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10 Jan 2011 : Column WA361

Written Answers

Monday 10 January 2011

Afghanistan

Question

Asked by Lord Dykes

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): An Afghan-led political process is necessary to underpin the military progress being made by the International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan National Security Forces. This year the Afghan Government convened a Peace Jirga to secure the support of the Afghan people for their proposals and inaugurated the High Peace Council to lead the work.

We support President Karzai's efforts to reconcile with all those willing to meet the conditions he has laid down: renounce Al-Qaeda; give up armed struggle; and respect the Afghan constitutional framework. The UK is working in support of President Karzai's approach.

Agriculture: Theft

Question

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The Government have made clear that police forces should work with their local communities to identify and tackle the crime problems in their area, including the thefts of property from farms, and we are seeking to ensure that they are free to do so and accountable to their communities. The Government are also very supportive of the work of the Plant and Agricultural Intelligence Unit (PANIU), a specialist unit which brings together the police and private sector partners from the construction, agricultural and insurance industries to tackle plant and machinery theft, including all-terrain vehicles.

Alcohol

Question

Asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA362

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Possible measures to assess the success of the alcohol part of the responsibility deal are currently under discussion.

More widely, a consultation on the public health outcomes framework, Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Transparency in Outcomes, was published by the department on 20 December. The consultation proposes to put in place a new strategic outcomes framework for public health at national and local levels, based on the evidence of where the biggest challenges are for health and well-being, and the wider factors that drive it.

We are seeking views on the overall structure and scope of the framework and the range of outcomes and measures within it, including views on those measures that should be incentivised.

A copy of the consultation document can be obtained from the following web address: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_122962.

Anti-Semitism

Question

Asked by Lord Beecham

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): I will write to the noble Lord and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Education

Question

Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): I refer my noble friend to the Answer given by my honourable friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans in the other place on 27 July 2010, (Official Report, col. 1063W) to the honourable Member for Ashfield (Gloria De Piero).



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA363

Azerbaijan

Questions

Asked by Lord Hylton

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): UK Government Ministers have raised the case with Azerbaijani Ministers and senior officials on several occasions. My honourable friend the Minister for Europe raised it personally when he visited Baku in October 2010. We continue to monitor the case closely and are in regular contact with Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations about Mr Fatullayev's situation.

The UK Government and the EU have raised our concern over the slow progress in improving human rights, including freedom of expression issues in Azerbaijan on many occasions. We and our EU partners have made clear that we are ready to support Azerbaijan in improving human rights standards.

Asked by Baroness O'Cathain

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has offered no support to the all-party parliamentary group on its planned visit, but stands ready to provide information, as we would for all all-party parliamentary groups, if requested. Information for British citizens wishing to travel abroad is made available through the travel advice pages of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country. The advice currently advises against all travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and the militarily occupied area surrounding it.

Asked by Baroness O'Cathain

Lord Howell of Guildford: We currently advise against all travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and the militarily occupied area surrounding it. We therefore do not offer travellers advice on visa applications.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA364

Banking

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): On 2 December 2010 the Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced that a supervisory investigation into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) had confirmed that RBS made a series of bad decisions in the years immediately before the financial crisis, most significantly the acquisition of ABN AMRO and the decision aggressively to expand its investment banking business. The issues investigated by the FSA did not warrant any enforcement action, either against RBS or against individuals.

The FSA cannot publish the contents of the review, because information gathered for the review remains confidential under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FSA has proposed producing a publishable report on lessons to be learnt both from the decisions made by the RBS board and executive and from any failings of the supervisory approach in place at that time. In order to publish such a report, the FSA considers that it would need permission from RBS and other individuals to use confidential information provided by them in the course of the supervisory investigations now concluded, as well as those to whom the information relates.

The FSA is conducting extensive supervisory investigations into other major UK banks that required full or partial taxpayer bailout support. These investigations are ongoing. If they lead to enforcement action being taken, then it would be usual for the FSA to make these outcomes public.

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: No separate estimates of the yield from the bank levy or the bank payroll tax for United Kingdom incorporated bank entities have been made. The bank payroll tax applied to certain entities (banks and holding companies) in banking groups operating in the UK as well as to bank companies in non-banking groups operating in the UK. It therefore applied to both UK incorporated banks (in both UK and foreign banking groups) and UK branches of foreign incorporated banks. The bank levy is a permanent tax on the balance sheets of banks and building society and banking groups, and does not depend upon the location

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA365

of incorporation of banks within those groups. The bank payroll tax was introduced by the previous Government and was a one-off measure.

Asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke

Lord Sassoon: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) published its Q2 2010 results on 6 August 2010. This disclosed that total credit risk assets relating to the Republic of Ireland were £48 billion.

RBS published its Q3 Interim Management Statement on 5 November 2010. Whilst this did not include specific disclosure on exposures to the Republic of Ireland, it did contain disclosures relating to Ulster Bank.

Ulster Bank trades across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: at full year 2009 the asset split was circa 16 per cent UK and 84 per cent Republic of Ireland.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA366

Ulster Core Loans and Advances to Customers£bn

Mortgages

21.4

Corporate property

5.3

Other corporate

9.4

Other lending

1.7

Total

37.8

Ulster Donated Assets in Non-Core Division£bn

Commercial Investment & Development

6.7

Residential Investment & Development

6

Other

2.0

Total

14.7

Available for sale Debt security Exposures to£mn

The Republic of Ireland

Government

120

Asset-Backed Securities

180

Other

468

Total

768

Lloyds Banking Group published its interim results on 5 August 2010. This disclosed its latest exposures in relation to Ireland:

Loans and advances to customers (£m)Impaired loans (£m)Impaired loans as % of closing advances (%)Impairment provisions (£m)Impairment provisions as % of impaired loans (%)

As at 30 June 2010

26, 682

11, 689

43.8

4, 857

41.6

As at 31 December 2009

29, 104

9, 712

33.4

3, 601

37.1

On 17 December 2010 Lloyds Banking Group gave an update through the Regulatory News Service (RNS) on its Irish portfolio: http://www.lloydsbankinggroup .com/media/pdfs/investors/2010/2010Dec17_LBG_ Irish_Portfolio_Update.pdf.

Banking: Bonuses

Questions

Asked by Lord Dykes

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has applied the provisions of the Capital Requirements Directive 3 on a proportionate basis, taking the Committee of European Banking Supervisors' Guidance, and consultation responses, into account.

The revised FSA Code incorporates a rule that guaranteed bonuses, which must be for one year or less, are only available to new staff, and in exceptional circumstances.

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: The Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) is required to provide guidance on the implementation of the provisions of the Capital Requirements Directive 3 (CRD 3).

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has applied the provisions of CRD 3 on a proportionate basis, taking CEBS guidance and consultation responses into account, as permitted in the CRD 3 legislation.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA367

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has applied the provisions of the Capital Requirements Directive 3 on a proportionate basis, taking the Committee of European Banking Supervisors' guidance and consultation responses into account as permitted in the Capital Requirements Directive legislation. The FSA has established a classification of firms to assist in the proportionate application of the directive requirements.

Banking: Royal Bank of Scotland

Questions

Asked by Lord Dykes

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): On 2 December 2010 the Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced that a supervisory investigation into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) had confirmed that RBS made a series of bad decisions in the years immediately before the financial crisis, most significantly the acquisition of ABN AMRO and the decision aggressively to expand its investment banking business. The issues investigated by the FSA did not warrant any enforcement action, either against RBS or against individuals.

The FSA cannot publish the contents of the review, because information gathered for the review remains confidential under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The Government welcome the FSA proposal to produce a publishable report on lessons to be learnt both from the decisions made by the RBS board and executive and from any failings of the supervisory approach in place at that time. In order to publish such a report, the FSA considers that it would need permission from RBS and other individuals to use confidential information provided by them in the course of the supervisory investigations now concluded, as well as those to whom the information relates.

Asked by Lord Myners



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA368

Lord Sassoon: In May 2009, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) launched a supervisory investigation into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to consider whether regulatory rules had been broken and what, if any, action was appropriate. The review looked specifically at the conduct of senior individuals at the bank, the acquisition of ABN AMRO in 2007 and the 2008 capital raisings. The FSA conducted the review with assistance from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

As the review considered decisions and activity by the board and executive of RBS during the period in question, no Ministers or officials from HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and no directors or officers from the Financial Services Authority were interviewed as part of the supervisory investigation.

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: In May 2009, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) launched an investigation into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to consider whether regulatory rules had been broken and what, if any, action was appropriate. The review looked specifically at the conduct of senior individuals at the bank, the acquisition of ABN AMRO in 2007 and the 2008 capital raisings.

On 18 May 2010, the FSA closed the enforcement investigation into Johnny Cameron, former executive director of RBS and former chairman of global markets. Following the completion of this investigation, Mr Cameron agreed not to hold any senior management positions or undertake full-time employment in the financial services industry. In return for this undertaking, the FSA said that it would not take disciplinary action against Cameron. The FSA had not made any findings of regulatory breach against Cameron and he had not made any admissions.

On 2 December 2010 the FSA announced that a supervisory investigation had confirmed that RBS made a series of bad decisions in the years immediately before the financial crisis, most significantly the acquisition of ABN AMRO and the decision to aggressively expand its investment banking business. Had the investigation led to enforcement action then it would have been usual for the FSA to make these outcomes public. However, the FSA announced that the issues covered by the investigation did not warrant any enforcement action, either against RBS or against individuals.

Banks: Lending

Question

Asked by Lord Myners



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA369

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The lending commitments agreed between the Government and Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are in place until March 2011.

The Government recognise that access to finance is essential if businesses are to invest, grow and make an important contribution to supporting the economic recovery.

In response to the Green Paper, Financing a Private Sector Recovery, published earlier this year, the Government have set out a comprehensive package of government and industry-led measures to support small businesses access finance. These measures include:

additional support for the enterprise finance guarantee over the next four years to enable over £2 billion of lending to viable small businesses that lack collateral or track record; andincreased equity finance, through £200 million of additional funding for the enterprise capital funds programme, both of which could unlock further debt finance for small and medium-sized businesses.

More information about these measures and the Green Paper is available at http://www.bis.gov.uk/businessfinance.

In addition, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) taskforce has announced industry-led measures, including improving customer relationships through a new lending code and the establishment of new £1.5 billion business growth fund, which will provide capital to growing businesses.

Further information about the BBA taskforce and its commitments is available at http://www.bba.org.uk/media/article/business-finance-taskforce.

Belize

Question

Asked by Baroness Harris of Richmond

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): I was very sorry to learn of Anna's death and would like to extend my sincere condolences to the Lightfoot family.

Our high commission in Belize maintains contact with both the Ministry of Police and Public Safety and Crimestoppers Belize on their efforts to locate and recapture Allan Cal. The deputy high commissioner in Belize spoke to the head of Crimestoppers Belize on 26 November, and was told that any leads were being followed up. We will continue to press the relevant authorities and organisations to do all they can to find Allan Cal. We will keep the family informed of any developments.



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Benefits

Questions

Asked by Baroness Sherlock

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The June 2010 Budget announced that the Government will use the CPI for the price indexation of benefits and tax credits from April 2011. This means that benefits will continue to be protected from price inflation each year. The June 2010 Budget also announced that the Government will uprate local housing allowance rates in line with CPI inflation from 2013-14.

The fiscal impact of these measures is set out in Table 2.1 in the Budget Red Book. The impact of tax and welfare changes on households is set out in Chapter A of the Red Book. It is essential that government policy is informed by analysis that is known to be robust, and the Treasury has followed a well established methodology, similar to that used by other organisations to undertake its distributional analysis. On the basis of this approach, the Treasury was able to model around two-thirds of benefit and tax-credit changes and the majority of direct and indirect tax changes in the Budget analysis, including CPI indexation of benefits and tax credits. The data sources document published alongside the Budget sets out the full list of measures that this includes. Separately, the Department for Work and Pensions will publish an impact assessment for the CPI indexation of local housing allowance rates when relevant legislation is brought forward.

Asked by Lord Wills

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): Income support claim clearance is monitored using an average actual clearance time target. This measures the average number of working days Jobcentre Plus takes to process claims for income support.

The measure starts on the date that the claim form satisfies the evidence contribution (ie all information or evidence required, eg savings, has been provided) and ends when a notification is issued to the customer advising of the outcome of the claim, or the claim is withdrawn.

The target is to process claims for income support in an average of nine days. The current year to date performance is 7.1 days.

April 10

May 10

June 10

July 10

Aug 10

Sept 10

Oct 10

Nov 10

YTD

Income Support AACT

7.8

7.3

6.9

7.0

7.1

6.9

7.0

6.9

7.1



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Asked by Lord Wills



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA372

Lord Freud: Income support claim clearance is monitored using an average actual clearance time (AACT) target. This target is nine days, and performance has remained strong throughout the year.

Within the last six months performance has remained consistent with no indication of an increase in clearance times.

April 10

May 10

June 10

July 10

Aug 10

Sept 10

Oct 10

Nov 10

YTD

Income Support AACT

7.8

7.3

6.9

7.0

7.1

6.9

7.0

6.9

7.1

Asked by Lord Wills

Lord Freud: There is no reason to think that the time taken to process income support claims will decline in 2011.

Forecasts based on recent performance and known trends show that if current performance is maintained then AACT will be within the range of 6.7-9.1 days at April 2011.

The time taken to clear all benefit claims is monitored very closely and remedial action is taken promptly when potential problems occur to help maintain the service provided to our customers.

British Overseas Territories

Question

Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government recognise the importance of economic development in the Overseas Territories, but economic affairs are a devolved competence. There are however regular discussions between UK government officials and representatives from the territories on economic issues. These were one of the topics discussed at the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council in November, chaired by my honourable friend the Minister for the Overseas Territories; and at bilateral meetings he held with territory leaders during the week of the Consultative Council. Overseas Territory government representatives in London lead on promoting Overseas Territories' products and services. We will continue to liaise with them on a regular basis.

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

Lord Howell of Guildford: Under the UK honours rules there are no limits within which each British Overseas Territory can propose nominations for UK honours. Nominations are proposed for exceptional meritorious service. There are quotas for the numbers of awards for each Overseas Territory and these are reviewed every five years. Nominations may be sent in at any time but are usually submitted at twice yearly stages for the Diplomatic Service and Overseas (DS&O) New Year and Birthday Honours Lists.

Burial Act 1857

Question

Asked by Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): We are currently considering whether it may be possible to take forward changes to burial legislation generally, including the Burial Act 1857 which regulates the exhumation of human remains. In the mean time, we continue to apply the present exhumation licensing system in a way which recognises, as far as possible, the legitimate interests of archaeologists, museum professionals, and the general public.

Business Travel: Private Car Allowance

Question

Asked by Lord Marlesford



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA373

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The tax-free mileage allowance is part of the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) scheme, which is a statutory scheme introduced with effect from April 2002 at a rate of 40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence per mile thereafter.

AMAPs cater for a wide range of car drivers and the rates are designed to take into account all relevant factors. The levels strike a balance between allowing for the running costs of all cars, large and small, and delivering the Government's environmental policy, but are not linked to any particular inflation measure. The Government keep rates under regular review.

Care Homes

Question

Asked by Baroness Browning

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Data on the number of adults, aged 18-64, in receipt of permanent local authority funded registered residential and nursing care as at 31 March each year are collected and published by the NHS information centre for health and social care. Information is not available separately for those under the age of 60.

I am informed by the information centre that there were 46,300 adults aged 18-64 in permanent local authority funded care home placement on 31 March 2010.

Information on the numbers of care home residents who fund their own care is not collected centrally.

Care Homes: Allowances

Question

Asked by Baroness Browning

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): This information is not held centrally as it is government policy to reduce burden on local councils and primary care trusts which would be the bodies responsible for collecting these data.

A personal budget can be taken by an individual as a direct (cash) payment; as an account held and managed by the council in line with the individual's wishes; or as an account placed with a third party (provider) and called off by the individual; or as a mixture of these approaches. Direct payments are intended to support independent living and, as such, they cannot be used to pay for adults to live for the long term in residential care.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA374

They can be made to enable people to purchase for themselves a short stay in residential care, provided that the stay does not exceed a period of four consecutive weeks in any 12-month period. They may also be used by people living in a care home in relation to non-residential care services; for example, they may have temporary access to direct payments to try out independent living arrangements.

Contingent Liabilities

Question

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): Accounting advice on contingent liabilities for the whole UK Government are provided by HM Treasury's Government Financial Reporting Manual; these are the rules departments must follow in notifying contingent liabilities to Parliament. Specific commentary and advice on the UK's contingent liabilities relating to the overseas territories is available from the 2007 National Audit Office report Managing Risk in the Overseas Territories. Both are already publicly available.

Criminality Survey 2000

Question

Asked by Baroness Stern

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The report Levels of Self-Report Offending and Drug Use among Offenders: Findings from the Criminality Surveys is available on the Home Office website at www.rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1805.pdf. I will place a copy in the Library.

Crown Prosecution Service: Equality

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness): The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for

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all of the staff that it employs. It does not operate a quota system for employees and does not plan to introduce one.

As of 30 September 2010, the CPS employed 2,846 men and 5,623 women. The CPS is reducing its workforce through the application of recruitment controls and will conduct an equality impact assessment on any future plans to facilitate further workforce reductions.

Cumbria: Earthquake

Question

Asked by Lord Judd

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has advised that in order to satisfy the regulators that site licence conditions will be met, the site licensees of any new nuclear power station will need to demonstrate that the installed plant is able to withstand all site-specific natural hazards including earthquake, flooding or meteorological conditions. In order to ascertain the presence and status of any capable faults on a site, there would need to be geological site-specific investigations.

Seismic activity levels across the UK are generally low. The reactor designs for new nuclear power stations being considered under the generic design assessment process are intended for worldwide application, with significantly higher baseline seismic resistance.

Similarly, in siting a geological disposal facility (GDF) for higher activity radioactive waste a thorough seismic hazard assessment is one of the requirements of the regulators' safety assessment principles.

Vibrations associated with earthquakes experienced in the UK will not significantly affect a repository at depth, but any potential for changes to the rock mass containing a GDF must be thoroughly investigated. This can only be properly undertaken later in the siting process when more in-depth investigations can take place at a particular site.

Currently, local authorities in west Cumbria are considering whether or not they want to participate in the siting process for a GDF and if they do, a detailed assessment of the seismic hazard at any potential site will need to be carried out over many years.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Question

Asked by Lord Chidgey

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK is deeply concerned by the use of child soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is actively working to tackle this issue. Following a UK recommendation, UN sanctions have been imposed against Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) for recruitment of child soldiers. We continue to lobby the Government of DRC to arrest Bosco Ntaganda and hand him over to the International Criminal Court. We support the biometric census project of EU's Security Sector Reform Mission to DRC (EUSEC),which allows child soldiers in the FARDC to be successfully identified and removed. We also support the work of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) to demobilise child soldiers in armed groups.

On the situation in eastern DRC, there has been significant recent progress in weakening the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and other armed groups, but high levels of violence against civilians continue. Addressing the issue of child soldiers will help reduce that violence.

Disabled People: Access to Work

Question

Asked by The Lord Bishop of Blackburn

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The Government are committed to ensuring disabled people get and keep jobs, and Access to Work can help with this objective. It is the legal responsibility of employers under the Equality Act to provide reasonable adjustments to allow disabled staff to do their work. The Access to Work programme can provide funding towards equipment and support that would be above and beyond what is reasonable for an employer to supply.

Changes to the Access to Work programme were put in place on 1 April 2010 to improve take-up among under-represented groups, including people working for smaller employers. As a result, where employer contributions are required larger employers have been asked to contribute more, allowing smaller

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA377

employers to pay less and micro-employers, with fewer than 10 employees, to be exempt from any contributions at all.

Where cost-sharing applies, all requests for adaptations to premises and equipment, special aids and equipment or miscellaneous (except travel in work) elements will operate as follows:

A threshold below which AtW pays none of the costs;a £10,000 ceiling below which AtW pays up to 80 per cent of the approved costs and above which AtW pays all the costs over the three-year AtW period;Micro employers (1-9 employees) nil cost share;Small employers (10-49 employees) £300 threshold;Medium-sized employers (50-249 employees) £500 threshold;Large employers (250 employees or more) £1,000 threshold.

In this context the Church of England is considered to be a larger employer, with more than 250 employees.

Disabled People: Independent Living

Questions

Asked by Baroness Wilkins

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): A number of organisations were approached informally including: National Council for Independent Living, Independent Living in Scotland, National Forum, Equality 2025 and Equality and Human Rights. No written representations were received and there is no published document. The information obtained was part of the policy development process to inform Ministers.

Any formal consultation on the Independent Living Fund that takes place in the future will be published in the usual way.

Asked by Baroness Wilkins



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA378

Lord Freud: The Independent Living Fund will continue to administer existing awards throughout this Parliament. We will publish an equality impact assessment with the consultation.

The Independent Living Fund is a discretionary trust and payments from the fund do not take precedence over the responsibility of the local authority to make an assessment of a user's needs. Local authorities already have a statutory responsibility to provide social care support to their residents and as part of this responsibility, local authorities will need to consider the requirements of clients who may otherwise have received an additional Independent Living Fund package.

Economy

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Cabinet Secretary regularly provides advice to Ministers across government on a wide range of policy issues, including the economy.

Egypt

Questions

Asked by Lord Patten

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government consider human rights, including the right to freedom of religion, as indivisible from our foreign policy objectives. The Coptic Church has a proud history of continuous worship in Egypt for almost 2,000 years. Together with our European partners, we raise with the Egyptian Government concerns about discrimination between people on grounds of religion. For example, at the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of Egypt in June 2010, we called for the elimination of all legal provisions and policies which discriminate against members of religious minorities.

Our ambassador spoke to officials at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 4 January 2011, following an explosion, believed to be a suicide bomb, outside a Coptic Church in Alexandria on New Year's Day.

Asked by Lord Patten



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA379

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our embassy in Cairo posted teams in Alexandria, Cairo and Minya (Upper Egypt) to observe the elections informally, along with other countries including EU member states. Their findings were similar to those reported by domestic observers, civil society organisations and election participants, who raised serious concerns about arrangements in the run-up to and during the elections. These included refusal of access for international monitors, lack of access in some instances for independent national monitors and candidate representatives to key parts of the voting and counting process and reports of attempts to limit media comment on the elections. In some cases, reported voting irregularities and the harassment and arrest of opposition candidates and their supporters amounted to serious interference in the electoral process. This calls into question the credibility of some of the results. We strongly encourage the Egyptian authorities to address those concerns.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

Lord Howell of Guildford: We remain concerned by reports of violence involving different religious communities in Egypt, of which the violence in Naga Hammadi is one example. We continue to follow the trial of two men accused of involvement in the attack. Together with our European partners, we also raise with the Egyptian Government concerns about discrimination on grounds of religion. For example, at the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of Egypt in June 2010, we called for the elimination of all legal provisions and policies which discriminate against members of religious minorities.

Embryology

Question

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, under its adverse incident reporting requirements, centre 0076 has reported two cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Under the same requirements, centre 0162 has reported no cases of OHSS and centre 0170 has reported five cases. All of these cases involved admission to hospital.

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA380

Both of the cases at centre 0076 were graded as severe and all of the cases at centre 0170 were graded as moderate.

Energy: Carbon Reduction Commitment

Question

Asked by Lord Berkeley

Baroness Rawlings: We are proposing to disapply the landlord/tenant rule only in the specific respect of supplies made from one Northern Ireland government department to another. Where a Northern Ireland government department leases an office from a private landlord, who supplies its tenants with the energy, then that private landlord will still be responsible for the energy under the CRC energy efficiency scheme.

Energy: Electricity

Question

Asked by Lord Lucas

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): On 16 December, the Government launched consultations on a package of options for reforming the electricity market. The preferred package is to have a contract for difference model for supporting low-carbon generation in combination with a targeted capacity mechanism, carbon price support and an emissions performance standard.

For this preferred package:

(a) the average wholesale electricity price is assumed to be £57/MWh in 2010 and £97/MWh in 2030 (in real 2009 prices). The increase reflects a number of factors including policy impacts and external factors such as rising fossil fuel and carbon prices; and(b) the average domestic retail electricity price (including VAT) is estimated to be £118/MWh in 2010 and £178/MWh in 2030 (in real 2009 prices).

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For non-domestic consumers, the average retail electricity price is estimated to be £86/MWh in 2010 and £143/MWh in 2030 (in real 2009 prices).

As set out in the impact assessment accompanying the consultation, the percentage increase in electricity bills for domestic and non-domestic consumers, between now and 2030, will be lower than the increase in electricity prices due to the impact of energy efficiency policies over time.

EU: Accession Fund

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is the European Union funding mechanism for candidate countries and potential candidate countries. According to the latest "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA): Revised multi-annual indicative financial framework for 2011-13", the EU plans to allocate a total of €1,591,328,130 in 2010 and €1,796,793,000 in 2011. This is equivalent to £1,352,825,070 in 2010 and £1,527,495,536 in 2011 using an exchange rate of 1.1763.

EU: Currencies

Question

Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): This is not a matter on which the Government should comment. Other European Union member states' currencies and membership or otherwise of the euro area are decisions for their respective Governments and not the UK.

EU: Financial Stability

Question

Asked by Lord Lea of Crondall

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): In this context, "haircut" means the loss that a debt investor would incur by agreeing to receive

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA382

less than the full face value of the debt, as a result of an agreement with a debtor that is unable to pay the full amount.

EU: Scrutiny Reserve

Question

Asked by Lord Roper

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government are committed to the effective scrutiny by Parliament of European Union proposals. We will always seek to avoid breaching the scrutiny reserve resolutions of either House of Parliament where this is possible. Where overrides are required the Government will continue to account for their actions in writing to the chairmen of the scrutiny committees in each House. There were a high number of overrides during the period in question. No parliamentary scrutiny was possible following the dissolution of Parliament in April until the scrutiny committees were re-established in the new Parliament. The figures are below:



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA383

Department(a) House of Lords override(b) House of Commons override(c) No. of Overrides in both Houses(d) Total no. of overrides

Department of Business, Innovation and Skills

1

0

0

1

Department of Communities and Local Government

1

1

1

1

Department of Culture, Media and Sport

1

1

1

1

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

2

2

2

2

Department for International Development

7

3

3

7

Department of Transport

1

1

1

1

Department of Work and Pensions

1

0

0

1

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

22

26

22

26

Department of Health

6

7

6

7

HM Treasury

9

7

7

9

Ministry of Justice

3

4

3

4

54

52

46

60

EU: Stability Fund

Question

Asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The European Financial Stability Mechanism (EFSM) was created following agreement by a qualified majority of member states at the ECOFIN meeting on 9 May 2010. The regulation was binding on all member states the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union on 12 May 2010.

European Financial Stability Mechanism

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): All contact between the Treasury and the opposition parties followed the agreed Cabinet Office guidelines for the 2010 general election.

The European Financial Stability Mechanism (EFSM) was created following agreement by a qualified majority of member states at the ECOFIN meeting on 9 May 2010. The regulation was binding on all member states the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union on 12 May 2010.

European Union

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA384

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government have agreed that there should be no further transfer of competence or powers from the UK to the EU over the course of this Parliament. Any change to the EU treaties requires the unanimous agreement of every member state, and we are legislating to ensure that the British people will have the final say on any future proposed transfer of competences or powers to the EU.

Falkland Islands

Question

Asked by Lord Berkeley

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): In 2010 approximately 8,000 tonnes, and in 2009 approximately 21,000 tonnes, of aggregates and building materials (sand and cement) were shipped to the Falkland Islands via the Falkland Islands Resupply Service to renew the runway. Information is not held for previous years.

Financial Services Authority

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Financial Services Authority (FSA) remains confident that it can continue to staff the FSA effectively at its projected headcount of 4,000 full-time equivalents. The intention is to cap the FSA's headcount at this level until the transition to the new regulatory authorities (the Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Consumer Protection and Markets Authority) in 2012. The current headcount is 3,854 full-time equivalent staff, as at end of November 2010.

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which is independent from government. The noble Lord's inquiry has been passed to the FSA, which will write directly to him on this subject.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA385

Flooding

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Those areas most at risk, and people in the most deprived parts of the country, will continue to be the focus for government flood and coastal erosion risk management support. This is a key consideration within the current consultation on the future funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management.

Food: Halal Meat

Question

Asked by Lord Mawhinney

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): We do not hold information on the proportion of Halal compliant beef and lamb sold through UK supermarkets. Muslims are not permitted to eat pork and no pork on sale in UK supermarkets will be Halal compliant.

EBLEX, the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, has recently published a report on the Halal meat market. This provides an insight into the preferences, perceptions and motivations of Muslim consumers when buying meat. This report confirms most Muslims buy Halal meat mostly from Halal butchers and specialist outlets.

Framework Convention for Protection of National Minorities

Question

Asked by Baroness Whitaker

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): We expect a delegation from the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to visit the

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA386

United Kingdom in March 2011 to gather evidence for its third opinion on the UK. It has not yet advised us of its timetable for producing that opinion.

Fuel Poverty

Question

Asked by Lord Reay

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): In 2008, the latest year for which this information is available, 25 per cent of all fuel-poor households in England were located in rural areas.

In Wales in 2008, 51 per cent of all fuel-poor households were located in rural areas.

In Scotland in 2008, 25 per cent of all fuel-poor households were located in rural areas. In 2009, this decreased slightly to 23 per cent.

Figures for England and Wales use the ONS definition of rural, while the figures for Scotland are based on the Scottish Government's definition of rural.

Gaza

Questions

Asked by Baroness Tonge

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): This is an encouraging step. The key will be implementation. As the EU Foreign Affairs Council made clear on 13 December, we encourage swift implementation by Israel and stand ready to work with Israel to achieve pre-2007 levels of exports in 2011. Exports are essential for the revival of Gaza's economy.

Asked by Lord Hylton

Lord Howell of Guildford: While we have not made any specific representations about Gaza's fishing limit recently, the Government have made it clear that the situation in Gaza is a tragedy and unsustainable. Together with the EU and the quartet, we continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access and to enable a return to economic normality-that includes easing restrictions so that Gaza's fishing industry can flourish.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA387

We welcome Israel's decision to move from a list of 120 permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items. This shows that it is possible to improve access without compromising security. We are also encouraged by the recent decision by the Israeli Government to facilitate exports out of Gaza. We look to Israel to ensure swift implementation and stand ready to work with Israel to ensure a return to pre-summer 2007 levels of exports in 2011.

Asked by Lord Hylton

Lord Howell of Guildford: Israel's recent announcement on exports was an encouraging step. The key will be implementation. We discuss these issues regularly with the Government of Israel and will continue to do so. Following the recent announcement the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development had positive discussions with the Government of Israel about the type and levels of exports they plan to achieve in 2011. We want to see a return to pre-2007 levels of exports in 2011 and have made clear that we stand ready, with EU partners, to work with Israel to achieve this.

Asked by Baroness Tonge

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Human Rights Council (HRC) Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report (Goldstone report) raises very serious concerns about the conduct of both Israel and Hamas during the Gaza conflict. It is vital that each of the parties involved-Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority-address the allegations made against them.

On 18 August 2010, the UN Secretary-General released his second follow-up report on this issue as he was mandated to do by the UN General Assembly resolution of 26 February. This included evidence provided by Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the progress of their investigations to date. As the UN Secretary-General indicated in his 18 August follow-up report on this issue, it is for the parties themselves to conduct credible investigations.

The Government are committed to upholding accountability for allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law that arose from the Gaza conflict through full, fair and impartial investigations by the

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA388

parties. We will continue to press the parties on this point and follow the progress of their investigations closely.

Government Departments: Non-Executive Directors

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): Details of the enhanced role for non-executive directors and the new role of lead non-executive directors are set out on the Cabinet Office website, together with the part they will play in the wider reform of departmental boards. Non-executive directors will regularly assess board performance and will report annually to the Public Administration Select Committee.

Gypsies and Travellers

Question

Asked by Baroness Whitaker

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): We will be holding a full public consultation on our intention to withdraw Circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites) and replace it with a short, light-touch policy later in the new year. Impact assessments will be published as part of the consultation.

Health: Cancer

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): We know England's cancer survival rates are currently poorer than many comparable countries. To understand more about the reasons for these persisting differences we are leading the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA389

(ICBP). The ICBP is examining issues around late presentation and patients having more advanced stage at diagnosis; treatment variation; population awareness and beliefs about cancer; general practitioner (GP) beliefs and behaviour, and delays from first symptom to diagnosis. Lessons learnt from the ICBP will help us focus on making the improvements that deliver improved survival outcomes.

It is already widely accepted that early diagnosis of cancer is key to improving survival rates, and we recently announced plans to speed up diagnosis by providing more than £25 million in 2011-12 to give GPs increased direct access to key diagnostic tests. These tests include non-obstetric ultrasound to support the diagnosis of ovarian cancer; flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) and colonoscopy to support the diagnosis of bowel cancer; and brain magnetic resonance imaging scans to support the diagnosis of brain cancer.

Action to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer is also being taken to achieve earlier diagnosis of cancer. In September, we announced that £9 million would be provided through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative to support 59 local campaigns that will work to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel, lung and breast cancers and to encourage early presentation at a GP surgery. A further £1.75 million is being provided to pilot activity in two regions to test the viability of a possible national signs and symptoms campaign on bowel cancer.

We are extending both the National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHSBCSP) and NHS Breast Screening Programme to ensure the earlier diagnosis of cancer. The former is being extended to men and women aged 70 to 75, the latter to women aged 47 to 73. Those above the upper age limit will continue to be able to self-refer for screening.

We are also introducing FS to the NHSBCSP Programme. This can detect abnormalities before they become cancer, as well has helping to detect cancer early. Experts estimate this technology will save around 3,000 lives a year. Sixty million pounds has been provided for a four-year rollout and, subject to the approval of the UK National Screening Committee, pilots will begin next year.

The current review of the cancer reform strategy is considering what more needs to be done to achieve improved survival outcomes, and we aim to publish an updated strategy shortly.

Health: Cardiology

Questions

Asked by Lord Crisp

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The decision about the future of the children's congenital cardiac service at the John Radcliffe Hospital and the other current services will not be taken until the outcome of the public consultation has been considered by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT)l.

The JCPCT aims to agree recommendations for reconfiguration at a public meeting in the next few months and these will be published for a full public consultation. Parents, National Health Service staff and the public will have the opportunity to make their views known during the consultation process, including on the future of the service at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The independent investigation into the children's congenital cardiac service at the John Radcliffe Hospital in July 2010 recommended the continued suspension of the service pending a decision on its future place within the national service by the NHS Safe and Sustainable review.

In May and June 2010, an expert panel chaired by Professor Sir Ian Kennedy assessed all hospitals in England that provide children's congenital cardiac surgery services. The Safe and Sustainable assessment process assessed the ability of the current congenital cardiac surgical services to meet new standards in the future, and the outcome of this assessment was that the service at the John Radcliffe Hospital unit received the lowest ranking assessment of the current 11 centres by a significant margin.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA391

The Safe and Sustainable review team undertook further work to determine whether the location of the John Radcliffe Hospital could justify its inclusion in potential options on the grounds that this would improve overall access for children and families. This showed that, in the national context of a reduction in number of units, the inclusion of the John Radcliffe Hospital service in the potential options would not improve overall access for children and families.

Having considered the outcome of this independent assessment, and on the basis of information currently available, the Safe and Sustainable review team is likely to recommend to the JCPCT that the eventual options for reconfiguration that are put out for public consultation in 2011 do not include the children's congenital cardiac surgery service at the John Radcliffe Hospital. This does not mean that the JCPCT has made any final decision about the future of the service at the John Radcliffe Hospital, pending the outcome of the public consultation.

The review team has shared this information in advance of formal consultation and without delay so that the trust and other interested parties are kept informed of emerging potential recommendations in line with best stakeholder engagement practice.

There has been a wide and robust engagement process. In October 2009 a national stakeholder event, attended by 200 people from across the country, included the representatives from John Radcliffe Hospital as well as parents and carers of children treated at Oxford. The outcome of this event informed the development of the clinical standards and the clinical case for change. There have also been further local stakeholder engagement events, held between June and July 2010. On 15 June 2010, the Safe and Sustainable engagement event took place in Oxford. It is planned that further local engagement events will take place as part of the formal consultation in 2011, including one in Oxford.

Information regarding whether all panel members had an opportunity to approve the independent review of paediatric cardiac surgery and clinical governance at the John Radcliffe Hospital's paediatric cardiac surgery unit is not held centrally. This is a matter for South Central Strategic Health Authority.

The Safe and Sustainable review steering group includes Mr William Brawn, consultant surgeon representing the British Congenital Cardiac Association, who was also a member of the independent panel that reviewed paediatric cardiac surgery and clinical governance at the John Radcliffe Hospital's Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit.

The role of the Safe and Sustainable paediatric cardiac steering group was to develop the recommended clinical standards and the clinical model of care for paediatric cardiac services in England.

No member of the JCPCT, which is responsible for consultation and decision-making for the Safe and Sustainable review, was a member of the independent panel.

Information regarding how much time was given to the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust to review the draft of the independent review of paediatric cardiac surgery and clinical governance of the paediatric

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA392

cardiac surgery unit is not held centrally. This is a matter for South Central Strategic Health Authority.

1 The JCPCT was established as part of the NHS Safe and Sustainable Programme to develop the consultation document on behalf of PCTs and take decisions on issues, which are the subject of consultation.

Health: Midwifery

Questions

Asked by The Earl of Listowel

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): There are currently 26,451 midwives working in the National Health Service, more than ever before, supported by a record number of midwifery students which suggests that midwifery remains an attractive profession. The White Paper Liberating the NHS and supporting documents will build on this by putting clinicians in the driving seat, reducing red tape and upholding the NHS Constitution.

Asked by The Earl of Listowel

Earl Howe: The NHS Information Centre does not hold the data requested as it does not hold information on the number of midwives registered to practice.

The White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, makes clear our commitment to give people more control over their own care, such as extending maternity choice to include pre-conception, antenatal, and postnatal care. This includes home birth, midwife-led care and obstetric care.

The number of midwives in terms of headcount increased by 787 to 26,451 in total from September 2008 to September 2009 (an increase of just over 3 per cent). The number of full time equivalent (fte) midwives increased by 597 to 20,236 in total (also just over 3 per cent) in the same period.

The Government are committed to training the numbers of midwives needed subject to the birth rate and are considering ways of helping to improve midwife recruitment and retention. The planned number of midwives in training in 2010-11 is 2,493-a record level.

We expect there will be a sustained increase in the number of new midwives available to the service over the next few years. However, it is for local healthcare providers to decide how best to organise their workforce to achieve better outcomes and value for money.

Asked by The Earl of Listowel



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA393

Earl Howe: As at 31 March 2010, the total vacancy rate for midwives in hospital and community health services (HCHS) was 2.7 per cent, which represents 559 vacancies.

The three-month vacancy rate for midwives in HCHS was 1.2 per cent, which represents 255 vacancies.

A vacancy is defined as one which employers are actively trying to fill. An employer is actively trying to fill a vacancy if a formal recruitment process is currently in operation (for example, advertisements in "trade" or general press, notification given to accepted internet recruitment sites like "NHS Jobs", etc) as at 31 March.

A three-month vacancy is defined as one which has lasted three months or more and which employers are actively trying to fill as at 31 March. Thus, the emphasis is on vacancies which employers are finding hard to fill, rather than on normal staff turnover.

Health: Policy

Question

Asked by Lord Mawson

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Government believe that there are clear limits on the extent to which our objectives for improving the health and well-being of the nation should be achieved through legislation.

There is a role for all of us-in government, industry, at national, local and individual levels-in delivering the positive changes needed to improve the nation's health.

In the recently published public health White Paper, Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England, which has already been placed in the Library, the Government stated that they would consider what can be achieved through voluntary approaches to improving health before considering regulation.

Health: Preventive Health

Question

Asked by Lord Mawson

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Government's proposals for public health evaluation and research are outlined in Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England. The best evidence and evaluation will be used, supporting innovative approaches to behaviour change-with a new National

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA394

Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research and a Policy Research Unit on Behaviour and Health. There will be greater transparency, with data on health outcomes published nationally and locally.

Two ongoing research programmes have a focus on cost effectiveness. The NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme evaluates interventions in the National Health Service, and the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) programme evaluates public health interventions delivered in other settings. Details of HTA and PHR projects are available on the programme websites at:

www.hta.ac.uk/researchwww.phr.ac.uk/funded_projects

Health: Research

Question

Asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): One meeting has taken place between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health about including participation in health research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research in the new rules on the reimbursement of expenses for participation. That meeting was on 23 June 2010. It concerned changes to the benefit rules introduced on 29 October 2009 that govern treatment of payments made to service users who are consulted on behalf of public bodies.

Since that meeting, Her Majesty's Government have announced their intention to replace all existing working age benefits with a single universal credit. A White Paper, Universal Credit: Welfare that Works, setting out the Government's proposals, was published on 11 November (Cm 7957). The Work and Pensions Select Committee has decided to hold a short inquiry into the Government's proposals and has invited submissions from interested organisations and individuals.

Higher Education: Funding

Questions

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The matched funding scheme for voluntary giving, which is run by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, has been allocated £200 million over the three academic years from 2008-09. Despite

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA395

the need to address the deficit we have been able to announce recently that we will honour the commitment to fund the scheme in the final academic year 2011-12.

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): I will write to my noble friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Higher Education: Tuition Fees

Question

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The table below breaks down the income of English higher education institutions (HEIs) by source for academic years 2004-05 to 2008-09. Data for 2009-10 will be available in March 2011.

Income of English institutions by category 2004-05 to 2008-09 in £000s
Source2004-052005-062006-072007-082008-09

Tuition fees and education contracts

3,687,006

3,941,168

4,649,073

5,374,265

6,277,553

Funding council grants

5,618,441

6,121,045

6,454,407

6,861,061

7,097,214

Research grants and contracts

2,347,239

2,540,013

2,744,893

3,011,248

3,333,555

Other income - other services rendered

822,328

1,009,779

1,108,518

1,231,880

1,346,692

Other income - other

2,092,474

2,214,046

2,308,233

2,500,434

2,676,994

Endowment and investment income

253,872

288,917

326,494

421,303

295,230

Total income

14,821,360

16,114,968

17,591,618

19,400,191

21,027,238

Change from previous year

+1,293,608

+1,476,650

+1,808,573

+1,627,047

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Note: Figures are in cash terms not in real terms, and relate to the academic year, not financial year. "Tuition Fees and Contracts" includes fee income from UK, EU and non-EU students.



10 Jan 2011 : Column WA396

"Other income- other services rendered" includes all income in respect of services rendered to outside bodies, including the supply of goods and consultancies

"Other income - other" includes residences & catering operations, Grants from local authorities, income from health and hospital authorities, release of deferred capital grants, income from intellectual property rights, and other operating income.

The English HE sector has changed over the period 2004-05 to 2008-09: Leeds College of Music joined the sector in 2005-06; data for University of Buckingham (a privately funded HEI) are included from 2005-06 onwards; Heythrop College, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and Guildhall School of Music and Drama joined the sector in 2006-07.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Question

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government have no plans specifically to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the UN declaration revealing information on the extermination of the Jewish communities of eastern Europe.

The UK commemorates this, and other genocides, on Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January each year.

House of Lords: Life Peerages

Question

Asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde): Nominations for life peerages are a matter for the Prime Minister, whose most recent nominations were announced on 19 November. The coalition programme makes it clear that, pending reform of the House of Lords, appointments will be made with the objective of creating a second Chamber reflective of the share of the vote secured by the political parties in the last general election. This remains the Government's policy.



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Houses of Parliament: Legislation

Questions

Asked by Lord Norton of Louth

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Strathclyde): The Leader's Group led by Lord Goodlad is in the process of reviewing the working practices of the House, including the way in which legislation is scrutinised. I expect to receive the group's recommendations in due course.

Housing: Homelessness

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): Homeless households are one of the groups that must be given reasonable preference-that is to say, overall priority-for allocations of social housing, and the Government have no plans to change this. The Localism Bill, introduced on 13 December. includes provision to give local authorities greater flexibility to bring the homelessness duty to an end with an offer of accommodation in the private rented sector, without requiring the applicant's agreement. We think local authorities are best placed to weigh the needs of individuals owed the homelessness duty against the overall demand for social housing in their district.

Iceland: Fin Whales

Question

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): My honourable friend the Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Richard Benyon, discussed whaling with the Icelandic ambassador when they met in November 2010. The ambassador was advised of the strength of feeling in this country against Iceland's whaling and that whaling is incompatible with EU

10 Jan 2011 : Column WA398

membership. The UK will continue to encourage Iceland to align itself as soon as possible with the EU's common position on whaling.

Immigration: Detention

Question

Asked by Lord Dholakia

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The latest published statistics show that as at the 30 September 2010 there were five children, detained solely under Immigration Act powers, in UK Border Agency removal centres and short-term holding facilities. This figure is rounded to the nearest five and is of people recorded as being under 18 on 30 September 2010.

Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers is available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, July-September 2010 in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.

India

Questions

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): All UK development programmes are designed to benefit particularly the poorest and most excluded, including scheduled castes. For example, we have supported the Indian Government's Education for All scheme, which has helped to bring the proportion of Dalit children in school into line with their proportion in the general population. The Department for International Development (DfID) also supports specific measures in India's 120 poorest districts to promote the empowerment and access to benefits and services of excluded groups, including Dalits. The EU will conduct a workshop on social exclusion with the Government of India in February 2011.

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