To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether it is his Department’s policy to use (a) incandescent light bulbs and (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises. (173499)

The Department uses incandescent lights for its festive decorations. However, we shall be reviewing our policy for next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department’s policy is on the selection of (a) real and (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department’s festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of. (173524)

The Department is split across sites and has four Christmas Trees on its Estate. Two of these trees are real and are recycled by our foliage company. One of the artificial trees is reused each year. The other artificial tree is hired from our foliage company and returned to them at the end of the hire period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect his departmental responsibilities; and if he will make a statement. (166425)

[holding answer 6 December 2007]: The steps the Department has taken and intends to take are set out in the Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP), ‘Learning for the Future’, covering 2006-08. We recently submitted a progress report on this to the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), the Government’s independent watch dog on sustainable development.

SDC will shortly be publishing their analysis of the progress of Government Departments.

We are currently working on the content of a new SDAP that will cover 2008-10. This will incorporate the Government’s overall intentions as laid out in the recent Climate Change Bill and the cross-Government Adaptation Policy Framework to be published in the spring.

Subsequent SDAPs are likely to continue to reflect the work of the Department in addressing the effects of climate change on children, schools and families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in his Department are responsible for liaising with the Department for Children, Schools and Families. (178124)

Following the machinery of government changes last year, three separate Departments were established with clear demarcation of responsibility. However, we have sought to maintain effective communication links across the three new Departments to minimise disruption to our customers. A range of officials in DIUS are in regular discussion with the Department for Children, Schools and Families across a number of issues, covering both policy and the provision of corporate services. The issues being discussed and number of people involved varies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many letters his Department and its predecessors received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997. (174929)

I have been asked to reply.

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. Information relating to 2007 will be published as soon as it has been collated. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 101-04WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department takes to check the employment status of foreign nationals in the United Kingdom to study. (178127)

I have been asked to reply.

Foreign nationals with permission to study in the United Kingdom may work up to 20 hours per week during term time or full-time during vacations without the need to seek permission from their local Jobcentre Plus office or to obtain a work permit. It is the responsibility of an employer to establish that a foreign national is entitled to take employment in the UK. The Border and Immigration Agency has provided a helpline for employers to check the status of foreign nationals who seek to work in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of the evaluation of the Union Learning Fund, 2001 to 2005, undertaken on behalf of the former Department for Education and Skills by York Consulting Ltd. (178576)

The main recommendations of the evaluation of the Union Learning Fund (2001-05) concern improving the level of management information provided by participating trade unions, particularly on learner referrals and outcomes; improving the level of support provided to help Union Learning Representatives (ULRs); and engaging strategically with employers to help ensure the long term sustainability of union learning activity initiated by the Union Learning Fund (ULF).

Officials from my Department have been working with unionlearn the TUC’s new learning organisation to address these issues. Work has been done to improve the management information systems of ULF projects which will capture more information on the numbers taking Skills for Life, Level 2 and Level 3 courses. Additional support systems have been put in place at national, regional and local level to help Union Learning Representatives to carry out their duties more effectively. A new electronic tool, the “Climbing Frame” has been developed which is designed to help ULRs support learners to progress through different levels of study and a new “Quality Award” for learning providers that helps ULRs to identify accessible high quality provision for learners.

These strengthened support systems for ULRs will help to secure the future sustainability of union learning initiatives and underpin the work that unionlearn is doing to help those trade unions involved in ULF to develop effective strategic partnership working with employers. Over 200 learning agreements were established last year between unions and employers involved in ULF, helping to embed successful projects into long-term planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in Barnet have (a) applied for, (b) enrolled for and (c) received an education maintenance allowance during the 2007-08 academic year; what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowances on staying-on rates in education in Barnet; and if he will make a statement. (177926)

The LSC operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

We do not collect information on the impact of EMA specific to Barnet, however EMA was subject to a thorough evaluation during its pilot stage. The results indicated an increase in participation by 16-year-olds of 3.8 per cent. points nationally and 4.1 per cent. points nationally for 17-year-olds.

In addition a further analysis of the impact of EMA on participation and attainment was commissioned by the LSC and a copy of the results, with a summary of the key findings, was placed in the House Library on 3 December 2007.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 23 January 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked; "How many students in Barnet have (a) applied for, (b) enrolled on a course to be supported by and (c) received an education maintenance allowance during the current academic year; what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowances on staying on rates in education in Barnet."

EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.

The following table shows EMA applicants, enrolments and take-up for Barnet Local Authority Area:

EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:

http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) children and (b) families (i) who are black and minority ethnic, (ii) with English as an additional language, (iii) with special needs and disabilities and (iv) with a lone parent (A) have been provided with information on and (B) are accessing Sure Start programmes and services; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of those programmes and services; and if he will make a statement; (180988)

All Sure Start Children’s Centres provide information and advice to parents and carers on a range of subjects including local child care and education services for three and four-year-olds. Centres serving the most disadvantaged communities in England must provide integrated early learning and full daycare as part of their core services while centres serving less disadvantaged communities may provide integrated early learning and daycare places where local demand is not being met by existing, good quality providers. The information requested about different groups of families receiving information and taking up services, including integrated early learning and daycare, is not collected centrally by my Department. Data on the capacity of provision for child care through Sure Start programmes in the last five years are not collected centrally.

The ongoing National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS) produced initial findings on the impact of the early Sure Start Local Programmes in November 2005. These gave a very early indication that Sure Start is succeeding in making a difference to a large number of parents and children and is doing particularly well in affecting parenting practices. Because we know that some Sure Start Children’s Centres have more work to do to reach the most disadvantaged families from April this year we have committed additional resources which will enable local authorities to fund two more outreach workers in centres serving the most disadvantaged communities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate has been made of the additional number of mobile phone masts required to meet future demand of further generations of mobile telecommunications equipment. (177098)

I have been asked to reply.

The Government encourage mast and site sharing wherever possible, and network operators have an obligation under current planning procedures to demonstrate that they have considered all mast and site sharing options. Future sharing of network infrastructure would reduce the rate of growth of base station sites.

There is no current estimate of the number of additional mobile phone masts required to meet future demand of further generations of mobile telecommunications equipment. This is due to the fast moving nature of the telecommunications industry.

The actual number of base stations required in the future will depend on growth of demand and the availability of spectrum as well as the choice of technology available to meet that demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his most recent estimate is of the cost of regulation to UK industry. (176965)

In 2005 Government undertook an exercise to measure, for the first time in the UK, the administrative burdens of regulations on businesses and the third sector. The administrative burden as of May 2005 was £13.4 billion. More information can be found at:

http://bre.berr.gov.uk/regulation/reform/simplifying/plans.asp

Information on the total costs of regulations (not just administrative burdens) to UK industry is not currently held centrally and there is no established methodology for measuring these on a consistent basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what (a) public and (b) private/public sector partnership support is available to small and medium-sized enterprises in South Wiltshire. (180947)

The publicly funded Business Link service provides information and advice to small and medium enterprises, and where appropriate brokers clients on to public and private sector providers of business support.

Northern Arc Ltd. is contracted by the South West Regional Development Agency to provide the Business Link service in South Wiltshire. Northern Arc Ltd. maintains a local presence in the area by running business start-up clinics from their office in Salisbury College. Further information on the Business Link service can be found at www.businesslink.gov.uk/southwest or by telephoning 0845 600 9966.

In addition to this, the South Wiltshire Economic Partnership (SWEP), is a partnership between the district and county councils, local businesses and business organisations. It works in partnership with others to drive forward the growth of the south Wiltshire economy by supporting existing businesses and other organisations and by attracting inward investment. By providing the local business community with a single voice on economic development issues, SWEP also works to influence all levels of government and to provide a focus for the delivery of strategic change. SWEP is administered by Salisbury district council economic development team. More information on the partnership and its activities can be found at:

www.salisbury.gov.uk/swep

Businesses can sign up to receive news on the partnership, strategic projects in the district and events by e-mailing: swep@salisbury gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what Government support and advice is available to community groups who wish to operate their local post office as a community business. (179597)

[holding answer 17 January 2008]: Information and support on operating a local post office is available on the Post Office Ltd. website at www.ukpo.com/subpostmaster. In addition, sub-postmasters and community groups are free to seek advice from their local Business Link or RDA about any ongoing retail operations. This would be a matter for the individual retail outlet. Retailers can contact their local Business Link via the national helpline on: 0845 600 9006 or visit their website at:

www.businesslink.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has undertaken into the likely effects of the proposed post office closures on rural and semi-rural areas. (177877)

[holding answer 21 January 2008]: It is Government policy, announced in May 2007 in response to the national public consultation on the post office network, to ensure national coverage and reasonable access to post office services with particular regard to vulnerable consumers and to rural and remote areas. Access criteria have been introduced to achieve this and in developing its closure proposals Post Office Ltd. has also to take into account a range of factors relating to accessibility of service provision and the local impact of changes to it. Under area plan proposals published so far, on average 90.7 per cent. of the population covered will see no change in the branch they currently use and 99.3 per cent. will see either no change or still be within one mile of their nearest post office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices have closed under the Network Change Programme. (180478)

The Government strategy for the post office network includes provision for 2,500 compensated closures and 500 new outreach services.

Post Office Ltd. is responsible for implementing the network change programme at a local level. It is developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of parliamentary constituencies. Following final decisions on the proposals for the first area plans after local consultations, individual post office closures are now taking place. Area plan consultations are ongoing and will continue well into 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received on his proposals to restructure the post office network; and if he will make a statement. (180042)

The Department has received a range of representations for Members of Parliament, local authorities and other correspondents about the restructuring of the post office network, both in general terms and in the context of specific proposals included in Post Office Ltd.’s area plans. To 18 January, 14 area plans have been published and put to local consultation, consultations on 11 plans have closed and final decisions announced on six plans. In response to comments received during the public consultation period, closure proposals for 15 individual offices have so far been withdrawn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent consideration his Department has given to the introduction of new bank holidays. (181010)

The Department receives representations on this issue from time to time. However the present pattern of bank holidays in the UK is well established and accepted, and the Government have no current plans to change the arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what procedures are in place to monitor and audit the public monies remitted to trades unions under the auspices of the Union Modernisation Fund; and if he will make a statement. (180990)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: In line with normal arrangements for Government funding, all UMF projects are regularly monitored for progress and expenditure to ensure accountability and the protection of public funds. All projects are required to allow site visits by BERR officials. Failure to comply with such monitoring activity may result in sanctions, including withholding or reclaiming of funds.

On completion, each project is required to produce an independent accountant’s report. The report accompanies the final claim and confirms that the union has expended the sums in respect of which all claims have been made.

In addition, BERR is working with Leeds University Business School to conduct a phased evaluation of the fund. Phase one evaluated the operational effectiveness of the first round of bidding. Phase two will evaluate the success of supported projects and the impact of monies via a series of case studies. An interim phase two evaluation report was published in December 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regularly-funded organisations will be supported by Arts Council England in 2008-09. (179699)

[holding answer 17 January 2008]: I announced in October last year that grant in aid for Arts Council England would rise to £467 million by 2010-11—an increase of £50 million over current levels.

The Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.

Arts Council England will make a full announcement at the beginning of February when final decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what changes Arts Council England plans to make to funding criteria and allocation mechanisms; what changes it has made in the last 24 months; and what (a) internal guidance and (b) external guidance has been amended accordingly. (179445)

[holding answer 16 January 2008]: The Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them. Their fundamental criteria are set out in their Royal Charter

“to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts [and] to increase accessibility of the arts to the public in England.”

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which local organisations in each region received funding from Arts Council England in each of the last three years; how much funding was received in each case; and how much each such organisation is expected to receive from Arts Council England in 2008-09. (179447)

[holding answer 16 January 2008]: I announced in October last year that grant in aid for Arts Council England would rise to £467 million by 2010-11—an increase of £50 million over current levels.

A list of organisations which received Arts Council funding between 2005-06 to 2007-08 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them. They have said the following in response to requests to see the detail of the organisations listed in their proposals for 2008-09:

“Our proposals for non-renewal of funding cannot be made available until our National and Regional Councils make final decisions. This information is considered confidential and commercially sensitive during the response period. This is especially so in the case of a recommendation that might be overturned by the National Council or a Regional Council. Regularly funded organisations who have a right to respond to our recommendation, should be able to do so freely without fear that our intention to reduce or stop their funding is potentially unnecessarily, and without their consent, released into the public domain. A full announcement will be made at the beginning of February”.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what stage has been reached in his Department’s plans to sell the area of land located to the north of the British Library; what recent estimate of the value of the site has been made; and whether the Department will receive a proportion of the proceeds of any such sale. (181179)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: The sale of the land is proceeding: each party has now agreed the ‘heads of terms’ and the contract should be finalised by the end of February.

The department’s agents valued the site prior to the sale at £45 million but with an expectation of higher bids following the marketing campaign and the completion of St. Pancras station.

In line with Treasury budgeting guidance, DCMS may indeed retain a proportion of the proceeds. The sale also enables the Department to meet almost the entire sum represented by its target for asset sales over 2008-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to make the internet safer for child users. (179150)

[holding answer 15 January 2008]: The Government take internet safety extremely seriously, particularly in relation to children.

In September 2007, the Prime Minister announced a review into the risk to children of exposure to harmful or inappropriate content in video games and online. The review will also assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to such material and help parents understand and manage the risks of access to inappropriate content.

Dr. Tanya Byron is conducting this review and will report to Ministers in March 2008.

Other activity in this area includes the following:

(a) The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which operates an internet hotline for people to notify them of child abuse images online. Internet service providers are liable to prosecution if they do not remove sites notified to them by the IWF.

(b) The Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet, which was set up in 2001 and has published:

Good Practice Guidance for Search Providers and Advice to the Public on How to Search Safely.

Good Practice Models and Guidance for the Internet Industry on—Chat Services, Instant Messaging and Web Based Services.

Good Practice Guidance for the Providers of Social Networking and Other User Interactive Services.

(c) Cyberbullying guidance, which was launched in September 2007 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, provides practical help and guidance for parents and pupils on how to deal with any cyberbullying incidents.

(d) The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) which was set up in 2006, combines its enforcement powers with the business sector, Government and other interested organisations all focused on tackling child sex abuse policy. CEOP had some notable successes last year in bringing prosecutions.

(e) The EU Safer Internet Plus Programme promotes a safer use of online technologies particularly by children, and supports those fighting illegal and harmful content ranging from child abuse images to racism. IWF and CEOP receive funding from this programme.

(f) Many internet service providers and mobile companies work in partnership with Government in providing parents and children with practical help and advice on their websites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regularly-funded theatre-based producing companies in the regions will be supported by Arts Council England in 2008-09. (179701)

[holding answer 17 January 2008]: The Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.

Arts Council England will make a full announcement at the beginning of February when final decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting London in the last five years. (179278)

The table shows the average expenditure per visit by overseas tourists to London for the latest years for which data are available.

The figures exclude expenditure relating to fares for travel to and from the UK, and include expenditure by same day transit visitors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) overseas and (b) UK tourists who visited London in the last five years. (179279)

The tables show (i) the number of overseas visits and (ii) the number of overnight trips by UK residents to London for the latest years for which data are available.

It is not possible to provide a time series for the number of day visits by UK residents to London as the survey is run intermittently.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) cyclists and (b) motorcyclists have suffered (i) non-fatal casualties and (ii) death on (A) urban and (B) rural roads in Great Britain in each year since 1997. (180935)

The information requested is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will seek to amend EU regulations on the fixing of metal bull bars to new vehicles to cover vehicles which had such bars fitted when the present regulations entered into force. (181555)

The Government have no plan for retrospective regulation in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department and its agencies received bonuses in each year since 2002. (178962)

All civil service Departments are encouraged to develop non-consolidated bonus payments to recognise performance, in accordance with the civil service reward principles agreed by the Cabinet Office.

The information requested for the years prior to 2005-06 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Detailed records for the number of civil servants who received staff bonuses during the period stated only exist for the following years:

The 2006-07 figures do not include figures from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) as they have yet to complete payments to staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department’s policy is on recycling. (174398)

Due to the dispersed nature of the Department for Transport estate an overarching recycling policy approach has not been adopted. Instead, the Department looks to utilise the available schemes in each of the areas in which it has sites. The Department, including its agencies, has embedded recycling and waste reduction into sustainable development action plans and environmental management systems, where applicable, with the aim of achieving the recognised sustainability on the government estate waste targets.

For the scale of the recycling schemes currently utilised by the Department for Transport I refer the hon. Member to my response on 15 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1086-88W. Additionally, I refer the hon. Member to my earlier answer given on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1172W, which showed the volumes and percentage of recycling undertaken by the Department for Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department carried out impact assessments before the introduction of multi-purpose test centres in rural areas; and if she will make a statement. (180499)

A draft Regulatory Impact Assessment was published as part of the consultation entitled “Delivering the new motorcycle test” in December 2002. This was revised in the light of responses to that consultation. The amended Impact Assessment was published in the Response to Consultation report in March 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Driving Standards Agency’s professional development training will be outsourced; and if she will make a statement. (180501)

The Driving Standards Agency is currently working with representative bodies and other stakeholders on the development of a Continuing Professional Development initiative for approved driving instructors which would inform a future consultation paper. No decisions have been made as to the development of the delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of whether to change the age at which an individual can start driving. (181450)

I refer to the answer given on 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1088W to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deliveries were lost by Government mail in the last year for which figures are available. (181328)

I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 460W given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at which times of day incidents causing the deaths of drivers aged between 17 and 25 years occurred in each of the last 10 years, broken down by hourly interval. (180390)

The number of reported personal injury road accidents resulting in 17 to 25-year-old car driver fatalities by hour of accident for Great Britain from 1997 to 2006 are shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road traffic accidents in which a driver aged between 17 and 25-years-old died there were (a) no passengers, (b) passengers aged between 17 and 25 and (c) passengers aged over 25 in the vehicle in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. (180428)

The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents involving 17 to 25-year-old car driver fatalities with (a) no passenger casualties, (b) at least one 17 to 25-year-old passenger casualty and (c) at least one passenger casualty aged over 25 are given in the table.

Data are shown for passenger casualties as information on uninjured passengers is not collected. Accidents may be included in both columns (b) and (c) as a vehicle may have a 17 to 25-year-old passenger casualty as well as a passenger casualty aged over 25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what files are held by her Department on (a) the Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill of Sessions (i) 1978-79 and (ii) 1979-80 and (b) the Safety of Children in Cars Bill of sessions (A) 1978-79, (B) 1979-80 and (C) 1980-81; and if she will make a statement. (180774)

The Department’s records for the periods in question do not show files specifically relating to these Bills. Many files from that period have now been destroyed or transferred to The National Archive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that every person referred to a speed awareness course in Lancashire undertakes the course. (180509)

The Department is not responsible for ensuring the attendance of offenders at speed awareness courses. Courses are offered at the discretion of the Police, as an alternative to prosecution, to speeding offenders for whom they feel it is the most productive option. Should an offender agree to attend a course but fail to do so, the offer of a course is withdrawn and the offence reverts to a prosecution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fines the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has issued relating to the lack of notification of change of vehicle ownership in the last two years. (180594)

The number of penalties issued by the Agency in respect of a failure to notify a change of vehicle ownership is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many appeals against fines imposed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for non-notification of change of vehicle ownership have been made in the last two years; how many of these were successful; on what grounds such cases were successful; and if she will make a statement. (180596)

The Agency does not hold statistics to advise the total number of appeals received in cases which involve non-notification of change of vehicle ownership. These details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of non-notification of change cases closed following further investigation is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in establishing a cross-departmental working group to examine coastal towns. (180655)

The inaugural meeting of the cross-departmental working group on coastal towns, convened by officials from this Department, will be held on 6 February 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of freedom of information requests received by her Department have given rise to responses that have been published by her Department. (180211)

Communities and Local Government has adopted a selective disclosure policy whereby only the most high profile pieces of information and those of wider public interest are published as a matter of course on the disclosure log on its website at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/coporate/about/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/

To date, 5 per cent. of responses to requests made to Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 since 1 January 2005 have been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters, following injury (a) retired and took their pensions due to injury, (b) were re-employed within the Fire Service in other roles and (c) left the Fire Service without their pension, in each of the last five years. (180809)

Available information, for ill-health retirements due to injury, which relate to all Fire and Rescue Staff (uniformed and non-uniformed) is set out as follows:

Information on re-employments and leavers without pensions is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Scot Wilson Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for Mid Essex and Colchester will be published; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish it. (180712)

The strategic flood risk assessment (SFRA) work undertaken by Scott Wilson was split into two phases. Phase 1 successfully completed in November 2006, with Phase 2 involving the delivery of the individual SFRA chapters to suit local development framework (LDF) timetables. This is a joint piece of work commissioned by Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon and Braintree local planning authorities to help inform their emerging LDFs.

A number of factors led to the delay in publication of this study. In August 2007, the Environment Agency requested that the scope of the study be changed to take into account new guidance in planning policy statement 25 ‘Development and Flood Risk’ and the accompanying practice manual to take account of the possible impacts of climate change for river systems, such as the incidence of higher density rainfall. This required the engagement of additional consultants to undertake reruns of the fluvial models, which took further time. However, undertaking this further work means that the final SFRA aims to comply with most recent Government guidance and provide the most up to date information in relation to flooding that also includes consideration of the potential impacts of climate change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will initiate a review into (a) the governance of the London Development Agency and (b) the operation of arrangements for the scrutiny of the Mayor of London’s advisers. (178338)

[holding answer 14 January 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 January 2008, Official Report, columns 773-74.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, Official Report, columns 131-39W, on green belt, how many hectares were designated green belt in (a) Durham district and (b) Easington district in 1997. (180199)

There was no designated green belt land in Durham district or Easington district in 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce legislation to require the retrospective implementation in council housing of the 2004 British Standard for water system thermostats. (180971)

Last summer we began a wide ranging review of the Building Regulations to see whether any changes to the legal requirements might be made that would further improve the robustness and safety of hot water systems in all new homes and homes undergoing alteration and major building works. We do not want to pre-judge the outcome of this review.

In parallel we are working with our colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and in industry to see whether additional guidance and a more robust approach to ensuring the proper implementation of legal provisions relating to safety in existing housing is needed.

This review and our joint work with HSE and the industry will, of course, take account of the findings of the coroner, following the tragic death of Rhianna Hardie.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what criteria the decision made to grant the housing market renewal scheme £1 billion of Government funding on 11 October 2007 was based. (166231)

Decisions to grant the housing market renewal programme additional funding of around £1 billion for 2008 to 2011 were taken as part of allocations within the Department for Communities and Local Government following the comprehensive spending review 2007.

The new funding reflects in part the initial success of the programme in narrowing the gaps in house prices and vacancies between pathfinders and their regions, as recognised in the National Audit Office’s recent report on the programme. It also recognises that more remains to be done—in some cases, to continue to tackle problems of deep-seated structural need, where markets are reviving more slowly; and in others to ensure that the housing market renewal and growth programmes can be taken forward together where appropriate, responding to emerging issues including the need for more affordable housing.

Decisions on allocations to individual areas will be taken shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic dwellings in England are classified as empty. (180160)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on 9 January 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will allow the redesignation of disused or underused farm buildings for the purposes of developing affordable housing. (180189)

Planning Policy Statement 7: “Sustainable Development in Rural Areas” (PPS7) sets out a supportive approach to the re-use of buildings in the countryside where this would meet sustainable development objectives. Conversion for economic development uses is preferred but residential conversions may also be acceptable. Isolated new houses in the countryside will require special justification for planning permission to be granted but this may be provided if accommodation is needed, for example, to enable agricultural, forestry or other workers to live at or in the vicinity of their place of work.

Any dwellings will count as new housing for the purposes of Planning Policy Statement 3 “Housing” (PPS3). PPS3 highlights the need for local authorities to plan for the provision of market and affordable housing in rural areas that contributes to the creation and maintenance of sustainable rural communities in market towns and villages. It also sets out how local authorities in rural areas should consider allocating and releasing sites solely for affordable housing, including using a rural exception site policy.

It is for local planning authorities to determine planning applications, such as those for the development of disused or underused farm buildings for housing, in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contracts have been provided to Vista Panels by the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder schemes. (180156)

None of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders is known to my Department to have had a direct contract with Vista Panels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the local government business growth initiative (LEGI); and how much additional funding has been provided under the LEGI to local authorities. (178465)

I understand my hon. Friend means this question to relate to Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme (LABGI) rather than Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).

At the end of the first year of LABGI, we revisited the methodology used to calculate the level of funding given to local authorities to ensure that the scheme continued to deliver an incentive for local authorities to maximise local economic growth. As a result, the scheme was simplified by removing the ceiling on payments made to local authorities.

On 7 January 2007, the Government announced that, following further consideration of new legal challenges that have been made against the current scheme and the inherent uncertainty that this caused to the remaining LABGI pot, it intended to re-consider all aspects of the approach used to distribute the remaining resources available for Year 3 of the LABGI scheme. The full statement can be found at

http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/labgi/statementyr3pay.pdf

In October 2006, the Government published an issues paper, which sought views on reform of LABGI. This set out the Government’s intention to develop an incentive as a full and permanent part of the local government finance system and to phase this in from 2009-10, with funding of £50 million doubling to £100 million in its second year. We are now considering the responses that have been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Harborough of 20 December 2007 on the eco-town proposal in Harborough. (181136)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) replied to the hon. Member on 17 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, columns 1338-9W, on Muslims: females, which academics, theologians and leading Muslim women attended the two roundtable meetings in which women’s access to mosque life was discussed; and who attended the two wider stakeholders meetings. (181184)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: In my right hon. Friend’s answer of 18 December, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government identified two roundtable meetings at which the issue of women’s access to mosque life was discussed. The following academics and theologians attended the first of these meetings:

The following stakeholders attended the second meeting.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government also identified two stakeholder roundtable meetings. The following persons attended one or both of these meetings:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has published good practice guidance on initiatives to support the role of Muslim women in the community since the report on preventing violent extremism was published. (181186)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: The good practice guide on effective initiatives to strengthen the role that Muslim women play in their communities was published on 23 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when a consultation paper will be published on proposed reforms to the property search market. (179225)

The consultation paper was published on 18 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants her Department has provided for the re-development of Coventry in the last 12 months; and what (a) grants and (b) loans for that purpose are planned for the future. (180717)

There have been no specific Communities and Local Government grants or loans provided for the re-development of Coventry in the last 12 months apart from a contribution to Coventry’s New Deal for Communities (NDC) initiative based in three deprived outer estates in the north east of the city.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of how many sites applications for planning permission for change of use from a place of worship to (a) private housing, (b) commercial usage, (c) community functions and (d) other usage have been granted in each of the last 10 years. (180429)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Communities and Local Government collects quarterly aggregate statistics on development control from all local planning authorities in England. However, we do not collect information on individual planning applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many possession orders were (a) suspended and (b) dismissed relating to properties owned by (i) registered social landlords and (ii) local authority housing departments because of non-payment of housing benefit by local authorities in the latest period for which figures are available. (181100)

I have been asked to reply.

Data are not available relating to the number of possession actions initiated by social landlords or local authority housing departments which were suspended or dismissed on the grounds of non-payment of housing benefit by local authorities. This information could be compiled centrally only at disproportionate cost.

However, the Ministry of Justice publishes general quarterly statistics on mortgage and landlord possession actions. This publication includes court-level data on the number of suspended orders, and is available from the statistics pages of the Ministry of Justice website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to promote rural towns as desirable places to set up and expand businesses. (181160)

The Government’s review of sub-national economic development and regeneration (known as the SNR), published in July 2007, set out policies designed to enable all places, including rural towns, to reach their economic potential.

Regional development agencies lead work to drive economic development in the regions. However, under the proposals set out in the SNR, local authorities will play an increasingly important role in driving forward economic development and will develop and deliver the regional strategy alongside the RDAs. The SNR also proposed a new economic appraisal duty for local authorities, which would require each upper tier local authority to assess the economic circumstances and challenges in its area. The Government will be consulting on these proposals shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to assist rural households on planning issues in relation to alternative sources of energy and microgeneration. (181163)

The Planning Policy Statement on climate change we published at the end of 2007 sets out new planning rules to boost the use of local renewable and low carbon energy. These expect local planners, whether in rural or urban locations, to promote and encourage alternative sources of energy and microgeneration when they help cut carbon emissions. We are also going to make it easier for householders including those in rural areas to install microgeneration equipment without the need to apply for planning permission, subject to certain safeguards to minimise the impact on others. Our aim is to amend the relevant legislation in the spring. Where the proposal would still require a planning application, and it is in line with our new policy rules for cutting carbon emissions, we expect it to be handled expeditiously and sympathetically.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions have been made and (b) fixed penalty notices have been issued by (i) police and (ii) local authorities for (A) fly tipping, (B) graffiti, (C) dog fouling, (D) the dropping of litter and (E) parking offences in each year since 1997. (176115)

I have been asked to reply.

Information on prosecutions at magistrates courts is held by the Ministry of Justice for (A) fly tipping offences, (B) ‘other’ criminal damage, (C) dog fouling, (D) littering and (E) parking offences since 1997; these are provided in the following tables. The offence class of ‘other’ criminal damage includes, but cannot separately identify, offences of graffiti. Data on fly posting offences cannot be separately identified from the data held by the Ministry of Justice.

Data are collected by DEFRA on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by local authorities, and how many had subsequently been taken to prosecution due to non-payment. Police Community Support Officers can issue FPNs if they have the relevant approval; such FPNs are issued on behalf of the local authority and are included in the aggregated figure provided by each local authority to DEFRA each year. FPNs cannot be issued for fly tipping offences.

The numbers of FPNs issued for each offence each year are included in the following tables.

As the power to issue FPNs for graffiti offences was introduced in 2003, statistics do not exist prior to this date.

The parking offences for which a FPN can be issued are nuisance parking and abandoned vehicles, as defined in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The first year of available data is for the period April 2006 to March 2007.

The police can issue penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) which can include offences such as littering. The littering offence was added to the PND scheme in 2004 when it was rolled out nationally.

Data on the number of PNDs issued for littering broken down by police force area are published as a part of the publication ‘Penalty Notices for Disorder’ for 2004 data and as a part of ‘Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 2006’ (for 2005 and 2006 data). These are available on the Ministry of Justice website.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will give a breakdown by (a) sex and (b) age group of asylum applicants granted leave to remain in the UK via (i) asylum status, (ii) exceptional leave to remain, discretionary leave to remain or humanitarian protection, (iii) the 1998 backlog exercise and (iv) the 2000 family ILR exercise in each year since 1997. (177337)

Information on initial decisions by sex for years 2001 to 2006 are available from the annual Statistical Bulletins Asylum Statistics United Kingdom.

Information on initial decisions by age of applicants for years 1997 to 2000 are available from the annual Statistical Bulletins Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, information for 2001 to 2006 will be placed in the House Libraries. Categories and the presentation of data changed in 2001 and this is reflected in the tables provided.

Information on the 1998 backlog exercise and the 2000 family ILR exercise is not available broken down by age and sex and could be obtained by examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of the people whose asylum cases (a) were considered under the Legacy Casework Programme were unsuccessful have been removed and (b) are awaiting removal; and if she will make a statement. (179102)

In her update to the Home Affairs Select Committee of 17 December 2007, Lin Homer (the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency) stated that 52,000 cases have been concluded by the Case Resolution Directorate, of which about 16,000 have led to removals. We do not hold information on how many cases have been considered and are awaiting removal.

Lin Homer gave an undertaking to update the Home Affairs Select Committee every six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seeker legacy cases have been recognised in (a) Newcastle and (b) the North East; and how many such cases have been determined. (178191)

[holding answer 15 January 2008]: The information requested cannot be provided except by examining individual case records at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are issued to case decision-makers in the Borders and Immigration Agency on the economic and social consequences for applicants for indefinite leave to remain of the time taken to make decisions on individual applications. (177616)

There is no specific guidance issued to caseworkers on the economic and social consequences of time taken to process a decision on Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications.

The Border and Immigration Agency have time based targets for dealing with such applications, the majority of which are met. Targets that are 70 per cent. of all decisions on in time applications requesting indefinite leave to remain are made within 20 days of receipt and that 90 per cent. are decided within 70 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers her Department has requested the return of under the Dublin II Agreement in each year since it came into force. (180255)

Approximately 7,920 requests have been made by the United Kingdom under the provisions of the Dublin II regulation since its introduction on 1 September 2003. Statistics on the number of requests between September and December 2003 is unavailable. The yearly breakdown is as follows:

These figures are based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional. These figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been returned to the UK under the Dublin II Agreement in each year since it came into force. (180256)

A total of approximately 1,165 asylum seekers have been returned to the UK from other EU countries under Dublin provisions since 2004. The Dublin II regulation was introduced on 1 September 2003 and replaced the Dublin convention. The statistics, as follows, include returns under both the Dublin convention and regulation as we are unable to provide figures on the Dublin regulation alone. Returns information from September to December 2003 is unavailable. A yearly breakdown is as follows:

These figures are based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional. These figures have been rounded to the nearest five.