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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Women and Equalities

Legal Systems: Islam

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Justice and (b) other interlocutors about the Law Society's inclusion of Sharia succession rules in its guidance and its compatibility with existing equalities legislation; and if she will make a statement. [206704]

Jo Swinson: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) and I have not had any such discussions.

This Government are committed to the protection and promotion of women’s rights. Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales and the Government have no intention of changing this position. Everyone, male or female, is equal before the law in this country.

The practice note issued by The Law Society on 13 March 2014 gives guidance to solicitors preparing wills under the law of England and Wales. It is a fundamental principle of this law that testators are, by making a valid will, able to leave their property to whomsoever they wish, subject only to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The practice note does not and cannot change the law. The courts will continue to apply the law of England and Wales relating to the making of wills in exactly the same way as they did before the practice note was issued.

Prime Minister

Clerk of the House

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to recommend to HM The Queen a person to be appointed Clerk of the House and Chief Executive of the House of Commons. [206830]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by Mr Speaker on 1 September 2014, Official Report, column 1.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with civil society or religious groups based in the UK which have discussed the situation in Israel and Palestine since 1 July 2014; which organisations he has met; and when each such meeting took place. [207286]

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The Prime Minister: Details of my meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

Deputy Prime Minister

Housing: Brighton

Simon Kirby: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made on securing private sector funding for the New England House development in Brighton as part of the Greater Brighton City Deal; and if he will make a statement. [205280]

Greg Clark: As agreed in the Greater Brighton City Deal, the Greater Brighton Economic Board is currently working to secure private sector investment in the expansion of New England House.

Voting Behaviour: Young People

Tim Farron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to increase voter turnout in local elections among 18 to 25-year-olds. [206863]

Mr Gyimah: The Government are committed to maximising electoral registration to help support the highest possible turnout in elections. The introduction of online registration on 10 June in England and Wales makes it easier and more convenient for all, including young people, to register to vote.

The Government have announced that all 363 local authorities and valuation joint boards in Great Britain and five national organisations, including UK Youth and the Scottish Youth Parliament, will be sharing £4.2 million aimed at ensuring every eligible person in the country is signed up to the electoral register and has their chance to vote.

Recent changes to legislation have included provisions to support the earlier dispatch of postal votes, clearer and more modern forms and information for voters and changes to provisions at close of poll, which all support greater participation.

House of Commons Commission

Clerk of the House

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what the arrangements were for the selection of the recommended candidate to be Clerk of the House and Chief Executive on each of the last three occasions; and who was on the interviewing board in what capacity on each such occasion; [206827]

(2) pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Chelmsford of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 725-6W, on Clerk of the House, who initiated the changes to the previous arrangements; [206828]

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(3) whether Mr Speaker has a casting vote on the interviewing board for the selection of a recommended candidate to be Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. [206829]

John Thurso [holding answer 1 September 2014]: The composition of the panel for the recruitment of Sir Robert Rogers in 2011 was Mr Speaker, the then Leader of the House (Rt Hon Sir George Young), the then Shadow Leader (Rt Hon Hilary Benn), John Thurso MP, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith, the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle and Sheila Drew Smith. This was—on Mr Speaker’s initiative—the first time that a formal recruitment panel and process was followed.

Selection panels were not held for appointing the Clerk of the House and Chief Executive in 2006 and 2003. On both occasions the retiring Clerk of the House recommended two names as potential successors and the then Mr Speaker decided which candidate to recommend.

The changes in approach to recruitment in 2011, and subsequently in 2014, when the opportunity was opened up to both internal and external applicants, is in line with the House’s policy for fair and open competition in all House of Commons recruitment.

The selection panel decided on the successful candidate by reaching a consensus. The Speaker was Chair of the panel, but did not have a casting vote.

Television

Mr Bradshaw: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Commission spent on the purchase of televisions in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date. [207218]

John Thurso: The House of Commons spent £159,771 in 2013 and £3,805 in 2014 to date on television screens which will enable the migration of Parliament’s Annunciator to a fully digital service.

These screens replaced analogue-only screens that were at the end of their life with more energy efficient digital models. The new digital screens are 40% cheaper than the analogue sets that they replace. At the time of purchase a reduction in maintenance costs of around £22,000 over the lifetime of the sets and £15,000 reduction in energy cost across the Parliamentary Estate per annum was estimated.

The upgrade to a digital only Annunciator Service has enabled an increase in channels available including live feeds from up to 16 Committee Rooms, plenary sessions of the devolved assemblies, a broader range of regional and international news channels and restoration of subtitles.

Northern Ireland

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether she has any plans to increase the number of replies within her Department's working day standard; and if she will make a statement. [206477]

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Mrs Villiers: My Department endeavours to answer all correspondence within the required performance targets. According to last year's statistics my Department increased its response times by 21%.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Floods: Insurance

Sir Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish a scheme to provide affordable insurance cover for leasehold dwellings and small businesses in areas at high risk of flooding modelled on the existing Flood Re scheme for freehold dwellings. [207550]

Dan Rogerson: The Government have been advised by the insurance industry that those leaseholders in high risk areas who will not be eligible for Flood Re will still be able to access affordable insurance. Insurers will also continue to provide insurance to small businesses in areas of high flood risk on a competitive basis.

Based on current evidence, Flood Re would not be an appropriate scheme for leasehold properties and small businesses in areas at a high risk of flooding.

Government have separately commissioned research into the commercial insurance market as part of its evidence gathering.

Rabbits: Animal Welfare

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to introduce minimum welfare requirements for keeping pet rabbits. [206868]

George Eustice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides a comprehensive legal framework for the welfare of pet animals such as rabbits. Therefore, we do not currently see a need for a statutory code of practice for rabbits. Owners and potential owners can obtain specific advice on the keeping of rabbits on request from rabbit welfare and other animal welfare organisations.

Ragwort

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many enforcement notices were served under the Weeds Act 1959 in respect of ragwort in each of the last three years; and to whom they were served in each such year. [206870]

Dan Rogerson: The number of enforcement notices served under the Weeds Act 1959 in 2013, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:

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Enforcement is a last resort and where possible we encourage communications between landowners and complainants to try and resolve the issue. In the vast majority of cases this approach is successful.

The names of those who have been served with enforcement notices are withheld in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the code of practice on how to prevent the spread of ragwort published in July 2004. [206871]

Dan Rogerson: We have not assessed the effectiveness of the code of practice. We are, however, continuing to review our policy on ragwort, including a review of the current evidence to ensure that we minimise the risk of injury to horses and other grazing livestock. This work will highlight what changes, if any, might be needed to the code of practice.

Communities and Local Government

Empty Property: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in each London borough were classified as empty in each year since 2010. [206264]

Stephen Williams: Statistics on vacant dwellings in England by local authority district are published in the Department’s live table 615 which is available at the following link.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

It gives annual total numbers of empty homes and those vacant longer than six months and also vacants in the local authority, housing association and other public sector tenures.

The following table provides information on all vacants for individual London boroughs for the last four years. It is a clear sign that the Government’s approach to reducing empty homes is working.

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Housing: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many children were recorded as living in overcrowded housing in each London borough in each year since 2010; [206257]

(2) how many people were recorded as living in overcrowded housing in each London borough in each of the year since 2010. [206258]

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not record or collect the information requested at London borough level.

Culture, Media and Sport

Buildings

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will review his departmental estate in order to reduce costs; and if he will make a statement. [206684]

Mrs Grant: I am pleased to say that the Department has been making strong progress to date on the delivery of efficiency commitments made at Spending Review 2010 and Spending Round 2013—which included reviewing

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the Department's estate. The move last financial year to 100 Parliament Street and share space with HM Customs and Revenue is delivering savings of around £2 million a year savings from 2013-14.

Since 2010-11 expenditure on the Department’s estate has declined from £8,533,000 to a forecast cost for this financial year (2014-15) of £4,930,000—a saving since 2010-11 of £3.6 million per annum. We continue to look for savings and bear down on all unnecessary expenditure.

Local Broadcasting: Television

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on accounting for the BBC's contribution to spending on local television. [206835]

Mr Vaizey: I have had no discussions with the BBC Trust on accounting for the BBC's contribution to spending on local television. DCMS officials are regularly in contact with the Trust on a range of topics, including local television.

National Lottery: Scotland

Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the National Lottery Distribution Fund has allocated to each parliamentary constituency in Scotland in the last five years. [206973]

Mrs Grant: Lottery distributors do not allocate their funding on a constituency basis. While they are required to ensure that Lottery funding is available to all areas and all sections of society, they make their funding decisions based on an assessment of applications submitted to each of their separate funding streams. A database of all Lottery grants is compiled by DCMS from data supplied by the various Lottery distributors. The database is available at:

http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/Search.aspx

and is searchable in a variety of ways, including by constituency.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 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. [204891]

Mrs Grant: The proportion of the Department’s budget spent on contracted-out activities is as follows-Financial Year Contracted-out expenditure £000 Actuals Proportion of contracted-out expenditure to Budget Actuals 2009-10 26,218 48% 2010-11 24,165 46% 2011-12 24,774 40% 2012-13 20,493 28% 2013-14 22,428 40% Forecast Forecast 2014-15 23,000 50% Figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15 include the Government Equalities Office.

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Radio Frequencies

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential effect on (a) schools and (b) universities of loss of access by wireless microphone users to the 700 MHz band of radio spectrum; and if she will make a statement. [206935]

Mr Vaizey: Ofcom published a consultation on the future use of the 700 MHz band on 28 May 2014. This consultation assesses the impact any loss of access to the 700 MHz band would have on the PMSE community. Ofcom will ensure the views and spectrum requirements of the PMSE community are taken into account when making any final decisions on the use of the band. The consultation document and responses can be found on Ofcom's website:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/700MHz/

Ofcom is working with the PMSE community of users and manufacturers to mitigate the impact of any change of use of the 700 MHz band; and discussing with the regulatory authorities in other countries their approach to this issue. A key focus of their work in this area is seeking to identify and make available alternative spectrum for the PMSE community.

Tourism: Lancashire

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how often Lancashire has specifically been featured in his Department's overseas promotion of tourism in the UK in the last four years. [206326]

Mrs Grant: Lancashire features strongly in VisitBritain's marketing activity on their consumer website. Lancashire is also featured in a number of the GREAT Britain Campaign pillar guides for journalists including the Golf Coast via Sport is GREAT, the Ribble Valley Food Trail via Food is GREAT and Carnforth, as the location of the film Brief Encounters, under Culture is GREAT. Blackpool features prominently via VisitBritain's video portal and on their consumer website. This promotional activity is paying dividends with 253,000 inbound visits to the region in 2013 spending £143 million in the county. This compares to 239,000 and £105 million in 2012.

Health

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to increase the number of replies within his Department's working day standard; and if he will make a statement. [206487]

Dr Poulter: The Department is strongly committed to replying to correspondence within its 18 working day target. In 2013, the Department responded to nearly 50,000 items of correspondence from hon. Members, peers and members of the public, 98% of which were answered within 18 working days.

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EU Law

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the UK has lost EU infraction proceedings since May 2010 which relate to matters that fall within his Department's responsibility. [206658]

Jane Ellison: The United Kingdom has never been fined for an infraction.

General Dental Council

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the General Dental Council on its proposal to increase the annual retention fee by 64%; and what his Department's response is to that proposal. [R] [207011]

Dr Poulter: No formal discussions have taken place with the General Dental Council (GDC) on their proposal to increase the annual retention fee.

The GDC is an independent body and it is therefore for the GDC Council to determine the level of the annual fee it charges for registration. The proposed fee increase is subject to public consultation where the GDC’s case will be scrutinised. The Department does not usually contribute to such consultations but all professional regulators, including the GDC, are aware of the Department’s position on registration fees. In February 2011, the Government published Enabling Excellence, which states that we would not expect registration fees to increase beyond their current levels, unless there is a clear and robust business case that any increase is essential to ensure the exercise of statutory duties.

In my role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health I have regular contact with regulators on a whole range of issues and I have a meeting scheduled with the GDC in September.

General Practitioners

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 664-5W, on general practitioners, how many GPs (a) excluding retainers and registrars and (b) including retainers but excluding registrars there were on 1 September 2009. [206628]

Dr Poulter: Information is not available for 1 September 2009. The following table shows figures for 30 September 2009.

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General Practitioners: South West

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that there are sufficient GPs to fill vacancies in surgeries in Devon and Cornwall. [206456]

Dr Poulter: The Department set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare work force for England. HEE is responsible for ensuring a secure work force supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing work force, the impact of technology, and new drugs.

The Department has recognised the need to increase the general practitioner (GP) work force and between September 2010 and September 2013, the number of full-time equivalent GPs has risen by 1,051. Additionally, the Department has included in the HEE mandate a requirement that “HEE will ensure that 50% of trainees completing foundation level training enter GP training programmes by 2016”.

Further work is being undertaken by HEE to improve applications and fill rate in to GP training to support the mandate target of 3,250 appointments into GP training by 2016 in England. This includes a review of the GP recruitment process, developing a pre-GP year to give exposure to prospective GP applicants of the specialty and careers advice for foundation doctors and medical students.

In recognition of the contribution the GP work force makes in the national health service, HEE will also undertake additional work on GP recruitment and retention, return to practice and reducing attrition rates, all of which will play a part in increasing the GP work force.

Health: Males

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential of the Men's Sheds movement to have a positive impact on health and well-being. [206875]

Norman Lamb: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential of the Men's Sheds movement. The Department welcomes the positive impact that community-based schemes like this can have in helping to combat loneliness and isolation. The effect that loneliness and isolation have on health and well-being is an important factor in Government policy.

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HIV Infection: Screening

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to implement a national screening plan for HIV. [206429]

Jane Ellison: Recommendations for human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV) screening and testing are made by a number of bodies including Public Health England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the UK Chief Medical Officer’s Expert Advisory Group on AIDS, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC), and professional organisations such as the British HIV Association and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV.

At present there is a national antenatal screening programme which offers screening to all pregnant women. NICE guidelines for groups at increased risk of HIV include a recommendation on HIV testing in primary and secondary care in areas of higher prevalence. In

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addition, HIV testing is offered to all attendees of genitourinary medicine clinics.

The UKNSC is commissioning a review of the evidence for a universal screening programme in adults. The Committee hopes to be in a position to consult on the review in early 2015. In addition, NICE is in the process of reviewing its guidance relating to testing in men who have sex with men and black African communities.

ICT

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many iPads and iPhones have been purchased by (a) his Department, (b) Public Health England and (c) each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies since May 2010; and what the cost of such purchases has been. [206565]

Dr Poulter: Information about the number of iPads and iPhones procured by the Department and the Department's non-departmental public bodies is available in the following table, broken down by financial years.

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Intensive Care

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost is of keeping a patient in an intensive care unit. [206539]

Dr Poulter: The information is shown in the following table. It is from reference costs, which are the average unit costs to national health service trusts and foundation trusts of providing defined services in a given financial year to NHS patients. Reference costs for acute care are collected by health care resource groups (HRGs), which are standard groupings of clinically similar treatments that consume similar levels of health care resource. HRGs for critical care, which are organised into neonatal, paediatric and adult critical care, represent the daily cost of the part of the patient’s stay that requires care in a designated critical care bed. Adult critical care is further differentiated into burns, spinal injuries, and all other critical care units. The HRGs cover critical care areas, such as an intensive therapy unit or high dependency unit, but may include temporary, non-standard locations.

Meningitis

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care places in the UK have been occupied by meningitis B patients since January 2013. [206538]

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available for England is shown in the following table. Information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of meningitis B there have been in the UK since January 2013; and in how many such cases individuals have (a) died, (b) required amputation of limbs, (c) become blind, (d) become deaf and (e) contracted other central nervous system complications as a result of meningitis B. [206540]

Jane Ellison: There were 667 laboratory confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal B disease in England from January 2013 to March 2014, which is the latest available information.

There were 40 deaths registered in England in 2013 in which the underlying cause was meningococcal infection. Data about deaths from meningococcal B infection are not separately available. Information on deaths for 2014 will be available in July 2015.

Information on complications associated with invasive meningococcal B disease is not routinely collected as part of meningococcal surveillance. Many of the complications continue to develop, evolve and be tested after the diagnosis is confirmed, especially long-term

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complications such as behaviour, communication or memory problems, and, therefore, cannot be collected in real-time.

The most robust and comprehensive data on long-term complications following meningococcal B disease in children in England is in a recent study published in The Lancet Neurology in 2012, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Bexsero vaccine is licensed for (a) individual application and (b) use in conjunction with other vaccines. [206537]

George Freeman: Bexsero, a meningococcal group B vaccine, was licensed for the active immunisation of individuals from two months of age and older against invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis group B. It can be administered individually or concomitantly with a number of other vaccine antigens, either as monovalent or as combination vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, inactivated poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. When given concomitantly with other vaccines Bexsero must be administered at a separate injection site.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what age babies will be eligible for vaccination with the Bexsero vaccine. [206541]

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that there should be a carefully planned national meningococcal B immunisation programme for infants, using a three dose schedule of Bexsero^®(at two, four and 12 months of age), subject to the vaccine being available at a cost-effective price .

The JCVI has also advised that when the programme starts there should be a one-off, opportunistic catch-up programme for babies aged three and four months of age who would have not had the opportunity to receive the vaccine at two months of age.

Mental Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will meet with the author of Mindfulness in Clinician Therapeutic Relationships to discuss the ways in which mindfulness-based practices can be disseminated to NHS staff for the purposes of improving staff well-being and patient care; [207041]

(2) if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the article Mindfulness in Clinician Therapeutic Relationships by Razzaque et al. published in the Journal Mindfulness, Volume 4, September 2013; and if he will make a statement. [207042]

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Norman Lamb: The Department does recognise the importance of mindfulness for improving staff well-being and patient care, which is discussed in the article Mindfulness in Clinician Therapeutic Relationships.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance for the national health service has recommended mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression since 2004. MBCT is available through a number of improving access to psychological therapy services in England.

Health Education England (HEE) supports the delivery of excellent health care and health improvement to the patients and public of England, by ensuring that our workforce has the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours. The Government have mandated HEE to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the NHS.

HEE has established a mental health advisory group to promote and enhance mental health training across the professions and provide strategic professional advice and expertise to HEE around its work on workforce planning and education development for mental health. Membership representation of this group includes; health care, social care, third sectors and professional bodies. HEE have been advised of the article Mindfulness in Clinician Therapeutic Relationships and to consider it in terms of workforce planning.

Mental Health Services: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of local authorities who have or who plan to (a) reduce, (b) freeze, (c) increase spending on child and adolescent mental health in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15. [206729]

Norman Lamb: The Department has made no such estimate since information on expenditure by local authorities is not held centrally; however, a report launched on 21 June 2014 by the mental health charity, Young Minds, based on freedom of information requests suggests that there appears to have been some disinvestment in child and adolescent mental health services at a local level in some areas, and an increase in other areas.

Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on providing psychiatric support for children aged (a) four to 11 and (b) 11 to 18-years-old. [206776]

Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no such discussions. However the Department of Health shares with the Department for Education overall responsibility for promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of children of school age. The Secretary of State for Health plans to meet the new Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Nicky Morgan), to discuss this important issue.

Mental Health Services: Out-of-Area Treatment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people referred for mental health care received out-of-area treatment from Mid Yorkshire

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Hospitals trust; and how many such people were

(a)

children and

(b)

adults. [206938]

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally.

Palliative Care

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the support that people at the end of life receive so that they can die in their preferred place of care. [206833]

Norman Lamb: The Government are committed to expanding choice in end-of-life care by supporting people's preferences about how to have a good death. On 1 July 2014, we announced a review of choice in end-of-life care led by Claire Henry, chief executive of the National Council for Palliative Care.

The Programme Board leading this work consists of representatives from charities, people with personal experience of end-of-life care (including carers), clinicians and policy makers. The review will undertake extensive public consultation to define what people want in end-of-life services, and will provide advice to the Government on the policy initiatives required to enable people's preferences to be met. This advice will be provided by early next year.

Roads: Horses

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the (a) emergency services and (b) NHS of dealing with injuries arising from wild horses on road in the latest period for which figures are available. [206471]

Dr Poulter: This information is not held centrally and no estimate has been made.

Sunbeds

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will bring in legislative proposals to (a) require that sunbeds should be supervised, (b) limit access to sunbeds for repeat customers and (c) obligate the display of health warnings; [206516]

(2) what steps his Department plans to take in response to the recommendations of the publication of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin's inquiry into sunbed regulation in England in May 2014; and if he will make a statement. [206594]

Jane Ellison: The Department has noted the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin's report on sunbed regulation in England and is considering the recommendations carefully.

Wheelchairs

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the agreed assessment for, and supply of, wheelchair needs will remain within the remit of the NHS; and if he will introduce national criteria and standards for those assessments. [206675]

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Norman Lamb: The commissioning of wheelchair services will remain within the remit of the national health service. NHS England and clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning specialised and non-specialised wheelchair services respectively. It is the responsibility of these commissioning organisations to agree the criteria and standards for assessment with their wheelchair service providers. There are no plans to introduce national criteria and standards for assessments of wheelchair needs.

Defence

Afghanistan

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value of payouts to armed forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan has been in each year since 2010. [206076]

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to provide the value of payouts made to armed forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan as the information is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The AFPS is primarily an occupational pension scheme, the Pensions Computer system does not identify the conflicts in which Service Personnel have served.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value of payouts to armed forces veterans and their families under the War Pensions Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan has been in each year since 2010. [206077]

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to provide the value of payouts made to armed forces veterans and their families under the War Pensions Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan as the information is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Air Travel

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions each Minister within his Department has taken domestic flights on official business since May 2010. [204291]

Mr Brazier: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Details of all ministerial overseas travel is published on a quarterly basis.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of payouts under the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of physical injuries has been in each year since 2010. [206071]

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Anna Soubry: It is not possible to provide the value of payouts under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of physical injuries as the information requested is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The AFPS is primarily an occupational pension scheme where pension payments may be enhanced where a Service person is medically discharged with a condition caused by Service. The pension scheme computer system does not hold details of the medical condition for which the enhanced pension is being paid.

Armed Forces: Mental Illness

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of payouts under the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of mental ill health has been in each year since 2010. [206072]

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to provide the value of payouts under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of mental ill health as the information requested is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The AFPS is primarily an occupational pension scheme where pension payments may be enhanced where a service person is medically discharged with a condition caused by service. The pension scheme computer system does not hold details of the medical condition for which the enhanced pension is being paid.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of pay-outs under the War Pensions Scheme to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of mental ill health has been in each year since 2010. [206073]

Anna Soubry: It is not possible to provide the total value of payouts under the War Pensions Scheme to forces personnel and veterans on the grounds of mental ill health as the information is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, between 2011-12 and 2013-14 there were a total of 1,655 awards made under the War Pension Scheme for a mental health condition related to service.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value of payouts to armed forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme has been in each year since 2010. [206079]

Anna Soubry: The total expenditure to armed forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme each year since 2010 has been:

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Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the guideline period is in which an application for an armed forces pension should be (a) processed and (b) delivered; and how many applications have exceeded that guideline period to date. [207035]

Anna Soubry: The guideline period in which an application for an armed forces pension should be processed and delivered is:

“Awards are to be calculated, authorised and payment instructions established for entitled individuals within 10 working days of the termination date or receipt of all documentation, whichever is the later. Only one application exceeded that guideline period for the year 2013-14, with none this year to end July 2014”.

Army: Training

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of each successfully trained recruit of (a) Phase 1 and 2 training at ITC Catterick, (b) Phase 1 training at ATC Pirbright, (c) Phase 1 training at ATR Bassingbourn and (d) Phase 1 training at AFC Harrogate including trainee salaries and associated costs in the most recent years for which figures are available. [206117]

Mr Francois: The total cost of a successful recruit at each establishment, based on their respective output, is as follows:

ITC Catterick: £33,706

ATC Pirbright: £20,253

ATR Bassingbourn: £24,187

AFC Harrogate: £68,751.

This is based on full costs to the Army’s budget for 2013-14, and does not include infrastructure and equipment costs as these are managed collectively across a number of sites and equipment fleets and cannot be attributed to individual units. The cost for ATR Bassingbourn is based on costs for 2012-13 as this was the last year that Phase 1 training was carried out at that location.

All Junior Entry recruits undertake their initial training at AFC Harrogate. They are provided with highly valuable vocational training opportunities which result in some 85% leaving initial training with Level 2 qualifications in literacy and numeracy. The greater length of service of Junior Entry personnel results in the Army having to recruit and train fewer personnel. This training contributes not only to individual development, but to society in the long term.

Pay

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers' payroll service in his Department and its agencies. [203102]

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Mr Brazier: The following list details organisations that currently receive voluntary subscriptions via the armed forces and Ministry of Defence civilian payrolls.

MOD Civilian Payroll

AEA Recreational Society

Alpha Healthclub

AXA Sun Life Assurance Soc Ltd

Beneden Healthcare Soc

Birmingham Hos Sat FD BHCA

Boscombe Down Death Ben Fund

BUPA Mercia Health Benefits

Civil Service Benevolent Fund

Civil Service Club

Civil Service Sports Council

Civil Service Sports Fund (NE)

Clyde Sub Base Dependant Fund

Combined Benefit Services

CPAX Family

CPAX Individual

DSRA Lottery

Forester Health BHCA

Give As You Earn

Health Scheme Hull

Health Shield Hos Fnd BHCA

Health sure Portfolio BHCA

Hospital Saturday Fund

HSA Health Insurance

Leeds Hospital BHCA

Merseyside Health Ben BHCA

Midland Society for the Blind

MOD Liverpool Rec Society

MOD Police Lottery

PAT Aid Wolverhampton BHCA

Police Mutual Society

Premier Health Benefits BHCA

Prov Hos Serv Bedford BHCA

Simply Health

Sovereign Accident Plan

Sovereign Health Plan

Stafford Civil Ben Fund

The Army Dependant’s Trust

TSB Portsmouth

TU Soc Dependant Fund Rosyth

UK CS Benefit Society

Welsh Hosp Health Srv Assoc

West Prov Health Ser BHCA

Westfield Cont Health Schm

Deductions to Trade Unions

Defence Police Federation

General Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trades Trade Union

National Union of RMT workers

Public and Commercial Services Trade Union

PROSPECT

UNITE

Union of Construction and Allied trades and technicians

Armed Forces Payroll

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

9^th/12^th Royal Lancers

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ADAT (73,88 &Gurkha)

Adjutant General’s Corps

Army Air Corps Fund

Army Dependants Trust

Army Physical Training Corps Association

Army Sports Lottery

Coldstream Guards

Corps of Army Music

Corps of Royal Electrical &Mechanical Engineers

Corps of Royal Engineers

Forces Safeguard and Spouse

Give As You Earn

Grenadier Guards

Gurkha Welfare Trust

Intelligence Corps Association

Irish Guards

Military Provost Staff Corps Association

N-Trust

PAX

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

RAF Benevolent Fund

RAF Dependants Fund

RAF DINCOME (Pre 90 & Post 90)

RAF Sports Lottery

RM Corps OT CUI CSM Funds

RN Charities

RN Sports Lottery

Royal Army Chaplains Department

Royal Army Dental Corps

Royal Army Medical Corps

Royal Army Veterinary Corps

Royal Corps of Signals

Royal Military Police

Royal Regiment of Artillery

Royal Tank Regiment

Scots Guards

Scottish Widows (Stakeholder’s Pension Scheme)

Small Arms School Corps Comrades Association

Sodexho Childcare Vouchers

Sterling Life Insurance

The Blues and Royals

The Cheshire Regiment

The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment

The King’s Royal Hussars

The Life Guards Association

The Light Dragoons

The Mercian Regiment

The Parachute Regiment

The Princess of Wales’ Royal Regt

The Queen’s Royal Hussars

The Queen’s Royal Lancers

The Rifles

The Royal Anglian Regiment

The Royal Dragoon Guards

The Royal Irish Regiment

The Royal Logistic Corps

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

The Royal Regt of Scotland Regimental Assn

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

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The Royal Welsh

The Staffordshire Regiment

The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters

The Yorkshire Regiment

Voluntary Sports Subscriptions

Welsh Guards

Note:

MOD civilian Payroll subscriptions listed may not include all subscriptions made via all Agency and Trading Fund payrolls.

Special Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Special Forces personnel there were in each regiment in each year since 2010. [206092]

Mr Brazier: It is the long standing policy of Her Majesty’s Government to not ordinarily comment on UK Special Forces.

War Pensions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value of payouts to armed forces veterans and their families under the War Pensions Scheme has been in each year since 2010. [206078]

Anna Soubry: The total expenditure to armed forces veterans and their families under the War Pensions Scheme in each year since 2010 has been:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iraq

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the Iraq Government to sign the Ministry of Justice's draft Prison Transfer Agreement. [207014]

Mr Ellwood: Officials at our embassy in Baghdad remain in discussion with the Government of Iraq about a UK-Iraq prisoner transfer agreement. Negotiations are at an advanced stage and we continue to work to conclude these as soon as possible.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Jackson Square Aviation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when conducting due diligence on Jackson Square Aviation and JSA International Holdings LP, when and where UK Export Finance met representatives of that company. [206424]

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Matthew Hancock: In the normal course of business, UK Export Finance will often meet with parties in connection with the exports it is asked to support or has provided support. UK Export Finance has met with representatives from JSA International Holdings LP on a number of occasions in the last three years in relation to support provided for the export of Airbus aircraft in 2011 and 2012. To identify the precise number and location of meetings would involve disproportionate cost. No support has been provided to JSA since 2012.

New Businesses

Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support employed people who wish to start their own business. [206554]

Matthew Hancock: Small businesses are vital to the economy and this Government are supporting people to start up a business in a number of ways.

The website

www.greatbusiness.gov.uk

provides general support and advice for entrepreneurs starting out; specific support available in Northern Ireland is available at

www.investni.com

We recognise that a key issue for many start-ups is accessing affordable finance. The British Business Bank recently published “The Business Finance Guide: A Journey from Start-Up to Growth” which is available on the British Business Bank Website. It is a unique guide that sets out the main things to consider and outlines sources of finance available to businesses-ranging from start-ups to growing businesses.

For those looking for start up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: 24 loans worth over £100,000 have been drawn down in Belfast since the scheme began in 2012.

Regional Growth Fund

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many winning bidders under the Regional Growth Fund in each (a) bidding round and (b) region have withdrawn to date. [206268]

Greg Clark: A full breakdown of the number of withdrawn awards by Round and Region is included in the table.

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Students: Loans

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to increase maintenance loans for university accommodation in respect of (a) students in places with expensive accommodation costs and (b) other students. [206377]

Greg Clark: The Government announced an increase of 3.34% to maximum maintenance loans for the 2015-16 academic year earlier this year. This increase will apply to all rates of maintenance loan, including the higher rate loan for students living away from home and studying in London, where living costs (including those for accommodation) are generally higher.

Decisions on student support arrangements for higher education courses are taken on an annual basis. The Government will review student support arrangements for the 2016-17 academic year in 2015.

Tax Avoidance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether UK Export Finance takes steps not to support companies which use complex artificial tax structures to adopt aggressive tax positions. [206513]

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance’s statutory function is to support UK exports. It has no powers to investigate the tax affairs of the exporters it supports and no regulatory remit. However, it undertakes due diligence in respect of the financial and legal risks associated with all the export transactions it is asked to support.

UK Export Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Export UK Finance liaises with Government Departments when conducting due diligence on partner companies. [206489]

Matthew Hancock: In order to carry out the appropriate due diligence, UK Export Finance communicates with other Government Departments as necessary regarding export transactions it is asked to support.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether UK Export Finance investigates links between politicians in the UK and companies in the UK and their partner companies abroad as part of its due diligence procedure. [206512]

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance undertakes due diligence in respect of parties directly connected to export transactions it is asked to support. UK Export Finance also complies with the OECD ‘Recommendation on Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits’, which requires export credit agencies to put measures in place to avoid supporting exports which may be tainted by bribery.

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Treasury

M6 (Link to M54)

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has for future funding for a new M6 south road link to the M54. [905046]

Danny Alexander: In last year’s Spending Round I provided the Highways Agency with a long-term funding settlement that committed to treble the level of investment in major enhancements to our strategic road network by 2020-21. This marks the start of the biggest programme of investment in our roads since the 1970’s.

As part of that package I committed to fund the M54 to M6/M6 Toll Link Road subject to finalising options and agreement being reached on developer contributions. The Highways Agency are progressing this work and will update you on its progress in due course.

Alcoholic Drinks

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his private office. [205332]

Andrea Leadsom: There is no prohibition of alcohol in my Department. This includes ministerial and official private offices.

Banks: Pay

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has made to institutions of the EU on the cap on bank bonuses. [905051]

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith).

Buildings

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) his Department and (ii) buildings owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date. [205362]

Andrea Leadsom: None.

Under the terms of the PFI agreement signed under the previous Administration all lifecycle and maintenance works are carried out by the hard service contractor as part of their contractual obligations; this includes interior decoration and refurbishment.

Employment

Karl McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the level of employment. [905064]

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Priti Patel: There are record numbers of people in work, and since the coalition came into power employment has increased by 1.8 million. The latest data show unemployment falling at the fastest annual pace for more than 25 years, and the largest fall in youth unemployment ever on record. Over 2 million private sector jobs have been created since early 2010, meaning that for every public sector job lost over five have been created in the private sector.

Fossil Fuels

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will request the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) of the Bank of England to provide them with their most recent assessment of risks to UK financial stability arising from investment in high-carbon assets; and if he will place in the Library that request and the FPC response. [207056]

Andrea Leadsom: On 8 July 2014, Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, sent a letter to the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC). In the letter he stated that the FPC's current assessment of the risks to financial stability were set out in the latest Financial Stability Report which was published on 26 June 2014. That assessment showed that the FPC did not consider investment in high-carbon assets to be a material risk to financial stability at that time. However, Governor Carney did reassure the EAC that the FPC will continue to monitor a range of threats in its regular risk assessment, and will seek to discuss with the Committee on Climate Change if its assessment of risk associated with a carbon bubble changes.

Energy and Climate Change

EU External Trade: USA

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he has made an assessment of the potential effect of automatic energy imports from the US to the EU arising from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on EU carbon emission targets. [206908]

Matthew Hancock: Concluding an ambitious and comprehensive EU-US trade deal that benefits UK consumers and business, especially small and medium sized enterprises, is a priority for the Government. Improved access to US exports of energy would form part of a successful Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement, helping to diversify the EU’s energy sources, and is therefore an EU priority in the negotiations. Internal EU negotiations on carbon emissions targets are at an advanced stage and involve consideration of the energy profiles of the EU as a whole and of individual EU Member States across the full range of options. These options include the potential role of increased imports of gas, from the US and elsewhere, to help to reduce EU emissions levels in future decades.

Factors such as the time needed to build new export terminals in the US and costs of liquefaction and transport mean that it is likely to be some years before EU Member States could import US gas in significant quantities. Recent events in Ukraine further underline

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the need for the EU to diversify its energy sources. Making full use of indigenous energy resources is also important for energy security. Here in the UK, the Government continue to work closely with industry to encourage further investment in domestic energy production, including oil, gas, nuclear and renewables.

Solar Power

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had on the maintenance of the current 20-year duration support level for accredited solar PV plants and the Renewables Obligation order; what his policy is on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [206960]

Amber Rudd: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 September 2014, Official Report, columns 113-14W.

Justice

Burglary: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the highest number of previous offences of burglary was for an individual convicted of a further offence of burglary without being sent to prison in each year since 2010; [206592]

(2) how many people who had committed 15 or more previous offences were not sent to prison on conviction for (a) burglary and (b) violence against the person in the latest period for which figures are available. [206593]

Mike Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice gave him, by letter, on 10 July.

Offenders: Mental Illness

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will extend victims’ rights to victims of mentally disordered offenders to be more comparable with those rights afforded to victims in the criminal justice system. [205927]

Mike Penning: The Government's new Victims' Code, which came into force on 10 December 2013, strengthens the rights of victims of crime, including where the offender is mentally disordered. The Code provides victims with clearer entitlements and better tailors services to individual need. Under the Code, criminal justice agencies must provide enhanced services to victims of the most serious crime; persistently targeted victims; and vulnerable and intimidated victims.

Since 2001, victims of specified sexual and violent offences where the offender receives a sentence of 12 months or more have been offered the Probation Victim Contact Scheme, which enables them to make representations about which licence conditions a prisoner should be subject to on release, and to be informed about key stages of sentence such as release on temporary licence and full release.

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The Victim Contact Scheme was extended by legislation to victims of mentally disordered offenders with restrictions in July 2005, and to victims of mentally disordered offenders without restrictions in November 2008.

Since April 2014, there has been a presumption that victims of restricted mentally disordered offenders will be told if they are granted permission for escorted or unescorted leave from hospital for rehabilitative purposes.

Sussex Safer Roads Partnership

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what (a) financial, (b) staffing and (c) capacity-building support and assistance his Department has given to the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership in respect of (i) activities relating to Operation Crackdown and (ii) all other activities in each year since its inception; [204571]

(2) what metrics his Department applies to assess the performance of Sussex Safer Roads Partnership's contribution to Operation Crackdown; [204572]

(3) if he will publish his assessment of the effectiveness of the protocols governing Sussex Safer Roads Partnership's contribution to Operation Crackdown. [204573]

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the information requested. Sussex Safer Roads Partnership receives no direct funding, or contributions from the Government. Operation Crackdown is a local police initiative and the Government has no involvement in measuring its effectiveness.