---

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA1

Written Answers

Monday 6 June 2011

Afghanistan: Education

Questions

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the high number of girls dropping out of education in Afghanistan.[HL9416]

Baroness Verma: The latest data from Afghanistan's Ministry of Education for 2010-11 show that boys and girls are dropping out of education on a permanent basis in nearly equal proportions (15 per cent for boys and 14 per cent for girls).

In 2010-11, 5.7 million children attended school regularly; 2.1 million were girls (up from virtually none under the Taliban).

The UK Government have placed the empowerment of girls and women at the heart of UK development policy; education is vital to this empowerment.

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the low numbers of female teachers on the number of girls attending school in Afghanistan.[HL9417]

Baroness Verma: Research by the Government of Afghanistan shows that the availability of female teachers is one of several factors-including security and access to education facilities-that impact on the number of girls attending school. The Government of Afghanistan's new National Priority Programme on Education for All includes commitments to build 200 secondary schools for girls; to construct school facilities with special features needed for girls (boundary walls and separate toilet facilities); and to expand community-based education activities to remote and un-served populations.

The latest figures from the Afghan Ministry of Education for 2010-11 show that there were nearly 50,000 female teachers in general education, up from virtually none under the Taliban, representing 31 per cent of the total number of teachers.

Afghanistan: Explosive Devices

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve the way in which the United Kingdom deals with improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.[HL9257]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Success in Afghanistan is the highest priority in defence and countering the improvised explosive device (IED) threat is critical to making military progress in the campaign. We are completely focused on taking action to defeat this threat. We have deployed a counter-IED (C-IED) task force with the capability to detect, disable and exploit

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA2

these devices and prevent them being laid. All troops receive comprehensive C-IED-specific training before they deploy to Afghanistan. A range of technologically advanced equipment is in service to counter the threat, including protected vehicles, remote control vehicles, ground surveillance, detectors and body armour. Enhancements to other critical capabilities-including military working dog capability-are being introduced. In addition, unmanned aircraft system capability has been significantly enhanced, and will be enhanced further, providing real time intelligence to track and target those who manufacture and plant IEDs.

The range of C-IED skills, equipment, training and other capabilities employed by our Armed Forces in Afghanistan are widely recognised as being better than ever before; they are improving the safety of our forces-always our first concern-and improving their operational effectiveness. We will continue to invest in this area.

Africa: Police

Question

Asked by The Lord Bishop of Hereford

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to police forces in African countries.[HL9198]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): Reform and modernisation of police forces across Africa is a key element of our efforts to deliver this Government's security and consular priorities abroad. An effective police force is crucial in post-conflict environments and in countries at risk of instability.

The Government support police forces across Africa in a number of wide-ranging projects. They include training to combat terrorism, detect fraud, promote human rights, and provide policing equipment (eg radios and vehicles). Specific projects include: £20.6 million over a four year period to increase the effectiveness of the police and justice systems in Sudan; £60 million over five years for security sector accountability and police reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and £60,000 to support the development of a new community policing capability in Ghana.

Agriculture: Cattle Disease

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the prevalence of blood sweating disease in cattle.[HL9214]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) is a novel haemorrhagic disease of young calves which has emerged in a number of European countries in recent years. This disease is also known as bleeding calf syndrome or blood sweating disease. The first British case of BNP was confirmed in a calf in Scotland in April 2009.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA3

Although it is possible to provide a very crude estimate of the prevalence of BNP in the British calf population, it is important to note that the true prevalence of this disease in British calves is unknown. There is no legal requirement for farmers to notify suspected cases of BNP to government veterinary authorities.

Since early 2009, farmers have been encouraged to submit suspected cases of BNP to their local Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) or Scottish Agricultural College Veterinary Services (SAC VS) laboratory for investigation and diagnosis. Up until the end of July 2010, in order to provide farmers with an incentive to submit suspected cases for diagnosis, AHVLA and SAC VS carried out these investigations free of charge.

As at 17 May 2011, AHVLA and SAC VS have confirmed 380 calf cases of BNP in Great Britain. In order to place this figure in context, the average number of calves in the at-risk age category (0 to 4-weeks-old) on British cattle farms during 2010 was 196,177 (Source: Rapid Analysis and Detection of Animal-related Risks Cattle Tracing System Database). These figures suggest that the prevalence of BNP in the British calf population is very low. However, it must be borne in mind that there may have been significant under-reporting of cases to AHVLA and SAC VS and it is also possible that there are unrecognised subclinical cases (calves that are affected but do not show any obvious signs of disease) of BNP on British cattle farms.

Agriculture: Brassicas

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the cold weather in the United Kingdom on the production of brassicas. [HL9468]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Defra officials are in regular communication with the industry, especially during difficult times, such as now, following the past winter's cold weather. Brassica growers are based across the country and grow a variety of different brassica crops. Consequently, the cold weather effects varied based on location, crop and where they were in their cropping cycle.

Agriculture: Fruit and Vegetables

Question

Asked by Baroness Byford

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action plans they have to increase fruit and vegetable production.[HL9397]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): In August 2010, the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force published its report on increasing fruit and vegetable production and consumption and in October followed this with an action plan for industry, growers, retailers,

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA4

wholesalers, NGOs and Government to take forward, working together to reduce barriers and find innovative solutions. We are continuing to take a close and positive interest in progress on the action plan. In May 2011, the Task Force on Farming Regulation reported on reducing the regulatory barriers facing farmers, including fruit and vegetable growers. The Government will respond later this year.

The Government also provided funding of up to £7 million on research and development last year on horticultural crops.

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is the UK's national innovation agency, with a goal of accelerating economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. The TSB's new Innovation Programme on Agri-Food is now the key vehicle for collaborative funding in this area and is an exciting opportunity for the industry. The programme has up to £90 million over the next five years to encourage industry innovation, including up to £30 million from Defra for joint funding with industry. The first call has already been launched on the issue of crop protection.

We are also encouraging increased consumption of fruit and vegetables with the 5 A Day Campaign, the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme and supporting projects to reconnect children and schools with farms and food production.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

Question

Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in making contingency plans for the introduction of genetically modified organisms into use in agriculture in the United Kingdom, they intend to provide for zoning and other measures to allay public concerns about biodiversity.[HL9364]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Under the European Union control regime, genetically modified crops will be authorised for commercial cultivation only if a robust assessment indicates that human health and the environment will not be compromised. We do not therefore expect that zoning or other measures would be required because crops which might have an adverse impact on biodiversity would not receive approval in the first instance.

Apprenticeships

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employers in Greater London have offered apprenticeships in each year since 1992 until the last year figures are available.[HL9186]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): Data from the published 2009 National Employer Skills Survey¹ (NESS) show that in London Government Office Region, 5 per cent of employers² offer

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA5

apprenticeships. Based on weighted information using the NESS database³, it is estimated that this would approximate to between 11,000 and 12,000 establishments currently offering apprenticeships within the London region.

The NESS report suggests that this at least in part reflects the fact that London has a lower share of industries that traditionally employ apprenticeships.

1 Figure 8.7, P. 215 in https://ness.ukces.org.uk/Hidden%20 Library/NESS09/FINAL%20NESS%20Main%20report%20 for%20the%20web.pdf accessed on 13 May 2011.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA6

2 Employers in this survey are based at the establishment level and not at the enterprise level

3 Figures are based on weighted information using the NESS 2009 database on the 24 May http://nessdata.ukces.org.uk/ness/KMS/News.aspx

Table 1 below shows apprenticeship programme starts for London Government Office Region and England from 2003-04, the earliest year for which we have comparable data, to 2009-10, the latest year for which we have final data.

Table 1: Apprenticeship Programme Starts by Government Office Region, 2003-04 to 2009-10
	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-103
London	11,900	12,400	11.000	11.100	14,500	17,200	20,300
England Total	193,600	189,000	175,000	184,400	224,800	239,900	279,700

Source: Individualised Learner Record

Notes

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

2. Geographic information is based on the home postcode of the learner.

3. Figures for 2009-10 are based on the geographic boundaries of regions as of May 2010. Figures for 2003-04 to 2008-09 based on earlier geographic boundaries are available in the SFR Archive, but these cannot be directly compared with new figures due to boundary changes.

Information on apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31st March 2011 http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Arctic Council

Question

Asked by Lord Jay of Ewelme

To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the results of the recent Arctic Council ministerial meeting. [HL9426]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK, in its capacity as a state observer, attended the Arctic Council's biennial ministerial meeting that took place in Nuuk, Greenland on 12 May 2011 with representation from all eight Arctic states.

The key outcomes from the meeting included Arctic Ministers agreeing structural changes to the council, including a permanent secretariat (to be based in Tromso, Norway), an agreed budget, new communication/outreach arrangements and an intention to enhance the council's agenda. The Arctic Ministers also signed a search and rescue agreement which is intended to improve co-ordination between the Arctic states, and is the first legally binding agreement negotiated by the council, and which provides the council with another approach to doing business in the future.

Arctic Ministers also agreed a set of criteria for future applications for observers at the Arctic Council. This does not currently affect the UK's confirmed status as a state observer to the council, but the criteria will now be applied to new states seeking such status, including the outstanding applications from China, European Community, Italy, Japan and Korea.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Questions

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Buchan are en-suite for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9259]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): There is no en-suite accommodation at RAF Buchan for any ranks.

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Barkston Heath are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9292]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Benbecula are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9293]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Boulmer are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9294]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9295]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Church Fenton are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9296]

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA7

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the rooms at RAF Cottesmore are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9297]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Digby are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, (c) other ranks.[HL9337]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Donna Nook are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, (c) other ranks.[HL9338]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Fylingdales are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, (c) other ranks.[HL9339]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Halton are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9437]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Holbeach are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9438]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Honington are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9439]

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rooms at RAF Kirton in Lindsey are en-suite and how many are not for (a) officers, (b) warrant officers and sergeants, and (c) other ranks.[HL9440]

Lord Astor of Hever: There is no accommodation, either en-suite or non en-suite, at RAF Barkston Heath.

In view of the noble Lord's interest in this issue, I will place in the Library of the House a copy of the information drawn from the annual audit of RAF accommodation prepared in October last year which detail the en-suite and non en-suite accommodation available at all RAF stations.

Bahrain

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

To ask Her Majesty's Government what communications they have had with the Government of Bahrain since the beginning of public protests there; what communications they intend to have with that Government in the near future; whether they are emphasising the importance of due process for all persons arrested; and whether they have received information about allegations of disappearances and the outcomes of relevant cases.[HL9237]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government have had regular communications with the Government of Bahrain since the beginning of public protests, and these communications are ongoing.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA8

My right honourable friend the Prime Minister spoke by phone to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on 15 March 2011 and met the Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in London on 19 May 2011. On both occasions the Prime Minister expressed our concerns about the situation in Bahrain and stressed the importance of the Bahrain Government moving to a policy of reform rather than repression.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 17 February, 16 April and 25 May and raised the UK's concern about the human rights situation. He made clear our concerns about arrests, deaths in detention and moves to investigate prominent licensed, political opposition parties. He made clear that the civil rights of peaceful opposition figures, the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly should be respected.

The Secretary of State for Defence, my right honourable friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), spoke to the Crown Prince on 22 February 2011 and met the King and Crown Prince in Bahrain on 3 April 2011 and spoke to the King again on 16 May 2011, urging the Bahrain Government to create the environment in which dialogue can take place.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my right honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), spoke to the Bahraini ambassador by phone on 1 April 2011 and raised our concerns about human rights. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my noble friend Lord Astor of Hever, met the Crown Prince in Bahrain on 23 February 2011 and urged all sides, including opposition groupings, to engage in dialogue.

Our ambassador has also regularly raised the UK's human rights concerns with Ministers across the Bahraini Government, including most recently with the Ministers of Justice, Interior and the Deputy Prime Minister. These include highlighting our concerns that due process should be followed and that those accused should have access to legal counsel and be tried before independent and impartial courts. The Defence Senior Adviser Middle East, Lieutenant General Simon Mayall, raised human rights with the Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force on 11 May 2011.

We will continue to make our concerns clear to the Bahraini authorities.

Banking: Gender

Questions

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success of the World Bank's gender mainstreaming policy.[HL9176]

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of the International Development Association to the United Kingdom's development objectives with regard to gender. [HL9177]

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA9

Baroness Verma: The Department for International Development (DFID) has been supporting and reviewing the progress of the World Bank's Gender Action Plan (GAP 2007-10), the aim of which is to mainstream gender into the bank's operations, with a particular focus on women's economic empowerment.

Our assessments have found that progress has been made in mainstreaming work on women's empowerment at the World Bank with, for example, a rise of approximately 20 per cent in the proportion of gender-informed projects, and significant public commitment has been made by President Zoellick with respect to gender equality. However, the multilateral aid review carried out by the Department for International Development (DfID) also highlighted the challenge of translating policy into results, and the need for the bank's performance to improve.

At the last replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA 16) gender was chosen as a cross-cutting theme. Specific gender targets were established to ensure that IDA delivers concrete benefits to girls and women. And the World Bank's next world development report will focus on gender.

At the World Bank spring meetings the Secretary of State sent a clear message to the bank that the report must demonstrate to policy makers and donors how to do things differently and deliver results for girls and women. DfID will follow up with the bank- both through engagement on the MAR and through monitoring the implementation of IDA 16-to ensure the bank delivers these important improvements.

British Tomato Week

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask the Chairman of Committees what the House of Lords Catering and Retail Services Department did to support British Tomato Week. [HL9466]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Catering and Retail Services (CRS) did not run any special events to support British Tomato Week in 2011. However, CRS does support British Apple Week in October and will be supporting British Food Fortnight in September.

Burma

Questions

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings they have held with United Nations humanitarian agencies regarding the potential humanitarian crisis in Burma following the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.[HL9418]

Baroness Verma: The Department for International Development (DfID) has ongoing discussions with the United Nation Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs over the impacts that might arise from an increase in conflict in Burma. We are also in touch with local non-government organisations and community based organisations on both sides of the Thailand-Burma border.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA10

DfID has significantly increased its aid to Burmese refugees in Thailand and internally displaced people inside Burma in recent years to approximately £1.9 million in 2010.

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with fellow members of the European Union regarding the intensified conflict in Shan State, Burma, and the risk of the conflict escalating. [HL9419]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We regularly discuss developments in Burma (including human rights and ethnic issues) with EU partners in Brussels, with EU head of missions on the ground in Rangoon, and with EU member states who follow the situation in Burma from Bangkok. Our embassy in Rangoon specifically discussed the ongoing conflict in Shan State with EU colleagues on 19 May. The UK also raised our deep concern about the situation in Shan State during a meeting of the Asia-Oceania Working Party on 25 May. The UK underlined the importance of the EU following the situation closely and standing ready to urge constraint.

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received that the Burmese Army is launching military attacks against civilians in Shan State, Burma; and what is their response to the reports. [HL9420]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are deeply concerned that the reported breakdown of a ceasefire agreement with the Shan State Army North has led to renewed conflict in Shan State. We have received reports which allege that the Burmese army has attacked local communities, whom they suspect of assisting the armed groups, and perpetuated human rights abuses. We understand that the fighting is taking place in the north-central area of Shan State, which is difficult to access and as such the information is hard to verify. In a Security Council debate on 10 May we called upon all armed actors, including the Burmese army and ethnic militia, to protect the civilian population. The Government secured a strongly worded human rights resolution at the March UN Human Rights Council which called on the Burmese Government to end continuing grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the targeting of civilians in conflict areas. The UK also highlighted our serious concern during a meeting with other EU member states on 25 May.

Asked by Lord Avebury

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, either on their own or in collaboration with other states and international organisations, to secure the release of 250 Buddhist monks detained in Burma.[HL9520]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The unconditional release of Burma's over 2,000 political prisoners, including at least 200 Buddhist monks, is an important benchmark by which the UK judges the Burmese Government.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA11

We raise our concerns at their continued detention and press for their release with Burma's leaders at every opportunity. In their meeting with the new Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom on 5 May 2011, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials urged Burma to release all political prisoners. Our ambassador to Rangoon reiterated this message during meetings with Burmese Ministers on 10 May 2011.

Buses

Question

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost to date of the Competition Commission's Local Bus Services Inquiry; and what is their estimate of the cost to (a) the industry, and (b) local authorities, in responding to this inquiry.[HL9329]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The costs to date incurred by the Competition Commission (CC) on the bus market inquiry are approximately £2 million. These are direct cost only.

The CC has no estimates for the costs of (a) and (b) in responding to this inquiry.

Care Homes

Question

Asked by Lord Warner

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether vulnerable elderly people occupying their care homes under a licence can be required to leave at four weeks notice; and whether it is permissible for an individual to be required to leave a care home on account of their personal beliefs.[HL9228]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): I refer the noble Lord to the response I gave him on 12 May (Official Report, cols. WA231-2).

China

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Government of China about the detention of the artist Ai Weiwei. [HL9526]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): On 4 April 2011 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a public statement outlining our concerns (http://ukinegyptSco.gov.ulden/news/?view-News&;id=579056182). His statement called on the Chinese Government to clarify Mr Ai's situation and expressed the hope that he would be released immediately.

On 11 April 2011 my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister raised Mr Ai's case when he met Shanghai Party Secretary and Politburo Standing

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA12

Committee member, Yu Zhengsheng. The Minister of State, my right honourable friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), wrote to the Chinese ambassador regarding Ai's case and other human rights issues on 3 May 2011. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and Minister of State, my right honourable friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), also raised Mr Ai's case with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying when she visited London on 12 May 2011. We will continue to monitor closely developments in Mr Ai's case and look for further opportunities to raise our concerns.

China: Human Rights

Questions

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the transparency of the United Kingdom-China human rights dialogue; and what impact they attribute to transparency in promoting the effectiveness of the dialogue. [HL9482]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office values the experience and expertise of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other civil society organisations and the input they can provide to our human rights work. The Minister of State, my honourable friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), met a group of NGOs specialising in China human rights issues in October 2010 and he has agreed to hold these meetings on a more regular basis, particularly in advance of future UK-China human rights dialogues. The meetings will provide the NGOs with a forum to raise suggestions and concerns in the context of the dialogue.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to broaden the United Kingdom-China human rights dialogue to involve expert non-governmental organisations, representatives from civil society in the United Kingdom and representatives of the Tibetan and Uyghur communities in exile.[HL9483]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office values the experience and expertise of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other civil society organisations and the input they provide to our human rights work. The UK delegation to the most recent round of the dialogue in January 2011 included representatives from UK civil society and academia, who participated in both the expert workshop and the main plenary.

The Minister of State, my honourable friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), met a group of NGOs specialising in China human rights issues in October 2010 and he has agreed to hold these meetings on a more regular basis, particularly in advance of future UK-China Human Rights dialogues. The meetings will provide NGOs with a forum to feed in ideas and raise concerns in the context of the dialogue.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA13

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government what benchmarks they use to assess progress in the United Kingdom-China human rights dialogue; whether such benchmarks and the details of subjects discussed are published; and, if not, why not. [HL9484]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK-China Human Rights dialogue is a key part of our engagement with China on human rights. The dialogue focuses on building long-term momentum for change. In each round of the UK-China Human Rights dialogue we aim to build on the key principles which underpin respect for human rights, and on the areas China will need to address in order to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This includes the rights of detainees, migrant rights, capital punishment, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang, and co-operation with international human rights mechanisms.

We seek to be as transparent as possible in our human rights work. However, the effective conduct of the UK's international relations depends upon maintaining the trust and confidence of other governments. Our aim in the UK-China Human Rights dialogue is to achieve a free and frank exchange of information between the two Governments and their experts. These exchanges are based on the understanding that they will be treated in confidence.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next round of United Kingdom-China Human Rights dialogue will take place; and what issues and cases they intend to raise.[HL9518]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We have not yet agreed dates for the next round of the UK-China Human Rights dialogue with China.

Although topics for the dialogue have not yet been decided, we aim in each round to build on the key principles which underpin respect for human rights, and on the areas China will need to address in order to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). We also raise individual cases of concern.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Questions

Asked by The Countess of Mar

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to put in place safeguards to protect people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis who are unable to work from being pressurised into unsuitable work or work-related activity prematurely when such a return to activity could be detrimental to their health.[HL9264]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): We recognise chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis can be severely disabling. Where a

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA14

disability or health condition makes it unreasonable for a person to work we commit to support them. The right benefit in such cases is employment and support allowance (ESA). Those with the most severe functional limitations will be placed in the support group, with no conditionality/work related activity requirements.

People with limited capability for work will be placed in the work-related activity group. These individuals may be required to undertake work-related activity, which an adviser will discuss with them and will be detailed in their action plan. Work-related activity (WRA) may include work focused interviews (WFI) and other activities-for example, undertaking a training course or preparing a CV. Any activity the claimant is required to undertake must be reasonable in their circumstances. Advisers have the discretion to not impose work-related activity as they see fit. The purpose of work-related activity is to be of help to a claimant. Through these flexibilities we empowered advisers to support a wide variety of people, many of whom may have fluctuating conditions. At no time can an ESA customer be directed to seek, apply for or do work, nor to undertake medical treatment.

Safeguards are important for all ESA claimants rather than being condition specific. ESA customers have the right to ask for an activity to be reconsidered if they feel it is unreasonable. The reconsideration is undertaken by a Jobcentre Plus decision-maker. Customers also have the right of appeal, which is dealt with by an appeals tribunal.

Asked by The Countess of Mar

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the disruption to specialist services for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients resulting from changes to the distribution of funding from primary care trusts' baseline budgets to the NHS bundle.[HL9405]

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will designate chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis as a reportable health condition in order to obtain robust collection of data on (a) the number of children, young people and adults with the condition, (b) the degrees of severity of the condition, (c) demographic data, and (d) hereditability.[HL9406]

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will commission research into the advice given to patients suffering significant viral or bacterial infections in order to prevent the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.[HL9407]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Specialist services for those with chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) are funded from primary care trust budgets. There are no plans to fund these services from the National Health Service bundle.

The department's position remains that the administrative burden on clinicians and others of the notification system means that it should be used only for a relatively small number of infectious diseases where monitoring is clinically necessary to identify

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA15

sources of infection and control the spread, rather than be imposed as a means of collecting statistical information on the incidence and prevalence of specific conditions.

The Government have no plans to commission such research. The cause of CFS/ME is unknown, and it is therefore unknown what factors are responsible for the incidence of this medical condition.

The Medical Research Council has recently confirmed a commitment of up to £1.5 million to support research into the causes of CFS/ME. The new funding call will focus on six priority areas which have been identified by leading experts in the research community.

Asked by The Countess of Mar

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 May 2011 (WA 372), how treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients will be protected in the event of closure of a National Health Service hospital providing healthcare facilities to patients with CFS/ME from all parts of the United Kingdom; and who is responsible for safeguarding the treatment. [HL9621]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department It is the responsibility of individual primary care trusts to commission appropriate services to meet the needs of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Civil Partnerships

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have registered a civil partnership in each year in each local authority area up until the last year for which records are available.[HL9614]

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA16

Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Kennedy of Southwark, dated June 2011.

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people have registered a civil partnership in each year in each local authority area up until the last year for which records are available. [HL9614]

The attached table shows the number of civil partnerships taking place in the UK by area of formation between 2005, the year the Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force, and 2009, the latest year for which figures are available. Figures are presented by regions, counties, London boroughs, metropolitan districts and unitary authorities for England; unitary authorities within Wales; council areas within Scotland; and health trusts within Northern Ireland. Figures are not available for non-metropolitan districts in England.

Background Notes:

1. Figures are presented using area of formation and not area of usual residence and relate only to civil partnerships taking place in the constituent countries of the UK.

2. Civil partnership statistics do not include civil partnerships of UK residents taking place abroad, but do include non-UK residents who form a partnership in the UK.

3. Figures for England and Wales are based on date of formation-the date on which the civil partnership took place. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are based on date of registration -the date the civil partnership was entered onto the registration system. This date may be the same as the date of formation or a later date.

4. Figures are not available for non-metropolitan districts in England because this information is not available from the formation authority field used to compile civil partnership statistics by area.

5. The figures in the table are published for 2007 to 2009 at http://www.statistics.qov.uk/statbase/Product.asp? vInk=14675 and available upon request for 2005 and 2006.

6 Jun 2011 : Column WA17



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA18



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA19



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA20



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA21



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA22



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA23



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA24



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA25



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA26



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA27



6 Jun 2011 : Column WA28

Civil Partnerships by area of formation, year and sex
United Kingdom, 2005-2009
United Kingdom by Countries and, Within England, Regions, Counties, London Boroughs, Metropolitan Districts and Unitary Authorities; Unitary Authorities Within Wales; Council Areas Within Scotland; and Health Trusts Within Northern Ireland	20051			2006			2007			2008			20092
	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
United Kingdom	1,953	1,287	666	16,106	9,648	6458	8,728	4,770	3,958	7,169	3,824	3,345	6,281	3,227	3,054
England	1,790	1,195	595	14,383	8,718	5665	7,635	4,242	3,393	6,276	3,399	2,877	5,443	2,850	2,593
North East	67	36	31	448	232	216	256	113	143	197	82	115	183	68	115
County Durham UA3	..	..	..	79	48	31	46	22	24	40	19	21	24	9	15
Darlington UA	..	..	..	26	13	13	9	2	7	13	5	8	11	3	8
Hartlepool UA	..	..	..	8	2	6	4	2	2	5	2	3	3	-	3
Middlesbrough UA	..	..	..	35	14	21	18	6	12	12	3	9	10	3	7
Northumberland UA4	..	..	..	44	17	27	25	12	13	21	9	12	30	11	19
Redcar and Cleveland UA	..	..	..	17	8	9	6	2	4	6	1	5	13	4	9
Stockton-On-Tees UA	..	..	..	21	10	11	10	7	3	8	2	6	5	4	1
Tyne and Wear (Met County)	..	..	..	218	120	98	138	60	78	92	41	51	87	34	53
Gateshead	..	..	..	45	30	15	29	13	16	19	7	12	12	5	7
Newcastle Upon Tyne	..	..	..	107	61	46	64	26	38	45	24	21	43	22	21
North Tyneside	..	..	..	36	12	24	19	8	11	9	5	4	10	-	10
South Tyneside	..	..	..	8	4	4	6	2	4	5	2	3	10	4	6
Sunderland	..	..	..	22	13	9	20	11	9	14	3	11	12	3	9
North West	160	95	65	1,565	838	727	874	447	427	704	332	372	597	283	314
Blackburn With Darwen UA	..	..	..	26	12	14	22	7	15	9	2	7	9	1	8
Blackpool UA	..	..	..	155	95	60	77	44	33	56	32	24	49	26	23
Cheshire East UA5	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	32	12	20
Cheshire West and Chester UA6	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	25	13	12
Halton UA	..	..	..	17	2	15	6	1	5	9	6	3	9	5	4
Warrington UA	..	..	..	28	10	18	14	5	9	5	1	4	5	2	3
Cumbria	..	..	..	104	48	56	78	29	49	69	26	43	52	24	28
Greater Manchester (Met County)	..	..	..	680	396	284	352	196	156	317	159	158	244	119	125
Bolton	..	..	..	45	19	26	19	6	13	25	10	15	20	9	11
Bury	..	..	..	30	16	14	17	7	10	16	6	10	10	2	8
Manchester	..	..	..	319	192	127	168	114	54	159	94	65	117	69	48
Oldham	..	..	..	23	13	10	18	6	12	15	7	8	10	6	4
Rochdale	..	..	..	40	20	20	18	4	14	13	1	12	13	4	9
Salford	..	..	..	64	42	22	22	8	14	25	14	11	17	8	9
Stockport	..	..	..	50	32	18	28	13	15	25	10	15	13	7	6
Tameside	..	..	..	26	10	16	19	14	5	10	4	6	7	1	6
Trafford	..	..	..	55	35	20	26	14	12	12	7	5	14	5	9
Wigan	..	..	..	28	17	11	17	10	7	17	6	11	23	8	15
Lancashire	..	..	..	196	90	106	122	52	70	86	31	55	76	33	43
Merseyside (Met County)	..	..	..	229	116	113	128	68	60	82	44	38	96	48	48
Knowsley	..	..	..	10	4	6	10	5	5	6	2	4	2	1	1
Liverpool	..	..	..	108	59	49	58	35	23	40	24	16	53	23	30
Sefton	..	..	..	48	25	23	19	13	6	8	7	1	17	10	7
St.Helens	..	..	..	18	6	12	11	3	8	8	2	6	10	3	7
Wirral	..	..	..	45	22	23	30	12	18	20	9	11	14	11	3
Former County of Cheshire7	..	..	..	130	69	61	75	45	30	71	31	40	..	..	..
Yorkshire and the Humber	146	79	67	1,111	531	580	605	250	355	496	211	285	400	146	254
East Riding of Yorkshire UA	..	..	..	48	22	26	26	12	14	30	14	16	23	8	15
Kingston Upon Hull, City of UA	..	..	..	52	34	18	21	7	14	24	8	16	18	7	11
North East Lincolnshire UA	..	..	..	24	10	14	12	4	8	18	6	12	7	3	4
North Lincolnshire UA	..	..	..	18	7	11	11	2	9	16	7	9	5	3	2
York UA	..	..	..	111	50	61	48	16	32	36	19	17	27	5	22
North Yorkshire	..	..	..	153	81	72	87	39	48	68	32	36	53	20	33
South Yorkshire (Met County)	..	..	..	234	100	134	150	61	89	120	45	75	108	31	77
Barnsley	..	..	..	25	9	16	23	11	12	28	9	19	23	5	18
Doncaster	..	..	..	47	20	27	35	5	30	21	7	14	26	8	18
Rotherham	..	..	..	32	13	19	24	7	17	10	3	7	11	4	7
Sheffield	..	..	..	130	58	72	68	38	30	61	26	35	48	14	34
West Yorkshire (Met County)	..	..	..	471	227	244	250	109	141	184	80	104	159	69	90
Bradford	..	..	..	65	27	38	33	14	19	35	11	24	29	9	20
Calderdale	..	..	..	64	28	36	36	11	25	19	11	8	25	8	17
Kirklees	..	..	..	77	49	28	42	21	21	25	9	16	23	11	12
Leeds	..	..	..	187	89	98	104	46	58	77	39	38	61	31	30
Wakefield	..	..	..	78	34	44	35	17	18	28	10	18	21	10	11
East Midlands	133	66	67	877	429	448	450	203	247	405	179	226	356	134	222
Derby UA	..	..	..	61	34	27	25	11	14	33	16	17	19	4	15
Leicester UA	..	..	..	63	32	31	37	20	17	35	22	13	19	6	13
Nottingham UA	..	..	..	115	68	47	43	18	25	29	15	14	37	15	22
Rutland UA	..	..	..	14	9	5	5	2	3	14	3	11	3	-	3
Derbyshire	..	..	..	127	49	78	71	19	52	62	24	38	56	24	32
Leicestershire	..	..	..	108	47	61	51	22	29	53	22	31	39	10	29
Lincolnshire	..	..	..	103	57	46	68	38	30	59	25	34	58	24	34
Northamptonshire	..	..	..	143	68	75	69	37	32	55	29	26	46	22	24
Nottinghamshire	..	..	..	143	65	78	81	36	45	65	23	42	79	29	50
West Midlands	119	79	40	957	526	431	520	262	258	444	212	232	363	169	194
Herefordshire, County of UA	..	..	..	38	26	12	22	12	10	21	12	9	14	6	8
Shropshire UA8	..	..	..	62	33	29	39	17	22	35	15	20	20	8	12
Stoke-on-Trent UA	..	..	..	34	16	18	14	8	6	21	10	11	14	4	10
Telford and Wrekin UA	..	..	..	38	15	23	18	6	12	18	6	12	14	6	8
Staffordshire	..	..	..	138	66	72	95	39	56	65	25	40	62	24	38
Warwickshire	..	..	..	107	56	51	57	31	26	62	35	27	49	23	26
West Midlands (Met County)	..	..	..	426	247	179	224	128	96	179	95	84	167	84	83
Birmingham	..	..	..	239	147	92	129	73	56	86	48	38	103	60	43
Coventry	..	..	..	52	28	24	25	17	8	27	16	11	16	9	7
Dudley	..	..	..	36	17	19	20	9	11	19	8	11	17	3	14
Sandwell	..	..	..	27	14	13	12	9	3	11	5	6	6	1	5
Solihull	..	..	..	25	12	13	6	3	3	11	5	6	7	2	5
Walsall	..	..	..	13	7	6	16	8	8	10	4	6	9	5	4
Wolverhampton	..	..	..	34	22	12	16	9	7	15	9	6	9	4	5
Worcestershire	..	..	..	114	67	47	51	21	30	43	14	29	23	14	9
East	142	93	49	1,191	650	541	639	313	326	518	234	284	465	212	253
Bedford UA9	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	14	5	9
Central Bedfordshire UA10	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	16	7	9
Luton UA	..	..	..	24	13	11	14	5	9	18	9	9	7	5	2
Peterborough UA	..	..	..	39	20	19	18	7	11	22	6	16	10	4	6
Southend-On-Sea UA	..	..	..	62	33	29	27	19	8	15	5	10	17	9	8
Thurrock UA	..	..	..	13	8	5	7	2	5	7	3	4	9	3	6
Cambridgeshire	..	..	..	164	87	77	78	37	41	72	37	35	70	30	40
Essex	..	..	..	210	106	104	110	49	61	103	51	52	98	48	50
Hertfordshire	..	..	..	204	105	99	116	60	56	92	35	57	74	41	33
Norfolk	..	..	..	242	139	103	145	76	69	87	37	50	81	36	45
Suffolk	..	..	..	166	95	71	92	46	46	66	35	31	69	24	45
Former County of Bedfordshire11	..	..	..	67	44	23	32	12	20	36	16	20	..	..	..
London	469	371	98	4,019	3,058	961	2,110	1,545	565	1,729	1,271	458	1,545	1,134	411
Inner London	..	..	..	2,804	2,207	597	1,484	1,139	345	1,229	948	281	1,143	882	261
Camden	..	..	..	222	177	45	106	80	26	97	75	22	95	77	18
City of London	..	..	..	15	12	3	9	8	1	7	5	2	4	3	1
Hackney	..	..	..	122	69	53	68	38	30	67	37	30	52	36	16
Hammersmith and Fulham	..	..	..	125	102	23	55	44	11	39	29	10	51	43	8
Haringey	..	..	..	94	60	34	40	32	8	38	31	7	35	26	9
Islington	..	..	..	320	226	94	189	129	60	140	96	44	133	98	35
Kensington and Chelsea	..	..	..	409	346	63	195	162	33	147	120	27	140	107	33
Lambeth	..	..	..	208	162	46	98	77	21	92	77	15	92	75	17
Lewisham	..	..	..	114	79	35	51	34	17	57	39	18	42	32	10
Newham	..	..	..	53	38	15	39	30	9	23	18	5	19	13	6
Southwark	..	..	..	208	161	47	119	88	31	96	78	18	93	71	22
Tower Hamlets	..	..	..	136	123	13	74	62	12	62	53	9	52	49	3
Wandsworth	..	..	..	212	174	38	100	64	36	82	56	26	93	70	23
Westminster	..	..	..	566	478	88	341	291	50	282	234	48	242	182	60
Outer London	..	..	..	1,215	851	364	626	406	220	500	323	177	402	252	150
Barking and Dagenham	..	..	..	12	6	6	10	6	4	6	3	3	8	3	5
Barnet	..	..	..	70	49	21	42	25	17	31	19	12	23	14	9
Bexley	..	..	..	28	17	11	20	9	11	24	5	19	14	5	9
Brent	..	..	..	59	39	20	22	17	5	19	15	4	25	22	3
Bromley	..	..	..	56	36	20	35	19	16	22	10	12	25	17	8
Croydon	..	..	..	97	68	29	34	22	12	32	27	5	32	14	18
Ealing	..	..	..	107	84	23	69	47	22	40	32	8	29	20	9
Enfield	..	..	..	46	30	16	27	15	12	30	22	8	11	5	6
Greenwich	..	..	..	82	61	21	53	37	16	44	30	14	35	25	10
Harrow	..	..	..	48	31	17	12	10	2	17	8	9	7	5	2
Havering	..	..	..	28	12	16	18	7	11	12	5	7	14	6	8
Hillingdon	..	..	..	50	34	16	23	12	11	15	11	4	9	5	4
Hounslow	..	..	..	66	53	13	30	24	6	18	13	5	20	12	8
Kingston Upon Thames	..	..	..	56	43	13	29	21	8	23	16	7	23	15	8
Merton	..	..	..	87	70	17	33	22	11	34	27	7	32	23	9
Redbridge	..	..	..	42	31	11	13	8	5	14	10	4	13	9	4
Richmond Upon Thames	..	..	..	157	116	41	85	61	24	73	51	22	45	27	18
Sutton	..	..	..	34	18	16	18	11	7	8	3	5	11	5	6
Waltham Forest	..	..	..	90	53	37	53	33	20	38	16	22	26	20	6
South East	331	213	118	2,708	1,602	1106	1,419	738	681	1,147	588	559	1,004	471	533
Bracknell Forest UA	..	..	..	23	14	9	3	2	1	10	6	4	8	6	2
Brighton and Hove UA	..	..	..	636	416	220	321	199	122	274	158	116	232	123	109
Isle of Wight UA	..	..	..	42	24	18	17	6	11	8	3	5	11	4	7
Medway UA	..	..	..	22	14	8	34	12	22	21	11	10	17	6	11
Milton Keynes UA	..	..	..	57	31	26	21	9	12	36	21	15	14	7	7
Portsmouth UA	..	..	..	85	42	43	53	27	26	46	22	24	49	18	31
Reading UA	..	..	..	53	29	24	27	17	10	29	19	10	16	9	7
Slough UA	..	..	..	15	11	4	10	6	4	6	4	2	4	3	1
Southampton UA	..	..	..	81	52	29	47	26	21	33	16	17	34	16	18
West Berkshire UA	..	..	..	26	13	13	10	3	7	14	6	8	14	4	10
Windsor and Maidenhead UA	..	..	..	64	45	19	39	24	15	27	18	9	20	14	6
Wokingham UA	..	..	..	29	16	13	12	7	5	11	5	6	10	5	5
Buckinghamshire	..	..	..	67	34	33	41	18	23	31	12	19	30	9	21
East Sussex	..	..	..	212	117	95	124	68	56	73	38	35	83	39	44
Hampshire	..	..	..	260	141	119	136	46	90	119	44	75	90	33	57
Kent	..	..	..	343	207	136	194	93	101	167	86	81	129	53	76
Oxfordshire	..	..	..	198	109	89	91	42	49	68	34	34	84	40	44
Surrey	..	..	..	267	154	113	142	77	65	80	42	38	86	43	43
West Sussex	..	..	..	228	133	95	97	56	41	94	43	51	73	39	34
South West	223	163	60	1,507	852	655	762	371	391	636	290	346	530	233	297
Bath and North East Somerset UA	..	..	..	86	50	36	35	17	18	34	18	16	36	24	12
Bournemouth UA	..	..	..	163	129	34	60	41	19	49	31	18	34	20	14
Bristol, City of UA	..	..	..	178	108	70	85	44	41	73	42	31	60	33	27
Cornwall UA and Isles of Scilly UA12	..	..	..	160	74	86	85	30	55	62	17	45	69	25	44
North Somerset UA	..	..	..	45	30	15	18	10	8	24	8	16	16	8	8
Plymouth UA	..	..	..	60	25	35	42	22	20	40	13	27	22	10	12
Poole UA	..	..	..	69	46	23	27	14	13	19	16	3	19	9	10
South Gloucestershire UA	..	..	..	34	17	17	17	7	10	18	9	9	17	3	14
Swindon UA	..	..	..	43	18	25	23	13	10	19	7	12	14	3	11
Torbay UA	..	..	..	72	51	21	38	22	16	31	15	16	21	10	11
Wiltshire UA13	..	..	..	88	43	45	55	30	25	40	21	19	34	9	25
Devon	..	..	..	191	100	91	93	47	46	85	41	44	65	26	39
Dorset	..	..	..	88	42	46	55	16	39	29	14	15	24	8	16
Gloucestershire	..	..	..	141	73	68	88	46	42	72	24	48	59	20	39
Somerset	..	..	..	89	46	43	41	12	29	41	14	27	40	25	15
Wales	67	33	34	560	285	275	294	129	165	282	137	145	244	112	132
Isle of Anglesey	..	..	..	4	-	4	4	1	3	3	2	1	2	-	2
Gwynedd	..	..	..	23	14	9	12	6	6	17	9	8	11	7	4
Conwy	..	..	..	29	15	14	15	8	7	18	9	9	10	7	3
Denbighshire	..	..	..	16	5	11	7	3	4	14	3	11	7	2	5
Flintshire	..	..	..	20	6	14	7	3	4	11	6	5	10	5	5
Wrexham	..	..	..	21	12	9	13	8	5	7	2	5	8	3	5
Powys	..	..	..	38	26	12	13	3	10	10	5	5	13	4	9
Ceredigion	..	..	..	18	5	13	5	1	4	4	2	2	5	2	3
Pembrokeshire	..	..	..	25	13	12	6	3	3	8	5	3	8	1	7
Carmarthenshire	..	..	..	19	9	10	11	5	6	10	6	4	21	8	13
Swansea	..	..	..	60	27	33	27	10	17	21	12	9	23	9	14
Neath Port Talbot	..	..	..	14	3	11	8	5	3	10	5	5	8	3	5
Bridgend	..	..	..	18	7	11	10	5	5	13	6	7	11	3	8
Vale of Glamorgan	..	..	..	29	18	11	18	5	13	16	7	9	12	5	7
Cardiff	..	..	..	118	74	44	62	35	27	66	30	36	49	30	19
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	..	..	..	23	9	14	12	2	10	9	5	4	10	5	5
Merthyr Tydfil	..	..	..	6	5	1	5	4	1	3	-	3	2	-	2
Caerphilly	..	..	..	21	6	15	15	3	12	7	3	4	8	5	3
Blaenau Gwent	..	..	..	5	4	1	2	1	1	2	1	1	1	-	1
Torfaen	..	..	..	7	4	3	6	1	5	2	-	2	4	3	1
Monmouthshire	..	..	..	18	8	10	13	7	6	13	8	5	9	3	6
Newport	..	..	..	28	15	13	23	10	13	18	11	7	12	7	5
Scotland	84	53	31	1,047	580	467	688	339	349	525	245	280	498	219	279
Aberdeen City	..	..	..	36	22	14	26	8	18	11	6	5	14	7	7
Aberdeenshire	..	..	..	25	16	9	16	9	7	9	2	7	8	5	3
Angus	..	..	..	8	3	5	8	5	3	7	3	4	2	1	1
Argyll & Bute	..	..	..	30	12	18	14	9	5	11	3	8	16	6	10
Clackmannanshire	..	..	..	4	2	2	-	-	-	5	2	3	-	-	-
Dumfries & Galloway	..	..	..	47	17	30	49	15	34	65	17	48	43	7	36
Dundee City	..	..	..	22	13	9	15	7	8	11	6	5	9	2	7
East Ayrshire	..	..	..	8	4	4	2	1	1	3	-	3	5	2	3
East Dunbartonshire	..	..	..	8	5	3	9	5	4	6	3	3	1	-	1
East Lothian	..	..	..	21	13	8	10	5	5	7	3	4	10	5	5
East Renfrewshire	..	..	..	8	4	4	4	1	3	6	2	4	7	5	2
Edinburgh, City of	..	..	..	310	174	136	190	105	85	134	74	60	122	57	65
Eilean Siar	..	..	..	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-
Falkirk	..	..	..	7	3	4	6	4	2	14	5	9	8	2	6
Fife	..	..	..	50	30	20	38	14	24	18	9	9	22	11	11
Glasgow City	..	..	..	226	144	82	152	88	64	119	72	47	111	63	48
Highland	..	..	..	54	25	29	18	3	15	14	8	6	23	9	14
Inverclyde	..	..	..	5	3	2	4	1	3	1	-	1	6	1	5
Midlothian	..	..	..	7	2	5	7	4	3	4	-	4	4	2	2
Moray	..	..	..	9	6	3	6	5	1	5	2	3	3	-	3
North Ayrshire	..	..	..	19	12	7	13	5	8	7	6	1	10	5	5
North Lanarkshire	..	..	..	19	8	11	4	2	2	4	1	3	7	2	5
Orkney Islands	..	..	..	1	1	-	-	-	-	2	-	2	-	-	-
Perth & Kinross	..	..	..	28	15	13	14	6	8	13	3	10	10	5	5
Renfrewshire	..	..	..	6	3	3	7	4	3	2	1	1	4	4	-
Scottish Borders	..	..	..	17	12	5	17	7	10	11	6	5	13	4	9
Shetland	..	..	..	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-
South Ayrshire	..	..	..	17	7	10	15	8	7	7	1	6	3	1	2
South Lanarkshire	..	..	..	10	6	4	13	4	9	10	4	6	16	6	10
Stirling	..	..	..	20	11	9	13	5	8	8	3	5	10	3	7
West Dunbartonshire	..	..	..	7	2	5	8	6	2	4	-	4	5	1	4
West Lothian	..	..	..	18	5	13	10	3	7	6	2	4	5	2	3
Northern Ireland	12	6	6	116	65	51	111	60	51	86	43	43	96	46	50
Belfast14	..	..	..	..	..	..	72	42	30	48	24	24	63	37	26
Northern15	..	..	..	9	2	7	4	2	2	6	2	4	7	2	5
South Eastern16	..	..	..	..	..	..	9	5	4	9	8	1	9	4	5
Southern17	..	..	..	8	5	3	11	4	7	10	4	6	4	-	4
Western18	..	..	..	14	7	7	15	7	8	13	5	8	13	3	10
Former Eastern Health Board19	..	..	..	85	51	34	81	47	34	57	32	25	72	41	31

Note

In this table

- Denotes nil, and

.. Denotes not available

1. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force on 5 December 2005 in the UK, the first day couples could give notice of their intention to form a civil partnership. The first day that couples could normally form a partnership was 19 December 2005 in Northern Ireland, 20 December 2005 in Scotland and 21 December 2005 in England and Wales. Due to the small numbers in 2005 a further breakdown by area for is not available.

2. Figures for Northern Ireland and the UK for 2009 are provisional.

3. County Durham UA comprises the former Durham county.

4. Northumberland UA comprises the former Northumberland county.

5. Cheshire East UA comprises the former districts of Congleton, Crewe and Nantwich and Macclesfield (abolished 2009).

6. Cheshire West and Chester UA comprise the former districts of Chester, Ellesmere Port & Neston and Vale Royal (abolished 2009).

---