of procedure. They felt this was appropriate as consideration

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should be given to complex matters requiring technical expert evidence. The Planning Inspectorate wrote to the local planning authority which indicated it felt written representations would suffice.

After considering the information provided and applying the published criteria for determining the procedure the Planning Inspectorate applied section 319a of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and determined the written representations method was proportionate in the circumstances. No further correspondence regarding the choice of procedure was received and the appeal proceeded according to the timetable set out in the start letter which also explained the choice of procedure. The agent and the local planning authority submitted, as part of the appeal evidence, a statement of common ground which included agreement that the relevant requirements of paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework were satisfied.

Upon receipt of the decision, dated 29 August 2013, the appellant lodged an appeal with the High Court as he felt the requirements of paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework were satisfied, whereas the inspector had found they were not, and that this information could have been examined verbally had the procedure been a hearing.

To allow for procedural fairness, it was agreed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government that the appeal would be re-determined by a different inspector and would follow a hearing or public inquiry once representations and considerations had been sought from the principal parties. A date for the hearing event has been fixed for 23 July 2014.

Education

Academies

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what the (a) average, (b) shortest and (c) longest time taken was to issue a direction to admit a child to an academy by the Education Funding Agency, since the creation of that agency; [203729]

(2) how many requests for directions to admit a child to an academy were received by the Education Funding Agency in 2010; and how many such directions were issued. [203785]

Mr Timpson: The Education Funding Agency was created on 1 April 2012. Since then, it has issued four directions to admit to academies. The average time taken to issue these directions was 78 working days. The shortest time was 42 and the longest 142 working days.

In each case, the EFA encourages academies and local authorities to resolve the matter locally without the need for a formal direction and in most cases this happens. Where a local resolution is not reached, the EFA gathers evidence from the complainant and the academy before issuing its decision.

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what support his Department is providing for school governors during their school’s transition to academy status; and if he will make a statement. [203977]

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Mr Timpson: The Department for Education provides advice for governors, which is published online at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/becoming-an-academy-top-tips-for-governors

When a school applies to become an academy, it is allocated a named project lead who provides additional support and can attend governing body meetings.

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to allow academy trusts to raise capital finance based on the value of school title deeds. [204028]

Mr Timpson: As is the case with all schools, academies receive capital funding through devolved formula capital allocations. Academies also receive capital funding through the academies capital maintenance fund. Academies are not allowed to borrow and there are strict rules protecting publicly-funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in guidance, which is published online at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many apprentices have been employed by contractors and sub-contractors to his Department in each year since 2010-11; and what proportion such apprentices make up of the workforce of those contractors and sub-contractors. [203862]

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is not held centrally.

Basic Skills

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of levels of literacy and numeracy in (a) primary

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school leavers and

(b)

secondary school leavers in (i) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) the North of England and (iv) England in each of the last five years. [202644]

Mr Laws: Key stage 2 national curriculum assessment statistics are available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2

GCSE attainment statistics are available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4

Attainment statistics by Parliamentary constituency are available online at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/inyourarea/

Information on pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs in the areas requested, and information on key stage 2 achievement in the areas requested has been placed in the House Library.

Children in Care

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people who entered care at each age and who left care at 16 or older and who did not return to their birth parents had been taken into care because of (a) abuse or neglect, (b) child’s disability, (c) parents’ illness or disability, (d) family in acute stress, (e) family dysfunction, (f) socially unacceptable behaviour, (g) low income, (h) absent parenting and (i) any other reason in the most recent year for which figures are available. [203905]

Mr Timpson: Children aged 16 years and over who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March 2013 by age on entering care and category of need is shown in the following table. Figures exclude children who returned home to live with parents or relatives on ceasing to be looked after.

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Children: Protection

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which overseas counterparts have complained to the Government about matters relating to adoption, care proceedings or other matters relating to child protection in the UK; and what the substance of those complaints was. [203896]

Mr Timpson: Data on the overall number of contacts from equivalent Departments overseas are not collated centrally within the Department for Education.

Over the past year, however, Government officials have held positive discussions, covering a wide range of international child safeguarding issues, with representatives from a number of European nations including Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Czech Republic.

Class Sizes: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the pupil-teacher ratio was in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in York Unitary Authority area in 2008-09 and in each year since. [202880]

Mr Laws: The following table provides the pupil to teacher ratios (PTR) in publicly-funded primary and secondary schools in York local authority, in each January, 2008 to 2010 and November 2010 to 2012, which is the latest information available. 2013 figures will be available in late July 2014.

Figures for November 2010 and later are not comparable with those in January 2010 and earlier due to the change in the data collection to the School Workforce Census.

Creationism and Evolution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether an independent school (a) teaching creationism and (b) failing to teach evolution as an established scientific theory would lead to it receiving a lower rating under the independent schools inspection framework; and if he will make a statement. [202970]

Mr Laws: Registered independent schools must meet the independent school standards. These state that the curriculum must give pupils experience in

‘linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical, and aesthetic and creative education’.

Science must therefore be included in the curriculum. Ofsted and the independent school inspectorates inspect independent schools against these standards.

Education Funding Agency

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason it is not possible for telephone callers to be put through to the Education Funding Agency. [203886]

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Mr Timpson: Most inquiries for the Education Funding Agency received by the Department for Education’s national helpline are about financial matters or invoice queries which are best handled by e-mail. Callers are provided with the appropriate e-mail address. For other inquiries, the national helpline operator contacts the academies inquiry service on the caller’s behalf, or puts them through to that service. If the caller wishes to speak to a named individual in the Department, the operator makes contact with the individual (or, in the case of senior managers, with their PA) and transfers the call if appropriate.

Free School Meals: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary school pupils and (b) infant school pupils in Ashfield constituency received free school meals in each of the last five years. [203811]

Mr Laws: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in state-funded nursery and primary schools is published in the “Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014” statistical first release, which is published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014

Table 8a shows local authority level information; information is not published at parliamentary constituency level.

Information for 2010 to 2013 can be found in previous versions of this release, which are published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers

Higher Education: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much mainstream grant funding was allocated by the Training and Development Agency for Schools to (a) the University of York and (b) York St John University in (i) cash terms and (ii) at constant prices in 2000-01 and in each year since. [202876]

Mr Laws: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 232W.

The latest figures available are provided as follows.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding each school received per pupil in the latest year for which figures are available. [204019]

Mr Laws: We now publish the schools block budget allocations in total and on a per-pupil basis annually, for every individual mainstream school, covering both maintained schools and academies. The most recent

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available figures are for the 2013 to 2014 financial year (for maintained schools) and 2013 to 2014 academic year (for academies) and are published at:

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/xlsx/s/schools%20block%20data%20file.xlsx

The schools block budget allocations exclude early years, high needs and post-16 funding. They also exclude the pupil premium. For academies, per-pupil funding amounts exclude education services grants and insurance top-up funding.

Schools

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education under what circumstances gender segregation of boys and girls in the classroom is permitted in schools; and if he will issue revised guidance on this matter to Ofsted. [202912]

Mr Laws: A co-educational school adopting a policy of separation on the basis of sex, which treated girls less favourably than boys (or vice versa), would be acting unlawfully under the Equality Act 2010. The Department for Education has issued advice to schools on the application of the Equality Act 2010:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools

As this guidance states, it is possible to justify separate classes in exceptional circumstances, for example in delivering elements of sex and relationship education, or for PE. In all other cases, the Department expects co-educational schools to teach boys and girls in mixed classes and not to treat them differently because of their gender.

Inspectors take into account guidance issued to schools by the Department, including the existing guidance on the Equality Act 2010. We would expect them to question a school about any segregation of pupils by gender to ensure that this is only taking place in exceptional circumstances as outlined by the Equality Act.

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools offer all-through provision to pupils from reception to year 13. [203937]

Mr Laws: Information on the number of pupils in each national curriculum year group in each state-funded school was published on 12 June 2014 in “Schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2014”. It is published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014

The following table shows the 51 state-funded mainstream schools that had at least one pupil in reception and at least one pupil in year 13 in January 2014.

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