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Written Answers

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Afghanistan

Question

Asked by Lord Judd

To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources are available to the Department for International Development for its work in Afghanistan; and what resources are available for military operations there. [HL4243]

Lord Brett: Details of the Department for International Development's (DfID) resource allocation to Afghanistan are available in DfID's annual report and Statistics on International Development 2008 (SID). Both documents are accessible in the Library of the House and on the DfID website: www.dfid.gov.uk.

Details of expenditure on military operations in Afghanistan are made available by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in its annual report and accounts, published at www.mod.uk.

Armed Forces: Religions and Faiths

Question

Asked by Lord Steinberg

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces are (a) Jewish, and (b) Israeli. [HL4581]

The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): As at 1 April 2009, 70 personnel in the UK regular forces had declared their religion as Jewish and no personnel had declared their nationality as Israeli.

Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004

Question

Asked by Baroness Warsi

To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries are designated as safe countries under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004. [HL4327]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Countries which are designated as safe under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

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Asylum Seekers

Question

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many failed asylum seekers have had all benefits withdrawn. [HL4127]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Information on the total number of failed asylum seekers formerly in receipt of asylum support who have had their support withdrawn, including those supported prior to the existing arrangements coming into force in 2000, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers: Democratic Republic of Congo

Question

Asked by The Earl of Listowel

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum-seeking families from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been detained at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in the past year. [HL4440]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Three asylum-seeking families from the Democratic Republic of Congo were detained at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in the last calendar year.

Charity Commission

Question

Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester

To ask Her Majesty's Government what response the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission is making to the letter sent to him by Professor Leon Poller on 16 June about irregularities in the notification to members of an election meeting of the charity they were entitled to attend; and, in furtherance of the Commission's duties to enhance good governance of charities, what action the Commission has taken or will be taking to rectify the consequences of such irregularities in relation to the election, and otherwise. [HL4485]

Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the commission to reply.

Letter from Andrew Hind, chief executive of the Charity Commission, to Lord Morris, dated June 2009.

As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your Written Parliamentary Question.

Professor Poller's letter of 16 June related to an allegation that he believed had been made to the Charity Commission about the payment of membership

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subscriptions to a charity. This allegation apparently suggested that certain named individuals had not paid their subscription to this charity in 2008. We responded on 19 June to confirm that no such allegation had been made to us.

Professor Poller has also corresponded with us about the election meeting held in May 2009. We have looked into his allegation that some members of the charity had not received the notification of the AGM that they were entitled to. We have provided Professor Poller with a full response and we have asked his permission to disclose this to you. If that is forthcoming then I will write to you with the copies.

I hope this is helpful.

Civil Service: Redundancy

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants have been made redundant in each government department in each of the past three years; and what were the associated costs. [HL4071]

Baroness Crawley: Information relating to the associated costs of civil servant redundancies is not collated centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Information requested on numbers of civil servants who have been made redundant falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Lord Laird, dated June 2009.

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many civil servants have been made redundant in each government department in each of the last three years. (HL4071)

The Office for National Statistics collects data on leavers from the Civil Service as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES).

The requested data are attached at annexe A.

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Annexe A
Number of civil servants made redundant by department and agency 2006-0812
			Headcount
Permanent employees	200656	200778	200879
Attorney General's Departments
Crown Prosecution Service	10	0	..
Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate	-	0	0
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	0	0	0
Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office	-	0	0
Serious Fraud Office	-	..	..
Treasury Solicitor	..	0	0
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform(excl agencies)3	-	20	20
Department of Trade and Industry (excl agencies) 3	20	-	-
Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service	-	0	0
Companies House	-	0	0
Insolvency Service	0	0	0
Office of Fair Trading	-	..	10
Office of Gas and Electricity Market	-	10	10
Postal Services Commission	-	..	..
Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office (excl agencies)	-	0	..
Other Cabinet Office agencies
Central Office of Information	-	0	0
National School of Government	-	0	0
Parliamentary Counsel Office	-	0	0
HM Treasury
HM Treasury	10	..	..
HM Revenue and Customs
HM Revenue and Customs	-	..	..
Valuation Office	0	0	0
Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue	0	-	-
Chancellor's other departments
Debt Management Office	-	0	0
Government Actuary's Department	0	0	0
National Savings and Investments	-	0	0
Office of Government Commerce	-	0	0
OGCbuying.solutions	-	0	0
Office for National Statistics4	0	40	110
Royal Mint	0	10	20
Charity Commission
Charity Commission	0	0	0
Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families3	-	0	0
Department for Education and Skills
Department for Education and Skills	..	-	-
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills	-	..	..
National Weights and Measures Laboratory	0	0	0
UK Intellectual Property Office	..	0	0
Office for Standards in Education
Office for Standards in Education	-	0	0
Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government (excl agencies)3	90	20	..
Fire Service College	-	0	0
Ordnance Survey	30	..	..
Planning Inspectorate	0	0	0
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre	-	0	0
Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture Media and Sport3	0	0	0
Royal Parks	..	0	0
Defence
Ministry of Defence	470	1,140	1,440
Royal Fleet Auxiliary	-	0	0
Army Base Repair Organisation	160	0	0
Defence Aviation Repair Agency	..	60	10
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory	10	..	0
Met Office	10	20	..
UK Hydrographic Office	0	0	..
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (excl agencies)	70	40	30
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science	..	0	0
Central Science Laboratory	..	..	0
Government Decontamination Services	0	0	0
Marine and Fisheries Agency	0	0	0
Office of Water Services	..	0	0
Pesticides Safety Directorate	0	0	0
Rural Payments Agency	-	0	10
Animal Health	0	0	..
Veterinary Laboratories Agency	0	0	0
Veterinary Medicines Directorate	0	0	0
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Export Credit Guarantee Department	0	0	0
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (excl agencies)	10	10	50
Wilton Park Executive Agency	0	0	0
Health
Department of Health (excl agencies)	10	10	10
Food Standards Agency	-	0	0
Meat Hygiene Service	-	20	50
Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency	-	0	0
National Healthcare Purchasing and Supplies	-	..	10
NHS Business Services Authority (Civil Service only)	-	0	..
Home Office
Home Office (excl agencies)3	..	0	..
Border and Immigration Agency	-	0	0
Criminal Records Bureau	-	0	0
Identity and Passport Service	-	0	0
Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism	-	0	0
Justice
Ministry of Justice (excl agencies)	-	10	40
HM Courts Service	-	100	50
Land Registry	0	0	0
National Archives	-	0	0
Public Guardianship Office	-	0	0
Tribunals Service	-	..	20
Scotland Office	0	0	0
Wales Office	-	0	0
Public Sector Prison Service	10	..	0
International Development
Department for International Development	-	10	..
Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office	0	0	0
Security and Intelligence Services
Security and Intelligence Services	..	..	0
Transport
Department for Transport (excl agencies)3	110	40	10
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	0	10	80
Driving Standards Agency	0	0	0
Government Car and Despatch Agency	-	0	..
Highways Agency	..	..	..
Maritime and Coastguard Agency	-	0	0
Office of Rail Regulation	-	0	0
Vehicle Certification Agency	0	0	0
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency	10	0	0
Work and Pensions
DWP Corporate Services	10	20	40
DWP Shared Services	-	..	20
Child Support Agency	..	20	220
Disability and Carers Service	110	10	100
Jobcentre Plus	230	260	970
Pension Service	30	120	400
The Health and Safety Executive	0	..	..
The Rent Service	-	0	0
Scottish Government
Scottish Government (excl agencies)	..	..	..
Communities Scotland	0	0	0
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service	-	0	0
Courts Group	0	0	..
Fisheries Research Services	0	0	0
General Register Scotland	0	0	0
HM Inspectorate of Education	0	0	0
Historic Scotland	0	0	..
Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland	0	0	0
National Archive for Scotland	0	0	0
Office of Accountant in Bankruptcy	0	0	0
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator	0	0	0
Registers of Scotland	0	10	10
Scottish Agricultural Scientific Agency	0	..	0
Scottish Buildings Standards Agency	0	0	0
Scottish Court Service	0	0	0
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency	0	..	..
Scottish Prison Service	-	0	0
Scottish Public Pensions Agency	0	0	0
Social Work Inspection Agency	0	0	0
Student Awards Agency	0	0	0
Transport Scotland	0	..	0
Welsh Assembly
Welsh Assembly Government	0	0	..
ESTYN	0	0	0
Total	1,420	2,000	3,770

Source: Mandate Collection and Annual Civil Service Employment Survey

¹ Includes civil servants who have taken "compulsory early retirement" or "compulsory early severance". Excludes civil servants who are over pension age.

² Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten, and numbers less than five are represented by "..". Data not available are represented by "-"..

³ Includes Government Office for the Regions employees.

⁴ Figures for the Office for National Statistics exclude field staff who were not Civil Servants at the reference date.

⁵ Data sourced from the Mandate collection, undertaken by Cabinet Office, which provides approximately 85 per cent coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies.

⁶ Survey reference date 1 April 2006.

⁷ Data sourced from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (2007 and 2008), undertaken by ONS, which provides 100 per cent coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies.

⁸ Survey reference date 30 September 2007.

⁹ Survey reference date 31 March 2008.

Common Fisheries Policy

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