To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans his Department has to establish an inquiry into the conduct of the recent Scottish parliamentary elections. (138396)

The Electoral Commission has a statutory obligation to review the Scottish parliamentary elections. This review is to be undertaken under the independent leadership of Mr. Ron Gould. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State indicated during exchanges following his statement to the House on 8 May 2007, Official Report, columns 22-36, consideration will be given to whether, in light of the conclusions of the review, further investigations are necessary.

To ask the Leader of the House if he will make it his policy not to introduce measures for (a) additional state funding of political parties and (b) new expenditure controls unless there is political consensus between the three main parties on the proposed reforms. (137742)

The Government are committed to working out the practical arrangements needed to take the regulatory framework for party finance and expenditure to new levels of rigour, transparency, fairness and effectiveness. The precise nature of those arrangements will depend on the outcome of cross-party talks, which are being chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips.

The Government believe that all political parties must play a constructive part in those talks so that a system of party finance and expenditure can be agreed in which the public can have confidence.

The Government have this week agreed with the conclusions of the cross-party Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report of December 2006 about the key principles on which any reform should be based.

This is a clear indication of the Government’s constructive approach to the talks, and their hope that a consensus between the parties can be reached.

To ask the Leader of the House if he will make it his policy not to introduce measures on reform of the funding of political parties until the inter-party talks on the funding of political parties chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips have been concluded. (137743)

The Government have no plans to introduce measures on reform of the funding of political parties until the inter-party talks chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips have been concluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which grants for which her Department is responsible have been given to Westminster City Council since 1997; and what the value was of such grants. (137766)

In the Revenue return to Communities and Local Government, Westminster reported that they have received no grants between 1997-98 and 2006-07 from my Department. These specific grants are those inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services) paid to Westminster and exclude grants outside AEF such as capital grants, funding for local authorities’ housing management responsibilities, European funding; or where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

These Revenue returns do not therefore detail the money that is paid out by the National Lottery, DCMS non-departmental public bodies and other sources. Departmental data indicate that the following grants were paid to Westminster:

Since November 2005, DCMS has provided funding to Westminster city council to manage the contract for the 7 July Assistance Centre—a centre established to offer practical and emotional assistance to victims of the 7 July London bombings and emergencies overseas. The funding is set out in the following table.

The following table shows the number and value of grants on the Department’s Lottery Grants Database (which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors) where the name of the recipient is recorded as either ‘Westminster city council’ or ‘city of Westminster’. Lottery distributing bodies make grant decisions independently of my Department.

English Heritage has provided grants totalling £239,735 to Westminster city council since 1997, in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total value of private finance initiative projects included in her Department's balance sheet (a) is in 2007 and (b) was in each of the last five years, broken down by project. (137812)

My Department does not have any private finance initiative projects included on its balance sheet for 2007 or for any of the five years preceding this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value was of annual private finance initiative payments made by her Department from (a) capital and (b) revenue budgets in each of the last five years. (137813)

My Department has made no private finance initiative payments from either its capital or its revenue budget in the past five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what value of annual private finance initiative payments by her Department was classified as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project. (137814)

My Department has made no private finance initiative payments in any of the last five years.

All payments made under PFI are identifiable. Prior to a PFI contract being signed the profile of unitary charge payments is agreed between the contractor and the public sector, subject to the operation of the payment mechanism.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what value of annual private finance initiative (PFI) payments was (a) to repay capital and (b) expenditure on other parts of each PFI contract in each of the last five years, broken down by project. (137815)

My Department has made no annual private finance initiative payments in any of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support her Department gives to (a) museums, (b) science centres and (c) other projects which (i) promote (A) science and (B) engineering to the general public and (ii) are involved in adding value to the teaching of those subjects in schools. (136249)

DCMS supports the teaching of science and engineering in the following ways:

(a) Museums

As highlighted in the OSI’s review of DCMS’s contribution to science and research, DCMS’s sponsored bodies play a huge role in delivering public engagement in science through their educational and outreach programmes. DCMS spends £340 million (2007-08) on its directly sponsored museums and allocates £45 million (2007-08) to regional hub museums through the ‘Renaissance in the Regions’ programme, managed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

Some individual museums have a direct remit for science education, such as the National Museum of Science and Industry (£38.48 million GIA in 2007-08), Natural History Museum (£45.09 million), Museum of Science and Industry Manchester (£4.17 million) and National Maritime Museum (£18.41 million) and a number of other DCMS-sponsored museums, for example National Museums Liverpool, have a significant science and technology-based element to their collections and offer a range of science-based learning activities. In addition, the Department awarded grants totalling £401,000 in 2006-07 through the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund to museums with predominantly science-based collections.

DCMS funding has been directed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council in a number of ways that allow regional museums to promote science and engineering to the general public, or to add value to the teaching of those subjects in schools:

through Renaissance hub funding—many of the regional hub museums hold significant science and engineering collections;

through the Renaissance Designated Challenge Fund—to improve the management and accessibility of collections designated as nationally significant for the benefit of the public;

through the PRISM Grant Fund—grants are awarded to museums and similar organisations in England and Wales for the purpose of acquiring or conserving objects of scientific and industrial importance. A total of £250,000 is allocated to the fund each year.

(b) Science centres

DCMS does not fund science centres. When the Millennium Commission first provided funding to set up science centres there was an expectation they would be self-supporting within three years. The DfES and DTI jointly gave science centres a £2 million funding package in 2004-06 to help alleviate short-term financial problems and provided a further £750,000 over the period 2006-08 for project work managed by Ecsite-uk.

(c) Other projects

Since 2003 the National Museum of Science and Industry and its regional partner museums and galleries have received a total of £960,000 through the joint DCMS/DfES-funded museum education programme (known as ‘Strategic Commissioning’) for a series of projects designed to enrich the teaching of science in schools and to support the informal learning of older members and adults with English as a second language from local communities in north London. Through the same programme the Natural History Museum and its regional partners have received £560,000 for project work, which is supporting the teaching of secondary science in schools across England.

MLA through the Renaissance Subject Specialist Networks (SSNs) grant programme enables specific networks of museums and galleries to share knowledge, expertise and collections, with the aim of improving visitors' experiences. Current SSNs include those which promote science and engineering to the general public, or are involved in adding value to the teaching of those subjects in schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the family carers group established by the Disability and Carers Service last met. (137533)

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Terry Moran, dated 18 May 2007:

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the family carers group established by the Disability and Carers Service last met.

The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.

I can confirm that the group last met on 22 January 2007. The next meeting is scheduled for 17 July 2007.

I hope this is helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 1194W, on the Child Support Agency, what the (a) value and (b) number was of bonus payments made to staff at the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years, broken down by staff grade. (136019)

The requested information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether he approved the policy that the Child Support Agency Debt Collecting Agency may refuse to give information to customers and hon. Members on any progress they may be making in reclaiming non-paid maintenance; (133132)

The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Jos Joures dated 18 May 2007:

In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he approved the policy that the Child Support Agency Debt Collecting Agency may refuse to give information to customers and hon. Members on any progress they may be making in reclaiming non-paid maintenance.

The Agency do not encourage parents with care to contact the debt collection agencies who are contracted to recover debt. If a parent with care requires an update on the progress of their case, they can contact the Child Support Agency directly and will secure an update on their behalf. The debt collection agencies are required to provide this update to the CSA when requested. Non-resident parents, however, should deal directly with the debt collection agencies when arranging the collection of arrears.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many credit card payments by non-resident parents have taken more than a week to be processed and passed on to the parent with care since 2005; and what the average time taken to pass on such payments has been in that period. (134123)

Unfortunately the information requested is unavailable, as the Agency does not record the information in the format requested, and the information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have disputed the clerical account breakdown of money received by the Child Support Agency from non-resident parents since 2005. (134124)

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of child support claims relating to non-payment of full child support involving (a) self-employed people and (b) company directors; (134135)

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Jos Joures dated 18 May 2007:

In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of child support claims relating to non-payment of full child support involving (a) self-employed people and (b) company directors.

In the three months ending December 2006, there were 25,320 cases charged by the Agency where the Non-Resident Parent was self-employed and not paying their full child support liability. These cases include those who only pay part of their maintenance.

I am sorry but due to limitations of available information it has not been possible to provide you with statistics where a non-resident parent is a company director.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to combat the practice of parents diverting income through company employees to avoid paying their children's full entitlement of child support. (134696)

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Jos Joures, dated 18 May 2007:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to combat the problem of parents diverting their income through company employees to avoid paying their children’s full entitlement of child support. [134696]

Existing child support legislation includes provisions for both old and new scheme cases to cover circumstances where the non-resident parent appears to have reduced or diverted their income to avoid meeting their obligations to maintain their children.

For old scheme cases, where the parent with care has evidence that the non-resident parent is reducing their income to avoid their responsibilities, they can ask the Agency to review the maintenance assessment. This application, known as a ‘Departure Direction’, as the parent with care is requesting that the Agency departs from the original maintenance calculation, can be made in cases where the non-resident parents are able to control they amount of income they receive and where they unreasonably reduce that income.

For new scheme cases the procedure is similar, if the parent with care has evidence to believe that the non resident parent is diverting income for the purpose of reducing the maintenance assessment, they can apply for a ‘Variation’ to the maintenance assessment.

In either case, the decision maker will consider whether; the non-resident parent has the ability to control the amount of income they receive and whether they have deliberately reduced the level of income by diverting it to someone else or into a business in order to reduce or avoid child maintenance. The Agency is also required to consider whether it is “just and equitable” to make a departure or variation decision. Broadly this means that the result of the departure or variation must be fair, taking account of all the circumstances of the case, and, in particular, the welfare of any child likely to be affected. This includes the child for whom maintenance is paid as well as any other children living with either parent.

The Agency will then consider the evidence and decide whether to restore the maintenance due to the level that it would have been had the income not been reduced. A typical example would be where the parent diverts income from a business to their spouse —who also works for the business—or where profits are retained in the company rather than producing an income.

Finally, where an allegation is made or conflicting evidence exists that suggests the non-resident parent has made a false statement, the Agency will consider whether a referral to the Agency's Criminal Compliance Team is appropriate. Section 14A (2) of the Child Support Act 1991 makes it an offence to knowingly make a false statement in reply to a request for information.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of changes in child maintenance variation regulations made by the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005. (135404)

[holding answer 2 May 2007]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Jos Joures, dated 18 May 2007:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of changes in child maintenance variation regulations made by the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005. [135404]

The Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 extended the ground in Regulation 19 of the Child Support (Variations) Regulations for a variation for income not taken into account under the Child Support (Maintenance Calculations and Special Cases) Regulations 2000. Variation regulations were extended to cover cases in which the non-resident parent has the ability to control the amount of income he receives from a company or business and the Secretary of State is satisfied he is receiving income that would not otherwise be taken into account.

The Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 also amended the Child Support (Variations) Regulations 2000 by making provision to take into account financial assistance paid in respect to the long-term illness or disability of a relevant other child or disability living allowance paid on behalf of that child, to a member of the non-resident parent’s household where there is an application for a variation for special expenses for that relevant other child. The Regulations also made a number of consequential amendments.

The variations regime is intended to ensure the Agency offers an accurate and fair service to both the non-resident parent and the parent with care. It allows for variations to the amount of maintenance due based on extraordinary factors not covered by the standard formula. The Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 broadened the scope of the Agency’s ability to ensure non-resident parents meet their financial responsibilities, and are not penalised for unavoidable increased living costs.

No specific assessment of the impact of the changes made by the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 has been conducted.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money private agencies have collected on behalf of the Child Support Agency since private companies were first used; and how fees for successful collection are determined. (122409)

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive.

He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 18 May 2007:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money private agencies have collected on behalf of the Child Support Agency since private companies were first used; and how fees for successful collection are determined. [122409]

The Agency singed contracts with two debt collection agencies on 7^th July 2006 and started referring cases to these agencies in August 2006. As of the 31^st January 2007 a total of £738,000 had been collected by the debt collection agencies.

A letter sent by the Agency to inform clients that their debt is to be transferred to the external debt collection agencies had also resulted in an additional £640,000 collected by the Agency by the end of January 2007.

Debt collection agencies are paid a commission by the Agency based on the amount of child maintenance that is collected on our behalf. The commission rate is calculated on a four-point scale, based on the complexity of the debt that is being pursued.

I hope you find this answer helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by his Department with outside suppliers over the last five years, as referred to in the answer of 17 July 2006, Official Report, columns 233-4W, on information technology. (135608)

The information in the following table updates the estimated outturn for the IT contracts listed in my previous answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. (136868)

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.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix (a) 0870 and (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case. (136258)

Under arrangements with our telephone supplier, DWP has (a) 22 specific 0870 numbers and (b) 2029 specific 0845 numbers, used for a variety of purposes. The Department delegates the administration and management of non-geographic telephone numbers to local management at operational level. The services linked to individual telephone numbers broken down to helplines is not available, nor the availability of alternative geographic numbers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the cost was of staff relocations between his Department’s offices in Wales in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement; (136654)

Neither Jobcentre Plus or DWP hold detailed records of approved Public Expense moves within the Department’s offices in Wales. Any detailed investigation to retrieve this information would involve disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Sifam Limited Retirement Plan is one of the pension schemes to be included in the extension of the Financial Assistance Scheme to solvent employers. (136558)

[holding answer 10 May 2007]: At present the Sifam Limited Retirement Plan does not qualify for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) as we understand that the sponsoring employer has not undergone an insolvency event. We currently do not have sufficient information to establish whether the scheme will be included in the recently announced extension to include pension schemes with compromise agreements. The FAS Operational Unit wrote to the trustee on 4 May explaining the position and stating that it may be necessary for the scheme to re-apply once changes to Scheme Qualifying Rules have been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been reported to him by the Health and Safety Commission in meeting targets for the reduction of deaths and injuries at work; what the most recent figure is for (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal injuries at work in the United Kingdom; and what the European Union average rates are. (135669)

The Revitalising Health and Safety target for injury which applies to Great Britain is to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injury by 10 per cent. between 1999-2000 and 2009-10; the pro-rata target for 2005-06 is a 6 per cent. reduction. The available sources indicate no clear change since the base year in the rate of fatal and major injury to employees. Since 2000, HSE has concentrated on key priority areas in partnership with industry and others. This has resulted in significant improvements in, for example, falls from height where the number of injuries has reduced. This activity has begun to show through to the overall fatal and major injuries rate.

The Health and Safety Executive has a public service agreement (PSA) target to reduce injuries by 3 per cent. between 2004-05 and 2007-08. In the first year of this agreement, the rate of fatal and major injuries dropped by 6.7 per cent.

There were 212 fatalities to workers reported for the whole year of 2005-06, 223 for 2004-05, and 236 in 2003-04. For the first six months of 2006-07, there were 124 fatal injuries to workers.

There were 28,605 major injuries reported for employees in 2005-06, compared with 30,451 in 2004-05, and 30,689 in 2003-04. For 2005-06, there were also 117,471 other injuries to employees reported causing an absence of over three days.

In 2003 (the most recent year for which data are available across the European Union) the average rate of work-related fatal injury in the European Union, excluding transport accidents, is 2.5 per 100,000 workers. The British rate is 1.1—the lowest across the EU.

EUROSTAT has estimated that there were 3.5 million over three day injuries in the EU, allowing for under-reporting. This translates into a non-fatal rate of 3,334 per 100,000 workers. The British rate is 1,614. The British rate of workplace non-fatal injury in 2003 is the fourth lowest among EU member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the rate of (a) fatal, (b) major and (c) three day injuries to employees in the construction industry in the UK was in (i) 2006 and (ii) the first quarter of 2007. (135671)

The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.

The following rates of injury to employees in the construction industry relate to published injury numbers for the provisional year 2005-06 and the first six months of 2006-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the therapeutic mediation pilot being carried out for his Department by Relate will be completed; when he will publish results of the pilot; what criteria are being used to evaluate the pilot; and if he will make a statement. (130518)

[holding answer 29 March 2007]: I have been asked to reply.

The Relate therapeutic mediation pilot will continue until June 2008.

The University of East London has been commissioned to evaluate the pilot. We expect the evaluation report to be produced and published by spring 2008. The evaluation will include the effectiveness of the training offered by Relate, and of the mediation model in preventing homelessness and resolving family conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Rotherham are in receipt of pensioners' credit. (137561)

[holding answer 16 May 2007]: As at February 2007 4,900 households in Rotherham constituency were receiving pension credit.

Notes:

1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the GMS scan at 2 March 2007. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.

2. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10.

3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory and are therefore based on the 2005 parliamentary boundaries.

4. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.

Source:

DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) pension credit scan taken as at 2 March 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average weekly amount of benefit was for a (a) single pensioner, (b) married pensioner, (c) single person under pensionable age, (d) married couple under pensionable age and (e) married couple with children (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest available date. (128541)

The available information is in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions during the past 12 months a passive drug dog was not present during visiting times at each Northern Ireland prison establishment to carry out searches for prohibited substances. (136051)

The number of occasions that the prison drugs dog was not deployed by prison establishments over the past 12 months is:

The Northern Ireland Prison Service endeavours to have a passive drug dog operational during all visiting sessions, though due to various factors this is not always possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service were (a) disciplined, (b) suspended and (c) dismissed for supplying drugs or other prohibited items to prisoners in each of the last five years. (136824)

None. However, the Northern Ireland Prison Service takes steps to prevent such activities, and has rigorous arrangements in place to investigate any instances it is suspected any inappropriate activities have occurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many chaplains of each religious affiliation are linked to each prison establishment in Northern Ireland; and how many visits chaplains made to Northern Ireland’s prisons in each of the last 12 months. (136055)

The Prison Service does not record the number of visits made. Each chaplain is allocated a set number of hours (commensurable with the number of prisoners) within each prison establishment. Chaplains spent 13,704 hours in Northern Ireland’s prisons last year.

The number and location of the chaplains linked to each prison establishment in Northern Ireland is given in the following table.

In addition, arrangements have been made for an Imam to make regular prison visits and more recently, we have contacted a Polish Priest to arrange a visit.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service are currently in discussion with the churches on recommendations from an internal review of the structure of the Northern Ireland Prison Chaplaincy Service; this will conclude on 12 June. The review addresses current and future management arrangements and the resources required to meet the diverse needs of the growing prisoner population in line with best practice elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent (a) in the UK and (b) in the EU on subsidies for biofuels in each year since 1997. (137517)

These totals are not available in the form requested.

However, the UK Government’s support for biofuels has, to date, come mainly in the form of fuel duty incentives. A 20p per litre fuel duty incentive was introduced for biodiesel in 2002 and for bioethanol in 2005. Detailed information on the level of biofuel sales that these duty incentives have supported in each year since 2002 is available via the HM Customs and Revenue website at www.uktradeinfo.com/index. cfm?task=bulloil The figures in the following table set out the total amount of duty that has been foregone on biofuel sales because of these incentives.

Other forms of Government support for biofuels (including, for example, support for research and development programmes) are summarised in a series of annual UK reports to the European Commission, available on the Commission website at http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/legislation/biofuels_members _states_en.htm This website also contains summary details of the support for biofuels provided by other member states and by the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars registered to owners in Worcestershire will have to pay the new Band G (£300) per annum tax. (138227)

As at 31 December 2006 1,507 vehicles registered to addresses in Worcestershire were licensed in the new band G. In addition there were 12,935 vehicles which, although licensed in band F now, would have fallen into the band G emission category had they been registered after 23 March 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what progress has been made in easing train congestion problems at Birmingham New Street Station; (138149)

Responsibility for the performance of the railway network and best use of capacity rests with Network Rail in conjunction with train operators. The High Level Output Specification (HLOS), to be published in the summer, will set out the additional rail capacity the Government propose to buy to meet the recent and forecast growth in demand for rail travel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of implementing the European Rail Traffic Management System. (138145)

The Strategic Rail Authority made an extensive study of the effects of ERTMS on the UK railway. Network Rail now leads the National ERTMS Programme and has updated the SRA’s work. If applied when a line is being resignalled, ERTMS can reduce the overall cost of the railway and support capacity enhancement. ERTMS also produces a small safety improvement over and above the high level of train protection afforded by TPWS. However, the capacity and cost benefits only apply if ERTMS Level 2 is used to eliminate lineside signalling. The Cambrian Early Deployment Scheme will demonstrate the use of this technology in the UK for the first time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received on potential links between road pricing and applications for transport infrastructure funds by (a) local authorities and (b) Transport for London; and if he will make a statement; [R] (135979)

Ministers have met representatives of local transport authorities and Transport for London and departmental officials have regular ongoing contact.

No decisions have been taken on areas to take forward local road pricing. 10 areas have been awarded pump-priming funding to support the development of Transport Innovation Fund packages that address local congestion problems. The guidance we have issued has made clear that TIF will be used to support packages that combine investment in transport with demand management measures, such as road pricing. These packages will need to address problems in a way that supports economic growth, and supports other objectives for environmental protection, safety and social inclusion. We expect to receive the first bids for TIP support this summer.

However, TIP is additional to other transport investment. We are continuing to invest record sums in local transport for all local authorities in England. Funding for transport infrastructure in the English regions outside of London can still be accessed through the Regional Funding Allocation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether South West Trains has met all of its performance targets in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. (138124)

Targets for SWT were introduced in the 2003 refranchising process.

Performance targets and the Moving Annual Average (MAA) that SWT achieved for the years that they had targets are shown as follows:

The Stagecoach South Western Franchise that commenced in February 2007 has performance benchmarks on a period by period basis and to date these have been met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1677W, on traffic lights, what progress is being made in the introduction of traffic responsive operation of traffic signals. (137470)

It is for local traffic authorities to decide on the optimum mode of operation for traffic signals. Traffic responsive systems have been available and encouraged by the Department since the 1930s. The Department’s advice contained in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/06, “General principles of traffic control by light systems”, re-iterates and endorses their use. I have arranged for copies of the Traffic Advisory Leaflet to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Indra electronic counting system used in the electoral pilot of May 2007 by Bedford borough council; and if she will make a statement. (137684)

The independent Electoral Commission has a statutory duty to evaluate and report on each of the May 2007 electoral pilot schemes, and will assess the effectiveness of the electronic counting system used by Bedford borough council. My Department awaits the Electoral Commission’s findings which will be published by 4 August 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) advance voting during the week before polling day, (b) voters providing their signature before being issued with their ballot papers, (c) electronic counting and (d) use of a single column on the ballot paper for the mayoralty election in the electoral pilots of May 2007 by Bedford borough council; and if she will make a statement. [137685]

The independent Electoral Commission has a statutory duty to evaluate and report on each of the May 2007 electoral pilot schemes, including the effectiveness of each of the elements of the Bedford borough council pilot scheme. My Department awaits the Electoral Commission's findings which will be published by 4 August 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations her Department has received from the Electoral Commission on the use of electronic vote counting technology and equipment for the May 2007 electoral pilots; and if she will make a statement. (137689)

My Department sought the Electoral Commission's views on all of the applications that were made to conduct electoral pilot schemes at the May 2007 local elections, including the use of electronic vote counting technology. The Commission's comments were received on 1 December 2006.

A number of issues were raised by the Commission which were resolved following ongoing discussions with my officials.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what independent safeguards were put in place for electoral pilots in May 2007 using electronic counting technology and equipment; and if she will make a statement. (137690)

My Department carried out a rigorous procurement process to identify suppliers to work with local authorities to conduct electoral pilot schemes at the May 2007 local elections in England. Each pilot scheme involving the use of electronic voting or counting systems was also subject to a rigorous quality assurance assessment by independent experts on behalf of my Department, and also to testing by suppliers and local authorities prior to use.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what steps the Government are taking to ensure public confidence in electronic vote counting technology and equipment in elections; and if she will make a statement. (137691)

My Department is implementing a programme of work to develop effective and secure electoral systems for the future, including electronic vote counting technology. The programme includes the piloting and evaluation of new technologies, and research and development activities with suppliers, electoral administrators and other organisations. Public confidence in electoral systems is essential, and no new technologies will be rolled out for general use until we are satisfied that they are accurate and secure.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice at what time the final election result was declared in (a) Bedford borough council, (b) Breckland district council, (c) Dover district council, (d) Stratford-on-Avon district council and (e) Warwick district council in the electoral pilot schemes of May 2007; how much was spent on the use of electronic counting and equipment in each area; how many spoilt ballot papers were rejected as a percentage of the total vote in each area; and if she will make a statement. (137695)

The times of the declaration of the final election results and the percentages of ballot papers rejected in each of the five electoral pilot schemes in May 2007 are listed in the following table.

It is expected that the details of the total costs for the electoral pilot schemes using electronic counting in May 2007 will be provided in the independent Electoral Commission’s statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes, which will be published by 4 August 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many electoral pilots in May 2007 which used electronic counting technology and equipment reverted to manual counting of votes; and if she will make a statement. (137697)

Two electoral pilots reverted to manual counting of votes. These were Breckland council, and the joint pilot by Stratford-on-Avon district council and Warwick district council. The Electoral Commission is currently evaluating each electoral pilot scheme, and their findings will provide valuable information about the issues that arose in these authorities and will also help us to identify how to address any future issues.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations her Department has received on the use of random hand counts of ballots in electoral pilots of May 2007 which used electronic counting and equipment; and if she will make a statement. (137698)

My Department has not received any representations on the use of random hand counts of ballots at the electoral pilot schemes which used electronic counting in May 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what measures were put in place to ensure that electoral pilots using electronic counting and equipment in May 2007 could be independently verified; and if she will make a statement. (137699)

My Department commissioned independent quality assurance audit and testing to support the delivery of electoral pilot schemes using electronic counting at the May 2007 local elections. Under provisions introduced by the Electoral Administration Act 2006, independent observers were also permitted to monitor all elections, including those where electoral pilot schemes were held.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many of the electoral pilots of May 2007 which used electronic counting and equipment undertook random hand counts of ballots; and if she will make a statement. (137700)

I am not aware that any of the electoral pilot schemes of May 2007 which used electronic counting undertook random hand counts of ballot papers.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what plans the Government have to use electronic counting and equipment in future electoral pilots; and if she will make a statement. (137701)

My Department is currently considering the future role of electronic counting technology, and how it might be developed through further piloting or other research. The findings of the independent Electoral Commission’s statutory evaluation of the May 2007 electoral pilot schemes will inform that ongoing consideration before any decisions about future pilot schemes are made.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1725W, on electoral systems, when the review of electoral systems currently in use in the United Kingdom began; and if she will make a statement. (138051)

The review under way in the Ministry of Justice commenced after the May 2005 elections. It is anticipated that the review will be completed within the lifetime of this Parliament. Ministers will take decisions on any next steps, if necessary, after the review is completed.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will list the dates of the meetings of the working group set up by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice on 19 March 2007 to consider the implications of the creation of the Ministry of Justice. (137648)

The working group has met regularly since it was set up on 19 March 2007. Its discussions are ongoing.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (1) how many prison places she plans to bring into use from (a) refurbishment, (b) new build on existing sites and (c) new build on sites that do not currently house a prison in each of the next five years; (137645)

NOMS undertakes a rolling programme of refurbishment on the prison estate. As schemes come back into use following refurbishment, other schemes are taken forward and the accommodation is taken out of use.

Of the 8,000 new prison places announced by the Home Secretary in July 2006, approximately half will be on sites not currently occupied by prisons. The programme is still in the planning stages and the number of places to be provided beyond 2007 has not been finalised. However, this year the capacity of the prison estate will increase in total by around 2,200 places. This includes 700 places from the 8,000 programme and the remainder from already planned expansions. All of the new places this year will be provided at existing prison sites.

The estimated total capital cost of the new 8,000 places is around £1.5 billion. The breakdown of costs in each of the next five years has not yet been finalised.

To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what arrangements are in place to allow people held on remand to vote; and how many people on remand voted in the (a) recent elections for the (i) National Assembly for Wales and (ii) Scottish Parliament and (b) local elections in (A) England, (B) Scotland and (c) the last general election. (138103)

The Representation of the People Act 2000 made it possible for prisoners on remand, who are otherwise eligible to vote, to register to vote from their place of detention. Such persons are able to vote via post or by proxy.

The information on the number of remand prisoners who voted at the elections is not available. HM Prison Service keeps a record of the total number of remand prisoners, although no information is kept on those registered to vote. Records are not kept of whether particular categories of voters have exercised their right to vote at UK elections.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on telecommunication costs in each year since 1997. (133437)

Information on telecommunication costs (including IT networking costs) for the Chancellor's departments and agencies in each year since 1997 is given in the table:

Audited information for 2006-07 will be available by July 2007.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what part (a) he and (b) departmental representatives are playing in the inter-party talks on the funding of political parties chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips. (137747)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer does not have a role in the inter-party talks.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many migrant workers from other European Economic Area (EEA) countries receive benefits from the UK for dependents living in other EEA countries; and what the total cost was of such benefits in the last 12 months. (137212)

In respect of tax credits and child benefit, the information requested is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the administration of tax credits; and if he will make a statement. (137404)

Treasury Ministers have received a number of representations on various aspects of the administration of the tax credits system. In particular the Government have responded to the sixth report of the Treasury Committee, session 2005-06, on the administration of tax credits, on 8 November 2006 and I refer the hon. Member to the debate on that report on 15 March 2007, Official Report, columns 141-84WH. In addition, Treasury Ministers regularly report to the House on the operation of tax credits.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals claiming tax credits have been notified that details of their bank account and sort code have been sent to another client. (136901)

HMRC are aware that a number of incorrect tax credit award notices have been sent out, including some containing partial information about another claimant’s tax credit claim. This was caused by an isolated problem with one of the printers. HMRC take confidentiality very seriously and have robust procedures in place to protect information provided by claimants. As soon as they became aware of the incident, they corrected the problem with the printer and have taken steps to ensure there can be no recurrence. HMRC established that the incident affected around 42,000 families. In particular, 8,000 notices were sent out which contained some bank account details for a claimant other than the recipient.

HMRC’s immediate priority was to protect claimants' personal data and to ensure the correct information was provided to tax credit claimants. HMRC wrote to all claimants affected to apologise for this mistake; to provide the correct tax credit award notice; to advise them of the action that HMRC has taken to protect affected claimants; and to provide information on what further steps claimants may wish to take in response to this incident.

As a precautionary measure HMRC immediately alerted the banking industry who issued a general alert to the banks. HMRC also provided the information necessary for the banks of affected claimants to put the appropriate safeguards in place. HMRC also informed the Information Commissioner. HMRC’s current safeguards should prevent any fraudulent tax credits claims based on the information released.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqis (a) were granted and (b) applied for asylum in the UK in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. (136336)

Information on the number of applications received and initial decisions made for nationals of Iraq since 2003 are shown in the attached table.

Decision figures do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period.

Information on asylum applications and initial decisions for Iraqi nationals are published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:

http://homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department each year since 2001-02; and how many civil servants received bonuses in each year. (101022)

Where it is available, the information requested is recorded in the following table.

Within the Home Office and its agencies there are separate arrangements for awarding bonuses. Staff may receive annual, appraisal-related awards based on their exceptional contribution throughout the year, or special bonuses for exceptional, specific work. Senior civil servants can be awarded bonuses as set out in the Senior Salaries Review Body report number 62.

Notes:

1. Comprehensive data for 2001-02 are not available or can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

2. The data for appraisal-related bonus payments are included only for Home Office HQ and Border and Immigration Agency (BIA). The data for the public sector Prison Service are excluded as they can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Identity and Passport Agency (IPS) does not run an appraisal-related bonus scheme.

3. Data for special bonus payments are included only for the senior civil service (for the whole Department and its agencies) and IPS for 2004-05 and 2005-06 for certain bonuses where information is available

4. Data recorded for performance appraisal payments relate to the previous reporting year and not the financial year in which the bonuses themselves were paid.

5. Staffing data are for those in Home Office HQ and BIA and all senior civil servants in the Department and its agencies. For 2004-05 and 2005-06 IPS staff are included.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce fear of crime amongst the elderly. (137883)

Fear of crime is at historically low levels but we are not complacent and acknowledge that older people continue to have a high level of fear of crime despite the relatively low risk of them becoming victims of crime.

Previous work to lower this level of fear amongst older people has focused on addressing the misperceptions about crime by promoting the facts about crime levels, and encouraging common-sense precautions which individuals can take to prevent becoming a victim. This has been achieved by working with charities such as Help the Aged and Age Concern to find new and better ways of tackling fear among the older population, as well as tackling the crimes committed against them.

In addition, we are working to improve public confidence and, in turn, fear of crime. The roll out of neighbourhood policing will impact significantly on confidence in the police. Greater community engagement, more visible policing in communities and increased local accountability of crime and disorder reduction partnerships will all aid the reduction of fear of crime amongst the elderly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much his Department spent on researching, producing, distributing and publicising the British Crime Survey in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07; and if he will make a statement; (136729)

[holding answers 14 May 2007]: Following competitive tender, the Home Office commissioned an external survey research company to carry out the British Crime Survey on its behalf. The cost of this contract in each of the years asked about was (a) £4.5 million in 2004-05, (b) £4.6 million in 2005-06 and (c) £4.8 million in 2006-07.

The print and distribution costs of the annual and quarterly version of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Crime in England and Wales, was £19,000 in 2004-05; £19,000 in 2005-06; and, £14,000 in 2006-07. The cost of print and distribution has reduced as accessing Home Office statistics on-line has become more popular.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grievance procedures have been initiated in his Department in the last 12 months. (135157)

For Core Home Office (excluding the Public Sector Prison Service) including Border and Immigration Agency, Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service, the number of grievances raised from 27 April 2006 to 27 April 2007 is set out in the following table.

For Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency: Since 1 January 2005 people management has been devolved to a local line management level, including decisions on grievances, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers and recorded centrally.

Border and Immigration Agency figures do not include any new grievances lodged after 25 April 2007.

Information for the Criminal Records Bureau is not provided on grounds of confidentiality as there have been fewer than five grievance procedures initiated.

The Public Sector Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested, and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld. (134826)

For Core Home Office (excluding Public Sector Prison Service, Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service) and Border and Immigration Agency, the number of complaints investigated and upheld during the 12 month period to 27 April 2007 is set out in the following table.

Since January 2005 for staff in Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency people management has been devolved to a local line management level, with units either commissioning the investigation using HR staff or non HR staff who are specifically trained to carry these types of investigations. Line managers are only required to inform HR at the conclusion of the process, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers, and recorded centrally.

Border and Immigration Agency figures do not include any new complaints lodged after 25 April 2007.

Information for Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service is not provided on grounds of confidentiality as there were fewer than five complaints investigated. The Public Sector Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to limit the amount of money spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes by his Department. (132199)

The Department has a written policy on the provision of official hospitality in the form of food, drink and entertainment to non-civil servants which is available to all staff on the departmental intranet and which all staff are expected to comply with as part of their terms and conditions of service. The policy complies with the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety and the principles of Government accounting and allows for a modest amount of alcohol to be provided at lunches or dinners, at the discretion of senior management, as long as the overall cost of the lunch or dinner falls within the stated expenditure ranges.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in 2006-07. (133258)

Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which complies with the principles of Government accounting and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Hospitality is defined as the provision of food, drink and entertainment of non-civil servants where it is beneficial to the interests of the Department.

The spend for 2006-07 based on draft accounts is £94,044.

This figure covers hospitality provided by both civil servants and Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld. (135374)

For Core Home Office (excluding Public Sector Prison Service), Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service, Criminal Records Bureau, in the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, seven complaints of sexual harassment were investigated. Of these, two were upheld, three were upheld in part and two were not upheld. As there were fewer than five complaints of sexual harassment in each of Core Home Office, (excluding Public Sector Prison Service), Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau, a further breakdown is not provided on grounds of confidentiality.

Since 1 January 2005, for staff working in Core Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency, people management has been devolved to a local line management level, with units either commissioning the investigation into complaints of harassment using HR staff or non HR staff who are specifically trained to conduct these types of investigation. Line managers are only required to inform HR at the conclusion of the process, and therefore the figures supplied are those that have been reported to HR by line managers, and recorded centrally.

The Public Sector Prison Service does not have systems in place that hold centrally validated information in respect of complaints of sexual harassment and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what agreements exist between the UK and Libya on the (a) forced repatriation and (b) extradition of nationals. (136162)

Most removals to Libya under Immigration Act powers are undertaken on the basis of international conventions and practice, rather than bilateral arrangements. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries concerning the provision of assurances in respect of persons subject to deportation was signed on 18 October 2005.

There are no general extradition arrangements between the two countries. The UK and Libya, however, are parties to various international conventions under which extradition in respect of certain specific offences may be possible. The Extradition Act 2003 also allows the UK to consider entering into special extradition arrangements in individual cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to illegal workers from (a) Bulgaria and (b) Romania since 1 January 2007; and what percentage of those have been paid. (126431)

As of 29 April, 42 fixed penalty notices have been served, of which 38 on Romanian nationals and four on Bulgarian nationals.

Almost two thirds of these penalty notices have been paid in full within the 21 day period. A further 11 of them have yet to reach their due payment date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the number of irregular migrants (a) in the UK and (b) the rest of Europe. (134816)

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 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published estimates for the sizes of the unauthorised migrant population for a selection of other countries in Europe on their website at: http://www.oecd.org. The following table is taken from the ‘International Migration Outlook’ publication.

International Migration Outlook—ISBN_92-64-03627-X-©_OECD_2006—Part 1

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings he (a) has held and (b) plans to hold with representatives of the Romanian and Bulgarian communities to discuss the operation of the Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006. (131258)

I have personally not met with any representatives of the Bulgarian and Romanian communities to discuss the operation of the Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006. Nor has a request been made to do so.

Officials from the Border and Immigration Agency are in regular contact with officials at the Romanian and Bulgarian embassies in the United Kingdom. They participated in two seminars on the operation of the transitional arrangements in December 2006 and will continue to participate in any future events arranged.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines have been issued since 1 January 2007 to (a) Romanian and (b) Bulgarian workers found to be working illegally in the UK. (131259)

As of 29 April, 42 fixed penalty notices have been served; 38 on Romanian nationals and four on Bulgarian nationals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers have been fined since 1 January 2007 for employing (a) Romanian and (b) Bulgarian workers illegally. (131260)

As of 29 April, no employers have been prosecuted for employing Romanian and Bulgarian nationals without the correct permission to work in the United Kingdom, as we have been working with employers in other ways to ensure compliance with the Regulations which govern the employment of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence workers from Romania and Bulgaria are required to produce to demonstrate their self-employed status under the Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006. (131282)

Bulgarian and Romanian nationals engaged in self-employed activities are subject to the same regulatory regime as a UK national engaged in such an activity. The same level of evidence is required as would be necessary for a UK national to establish that activity undertaken is genuine self-employment.

Nationals from the two states in question are not required to carry at all times documentation confirming their status in the United Kingdom. A worker’s employment status for tax and National Insurance purposes is determined by the terms and conditions under which they work and is based on case law. Should they be questioned regarding their activities by an Immigration official conducting an illegal working investigation, that official will seek to establish if the activity being undertaken is genuine self-employment. It is the responsibility of both the worker and those he purports to provide services for to ensure that the relationship is one of genuine self-employment, and not an attempt to mask an employer-employee relationship.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of surveillance resources and expertise available to work on counter-terrorism; and whether the new MI5 Director has requested any additional resources. (136241)

It would not be appropriate for me to comment in specific detail about the operational capacity of the security and intelligence agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police (a) dogs and (b) horses (i) were recruited and (ii) were in service in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force area; (137153)

The required information is not collected as part of the police service strength data series.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police bicycles are owned by police forces in England and Wales; and what the cost was of each bicycle. (137168)

This is an operational matter for the Chief Officer and the police authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in England and Wales since the IPCC was established, broken down by police authority area and ranked in descending order of number of complaints. (137409)

The Home Office does not collect the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many social workers in England have had a Criminal Records Bureau check. (118973)

I have been asked to reply.

The figure for the number of social workers in England who have had a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check is not available.

All social workers in England must be registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) and as part of this registration, must declare details of any criminal record. The accuracy of this information is confirmed by their employer who will have carried out any necessary criminal record checks. Details of these checks, linked to occupation, are not separately recorded by the Department, the GSCC or the CRB.