Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 22 March 2007
Wales
Departments: Consultants
Defence
Ammunition
[holding answer 19 March 2007]: The quantity and cost of the 105 mm and 155 mm artillery ammunition allocated and fired at the Royal School of Artillery, Larkhill, and the number of personnel trained, in Support of Phase 3 training is as follows:
Year1 Quantity Cost (£ million) 2001-02 35,887 23.2 2002-03 22,266 15.2 2003-04 20,541 16.5 2004-05 19,268 16.5 2005-06 19,169 16.1 2006-072 19,979 14.0 1 The year runs from 1 April to 31 March. 2 The 2006-07 figures include approximately 1,000 rounds remaining this financial year which will be fired before 1 April 2007 and 6,000 marker rounds which were at the end of their shelf life. These marker rounds were fired in lieu of being destroyed and as a result, £3.1 million was saved from the initial budget allocation of £17.1 million.
Armed Forces
A total of 600 (rounded to the nearest 10) retired officers were working for the Department as at 1 January 2007. This figure is the best estimate available from centrally held records, but may not include all ex-service personnel working for the Department.
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme
We are profoundly grateful to the sponsors of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, AugustaWestland and their predecessors). Since 2002 each has contributed an average of £40,500 per year to the scheme. We are also grateful to Sir Neil Thorne for the very considerable moral and financial support he has lent the scheme since its inception in 1989.
Armed Forces: Cadets
The following table provides the number of cadets1 in the Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps from 1 April 1999 to 1 April 2006.
1 Figures are for Army and Air Cadets only. Figures do not include officers/instructors or single service elements of the Combined Cadet Force.
As at 1 April each year Army Cadet Force Air Training Corps 1999 40,530 33,300 2000 42,760 34,280 2001 40,570 33,180 2002 40,700 34,050 2003 43,550 34,650 2004 44,240 33,190 2005 44,050 31,470 2006 44,390 30,170
Armed Forces: Complaints
The recruitment process for the position of Service Complaints Commissioner will begin shortly.
Armed Forces: Dogs
[holding answer 19 March 2007]: There are currently 998 operational military working dogs in the armed forces and military police, comprising 467 in the Army, 272 in the RAF, none in the Royal Navy, and 259 in the Ministry of Defence Police.
The annual cost of feeding the dogs is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Fire Services
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 March 2007, Official Report, column 1539W, to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer).
Armed Forces: Officers
In each service, all the officers attending the higher command staff course in 2003, 2004 and 2005 remained in service 12 months later, with the exception of army officers attending in 2003, when fewer than five officers left within 12 months.
Of the attendees in 2006, all remain in service nine months later at 1 January 2007.
Armed Forces: South Africa
[holding answer 19 March 2007]: On 6 October 2006 there were 35 UK regular naval service personnel with UK/South African dual nationality.
At 6 March 2006 there were five UK Regular RAF personnel with UK-South African dual nationality.
The number of Army personnel with UK-South African dual nationality is not known.
Armed Forces: Training
Yes. A copy of Joint Service Publication 419 will be placed in the Library of the House. The publication includes the rules and regulations for the safe operation of the joint service adventurous training scheme.
Departments: Postal Services
The MOD dispatches relatively little mail externally. Official mail within the Department is primarily distributed by the internal Defence Mail Service, provided by the British Forces Post Office, while mail for personnel serving overseas is usually distributed by RAF air transport. Most external mail is sent through the Royal Mail Group, or, exceptionally through other approved carriers. The names of these carriers are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ex-servicemen
Health care for service personnel is provided by Defence Medical Services. Treatment aims to assist injured service personnel to recover the best level of fitness and mobility possible. If medical discharge is appropriate, it will only be used as a last resort. Once they leave the armed forces, responsibility for their health care passes to the NHS and there are processes in place to assist the smooth transition from DMS to NHS treatment. If a veteran is also a war pensioner, he or she will be entitled to priority NHS treatment for the accepted condition(s); priority is decided by the clinician in charge and is subject to clinical need.
Those who are medically discharged from the armed forces are entitled to the full resettlement programme (FRP) offered within the MOD's resettlement package, provided by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), irrespective of their length of service1. The FRP includes briefings, workshops, individual counselling, coaching, CV preparation and analysis of transferable competences, job finding, and conversion and skills enhancement training. All discharged personnel remain on the CTP books for two years after discharge. Thereafter, the Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) and the Officers' Association (OA) offer ex-service personnel support for the rest of their working lives. The RFEA and OA are particularly concerned with job-finding activities, and are sub-contractors on the CTP contract.
To help achieve the Department's aim of a successful return to civilian life for ex-service personnel, whether medically discharged or not, the CTP offers at its resettlement training centre (RTC) at Aldershot around 40 job-related courses. Many courses result in recognised qualifications while others can lead to employment with companies which have established close links with the RTC. Such training is not mandatory for service leavers. Service leavers who do not choose the RTC route may make use of the individual resettlement training costs (IRTC) grant, currently a maximum of £534, for training courses not offered by the RTC but available in the wider training market.
1 The FRP is normally only available to those who have served at least five years with the armed forces.
Hilsea
The selection of bids for the sale of the MOD site at Matapan road, Hilsea was made at formal tender held on 2 March 2007. At this formal tender Defence Estates (DE) accepted the highest compliant bid. This bid was received from a national house builder with a proven track record for delivering a wide range of residential development schemes on surplus Government sites.
Formal tender is an Office of Government Commerce recognised method of selling surplus public sector assets. DE and its agent Drivers Jonas are confident that best value was achieved in this sale through formal tender.
Land: Sales
(2) at what level in his Department decisions are made about whether or not to apply the Treasury Guidelines (Green Book) to disposals of contaminated land.
In common with all other Government Departments, the MOD is bound by the Treasury Guidelines as set out in Government Accounting, the Green Book and the accompanying Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Property published by the Office of Government Commerce. These will always be followed unless there are exceptional circumstances, for example, when it has been decided to gift a property, which would require individual approval by an appropriate authority.
The Chief Executive of Defence Estates (DE), the Ministry of Defence (MOD) agency responsible for the defence estate, has full authority to act within the delegated authority from the MOD Accounting Officer in the disposal of land and buildings.
In the case of contaminated land, it is normal, unless the land is remediated by the Ministry of Defence, to sell with the benefit of a Land Quality Assessment (LQA) and therefore transfer the risk to the private sector. The LQA will usually include an evaluation of the potential types and level of contamination, together with a Collateral Warranty, which should allow prospective purchasers to make an informed bid.
Territorial Army: Pay
[holding answer 20 March 2007]: No members of the Territorial Army have been employed under section 29 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996, which can authorise, among other things, the High Readiness Reserve. Were any personnel to be employed in this manner they would be paid according to their rank, seniority and trade group. There are no exemptions for such personnel from existing CSA procedures.
Leader of the House
Members: Age
(2) what the average age of hon. Members was in (a) 1985, (b) 1997 and (c) 2006.
The House of Commons Library Members database indicates the following:
Percentage of hon. Members under 45 years of age Average age of hon. Members (Years) 1985 33.2 50.1 1997 32.6 49.3 2006 23.5 51.8
House of Commons Commission
1 Parliament Street: Lifts
The modernisation of the lifts in 1 Parliament Street has cost £337,000.
The work commenced in August 2006 and is due for completion in September 2007.
The lifts have been upgraded to accommodate an evacuation lift to comply with the Disability Discrimination Acts and refurbished in line with the lift refurbishment programme. This project was planned over two summer recesses to ensure continual availability of lifts during the refurbishment programme.
Energy Usage
The energy consumption of each building on the parliamentary estate in each of the past three years is given in the following table. Please note that 2 Millbank is heated from boilers located in 1 Millbank and its heating energy consumption is not metered separately.
Estimated energy consumptions corrected where possible using actual readings (MWh) 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Building Gas Electricity Total Gas Electricity Total Gas Electricity Total Palace of Westminster 19,526.4 15,182.3 34,708.7 18,040.3 15,440.3 33,480.6 19,482.7 15,440.3 35,043.6 Portcullis House 3,616.7 4,044.5 7,661.2 3,328.8 3,932.3 7,261.1 3,493.9 3,942.2 7,436.1 Norman Shaw North and South 3,117.1 1,880.2 4,997.3 2,692.8 1,867.4 4,560.3 3,112.4 1,945.4 5,057.9 1 Canon Row — 858.3 858.3 — 830.9 830.9 — 819.0 819.0 1 Parliament Street 2,007.8 2,296.6 4,304.4 1,971.7 2,299.7 4,271.4 2,162.6 2,305.4 4,468.0 Parliamentary Bookshop — 29.7 29.7 — 33.4 33.4 — 35.5 35.5 Millbank House — 778.5 778.5 — 778.3 778.3 — 728.4 728.4 7 Millbank 1,924.0 3,171.7 5,095.7 2,018.4 3,295.9 5,314.2 2,082.2 3,475.3 5,557.6 Fielden House — — — — 131.2 131.2 — 383.9 383.9 6 and 7 Old Palace Yard 309.0 202.7 511.8 176.9 217.3 394.2 214.0 231.7 445.7 1 Abbey Gardens 110.6 46.0 156.6 107.7 36.0 143.7 1151.5 39.6 151.1 2 Abbey Gardens 135.2 67.6 202.8 106.8 56.4 163.2 107.1 56.4 163.5 Underground Car Park — 382.4 382.4 — 412.9 421.9 — 361.2 361.2 22 John Islip Street 64.4 68.2 132.7 63.6 24.4 88.0 14.0 48.9 62.9 Total 30,811.3 29,008.6 59,819.9 28,506.9 29,356.5 57,863.4 30,780.6 29,933.8 60,714.4
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Birds: Conservation
It is impossible to state with any accuracy the percentages of individuals and organisations consulted. In accordance with best practice for such public consultations, my officials aimed the distribution at the major organisations which represented all of the groups of bird watching, bird conservation, rescue centres, bird keepers, zoos and enforcement authorities. These in turn were able to use their membership lists to circulate the details of the consultation more widely. The consultation document was also available via the DEFRA website.
The convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) controls and bird registration controls relate to different activities and species. Where the controls are duplicated, as is the case with many species of diurnal birds of prey, assessing their relative effectiveness in tracing and identifying the provenance of individual birds is very difficult.
In general terms, bird registration achieves nothing in identifying the provenance of individual birds as there are no legal powers to assess the captive bred status under section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It does however give powers to trace where individual birds are kept.
CITES controls provide the powers needed to inquire into breeding status, but do not enable the tracing of individual birds, unless there is a specific conservation reason to do so and an element of commercial activity is involved.
In England, the principal method used to assess wild bird population levels is the analysis of trends for the wild bird indicators compiled for the England biodiversity strategy (EBS) and the farmland bird public service agreement (PSA).
Indices for individual bird species are based on the annual field counts of breeding birds compiled by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). These individual indices are then compiled to show the average population trends with separate indicators compiled for farmland, woodland, wetland and sea birds. The EBS indicator compiles indices for 96 species, 19 of which are used in the farmland bird PSA indicator.
The assessment for the EBS indicator is based on the percentage change in the combined index since 2000 (and is currently assessed as stable). The assessment for the PSA indicator is based on the annual rate of change in the long-term trend—to which is applied a statistical technique that removes short-term peaks and troughs due to weather or gaps in the data. The farmland birds target will be met when the annual percentage change in the 'smoothed' long-term trend is positive. As with the EBS indicator, the trend was assessed as stable in 2006.
Further information on the methodology and criteria used in the assessment for farmland bird PSA targets can be found in the following report: “Freeman, S.F., Baillie, S.R. and Gregory, R.D. 2001. Statistical Analyses of an Indicator of Population Trends in Farmland Birds”.
There are 9,584 registered birds, of which 280 are registered with rings not supplied by my Department. The latter figure includes birds which have had rings fitted in other countries before they were imported into the UK. Under current regulations, only keepers in Wales may supply their own rings. There are approximately 60 birds registered in this way.
Carbon Dioxide: Aviation
Carbon dioxide emissions from UK domestic aviation (which includes emissions from the UK Crown Dependencies, and excludes emissions from the Overseas Territories) were 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), and for international aviation were 35.0 MtCO2 in 2005. Greenhouse gas emissions from international flights do not currently count in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory because there is no internationally agreed way in which to allocate those emissions. UK CO2 emissions (excluding international aviation and shipping) were 554.2 MtCO2 in 2005.
Emissions from domestic aviation were around 0.4 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions in 2005. If international aviation CO2 emissions are included, aviation contributed around 6.4 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions in 2005. The proportion in 2030 and 2050 would be around 15 and 21 per cent. of UK CO2 emissions (including international aviation) respectively. These are based on the assumptions of continued strong growth in aviation using central projections in ‘Aviation and Global Warming’ (2004), and the assumption of attainment of the 60 per cent. CO2 emissions reduction target in the rest of the economy as outlined in the 2003 Energy White Paper.
Common Agricultural Policy
DEFRA Ministers and officials discuss a wide range of issues with their colleagues in the Treasury as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Energy: EC Law
DEFRA continues to make progress towards implementing the Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive by 17 May 2008. We have already consulted on aspects of the directive which impact on the wider public. The Department's consultation on billing and metering provisions ended on 6 February.
DEFRA expects to consult stakeholders further on our implementation plans in summer. We will also use the opportunity provided by the forthcoming energy White Paper, and June's energy efficiency action plan—itself a requirement of the directive—to keep stakeholders informed of progress.
Falcons: Conservation
The public consultation exercise on Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 closed on 16 February 2007. Over the coming weeks we will consider the situation of both captive and wild population changes of all species delisted in 1994.
Flood Control
The Environment Agency’s capital programme for flood defence works in 2006-07 and 2007-08, by region, are set out in the following tables.
Region 2006-07 budget (£ million) 2007-08 budget (£) Anglian 53.9 — Midlands 26.5 — North East 21.4 — North West 15.2 — Southern 22.9 — South West 20.9 — Thames 23.6 — Wales 14.8 — Head Office 5.8 — Total 205 1206.1 1 The 2007-08 capital allocation by region is being finalised during the next two weeks. I will arrange for the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.
Region 2006-07 funding (£ million) 2007-08 funding (£ million) Anglian 9.8 4.7 Midlands 3.2 3.1 North East 2.2 2.5 North West 3.2 3.4 Southern 2.0 5.8 South West 5.5 2.1 Thames 5.3 10.0 Wales 0 0 Head Office 0 0 Total 31.2 31.6
Fuel Poverty
Fuel poverty is a factor of three elements—a home’s energy efficiency, household income and the cost of fuel. As such, fuel poverty is measured by household and not by individual.
Fuel poverty figures were first calculated in 1996 and are based on information provided in the English House Condition Survey (EHCS). Fuel poverty figures in England from 1996 for each year a survey was completed are set out in the following table. The collation of the EHCS has a time lag so the latest available figures are for 2004.
Number of households in fuel poverty in England Number of vulnerable households in fuel poverty in England 1996 5.1 4.0 1998 3.4 2.8 2001 1.7 1.4 2002 1.4 1.2 2003 1.2 1.0 2004 1.2 1.0
A vulnerable fuel-poor household is defined as one containing an elderly person, a family with young children, a disabled person or someone suffering a long term illness.
The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 mandated the Government to produce a strategy and set targets to ensure that no household should live in fuel poverty. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published in November 2001, sets out the Government’s targets for the eradication of fuel poverty in England:
to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as reasonably practicable, in vulnerable households by 2010
that no household will remain in fuel poverty, as far as reasonably practicable, by 2016
Similar targets exist in the devolved administrations.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Peterborough
In the first phase of the Warm Front Scheme, from June 2000 to June 2005, 2,562 households were assisted in the Peterborough constituency.
In the current phase of Warm Front, for Peterborough, 121 households were assisted between June 2005 and March 2006, and 404 households were assisted between April and December 2006.
Insulation
(2) what the average payment made to householders participating in a British Gas council tax discount scheme for energy-saving measures was in 2005-06; and whether such payments (a) reflect the council tax banding of the property, (b) are one-off or repeated payments and (c) are paid by cheque or by council tax bill credit.
On the basis of the British Gas press release on 12 March, I understand that the average installation charge levied on householders participating in the British Gas council tax discount scheme for insulation measures is £250 for cavity wall insulation and £274 for full loft insulation.
The average payment to householders participating in the scheme for insulation measures across the 44 current participating local authorities in 2005-06 was between £50 and £100, averaging £61.
British Gas or the appropriate local authority can provide further information on the further details of the scheme.
Metals: Recycling
[holding answer 20 March 2007]: The revised EC Waste Shipments Regulation (EC No. 1013/2006) introduces certain requirements for shipments of ‘Green List’ waste for recovery (recycling). These include an obligation on anyone shipping such waste to complete certain information on a form (Annex VII to the Regulation), and to ensure that this information accompanies the waste from the start of the shipment until it reaches its destination. The information on the form includes details of the producer of the waste and the broker or dealer involved in the shipment, when these are involved. This information is passed on to the facility receiving the waste when the waste is delivered.
The UK has raised with the European Commission the issue of the potential commercial confidentiality of some of the information on the form. The Commission is currently working to establish whether it is possible, while ensuring compliance with the legal requirements of the revised EC Waste Shipments Regulation (WSR), for any of the information that should accompany shipments of ‘Green List’ waste to be withheld or partially withheld.
My officials are in contact with representatives of the metal recycling companies in the UK about this issue and will keep them informed of developments.
Pesticides
The objective of this pilot study is to run a small scale trial of a system for public disclosure of farmers’ spray records with a view to:
investigating the practicalities of handling ‘third party’ requests, including locating farms and identifying and contacting the individuals responsible for pesticide spraying in each case;
determining the probable level of public interest and hence establishing whether there is a significant need for Government to act in a ‘third party’ role if it is not feasible for members of the public to get this information directly from farmers;
determining the practical implications and estimating the likely cost of setting up and running a Government scheme on a national basis.
The study is expected to run from 1 March to 31 August 2007. There will then need to be a period of analysis which may include some follow-up survey work involving inquirers and farmers from the study area. Officials aim to report the outcome of the study to Ministers by the end of the year. Once Ministers have considered all the relevant information a decision will be made on the way forward and a public announcement will be made.
Transport
Aviation: Safety
The CAA’s functions in relation to aircraft safety are the registration of aircraft, the safety of air navigation and aircraft (including airworthiness), the certification of operators of aircraft and the licensing of aircrews and aerodromes.
Car Sharing
A total of 4,715 lane kilometres of high occupancy vehicle lanes have been built or designated since 1997.
Departments: Internet
The cost of the design and production of the Department’s Act On CO2 micro-site was £110,270. The site is an integral part of the Act On CO2 campaign and all the advertising directs consumers to the site.
The new DFT website was launched on 26 January this year. A new Content Management System has been implemented and the project costs are £1.5 million.
These costs include accessibility and usability testing; design of a new information architecture based on user feedback and testing; development of a new visual design; the design and build of the system; migration of content; and the purchase of an enterprise software licence. The enterprise software licence allows the Department to migrate other DFT sites to the same Content Management System without incurring further licence costs. This will help to reduce hosting and maintenance costs across the Department.
Departments: Trade Unions
Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Driving Offences: Cellular Phones
The information requested for 2006 will be available in summer 2007.
Gatwick Airport: Safety
The responsibility for determining any limits on the number of companies permitted to provided ground handling services at a UK airport rests with the Civil Aviation Authority under the Airports (Groundhandling) Regulations 1997. The CAA’s assessment of the impact of revoking the limit on the number of ground handling service providers at Gatwick airport is set out in the CAA Official Record Series 2, number 1786, which was published on 20 February 2007.
In-flight Refuelling: Safety
In-flight refuelling is not undertaken within any UK public transport aircraft operation, and the Civil Aviation Authority is not aware of any such activity within the wider civil aviation community. The authority has not received any proposition for civil aircraft to engage in in-flight refuelling, and no safety assessment has been made.
Public Transport: Rural Areas
Local and central Government support for local bus services is now around £2½ billion a year. This total includes rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG) specifically to support rural bus services. Since RBSG's introduction in 1998, a total of over £440 million has now been allocated to authorities by means of this grant.
In addition, a total of £110 million has been awarded to authorities successful in rural bus challenge (RBC) competitions held from 1998 to 2003 to encourage innovative solutions to meeting rural transport needs. Many of the 300 projects initially supported by RBC funding are now continuing with mainstream funding from local authorities and other sources.
We have also changed the route registration rules to encourage flexibly routed, demand-responsive bus services and made these services eligible for bus service operators grant (BSOG) from the Department.
Our bus policy document ‘Putting Passengers First’, published in December, includes a range of proposals which we are now taking forward to improve bus and community transport services in rural and urban areas.
We have also implemented the community rail policy on many rural routes, particularly branch lines. In recent years, some lines have seen patronage increase by over 150 per cent. as community rail principles are implemented.
Roads: Accidents
Tables showing the number of reported personal injury road accidents resulting in (a) fatalities and (b) serious injury for (i) drivers/riders, (ii) passengers and (iii) pedestrians in Great Britain: 2001-05 (the latest year for which figures are available), broken down by police force, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Tolls: Greater London
The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) has paid the following fines:
Total parking fines (£) Congestion charge fines (£) 1999-2000 2,610 n/a 2000-01 1,820 n/a 2001-02 2,760 n/a 2002-03 4,900 n/a 2003-04 7,570 n/a 2004-05 5,610 205.00 2005-06 7,470 350.00 n/a = Not applicable.
Figures prior to 1999 could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
The Agency has paid no speeding fines.
Parking restrictions within central London may make it impossible sometimes to deliver secure or sensitive documents to buildings or allow people with a high public profile to attend or leave buildings without putting themselves or secure documents at risk. In these cases, GCDA will pay the fine and recharge these costs to the customer as appropriate.
Tolls: Scotland
Department for Transport officials and I are working very closely with the Scottish Executive as proposals for local road pricing schemes are being developed and as we take forward the debate on national road pricing.
The Secretary of State met the Scottish Minister for Transport in October to discuss road pricing, and they have exchanged correspondence since.
The Scottish Executive have a standing invitation to the Department’s road pricing local liaison group through which we work with local authorities that are considering introducing local road pricing schemes.
Transport: Southern Region
Tables 1 to 6 show the total local transport funding allocated to the aforementioned authorities for each year since 1997 (i) in total, (ii) per mile of road and (iii) per head of population.
Total local transport funding, as included in the tables, comprises
capital for the delivery of local transport plans (and for up to 1999-2000, the Transport Policies and Programmes submissions that preceded them), including for major local authority schemes, (which can vary substantially from year to year and between authorities);
specific grants to local authorities for bus services;
the Community Infrastructure Fund.
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 3,692 3,513 5,045 4,660 9,229 11,262 10,468 9,918 10,645 10,850 Funds per mile (£000) 2.17 2.07 2.97 2.74 5.43 6.62 6.15 5.83 6.26 6.38 Funds (£ per head) 6.41 6.10 8.76 8.09 16.02 19.55 18.17 17.21 18.47 18.83
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 8,542 5,113 8,596 8,357 16,076 17,119 20,163 30,377 27,916 27110 Funds per mile (£000) 2.96 1.77 2.97 2.89 5.56 5.92 6.98 10.51 9.66 9.38 Funds (£ per head) 14.76 8.83 14.85 14.44 27.77 29.58 34.84 52.48 48.23 46.84
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 6,615 6,474 10,116 13,510 35,878 36,674 28,953 29,544 35,685 36,441 Funds per mile (£000) 1.31 1.28 2.00 2.67 7.09 7.25 5.72 5.84 7.05 7.20 Funds (£ per head) 4.97 4.87 7.60 10.15 26.97 27.57 21.76 22.21 26.82 27.39
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 6,550 5,035 7,382 10,837 23,237 26,705 24,564 41,035 36,120 28133 Funds per mile (£000) 2.16 1.66 2.44 3.58 7.67 8.82 8.11 13.55 11.92 9.29 Funds (£ per head) 6.29 4.84 7.09 10.41 22.32 25.65 23.59 39.41 34.69 27.02
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 7,713 7,130 9,906 11,128 36,904 33,925 41,211 46,190 32,254 34,267 Funds per mile (£000) 1.24 1.14 1.59 1.79 5.92 5.44 6.61 7.41 5.17 5.50 Funds (£ per head) 9.45 8.73 12.13 13.63 45.20 41.55 50.47 56.57 39.50 41.97
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Total Funding (£000) 4,939 5,838 6,756 9,914 22,688 21,975 22,760 31,333 34,717 38,261 Funds per mile (£000) 1.16 1.37 1.59 2.33 5.34 5.18 5.36 7.38 8.18 9.01 Funds (£ per head) 7.22 8.54 9.88 14.50 33.18 32.14 33.29 45.83 50.78 55.96
The Government also support local transport authorities through the general revenue support grant, and councils spend some of this support on highways and transport services according to their own priorities.
Transport: Transpennine Corridor
The current levels of road traffic on the Transpennine routes at their busiest sections taken from the 2005 Traffic Monitoring-Data Analysis Report are:
M62 Junction 25 (Huddersfield) and J27 (Leeds)—134,500 Annual Average Daily Traffic flow (17 per cent. of which is heavy goods vehicles)
A66—15,000 AADT (28 per cent. HGV)
A69—47,000 AADT (24 per cent. HGV)
M67/A628/A616 (at M67 Jet 0-1)—52,100 AADT (13 per cent. HGV).
The current level of rail traffic between Manchester and Leeds, using Huddersfield as a central measurement point, is an average of 104 trains in each direction on any weekday. Capacity on the core Leeds-Manchester section of the north Transpennine route was stepped up in December 2004 from three trains per hour to four trains per hour.
The current level of rail traffic between Manchester and Sheffield, using Edale as a central measurement point, is an average of 44 trains in each direction on any weekday.
West Coast Railway Line
Negotiations continue to take place with Virgin Trains and their partners over the provision of additional cars for the Pendolino trains. I cannot give any specific time scales at this stage.
Officials from the Department for Transport are actively working with Virgin Trains and their partners over the commercial and operational issues relating to the provision of additional accommodation on the Pendolino trains.
Solicitor-General
Trooper Williams
The total prosecution costs in this case were £28,195.24. I have been told by the Legal Services Commission that the total Crown court legal aid costs were £151,526. I am not aware of other costs. The costs of the investigation are not kept by my Department.
Culture, Media and Sport
Budget and Revenues Sub-Group
The Budgets and Revenue Sub-Group included representatives from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury, the Greater London Authority (GLA), London 2012 Ltd., Government Office for London, the London Development Agency and the British Olympic Association.
Casino Advisory Panel
[holding answer 19 March 2007]: In its call for proposals published on 31 January 2006, the Casino Advisory Panel asked all local authorities as part of their proposals to explain how and why they expected that the “multiplier effect” of the additional economic activity to be created by the proposal would outweigh the potential leakage of money from the local economy.
When relevant evidence was received it was taken into account by the panel and published on its website. The panel was also able to draw on its own extensive expertise in similar economic impact assessments.
Transcripts of the recordings made of all seven of the Casino Advisory Panel’s examinations in public are currently being prepared, and will be published shortly.
Gambling: Finance
My Department has met representatives of the gambling industry and the Responsibility in Gambling Trust on many occasions, and discussed industry contributions to problem gambling research, education and treatment. If more is needed, and not delivered by the industry, the Act has powers to impose a statutory levy. We will use those powers if necessary.
Gaming Clubs
The following table sets out the scale and nature of the operation of the three new categories of casinos permitted under the Gambling Act 2005.
Small Medium Large Minimum area (sq m) 750 1500 5000 Minimum number of gaming tables 1 1 40 Category of gaming machines permitted Up to B1 Up to B1 Up to A Maximum number of gaming machines 80 150 1250 Machine table ratio 2:1 5:1 25:1 Bingo permitted no yes yes Betting permitted yes yes yes
Gaming Clubs: Licensing
I made clear in my statement to the House on 30 January that I wanted to take time to consider the panel's report carefully. The outcome of this period of consideration is reflected in the draft order which I laid in the House on 1 March. I have concluded that the panel has taken its terms of reference seriously, has applied them in a balanced and consistent way and has tested its results back against the original terms of reference. I am satisfied that the panel has arrived at robust recommendations as a result.
As required by the Gambling Act 2005,1 have consulted Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly on the draft order, and they were content that the draft order should reflect the panel's recommendations in full.
On 20 February I met a delegation of Members and Peers who were sympathetic to Blackpool's proposal to the panel, and have received written representations from members of this group. The Department has also received around 270 letters from members of the public.
Leasehold
Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member on 26 January 2007, Official Report, column 2057W, on departmental fixed assets, the length of any lease outstanding on those properties at the point of sale was as follows:
Years 30 Park Street 71 31 Park Street 71 32 Park Street 72
National Lottery: Grants
The Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund were administratively merged on 1 June 2004 to create the Big Lottery Fund, which became a legal entity on 1 December 2006. Since 2004-05, the total annual Community Fund budget and approximately 40 per cent. of the New Opportunities Fund budget were allocated to the voluntary and community sector. From 2006-07, the Big Lottery Fund made a new undertaking to allocate 60-70 per cent. of its total budget to the voluntary and community sector. It will be reporting on its performance against this target in its annual report.
The Big Lottery Fund does not expect the balance of funding, on current commitments, between statutory and voluntary and community sector organisations to be affected following the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 15 March 2007.
We will, subject to parliamentary approval, transfer £1,085 million from non-Olympic lottery proceeds to the Olympic funding package. Of this, approximately £638 million will be transferred from the Big Lottery Fund. The remainder will be shared between 11 of the other 12 non-Olympic lottery distributors in proportion to their fixed shares of income from the lottery. However, no transfer will be made from UK Sport.
The amounts to be transferred from each non-Olympic distributor to make up this amount, rounded to the nearest £0.1 million, are detailed in the following table.
In addition, £750 million will be raised from Olympic lottery products and the five sports lottery distributors will distribute a further £340 million to maximise the benefit to British sport of hosting the games.
£ million Arts Council England 112.5 UK Film Council 21.8 Arts Council of Northern Ireland 4.5 Scottish Arts Council 12.5 Scottish Screen 1.8 Arts Council of Wales 8.1 Big Lottery Fund 638.1 Heritage Lottery Fund 161.2 Sport England 99.9 Sports Council for Northern Ireland 4.1 SportScotland 13.1 Sports Council for Wales 7.3 UK Sport 0 Total 1,085
The Big Lottery Fund will monitor its undertaking that 60-70 per cent. of its funding up to 2009 will go to the Voluntary Sector Scheme (VCS). It will report on progress towards this undertaking in its annual report. Following wide consultation, the Big Lottery Fund uses the HM Treasury definition of the “third sector”, which encompasses voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, mutuals and co-operatives in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wales it used the definition adopted by the VCS and the Welsh Assembly Government as part of the Voluntary Sector Scheme.
Olympic Games: Greater London
There is an established framework for internal auditing within the ODA. This covers all aspects of procurement from process to specific contract audits. The National Audit Office is also about to start its review, which will include the procurement process.
The ODA has a thorough internal audit system in place. The internal audit programme is reviewed monthly by the ODA’s Audit Committee. Both the DCMS and the National Audit Office attend the Audit Committee as observers and are able to raise any matters of concern.
[holding answer 9 March 2007]: Ninety-three per cent. of the freehold of land required for the Olympic Park is now in public sector control.
This 93 per cent. represents approximately 290 hectares of the 312 hectares of land required for the development of the Olympic Park. The vast majority of this land is either owned by the LDA or controlled through a series of agreements with other public sector bodies such as the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The 312 hectares also includes 87 hectares of land comprising the Stratford city development that is controlled by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
The remaining land required for the Olympic Park will be acquired through negotiation or using the LDA’s approved compulsory purchase powers.
Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet committees, including when they meet, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
The Royal Artillery barracks at Woolwich were agreed as the venue for the shooting events after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave feedback to the London bid organisers on the venue portfolio submitted for London as an Applicant City in 2004. The Royal Artillery barracks are, therefore, part of the Host City Contract agreement with the IOC. There are currently no plans to move the Olympic shooting events to an alternative venue.
Before and after submission of the London 2012 bid, there have been various meetings involving representatives of my Department and the Metropolitan Police, both about the security planning and potential costs. Treasury representatives have been invited and involved where appropriate.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 12 March 2007, Official Report, column 62W.
The Government are working hard with the London 2012 Organising Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to ensure a lasting legacy for all Olympic sports, including shooting, for London and the UK as a whole. The ODA and the Organising Committee venues team are looking carefully at the post-games uses of all proposed facilities being developed for the shooting competitions at Woolwich.
The biggest legacy that we aim to achieve for shooting, working with the National Governing Body and International Federation, is for more people to have experienced the sport in person. Hosting the games in the UK gives us a unique opportunity to open up Olympic and Paralympic sports to new audiences and thus increase interest and participation in them.
Public Houses: Music
In 2004, DCMS published a baseline survey of live music staged in England and Wales. This looked at premises, including pubs and clubs, where live music performances typically take place in addition to the main business of the establishment. This research is available in the Library of the House and on the DCMS website:
<http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Publications/archive_2004/livemusic_in_england_wales.htm>.
A follow-up to this survey will take place later this year.
Separate research, focusing on the experience of smaller establishments in applying for live music licences under the new licensing regime, was published in 2006. This is available in the Library of the House and on the DCMS website:
www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Research/research_by_dcms/live_music_exec_summary.htm
In 2006, the DCMS also commissioned a study to look at the feasibility of investigating the economic impact of live music in local areas. The results will be published on the Department's website and will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.
In addition, the independent Live Music Forum has been monitoring the early effects of the Act on the live music sector. I look forward to receiving its report in the spring.
Public Libraries: Standards
The Public Library Service Standards are currently under review. Consideration of the number of indicators in the replacement model, which will have a discretionary base, continues. The new model will be in place by April 2008.
Sports: Schools
The criteria issued by the Millennium Commission for applications from bidders wishing to host the UK School Games in 2007-11 were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 14 November.
This guidance specified that selection of the successful bids would be made by Ministers on the basis of those criteria and the recommendations of the assessors. Following the winding up of the Millennium Commission on 30 November 2006, its responsibilities were transferred to the Big Lottery Fund.
Television: Telephone Services
Ofcom has a range of statutory sanctions that it may impose on broadcasters found in serious breach of its broadcasting code. Depending on the severity of the breach, these can include a direction to broadcast a summary of Ofcom’s adjudication, a financial penalty and, in the most serious of cases, the shortening or revocation of a licence. ICSTIS also has a range of powers to take action against premium rate service (PRS) providers found in serious breach of the ICSTIS code. These include the power to fine PRS providers up to £250,000, barring access to individual services and banning named individuals from operating services for set periods.
Terrorism: Compensation
Service personnel and their spouses currently receive compensation from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which offers financial support for personnel who have been killed or injured in the line of duty. Spouses of those who died in service are also entitled to receive payments from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
The charitable fund is primarily intended to assist UK residents who are travelling overseas or on holiday. Applications would not normally be accepted from victims who are in an affected area as part of their employment and for whom assistance packages are already in place.
We will be announcing further details of the charitable fund for British victims of overseas terrorism shortly.
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
Total funding available for allocation to the Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign is £1.2 million. Police basic command units that intend to participate (in partnership with Trading Standards) must complete a bid form to be entitled to funding, payable on proof of completion of the operations undertaken.
The Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol campaign is likely to result in the issuing of penalty notices for disorder and additionally licence reviews and prosecutions for the illegal sale of alcohol to minors. Details of these will be recorded and analysed centrally. Informal qualitative feedback will also be considered. Test purchase failure rates will not be used as an overall generic indicator of performance, as the campaign specifically aims to target problem premises, selected at the discretion of local enforcement agencies. Local police commanders and partnerships will use the results of the activity to focus their efforts and resources on key local hot spots.
Antisocial Behaviour
(2) how much has been allocated to respect zones for 2006-07; and how much each participating Government Department contributed towards such funding.
Respect Areas were confirmed on 22 January 2007. The only additional funding which is currently available in return for securing Respect Area status, is access to up to £125,000 from the Department for Education and Skills to help improve parenting programmes linked to tackling antisocial behaviour. This funding is available for 2007-08 only.
Respect Areas have been identified from a longer list of 77 areas with significant challenges, based on an index of data covering rates of deprivation, public perceptions of antisocial behaviour, teenage pregnancy, truancy and use of antisocial behaviour orders. The 40 Respect Areas have been identified as having a track record in taking action to tackle antisocial behaviour and have demonstrated a commitment and capacity to do more.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Custodial Treatment
[holding answer 22 February 2007]: ASBO breach data are currently available up to 31 December 2005 only. Data for 2006 are expected to be available later this year.
Asylum
[holding answer 28 February 2007]: As the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, and that remains the case.
Since the abolition of embarkation controls in 1994 we cannot assess with any certainty the numbers of people who remain in the UK. In this context it is very difficult to provide an accurate average time it may take to remove those who have no right to remain here.
The information could be provided only by individual examination of case records and the cost of obtaining it would therefore be disproportionate.
Asylum: Deportation
The following table shows provisional figures rounded to the nearest five of persons who had claimed asylum at some stage who were removed from the United Kingdom in 2006, by destination.
Information on asylum removals, including and excluding dependants, is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Of whom: Destination4 Total asylum seekers removed Principle asylum applicants Dependants of asylum applicants Albania 1,345 1,250 95 Macedonia 25 20 5 Moldova 55 45 5 Romania 380 245 135 Russia 110 75 35 Serbia and Montenegro 855 770 85 Turkey 1,695 1,590 105 Ukraine 105 90 20 EU Accession States 175 165 10 Other Former USSR 220 175 45 Europe other 2,035 1,885 150 Europe total 7,005 6,310 690 Colombia 210 170 40 Ecuador 100 70 30 Jamaica 430 365 65 Americas other 200 145 55 Americas total 940 750 190 Algeria 300 210 90 Angola 125 95 30 Burundi 10 5 * Cameroon 45 40 * Congo 65 60 10 Democratic Republic of Congo 115 105 10 Eritrea * * . Ethiopia 85 80 5 Gambia 70 70 * Ghana 170 155 15 Ivory Coast 35 30 5 Kenya 135 120 15 Liberia 20 15 5 Nigeria 690 635 55 Rwanda 15 15 * Sierra Leone 90 90 5 Somalia 45 40 5 Sudan 75 75 * Tanzania 60 50 10 Uganda 230 220 15 Zimbabwe 270 220 50 Africa other 325 265 60 Africa total 2,980 2,590 385 Iran 475 420 55 Iraq 1,775 1,725 50 Libya 45 35 15 Syria 55 40 15 Middle East other 330 250 80 Middle East total 2,680 2,470 210 Afghanistan 970 965 5 Bangladesh 250 240 10 China 270 270 5 India 550 510 40 Pakistan 1,190 870 320 Sri Lanka 695 655 40 Vietnam 140 130 10 Asia other 475 410 65 Asia total 4,540 4,045 495 Nationality not known/other 90 80 10 Grand total 18,235 16,250 1,985 1 Includes persons departing ‘voluntarily’ after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme run by the International Organisation for Migration, and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. 2 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2. Data may not sum due to rounding. 3. Provisional figures 4 Destination data as recorded on source database.
Azal Mohammed Ibrahim
I am not able to comment publicly on individual cases within the House.
British Nationality
[holding answer 28 February 2007]: The requested information is not available.
However, the labour force survey has been used to estimate take-up rates of British citizenship and these entail some estimates of the number of non-British citizens in the UK; these are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2005”, which may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Burglary: Drugs
(2) how many people were convicted of serious violent crime offences in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997;
(3) how many people were convicted of violent crime offences in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997.
Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of people convicted at all courts of burglary, drug, and violent crime offences in South Tyneside, the north-east and England and Wales, 2001 to 2005 can be found in the table.
From the court proceedings database it is not possible to identify those offenders in the Jarrow constituency, as the data are not collected at this level of detail.
North East Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Violent crime3 2,929 3,145 3,104 2,885 2,993 3,109 2,968 2,908 3,107 Serious violent crime4 830 817 734 562 500 557 534 491 472 Burglary in a dwelling and aggravated burglary in a dwelling5 1,474 1,423 1,307 1,004 1,091 1,206 1,007 790 776 Drug offences 1,526 2,194 2,528 2,773 3,340 3,624 3,816 2,687 2,759 Total 6,759 7,579 7,673 7,224 7,924 8,496 8,325 6,876 7,114 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Violent crime includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. 4 Serious violent crime includes: murder, attempted murder, threat or conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, infanticide, causing death by dangerous driving, manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, causing death by dangerous driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, causing death by aggravated vehicle taking, wounding or other act endangering life, and endangering railway passengers. 5 Domestic burglary: burglary in a dwelling and aggravated burglary in a dwelling (including attempts). Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform
England and Wales Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Violent crime4 44,674 47,159 45,630 45,104 46,163 49,803 49,694 51,415 52,820 Serious violent crime5 8771 8271 7729 7138 7178 7566 7013 6911 6510 Burglary in a dwelling and aggravated burglary in a dwelling6 17,870 17,306 16,387 14,471 13,684 14,622 14,540 13,503 12,820 Drug offences 40,666 48,821 48,711 44,621 45,621 49,036 51,162 39,197 39,090 Total 111,981 121,557 118/157 111,334 112,646 121,027 122,409 111,026 111,240 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures, as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis. 4 Violent crime includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. 5 Serious violent crime includes: murder, attempted murder, threat or conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, infanticide, causing death by dangerous driving, manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, causing death by dangerous driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, causing death by aggravated vehicle taking, wounding or other act endangering life, and endangering railway passengers. 6 Domestic burglary: burglary in a dwelling and aggravated burglary in a dwelling (including attempts). Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform
Departments: Appeals
The following independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by the Home Office or its executive agencies:
(a) in 1997-98, four:
(i) immigration adjudicators under the Immigration Appeals Act 1969
(ii) the Immigration Appeals Tribunal under the Immigration Appeals Act 1969
(iii) the Policy and Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology in relation to disciplinary proceedings against forensic pathologists on the Home Office register
(iv) persons appointed to hear representations against proposed decisions in relation to licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
(b) in 2001-02, eight:
(i)-(iv) the four bodies mentioned above
(v) the Special Immigration Appeals Commission under the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997
(vi) Asylum Support Adjudicators under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
(vii) the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission under the Terrorism Act 2000
(viii) the Pathogens Access Appeal Commission, set up under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
(c) in 2005-06, seven:
(i) the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004
(ii) the Appeals Panel of the Home Office Forensic Pathology Council
(iii)-(vii) the five bodies mentioned at (iv) to (viii) above
(d) in 2006-07, the seven bodies mentioned under (c) above.
Departments: Pay
The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Deportation
Since the abolition of embarkation controls in 1994 we cannot assess with any certainty the numbers of people who remain in the UK. In this context it is very difficult to provide an accurate average time it may take to remove those who have no right to remain here.
Entry Clearances
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 6 March 2007 with the information requested.
Fraud: Internet
The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) and Home Office Counting Rules (HOCR) govern the recording of crime in England and Wales. These are publicly available documents and can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html
The police deal with reports of incidents in accordance with the General Principles of NCRS which state:
“All reports of incidents, whether from victims, witnesses or third parties and whether crime related or not, will result in the registration of an incident report by police”.
Following the initial registration, an incident will be recorded as a crime (Notifiable offence) if, on the balance of probability:
(a) the circumstances as reported amount to a crime defined by law (the police will determine this, based on their knowledge of the law and counting rules), and (b) there is no credible evidence to the contrary.
Once recorded, a crime would remain recorded unless there was additional verifiable information to disprove that a crime had occurred.”
The Counting Rules also include specific instructions that relate to the recording of crime in connection with goods ordered over the internet which are as follows:
Location of crime: Goods ordered over the internet:
If goods ordered over the internet (or by phone, mail etc.) do not arrive due to a fraudulent operation, then the following rules apply in order of priority:
If the location of the suspect(s) is either unknown or outside England and Wales, then the crime should be recorded in the force/BCD in whose area the victim is located when they place the order.
If the location of the suspect(s) becomes known and is within England and Wales, then record in the force/BCU area covering that location.
If payment is made electronically then the venue will be the address of the account holder into which the money is transferred or if no address then the address of the bank, provided this is not at headquarters or the site of a computer server.
With regard to the number of investigations, prosecutions and outcomes of frauds directly relating to the internet, this information is not available centrally.
Immigrants: Somalia
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of Somali nationals in the UK who do not have leave to remain.
No estimate has been made regarding the number of Somali nationals in the UK who have no leave to remain. As the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, and that remains the case.
The following table shows the number of Somali nationals removed from the UK in 2004 and 2005, broken down by type of applicant and type of removal.
The information provided comes from published statistics. Information on removals in 2006 will be published in the summer on the Home Office's research development and statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Number of persons 2004 2005 Total Total persons removed1, 2 30 20 55 Of whom: Principal asylum applicants5 25 15 40 Dependants of asylum applicants 5 5 15 Non-asylum cases * — * Persons removed and voluntary departures6, 7 15 5 20 Of whom: Principal asylum applicants5 10 5 15 Dependants of asylum applicants * — * Non-asylum cases * — * Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes8 15 15 35 Of whom: Principal asylum applicants5 10 10 20 Dependants of asylum applicants 5 5 10 Non-asylum cases9 — — — 1 Includes enforced removals, persons departing ‘voluntarily’ after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and in 2005 those who it is established have left the UK without informing authorities. 2 Includes cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls. 3 Figures rounded to the nearest five, with — = 0, * = 1 or 2, and may not sum due to rounding. 4 Provisional figures. 5 Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, excluding dependants. 6 Includes persons departing ‘voluntarily’ after enforcement action had been initiated against them and in 2005 those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. 7 Excludes assisted voluntary returns. 8 Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. May include some cases where enforcement action has been initiated. 9 Persons leaving under the assisted voluntary return for irregular migrants programme run by the International Organisation for Migration. May include some on-entry cases and some cases where enforcement action has been initiated. Removals under this scheme began in December 2004.
Immigration
[holding answer 7 March 2007]: All ferry services to Holyhead are from within the Common Travel Area. Controls are operated on an intelligence-led basis.
Immigration Detention
I am advised that during the period from 10 December 2006 to 10 January 2007, admission has been possible within the London male immigration detention estate. Harmondsworth, Colnbrook and Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centres).
Passports: Interviews
Consultation on the proposed location of passport remote interview facilities in sparsely populated parts of the UK, as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), was undertaken with local and regional bodies in those areas. Somerset is not defined as a sparsely populated area in this context.
The requirement to attend an interview will be introduced gradually, starting with interviews in a limited number of interview offices in the next few months, with further offices being added progressively through to the end of 2007.
The number of days per week each interview office will open are:
Interview centre Number of days (a) Barnstable 2 (b) Bristol 5 (c) Exeter 3 (d) Yeovil 3
Police: Vetting
The following table illustrates the average number of days taken by the police forces in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk to conduct checks against their local intelligence systems between the launch of the CRB disclosure service on 11 March 2002 and the end of February 2007.
Financial year 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Bedfordshire 2.1 1.9 4.9 2.5 3.7 Cambridgeshire 14.1 13.0 18.9 16.2 18.6 Essex 9.6 12.0 20.4 8.5 14.3 Hertfordshire 5.0 5.2 14.9 13.8 14.4 Norfolk 3.5 7.1 8.0 18.5 29.8 Suffolk 14.8 11.8 12.3 14.4 11.2
A revised service level agreement (SLA) came into effect in April 2006 between the CRB and the 43 police forces of England and Wales. This new agreement, which was agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) places an additional focus on delivery and the responsibility of Chief Officers and ACPO to ensure that the obligations within the SLA are met. Monthly performance figures since April 2006 are now published on the CRB website at:
www.crb.gov.uk
Robbery: Cash Dispensing
These statistics are not collected centrally.
The Government recognise the seriousness of Cash and Valuables in Transit (CVIT) robbery and the impact these attacks have on both victims and witnesses. We are therefore working with stakeholders to establish a Government and cross-industry response to the problem.
Sherhan Yildrim
I am not able to comment on individual cases within the House.
Work and Pensions
Businesses: Orders and Regulations
The information is as follows.
(i) The total costs of implementing the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 in the first year were estimated to be between £117.0 million and £202.6 million. Costs were estimated, in present value terms, to be between £477.6 million and £676.3 million over the first 10 years. Costs were estimated to be £1.13 billion to £1.94 billion over 40 years, in present value terms1.
The additional costs to health and safety regulators were not considered to be substantial. There were pre-existing regulations, implemented in 1989, and ensuring compliance with the new requirements would be subsumed into current inspection activities.
(ii) The first year costs of implementing the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 were estimated to be between £201 million and £358 million. Over the first 10 years, total costs were estimated, in present value terms, to be between £2,377 million and £4,300 million.
The initial costs to regulators were estimated to be around £65,000 for training inspectors (mainly HSE) and around £300,000 for conducting research into whole-body vibration exposures to assist industry by producing generic risk assessments for machines expected to cause higher exposures2.
Enforcing the regulations is unlikely to increase costs because enforcement action will be absorbed as part of the full range of inspection duties carried out by inspectors.
The information in this reply was drawn from the final regulatory impact assessment for the legislation that is available in the Library or on the HSE website at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/ria/index.htm.
The Government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are committed to meeting the Better Regulation challenge. The HSE is constantly reviewing what can be done better to ensure that people are protected at work while avoiding unnecessary burdens on business.
1 All costs are calculated in 2000-01 prices.
2 All costs are calculated in 2001-02 prices.
Carers: Learning Disability
Depending on their personal circumstances, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits, including carer’s allowance. To qualify for carer’s allowance, carers must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions, and the person for whom they provide care has to be receiving either the middle or highest rate care component of the disability living allowance, or attendance allowance.
Departmental Websites
Activity throughout the national pension debate site from January 2006 to May 2006 resulted in 56,648 visits and 23,888 unique visitors.
Activity throughout the pension reform site from June to December 2006 resulted in 187,787 visits and 69,215 unique visitors.
The site received the following visits and unique visitors in each month in 2006.
Activity Period Visits Unique visitors www.dwp.gov.uk/pensionsreform/debate/1 January 2006 6,251 3,077 February 2006 7,508 3,658 March 2006 21,632 9,606 April 2006 8,456 3,763 May 2006 12,801 6,903 www.dwp.gov.uk/pensionsreform2 June 2006 22,675 11,017 July 2006 17,104 7,588 August 2006 21,779 9,042 September 2006 29,418 14,528 October 2006 30,516 13,906 November 2006 33,032 14,537 December 2006 33,263 12,906 1 The content of the national pensions debate site was restructured in June 2006. Background information was retained but main information was absorbed into the pension reform site. 2 To reflect change in site structure figures provided from June 2006, show visits to the pensions reform site. Notes: Visits—Number of times a visitor or visitors came to the site. Each visit is recorded separately for every visit more than thirty minutes apart. Unique Visitors—Individuals who visited your site during the report period. If someone visits more than once, they are counted only the first time they visit
Departments: Renewable Energy
The Department for Work and Pensions currently sources 53.5 per cent. of its total electricity from renewable sources. This is in excess of the original Government target to source 10 per cent. of electricity from renewable sources by 31 March 2008, which remains mandated within the new targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate.
The Department’s estate partner Land Securities Trillium is required to source electricity using competitive tender. Bids are sought on the basis of maintaining current supplies for the Department, which ensures that the Department maintains its own performance while not compromising the ability of the market to supply to others.
In order to increase the volume of renewable energy available, the Department in partnership with Land Securities Trillium is exploring the potential for on-site renewable generation. There are a number of projects where this may be feasible and scoping work is under way. The Department’s annual Sustainable Development reports will provide details of progress.
Departments: Trade Unions
Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meeting.
Departments: Work Permits
This information is not collated in this Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Disability Living Allowance
The requested information is not available. Entitlement to the mobility component of disability living allowance can only be established when a claim is made and the actual mobility needs of the individual are assessed. There are no reliable data available on which estimates could be made of extending entitlement to the mobility component of disability living allowance beyond the age of 65 if people were to make a claim.
Financial Assistance Scheme: EC Law
We estimate that around 50-55,000 members are more than 15 years from scheme pension age and therefore do not qualify for assistance.
We consider that European Directive 2000/78, which includes non-discrimination on grounds of age, does not apply to FAS.
The Government are carefully studying the ruling by the European Court of Justice of 25 January 2007 relating to Article 8 of the European Directive 80/987/EEC, and in so doing we will have in mind compliance with community law generally.