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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Deputy Prime Minister

Electoral Register

Mr Ward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what support the Government will provide to promote National Voter Registration Day in 2015. [205113]

Greg Clark: Government welcome initiatives that promote democratic engagement and increase electoral registration such as National Voter Registration day.

The Government work with many organisations to encourage people to register to vote.

Northern Futures Board

Luciana Berger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons Liverpool has not been represented on the Northern Futures Board. [205163]

The Deputy Prime Minister: The aim of our Northern Futures initiative is to facilitate a new kind of conversation about how we rebalance our economy. There are no plans to create a “Northern Futures Board”, but Liverpool is strongly encouraged to join the Northern Futures conversation by submitting ideas via:

northernfutures@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

Scotland

Alcoholic Drinks

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office. [205330]

David Mundell: Scotland Office policy permits the modest provision of alcohol on those occasions when Ministers provide hospitality to external parties. The Office also allows third parties to hold events in its premises and allows them to provide alcohol. Parties are not held in Scotland Office ministerial private offices.

Attorney-General

Armed Forces: Bullying and Suicide

Jim Shannon: To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he had with the Director of the Services Prosecution Authority on steps to prevent (a) bullying and (b) suicide in the armed forces. [204881]

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The Solicitor-General: Neither the Attorney-General nor I have had any such discussions with the Director of Service Prosecutions.

Any steps to prevent bullying and suicide in the armed forces are a matter for the Ministry of Defence.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General in what proportion of cases in the (a) Crown court and (b) magistrates court the Crown Prosecution Service complied with its disclosure obligations (i) on time, (ii) late and (iii) not at all in each of the last three years. [205212]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of compliance with disclosure requirements pertaining to the service of unused material. To obtain details of the number of cases where disclosure was made on time, late or not complied with, would require a manual search of records which would incur a disproportionate cost.

ICT

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Attorney-General how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by the Law Officers' Departments in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date. [204463]

The Solicitor-General: The information requested is contained in the following table.

The Attorney-General’s Office and the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate have not recorded any losses of IT or communications technology during this period.

James Ibori

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on what grounds the Serious Fraud Office declined to investigate reports referred to it by the Department for International Development that UK aid may have been channelled via CDC Group and Energy Capital Partners into companies linked to James Ibori; and if he will make a statement. [205210]

The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office continues actively to evaluate material referred to it by the Department for International Development alleging that UK aid may have been channelled to companies linked to James Ibori.

As part of that review it is examining whether there is any indication of an offence falling within the criminal jurisdiction of England and Wales as opposed to criminal jurisdictions overseas. No formal decision has yet been made in relation to this matter and no investigation has been opened.

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Training

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Attorney-General how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments since May 2010. [205304]

The Solicitor-General: Ministers in the Attorney-General’s Office have not received any media or social media training which incurred expenditure from the public purse since the general election in 2010. There are no Ministers in the other Law Officers’ Departments.

Church Commissioners

Pay

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many officials in the Church Commissioners, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received. [204763]

Sir Tony Baldry: The staff employed by the Church Commissioners and the other national institutions of the Church of England are not part of the civil service and are not on incremental scales. The value of pay awards from 2010 have been as follows:

July 2010-3.5% (18 month deal)

January 2012-2.7%

January 2013-1.75%

January 2014-1%

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much and what proportion of the Commissioners' budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be contracted out in 2014-15. [204888]

Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners, as one of the National Church Institutions (NCIs) alongside:

(a) The Archbishops’ Council,

(b) The Church of England Pensions Board,

(c) The Archbishop of Canterbury (in his Corporate Capacity),

(d) The Archbishop of York (in his Corporate Capacity),

(e) Lambeth Palace Library,

(f) The National Society (Church of England) for Promoting Religious Education

jointly employ staff carrying out service functions that are often contracted out to external organisations-including Finance, Legal, HR, Communications, Records, IT and Office Services.

The figures shown as follows represent the cost (and associated proportion of the Church Commissioners’ administration budget) of those wholly outsourced/contracted out activities that were not provided by the NCIs themselves.

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Business, Innovation and Skills

Adrian Beecroft

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department had meetings with Adrian Beecroft between May 2012 and June 2014. [204448]

Jo Swinson: Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_type=transparency-data

Information for January to March 2014 will be published in due course.

Information on any meetings between officials and Adrian Beecroft is not held centrally.

Brain: Research

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent assessment he has made of the work of the Human Brain project; and if he will make a statement; [204685]

(2) what the UK's financial contribution to the Human Brain project is in addition to the contribution of the EU Commission. [204686]

Mr Willetts: The results of the initial phase of the Human Brain Project (HBP) will provide more detail on how it will address its objectives. The UK Research Councils, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) will hold discussions with UK researchers at that point to decide on any future involvement.

The UK makes no current financial contribution to the HBP. However, the project includes the expertise of some key UK researchers and is making use of the hardware platform, SpiNNaker, which was previously developed with £2.7 million of support from the EPSRC.

Disabled Students’ Allowances

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 128W, on

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disabled students' allowances, (1) for what reason the fact that many disabled students receive more than one type of support makes it not possible to make an accurate estimate of the number of students who would qualify for disabled students' allowance under the proposed changes to that allowance; [205040]

(2) for what reason his Department did not make an estimate of the number of students who will no longer be eligible for disabled students' allowance before deciding to implement the proposed changes. [205042]

Mr Willetts: There is a range of support available under the four disabled students’ allowances (DSAs) (specialist equipment, non-medical help, travel, general). It is expected that students will in future receive a different balance of support between HEI reasonable adjustments and funding via DSAs. For example, some may receive all of their non-medical help support via their HEI rather than via DSAs, but still receive some DSA-funded support towards specialist equipment or travel costs.

Data on all of the different types of support provided to individual students under DSAs are not readily available under current record keeping arrangements. The Equality Analysis will contain an estimate of the number of students who would not be eligible for any support under DSAs following any changes. I will have due regard to this Analysis before regulations are laid before the House.

Electrical Safety

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how his Department is supporting manufacturers to improve their performance on the recall of electrical appliances. [204822]

Jo Swinson: Manufactures and importers are responsible for taking corrective action, including recall, on products they have placed on the market which subsequently turn out to be defective. They have a duty to advise the relevant enforcement authority: either Trading Standards or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The enforcement authority provides assistance on the appropriate corrective action and can, if required, direct the specific course of action to be taken. This Department supports both Trading Standards and HSE in their duties. This Department also contributes to EU best practice guidance in this area and is working with interested parties to consider options for improving the effectiveness of product recalls.

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will review the guidance his Department issues on electrical appliance recalls to reflect the consequences of recent high-profile recall actions. [204837]

Jo Swinson: This Department contributes to the EU guidance for corrective action, including product recalls. This guidance provides best practice for any specific case where corrective action is required, including exceptional cases where a recall is justified. The guidance was last revised in 2011. BIS officials continue to work with interested parties, including other EU member states, trade associations, such as AMDEA, and others

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such as Electrical Safety First to consider options for improving the overall effectiveness of product recalls, including what, if any, additional guidance should be provided.

Employment Tribunals Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the names of people who have taken multiple cases against different employers to an employment tribunal. [204454]

Jo Swinson: Government have no plans to change legislation to bring in a register of employees that take their employer to a tribunal, or of private settlements.

Employment tribunals are independent judicial bodies and, in line with the principle of judicial independence, Government cannot comment on, or intervene in, the tribunal’s handling of individual cases or any decisions made.

Higher Education: Admissions

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people who had been in receipt of free school meals applied to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in 2010-11. [204496]

Mr Willetts: The information for Oxbridge is not held centrally.

Figures published by UCAS in July 2013 show that, in 2010, the application rate of 18-year-olds in state schools in England who had received free school meals at age 15 was 13.2%, compared to 32.2% for those who had not received them. In 2013, the rates were 14.8% and 32.9% respectively. The application rate measures the percentage of 18-year-olds who apply to enter full-time undergraduate courses in the UK. UCAS is an organisation independent from Government.

ICT

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by his Department in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date. [204462]

Jo Swinson: The departmental security records for ICT equipment lost or stolen in 2013 and to date in 2014 are as follows:

Ministers: Official Cars

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many journeys Ministers of his Department have made using the Government Car Service; and how many such journeys were for the transportation of a red box. [204930]

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Jo Swinson: The Department has access to one car used by all seven of our Ministers. Each Minister’s office book the car when they believe it may be required by their Minister. No details are held of actual journeys made.

Money Lenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many investigations of illegal money lenders have been carried out by illegal lending units in England, Scotland and Wales in each of the last five years; and how many such investigations have resulted in criminal convictions. [204420]

Jo Swinson: Following is a breakdown of the number of investigations conducted and convictions obtained by the illegal money lending teams in Scotland and Wales in each of the last five years, and in England for the last three years.

The England illegal money lending team was created in April 2011. Equivalent information is not available relating to the regional teams which existed prior to this.

The illegal money lending teams conduct complex and sensitive investigations. The length of each investigation will be influenced by the circumstances of the specific case. In some instances convictions can only be delivered through months of proactive intelligence gathering and community engagement. Because of this, some cases span multiple years and so there is not necessarily a direct link between the numbers of investigations and the numbers of convictions in any one year.

Pay

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies. [204494]

Jo Swinson: BIS collects subscriptions through our payroll service from the following organisations:

HMRC, C&E Sports, Pension PARL, PCS Union, Prospect, HASSRA Lottery, Benhealthcare, SimplyHealth,

DSRA Lottery, Charities Aid Foundation, Birmingham Hos Saturday Fund, Welsh Hospitals, Charities Trust,

Cash For Health, Westfield Health, CS Benevolent, British Health Care Ass, Scottish Ben Fund,

CS Sports Council, Civil Service Club, Sun Life Assurance, National Friendly, HSA Individual,

Sov Health Care, Healthshield, Healthsure Group, First Division Association, Leeds Hospital Fund,

Hospital Saturday Fund, AVC EQLIFE DB, Minerva SSA (DTI Sports), Merseyside Health, AVC Equitable Life,

Pension Standard Life, Pension TUC PRU, AVC Scottish Widows, Pension Scottish Widow,

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UK CS Benefit Society, AVC StandLife, DESO Ret Officer Ass.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department’s Executive agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the right hon. Member directly.

Letter from Sarah Glasspool, dated 9 July 2014:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 8 July 2014 asking the Secretary of State for Business. Innovation and Skills, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies. (204494)

The National Measurement Office payroll service collects subscriptions from the following organisations:

CSSC Sports and Leisure

Benenden health

Simptyhealth

Prospect

Public and Commercial Services (PCS).

This does not include staff giving to charitable organisations.

Letter from Neil Ackroyd, dated 10 July 2014:

As Acting Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies.

Ordnance Survey currently has a number of third party organisations which take direct deductions from employees’ pay. These organisations are as follows:

Civil Service:

a. Sports Council

b. Benevolent Fund

Give As You Earn charitable donations:

a. For any number of specific charities

Health and Insurance providers:

a. HSA

b. Sun Life

c. BSHF

d. PO Assurance

e. Benenden Health Care

f. Forester Physiotherapy

g. HSF (Hospital Saturday Fund)

Union Subscriptions:

a. Prospect

b. PCS

Others:

a. Student Loans

b. Cycle to Work scheme (Edenred)

c. Childcare Vouchers (Edenred)

d. Court Orders (CSA/Council Tax)

Should you have any further questions, please let me know.

I hope this information is helpful.

Letter from Richard Judge, dated July 2014:

The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies. My response relates to the Insolvency Service, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

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The following organisations collect subscriptions through our payroll service:

Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund; Civil Service Benevolent Fund; Civil Service Club; Civil Service Sports Council; Benenden Healthcare; British Healthcare Association; DTI Sports and Social; Prospect; PCS; Simply Health; Westfield Contribution Health Scheme; Charities Trust; Charities Aid Foundation; Forester Health; Leeds Hospital Fund; and Mercia Health Benefits.

Letter from Ann Lewis, dated 10 July 2014:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 8 July 2014, UIN 204494 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Companies House collects membership fees for PCS Union and the Civil Service Sports Council through the employers’ payroll service.

Letter from David Parker, dated 10 July 2014:

Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies.

Within the UK Space Agency the following organisations collect subscriptions through our employee’s payroll via our shared service provider, UKSBS:

CS Benevolent Fund

CS Sports Council

Harwell Rec Society

Union Membership fees (PCS and Prospect)

Sports SC Swindon

Childcare Plus (via salary sacrifice)

Professional subscriptions are processed either via the UK SBS procurement framework or via personal expense claims and/or usage of a Government Procurement Card.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 10 July 2014:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 204494 tabled on 8 July 2014 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies?

I can confirm that Land Registry does collect subscriptions through our payroll for such things as union subscriptions, membership of the Civil Service Sports Council and personal health care organisations.

I hope that you find this information useful.

Letter from John Alty, dated 10 July 2014:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 10th July 2014, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies. (204494).

The Intellectual Property Office is an executive agency of BIS. Organisations collecting subscriptions through payroll are as follows:

Benenden Healthcare

Civil Service Benevolent Fund

Civil Service Sports Council

Central Statistics Office Sports and Social

Forester Health Care

Give As You Earn

Gwent Hospital

PCS Union

Welsh Hospital

Prospect

Simply Health

Minerva SSA (DTI Sports and Social)

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Letter from John Hirst, dated 10 July 2014:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 8 July 2014, UIN 204494 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The following organisations collect subscriptions through the Met Office payroll service: Civil Service Sports Council, The Charity for Civil Servants, Civil Service Club, Prospect, Public & Commercial Services Union, Charitable Giving, Chartis Insurance UK Ltd, Benenden Health, The Hospital Saturday Fund, Simplyhealth, Westfield Health.

These arrangements have been in place for a number of years. The Met Office has no plans to collect subscriptions for staff through payroll for any additional organisations.

I hope this helps.

Letter from Barbara Spicer, dated 15 July 2014:

As interim Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers’ payroll service in their Department and its agencies.

The Skills Funding Agency currently has a number of third party organisations which take direct deductions from employees’ pay. These organisations are as follows:

Civil Service:

a. Sports Council

b. Benevolent Fund

Give As You Earn charitable donations:

a. Workplace Giving

Health and Insurance providers:

a. Westfield Health

b. Health Shields

c. BSHF

d. Health Screening (BUPA)

e. DenPlan

f. Critical Illness (Unum)

g. Worldwide Travel

h. P&MM Discounted vouchers

i. Gym Flex

j. Gourmet Society

Union Subscriptions:

a. PCS

Others:

a. Student Loans

b. Cycle to Work scheme (Cycle Solutions)

c. Childcare Vouchers (Edenred)

d. Court Orders (CSA/Council Tax)

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received. [204760]

Jo Swinson: To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10,

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(b)

2010-11,

(c)

2011-12,

(d)

2012-13 and

(e)

2013-14; and how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be contracted out in 2014-15. [204892]

Jo Swinson: A comprehensive answer cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost as the Department does not maintain a single register of all contracted out services. However, the Department does routinely publish details of the ‘Outsourced Programme Managed Services’ in its annual resource accounts. These are contracts the Department has placed to manage the delivery of programmes and work to support the Department’s objectives.

The figures over the financial years in question along with the total programme expenditure for the core Department are as follows:

Vetting: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the practice of blacklisting in public sector procurement contracts. [204523]

Jo Swinson: BIS Ministers have not had any discussions with Scottish Ministers on the practice of blacklisting in public sector procurement contracts. However, the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs at the time, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott), did write to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Mr Davidson), Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, earlier in the year commenting on their second interim report 'Blacklisting in Employment: addressing the crimes of the past'.

Women and Equalities

Marriage

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities what the fee will be to convert civil partnerships to marriage; and on what basis that fee was calculated. [205169]

Mrs Grant: The proposed fees for converting a civil partnership to marriage have been calculated on a full cost recovery basis. Where comparable processes exist for marriage and civil partnership, for example, for housebound and detained persons, these have been mirrored in the calculations for the conversion fees.

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Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation, the fee to convert a civil partnership to a marriage will be:

£45-standard procedure at a register office

£99-at the residence of a housebound person

£117-at the place of detention of a detained person

£15-special procedure where a person is seriously ill and not expected to recover.

There will be separate fees for conversions conducted in consulates overseas which have yet to be confirmed.

The Government recognise that some couples may not have entered into their civil partnership if marriage had been available to same sex couples at that time. Therefore the Secretary of State for the Home Department has agreed to waive the fee for one year from 10 December 2014 for any couple who formed their civil partnership prior to 29 March 2014.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities when the Government will issue guidance to local authorities on the procedure for converting civil partnerships to marriage. [205170]

Mrs Grant: The provision of guidance to local authorities on registration matters is the responsibility of the General Register Office for England and Wales, part of Her Majesty's Passport Office. Guidance on the conversion process has already been issued.

Northern Ireland

Ministers: Official Cars

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many journeys Ministers of her Department have made using the Government Car Service; and how many such journeys were for the transportation of a red box. [204943]

Mrs Villiers: This information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much and what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and how much and what proportion of her Department's budget she expects to be contracted out in 2014-15. [205223]

Mrs Villiers: My Department does not hold specific accounting information on activities which were contracted out, and to determine this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Justice

Confiscation Orders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what value of outstanding confiscation orders were written off in each year since 2010. [199519]

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Mr Vara: The value of confiscation orders reduced or written off from 2010 to 31 May 2014 is recorded in the following table.

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Crime has fallen since 2010 and tough sentences are used to punish criminals. Confiscation orders provide a key addition to punishment, and are one of the key mechanisms available to Government to ensure that criminals are deprived of the proceeds of their crimes. Confiscation orders help to disrupt and deter criminality, and reassure the public that crime does not pay.

All debts owed through confiscation orders are rigorously pursued by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and other enforcement agencies. This has led to the amount defendants repaid from their criminal activity reaching an all time high of £137.2 million in 2013-14, an increase of 39% since 2008-09.

Orders can be reduced or written off in certain limited circumstances—for example when in individual circumstances the remaining debt is so small it is not cost effective to collect it or when it is proven that the offender does not have the assets amounting to the order value, we are required to do so by law or, if the Order was made under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994, when the offender has served their full default sentence.

HMCTS is seeking a commercial partner to help increase collections, reduce enforcement costs and, crucially, ensure more criminals pay.

The Serious Crime Bill, currently being debated in Parliament, includes provisions to further improve the current confiscation system including the enforcement of confiscation orders.

The continuing improvement the Agencies are making combined with our future plans will make sure that more criminals pay, further disrupt criminality, reassure the public that crime does not pay, and help ensure that taxpayers get better value for money,

Courts: Construction

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a detailed list of construction projects in courts that have been cancelled since May 2010, including contract details and costs and indicating in each case whether the court was subsequently closed. [203005]

Mr Vara: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has rigorous appraisal processes in place to ensure that any future estate projects offer value for taxpayers' money and deliver significant improvements to court and tribunal users.

Construction projects in courts that have been cancelled since May 2010 are detailed in the table. With regards to this information, the following should be noted.

The figures relate to sites acquired before the spending review 2010.

Following reviews of anticipated workloads, costs and future benefits, decisions were taken not to proceed with the following construction projects in their planned format as they did not offer taxpayers value for money. No construction costs were incurred and no formal decisions to dispose or develop the sites in a different form have been taken yet.

None of the courts where the construction projects were cancelled have subsequently closed. For reasons of commercial confidentiality we are unable to provide the contract details.

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Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prison officer entry level training places NOMS are planning to fill in each of the next 12 months; and what the start date is for each individual course; [201829]

(2) what the start date is for each currently planned prison officer entry level training course; how many places are available on each course; and where each course will be held. [201830]

Jeremy Wright: Prison officer entry level training (POELT) is scheduled to take place at the following centres beginning on the dates shown with the number of places available at each:

Newbold Revel (Warwickshire)

30 June 2014—40 places

21 July 2014—40 places

11 August 2014—80 places

22 September 2014—80 places

3 November 2014—80 places

12 January 2015—80 places

Stirling House (Suffolk)

21 July 2014—30 places

1 September 2014—30 places

13 October 2014—30 places

12 January 2015—30 places

Wandsworth (London)

7 July 2014—33 places

18 August 2014—33 places

29 September 2014—33 places

10 November 2014—33 places

12 January 2015—33 places

Feltham (London)

21 July 2014—20 places

1 September 2014—20 places

13 October 2014—20 places

12 January 2015—20 places

Grendon (Buckinghamshire)

7 July 2014—20 places

18 August 2014—20 places

29 September 2014—20 places

10 November 2014—20 places

12 January 2015—20 places

The total number of POELT places currently planned is 825. This is in addition to courses that are currently ongoing.

The planning and scheduling of POELT courses is kept under regular review and courses may be cancelled or rescheduled as necessary.

The entry level course for prison officer takes six weeks to complete with further training and assessment taking place during the first probationary year. The initial course will be extended to 10 weeks with effect from 1 January 2015.

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of (a) staff morale, (b) sickness rates, (c) turnover and (d) training in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [203911]

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Jeremy Wright: Management of the NOMS Agency reports to Ministers on these issues on a regular basis.

(a) Staff morale: Staff attitudes are measured in the annual Civil Service staff engagement survey, the most recent of which was run in October 2013. Action plans to improve engagement and morale are produced by every prison and headquarters group. The Highlight Report from the survey conducted in NOMS can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-people-survey-results-2013

Information on staff engagement in contracted out prisons is not available.

(b) Staff sickness rates: Reducing levels of sickness in a sustainable way is a high priority for NOMS and the agency is working through an improvement plan. Actions include improvements to policy, targeted management interventions and support for staff.

Sickness rates in adult prisons have fallen over the last 10 years and remain below the rate of 14.8 days lost, across public sector adult prisons, in 2002-03.

Figures on staff sickness absence in contracted out prisons can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225231/prs-data-12-13.xls

(c) Staff turnover: Leaver numbers, other than through voluntary early departure schemes (VEDS), expressed as a proportion of average staff in post, have remained consistent and sustainable over the past five years.

Information on staff turnover in contracted out prisons is not available.

(d) Staff training: The Ministry provides training and education for all civil servants in line with the commitment set out in the Civil Service Reform Plan:

“to provide at least five days a year targeted at the skills most needed for their roles.”

In light of the anticipated demand for detached duty staff over the summer months, some non-critical operational training has recently been curtailed to ensure that staff are used where they are most needed. This position is being reviewed on a regular basis.

Prisoners' Transfers

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners have been transferred to open conditions following a decision made only by the Ministry of Justice Public Protection Unit in each of the last four years; [203457]

(2) how many prisoners have been transferred to open conditions without advice being sought or provided by the parole board in each of the last four years. [203460]

Jeremy Wright: There are two means by which indeterminate sentenced prisoners (ISPs-both those serving life and indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs))-are considered for transfer to open conditions.

The principal means is by way of a positive recommendation from the independent Parole Board, which falls to officials either to accept or reject on behalf of the Secretary of State, under agreed delegated authority and in accordance with policy agreed by the Secretary of State. However, ISPs may also apply to

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progress to open conditions without a positive recommendation from the Parole Board being sought, where they can show exceptional progress in reducing their risk. Each application is determined on its merits under agreed delegated authority by officials in the Offender Management and Public Protection Group in the Ministry of Justice. The criteria for progression in these circumstances are as follows:

the prisoner's parole dossier must contain evidence that the prisoner has made significant progress in addressing all risk factors; and

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there must be a consensus among report writers that the prisoner is suitable and safe to be transferred to open conditions; and

there must be no areas of concern identified by report writers which would clearly benefit from further exploration by an oral hearing of the Parole Board; and

the prisoner must demonstrate in his/her representations that there are clear benefits to being transferred to open conditions immediately rather than following the established process.

The data for the last four years are as follows:

In 2013, 20% of prisoners who applied for a transfer through this route were granted a move to open conditions.

These data are taken from an administrative casework system.

We do not centrally hold data on the total number of prisoners transferred from closed to open prisons for the time period requested. Where this is available, the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve interrogating the movement records of every determinate sentenced prisoner who has transferred to an open establishment since 2010.

Decisions to transfer determinate sentence prisoners to open conditions are taken by population managers within the National Offender Management Service. Only prisoners who have been thoroughly risk assessed and categorised as suitable for open conditions will be considered for transfer to open prisons. Decisions on re-categorising prisoners as suitable for open conditions are taken by experienced prison staff with input from offender managers, healthcare and other professional staff using recent information about the prisoner including behaviour while in closed conditions, security and intelligence information and any other risk information that might demonstrate the prisoner’s proven trustworthiness. The cases of determinate sentence prisoners are not referred to the Parole Board for advice and decisions are not taken by Ministers.

Determinate sentence prisoners should not generally be moved to open prison if they have more than two years to serve to their earliest release date, unless assessment of a prisoner’s individual risks and needs support earlier categorisation to open conditions. Such cases must have the reasons for their categorisation fully documented and confirmed in writing by the governing governor.

The public have understandable concerns about the failure of some prisoners to return from temporary release from open prison. Keeping the public safe is our priority and we will not allow the actions of a small minority of offenders to undermine public confidence in the prison system. The number of temporary release failures remains very low; less that one failure in every 1,000 releases and about five in every 100,000 releases involving alleged offending, but we take each and every incident seriously. The Government have already ordered immediate changes to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. With immediate effect, prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions if they have previously absconded from open prisons; or if they have failed to return or reoffended while released on temporary licence.

Prisons: Discipline

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions the disciplinary punishment of additional days was imposed on prisoners in each of the last 10 years. [202642]

Jeremy Wright: The punishment of additional days arises from adjudication outcomes. Data on adjudications count the number of offences punished and the number of punishments given, rather than the number of prisoners charged with those offences.

The following table gives details of the total number of offences punished, the total number of punishments given, and the number of punishments for which additional days were given, each year from 2004 to 2013 (latest available).

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

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Secure Colleges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether secure colleges will contain segregation units. [204372]

Jeremy Wright: We have not instructed Wates, the preferred bidder for the design and build of the pathfinder Secure College, to include a segregation unit in the designs.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of individual sentencing guidelines do not include the maximum sentence available to the court in the most serious offence range of the offence. [204662]

Mr Vara: Sentencing guidelines are intended to ensure consistent and proportionate sentencing. The suggested range of sentencing in individual guidelines is intended to reflect current sentencing practice for the majority of offences of a particular type. Where there is a high statutory maximum, the range may not include the statutory maximum, as this was intended by Parliament to cover the worst possible case of the particular offence which is likely to fall outside the guidelines.

Each guideline has on the front page the statutory maximum for the offence in question.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer from Kevin Sadler to question 147 from the Work and Pensions Committee on 7 May 2014, (1) what the predicted cost was of (a) employment and support allowance appeals, (b) such appeals borne by the Department for Work and Pensions and (c) such appeals borne by HM Treasury in the financial year 2009-10; [203617]

(2) what the cost is of (a) employment and support allowance appeals, (b) such appeals borne by the Department for Work and Pensions and (c) such appeals borne by HM Treasury in each year since 2008-09. [203618]

Mr Vara: The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

(1) (a) In 2008 the DWP estimated that there would be an extra 21,000 appeals annually as a result of the introduction of ESA. An extra £4 million funding from DWP was initially agreed to cover these costs in the period 2009-10. HMCTS does not hold the information on other funding sources for ESA alone.

(2) The following table shows the estimated cost of ESA appeals to HMCTS in each year since 2008-09 until 2012-13 (the latest period for which data has been published). The estimated costs were calculated by multiplying the average cost of an individual SSCS tribunal case in that year by the number of ESA appeals disposed of during the year. The Tribunal receives funding from the Ministry of Justice through HMCTS, the DWP and the National Insurance Fund from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, as set out in the table below. However, the figures are for funding for the SSCS Tribunal overall as it is not possible to separate specific funding for each benefit type.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate the Government have made of the number of victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism in Great Britain where such victims and survivors live in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement; [204450]

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(2) what research the Government have commissioned on the educational, psychological, welfare, justice and related needs of victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement. [204451]

Simon Hughes: I can confirm that the Government have not commissioned specific research into victims and survivors of Northern Ireland-related acts of terrorism who reside in Great Britain. In 2012 the Ministry of Justice commissioned and published an Evidence and Practice Review which looked in depth at the needs of victims in England and Wales. This has informed both the commissioning approach to national services for victims such as the Homicide Service and the development of an outcomes-based commissioning framework to be drawn upon by Police and Crime Commissioners when commissioning local services for victims.

The Government recognise that victims of the most serious crimes should receive enhanced entitlements to support from the criminal justice organisations in England and Wales, and this is set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime published in October 2013.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Beavers: Devon

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2014, Official Report, column 330W, on beavers: Devon, (1) for what reasons he plans to recapture and rehome the wild beavers in Devon; and if he will make a statement; [204414]

(2) what other options have been discussed by his Department, Natural England and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency apart from recapturing and rehoming the population of wild beavers in Devon. [204413]

George Eustice: Beavers have not been an established part of our wildlife for the last 500 years. Before allowing them to be reintroduced into any location, their impact on a landscape that has changed considerably since they were last present should be assessed. Additionally the UK is currently free from the zoonotic disease Echinocussus multilocularis, a disease which some beavers are believed to host. To be sure that the country’s disease free status is not compromised it is necessary to capture and test the animals. However, all decisions will be made with the welfare of the beavers in mind. There are no plans to kill the animals and a site suitable for the animals to be re-homed at is being actively sought.

Biofuels

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the future prospects for farmlands and the pressures posed by a growing population and increased use of energy crops. [204831]

George Eustice: Crops can be a useful source of energy but we need to balance the need for new forms of energy with the need to grow crops for food, and we are working with other Government Departments to make sure we get this balance right. The Government’s bioenergy

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strategy makes clear that food production must remain the primary goal of agriculture and bioenergy must not undermine food security in the UK or internationally.

DEFRA is commissioning a collaborative project with the Energy Technology Institute to examine data from 32 existing bioenergy production businesses in England and Wales on food production and environmental sustainability. The project will deliver a set of indicators to help identify the types of bioenergy that can complement food production and those that present risk. Where there is risk to food production the project will consider mitigation measures and issues will be drawn out through case studies.

In 2011 DEFRA and the Department for International Development co-sponsored the Government Office for Science’s Foresight report which explores the increasing pressures on the global food system between now and 2050 and asks how a future global population of nine billion people can all be fed healthily and sustainably. The report highlights the decisions that policy makers need to take today, and in the years ahead, to ensure that a global population can be fed sustainably and equitably. DEFRA has embedded the importance of food security across the Department’s policies, recognising the many areas of policy that impact on food security outcomes, and we continue to invest significantly in research in this area.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding will be allocated to the Lune Valley in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency as part of the recently announced badger vaccination project. [204820]

George Eustice: In April 2013, as part of the Government's Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free Status for England, the Secretary of State announced new support for privately led vaccination initiatives in the Edge Area. Building on ongoing work with stakeholders, including a workshop held on 24 June, a new scheme will be launched shortly and will offer financial and other support, such as training and advice. This will be a grant scheme and as such prospective vaccination projects will need to apply for funding and support. The level of funding and support offered will be dependent on the extent to which successful projects meet the criteria that will be announced as part of the scheme.

Countryside: Lancashire

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the inclusion of Upper Lune Valley in the (a) Cumbrian National Park and (b) Trough of Bowland area of outstanding natural beauty. [204798]

George Eustice: Designation of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty is a matter for Natural England. In 2012 Natural England made Variation Orders to extend the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks. The proposed extensions to the Yorkshire Dales national park include parts of the Lune Valley. The Orders were subject to a public inquiry in 2013 and the Secretary of State is now considering the Inspector's report.

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Fisheries

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support the fishing industry. [205011]

George Eustice: The Government’s objective for fisheries is to have healthy fish stocks, a prosperous fishing industry and a healthy marine environment. The fundamental reform of the common fisheries policy that the UK worked so hard to achieve has an important role in ensuring this, and the Government will continue to make financial support available under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to help the sector achieve these objectives.

Regionalisation provides a process to work with other member states and the industry to making fisheries management decisions closer to the fishery and those affected. This is an important step away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to fisheries management. Legally binding requirements to set fishing rates at sustainable levels ensure an end to the overfishing we have seen in the past. The landing obligation will see an end to the wasteful practice of discards and improvements in avoiding unwanted catches in the first place.

All of this will improve fish stocks, allowing greater catches to be taken and thereby providing a more economically and environmentally sustainable future for the fishing industry.

Fishing Gear

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which organisations, groups and industry bodies his Department has met since 2010 to discuss lost commercial fishing gear and its effect on UK waters and marine animals; [204909]

(2) whether his Department is working with the fishing industry to ensure lost commercial fishing gear is reported to relevant authorities in line with requirements under (a) the Common Fisheries Policy and (b) other international agreements; [204913]

(3) what steps the Government is taking to quantify and mitigate the effects of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear in UK and international waters. [204920]

George Eustice: Provisions concerning the retrieval and reporting of lost fishing gear are contained in the EU Fisheries Control Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No.1224/2009). DEFRA has not held meetings specifically to discuss lost fishing gear. However, officials frequently discuss this regulation with the fishing industry and other interested parties. Masters of all EU fishing vessels are required to report any lost fishing gear to the vessel's flag state. This requirement was notified to all licence holders when the current control regulation was introduced, and the Marine Management Organisation plans to issue additional guidance that will remind vessel masters of their responsibilities in this respect on the www.gov.uk website in the near future.

As part of DEFRA's work in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic, North East Atlantic,

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Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS), we actively participate in discussions relating to understanding the extent and impact of entanglement of cetaceans in lost fishing gear.

Hill Farming

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an assessment of the financial effect on hill farmers of recent changes to the CAP which takes into account the abolition of the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship and the increase in the moorlands rate and the severely disadvantaged area rate. [204823]

George Eustice: We published an analysis of the financial impact of changes to the CAP on pillar 1 in chapter 7 of the Government’s initial response to the CAP Reform consultation

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/common-agricultural-policy-reform-implementation-in-england

In their replies to the consultation some stakeholders expressed concern about the scale of the uplift merited in the moorland. We therefore undertook a further analysis and discussed the data with farming and environmental stakeholders before reaching a final decision on the appropriate rate for the moorland region.

We estimate 2015 farm business income for grazing livestock farms in the uplands to be broadly unchanged from current levels in real terms. This takes into account the changes to pillar 1 including payment rates, greening, reductions in direct payments over €150,000 and the end of new Uplands Entry Level Stewardship agreements. The analysis does not take into account any changes in land rent prices or changes in farm structure or behaviour.

Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate how much money his Department has spent in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency since May 2010. [204776]

Dan Rogerson: The Department is unable to provide information at this level of detail. However, the tables on pages 72 and 73 of DEFRA’s Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14, at the following link, set out analyses of the Department’s spending by country and region within the UK, and by function. Notes providing context to the tables appear on page 71.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/328401/defra-year-end-accounts-2013-14.pdf

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much and what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be contracted out in 2014-15. [205213]

Dan Rogerson: This information is not held by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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Training

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event. [205293]

Dan Rogerson: DEFRA officials generally use facilities within the Government estate where possible, for “awayday” events. Records of the use of external venues are not held centrally and collecting such information would incur disproportionate cost.

Communities and Local Government

Community Assets

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps he has taken to promote community rights under the Localism Act 2011. [203922]

Stephen Williams: This Government want to put communities in control; giving people more power to make decisions about their local area. The community rights are promoted through local, national and consumer press, broadcast media (TV and radio), ministerial visits, conferences, workshops and social media.

Over 1,200 assets of community value have been listed and we have helped 150 organisations to acquire a

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community asset or obtain significant investment towards doing so. More than 900 neighbourhood planning areas have been designated, and all 21 plans which have reached referendum so far have passed with significant majorities in favour. Our network of 50 neighbourhood planning champions host awareness raising events and provide informal local advice based upon their experiences to promote and support neighbourhood planning.

In March we ran two ‘Information Exchange’ events focused on the community rights for local councillors in Essex and Buckinghamshire and will be offering these out across the country. We are also running a series of workshops for local authorities focused on the Community Right to Bid and Asset Transfer.

But the rights form just one part of the wider package of policies which drive our ‘communities in control’ agenda.

We are supporting 21 local campaigns for new parish councils covering local populations of more than half a million people. Over 100 new Our Place areas are starting work within their communities to transform neighbourhood level service delivery. Community share issues have raised over £24 million for community ventures.

Over £60 million has been made available, across a number of different programmes, to help communities take more control of their areas. This encompasses grants, advice and professional expertise to use the community rights, setting up an Our Place area, campaigning for a new parish, supporting community pubs, promoting the use of community shares and empowering tenants to ensure their landlord provides the services they want.

Council Tax

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the threshold for council tax increases needed to trigger a local referendum; and if he will make a statement. [201485]

Brandon Lewis: The council tax referendum principles are proposed annually by the Government and subject to the approval of the House of Commons. We are open to representations on the principles for 2015-16 and how local residents can continue to be protected from unwanted council tax rises.

A further council tax freeze offer is available for local authorities in 2015-16, and we would encourage all local authorities, including Brighton and Hove, to take up that opportunity.

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Housing Revenue Accounts

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to assist local authorities in acquiring necessary skills, partnerships and capacity to utilise the increased borrowing allowed against the Housing Revenue Account. [204424]

Kris Hopkins: The coalition Government have reformed the outdated council housing finance system with the introduction of self-financing in 2012. This has given the 167 stock-holding local authorities a stable source of funding with which to make long-term business plans, including the provision of new affordable homes.

This Government have also made available £300 million of extra Housing Revenue Account borrowing to help stock-holding local authorities build new affordable homes. The first allocations of £60 million across 15 local authorities was announced on 7 July alongside a second round of bidding to ensure councils make full use of this opportunity.

Each scheme was assessed individually against a range of criteria including value for money and deliverability as well as the track record of the local authority to ensure they had the technical capacity to deliver the schemes or with a partner organisation. We have also encouraged councils to work closely with their local enterprise partnership in support of local growth strategies, to increase the supply of housing locally.

House building is a key part of this Government's long-term economic plan; council house building starts are now at a 23-year high and more council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which instances the Planning Inspectorate has (a) removed and (b) amended to weaken (i) the code for sustainable homes and (ii) BREEAM standards from a development plan document prepared by a local planning authority since 13 March 2014; and if he will make a statement. [204645]

Stephen Williams: There has been one instance, in relation to draft Bath and North East Somerset Core Strategy.

The written ministerial statement of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 32WS, sets out the Government's clear policy to rationalise and simplify the many overlapping and confusing housing standards currently in operation. This will enable quality and sustainable housing developments to be brought forward more easily but without compromising essential safety and accessibility protections. The outcome of the review means that many of the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will be consolidated into building regulations, which would require substantial changes to the content of the current code, as well as a reconsideration of its role. In the light of this, the Government think that the current code will need to be wound down to coincide with the changes incorporating the new standards coming into force. The Government will make further announcements soon on the transitional arrangements, and the handling of legacy developments being built out to current code requirements.

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For a Local Plan to be “sound” it must be consistent with national policy. In this context, Bath and North East Somerset’s proposals to place the Code for Sustainable Homes into planning policy was contrary to the direction of the new national policy of consolidating these standards into the building regulation regime.

Official Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was. [200479]

Brandon Lewis: Details of ministerial overseas travel and meetings with external organisations are routinely published every quarter and can be accessed on the Department’s web page via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-ministerial-data

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what (a) financial, (b) staffing and (c) capacity-building support and assistance his Department has given to Sussex Safer Roads Partnership in respect of (i) activities relating to Operation Crackdown and (ii) all other activities in each year since its inception; [204565]

(2) what metrics his Department applies to assess the performance of Sussex Safer Roads Partnership's contribution to Operation Crackdown; [204566]

(3) if he will publish his assessment of the effectiveness of the protocols governing Sussex Safer Roads Partnership's contribution to Operation Crackdown. [204567]

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has no involvement with Operation Crackdown.

Cabinet Office

ICT

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by his Department in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.; [204464]

(2) how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by his Office in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; [204468]

(3) how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by No. 10 Downing Street in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date. [204802]

Mr Maude: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the Member for Harrow West (Mr Thomas) on 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 741W. As was the case under the previous Administration, there are occasional incidents where equipment is reported lost or stolen. Staff are required to report such incidents, and cases are investigated. Laptops which will hold sensitive equipment are encrypted and mobile phones disabled as soon as an incident is reported.

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It is not possible to make a like-for-like comparison for the period covered by this question because there has been a substantial increase in the number of mobile phones and laptops issued to staff and the Department has been affected by various machinery of government changes.

Details of items for the Cabinet Office are as follows:

2014 numbers will be finalised in due course.

Immigration: Northern Ireland

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many international migrants have entered Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [205017]

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

Letter from Peter Fullerton dated July 2014:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many international migrants have entered Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [205017].

ONS has published estimates of international immigration to Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2012. The estimates are shown in Table 1. Please note that estimates for immigration to Northern Ireland for years prior to 2008 are not published as methodological changes introduced in 2008 means that they are not comparable with later estimates.

Estimates for 2013 will be available on 27 November 2014.

These statistics are based on the United Nations definition of a long-term international migrant, that is, someone who changes their country of usual residence for a period of at least one year. They refer to long-term migrants who arrive in Northern Ireland from outside the UK.

For more information please see our Long-Term International Migration (LTIM) methodology document:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/population-and-migration/international-migration-methodology/long-term-international-migration-estimates-methodology.pdf

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Regional Agency (NISRA) also publishes immigration estimates for Northern Ireland which include immigrants from Great Britain as well as the rest of the world:

http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/demography/population/migration/Migration_(1871_to_2013).xls

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Ministers: Official Cars

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many journeys Ministers of his Department have made using the Government Car Service; and how many such journeys were for the transportation of a red box. [204932]

Mr Maude: As was the case under the previous Administration, the Ministerial Car Pool is used for official purposes. The detailed information requested is not maintained.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts (a) let since 2010 and (b) about to be let by his Department and its agencies are worth (i) between £1 million and £3 million and (ii) over £3 million; how much has been spent on monitoring each contract let by his Department since 2010; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract let since 2010. [205196]

Mr Maude: Information relating to the expenditure and the number of officials involved in monitoring contracts is not held centrally.

Contracts and frameworks above the value of £10,000 awarded by the Cabinet Office and the Crown Commercial Service are published on the Contracts Finder website:

www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.