Knives: Clacton
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex on incidents involving knives in Clacton and the potential effect of stop and search guidelines. [201812]
Damian Green: There have been no specific discussions with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex on incidents involving knives in Clacton.
The Best Use of Stop and Search scheme was announced by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 30 April 2014, and the intention is to launch the scheme in the summer. The scheme aims to achieve greater transparency and community involvement in the use of stop and search by the police and support a more intelligence-led approach leading to better outcomes, particularly improving the stop and search to arrest ratio.
Only 9% of the 1.2 million stop and searches that took place in 2011-12 led to an arrest. The adoption of an intelligence-led approach to stop and search by the Metropolitan police in January 2012 coincided with a fall of a third in the number of recorded stop and searches taking place between 2011-12 and 2012-13, while the proportion of resultant arrests increased from 8% to 12%. Meanwhile in the same period, offences recorded by the Metropolitan police involving knives or sharp instruments fell by 20%.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 27 May 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr M Nissar. [203920]
Karen Bradley: A letter was sent to the right hon. Member on 9 June 2014.
Nazi War Crimes
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people since 1984 have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of being a member of the SS in the second world war. [203226]
Norman Baker:
The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. However, it is not possible from this centrally held data to identify those
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charged with and convicted of being members of individual organisations. This detailed information is not reported to Justice Statistics Analytical Services due to their size and complexity.
Passports
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passport renewals for residents in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, (b) Lanarkshire, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK have been completed within a three week turnaround time from receipt in each year since 2009. [201269]
James Brokenshire: Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) does not store information at constituency level and the cost of extracting the information requested would be disproportionate. Information on passport processing performance can be found in HMPO's annual report and accounts, via the following links.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118758/annual-report-accounts-200910.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identity-and-passport-service-annual-report-and-accounts-2010-to-2011
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118751/ips-annual-report-2012.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210619/IPS_annual_report_and_accounts_2012-13.pdf
Policy
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monetary value her Department assigns to the value of preventing a fatality calculation during the process of policy appraisal and evaluation. [203062]
Norman Baker: In order to estimate the cost of a homicide, the Home Office uses the value of a prevented fatality, which is estimated by the Department for Transport. The Home Office first estimated the social and economic costs of crime in 2000:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors217.pdf
The Home Office last comprehensively updated the costs of crime estimates in 2005:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100413151441/http:/www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr3005.pdf
Riot Control Weapons
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to make a decision on the request to authorise water cannon for use by the police in England and Wales; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the advice and business case she has received on the use of water cannon in mainland UK. [202717]
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Damian Green: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 12 May 2014, Official Report, column 412W.
Valuation of Life and Health Inter-departmental Group
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures of the value of life and health were included in the evidence submitted as part of her Department's work with the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review; [203075]
(2) what monetary thresholds were applied to the cost-per-quality adjusted life year quoted in the evidence submitted as part of her Department's work with the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008. [203080]
Norman Baker: The most recent update to the Home Office’s estimates of the costs of crime prior to the Department’s submission to the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008 was the 2005 publication. The monetary value per quality-adjusted life year used in the 2005 report was £80,620 in 2003 prices.
International Development
Developing Countries: Malnutrition
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has spent specifically to reduce the number of malnourished children in the developing world; and which 10 countries are the largest recipients of such funding. [203574]
Lynne Featherstone: Between 2010 and 2012 DFID spent a total of £740 million (US$1.27 billion) on nutrition programmes of which £86 million (US$148 million) was spent on nutrition-specific programmes. The 10 largest recipients of nutrition specific spend were: India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Yemen, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Nepal. Full details and analysis are available in the independent Development Initiatives’ Report “DFID’s aid spending for nutrition: 2010 to 2012” which is published on its website.
Development Aid
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which 10 countries will receive the highest amount of UK aid in the post-2015 development framework; and how much each such country will receive. [203571]
Justine Greening: Budget needs will be assessed in light of the post-2015 framework and according to country need.
India
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how UK aid money to India was allocated in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014. [203569]
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Mr Duncan: Plans for UK development spending in India are set out in the 2011-2015 Operational Plan:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-india-operational-plan-2011-2015--2
South Sudan
Sir Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure fair and efficient distribution of international aid in South Sudan. [203765]
Lynne Featherstone: DFID is working with aid and humanitarian partners to ensure that the aid being delivered is done so on the basis of need and prioritisation, to ensure the requirements of the most vulnerable are being met, and all accessible areas are being served.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the aid given by the UK to Yemen is spent on (a) food, (b) education, (c) housing, (d) healthcare and (e) employment. [203570]
Mr Duncan: The UK Government provided £81.3million in bilateral aid to Yemen in 2013-14. Precise data is not available for the breakdown requested, but support included approximately: £8 million in cash or vouchers to address food insecurity; £15.2 million towards education; £0.2 million to provide emergency shelter; £21 million towards health; and £4 million towards employment. The total also includes £7.5 million in contributions to pooled humanitarian funds for which we are awaiting final detailed data, but which included expenditure on cash and vouchers to address food insecurity, shelter, health and employment.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK has given to Yemen since 1 January 2012; and what comparative assessment she has made of the level of such spending in other EU countries. [203573]
Mr Duncan: The UK Government have provided over £172 million in bilateral aid to Yemen since January 2012. DFID does not hold data for the amount spent in this period for other European donors. However, the latest pledge and disbursement data collated by the Government of Yemen for the period April 2012 to December 2013 is shown in the following table. The period to which the UK’s pledge applies to extends to March 2015.
| Donor | Pledged (million USD) | Disbursed (million USD) |
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Justice
Litter
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for failure to produce waste documents in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203984]
(2) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for depositing litter in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203985]
(3) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for failure to remove dog faeces, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203986]
(4) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for smoking in a smoke-free place, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203987]
(5) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for fly posting, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203988]
(6) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for unauthorised distribution of printed matter, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203989]
(7) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for failure to comply with a waste receptacles notice, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203990]
(8) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice, for failure to produce authority to transport waste, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203991]
(9) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice for failure to comply with a street litter clearing notice, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each area in each such year; [203992]
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(10) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice for graffiti, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each local authority area in each such year; [203993]
(11) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice for repairing vehicles on the road, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each local authority area in each such year; [203994]
(12) how many people were found guilty in a magistrates' court, consequent upon non-payment or contesting of a fixed penalty notice for abandonment of a vehicle, in each local authority area in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of fines levied for such offences in each local authority area in each such year. [203995]
Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information whether a fixed penalty notice was contested or whether it was not paid and proceedings for non payment commenced.
Members: Correspondence
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members. [203532]
Jeremy Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to PQ 203285, responded to 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 6W.
Police Cautions
Jenny Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cautions have been issued for offences of (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) sexual assault, (d) robbery
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and
(e)
burglary in (i) each year between 2010 and 2013 and (ii) each month since January 2013. [203136]
[Official Report, 1 September 2014, Vol. 585, c. 2-8MC.]Damian Green: The number of offenders (including young people) cautioned, for offences of rape, sexual assault, robbery and burglary, by months in England and Wales from 2010 to 2013 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. There were no cautions administered for murder.
Simple cautions (previously police cautions) are a non-statutory disposal available to the police to dispose of any offence committed by an adult and designed for dealing with low level, mainly first time offending. The Government does not believe that cautions are appropriate for serious offences. We issued new guidelines on 14 November 2014 following a detailed review of how cautions were being used by police forces, and are strengthening the law to prevent cautions being used for serious offences.
The Ministry of Justice issues guidance on the process to be followed by the police and the CPS when they are administering simple cautions for adult offenders. This guidance states that the use of a simple caution for indictable only offences, such as rape, should only be given following authorisation by the CPS. These will be cases where there were exceptional circumstances which would mean that it was not in the public interest to prosecute.
The overall number of simple cautions issued has halved since 2007. The cautioning rate, that is, the number of offenders cautioned as a percentage of offenders who were either cautioned or convicted, in 2013 was 20%; this has declined from a peak of 31% in 2007.
The Government are clear that serious offences should always be brought to court and to ensure that there is increased public confidence in the justice system last year announced limits on the use of simple cautions. These changes restrict the use of cautions for indictable only offences and certain serious either way offences unless there are exceptional circumstances and a senior police officer, as well as the CPS for certain cases, has agreed that a caution should be administered.
The MOJ guidance on Adult Simple Cautions was amended in November last year to reflect these changes, and we are currently legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions around their use.
| Offenders cautioned1,2 for selected offences, by month, England and Wales, 2010-20133 | ||||||||||||||
| Offences | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
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| 1 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. 2 From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Sexual Offences Act 2003, s2, s3, s6, s7 5 Sexual Offences Act 2003, s1, s5 6 Theft Act 1968, s.9, S.9(1)(a), S.9(1)(b), S.9 (1)(a) or (b), S.10 7 Theft Act 1968, S.8 Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | ||||||||||||||
Prison Accommodation: Wales
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of levels of occupancy in prisons in Wales. [904678]
Jeremy Wright: Individual prison population and capacity information for every prison in England and Wales is published monthly on the Ministry of Justice website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-population-figures-2014
Prisons are not expected to operate above their operational capacity and ensuring that this capacity is set to reflect the provision of safe and decent accommodation and the operation of suitable regimes ensures that levels of crowding in prisons are carefully managed.
Sensible measures have been taken to ensure that we have sufficient capacity to deal with any temporary increases in population. These include creating additional places in prisons in a safe and decent way and ensuring that prisons reflect the needs of the current population.
We will end this Parliament with more adult male prison places than we inherited, more hours of work in prisons than we inherited, more education for young detainees than we inherited and a more modern, cost effective prison estate than we inherited.
Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times prison officers confiscated illegally brewed alcohol in each prison in England and Wales in each month in 2013. [203774]
Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has in place a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques to detect items of contraband including alcohol and to prevent smuggling into prisons. In addition we use specially trained dogs to detect illicit alcohol.
NOMS does not centrally record as a separate category the number of occasions on which alcohol is confiscated in prisons and could not provide the information without incurring disproportionate cost.
Racially Aggravated Offences: Lancashire
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for each type of racially-aggravated offence under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 were prosecuted at each magistrates' and crown court in Lancashire in 2013. [202488]
Damian Green:
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts in Lancashire police force area, for racially and
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religiously aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for 2013 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
The custody rate has increased since 2010 for racially and religiously aggravated offences in both the magistrates court and at the crown court.
The description of the offences within the statute is “racially or religiously” aggravated and we are unable to disaggregate between the two. The specific circumstances of each case cannot be identified from centrally collected statistics unless specified in statute.
| Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court and found guilty at all courts in Lancashire police force area, for racially and religiously aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, 20131, 2 | ||||
| Court type | Offence | Year | Proceeded against | Found guilty |
| “__” - Nil 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Offences used 29(1)(a) Racially or religiously aggravated malicious wounding or grievous bodily harm 29(1)(b) Racially or religiously aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm 29(1)(c) Racially or religiously aggravated common assault/beating 31(1)(b) Racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment alarm or distress—words/writing 31(1)(c) Racially or religiously aggravated harassment alarm or distress 32(1)(a) Racially or religiously aggravated fear or provocation of violence) 30(1) and (2) Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | ||||
Staff
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department are currently employed to work on the sentence calculation helplines. [202799]
Jeremy Wright: The Department employs two officials whose principal function is to answer queries on the sentence calculation helpline. The main purpose of the helpline is to provide advice to prison establishments as to the correct way to calculate the key release dates for sentences in complex cases. It also provides advice to courts, probation, the public, solicitors and other Government Departments on the effect of the legislation governing release on key sentence dates.
In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, the Government made changes to the release and recall provisions in order to simplify the previous, often incomprehensible and complex legislation, making it easier for sentencers and prison staff to administer, and the public to understand the sentence.
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Young Offenders
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison places in each prison in England and Wales are designated as available to hold offenders aged 18 to 21 years. [204079]
Jeremy Wright: The numbers of young adults in custody has been falling in recent years.
Under the current legal framework, young adults cannot be sentenced to imprisonment or committed to prison for any reason (subject to a few exceptions). Instead the vast majority of young adults are held in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). These are either single use YOIs or establishments that have a dual designation (designated both as a prison and a YOI).
The following list identifies the dual-designated establishments that hold young adults (aged 18-20 years old) and adults (aged 21 and over). We do not set the number of places available for young adults in dual designated institutions
Prisons holding young adults and adults in July 2014
Altcourse
Askham Grange
Bedford
Belmarsh
Bristol
Bronzefield
Bullingdon
Cardiff
Chelmsford
Doncaster
Drake Hall
Durham
East Sutton Park
Eastwood Park
Elmley
Exeter
Forest Bank
Foston Hall
High Down
Hollesley Bay
Holloway
Holme House
Hull
Isis
Lancaster Farms*
Lewes
Littlehey*
Lincoln
Low Newton
Manchester
Moorland Closed
Hatfield
New Hall
Norwich
Nottingham
Parc
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Pentonville
Peterborough
Portland
Preston
Prescoed
Rochester
Stoke Heath
Styal
Swansea
Swinfen Hall
Thameside
Thorn Cross
Wandsworth
Winchester
Woodhill
Wormwood Scrubs
* On 13 March 2014 the Government announced that single use young adult YOIs Littlehey and Lancaster Farms would change function to adult use only.
Northern Ireland
Recruitment
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants employed through the Northern Ireland graduate fast track scheme between 1 June 2004 and 1 June 2014 were educated at (a) private and (b) state schools. [203799]
Mrs Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), today.
Terrorism
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) with reference to the answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 762W, on terrorism, if the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to which she refers was by way of Letters Patent; and if she will make a statement; [199279]
(2) whether the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted in Northern Ireland in the last 20 years by means of Letters Close (Litterae Clausae); and if she will make a statement. [199281]
Mrs Villiers: Since 1997, no Letters Patent or Letters Close have been issued in Northern Ireland in relation to the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM). Where the RPM was used in this period by the previous Government, it was effected by means of a Royal Warrant.
As the hon. Member is aware, my Department continues to seek information on the use of the RPM between 1987 and 1997, including through contacts with other parts of Government which might hold relevant information. On the basis of the work carried out on this so far, there is no indication that Letters Patent or Letters Close were issued between 1987 and 1997 in relation to the use of the RPM in Northern Ireland.
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Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the people who are known to have received the Royal Prerogative of Mercy by Letters Patent or under any other authority, in the last 20 years; and if she will make a statement. [199280]
Mrs Villiers: Since 1997, no Letters Patent have been issued in Northern Ireland in relation to the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM). Where the RPM was used in this period by the previous Government, it was effected by means of a Royal Warrant.
As the hon. Member is aware, my Department continues to seek information on the use of the RPM between 1987 and 1997, including through contacts with other parts of Government which might hold relevant information.
As the hon. Member is also 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.
Transport
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what records are kept of the concentrations of identified toxic chemicals in a fume event in each of the principal classes of civil aviation airliners operating within the UK; and if he will make a statement; [203637]
(2) whether any UK agencies or Departments conduct or have conducted research into the long-term consequences of repeated exposure of air crews to low levels of toxic fumes within civil aviation aircraft; and if he will make a statement; [203644]
(3) what discussions he or Ministers in his Department have had with (a) airlines and (b) organisations about fume events in UK airlines; and if he will take steps to improve the monitoring of the air quality in UK airliners; [203645]
(4) how many fume events were recorded in (a) UK civil aviation aircraft and (b) other aircraft using UK airports operating within the UK in the last 12 months; and which agency is responsible for recording these events. [203646]
Mr Goodwill: In the period 1 June 2013 to 31 May 2014, from over a million passenger and cargo flights the Civil Aviation Authority received 309 reports of 'contaminated air' from UK operators under the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme. Incidents involving non-UK operators would be reported to the relevant national authority and we do not have data on the number of occurrences involving non-UK operators.
The majority of incidents of contaminated air are brief, lasting for periods of a few seconds to a few minutes. No records of chemical concentrations are kept as there is no equipment currently available which could be installed on aircraft and capture this information.
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The Department has completed four research studies into cabin air, which involved close cooperation with airlines to facilitate the research. The main study was published by Cranfield university in May 2011, and concluded there was no evidence for pollutants occurring in cabin air at levels exceeding available health and safety standards and guidelines.
The Department has also engaged with the Committee on Toxicity, which considered the Department’s four published reports during 2013. The Committee concluded that there is no evidence that fume events are causing ill health in passengers or crew and, as a result, there are no plans to change the monitoring of air quality in UK carriers.
Aviation: Northern Ireland
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to support regional air links with Northern Ireland. [203621]
Mr Goodwill: Northern Ireland is well-connected by air to London with over 18,000 flights per year between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports, carrying over two million passengers. The Belfast airports also maintain good connections with other UK airports—Belfast International Airport has connections to fourteen domestic destinations, and Belfast City Airport to eighteen.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London—first announced in the 2013 Spending Round last June—will increase from £10 million to £20 million per year. It will be expanded to include provision for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports—including those in Northern Ireland and the other devolved administrations—which handle fewer than five million passengers per year.
The devolved Administration in Northern Ireland, or a regional body in Northern Ireland, may apply for access to the funding for regional air connectivity to maintain an air link from a Northern Ireland airport to London, where there is a risk that an existing link may be lost, and where the case for a Public Service Obligation has been made.
The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union State aid guidelines on start-up aid for new air routes, and explain how the funding process will operate across the UK. The Department for Transport expects to publish this guidance in the autumn.
Driving Instruction
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans his Department has to make the Fleet Driver Trainer register mandatory for paid vocational driver training; [203836]
(2) what plans his Department has to introduce mandatory regulation of B+E driving instructors. [203832]
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Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) consulted recently on proposals to modernise and, as far as possible, reduce any potential burden that the current regulatory framework could place on approved driving instructors (ADI); it will publish the response to consultation shortly.
The consultation’s proposals were designed to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, therefore, the consultation document proposed that DVSA would not mandate the voluntary fleet driver trainer register.
The pass rate for the B+E practical test is 67%, one of the highest pass rates for any category of test; unlike learner drivers people seeking B+E instruction must already hold a full category B driving licence. Most BE instruction is already carried out by vocational trainers who are competent to provide this service given their expertise in delivering training in category C vehicles and CE. Therefore, DVSA currently has no plans to extend the regulation of paid driving instruction in a motor car to BE training; neither does it have plans to extend the regulatory framework for ADIs to cover paid vocational driver training.
First TransPennine Express and Northern Rail
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether rolling stock to be delivered to Northern Rail and TransPennine Express over the next six years will be configured to allow the option of retaining the operational role of the guard. [203919]
Stephen Hammond: A public consultation exercise is being conducted which will inform the franchise specifications. The consultation can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/320806/northern-transpennine-consultation.pdf
No decisions have yet been made. However we expect it will be for the winning bidders of the Northern and TransPennine Express franchise competitions to decide what rolling stock to use and whether to configure this rolling stock to allow for retaining the operational role of the guard.
Members: Correspondence
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members. [203535]
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.
Police: Ports
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which chief officers of territorial police forces have used the Marine Navigation Act 2013 to permit port constables to act outside their port area for policing purposes connected with the port constable's police area. [203891]
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Stephen Hammond: Of the six English port police forces, able to use the Marine Navigation Act, the port police forces for Bristol, Dover and Teesport have sought and received the consent of the chief constable of the relevant territorial police force to exercise certain powers outside their port area, while a fourth, Liverpool port police, is currently seeking it.
Policy
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what level his Department values the reduction of risk of death per fatal casualty prevented; and if he will give an example of policy intervention where this evaluation was made. [203615]
Mr Goodwill: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 167WJ.
The value of a prevented fatality is used in the appraisal for every infrastructure investment business case. It is also used in the impact assessments for relevant policy interventions. For example, the impact assessment on the new drug driving offence takes account of the value of preventing a fatality in assessing the overall impact of the offence. The latest impact assessment can be found at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111117422/impacts
Railways: Brighton
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has considered funding in the 2019 to 2024 spending review for the Brighton Main Line 2; and if he will make a statement. [203873]
Stephen Hammond: The Department has not yet begun the process of formally considering options for funding during railway Control Period 6 (2019 to 2024). When this process formally commences in 2015, it will likely identify a range of potential options for investment, some of which may include elemens of the wide ranging proposals, collectively known as “Brighton Main Line 2”.
Rescue Services: Belfast
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014. [204099]
Stephen Hammond: During June 2014 Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 25 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Rescue Services: Liverpool
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Liverpool was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014. [204101]
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Stephen Hammond: During June 2014 Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 27 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Rescue Services: Stornoway
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Stornoway was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014. [204100]
Stephen Hammond: During June 2014 Stornoway Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 25 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Stornoway has permanent radio access to the radio network covering the Clyde, Arran and the Ayrshire coast. [204102]
Stephen Hammond: The radio sites covering the Clyde, Arran and Ayrshire coast were transferred to Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) when Clyde MRCC closed in December 2012.
As part of the pairing ‘infrastructure’ there is a fixed link between Belfast and Stornoway MRCCs which enables Coastguards at Stornoway MRCC to have permanent radio access to the entire Belfast MRCC radio estate (or vice versa). In addition the MRCCs at Aberdeen or Shetland can ‘dial in’ to provide further support if required.
Roads: Hampshire
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the three most recent (a) traffic counts, (b) speed measurements and (c) weight-of-vehicles measurements are from the B3006 Selborne Road between the A31 at Alton and the A3 Ham Barn roundabout. [203829]
Mr Goodwill: The Department's estimates the average annual daily flow, measured in the number of vehicles a day, for a selection of minor roads each year including the B3006 near Stairs Hill Farmhouse.
Figures for the last three years are in the following table.
| Average annual daily flow | |
Estimates of average speeds and weight-of-vehicle measurements for the B3006 are not held centrally.
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Shipping: Equal Pay
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many contraventions of the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 preventing differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area have been investigated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency since 1 August 2011; and what the (a) outcome and (b) flag of each vessel was in each such investigation; [203768]
(2) what enforcement activity the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has undertaken of the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area since 1 August 2011; [203769]
(3) what activities the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has undertaken among employers in the (a) UK, (b) European and (c) international shipping industry to ensure compliance with the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area since 1 August 2011; [203771]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area on vessels registered under Category 1 and Category 2 Red Ensign Group registries. [203773]
Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is not responsible for the enforcement of regulations made under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010, and has therefore not undertaken any enforcement or investigations, or any activity to ensure compliance with or assess the effectiveness of these regulations. This is a matter for the Government Equality Office.
The Department for Transport is undertaking a review of the regulations in conjunction with other Government Departments, trade associations and union representatives. This will include looking at whether the regulations are achieving their objectives—including those relevant to differential pay.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what awareness activities the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has undertaken among (a) UK shipowners, (b) owners of UK flagged vessels and (c) the European shipping industry on regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area since 1 August 2011. [203770]
Stephen Hammond: Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 is not a responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and it has not undertaken awareness activities since 1 August 2011.
The Agency has, however, used its UK Ship Register newsletter, in 2009 and early in 2011, to draw attention generally to the provisions of the Equality Act.
Mr Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of vessels that have de-flagged from the Red Ensign Group where the shipowner cited the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay
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rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area as the motivating factor in each year since 1 August 2011. [203772]
Stephen Hammond: Since 1 August 2011, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is aware that two vessels have left the UK Ship Register where their owners have cited the reason for leaving as being the Equality Act.
Information relating to details of the other registers in the Red Ensign Group is not available to the MCA.
Shipping: Exhaust Emissions
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the effect of the EU sulphur directive on (a) the shipping industry, (b) jobs and (c) the environment; and what the outcome of the conversations has been. [203939]
Stephen Hammond: In the last 18 months, there have been several meetings between officials from the Department for Transport and their French counterparts to consider the effect of the EU directive on sulphur content of marine fuels on the shipping industry, jobs and the environment. One of these meetings was a quadripartite meeting between UK and French officials and representatives of the UK Chamber of Shipping and its counterpart, the Armateurs de France.
As a result of these discussions, the Governments of the UK and France have supported applications to secure EU finance under the trans-European network (TEN-T) programme, and affordable capital through the European Investment Bank, on the part of shipowners and ports which wish to invest in green technologies. We have also obtained an assurance from the European Commission that it will meet individual ferry operators who wish to discuss their 'route to compliance' strategy.
Treasury
Banks
Mr Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a list of each application for the change of control of a bank made in the last four years; [204057]
(2) when his Department last conducted a review of the process of granting authorisation for (a) banks and (b) insurance companies; [204059]
(3) where each company seeking authorisation as a bank was located when the application was made in each of the last four years; and when each such application was determined. [204070]
Andrea Leadsom: The publication of details and statistics on new bank authorisations, and changes of control are matters for the independent financial regulators: the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The PRA and FCA published a review of the authorisation process as part of ‘A review of requirements for firms entering into or expanding in the banking
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sector: one year on’, on 7 July 2014. This followed an earlier review of barriers to entry published in March 2013.
The PRA published its Annual Report and Accounts 2014 in June, which included details of the number of banks and insurance firms authorised between 1 April 2013 and 28 February 2014. The PRA has committed to publish authorisation statistics on an annual basis.
Children: Day Care
Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that parents use their tax-free childcare accounts to pay for childcare; and what additional costs such checks will place on HM Revenue and Customs. [203316]
Nicky Morgan: Parents’ payments from their tax-free childcare accounts will only go to registered childcare providers. HMRC will investigate in the exceptional circumstances where it suspects the payments were not used for childcare. The Childcare Payments Bill sets out HMRC’s proposed compliance powers.
The administration costs of the scheme will be settled once the scheme’s design has been finalised.
Consumers: Protection
Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) consumers and (b) endorsement of consumer protection law of the hand-over of investigations from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority. [204046]
Andrea Leadsom: The Government have fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market. The transfer of regulatory responsibility for consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) took effect in April. The FCA has stronger powers and is far better equipped to protect consumers than the OFT.
The Government have ensured that the FCA has inherited the OFT’s powers (both criminal and regulatory) in relation to misconduct which occurred before 1 April 2014, as well as considerably strengthening the FCA’s powers in relation to misconduct which occurs under the new regulatory regime.
The FCA has the same powers as the OFT had to investigate and prosecute offences under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
The FCA has also inherited the OFT’s power to fine, although the OFT’s power to fine under the Consumer Credit Act was limited to fining a firm for breaches of a requirement imposed by the OFT (and the maximum penalty in this regard was £50,000). The Government have already strengthened the new regime by giving the FCA the ability to impose unlimited fines for breaches of regulatory requirements that take place after 1 April 2014.
Economic Growth
Mr Dodds:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the level of growth in the UK economy in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015; and what change in the level of public sector employment
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he anticipates will take place in each region and constituent part of the UK in that time. [203572]
Nicky Morgan: The OBR is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts of the UK economy. The OBR’s most recent forecast (published at Budget 2014) is for UK GDP to grow by 2.7% this year and 2.3% in 2015.
The OBR forecast general Government employment will fall by 0.1 million in 2014 and 2015. This is more than offset by increases in market sector employment of 0.5 million in 2014 and 0.3 million in 2015.
Financial Institutions
Mr Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the role of private equity in providing capital to the (a) banking sector and (b) insurance sector. [204058]
Andrea Leadsom: This question has been passed on to the Presidential Regulation Authority (PRA). The PRA will reply to directly to my hon. Friend by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Members: Correspondence
Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members. [203536]
Andrea Leadsom: 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 5W.
Motor Vehicles: Insurance
Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to bring forward proposals to help the insurance industry to reduce the cost of car insurance for newly qualified drivers. [203643]
Andrea Leadsom: The Government are committed to seeking ways to bring down the costs of car insurance for young drivers. Ministers recently held a roundtable for the insurance industry, at which it was agreed that the Government would commission new research into how telematics can change the behaviour and attitudes of learner drivers.
The Government are also in the process of undertaking some focus groups with parents, young people and employers to get a better understanding of the issues from their perspective. We will publish the findings of the research and focus groups in due course.
Revenue and Customs
Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of the Building Our Future workshops held for all HM Revenue and Customs staff. [203797]
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Mr Gauke: 'Building our Future' is HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC's) vision for how it will serve its customers in the future, which it is currently presenting and discussing with its entire work force. HMRC wants its employees to influence how the Department is transforming to be a more effective, efficient and customer-focused organisation. The events started in May and will run until August 2014 and aim to bring together employees from different teams from across the Department.
The final costs will be published on-line as part of the Government’s commitment to transparency.
Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of flexible resourcing within HM Revenue and Customs in terms of lost yield from staff being moved away from their normal duties to assist with call handling during the tax credit peak. [203798]
Mr Gauke: Call handling supports compliance at the first point of contact by helping customers to get it right first time.
HMRC has committed to delivering £24.5 billion of compliance yield in 2014-15-that commitment remains unchanged.
Revenue and Customs: Irvine
Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the tax yield generated by compliance officers working in Irvine tax office in 2013-14; [203795]
(2) what the (a) total operating cost and (b) staffing cost other than for staff not engaged in compliance work of Irvine tax office was in 2013-14. [203796]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available.
Wales
NATO Summit
12. Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of the 2014 NATO summit to Wales. [904690]
Mr David Jones: The NATO summit—hosted in the City of Newport—will be an important event to showcase Wales to an international audience. This will be the largest gathering of world leaders the UK will have ever hosted. It will highlight and help further strengthen the economic opportunities for the country.
Freedom of Information
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on legal fees in cases relating to the release of information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each of the last five years. [204286]
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Senior Civil Servants
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many senior civil servants appointed to positions in his Department since 2010 were previously (a) political appointees within that Department and (b) employed by a political party. [204334]
Women and Equalities
Apprentices
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities how many apprentices the Department has accepted as part of the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme; and how many were (a) women and (b) men in each year since the scheme started. [203817]
Mrs Grant: The Department does not currently have any apprentices from the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme. We have however taken part in the Summer Diversity Internship Programme and offer placements to individuals on the various Fast Stream schemes. These schemes are managed centrally by Cabinet Office and Civil Service Resourcing.
Mental Health Services: LGBT People
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities what discussions the Government Equalities Office has had with LGBT mental health service providers in the last year. [203816]
Mrs Grant: Ministers and officials from the Government Equalities Office regularly meet a broad range of LGBT stakeholders, including mental health providers and other organisations with an interest in this area, to discuss key issues and priorities for the sector. Topics raised include the mental health needs of LGBT individuals, areas of discrimination and issues with service provision.
In the last year, officials have met with organisations with an interest in this area including: the Albert Kennedy Trust, Bi Community News, Bisexual Index, BiUK, Broken Rainbow, GALOP, GIRES, METRO Centre, PACE, Press for Change, Stonewall, Stonewall Housing, The Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF), The LGBT Consortium, and The National LGB&T Partnership. The LGBT Consortium, the National LGB&T Partnership and BiUK are umbrella organisations who raise issues on behalf of their wider membership. Officials also sit on the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity where mental health issues are regularly raised. Officials have also had meetings with NHS England and Public Health England at which they have discussed mental health issues.
In the last year, the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities met representatives from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, LGBT Consortium, PACE Health, Stonewall, Broken Rainbow, the METRO Centre, and BiUK on 10 October 2013; and representatives from GIRES, Gendered Intelligence and the Gender Identity Clinic in Hammersmith on 15 October 2013.
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On 12 June 2014 the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport visited Birmingham LGBT Centre which hosts mental health services. The Secretary of State also met leading LGBT representatives on 30 June 2014 including Stonewall, Lesbian and Gay Foundation, LGBT Consortium, GIRES, and Gendered Intelligence. Health issues were discussed at all events.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities what proportion of named day written questions were answered within the prescribed period in each year since 2010. [203815]
Mrs Grant: Since joining DCMS in September 2012, as part of a machinery of government move, the Government Equalities Office has answered the following proportion of its named day parliamentary questions within the prescribed period:
2012 (September 2012 to Dec 2012) 0% (of those late 55% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)
2013 (January 2013 to December 2013) 46% (of those late 22% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)
2014 (January 2014 to Date) 83% (of those late 50% were answered within one day of the prescribed period)
The Department does not hold figures for previous years.
Work and Pensions
Civil Servants: Codes of Practice
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) internal and (b) external complaints have been received by his Department about alleged breaches of the Civil Service Code of Conduct since 2010; and what actions his Department has taken in response to each such complaint. [203959]
Mike Penning: The requirements of the Civil Service Code are incorporated within the Department's Standards of Behaviour Policy which sets out the Department's high expectations of employees. Breaches of the Civil Service Code are not specifically identified; the Department records disciplinary incidents under its Standards of Behaviour policy.
Employment Schemes: Disability
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the proposed funding model for residential training colleges will be announced. [203587]
Mike Penning: Decisions around the future of DWP commissioned residential training college provision is still subject to internal departmental governance. We expect to be in a position to clarify this shortly.
New Enterprise Allowance
Gloria De Piero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who received the new enterprise allowance have since reclaimed (a)
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jobseeker's allowance, (b) income support as a lone parent and (c) employment and support allowance; and how many of these were (i) women and (ii) men. [203806]
Esther McVey: The Department has made an assessment of the number of new enterprise allowance participants returning to any out-of-work benefit in the following published analysis. This suggests that 78% of people who started drawing the new enterprise allowance remained off benefit continuously for 12 months.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225167/NEA_benefit_status_ad-hoc_v3.pdf
The analysis is not available by type of benefit or by gender.
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets there are on increasing the number of women receiving the new enterprise allowance; and what progress has been made on these targets in the last year. [203807]
Esther McVey: There are no formal targets in place for increasing the number of women who participate in the new enterprise allowance scheme. Latest statistics show that since the launch of NEA in 2011 to the end of March 2014, there were 46,000 allowance claims, of which 15,720 were from women. The weekly allowance is payable when the participant closes their claim to benefits and commences trading. The rate of take up of NEA by women is approximately one third of the total. This is consistent with the proportion of women claiming jobseeker's allowance (the benefit claimed by the majority of NEA participants), demonstrating the success of the scheme in attracting all groups to access this support.
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the recipients of the new enterprise allowance who previously claimed (a) access to work benefits, (b) disability living allowance and (c) incapacity benefit were (i) male and (ii) female. [203822]
Esther McVey: The numbers of recipients of new enterprise allowance financial support for whom we have a record of at least one claim for access to work, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit or employment support allowance are shown in the following table:
| NEA participants with at least one previous claim for access to work (ATW), disability living allowance (DLA), incapacity benefit (IB) and/or employment support allowance (ESA) by gender | |||
| ATW | DLA | ESA/IB | |
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| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding 2. Figures include all claims for ATW and ESA and all live claims since 28 June 1999 for IB and DLA. 3. Claimants are counted for each of the benefits they have claimed previously, e.g. someone who has claimed DLA and IB is counted in both columns. 4. Claimants who have previously claimed both ESA and IB are only counted once in the ESA/IB column. 5. DLA can be claimed at the same time as NEA. Figures include NEA participants whose DLA claim continues whilst also receiving NEA financial support. 6. Access to work is available to NEA participants. Figures for ATW include those who claimed ATW support within six months of starting NEA financial support. |
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) women's and (b) men's business plans which were approved received a weekly allowance for 26 weeks of a total of £1,274 as part of the new enterprise allowance. [203824]
Esther McVey: The information is not held centrally. We estimate that developing an appropriate methodology and quality assuring the analysis would exceed disproportionate cost limits.
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) women and (b) men are recipients of the new enterprise allowance. [203827]
Esther McVey: Official Statistics on the numbers of new enterprise allowance mentoring starts and financial support starts are published quarterly and can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pre-work-programme-and-get-britain-working#new-enterprise-allowance-statistics
These statistics include a breakdown of starts by gender.
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parents have set up businesses using the new enterprise allowance scheme; and of these, what proportion are female. [203828]
Esther McVey: The information is not available.
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) women and (b) men have applied for the new enterprise allowance. [203830]
Esther McVey: Data on the number of applications for new enterprise allowance are not available.
Personal Independence Payment
Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people whose main disability is cystic fibrosis are in receipt of the mobility award for personal independence payment at the (a) standard and (b) enhanced rate; [203884]
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(2) how many people whose main disability is cystic fibrosis are in receipt of the daily living award for personal independence payment at the (a) standard and (b) enhanced rate. [203885]
Mike Penning: The information requested to the level of detail asked for is not currently available. We intend to publish more detailed data on medical conditions in the future.
Information on the numbers of successful new claimants is available against a range of conditions, including respiratory conditions which will include those who have cystic fibrosis. The information is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
Procurement
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department's procurement expenditure was awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) direct procurement and (b) indirect procurement spend in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013; and what the projected proportion is for (A) 2014, (B) 2015 and (C) 2016. [203787]
Mike Penning: The information requested is best provided in the following table:
| Percentage of total DWP spend with SME’s | |||
| Direct SME spend | Indirect SME spend | Total SME spend | |
| Note: Percentage figures have been rounded to 2 decimal places | |||
| Targets for percentage total spend with SME’s | |
| Spend (%) | |
With around 78% of the Department’s contract expenditure due to be re-tendered in the next 4 years, the Department will undertake a number of activities designed to encourage SME’s to engage with our procurement exercises.
Universal Credit: Domestic Violence
Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the risk of a link between the introduction of universal credit and levels of domestic violence. [203595]
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Esther McVey: No such assessment is planned. There are safeguards in place in universal credit to ensure that we have the ability to split payments between partners in cases of domestic violence, allowing each claimant to receive a separate payment.
Work Programme
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the independent evaluation of the Work programme to be published. [204108]
Esther McVey: Findings from the final stages of the Work programme evaluation will be published once the evaluation is complete, currently expected to be at the end of 2014.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve the performance of the Work programme for people over 50 years of age; and if he will make a statement. [204109]
Esther McVey: The Work programme is continuing to offer tailored support to people over 50 and providers are continuing to design support based on each individual need.
Work programme performance has been improving. Providers are improving their own performance, in part driven by the Department's performance management regime.