Further Education and Training

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women who benefited from free early education were in training or further education in each of the last five years. [205034]

Nick Boles: Information on further education learners who benefited from free early education is not centrally collected.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010. [205470]

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills core owns no freehold land, therefore no land has been released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds. [205335]

Jo Swinson: The Department does not maintain a register of subscriptions to magazines so an answer cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The Department does not subscribe to any TV channels and only uses Freeview.

Postal Services: Competition

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of direct delivery competition on Royal Mail and the sustainability of the universal service obligation. [206359]

Jo Swinson: Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament established Ofcom as an independent regulator for postal services and gave it the primary duty to secure the ongoing provision of the universal service in the United Kingdom. To this end, Ofcom must have regard for the financial sustainability of the universal service and has the powers to intervene if the provision of the universal service is ever at risk.

Ofcom has put in place an ongoing and forward- looking monitoring regime to closely track any potential impacts of postal competition on the provision of the universal service in the UK. Ofcom is committed to carrying out a full review on end-to-end competition next year, though it has made it very clear that it would carry out an earlier review if market developments dictated the need to do so. At the present time, end-to-end competition accounts for less than 0.5% of letter volumes in the United Kingdom.

Royal Mail

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 292W, on Royal Mail, how many staff of the Shareholder Executive worked on the privatisation of Royal Mail. [206033]

Matthew Hancock: The 17 core staff referred to in the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 292W, were all from the Shareholder Executive working on the Royal Mail Initial Public Offering.

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the review by Lord Myners of the process of privatisation of Royal Mail will be published in full; and when this report will be completed. [206059]

Matthew Hancock: The review is intended to inform wider HMG considerations about alternatives to bookbuilding, as recommended by the National Audit Office in its report on the Royal Mail Initial Public

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Offering (IPO). It will help the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), in his own assessment of the system the Government operate for the sale of our assets through IPOs to ensure that Government can meet our full objectives while achieving value for money.

It is not a public review but the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will make the key findings of the review public.

It is expected that the noble Lord Myners will complete his review later this year.

Students: Fees and Charges

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to lowering the tuition fee cap for students studying STEM subjects. [205814]

Greg Clark: The Government have not considered lowering tuition fee caps for students studying STEM subjects. Higher education institutions already have the flexibility to vary their fees for STEM or other courses, provided that the fees charged do not exceed the cap.

Tickets: Internet

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what representations he has received from secondary ticketing websites about amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill; [205807]

(2) what discussions he, Ministers or officials in his Department have had with secondary ticketing websites about guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013; [205806]

(3) what discussions he, Minister and officials in his Department have had with Ministers or officials in the (a) Department for Culture, Media and Sport and (b) Home Office about the resale of tickets and the Consumer Rights Bill; [205808]

(4) what representations he received from representatives of secondary ticketing websites on the guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013; [205818]

(5) what steps he is taking to ensure that secondary ticketing websites abide by the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. [205864]

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not received any direct representations from representatives of the secondary ticketing websites on amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill or about the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

Neither the Secretary of State nor other Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have had meetings with the secondary ticketing websites about the implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges)

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Regulations 2013 or the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.

The draft regulations and the contents of the Bill were widely consulted on and the Department received a range of comments in response. Officials from the Department have also had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders (including with secondary ticketing websites) on the implementation of those regulations and the guidance on them.

Following a consultation on the draft regulations, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has produced guidance on the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance is easily accessible on the gov.uk website. Officials have also worked with the business support helpline, which offers free advice to business on a wide range of issues, including regulation, and with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), as the primary body responsible for educating businesses on consumer law. TSI has also produced guidance which is available on its website. Consumers themselves are important in driving compliance and officials have worked with Citizens Advice to raise consumer awareness so that they can see when businesses are not abiding by the requirements of the regulations.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also actively promoted the changes in the regulations across all sectors through seminars, presentations and communications to businesses.

Ministers in the Home Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.

Training

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many away days his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event. [205287]

Jo Swinson: The Department does not hold data on Directorate away days or the cost of them as each event is held only when needed and not on a regular basis.

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010. [205303]

Jo Swinson: The information is as follows:

2010

Edward Davey, former Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs: June 2010; John Hayes, former Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning: June 2010; Baroness Wilcox, former Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills: June 2010: £2,100.

2012

Jo Swinson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs (jointly with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport): October 2012 £2,200.

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Matthew Hancock, Minister for Skills (jointly with Department for Education) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: October 2012 £2,200.

2013

Viscount Younger, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: May 2013; £3,300.

2014

Jenny Willott—Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs: March 2014; £3,300.

These training sessions would have covered television, radio and journalist interviews. There are no costs associated with social media training.

The Department organises media training for Ministers to help them undertake their official duty as spokespersons for the Department. Every effort is taken to ensure value for the taxpayer.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many traineeships completed to date have lasted six weeks or less. [206127]

Matthew Hancock: In the June Statistical First Release we published data showing that there were 7,400 traineeship starts between August 2013 and April 2014—the first nine months of the programme. We do not have reliable data yet to break this down further.

Further information on traineeships data is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324016/traineeship-data-note-june14.pdf

UK Export Finance: Northern Ireland

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many export finance advisers are employed by UK Export Finance in Northern Ireland. [205565]

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance employs 21 export finance advisers, based across the English regions and devolved Administrations. There is one export finance adviser based in Northern Ireland, who is part of a team of seven advisers which covers the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to improve the lives of Christian people in Afghanistan who face difficulties as a result of publicly practising their faith. [205626]

Mr Ellwood: The UK strongly supports the universal human right to freedom of religion and belief. We continue to remind the Afghan Government of their duty to abide by their national and international commitments, and to respect the freedom of worship as enshrined in the Afghan constitution. We use a variety of activities within Afghanistan to promote freedom of religion, including supporting human rights awareness training. We are also engaging with religious leaders and scholars, to discuss the role of religious leaders in promoting peace and tolerance at a local level.

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Ascension Island

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that West Nile virus is not introduced from the United States to Ascension Island. [206361]

Mark Simmonds: At the present time, the Ascension Island Government (AIG) assess that there is a low risk of West Nile virus being introduced to Ascension Island from the United States. AIG continue to monitor the situation and will keep their precautionary measures under review.

Billing

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years. [205972]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold all of the required data centrally and could not answer this question in full without incurring disproportionate costs. However, we recently investigated duplicate supplier payments for the eight-month period from April to November 2013 and identified just one duplicate invoice, with a value of £2,501. Our financial control system prevented any payment being made. The FCO has several controls in place to prevent duplicate payments.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the commercial tuna fishing licences sold by the British Indian Ocean Territory Government in 2010. [205886]

Mark Simmonds: 21 commercial tuna fishing licences were issued by the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration in 2010, prior to the implementation of the Marine Protected Area. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the importance of the sustainability of the British overseas territories. [205916]

Mark Simmonds: The sustainability of the UK’s overseas territories is a priority for my Department and for the whole of Government. The UK Government have a fundamental responsibility and objective to ensure the security and good governance of the territories and their peoples and to ensure the good stewardship of their natural environments. On the latter point, the Government have worked closely with the territories to mainstream environmental policy and to help them understand how their unique natural heritage can bring them positive benefits. The Government are contributing some £2 million per annum to the Darwin Fund, which supports environmental management in the territories.

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The Government set out our vision and strategy for the overseas territories in the 2012 White Paper: “The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability”. I recognise the valuable work of my hon. Friend the Member for Romford as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on the overseas territories.

Buildings

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on refurbishing (a) gym and leisure facilities, (b) cafeterias and (c) interior decoration within buildings (i) used and (ii) owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date. [205239]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) new gym facility within the King Charles Street office was part of a combined project which also delivered a new Diplomatic Service Language Centre. It has replaced the staff gym in the Old Admiralty Building office, which has closed as part of the FCO's office relocation. Figures for the gym alone could not be extracted from these totals without incurring disproportionate cost.

Expenditure on refurbishing cafeterias during 2013 was nil. During 2014 to date, the total was £189,682.

Expenditure on the refurbishment of interior decoration is not specifically identified as such within the Department’s records and could not be extracted without incurring disproportionate cost.

Overseas, the FCO runs an estate in over 270 locations worldwide. It would not be possible to provide the information requested on overseas properties without incurring disproportionate cost.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Government of Burma reported threats that ethnic Rohingya identifying themselves as such in the census could face arrest. [206292]

Mr Swire: We have not received reports of anyone facing arrest for identifying themselves as Rohingya in Burma’s census; the enumeration period is now over. However, we were deeply disappointed that during the census the Burmese Government went against their long-standing assurance that all individuals would have the right to self-identify their ethnic origin. We have been clear that this decision is in contravention of international norms and standards on census conduct. I discussed our concerns on the census with the senior Burmese Minister responsible, Immigration Minister U Khin Yi, in March, and summoned the Burmese ambassador in April.

The UK, UN and other donors have been in dialogue with the Burmese Government and community groups throughout the preparation, enumeration and now the data analysis and dissemination stages of the census. We have been absolutely clear that we want to see as peaceful, credible and complete a process as possible, with the anticipated risks carefully managed.

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Cayman Islands

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the degree to which the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane captive breeding facility. [206226]

Mark Simmonds: The elected Government of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, have devolved constitutional responsibility for animal welfare and conservation, including for legislation and policies governing the Cayman Turtle Farm. The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Cayman Islands and for their compliance with obligations arising under international law. The UK has extended the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to the Cayman Islands. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is providing technical support and advice to support the Cayman Islands in fully meeting its international environmental and conservation obligations. The UK CITES Management Authority has not made a recent assessment of whether the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane facility, but did commission an independent investigation in 2002 in support of an application for registration as a captive breeding operation under CITES, which found it was a humane facility.

China

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the detention of Gao Zhisheng in China; and what steps he is taking to secure his release. [205417]

Mr Swire: We remain concerned about human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been imprisoned in Xinjiang, without access to his family, since January 2013. We raised his case directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May. We understand that Gao’s prison term is due to end soon, and we urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that his rights to freedom of movement and communication are duly protected on his release.

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the health and whereabouts of human rights lawyer Mr Gao Zhisheng following his further detention by Chinese authorities. [205837]

Mr Swire: We remain concerned about human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2011. We raised his case directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May, and urged the Chinese authorities to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all detainees, including access to family, lawyers and adequate medical care.

We understand that Gao’s prison term is due to end soon, and we urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that his rights to freedom of movement and communication are duly protected on his release.

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Diego Garcia

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 643W, on Diego Garcia, if he will immediately publish the contents of all the records referred to in the answer. [206294]

Mark Simmonds: I have asked officials to review the contents of the material, with a view to assessing their suitability for publication, in accordance with our regular procedures.

Egypt

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political stability of Egypt. [205914]

Mr Ellwood: We believe that a genuinely open political process, in which all political groups are able to participate, will lead to long-term stability in Egypt. We are concerned at restrictions on political freedoms, including freedom of expression and association, and the trials of journalists. We are also concerned at reports of the absence of a fair hearing in some recent trials. The UK encourages the Egyptian Government to implement the rights enshrined in Egypt's constitution.

Prosperity will also be important for Egypt's long-term stability. We welcome the Egyptian Government starting to implement economic reforms. The UK supports the Egyptian people in their aspirations for greater economic opportunities, political participation, freedom and rights.

EU Staff: British Nationality

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on (a) the number of UK citizens employed by EU institutions and (b) the proportion of the annual staff budget of the European Parliament spent on staff salaries for UK citizens. [204783]

Mr Lidington: As of April 2014, the UK’s overall percentage of permanent officials in the Commission was 4.5% and the percentage of administrators (policy grade) was 5.4%. This breaks down as follows:

In the General Secretariat of the Council there were:

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The UK currently also has 112 out of a total of 1,028 (10.89%) of Seconded National Experts (civil servants on secondment from member states) working in the EU Institutions.

The 2014 annual EU budget includes €1755.6 million for the administrative expenditure of the European Parliament (EP), of which 35% is for staff expenses, mainly salaries for the 6,000 officials working in the General Secretariat and in the Political Groups. The EP budget is not broken down by nationality of the officials involved.

Japan

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Japanese Government on introducing a ban on the practice of eating live sushi. [205283]

Mr Swire: We are aware that some restaurants in Japan offer live seafood dishes on their menus. In the UK, the practice of serving live food would be illegal under the Animal Welfare Act as causing unnecessary suffering. We hope that public sentiment will move those countries where such practices are currently legal to change their policies. However, in the absence of international laws or agreements governing this issue, the UK has no legal grounds to intervene with Japan or other countries where the consumption of live seafood is legal in domestic law.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he had with his Libyan counterparts about violence in Tripoli. [205816]

Mr Ellwood: Since assuming office on 15 July, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has yet to have direct discussions with the Libyan Foreign Minister. However, through our embassy in Tripoli, we remain in direct contact with the Libyan Government at the highest levels. We share their concern at the attacks in and around Tripoli International Airport and condemn all actions which put lives in danger, whether in the East or West of the country. We support the Libyan Government’s call for a ceasefire and urgent dialogue.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Tripoli. [205817]

Mr Ellwood: We continue to monitor carefully the ongoing security situation in Tripoli and across Libya. We are deeply concerned at the attacks in and around Tripoli International Airport and condemn actions which put lives in danger, whether in the East or West of the country.

We support the Libyan Government’s call for a ceasefire and urgent dialogue. Violence and the threat of violence are unacceptable and should not be used to pursue political goals. The situation in which armed groups operate outside Government control, and without respect

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for either Libyan or international law, threatens the stability of the state and the Libyan people’s aspirations for a secure and prosperous future.

Our travel advice remains current, and is updated as necessary to reflect the situation on the ground.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds; and what the annual cost is of each of those subscriptions. [205258]

Mr Lidington: The information is as follows:

(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reviews all magazine subscriptions annually. Titles are provided electronically wherever possible to ensure efficiency and best value for money.

The FCO does not hold centrally separate data on magazine subscriptions. The majority of decisions on subscriptions are made by the UK’s embassies and diplomatic posts and are funded from within their delegated budgets, or by individual departments within the FCO on the same basis. As a result, comprehensive information on individual publications is not centrally recorded and collating this information would incur disproportionate cost. The following is the list of magazines provided centrally, in the majority of cases in electronic format, as of July 2014:

American Journal of International Law, Civil Wars, Critical Studies on Terrorism, International Peacekeeping, Turkish Studies, Common Market Law Review, Current Legal Problems, Human Rights Quarterly, ICSID Review — Foreign Investment Law Journal, International Community Law Review, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies, Journal of Private International Law, Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, Legal Issues of Economic Integration : Academic – Government, Modern Law Review, Ocean Development and International Law, Military Balance, Global Governance, Journal of Common Market Studies, Project Manager Today, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Journal of Democracy, Post-Soviet Affairs, RUSI Journal and Whitehall Papers, Africa Confidential, Comparative Strategy, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Conflict Security and Development, Economic and Political Weekly, Eye Spy Magazine, IISS Publications Combined, Intelligence and National Security, International Affairs, International Journal of Human Rights, International Journal of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, Journal of Strategic Studies, Marston World Wide, Monde Diplomatique, Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law, Prospect, Science, Terrorism and Political Violence, Washington Quarterly, Inside US Trade and World Trade, Jane's Defence News, Jane's Security News, Science Direct.

The breadth of magazines reflects the wide range of issues, events and crises the FCO’s staff around the world need to keep track of in order to protect Britain’s interests at home and overseas.

The total cost of these magazine subscriptions was £52,964. Total FCO expenditure on publications has fallen by 16% since 2010.

(b) The FCO does not spend any money on premium satellite television channels in the UK. The digital television system used by the FCO is provided through our support agreement with FCO Services. It has been in place for five years and all 85 channels available are free to air and are therefore subscription free.

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This does not capture subscriptions sourced locally overseas as it would incur disproportionate cost to obtain this information.

Ministers: Official Cars

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [204938]

Mr Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers do not make regular use of the Government Car Service and we do not record the times when it may be used by Ministers. FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, has a small pool of vehicles and security cleared drivers (the London Car Service) which are used mainly for transporting Queen’s Messengers, diplomatic bags and other classified material. As part of a long-standing arrangement the Permanent Under-Secretary and other senior officials have been able to draw on this pool for official and operationally necessary travel, and since 2010 FCO Ministers have also used the service.

In the financial year 2013-14, 1,446 journeys were made by Ministers using the London Car Service. A further 151 London Car Service journeys were made for the separate transportation of red boxes.

Montserrat

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable is for the Montserrat Conservation and Environmental Management Bill. [206343]

Mark Simmonds: The elected Government of Montserrat have devolved constitutional responsibility for conservation and environmental management. The UK Government are supporting the strengthening of the legal and institutional framework for environment management through our support for the Montserrat Strategic Growth Plan. We understand that the Montserrat Conservation and Environmental Management Bill is due to have its third and final reading in the Legislative Assembly on 22 July.

Nigeria

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to help the 223 girls kidnapped in North East Nigeria. [206372]

Mark Simmonds: We remain committed to helping Nigeria to find the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok. On 12 June the First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the previous Foreign Secretary, hosted the London Ministerial on Security in Northern Nigeria. At this meeting with Nigeria, her neighbours and other international partners, we agreed a number of further measures designed to help the girls abducted on 14 April by Boko Haram, and the hundreds of others like them. We continue to offer intelligence support to the Nigerian authorities and are also agreeing with them the increased training and tactical support we committed to in London.

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We will review progress further at a ministerial follow-up meeting in Abuja in September.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the delivery of the package of assistance pledged by the Prime Minister to the Nigerian Government following the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in that country. [206374]

Mark Simmonds: We continue to provide support to the Nigerian authorities in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls. In addition to the support announced by the Prime Minister, on 12 June we announced a further package of assistance. This package includes training and advice to the Nigerian armed forces; support to the Nigerian Government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; a commitment to draw 1 million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020 and £1 million for the UN’s Safe Schools Initiative. We are agreeing the implementation of these measures with the Nigerian authorities and look forward to reviewing progress at a ministerial meeting in Abuja in September.

Official Cars

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomatic cars have been sold by his Department in each year since 2010; how much each car was sold for; and how much was raised in total from such sales. [204737]

Mr Lidington: Responsibility for the purchase and sale of diplomatic vehicles is devolved to embassies and high commissions. Diplomatic vehicles are sold when no longer cost-effective to run, or when fewer vehicles are needed. These vehicles are sold for a fair, local market price. Sales of all vehicles raised £777,000 in 2013-14 and £1.166 million in 2012-13.

Pitcairn Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to protect biodiversity on the Pitcairn Islands. [205917]

Mark Simmonds: HMG work closely with the Pitcairn Island Council, the Pitcairn community and other stakeholders on the protection of biodiversity on the Pitcairn Islands. We are currently drafting a revised Pitcairn Ordinance (Law) on environmental protection to entrench these protections further.

The Government are also currently funding, through Darwin Plus, a project to develop a sustainable marine and fisheries management plan for the Pitcairn Islands.

We have committed to working constructively with the Pitcairn Island Council and other stakeholders to see if there are practical solutions for more affordable enforcement, including enhanced international co-operation, alternative sources of funding and innovative methods to achieve the same objective.

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Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract. [205369]

Mr Lidington: Since 2010, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has awarded 34 contracts over £3 million and 40 contracts between £1 million to £3 million (lifetime value). Contracts awarded by agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are delegated to the relevant agency or body.

We anticipate awarding a further 21 contracts between £1 million to £3 million and nine contracts over £3 million within the remainder of this financial year.

In keeping with the Government’s transparency commitments, since 2012 contracts are published online for public scrutiny. This means taxpayers can hold us to account and make sure our contracts provide them with value for money and achieve what they are supposed to do. Further information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

In the last four years we have significantly built up our capability to commercially manage our contracts in line with wider Government initiatives to improve supplier management. We have also provided training to officials to equip them with skills to negotiate the best prices with suppliers and resolve disputes satisfactorily, and the FCO executive committee regularly meets supplier board members to oversee progress. We further manage risk and costs by appointing officials to manage individual contracts and be accountable for the performance of each supplier.

Sri Lanka

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on their co-operation with the investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into alleged abuses in that country. [205438]

Mr Swire: We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to fully co-operate with the UN Human Rights Council resolution of March 2014 and the international investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict it established. In his written ministerial statement of 31 March, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), stated that ‘we encourage the Sri Lankan government to fully co-operate with the resolution, and to work alongside the international community for the benefit of its people’. Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka has raised this point directly with members of the Sri Lankan Government, and in public statements.

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Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on steps to bring to justice people responsible for the recent inter-communal violence in that country. [205439]

Mr Swire: We continue to raise our concerns about attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan Government, including the most recent violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Through our high commissioner in Colombo, we have urged the Sri Lankan Government to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

On 7 July, I also met members of the Sri Lankan Muslim community resident in the UK whose family and friends were directly affected by recent violence in order to hear their concerns.

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the religious conversion bill in Sri Lanka on the situation of religious minorities in that country. [205627]

Mr Swire: The Anti-Conversion Bill was presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament ahead of Sri Lanka's general election in 2010. However it did not pass, as Parliament was subsequently dissolved for the election. As a result, the Bill would now need to be re-presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament if it is to be enacted into law. If passed, the Act would have provided privileged status to Buddhism.

The promotion of human rights, including religious freedom, is at the very heart of British foreign policy. The British Government regularly speak out internationally to condemn instances of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their religion, regardless of the country or faith concerned.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart (a) on that country's duties to uphold human rights and (b) in response to recent attacks on Muslims in that country. [206124]

Mr Swire: We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Sri Lankan Government and urge them to make progress on reconciliation and accountability. The UK was a main co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council resolution passed in March, which establishes an international investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict. The resolution also calls upon the Sri Lankan Government to end continuing incidents of human rights violations and abuses in Sri Lanka.

We also continue to raise our concerns about attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan Government, including the most recent violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Through our high commissioner in Colombo, we have urged the Sri Lankan authorities to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance

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of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

St Helena

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the opening of the airport on St Helena does not lead to the development of child sex tourism in that territory. [205829]

Mark Simmonds: Safeguarding children in St Helena is a critical priority for the St Helena Government and the UK. Whilst Territory Governments have the principal responsibility for ensure the safeguarding of children in the Overseas Territories, the UK provides practical assistance and support. DFID and the FCO have been supporting child safeguarding initiatives in the OT’s for the last nine years, most recently through the Safeguarding Children in the Overseas Territories (SCOT) programme (2013-2016), which followed on from an earlier SCOT programme (2009-2013) and a regional Child Protection Programme (CPP, 2005-2008). This new programme will focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the problem, including how to detect, prevent and address child abuse.

Following recent further allegations relating to child abuse in St Helena, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs agreed to establish an independent panel of experts to investigate these specific allegations and related matters. In response to these allegations, the island’s Executive Council said: “We have taken great steps on St Helena to protect our children and vulnerable people against abuse of any kind. We know that there are concerns, as there are in any community, but solid progress has been made in improving our safeguarding capabilities. We know there is still more to do, and we will continue to strive for further improvements.

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received about allegations of child abuse and police corruption on St Helena since May 2010; when that information was received; and what steps his Department took in response to that information. [205830]

Mark Simmonds: Safeguarding children in St Helena is a critical priority for the St Helena Government and the UK. There have been a number of allegations in recent years about child safety and police corruption. In response there have been several investigations and reviews into St Helena, including from independent police forces and from child safety NGOs. These have resulted in detailed action plans from the St Helena Government and police service to improve their ability to protect children.

Last week, we received further allegations of a conspiracy to cover up child abuse on St Helena from former employees of the St Helena Government. We take such allegations extremely seriously. In response, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs agreed to establish an independent panel of experts to investigate these specific allegations and related matters. We hope to be able to announce further details shortly.

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John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Governor of St Helena has received about allegations of child abuse and police corruption in that territory since May 2010; when that information was received; and what steps the Governor took in response to that information. [205831]

Mark Simmonds: The Governor and the elected Government of St Helena take very seriously any allegations of child abuse and police corruption. All allegations are investigated and where evidence is available those responsible are dealt with according to the law. There have been numerous successful prosecutions over the period in question with substantial sentences awarded to those convicted of an offence.

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to tackle offences of child abuse on St Helena. [205832]

Mark Simmonds: Territory Governments have the principal responsibility to ensure the safeguarding of children in the Overseas Territories, for which the UK provides practical assistance and support. DFID and the FCO have been supporting child safeguarding initiatives in the OT’s for the last nine years, most recently through the Safeguarding Children in the Overseas Territories (SCOT) programme (2013-2016), which followed on from an earlier SCOT programme (2009-2013) and a regional Child Protection Programme (CPP, 2005-2008). Although tangible progress was made in earlier programmes to raise awareness and build capacity, the new programme will focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the problem, including how to detect, prevent and address child abuse.

In St Helena, the SCOT programme has helped encourage revised and updated legislation to protect children, established professional protocols and procedures for those involved in child services, improved the provision of training for St Helena officials, and helped to promote local ownership of the safeguarding agenda. Support has been provided to St Helena through a Lucy Faithfull Foundation review (2013) and technical expertise to take forward a robust child safeguarding action plan arising from review recommendations.

The FCO and DFID have been working closely with the UK police who have investigated reports into child sex abuse on St Helena and continue to do so.

Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many awaydays his Department has held for (a) senior and (b) other civil servants in (i) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and how much each such awayday cost. [205238]

Mr Ellwood: Awaydays are working days where staff get together to share best practices and experiences. Departments use awaydays to set objectives and decide how they will help the FCO achieve its priorities of protecting national security, creating jobs and economic growth and providing the best support for British people overseas. Details on costs are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but Departments are required to keep costs to a minimum.

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Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) other Ministers in his Department; and what specific training was provided in each such case. [205242]

Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham) on 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 569W.

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), attended media training in July 2013. The cost was £1,150.

Since then we have not provided any training on media or social media for any Ministers in the Department.

Uganda

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Ugandan Government and (b) his EU counterparts on the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Uganda of the sanctions against that country announced by the US Administration on 19 June 2014 in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Act. [206360]

Mark Simmonds: We have consistently raised our concerns about the Act with the Ugandan Government. Most recently, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), and the Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), raised the issue with the Ugandan President on 6 May. The UK is working closely with international partners to register its concerns and to seek assurances about the protection of individuals. With our support, EU Heads of Mission in Kampala initiated strengthened political dialogue with Uganda under article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement.

The UK shares the concerns of the US and notes the US’s recent decision to apply existing visa mechanisms, redirect some health care support, end support for a community policy project and cancel a military aviation exercise in response. The UK is engaging closely with civil society groups in Uganda to consult with them about the most appropriate next steps.

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989. [205432]

Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows Cabinet Office guidance on drafting answers to parliamentary questions which is publicly available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance

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Public Accounts Commission

Pay

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission how many employees of the National Audit Office, broken down by grade, have remained at the same grade since 2010 and in that period received pay rises. [205745]

Sir Edward Leigh: The following table sets out the number of National Audit Office (NAO) staff who have remained at that grade since 2010 and received a pay rise.

Deputy Prime Minister

Local Government

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) which cities in Wales have been allocated money from the City Deals fund; [204119]

(2) when the decision to extend City Deals funding beyond England was taken; [204121]

(3) what representations or applications from Welsh cities to the City Deals fund he has received. [204122]

Greg Clark: The first round of City Deals with the eight largest cities in England were concluded in July 2012 with 18 further deals agreed with English cities by July 2014. City Deals are bespoke negotiations between Government and local places based on the opportunities of a particular place and with no specific budget.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in the autumn statement that the UK Government would negotiate a City Deal with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Prime Minister announced Heads of Terms with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley on 4 July.

The Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from Welsh cities about City Deals.

Northern Futures Board

Luciana Berger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the criteria were for the choice of representation on the Northern Futures Board announced on 4 July 2014. [205795]

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The Deputy Prime Minister: As explained in my reply of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 591W, the aim of our Northern Futures initiative is to facilitate a new kind of conversation about how we rebalance our economy. We did not announce a “Northern Futures Board” on 4 July and there are no plans to create one. However, Liverpool is strongly encouraged to join the Northern Futures conversation by submitting ideas to the email address:

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

Defence

Africa

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has plans to offer military support to countries in Africa facing Islamic extremism; and if he will make a statement. [204391]

Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence has active defence engagement programmes across Africa that offer military support to African countries and institutions. The intent is to help build the capacity of African countries and institutions to handle the complex security challenges they face, including the threat posed by Islamic extremist organisations. This is achieved by delivering a range of military support, including: resident training teams; short-term training teams; use of our Defence Attaché network; and the provision of academic and specialised UK military courses. We plan to continue to develop and sustain this activity.

Key planned military support to African countries facing complex security challenges where Islamic extremism is a significant component, includes:

The commitment we gave at the London Ministerial on security in Nigeria on 12 June 2014, to offer direct training and advice to the Nigerian forces engaged in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. This is in addition to our ongoing assistance to Nigerian armed forces’ efforts to locate the Chibok School girls, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April;

Sustaining the training and advisory support we provide to the African Union Mission in Somalia to assist its efforts to combat Al Shabab. We will also continue to assist in the development of a Somali National Army that can protect Somalia’s internal security and borders in the longer-term;

Continued advice and assistance to the Libyan armed forces through the Defence Advisory and Training Team (DATT) in Tripoli; part of the UK’s £62 million Security, Justice and Defence programme. The UK has also committed to train 2,000 of the 10,000 Libyan soldiers for the General Purpose Force in conjunction with those trained by Turkey, Italy and the US. Training of the first tranche began at Bassingbourn in June 2014.

Delivery of tactical training to the Mali armed forces through our contribution to the European Union Training Team (Mali).

Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how much contract overruns in the Aircraft Carrier Alliance have cost the public purse to date. [206045]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 November 2013, Official Report, column 399W. The Major Project Report 2013 reported the cost of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers at £6.102 billion (£6.2 Billion less assessment phase costs that do not fall under the remit of the Major Projects Report).

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Alcoholic Drinks

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption (a) in general on the premises and (b) during parties in his Private Office. [205089]

Anna Soubry: Consumption of alcohol on Ministry of Defence premises is permitted so long as it does not affect the proper and professional conduct of official business. Acceptable occasions might include receptions or other events held in function rooms, or staff leaving drinks.

Armed Forces: Royal Household

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been attached to the Royal Household in each year since 2010; and what the cost of such attachments has been. [205059]

Anna Soubry: Members of the armed forces are attached to the Royal Household in order to provide support to the Head of State and manage the extensive involvement

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and interaction of the Royal Family with the UK military at home and abroad. They also support state ceremonial events and formal, state-sponsored visits by members of the Royal Family. Information on armed forces personnel permanently attached to the Royal Household is provided in the following table.

Army Medal Office

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what type of medals have been issued by the Medal Office in each year since 2010; and what the annual cost of such medals has been. [205057]

Anna Soubry: The number and types of medals and clasps that have been issued by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office between 1 January 2011 and 31 May 2014 is shown in the following table:

The total gross costs incurred by the MOD Medal Office in 2011 to 31 May 2014 is shown in the following table:

Defence Equipment and Support

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) males and (b) females have applied for the DE&S apprenticeship in each year since 2010; and what proportion of such applications have been successful. [205045]

Mr Brazier: Defence Equipment & Support currently offers Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeships at Defence Munitions (DM) Gosport and Technician Apprenticeships at its Headquarters at MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol and at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport. It is planned to recruit for a further Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeship scheme at Defence Munitions Beith from August this year.

The number of Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeships awarded at DM Gosport since 2010 is as follows:

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The hon. Member may be interested to note over the last three years (2011-13) five of the 10 Apprentice of the Year award winners have been female.

The number of Technician Apprenticeships awarded at MOD Abbey Wood since 2010 is as follows:

The number of Technician Apprenticeships awarded at HMNB Devonport since 2010 is as follows:

Dogs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dogs owned by his Department were subject to euthanasia in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14; and what the reason was for euthanasia in each case. [205235]

Anna Soubry: Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety.

The tables show the number of military working dogs that have been euthanised during 2012-13 and 2013-14, and the reasons for doing so:

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Earl Clanwilliam

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met Lord Clanwilliam in the last three years. [205166]

Anna Soubry: Neither the Secretary of State for Defence nor Defence Ministers have met Lord Clanwilliam in the last three years.

Economic Policy: Northern Ireland

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to support the implementation of the Build a Prosperous and United Community agreement between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. [205604]

Anna Soubry: The UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive published ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community: One Year On’ on 2 July 2014. The report is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/326375/BUILDING_A_PROSPEROUS _AND_UNITED_COMMUNITY_-_ONE_YEAR_ON.pdf

The Government are committed to exploring the potential for gifting or transferring surplus Ministry of Defence (MOD) houses to be used, subject to funding considerations and the MOD's operational security considerations, to deliver the joint objective of building a shared future for the people of Northern Ireland. The MOD has identified a number of properties from surplus accommodation that could be gifted to the Executive. These properties could be used to increase the provision of shared housing, subject to appropriate proposals being developed by the Executive.

Horses

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many horses owned by his Department were subject to euthanasia in (a) 2012-13 and 2013-14; and what the reason was for euthanasia in each case. [205236]

Anna Soubry: Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety

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The tables show the number of military working horses that have been euthanised during 2012-13 and 2013-14, and the reasons for doing so:

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fires have occurred onboard each variant of joint strike fighter aircraft; and what the cause was of each fire. [202365]

Mr Dunne: All aircraft variants of F-35 are currently within the Development Test phase of the overall programme. The aim of the Development Test phase is to reveal issues through testing so that solutions can be developed in order to deliver a capable aircraft to the armed forces.

There have been no fires on board either the F-35B (short take-off and vertical landing variant) or the F-35C (carrier variant).

There have been four fires on-board the F-35A (conventional take-off and landing variant) that the UK is aware of:

The first fire was within the integrated power pack (IPP) and was due to an internal valve failure. Ground personnel extinguished the fire, which resulted in minor aircraft damage. This incident lead to a minor design change.

The second fire was as a result of a hydraulic fluid leak on to a brake assembly following landing. Ground personnel extinguished the fire, which resulted in minor aircraft damage.

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The third fire was due to a hot brake condition after landing which was extinguished by ground personnel and resulted in a replacement of the wheel/tyre assembly.

Both brake fires remain under investigation, with no immediate design change being considered as necessary.

The most recent fire occurred on 23 June 2014 at Eglin air force base during a take-off roll. The root cause of the incident is currently being investigated.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the RAF's joint strike fighter 35-Bs have all been grounded following an on-board fire on another joint strike fighter; when the grounded aircraft are expected to fly again; and whether those aircraft will make the transatlantic flight to the UK this July. [203707]

Mr Dunne: All variants of F-35 aircraft, including the UK's three joint strike fighter F-35B aircraft, are currently under a grounding notice for safety reasons following a fire which occurred on an F-35A on 23 June 2014. A technical investigation is under way to determine the root cause of the incident. F-35 aircraft returned to flying on 16 July 2014. F-35 aircraft will not make a transatlantic flight to the UK this July.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions are in place in relation to the operation of Lightning II aircraft in or near lightning. [205680]

Mr Dunne: A flight restriction to avoid lightning by 25 nautical miles has been placed on all variants of F-35 until associated design tests have been successfully completed. Lightning testing is scheduled to be completed in 2015. This incremental test programme has been developed to align with the aircraft’s planned capability development and will be completed well ahead of UK Initial Operating Capability in 2018.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Lightning II's Onboard Inert Gas Generation System to be certified. [205681]

Mr Dunne: The Lightning II Onboard Inert Gas Generation System has already been certified to fly under a Military Flight Test Permit; this is an initial certification. Full certification will take place in mid 2016 when the aircraft transitions from a Military Flight Test Permit to a Release to Service clearance.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010. [205475]

Anna Soubry: Since May 2010 the Ministry of Defence has released sufficient land and property in the UK with potential capacity for 18,010 new homes.

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Lost Property

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Ministry of Defence equipment of what value was recorded as lost or stolen in 2013-14. [205091]

Anna Soubry: The value of equipment and stores written off in 2013-14 as a result of loss or suspected theft will be available once the Ministry of Defence's 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament, which is planned for the autumn 2014.

Merlin Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many additional Merlin helicopters will be upgraded from Mk1 standard to Mk2; and what the total cost of each upgrade will be. [206046]

Mr Dunne: The Royal Navy Merlin Mk1 fleet is being modernised through the Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme. A total of 30 Merlin Mk1 helicopters are being modified to address existing and forecast avionic obsolescence and will then be known as the Merlin Mk2. The approved cost of the Demonstration and Manufacture phases of the programme is £805 million.

Military Aircraft

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 142, on military aircraft, what the main capabilities are which any future military patrol aircraft will need to possess; whether such capabilities will include (a) surveillance capabilities against (i) sub-surface, (ii) surface and (iii) land targets, (b) attack capabilities against each of those types of targets, (c) command, control and intelligence-gathering capabilities and (d) maritime rescue capabilities; and when a final decision will be taken on the mix of capabilities which will be required on a future maritime patrol aircraft; [205174]

(2) what different roles a multi-function maritime patrol aircraft will be required to perform. [205175]

Mr Dunne: The Air intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) Optimisation Study (AIOS) is designed to inform decisions on how future Air ISTAR capability, including maritime patrol aircraft, could be delivered. The study is ongoing and activity in the coming months will consider capability requirements and priorities against a range of policy driven scenarios. The AIOS is one of a number of ongoing strands on analysis that will contribute to the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a maritime patrol aircraft capability will be available for carrier taskforce protection duties by the time that HMS Queen Elizabeth joins the Fleet; and if he will make a statement. [205176]

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Mr Dunne: No decision has been taken to acquire a maritime patrol aircraft. The period from any decision to acquire to entry into service would depend on the platform selected, affordability in the Defence programme and commercial arrangements.

Military Aircraft: Safety

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Military Aviation Authority Regulatory Article 1210 replaced Ministry of Defence Business Procedure 1201 with regards to air safety. [206047]

Mr Dunne: Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Regulatory Instruction 02/11, issued on 28 January 2011, mandated a Risk Management framework to support Aviation Duty Holder decision making and replace existing procedures. This was superseded by Regulatory Article 1210 on 1 August 2011.

Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how much money his Department has spent in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency since May 2010. [204773]

Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this data. The MOD stopped making estimates of regional direct expenditure after 2007-08 as they do not directly support our policymaking or military operations.

Navy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of damage caused by Royal Navy personnel on shore-leave during courtesy visits to foreign ports in the last three years; and what compensation for damage has been paid out following such incidents. [205492]

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the funding allocated in the Defence and Equipment Plan 2013 for the procurement of new equipment will be spent on the successor nuclear deterrent programme and any redesign of the nuclear warhead. [205173]

Mr Dunne: Of the £64.5 billion referred to in the 2013 Equipment Plan we plan to allocate to the procurement of new equipment, £2.3 billion is for the successor nuclear deterrent programme in the period up to Main Gate in 2016, when a future investment decision will be made. The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review determined that a replacement warhead would not be required until at least the late 2030s, meaning a decision to replace the existing warhead will not be required until the next Parliament. In the meantime, we are maintaining the capability at the Atomic Weapons Establishment to design a replacement warhead should that be required. Current forecasts indicate that costs

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should remain within the 2006 White Paper estimate: £11 billion-£14 billion for the submarine and £2 billion-£3 billion for the warhead (at 2006 economic conditions).

Official Hospitality

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) entertainment and (b) the purchase of alcohol in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14; and what estimate he has made of such spending in 2014-15. [205058]

Anna Soubry: Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment is published in the Notes to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts each year. We spent £1.527 million on this activity in 2012-13. We estimate that expenditure will be in the same region in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The figure for 2013-14 will be published in the 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts later this year. This compares with expenditure of £4.3 million in 2008-09 and £3.8 million in 2009-10 under the previous Government.

We do not hold financial information in a form that allows us to identify expenditure on alcohol separately. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. The provision of alcoholic refreshments at public expense is authorised only in exceptional circumstances and must be modest and appropriate in nature.

Photographs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on ministerial portrait photographs in each year since 2010. [205054]

Anna Soubry: All official ministerial portrait photographs taken since 2010 have been captured by Ministry of Defence civilian and military photographers as part of their normal duties, which have incurred no additional costs.

Official ministerial portraits, printed when a Secretary of State leaves office, are produced as part of the normal reprographic activity of the Department, incurring estimated costs of less than £10 since 2010.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract. [205365]

Mr Brazier: The number of contracts worth more than £1 million awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), its Trading Funds and non-executive departmental public bodies since 1 April 2010 is shown in the table below:

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A breakdown of contracts that the MOD anticipates awarding within those value parameters is not held, but the Defence Equipment Plan 2013 gives details of our plans to spend around £164 billion over the next 10 years on new equipment, data systems and equipment support. The Equipment Plan is available on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2013

Monitoring of a contractor’s performance against contractual outputs is standard practice against all contracts and the MOD has robust project performance monitoring processes in place. Many staff have a role in monitoring contracts, including commercial officers, Project Team and finance staff, so comprehensive information on how much the MOD has spent on monitoring each contract and the number of officials involved is not held centrally. Nevertheless, there are around 1,300 staff in the commercial function across the MOD and its Trading Funds whose specific role is to manage negotiations and contracts with suppliers although this is undertaken as part of wider multidisciplinary teams that include other specialists in areas such as project management, engineering, finance and logistics.

Recruitment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising (a) on television and (b) on printed materials in 2013-14. [205056]

Anna Soubry: It is a key requirement for the armed forces to maintain a satisfactory balance of skills, experience, ability and seniority in rank to enable delivery of operational requirements. Despite the reduction in overall numbers of service personnel, the requirement for the armed forces to recruit and train personnel to replace those who leave the services remains.

Details of money spent by the Ministry of Defence in financial year (FY) 2013-14 on recruitment advertising for television and on printed materials are included in the following table. This information is broken down by service and civilian staff.

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Reserve Forces

Mr Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the Annual Report on Reserve Forces as submitted by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. [205060]

Mr Brazier: The Secretary of State for Defence placed the report in the Library of the House on 15 July 2014.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Government officials were members of the Reserve Forces in each year since 2010; and how many such officials have joined the Reserve Forces since 25 October 2013. [205111]

Mr Brazier: This information is not held in the format requested. There is currently no single method of centrally tracking the number of civil servants joining the Reserve Forces across Government, but work is ongoing to refine this process. As at 1 April 2014, rounded to the nearest 10, there were 810 Ministry of Defence civil servants who were also members of the Volunteer Reserves.

Shipbuilding

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of restructuring the shipbuilding agreement with BAE Systems. [206043]

Mr Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2013, Official Report, column 696W.

Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many away days his Department has held for its officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014; and what the cost of each such event has been. [205086]

Anna Soubry: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department. [205088]

Anna Soubry: There has been no external expenditure on media training or social media training for the Secretary of State for Defence or the Ministers in the Department.

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Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what professional courses officials in his Department have attended since 2010; and how many officials have attended each course. [205192]

Anna Soubry: The Defence Academy provides professional skills and knowledge courses to defence personnel. The Defence Academy course prospectus and Training and Education statistics since 2010 have been placed in the Library of the House.